Patents by Inventor Steve Massman
Steve Massman 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).
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Patent number: 11939167Abstract: A vibratory apparatus includes a deck, an electro-mechanical sensor and at least one vibratory exciter. The deck has an upper surface configured to receive items to be conveyed in at least a first direction along a longitudinal axis from a first deck end to a second deck end. The electro-mechanical sensor includes a wheel disposed above the upper surface of the deck, the wheel being rotatable about a wheel axis disposed transverse to the longitudinal axis, and an electronic sensor associated with the wheel, the electronic sensor configured to generate a signal representative of the revolutions per unit time of the wheel. The at least one vibratory exciter is attached to the deck and is configured to move the material along the deck.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2022Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: General Kinematics CorporationInventors: Ben Belton, Oscar L. Mathis, Jr., Steve Massman, Toby Imes
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Patent number: 11535456Abstract: A vibratory drum includes a tubular drum having a longitudinal axis, and first and second vibratory generators disposed laterally relative to the longitudinal axis and opposite each other across the tubular drum. The drum also includes a frame to which the first and second vibratory generators are attached; and a plurality of resilient elements attached at a first end to the tubular drum and at a second end to the frame, whereby the vibratory motion of the generators is transferred to the tubular drum to impart a circular motion to material disposed in the tubular drum.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2020Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: General Kinematics CorporationInventors: Steve Massman, Kerry William Quinn
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Publication number: 20220363485Abstract: A vibratory apparatus includes a deck, an electro-mechanical sensor and at least one vibratory exciter. The deck has an upper surface configured to receive items to be conveyed in at least a first direction along a longitudinal axis from a first deck end to a second deck end. The electro-mechanical sensor includes a wheel disposed above the upper surface of the deck, the wheel being rotatable about a wheel axis disposed transverse to the longitudinal axis, and an electronic sensor associated with the wheel, the electronic sensor configured to generate a signal representative of the revolutions per unit time of the wheel. The at least one vibratory exciter is attached to the deck and is configured to move the material along the deck.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 11, 2022Publication date: November 17, 2022Inventors: Ben Belton, Oscar L. Mathis, JR., Steve Massman, Toby Imes
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Patent number: 11242206Abstract: A conveyor includes a trough with a floor having an upper surface configured to receive items to be conveyed in at least a first direction from a first end to a second end. The conveyor also includes a platform with at least one exciter attached thereto. The at least one exciter has at least one shaft with an eccentric mass attached thereto, the shaft having an axis of rotation about which the mass is rotated. The conveyor also includes a base. At least one first toroidal resilient member is disposed between the trough and the platform, and at least one second toroidal resilient member disposed between the platform and the base.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2020Date of Patent: February 8, 2022Assignee: General Kinematics Corp.Inventors: Steve Massman, Kerry Quinn
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Publication number: 20210171287Abstract: A conveyor includes a trough with a floor having an upper surface configured to receive items to be conveyed in at least a first direction from a first end to a second end. The conveyor also includes a platform with at least one exciter attached thereto. The at least one exciter has at least one shaft with an eccentric mass attached thereto, the shaft having an axis of rotation about which the mass is rotated. The conveyor also includes a base. At least one first toroidal resilient member is disposed between the trough and the platform, and at least one second toroidal resilient member disposed between the platform and the base.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2020Publication date: June 10, 2021Inventors: Steve Massman, Kerry Quinn
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Publication number: 20200369475Abstract: A vibratory drum includes a tubular drum having a longitudinal axis, and first and second vibratory generators disposed laterally relative to the longitudinal axis and opposite each other across the tubular drum. The drum also includes a frame to which the first and second vibratory generators are attached; and a plurality of resilient elements attached at a first end to the tubular drum and at a second end to the frame, whereby the vibratory motion of the generators is transferred to the tubular drum to impart a circular motion to material disposed in the tubular drum.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 19, 2020Publication date: November 26, 2020Inventors: Steve Massman, Kerry William Quinn
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Patent number: 10532890Abstract: A vibratory apparatus includes a first mass comprising a first deck with a path of travel between a first point and a second point along the first deck, a second mass comprising a second deck with a path of travel between a first point and a second point along the second deck, a shaft coupled to the first mass and at least one eccentric weight coupled to the shaft, and at least one resilient member in the form of a plate having a thickness, the plate coupled at a first end to the first deck and at a second end to the second deck, the plate having a thickness disposed transverse to the path of travel along the first and second decks, the plate having at least one opening formed therethrough to form a web having a spring characteristic.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2018Date of Patent: January 14, 2020Assignee: General Kinematics CorporationInventors: Steve Massman, Vincent Brice
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Publication number: 20180354724Abstract: A vibratory apparatus includes a first mass comprising a first deck with a path of travel between a first point and a second point along the first deck, a second mass comprising a second deck with a path of travel between a first point and a second point along the second deck, a shaft coupled to the first mass and at least one eccentric weight coupled to the shaft, and at least one resilient member in the form of a plate having a thickness, the plate coupled at a first end to the first deck and at a second end to the second deck, the plate having a thickness disposed transverse to the path of travel along the first and second decks, the plate having at least one opening formed therethrough to form a web having a spring characteristic.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2018Publication date: December 13, 2018Inventors: Steve Massman, Vincent Brice
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Publication number: 20180229940Abstract: A vibratory apparatus includes a first mass comprising a first deck with a path of travel between a first point and a second point along the first deck, a second mass comprising a second deck with a path of travel between a first point and a second point along the second deck, a shaft coupled to the first mass and at least one eccentric weight coupled to the shaft, and at least one resilient member in the form of a plate having a thickness, the plate coupled at a first end to the first deck and at a second end to the second deck, the plate having a thickness disposed transverse to the path of travel along the first and second decks, the plate having at least one opening formed therethrough to form a web having a spring characteristic.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2017Publication date: August 16, 2018Inventors: Steve Massman, Vincent Brice
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Patent number: 10046916Abstract: A vibratory apparatus includes a first mass comprising a first deck with a path of travel between a first point and a second point along the first deck, a second mass comprising a second deck with a path of travel between a first point and a second point along the second deck, a shaft coupled to the first mass and at least one eccentric weight coupled to the shaft, and at least one resilient member in the form of a plate having a thickness, the plate coupled at a first end to the first deck and at a second end to the second deck, the plate having a thickness disposed transverse to the path of travel along the first and second decks, the plate having at least one opening formed therethrough to form a web having a spring characteristic.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2017Date of Patent: August 14, 2018Assignee: General Kinematics CorporationInventors: Steve Massman, Vincent Brice
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Patent number: 9849486Abstract: A vibratory apparatus includes a deck assembly with a longitudinal axis, an inlet end, and an outlet end. The deck assembly includes a plurality of deck sections each having a plurality of openings. Each deck section has upstream and downstream edges, the downstream edge of each successive deck section disposed closer longitudinally to the outlet end than the downstream edge of each preceding deck section. The upstream edge of each successive deck section is disposed closer longitudinally to the upstream edge of each preceding deck section than the downstream edge of the preceding deck section is disposed to the upstream edge of the preceding deck section, thereby defining an overlapping portion of the preceding deck section and a non-overlapping portion of the preceding deck section. The overlapping portion has larger openings than the non-overlapping portion for each preceding deck section.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2015Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: General Kinematics CorporationInventors: Steve Massman, Eric Dickinson
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Patent number: 9757771Abstract: A vibratory apparatus including a trough having one or more decks, with an inlet end and an outlet end, a first plurality of isolation springs disposed between the trough and ground, and a two-mass, sub-resonant frequency exciter supported on the trough. The trough and the exciter move 180-degrees out of phase with each other. The apparatus also includes a dynamic balancer including a plurality of isolation springs disposed between the exciter and ground.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2016Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: General Kinematics CorporationInventors: Eric Dickinson, Yong Wei, Steve Massman
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Publication number: 20170209901Abstract: A deck panel includes a panel base having a top defining an upper, load-bearing surface, a bottom disposed opposite the top, and first and second opposite sides, a plurality of passages, each passage connected between an upper opening disposed in the upper, load-bearing surface and a lower opening on the bottom, and first and second guards depending from the bottom of the panel base, each of the guards disposed along one of the first and second opposite sides with the plurality of passages disposed between the two guards.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2016Publication date: July 27, 2017Inventors: Kerry Willliam Quinn, Steve Massman, Justen Healless
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Publication number: 20160361737Abstract: A vibratory apparatus including a trough having one or more decks, with an inlet end and an outlet end, a first plurality of isolation springs disposed between the trough and ground, and a two-mass, sub-resonant frequency exciter supported on the trough. The trough and the exciter move 180-degrees out of phase with each other. The apparatus also includes a dynamic balancer including a plurality of isolation springs disposed between the exciter and ground.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2016Publication date: December 15, 2016Inventors: Eric Dickinson, Yong Wei, Steve Massman
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Patent number: 9427781Abstract: A vibratory apparatus including a trough having one or more decks, with an inlet end and an outlet end, a first plurality of isolation springs disposed between the trough and ground, and a two-mass, sub-resonant frequency exciter supported on the trough. The trough and the exciter move 180-degrees out of phase with each other. The apparatus also includes a dynamic balancer including a plurality of isolation springs disposed between the exciter and ground.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2014Date of Patent: August 30, 2016Assignee: General Kinematics CorporationInventors: Eric Dickinson, Yong Wei, Steve Massman
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Publication number: 20160158805Abstract: A vibratory apparatus includes a deck assembly with a longitudinal axis, an inlet end, and an outlet end. The deck assembly includes a plurality of deck sections each having a plurality of openings. Each deck section has upstream and downstream edges, the downstream edge of each successive deck section disposed closer longitudinally to the outlet end than the downstream edge of each preceding deck section. The upstream edge of each successive deck section is disposed closer longitudinally to the upstream edge of each preceding deck section than the downstream edge of the preceding deck section is disposed to the upstream edge of the preceding deck section, thereby defining an overlapping portion of the preceding deck section and a non-overlapping portion of the preceding deck section. The overlapping portion has larger openings than the non-overlapping portion for each preceding deck section.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2015Publication date: June 9, 2016Inventors: Steve Massman, Eric Dickinson
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Publication number: 20150151332Abstract: A vibratory apparatus including a trough having one or more decks, with an inlet end and an outlet end, a first plurality of isolation springs disposed between the trough and ground, and a two-mass, sub-resonant frequency exciter supported on the trough. The trough and the exciter move 180-degrees out of phase with each other. The apparatus also includes a dynamic balancer including a plurality of isolation springs disposed between the exciter and ground.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2014Publication date: June 4, 2015Inventors: Eric Dickinson, Yong Wei, Steve Massman
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Patent number: 8998043Abstract: A vibratory apparatus includes a trough assembly comprising first and second plates, the first and second plates joined together in close proximity so as to define a space through which a fluid may pass at a high velocity, a vibration generator coupled to the trough assembly, and a frame resiliently coupled to the trough assembly. Also included is a system including the vibratory apparatus and other equipment, and a method of using the vibratory apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2010Date of Patent: April 7, 2015Assignee: General Kinematics CorporationInventors: Ronald Fruit, Daniel T. Lease, Steve Massman, Stephen McCabe, Paul Musschoot, Frederick Vroman
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Patent number: 8544782Abstract: A lined drum includes a drum having a wall with an inner surface. The lined drum also includes a plurality of liner segments, each liner segment having inner and outer opposing surfaces, opposing side edges, and opposing end edges, the outer surface of the liner segment facing the inner drum surface and the side edges of adjacent liner segments being spaced from each other to define a space therebetween, and at least one retainer having opposing side edges overlapping the side edges of the adjacent liner segments, the at least one retainer attached to the wall of the drum in the space between the side edges of the adjacent liner segments. The lined drum may also include a plurality of bar segments, each bar segment attached to the wall of the drum and at least one retainer.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2008Date of Patent: October 1, 2013Assignee: General Kinematics CorporationInventors: Thomas P. Musschoot, Steve Massman
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Patent number: 8528189Abstract: A method of installing a vibratory conveyor into a confined space includes fabricating a modular vibratory apparatus as individual subassemblies, comprising at least first and second side wall subassemblies, first and second end wall subassemblies, at least one cross-member subassembly, a mounting bracket subassembly, a drive subassembly, and a liner subassembly. The method also includes transporting the individual subassemblies to an installation site as separate subassemblies, and attaching the individual subassemblies to each other to define an assembled modular vibratory apparatus using a bolting technique at the installation site.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2009Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: General Kinematics CorporationInventors: Randy Smith, Steve Massman