Patents by Inventor Thomas C. McGraw

Thomas C. McGraw 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: 8579102
    Abstract: A belt cleaning system to clean a conveyor belt carrier surface includes a first cleaning assembly having a cleaning web sub-assembly. The cleaning web sub-assembly includes a supply roller, a take-up roller, a cleaning web and an applicator. The cleaning web extends from a supply of clean cleaning web wound on the supply roller to the take-up roller. The applicator is disposed intermediate the supply roller and the take-up roller to bias the cleaning web into contact with the conveyor belt carrier surface. The belt cleaning system may also include a second cleaning assembly positioned after the first cleaning assembly in the direction of travel of the conveyor belt. The cleaning webs of the first and second cleaning web sub-assemblies may be dry or wetted with a cleaning liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Xeorx Corporation
    Inventors: Derek A. Bryl, Richard P. Ficarra, Gordon B. Reid, Richard F. Scarlata, Thomas C. McGraw
  • Patent number: 8556063
    Abstract: A belt cleaning system to clean a conveyor belt having a carrier surface includes a dry ice blasting device and a debris recovery subsystem. The dry ice blasting device includes a delivery system having at least one nozzle disposed adjacent the conveyor belt. Dry ice pellets are discharged from the nozzle onto the conveyor belt carrier surface, whereby the dry ice pellets remove the debris from the carrier surface. The debris recovery subsystem includes a collector housing disposed adjacent to the conveyor belt carrier surface. The collector housing contains the debris removed from the conveyor belt carrier surface and directs the debris away from the conveyor belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Richard P. Ficarra, Thomas C. McGraw, Gordon B. Reid, Derek A. Bryl
  • Publication number: 20130180075
    Abstract: A belt cleaning system to clean a conveyor belt having a carrier surface includes a dry ice blasting device and a debris recovery subsystem. The dry ice blasting device includes a delivery system having at least one nozzle disposed adjacent the conveyor belt. Dry ice pellets are discharged from the nozzle onto the conveyor belt carrier surface, whereby the dry ice pellets remove the debris from the carrier surface. The debris recovery subsystem includes a collector housing disposed adjacent to the conveyor belt carrier surface. The collector housing contains the debris removed from the conveyor belt carrier surface and directs the debris away from the conveyor belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Inventors: Richard P. Ficarra, Thomas C. McGraw, Gordon B. Reid, Derek A. Bryl
  • Patent number: 8191701
    Abstract: A belt cleaning system to clean the carrier surface of a conveyor belt. The system includes a roller assembly and a liquid supply subsystem. The roller assembly includes a cleaning web composed of a hydroscopic material and a roller to bias the cleaning web into rotating contact with the conveyor belt carrier surface. The liquid supply subsystem provides a cleaning liquid to the cleaning web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Derek A. Bryl, Richard P. Ficarra, Gordon B. Reid, Thomas C. McGraw
  • Publication number: 20120085621
    Abstract: A belt cleaning system to clean a conveyor belt carrier surface includes a first cleaning assembly having a cleaning web sub-assembly. The cleaning web sub-assembly includes a supply roller, a take-up roller, a cleaning web and an applicator. The cleaning web extends from a supply of clean cleaning web wound on the supply roller to the take-up roller. The applicator is disposed intermediate the supply roller and the take-up roller to bias the cleaning web into contact with the conveyor belt carrier surface. The belt cleaning system may also include a second cleaning assembly positioned after the first cleaning assembly in the direction of travel of the conveyor belt. The cleaning webs of the first and second cleaning web sub-assemblies may be dry or wetted with a cleaning liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Inventors: Derek A. Bryl, Richard P. Ficarra, Gordon B. Reid, Richard F. Scarlata, Thomas C. McGraw
  • Publication number: 20120085622
    Abstract: A belt cleaning system to clean the carrier surface of a conveyor belt. The system includes a roller assembly and a liquid supply subsystem. The roller assembly includes a cleaning web composed of a hydroscopic material and a roller to bias the cleaning web into rotating contact with the conveyor belt carrier surface. The liquid supply subsystem provides a cleaning liquid to the cleaning web.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Inventors: Derek A. Bryl, Richard P. Ficarra, Gordon B. Reid, Thomas C. McGraw
  • Patent number: 6744536
    Abstract: A system and method for determining the registration parameters necessary for registration or edge detection processing to enable the flexibility of changing the color of backing to suit a given application. The method includes scanning the backing surface to obtain at least two sets of gray level values; (b) determining an average gray level for each of the two color channels; (c) selecting a registration channel based on the average gray level; (d) determining a gray level deviation for the registration channel; and (e) determining registration parameters based on the average gray level and the gray level deviation of the registration channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Wayne A. Buchar, Ramesh Nagarajan, Ralph H. Huedepohl, Wooi L. Yeoh, Robert P. Herloski, Thomas C. McGraw, William M. Harney, Jeffrey L. Baniak
  • Publication number: 20020126299
    Abstract: A system and method for determining the registration parameters necessary for registration or edge detection processing to enable the flexibility of changing the color of backing to suit a given application. The method includes scanning the backing surface to obtain at least two sets of gray level values; (b) determining an average gray level for each of the two color channels; (c) selecting a registration channel based on the average gray level; (d) determining a gray level deviation for the registration channel; and (e) determining registration parameters based on the average gray level and the gray level deviation of the registration channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2001
    Publication date: September 12, 2002
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Wayne A. Buchar, Ramesh Nagarajan, Ralph H. Huedepohl, Wooi L. Yeoh, Robert P. Herloski, Thomas C. McGraw, William M. Harney, Jeffrey L. Baniak
  • Patent number: 5145167
    Abstract: A trail edge transport belt is provided over the elevator platform which receives sheets from a disk stacker. The trail edge transport belt engages and ensures the proper inversion of sheets moved by the rotating disk regardless of the size and weight of the sheet. To ensure that long, light weight sheets do not collapse on themselves prior to inverting, the trail edge transport belt is rotated at a velocity which is greater than the velocity which the sheets are fed to the disk and/or is arranged at an angle to the elevator platform so that a distance between the transport belt and the elevator platform decreases as the transport belt extends away from the rotatable disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1992
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas C. McGraw, Randall E. Van Ryne, Jose J. Soler, Paul D. Keller
  • Patent number: 5065996
    Abstract: A movable gate is provided adjacent an input position of a slotted rotatable disk for aiding in the insertion of sheets into the disk slot(s). The movable gate moves between a first position and a second position wherein the first position is closer to the disk than the second position. When in the first position, the movable gate contacts and directs the leading portion of a sheet into the disk slot. When in the second position, the movable gate does not contact the sheet. The gate is moved to the second position at least while the trailing portion of the sheet passes thereunder so that the sheet does not slow down after exiting a pair of input rollers located upstream thereof and so that the trailing portion of the sheet is free to contact an overhead trail edge transport belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1991
    Assignee: Xerox Corporastion
    Inventors: Thomas C. McGraw, Randall E. Van Ryne, Richard F. Scarlata, Cho Y. Sze
  • Patent number: 5058880
    Abstract: A disk stacker is provided with a wiping member which moves in timed relation to the disk. The wiping member can be an elongated flexible wiping member attached at one end to the shaft which rotates the disk, a second end of the wiping member being free to contact a sheet near the output position of the disk. Preferably, the wiping member has length sufficient to extend beyond the diameter of the disk to contact the uppermost sheet on the stack and re-register it against the front registration wall if it has bounced away therefrom. A retaining wall can be provided around a portion of the sheet so that the wiping member does not interfere with the inputting of sheets into the slots in the disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1991
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas C. McGraw, Craig S. Prucha