Patents by Inventor Todd A. Otto

Todd A. Otto 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: 11252861
    Abstract: A turf sprayer comprises a transport vehicle that carries a laterally extending spray boom assembly. The spray boom assembly is both laterally displaceable and angularly displaceable relative to the transport vehicle. A controller uses a defined path represented by GPS coordinates to control the operation of various actuators to automatically maintain a reference point on the spray boom assembly on the desired path and to automatically maintain the spray boom assembly perpendicular to the desired path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Todd A. Otto, John R. Kess, Steve A. Swinney, II
  • Publication number: 20200015413
    Abstract: A turf sprayer comprises a transport vehicle that carries a laterally extending spray boom assembly. The spray boom assembly is both laterally displaceable and angularly displaceable relative to the transport vehicle. A controller uses a defined path represented by GPS coordinates to control the operation of various actuators to automatically maintain a reference point on the spray boom assembly on the desired path and to automatically maintain the spray boom assembly perpendicular to the desired path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventors: Todd A. Otto, John R. Kess, Steve A. Swinney, II
  • Publication number: 20200000020
    Abstract: A mobile turf sprayer operates to spray a product onto a turf site. In some embodiments the mobile turf sprayer identifies a plurality of regions of the turf site to be sprayed and automatically sprays product onto those regions as the mobile turf sprayer moves about the turf site.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: William J. Jugovich, Todd A. Otto, Steven R. Peterson, Brannon W. Polk, Steve A. Swinney, II
  • Patent number: 10426080
    Abstract: A mobile turf sprayer operates to spray a product onto a turf site. In some embodiments the mobile turf sprayer identifies a plurality of regions of the turf site to be sprayed and automatically sprays product onto those regions as the mobile turf sprayer moves about the turf site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: William J. Jugovich, Todd A. Otto, Steven R. Peterson, Brannon W. Polk, Steve A. Swinney, II
  • Patent number: 10420276
    Abstract: A turf sprayer comprises a transport vehicle that carries a laterally extending spray boom assembly. The spray boom assembly is both laterally displaceable and angularly displaceable relative to the transport vehicle. A controller uses a defined path represented by GPS coordinates to control the operation of various actuators to automatically maintain a reference point on the spray boom assembly on the desired path and to automatically maintain the spray boom assembly perpendicular to the desired path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Todd A. Otto, John R. Kess, Steve A. Swinney, II
  • Publication number: 20170295719
    Abstract: A mobile turf sprayer operates to spray a product onto a turf site. In some embodiments the mobile turf sprayer identifies a plurality of regions of the turf site to be sprayed and automatically sprays product onto those regions as the mobile turf sprayer moves about the turf site.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: William J. Jugovich, Todd A. Otto, Steven R. Peterson, Brannon W. Polk, Steve A. Swinney, II
  • Publication number: 20160243575
    Abstract: A turf sprayer comprises a transport vehicle that carries a laterally extending spray boom assembly. The spray boom assembly is both laterally displaceable and angularly displaceable relative to the transport vehicle. A controller uses a defined path represented by GPS coordinates to control the operation of various actuators to automatically maintain a reference point on the spray boom assembly on the desired path and to automatically maintain the spray boom assembly perpendicular to the desired path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Todd A. Otto, John R. Kess, Steve A. Swinney, II
  • Patent number: 9370175
    Abstract: A vehicle mounted sprayer has a plurality of spray booms equipped with downwardly facing spray nozzles. A control console includes a rounded palm rest with the most often used operational spray controls placed directly ahead of the palm rest for easy actuation by the operator as the operator rests the palm of one hand on the palm rest. A pivotal hose reel for manual spraying has pivotal motion about a vertical axis into one of a plurality of adjusted positions relative to the sprayer to ease unwinding and rewinding of the hose from the hose reel. A hill assist system holds the sprayer on a hill for a predetermined time to give the operator enough time to place the sprayer into forward motion up the hill from a standing stop. The spray through the booms can be selectively added to flow in a tank agitation system to boost agitation effectiveness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Steve A. Swinney, II, Todd A. Otto, Bart T. Ellson, David J. Martin, Chakradhari Ratala, Brannon W. Polk
  • Publication number: 20150216118
    Abstract: A vehicle mounted sprayer has a plurality of spray booms equipped with downwardly facing spray nozzles. A control console includes a rounded palm rest with the most often used operational spray controls placed directly ahead of the palm rest for easy actuation by the operator as the operator rests the palm of one hand on the palm rest. A pivotal hose reel for manual spraying has pivotal motion about a vertical axis into one of a plurality of adjusted positions relative to the sprayer to ease unwinding and rewinding of the hose from the hose reel. A hill assist system holds the sprayer on a hill for a predetermined time to give the operator enough time to place the sprayer into forward motion up the hill from a standing stop. The spray through the booms can be selectively added to flow in a tank agitation system to boost agitation effectiveness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventors: Steve A. Swinney, II, Todd A. Otto, Bart T. Ellson, David J. Martin, Chakradhari Ratala, Brannon W. Polk
  • Publication number: 20140217200
    Abstract: A sprayer has a tank for holding a spray solution that is applied to a ground or turf surface. The sprayer includes an agitation system having a plurality of agitation nozzles that extend into the tank that are accessible from outside the tank and can be removed and replaced without using tools. The sprayer may include a rinse system carried onboard the sprayer which is segregated from the spray and agitation systems to avoid contaminating the rinse liquid prior to the time the rinse liquid is sprayed into the tank through rinse nozzles. The rinse nozzles include upwardly and downwardly directed nozzle ports and a bottom spinner for thoroughly cleaning all interior surfaces of the tank. The sprayer may also include a chemical eductor mounted on the side of the tank, whose weight is counterbalanced by springs, and which easily pivots between lower and upper positions on the tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2013
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: THE TORO COMPANY
    Inventors: Todd A. Otto, Brannon W. Polk, David J. Norlander, Bruce A. Granger, Daniel E. Peterson
  • Patent number: 8640972
    Abstract: A sprayer has a tank for holding a spray solution that is applied to a ground or turf surface. The sprayer includes an agitation system having a plurality of agitation nozzles that extend into the tank that are accessible from outside the tank and can be removed and replaced without using tools. The sprayer may include a rinse system carried onboard the sprayer which is segregated from the spray and agitation systems to avoid contaminating the rinse liquid prior to the time the rinse liquid is sprayed into the tank through rinse nozzles. The rinse nozzles include upwardly and downwardly directed nozzle ports and a bottom spinner for thoroughly cleaning all interior surfaces of the tank. The sprayer may also include a chemical eductor mounted on the side of the tank, whose weight is counterbalanced by springs, and which easily pivots between lower and upper positions on the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Todd A. Otto, Brannon W. Polk, David J. Norlander, Robert J. Bisson, Bruce A. Granger, John H. Weber
  • Publication number: 20120292402
    Abstract: A sprayer has a tank for holding a spray solution that is applied to a ground or turf surface. The sprayer includes an agitation system having a plurality of agitation nozzles that extend into the tank that are accessible from outside the tank and can be removed and replaced without using tools. The sprayer may include a rinse system carried onboard the sprayer which is segregated from the spray and agitation systems to avoid contaminating the rinse liquid prior to the time the rinse liquid is sprayed into the tank through rinse nozzles. The rinse nozzles include upwardly and downwardly directed nozzle ports and a bottom spinner for thoroughly cleaning all interior surfaces of the tank. The sprayer may also include a chemical eductor mounted on the side of the tank, whose weight is counterbalanced by springs, and which easily pivots between lower and upper positions on the tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventors: Todd A. Otto, Brannon W. Polk, David J. Norlander, Robert J. Bisson, Bruce A. Granger, John H. Weber, Daniel E. Peterson