Patents by Inventor Thomas E. Lyons

Thomas E. Lyons 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: 7156642
    Abstract: An improved dough-rolling apparatus and method for rolling sheeted dough. The proposed invention comprises a dough-rolling apparatus having a dough sheeter, a sheeting conveyor having a ramped section, a roll-initiating curtain positioned above the ramped section, and a roll-completing curtain positioned above the conveyor and downstream from the roll-initiating conveyor. Sheeted and cut dough pieces are deposited onto a steel mesh, partially-ramped sheeter belt, where two wire-mesh rolling curtains are draped onto the sheeter belt to induce rolling of the dough pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Frito-Lay North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Marlin L. Anderson, David Lawrence Barry, David Brian Emerson, William C. Flannigan, John D. Kiel, Geoffrey T. Ley, Thomas E. Lyons, Richard James Ruegg
  • Patent number: 7134543
    Abstract: A containment apparatus for a multi-pass oven consisting of guide rails and tapered guide chutes having side rails. A tapered guide chute directs product pieces from one conveyor to the center of a receiving region of an underlying conveyor. Guide rails are placed along the sides of the receiving region of an underlying conveyor and maintain baking product pieces on the conveyor. Diverters on the distal end of each guide rail further move product pieces toward the center of the conveyor. Such diverters help ensure that pieces reach a subsequent guide chute or subsequent conveyor without falling off of the conveyor. Such guide rails, diverters, and guide chutes help prevent damage to, and loss of, product pieces while pieces pass through the oven. Guide rails, diverters, and guide chutes are particularly effective at maintaining round or cylindrical pieces within a multi-pass oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Frito-Lay North America, Inc.
    Inventors: David Lawrence Barry, David Brian Emerson, William C. Flannigan, John D. Kiel, Geoffrey T. Ley, Thomas E. Lyons, Devang Jitendra Sutaria
  • Patent number: 6485467
    Abstract: Surgical apparatus for providing extracorporeal pneumoperitoneum. One embodiment provides a reversely turned fluid and gas impermeable fingerless sleeve (14) with a quick connect and disconnect assembly around the cuff of the sleeve (14) for sealing around an abdominal incision to allow hand-assisted minimally invasive surgery under conditions of pneumoperitoneum. A dome shaped enclosure (62) is provided for use with the quick connect and disconnect assembly to seal around an abdominal incision and maintain pneumoperitoneum during interruptions in a surgical procedure. Another embodiment incorporates a fingerless sleeve (14) which is adhesively secured directly to a patient's skin around an incision. The sleeve is applied over a pre-gloved surgeon's hand, and an outer surgical glove (18) is applied over the sleeve (14) in the region where the fingers and thumb protrude before the sleeve (14) is reversely turned on itself for connection to a patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignees: Medical Creative Technologies, Inc., Dexterity Surgical, Inc.
    Inventors: Berwyn M. Crook, Robert D. Rambo, Thomas E. Lyons, Frederic C. Feiler, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5853395
    Abstract: Surgical apparatus for providing extracorporeal pneumoperitoneum. One embodiment provides a fluid and gas impremeable fingerless glove with a quick connect and disconnect assembly around the cuff of the glove which seals around an abdominal incision to allow hand-assisted minimally invasive surgery under conditions of pneumoperitoneum. Another embodiment provides a dome-shaped enclosure with the quick connect and disconnect assembly which seals around an abdominal incision to maintain pneumoperitoneum during interruptions in a surgical procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1998
    Assignees: Dexterity, Inc., Medical Creative Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Berwyn M. Crook, Robert D. Rambo, Thomas E. Lyons, Frederic C. Feiler, Jr.