Patents by Inventor Steven L. Bedingfield

Steven L. Bedingfield 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: 11913593
    Abstract: The process of forming a blowable flexible innerduct contains the steps of forming an inner innerduct structure comprising at least one inner longitudinal chamber, where the at least one inner longitudinal chamber comprises an inflatable tube and forming a textile. Concurrently forming an outer innerduct structure from the textile having at least one outer longitudinal chamber and inserting at least one inner longitudinal chamber into at least one of the outer longitudinal chambers. The inflatable tube has a wall thickness of less than about 0.5 mm. The inner longitudinal chamber alone has an air permeability of less than about 1 cfm, outer longitudinal textile chamber alone has an air permeability of greater than about 100 cfm, and the outer and inner longitudinal textile chambers together have an air permeability of less than about 1 cfm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Steven L Bedingfield, Andrew Broadway
  • Patent number: 11795587
    Abstract: An innerduct for a cable containing one or more strip-shaped lengths of woven textile fabric configured to create a flexible, longitudinal compartment for enveloping a cable. The woven fabric comprises a plurality warp yarns and a plurality of picks of weft yarns, the weft yarns contain a repeating first weft pattern of at least one monofilament yarn and optionally at least one single-inserted multifilament yarn. The woven fabric contains an alternating pattern containing first weave zones and partial float weave zones. The warp yarns in the first weave zone pass successively over and under each adjacent weft yarn and at least a portion of the warp yarns in the partial float zone float over some adjacent weft yarns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Steven L. Bedingfield, Christopher G. Durham
  • Publication number: 20230175612
    Abstract: The blowable flexible innerduct contains an outer innerduct structure and an inner innerduct structure. The outer innerduct structure contains at least one outer longitudinal chamber formed from at least one textile. The inner innerduct structure contains at least one inner longitudinal chamber, where each inner longitudinal chamber is located within an outer innerduct textile chamber and the at least one inner longitudinal chamber contains an inflatable tube. The inflatable tube has a wall thickness of less than about 0.5 mm. The inner longitudinal chamber alone has an air permeability of less than about 1 cfm, outer longitudinal textile chamber alone has an air permeability of greater than about 100 cfm, and the outer and inner longitudinal textile chambers together have an air permeability of less than about 1 cfm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2022
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Steven L. Bedingfield, Andrew Broadway
  • Publication number: 20230175613
    Abstract: The process of forming a blowable flexible innerduct contains the steps of forming an inner innerduct structure comprising at least one inner longitudinal chamber, where the at least one inner longitudinal chamber comprises an inflatable tube and forming a textile. Concurrently forming an outer innerduct structure from the textile having at least one outer longitudinal chamber and inserting at least one inner longitudinal chamber into at least one of the outer longitudinal chambers. The inflatable tube has a wall thickness of less than about 0.5 mm. The inner longitudinal chamber alone has an air permeability of less than about 1 cfm, outer longitudinal textile chamber alone has an air permeability of greater than about 100 cfm, and the outer and inner longitudinal textile chambers together have an air permeability of less than about 1 cfm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2022
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Steven L. Bedingfield, Andrew Broadway
  • Publication number: 20230077480
    Abstract: A fabric sleeve in the form of a strip of material having compatible attachment members along its lateral edges, is applied to a cable by a device located at a site where the cable can be introduced into a conduit. The device includes a beam carried by a post. The beam carries a plurality of formers which receive the sleeve and the cable from rolls and which progressively fold the sleeve around the cable. The beam also carries an attachment device which receives the sleeve and cable from the formers and which connects the attachment members of the sleeve to confine the cable therein. The attachment device can be opened so that the sleeved cable can be removed. The device is operated at the site until the sleeved cable reaches a downstream installation site and the process is repeated at that downstream site.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Jerry L. ALLEN, Steven L. BEDINGFIELD
  • Patent number: 11226463
    Abstract: A flexible innerduct structure having a first margin region, a second margin region, and a middle region, where the middle region is located between the first and second margin regions. The innerduct structure contains at least two flexible, longitudinal chambers, with each chamber being designed for enveloping at least one cable. The flexible innerduct structure contains at least one strip-shaped textile, each strip containing a first side and a second edge and extending in the longitudinal direction. All first and second edges of the strips are located in the middle region and each strip-shaped textile extends outwards from the middle region, folds about a fold axis located in either the first or second margin region and returns to the middle region. At least one strip extends from the first to the second margin region and the strips are attached together in the middle region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Steven L. Bedingfield, Kwee C. Lee, Kai Chen
  • Patent number: 11201456
    Abstract: A flexible innerduct structure having a first edge, a second edge, a first margin region, a second margin region, and a middle region. The middle region is located between the first and second margin regions. The innerduct structure comprises at least two flexible longitudinal tubes, each longitudinal tube forming two chambers. Each chamber is designed for enveloping at least one cable, where at least one of the longitudinal tubes extends from the first margin region to the second margin region, and wherein the tubes are attached together at an attachment in the middle region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventor: Steven L. Bedingfield
  • Publication number: 20210238776
    Abstract: An innerduct for a cable containing one or more strip-shaped lengths of woven textile fabric configured to create a flexible, longitudinal compartment for enveloping a cable. The woven fabric comprises a plurality warp yarns and a plurality of picks of weft yarns, the weft yarns contain a repeating first weft pattern of at least one monofilament yarn and optionally at least one single-inserted multifilament yarn. The woven fabric contains an alternating pattern containing first weave zones and partial float weave zones. The warp yarns in the first weave zone pass successively over and under each adjacent weft yarn and at least a portion of the warp yarns in the partial float zone float over some adjacent weft yarns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Inventors: Steven L. Bedingfield, Christopher G. Durham
  • Patent number: 11008680
    Abstract: An innerduct for a cable containing one or more strip-shaped lengths of woven textile fabric configured to create a flexible, longitudinal compartment for enveloping a cable. The woven fabric comprises a plurality warp yarns and a plurality of picks of weft yarns, the weft yarns contain a repeating first weft pattern of at least one monofilament yarn, at least one multiple-inserted multifilament yarn, and optionally at least one single-inserted multifilament yarn. The woven fabric contains an alternating pattern containing first weave zones and partial float weave zones. The warp yarns in the first weave zone pass successively over and under each adjacent weft yarn and at least a portion of the warp yarns in the partial float zone float over some adjacent weft yarns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Steven L. Bedingfield, Christopher G. Durham
  • Patent number: 10829874
    Abstract: An innerduct for a cable containing one or more strip-shaped lengths of woven textile fabric configured to create a flexible, longitudinal compartment for enveloping a cable. The woven fabric comprises a plurality warp yarns and a plurality of picks of weft yarns and contains an alternating pattern containing first weave zones and partial float weave zones. The warp yarns in the first weave zone pass successively over and under each adjacent weft yarn and at least a portion of the warp yarns in the partial float zone float over some adjacent weft yarns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Steven L. Bedingfield, Christopher G. Durham
  • Publication number: 20200199793
    Abstract: A flexible innerduct structure having a first margin region, a second margin region, and a middle region, where the middle region is located between the first and second margin regions. The innerduct structure contains at least two flexible, longitudinal chambers, with each chamber being designed for enveloping at least one cable. The flexible innerduct structure contains at least one strip-shaped textile, each strip containing a first side and a second edge and extending in the longitudinal direction. All first and second edges of the strips are located in the middle region and each strip-shaped textile extends outwards from the middle region, folds about a fold axis located in either the first or second margin region and returns to the middle region. At least one strip extends from the first to the second margin region and the strips are attached together in the middle region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Steven L. Bedingfield, Kwee C. Lee, Kai Chen
  • Publication number: 20200203937
    Abstract: A flexible innerduct structure having a first edge, a second edge, a first margin region, a second margin region, and a middle region. The middle region is located between the first and second margin regions. The innerduct structure comprises at least two flexible longitudinal tubes, each longitudinal tube forming two chambers. Each chamber is designed for enveloping at least one cable, where at least one of the longitudinal tubes extends from the first margin region to the second margin region, and wherein the tubes are attached together at an attachment in the middle region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventor: Steven L. Bedingfield
  • Publication number: 20200161844
    Abstract: A flexible innerduct having a seam region and a chamber region, where the innerduct structure contains at least two flexible, longitudinal chambers, each chamber designed for enveloping at least one cable. The flexible innerduct comprises at least one strip of textile material, where each strip of textile material comprises a first edge and a second edge and extends in the longitudinal direction. All of the first and second edges of the strips are located in the seam region. Each strip of textile material extends outwards from the seam region, folds about a fold axis located in the chamber margin region and returns to the seam region forming a chamber. The chamber length, defined to be the distance between the seam region and the fold axis of the chamber, is different between at least two of the flexible, longitudinal chambers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Steven L. Bedingfield, Xiaodong Cao, Kai Chen, Jun Liu
  • Patent number: 10435824
    Abstract: An article containing an innerduct structure and a woven rope located within the innerduct structure. The woven rope an inner portion comprising a plurality of multifilament fibers in the length direction of the woven rope and a jacket portion covering the inner portion. The jacket portion contains a plurality of monofilament fibers in the length direction of the woven rope and at least one multifilament fiber in the circumferential direction interwoven with the monofilament fibers in the length direction of the jacket portion. The monofilament fibers of the jacket portion form the majority of the outer surface of the woven rope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventor: Steven L. Bedingfield
  • Patent number: 10254498
    Abstract: A woven fabric containing an alternating pattern containing first weave zones and partial float weave zones. The woven fabric contains a plurality warp yarns arranged into groupings of warp yarns. In each first weave zone, the picks of weft yarns contain a repeating first weft pattern. In each partial float zone, the picks of weft yarns within the partial float weave zone contain a repeating second weft pattern of at least one monofilament yarn and at least one multiple-inserted multifilament yarn. Within the partial float zone, only a portion of the warp yarns within at least a portion of the warp groupings float over 3 weft yarns including floating over at least one multiple-inserted multifilament weft yarn in at least a portion of weft pattern repeats. An innerduct structure containing the woven fabric is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Steven L. Bedingfield, Christopher G. Durham
  • Publication number: 20170235080
    Abstract: An innerduct for a cable containing one or more strip-shaped lengths of woven textile fabric configured to create a flexible, longitudinal compartment for enveloping a cable. The woven fabric comprises a plurality warp yarns and a plurality of picks of weft yarns, the weft yarns contain a repeating first weft pattern of at least one monofilament yarn, at least one multiple-inserted multifilament yarn, and optionally at least one single-inserted multifilament yarn. The woven fabric contains an alternating pattern containing first weave zones and partial float weave zones. The warp yarns in the first weave zone pass successively over and under each adjacent weft yarn and at least a portion of the warp yarns in the partial float zone float over some adjacent weft yarns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Steven L. Bedingfield, Christopher G. Durham
  • Publication number: 20170235081
    Abstract: An innerduct for a cable containing one or more strip-shaped lengths of woven textile fabric configured to create a flexible, longitudinal compartment for enveloping a cable. The woven fabric comprises a plurality warp yarns and a plurality of picks of weft yarns and contains an alternating pattern containing first weave zones and partial float weave zones. The warp yarns in the first weave zone pass successively over and under each adjacent weft yarn and at least a portion of the warp yarns in the partial float zone float over some adjacent weft yarns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Steven L. Bedingfield, Christopher G. Durham
  • Patent number: D789696
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: MILLIKEN & COMPANY
    Inventors: Steven L. Bedingfield, Christopher G. Durham
  • Patent number: D790228
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Steven L. Bedingfield, Christopher G. Durham
  • Patent number: D790865
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Steven L. Bedingfield, Christopher G. Durham