Patents by Inventor Thomas Kirkman

Thomas Kirkman 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: 20230271870
    Abstract: A molten glass transport cup includes a conduit having an inlet and an outlet, and an endcap to cover or close, and uncover or open, the conduit outlet. The cup also may include a fluid exhaust outlet between the conduit and the endcap, and one or more fluid supply passages having one or more interior inlets located radially inwardly of the exhaust outlet. A molten glass transporter may include the cup and a conduit carrier including a sleeve at least partially circumscribing the cup. A related method may include receiving a molten glass charge in the cup in contact with an inner surface of the conduit, supplying fluid into the cup to displace at least a portion of the glass charge away from the transport cup, controlling an amount of the fluid between the charge and the transport cup, and moving the endcap to permit the charge to exit the conduit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: Stephen M. Graff, Karl Johnston, Thomas Kirkman, Arturo Alegria Vega
  • Publication number: 20230097028
    Abstract: A glass manufacturing system for charging a glass blank mold is disclosed. The glass manufacturing system, in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, comprises a glass forming sub-system, including a blank mold having a blank mold loading axis; and a molten glass handling sub-system. The molten glass handling sub-system includes a glass feeder to feed molten glass along a feeder axis, a transport cup to receive molten glass along the feeder axis, and a movable carrier to support the transport cup and carry the transport cup away from the glass feeder and to the blank mold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Robin L. Flynn, Stephen Graff, Jason Pickles, Thomas Kirkman
  • Publication number: 20060179884
    Abstract: In a blank mold side of an I.S. glass container forming machine, mold cooling air flows from a fixed source through a supply conduit to a plenum that underlies and oscillates with a mold-carrying arm. Cooling air from the source flows upwardly through the supply conduit and then into a hollow member that has an inlet portion telescopically received in an outlet of the supply conduit. The hollow member, which is capable of oscillating motion in a horizontal plane with respect to the supply conduit, has a horizontally-facing outlet with an annular part-spherical bearing surface, and an annular part-spherical bearing is positioned in the part-spherical bearing surface for pivoting motion in a vertical plane of the part-spherical bearing with respect to the hollow member. A cooling air inlet tube has an inlet end telescopically received in the part-spherical bearing. The outlet end of the cooling air inlet tube is non-telescopically received in a part-spherical bearing surface of the plenum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2003
    Publication date: August 17, 2006
    Inventors: Frank DiFrank, D. Leidy, Thomas Kirkman
  • Publication number: 20060062430
    Abstract: A pipeline architecture for analyzing multiple streams of video is embodied, in part, in a layer of application program interfaces (APIs) to each stage of processing. Buffer queuing is used between some stages, which helps moderate the load on the CPU(s). Through the layer of APIs, innumerable video analysis applications can access and analyze video data flowing through the pipeline, and can annotate portions of the video data (e.g., frames and groups of frames), based on the analyses performed, with information that describes the frame or group. These annotated frames and groups flow through the pipeline to subsequent stages of processing, at which increasingly complex analyses can be performed. At each stage, portions of the video data that are of little or no interest are removed from the video data. Ultimately, “events” are constructed and stored in a database, from which cross-event and historical analyses may be performed and associations with, and among, events may be made.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2004
    Publication date: March 23, 2006
    Inventors: Robert Vallone, J. Freeman, Stephen Russell, Thomas Kirkman, Stephen Fleischer, Gordon Haupt
  • Publication number: 20050271250
    Abstract: A method that determines whether a detected event is a significant event requiring action in a video surveillance system. Determined event attributes and object attributes are analyzed to determine if the potential event should trigger an action by the surveillance system. If the potential event should trigger an action, at least one action is triggered. Actions may include relevant event attribute and object attribute information. Potential event may include events detected by a sensor, or external events communicated by an external system to the surveillance system. Event attributes may include location and type of the potential event. Object attributes may include an identification of an object, and attributes associated with the identified object. If an object cannot be positively identified, object attributes may include potential object identifications or determined group associations of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2005
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Inventors: Robert Vallone, Stephen Russell, Thomas Kirkman, Marcus Marinelli, J. Freeman
  • Publication number: 20050005647
    Abstract: An invert assembly for an individual section glassware forming machine includes an invert base that is oscillated about an axis between angularly spaced apart first and second positions, a double ended ball screw positioned co-axially with the axis and having spaced apart oppositely threaded portions, first and second nuts each threadably engaging one of the oppositely threaded portions of the ball screw so that the nuts reciprocate toward and away from each other in response to rotation of the ball screw, and first and second neck ring arms respectively engaging the first and second nuts so that the neck ring arms reciprocate toward and away from each other along the axis with the first and second nuts. Preferably, the invert base is oscillated about the axis by a first reversible electric motor, and the ball screw is driven for rotation in opposed directions by a second reversible electric motor to move the nuts and neck ring arms toward and away from each other along the axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Inventors: Larry Shue, Paul Mohr, David Soley, Ronald Warnecke, Thomas Kirkman, William Mazur, Jonathan Nadler, W. Holbrook, D. Leidy
  • Patent number: D811884
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
    Inventors: Megan Herman, Thomas Kirkman
  • Patent number: D813040
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
    Inventors: Megan Herman, Thomas Kirkman
  • Patent number: D830832
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
    Inventors: Megan Herman, Thomas Kirkman
  • Patent number: D839743
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
    Inventors: Megan Herman, Thomas Kirkman
  • Patent number: D911178
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
    Inventors: Megan Herman, Thomas Kirkman