Patents by Inventor Stephen B. Turner

Stephen B. Turner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11707762
    Abstract: A dispensing system for a rotary dispensing machine includes a tank, a fill tube, and a piston that moves along the fill tube and defines an air chamber and a fluid chamber within the tank. The tank is rotatable relative to the fill tube. A fluid is dispensed from the fluid chamber of the tank through at least one outlet formed in the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Alfons Haar, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Emmanuel Carstens, Stephen B. Turner
  • Publication number: 20230191441
    Abstract: A dispensing system for a rotary dispensing machine includes a tank, a fill tube, and a piston that moves along the fill tube and defines an air chamber and a fluid chamber within the tank. The tank is rotatable relative to the fill tube. A fluid is dispensed from the fluid chamber of the tank through at least one outlet formed in the tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Aaron Emmanuel Carstens, Stephen B. Turner
  • Patent number: 10946432
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a can end in a forming press including positioning a sheet of material between an upper punch assembly and a fixed base assembly; cutting a can end blank from the sheet of material; clamping a peripheral portion of the can end blank; moving the upper punch assembly to clamp a central portion of the can end blank between an upper panel punch and a lower panel punch to define a central panel section positioned below an annular inner bead die located adjacent to the lower panel punch on the fixed base assembly; and extending the upper punch assembly to form an initial annular countersink radius next to the peripheral portion of the can end blank, with a substantially undeformed intermediate area extending between the initial annular countersink radius and the annular inner bead die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Alfons Haar, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen B. Turner, Shawn P. Finley
  • Publication number: 20190160517
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a can end in a forming press including positioning a sheet of material between an upper punch assembly and a fixed base assembly; cutting a can end blank from the sheet of material; clamping a peripheral portion of the can end blank; moving the upper punch assembly to clamp a central portion of the can end blank between an upper panel punch and a lower panel punch to define a central panel section positioned below an annular inner bead die located adjacent to the lower panel punch on the fixed base assembly; and extending the upper punch assembly to form an initial annular countersink radius next to the peripheral portion of the can end blank, with a substantially undeformed intermediate area extending between the initial annular countersink radius and the annular inner bead die.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Stephen B. Turner, Shawn P. Finley
  • Patent number: 9527127
    Abstract: A can end blank is initially cupped and a central portion of the cup is rolled up with an annular portion of the cup being free formed with limited contact with any tooling except to prevent wrinkling, to prevent overextension of the free formed material and to define a final geometry of the free formed material as the forming press reaches a bottom of its forming stroke. The free forming is performed by controlling the motion of a pre-panel punch using a double action piston so that the pre-panel punch is selectively moved between an extended position for formation of a cup of a cupped can end blank and a retracted position for free forming material between a central portion of the cup and a clamped portion of the cupped can end blank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Alfons Haar, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen B. Turner
  • Publication number: 20160016224
    Abstract: A can end blank is initially cupped and a central portion of the cup is rolled up with an annular portion of the cup being free formed with limited contact with any tooling except to prevent wrinkling, to prevent overextension of the free formed material and to define a final geometry of the free formed material as the forming press reaches a bottom of its forming stroke. The free forming is performed by controlling the motion of a pre-panel punch using a double action piston so that the pre-panel punch is selectively moved between an extended position for formation of a cup of a cupped can end blank and a retracted position for free forming material between a central portion of the cup and a clamped portion of the cupped can end blank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventor: Stephen B. Turner
  • Publication number: 20150050104
    Abstract: A can end blank is initially cupped and a central portion of the cup is rolled up with an annular portion of the cup being free formed without substantial contact with any tooling except to prevent overextension of the free formed material and to define a final geometry of the free formed material as the forming press reaches a bottom of its forming stroke. The free forming may be accomplished by controlling the motion of a crown ring using a delay cam assembly so that the motion of the crown ring is independent of the motion of the rest of the tooling which is controlled by the motion of the ram or punch assembly of the forming press.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: Alfons Haar, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen B. Turner
  • Patent number: 8341995
    Abstract: A method for forming at least one rib and a step shoulder bottom of a can body in a single drawing operation from a redrawn cup or preform which has a closed end with an inwardly tapering annular periphery that includes sufficient material to enable formation of the step shoulder bottom without having the at least one rib drawn into the step shoulder bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Alfons Haar, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen B. Turner
  • Publication number: 20110252858
    Abstract: A method for forming at least one rib and a step shoulder bottom of a can body in a single drawing operation from a redrawn cup or preform which has a closed end with an inwardly tapering annular periphery that includes sufficient material to enable formation of the step shoulder bottom without having the at least one rib drawn into the step shoulder bottom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Inventor: Stephen B. Turner
  • Patent number: 7066702
    Abstract: A dome of a domed aerosol can end is initially formed and then a crown of the can end is formed so that material flow within a workpiece from which the can end is formed is controlled to substantially eliminate wrinkling problems associated with the use of sheet material which is thinner than conventionally used, for example double reduced steel. The peripheral portion of the workpiece is initially clamped between a blank punch and a draw pad, and also between a knockout and a crown ring. An outer first portion of the dome is then formed by an outer redraw sleeve and a dome form die. An inner second portion of the dome is next formed by a dome punch and the dome form die. There may be limited contact of the dome punch with the workpiece during formation of the first portion of the dome and the workpiece may also be clamped between the outer redraw sleeve and the dome form die during formation of the second dome portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Alfons Haar, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen B. Turner, Carl W. Hoying
  • Patent number: 6830419
    Abstract: A dome of a domed aerosol can end is initially formed and then a crown of the can end is formed so that material flow within a workpiece from which the can end is formed is controlled to substantially eliminate wrinkling problems associated with the use of sheet material which is thinner than conventionally used, for example double reduced steel. The peripheral portion of the workpiece is initially clamped between a blank punch and a draw pad, and also between a knockout and a crown ring. An outer first portion of the dome is then formed by an outer redraw sleeve and a dome form die. An inner second portion of the dome is next formed by a dome punch and the dome form die. There may be limited contact of the dome punch with the workpiece during formation of the first portion of the dome and the workpiece may also be clamped between the outer redraw sleeve and the dome form die during formation of the second dome portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: Alfons Haar Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen B. Turner, Carl W. Hoying
  • Patent number: 6079249
    Abstract: A can end is formed from sheet material in a single acting press by blanking a workpiece and holding the workpiece between a blanking punch and a draw pad. The periphery of the workpiece is worked between a knockout and a crown ring to contour a crown. A bead punch advances into the workpiece to form a shell extending from the crown. The bead punch bottoms out on a bead die and collapses to a predetermined position to form a plurality of beads adjacent the shell by flowing a portion of the shell to form the beads while shortening the shell to less than specifications for the can end. The bead punch returns to an uncollapsed position during upstroke of the press to extend the shell to be within specifications. Apparatus for forming a can end in a press includes a fluidly supported die crown ring having an upper surface defining a can end crown contour. A knockout is aligned with the die crown ring for engaging a workpiece upon downstroke of the press to form a crown in the periphery of the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Alfons Haar Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen B. Turner, Carl W. Hoying
  • Patent number: 5211248
    Abstract: A portable soil sampling device is provided that is easily positoned in confined and hard-to-reach locations. The device includes a mast assembly comprising a pair of upright masts mounted on a frame having a pair of wheels. By tilting the frame and mast assembly back using a provided handle, the device may be transported to a sampling location. Where low overhead locations are encountered, such as within buildings, the mast assembly may be lowered with the use of a hinged connection intermediate its ends. The device is powered by hydraulic power from a remote source through flexible hydraulic hose, so as to help reduce the size and weight of the device. A hydraulic motor on the device is used to position a hydraulic hammer over a tube for driving. A hydraulic cylinder on the device is used to pull the sample tube from the ground after it has been driven to the desired depth. The invention also involves the method steps in accomplishing the above operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1993
    Inventors: Michael A. Nosewicz, Stephen B. Turner
  • Patent number: D762475
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Alfons Haar, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen B. Turner, Donald R. Shepherd, Jr.