Patents by Inventor Thomas E. Lock

Thomas E. Lock 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: 5644392
    Abstract: A scanning system for wood products to detect grain defects and product geometry simultaneously. Multiple scanner sets cast parallel beams of light at an angle of incidence in a plane that is normal to the surface of the wood product. Scanner sets are provided to scan both the top and bottom surfaces of the wood product. The scanner sets include detector arrays to detect the reflected light of the beams off the surface of the product. One array of each set is positioned strategic to the angle of incidence and another is positioned strategic to the angle of specular reflection. The magnitudes of the detector are compared to determine clear wood or grain defect. The time of detection is used to calculate thickness/geometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignee: U.S. Natural Resources, Inc.
    Inventors: Jon F. Soest, James N. Horn, Thomas E. Lock, Gordon L. Mitchell