Patents by Inventor Taner Lee Howard

Taner Lee Howard 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).

  • Publication number: 20220396192
    Abstract: A vehicle has an automated storage and retrieval system, the automated storage and retrieval system including an area for storage of items and having locations, each location being suitable for holding one or more of the items; an inductor that receives and inducts the items into the automated storage and retrieval system; a conveyor that conveys the items from the inductor to the area; and an extraction station. When an item is designated for removal from the area, the conveyor delivers the designated item to the extraction station and, after receipt of the designated item from the conveyor, the extraction station delivers the designated item to a designated recipient for extraction of the designated item from the automated storage and retrieval system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Inventors: Mark Gerard Paul, Mahlon Tucker Daniels, Taner Lee Howard, Michael Gregory Boston, Richard Daniel Johnson
  • Patent number: 11180323
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing gaps in article or package processing. In some embodiments, the system can include a conveying path along which a first advanced article and a second advanced article can be advanced. The system can further include a first stop location and a second stop location. The first stop location can include movable fingers that are configured to raise to stop the advance of the articles and then lower at specific times to allow the articles to advance with specific distances between the articles. Additionally, the system can include a paddle that also raises and lowers. The paddle lowers to stop an advancing article again, and in doing so, front-end registers the article. Then the paddle can raise to allow the package to advance again along the conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLC
    Inventors: Neal J. Middelberg, Richard D. Johnson, Taner Lee Howard
  • Patent number: 10994947
    Abstract: An overhead reverse diverter for diverting cartons passing under the diverter along a primary transport path, the diverter including a diverter frame arranged over a space through which the cartons move along the primary transport path, a divert belt, and one or more divert paddles attached to the divert belt. The divert belt may be movable along a movement profile when the diverter is triggered to divert one or more of the cartons from the primary transport path, such that the one or more divert paddles are configured to sweep through the space through which the cartons pass as the divert belt moves along the movement profile to divert one or more of the cartons from the primary transport path along one or more divert paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLC
    Inventors: Neal J. Middelberg, Craig S. Adcock, Taner Lee Howard, Mark Gerard Paul, Richard Johnson
  • Publication number: 20190315573
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing gaps in article or package processing. In some embodiments, the system can include a conveying path along which a first advanced article and a second advanced article can be advanced. The system can further include a first stop location and a second stop location. The first stop location can include movable fingers that are configured to raise to stop the advance of the articles and then lower at specific times to allow the articles to advance with specific distances between the articles. Additionally, the system can include a paddle that also raises and lowers. The paddle lowers to stop an advancing article again, and in doing so, front-end registers the article. Then the paddle can raise to allow the package to advance again along the conveyor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Inventors: Neal J. Middelberg, Richard D. Johnson, Taner Lee Howard
  • Publication number: 20190315575
    Abstract: An overhead reverse diverter for diverting cartons passing under the diverter along a primary transport path, the diverter including a diverter frame arranged over a space through which the cartons move along the primary transport path, a divert belt, and one or more divert paddles attached to the divert belt. The divert belt may be movable along a movement profile when the diverter is triggered to divert one or more of the cartons from the primary transport path, such that the one or more divert paddles are configured to sweep through the space through which the cartons pass as the divert belt moves along the movement profile to divert one or more of the cartons from the primary transport path along one or more divert paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Inventors: Neal J. Middelberg, Craig S. Adcock, Taner Lee Howard, Mark Gerard Paul, Richard Johnson