Patents by Inventor Thomas P. Howell
Thomas P. Howell 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: 20220145785Abstract: A compact, modular, lost motion variable valve actuation assembly includes a dry start hydraulic circuit to enable quick priming of a lost motion master-slave circuit from a dry start reservoir to the master piston chamber during engine start. Motion of the master piston on engine startup may draw in fluid from the dry start hydraulic circuit. The dry start components may be integrated into a compact modular rocker shaft pedestal package suitable for retrofit on existing engine head assemblies. The master piston may include a push tube interface that includes a deep push tube cavity and lubrication capabilities in the master piston that provides for improved wear, stability, easy installation and alignment. The slave piston may be provided with a valve catch to reduce valve closing velocity during cycles involving lost-motion.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 24, 2022Publication date: May 12, 2022Inventors: John A. SCHWOERER, G. Michael GRON, JR., Jacob M. MOORE, Thomas P. HOWELL
-
Patent number: 11230951Abstract: A compact, modular, lost motion variable valve actuation assembly includes a dry start hydraulic circuit to enable quick priming of a lost motion master-slave circuit from a dry start reservoir to the master piston chamber during engine start. Motion of the master piston on engine startup may draw in fluid from the dry start hydraulic circuit. The dry start components may be integrated into a compact modular rocker shaft pedestal package suitable for retrofit on existing engine head assemblies. The master piston may include a push tube interface that includes a deep push tube cavity and lubrication capabilities in the master piston that provides for improved wear, stability, easy installation and alignment. The slave piston may be provided with a valve catch to reduce valve closing velocity during cycles involving lost-motion.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2019Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignee: JACOBS VEHICLE SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: John A. Schwoerer, G. Michael Gron, Jr., Jacob M. Moore, Thomas P. Howell
-
Publication number: 20200005582Abstract: A packaged food product processing machine. The machine comprises a food consumer interface configured to receive a food consumer selection identifying an end state of a food product, a package cooling sub-system comprising a chilled fluid bath, a gripper component configured to agitate a package containing the food product in the chilled fluid bath and to sense a physical parameter of the food product, and a controller configured to command the gripper to control the rate of heat transfer from the package to the chilled fluid bath based on receiving an input identifying an end state selection from the food consumer interface and based on receiving an input containing a value of the physical parameter of the food product from the gripper component.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 29, 2017Publication date: January 2, 2020Inventors: Gregg CARPENTER, Kirk DAHLBERG, David SLAGLEY, Thomas G. NORTH, III, Thomas P. HOWELL
-
Patent number: 10184363Abstract: In an engine comprising a cylinder having first and second engine valves of a same function type, a system for actuating the first and second engine valves comprises a first and second master pistons that receive first and second valve actuation motions from respective ones of a first and second valve actuation motion source, a first slave piston operatively connected to the first engine valve and configured to hydraulically receive the first valve actuation motions from at least the first master piston and a second slave piston operatively connected to the second engine valve and configured to hydraulically receive the second valve actuation motions from the second master piston. The system further comprises an accumulator and a mode selector valve in hydraulic communication with the first master piston, the first slave piston and the accumulator. The mode selector valve may selectively hydraulically connect the first master piston to the accumulator.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2016Date of Patent: January 22, 2019Assignees: Jacobs Vehicle Systems, Inc., BorgWarner Inc.Inventors: Mark M. Wigsten, Thomas P. Howell
-
Publication number: 20170081986Abstract: In an engine comprising a cylinder having first and second engine valves of a same function type, a system for actuating the first and second engine valves comprises a first and second master pistons that receive first and second valve actuation motions from respective ones of a first and second valve actuation motion source, a first slave piston operatively connected to the first engine valve and configured to hydraulically receive the first valve actuation motions from at least the first master piston and a second slave piston operatively connected to the second engine valve and configured to hydraulically receive the second valve actuation motions from the second master piston. The system further comprises an accumulator and a mode selector valve in hydraulic communication with the first master piston, the first slave piston and the accumulator. The mode selector valve may selectively hydraulically connect the first master piston to the accumulator.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2016Publication date: March 23, 2017Inventors: Mark M. WIGSTEN, Thomas P. HOWELL
-
Patent number: 8820574Abstract: A vending machine for dispensing a number of products. The vending machine may include a transparent panel, a number of visible product columns, a number of non-visible product columns, and a product delivery system.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2011Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: The Coca-Cola CompanyInventors: Thomas P. Howell, Gerard E. Insolia, Michael Alan Masters, Ryan Lee West
-
Publication number: 20120298083Abstract: A two-stroke internal combustion engine is provided. The two-stroke engine can be integrated into a variety of devices, including for example unmanned aerial vehicles, and can operate on heavy fuels including JP-5 and JP-8, for example. In some embodiments, engine can include a crankshaft including first and second main shaft portions interconnected by an offset crank web. The offset crank web can include opposing end portions that are offset from each other and define spaced apart centerlines generally perpendicular to and coplanar with the crankshaft centerline. In other embodiments, the engine can provide improvements in engine cooling, engine exhaust, lubrication delivery, engine mounting, engine fuel delivery and propeller attachment, for example.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2011Publication date: November 29, 2012Applicant: RICARDO, INC.Inventors: Thomas P. Howell, Stephen R. Cakebread, Todd W. Richardson, Jeffrey M. Brueckheimer
-
Publication number: 20110284569Abstract: A vending machine for dispensing a number of products. The vending machine may include a transparent panel, a number of visible product columns, a number of non-visible product columns, and a product delivery system.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2011Publication date: November 24, 2011Applicant: THE COCA-COLA COMPANYInventors: Thomas P. Howell, Gerard E. Insolia, Michael Alan Masters, Ryan Lee West
-
Patent number: 8001795Abstract: A method of adjusting temperatures of products to a desired product temperature. The method may include enabling the selection of a product, enabling the selection of the desired product temperature, enabling the placement of the product into a temperature adjust device, circulating a liquid or a gas through the temperature adjust device, the liquid or the gas having been cooled to a cool temperature less than the desired product temperature or heated to a warm temperature greater than the desired product temperature, determining when the desired product temperature has been obtained, and ceasing circulation of the liquid or a gas through the temperature adjust device.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2007Date of Patent: August 23, 2011Assignee: The Coca-Cola CompanyInventors: Steven C. Pfister, Brock Kolls, Carlos A. Barreto, Mathew Scott Reichardt, Thomas P. Howell, Willy Van Esch
-
Publication number: 20090029016Abstract: A method of adjusting temperatures of products to a desired product temperature. The method may include enabling the selection of a product, enabling the selection of the desired product temperature, enabling the placement of the product into a temperature adjust device, circulating a liquid or a gas through the temperature adjust device, the liquid or the gas having been cooled to a cool temperature less than the desired product temperature or heated to a warm temperature greater than the desired product temperature, determining when the desired product temperature has been obtained, and ceasing circulation of the liquid or a gas through the temperature adjust device.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2007Publication date: January 29, 2009Applicant: THE COCA-COLA COMPANYInventors: Steven C. Pfister, Brock Kolls, Carlos A. Barreto, Mathew Scott Reichardt, Thomas P. Howell, Willy Van Esch
-
Publication number: 20080142537Abstract: A vending machine for dispensing a number of products. The vending machine may include a transparent panel, a number of visible product columns, a number of non-visible product columns, and a product delivery system.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2006Publication date: June 19, 2008Applicant: THE COCA-COLA COMPANYInventors: Thomas P. Howell, Gerard E. Insolia, Michael Alan Masters, David O. Slagley, Ryan Lee West
-
Publication number: 20080067187Abstract: A container for use with a number of products. The container may include a product storage area, a product delivery system with a product platform, and a product display area with at least one product gate.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 1, 2006Publication date: March 20, 2008Applicant: THE COCA-COLA COMPANYInventors: Arthur G. Rudick, Lenoard F. Antao, David Harvey, Thomas P. Howell, Jonathan A. Kirschner, Daniel Robert Peters, Guy Primiano
-
Patent number: 6462644Abstract: A wide area network (WAN) of vending machines connected to a host that builds a database of vending-related information received from the vending machines. Also, a communications system within each vending machine having a vending machine data acquisition unit and a multiple-communication-technology adapter to interface the data acquisition unit to multiple communication technologies including at least one wireless technology. Also, a data structure used to build the database, the data structure having data elements corresponding to an identity of a machine, recent and previous prediction information for the machine, and recent and previous refill-visit information for the machine, the elements being linked together. The multiple vending machines communicate with a communications concentrator via one of many communication technologies. The communications concentrator interfaces the multiple vending machines to a data warehouse that builds a database using the data structure mentioned above.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 1998Date of Patent: October 8, 2002Assignee: The Coca-Cola CompanyInventors: Thomas P. Howell, Kevin Ward