Patents by Inventor Thomas M. Clausen

Thomas M. Clausen 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: 6985789
    Abstract: Web tension in web material passing through a web transport system is determined in real time using position sensors coupled to driven rollers that define a beginning and an end of a tension zone. The position sensors on the rollers provide information related to the amount of strained web material that has been added and subtracted from the web material present in the tension zone. The amount of web material added to, subtracted from and present in the tension zone in a sample time period is then converted to an unstrained amount of web material that when combined provides an estimate for the present amount of unstrained web material present in the tension zone. Because the length of the tension zone is both fixed and known, the tension in the web material is determined from the present amount of unstrained web material in the tension zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Daniel H. Carlson, Thomas M. Clausen, John T. Strand
  • Patent number: 6952264
    Abstract: The invention includes a method for collecting radiation. An electromechanical radiation collection device is disposed in a roll to collect radiation directed at the roll. The invention is also an apparatus comprising a roll having an outer surface. An electromechanical radiation collection device is disposed in the roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: David W. Kuhns, Thomas M. Clausen, Olester Benson, Jr., Steven R. Vanhoose
  • Publication number: 20030112438
    Abstract: The invention includes a method for collecting radiation. An electromechanical radiation collection device is disposed in a roll to collect radiation directed at the roll. The invention is also an apparatus comprising a roll having an outer surface. An electromechanical radiation collection device is disposed in the roll.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2001
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Applicant: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: David W. Kuhns, Thomas M. Clausen, Olester Benson, Steven R. Vanhoose
  • Patent number: 6555823
    Abstract: The invention is a pneumatically actuated energy collection device. The device includes a support which has an energy collector thereon. A shutter is slidably attached to the support and can be moved between a first “closed” position and a second “open” position. In its first position, the shutter covers the collector and in its second position, the shutter uncovers the collector. The shutter is biased into one of the positions. A chamber is disposed adjacent to the shutter so that when the chamber is pressurized, the shutter bias is overcome and the shutter is moved between the first position and the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: David W. Kuhns, Thomas M. Clausen, Shawn W. Lee, Steven R. Vanhoose
  • Publication number: 20020079431
    Abstract: The invention is a pneumatically actuated energy collection device. The device includes a support which has an energy collector thereon. A shutter is slidably attached to the support and can be moved between a first “closed” position and a second “open” position. In its first position, the shutter covers the collector and in its second position, the shutter uncovers the collector. The shutter is biased into one of the positions. A chamber is disposed adjacent to the shutter so that when the chamber is pressurized, the shutter bias is overcome and the shutter is moved between the first position and the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Publication date: June 27, 2002
    Applicant: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: David W. Kuhns, Thomas M. Clausen, Shawn W. Lee, Steven R. Vanhoose
  • Patent number: 6372336
    Abstract: A coated abrasive article comprises a backing, a first binder on the backing, and a plurality of abrasive particles in the first binder. The first binder precursor is an energy-curable preferably, melt-processable resin containing an epoxy resin, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, and a curing agent for crosslinking the epoxy resin that is cured to provide a crosslinked make coating. The above binder precursors of the invention are preferably free of homopolymers and copolymers of olefinic monomers. In another aspect, the invention also describes an energy curable first binder precursor containing an epoxy resin, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, a polyfunctional acrylate component and a curing agent for crosslinking the epoxy resin that is cured to provide a crosslinked make coating. The invention also relates to a method of producing such coated abrasive articles and a surface-treated backing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Thomas M. Clausen, Gregg D. Dahlke, Robert J. DeVoe, Craig A. Masmar
  • Patent number: 6258138
    Abstract: A coated abrasive article comprises a backing, a first binder on the backing, and a plurality of abrasive particles in the first binder. The first binder precursor is an energy-curable preferably, melt-processable resin containing an epoxy resin, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, and a curing agent for crosslinking the epoxy resin that is cured to provide a crosslinked make coating. The above binder precursors of the invention are preferably free of homopolymers and copolymers of olefinic monomers. In another aspect, the invention also describes an energy curable first binder precursor containing an epoxy resin, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, a polyfunctional acrylate component and a curing agent for crosslinking the epoxy resin that is cured to provide a crosslinked make coating. The invention also relates to a method of producing such coated abrasive articles and a surface-treated backing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Robert J. DeVoe, Thomas M. Clausen, Gregg D. Dahlke, Clayton A. George, Naimul Karim, Craig A. Masmar
  • Patent number: 6077601
    Abstract: A coated abrasive article comprises a backing, a first binder on the backing, and a plurality of abrasive particles in the first binder. The first binder precursor is an energy-curable preferably, melt-processable resin containing an epoxy resin, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, and a curing agent for crosslinking the epoxy resin that is cured to provide a crosslinked make coating. The above binder precursors of the invention are preferably free of homopolymers and copolymers of olefinic monomers. In another aspect, the invention also describes an energy curable first binder precursor containing an epoxy resin, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, a polyfunctional acrylate component and a curing agent for crosslinking the epoxy resin that is cured to provide a crosslinked make coating. The invention also relates to a method of producing such coated abrasive articles and a surface-treated backing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Robert J. DeVoe, Thomas M. Clausen, Gregg D. Dahlke, Clayton A. George, Naimul Karim, Craig A. Masmar
  • Patent number: 5709948
    Abstract: A curable composition comprises 0.1 to 50 weight percent of a curable epoxy resin, the weight percent being based on the total resin composition, an effective mount of a curative for the curable epoxy resin, 50 to 99.9 weight percent of at least one of a fully prepolymerized hydrocarbon polyolefin resin and a fully prepolymerized functionalized polyolefin resin, the weight percent being based on the total resin composition, wherein said hydrocarbon polyolefin is present in the range of 25 to 99.9 weight percent of the total resin composition and said functionalized polyolefin is present in the range of 0 to 49.9 weight percent of the total resin composition, said composition being free of epoxidized natural and/or synthetic rubber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1998
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Mario A. Perez, David A. Ylitalo, Thomas M. Clausen, Robert J. DeVoe, Kevin E. Kinzer, Michael D. Swan