Patents by Inventor Thomas A. Mutschler

Thomas A. Mutschler 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: 10675597
    Abstract: A beverage container may comprise a beverage container lid assembly comprising at least one concentrate well to hold a concentrate vessel, a concentrate vessel retainer for each concentrate well to secure the concentrate vessel in the concentrate well, a feed line for each concentrate well comprising a feed line needle to puncture the concentrate vessel in the at least one concentrate well, a Venturi mixer in fluid communication with each feed line, a mixing valve in fluid communication with each feed line, wherein fluid flows from the concentrate vessel to the Venturi mixer when the mixing valve is open and the concentrate vessel is punctured by the feed line needle. Methods of using the beverage container and beverage container lid assembly are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: FLEX QUENCH, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas A. Mutschler, Lorie M. Mutschler, Mary Ann Orlando, Scott A. Jones, Vicki L. Jones
  • Publication number: 20190390378
    Abstract: A method and device for producing knitted fabric include supplying roving to a stretching unit with stretching roller pairs and a spinning nozzle device and drawing the roving using the stretching roller pairs. Inlet and outlet roller pairs of the stretching unit are controllably driven, according to a pattern to be formed on the machine, so that the thread thickness of the drawn roving is varied by changing the relative speed between inlet and outlet roller pairs. The drawn roving is supplied to the spinning nozzle device and strengthened by applying compressed air, and the drawn, strengthened roving is supplied to the machine. The thread supply speed of the drawn, strengthened roving to the machine is set depending on the loop size to be knit by the machine by controlling rotation speed of at least one driven roller of the outlet roller pair. A knitted fabric is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventors: THOMAS MUTSCHLER, HERMANN SCHMODDE, MICHAEL LAU, JOHANNES BARTH
  • Publication number: 20190308144
    Abstract: A beverage container may comprise a beverage container lid assembly comprising at least one concentrate well to hold a concentrate vessel, a concentrate vessel retainer for each concentrate well to secure the concentrate vessel in the concentrate well, a feed line for each concentrate well comprising a feed line needle to puncture the concentrate vessel in the at least one concentrate well, a Venturi mixer in fluid communication with each feed line, a mixing valve in fluid communication with each feed line, wherein fluid flows from the concentrate vessel to the Venturi mixer when the mixing valve is open and the concentrate vessel is punctured by the feed line needle. Methods of using the beverage container and beverage container lid assembly are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Applicant: FLEX QUENCH, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas A. Mutschler, Lorie M. Mutschler, Mary Ann Orlando, Scott A. Jones, Vicki L. Jones
  • Patent number: 10300440
    Abstract: A beverage container may comprise a beverage container lid assembly comprising at least one concentrate well to hold a concentrate vessel, a concentrate vessel retainer for each concentrate well to secure the concentrate vessel in the concentrate well, a feed line for each concentrate well comprising a feed line needle to puncture the concentrate vessel in the at least one concentrate well, a Venturi mixer in fluid communication with each feed line, a mixing valve in fluid communication with each feed line, wherein fluid flows from the concentrate vessel to the Venturi mixer when the mixing valve is open and the concentrate vessel is punctured by the feed line needle. Methods of using the beverage container and beverage container lid assembly are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Flex Quench, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas A. Mutschler, Lorie M. Mutschler, Mary Ann Orlando, Scott A. Jones, Vicki L. Jones
  • Patent number: 10240267
    Abstract: A needle cylinder of a circular knitting machine includes a cylinder jacket having axial needle channels, knitting needles movable therein and an upper cylinder end for stitch formation having a radial groove between pairs of adjacent needle channels each having an insert forming a stitch formation surface with its insert surface protruding from the groove. Exchangeable, stitch formation surfaces form quickly replaceable inserts. Each insert is a spring lug including a lug foot overlapping the upper cylinder end at the side of the cylinder jacket or the side edge of an outer ring channel in the upper cylinder end and a lug terminal with a terminal part springily engaging behind a counter support projecting at the upper cylinder end at the cylinder's inner side or a side edge of an inner ring channel in the upper cylinder end. A circular knitting machine with the needle cylinder is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Terrot GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Mutschler, Hermann Schmodde, Pierangelo Zola
  • Publication number: 20180057981
    Abstract: A needle cylinder of a circular knitting machine includes a cylinder jacket having axial needle channels, knitting needles movable therein and an upper cylinder end for stitch formation having a radial groove between pairs of adjacent needle channels each having an insert forming a stitch formation surface with its insert surface protruding from the groove. Exchangeable, stitch formation surfaces form quickly replaceable inserts. Each insert is a spring lug including a lug foot overlapping the upper cylinder end at the side of the cylinder jacket or the side edge of an outer ring channel in the upper cylinder end and a lug terminal with a terminal part springily engaging behind a counter support projecting at the upper cylinder end at the cylinder's inner side or a side edge of an inner ring channel in the upper cylinder end. A circular knitting machine with the needle cylinder is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Applicant: TERROT GMBH
    Inventors: THOMAS MUTSCHLER, HERMANN SCHMODDE, PIERANGELO ZOLA
  • Publication number: 20160317985
    Abstract: A beverage container may comprise a beverage container lid assembly comprising at least one concentrate well to hold a concentrate vessel, a concentrate vessel retainer for each concentrate well to secure the concentrate vessel in the concentrate well, a feed line for each concentrate well comprising a feed line needle to puncture the concentrate vessel in the at least one concentrate well, a Venturi mixer in fluid communication with each feed line, a mixing valve in fluid communication with each feed line, wherein fluid flows from the concentrate vessel to the Venturi mixer when the mixing valve is open and the concentrate vessel is punctured by the feed line needle. Methods of using the beverage container and beverage container lid assembly are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas A. Mutschler, Lorie M. Mutschler, Mary Ann Orlando, Scott A. Jones, Vicki L. Jones
  • Patent number: 5409492
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system for inserting and removing an implant comprising an implant and a tool. The implant has a protrusion, preferably triangular, extending from its proximal end. A tool designed for engaging the protrusion has a shaft, a sleeve and an actuation assembly. A cavity for receiving and lockingly engaging the protrusion on the implant is formed in the distal end of the shaft. The sleeve has a flattened surface in its interior configured to confront a complementary flattened surface on the shaft to constrain the shaft and the sleeve against rotation relative to each other. The actuation assembly moves the sleeve back and forth along the shaft to position the shaft into an extended position wherein the cavity is exposed or into a retracted position wherein the cavity, and the protrusion when it is seated in the cavity, are captured in the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Assignee: Stelkast Incorporated
    Inventors: Scott A. Jones, Thomas A. Mutschler, Gary Ferguson
  • Patent number: 4579380
    Abstract: A light weight servo controlled robot gripper is disclosed. A plastic body houses one or more threaded drive shafts which are powered by a direct current motor. Attached to the shafts are finger mounting blocks which support removable fingers and which can be driven both closer to and further away from a fixed point by the motor. Integral with at least one mounting block is a force transducer which monitors the load exerted on the finger through a pivot and lever action of a mounting bracket provided adjacent to the load cell. Since the transducer is in the block rather than the fingertip, fingers are readily interchangable without reinstrumentation. A limit switch, located above one of the finger mounting blocks, is used to determine coarse finger position, and an optical shaft encoder provides precise position information allowing the gripper to be utilized for a variety of position as well as force servoing tasks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1986
    Assignee: Carnegie-Mellon University
    Inventors: Mark Zaremsky, Lee E. Weiss, Thomas A. Mutschler
  • Patent number: 4472668
    Abstract: A multi-lead component manipulator for the assembly of circuit boards has optical and tactile feedback systems and includes at least two and preferably three symmetric assemblies radially disposed about a component gripper assembly. Each symmetric assembly has a movable lead guide means for engaging a component lead and aligning the same for circuit board insertion. The guide means are adapted for independent arcuate and radial motion reflective of the optical feedback system and the gripper assembly is capable of axial movement for the acquisition and insertion of components. The tactile feedback system controls component insertion. The manipulator in an alternative embodiment has fixed guide means disposed above the movable guide means. The fixed guide means orient the component leads for acquisition by the movable guide means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: September 18, 1984
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Thomas A. Mutschler, Arthur C. Sanderson, Lee E. Weiss
  • Patent number: 4210513
    Abstract: A pneumatic anode positioning apparatus is disclosed for positioning any number of a plurality of anodes relative to a cathode in an electrolytic cell. This apparatus comprises a means for determining the desired anode position for each of the anodes and converting the amount of movement necessary to attain such position to a number of increments of predetermined displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1978
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1980
    Assignee: Aluminum Company of America
    Inventors: Thomas A. Mutschler, Gary J. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 4026116
    Abstract: A roof pin-or-bolt setting machine which applies sonic energy to drive bolts which may be of non-circular section or helical into the roof of a coal mine. The energy is supplied by a bar which is set into sonic vibration in its bending mode so that there is a standing wave along the bar having nodes and anti-nodes. The bolt is supported vertically at an anti-node position of the bar and is driven into the roof as the bar is vibrated. Continuous vertical force is applied to the bar to maintain the bolt in engagement with the roof under pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1975
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1977
    Assignee: Carnegie-Mellon University
    Inventors: John Charles Purcupile, Angela L. Lenden, Thomas A. Mutschler, Joel D. Kneisley, Mark P. Wieszczyk, Ronald Lasser, Donald W. Fulmer