Patents by Inventor Todd Sears

Todd Sears 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: 11708849
    Abstract: A locking system in an industrial machine is provided. The locking system includes a lock-ring positioned in a lock-ring recess in a rotational shaft, a spacing plate axially interfacing with the lock-ring, and a compression plate with a threaded opening. The locking system further includes a bolt threadingly engaged with the threaded opening in the compression plate and a spring axially interposed between the spacing plate and the compression plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: SSI Shredding Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Mcleod, Thomas Garnier, Todd Sears
  • Publication number: 20220250082
    Abstract: A modular industrial reducing machine is provided. The reducing machine includes a removable cutting tray releasably coupled to a first and second axial endwalls in a base frame. Additionally, the removable cutting tray includes a plurality of non-rotating anvils designed to interact with a plurality of cutters during reducing operation to reduce material in the reducing compartment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventors: Todd Sears, Thomas Garnier, Michael Neunzert
  • Publication number: 20210033140
    Abstract: A locking system in an industrial machine is provided. The locking system includes a lock-ring positioned in a lock-ring recess in a rotational shaft, a spacing plate axially interfacing with the lock-ring, and a compression plate with a threaded opening. The locking system further includes a bolt threadingly engaged with the threaded opening in the compression plate and a spring axially interposed between the spacing plate and the compression plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Robert Mcleod, Thomas Garnier, Todd Sears
  • Patent number: 10906143
    Abstract: A method for hardfacing cutting blades used in industrial machinery by creating a channel in the surfaces of an oversize cutting blade that may be filled with hardface weld and machining the outer edge of the main body and channel to create a desired finish profile with a hardfaced edge. Such a cutting blade may additionally have fixed points of reference on the cutting blade which may be used to automate some or all of the process of creating and/or hardfacing a cutting blade to the desired profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: SSI SHREDDING SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Todd Sears, Thomas Garnier
  • Patent number: 10440970
    Abstract: A grain management system can condition a grain mass held in grain storage equipment using environmental inputs, varietal inputs, nutrient inputs, and/or characteristic inputs. The inputs can provide a customized grain conditioning strategy or program to maintain nutritional attributes of the grain mass and/or prevent overdrying, mold, decomposition, or other spoilage of the grain mass. The inputs can be entered by a user or automatically detected or entered based on present or historical data associated with the grain or grain conditioning equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: IntelliFarms, LLC
    Inventors: Johnselvakumar Lawrence, Charles Todd Sears
  • Patent number: 10334864
    Abstract: A grain management system can condition a grain mass held in grain storage equipment using environmental inputs, varietal inputs, nutrient inputs, and/or characteristic inputs. The inputs can provide a customized grain conditioning strategy or program to maintain nutritional attributes of the grain mass and/or prevent overdrying, mold, decomposition, or other spoilage of the grain mass. The inputs can be entered by a user or automatically detected or entered based on present or historical data associated with the grain or grain conditioning equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: IntelliFarms, LLC
    Inventors: Johnselvakumar Lawrence, Charles Todd Sears
  • Publication number: 20180117596
    Abstract: A means for hardfacing cutting blades used in industrial machinery by creating a channel in the surfaces of an oversize cutting blade that may be filled with hardface weld and machining the outer edge of the main body and channel to create a desired finish profile with a hardfaced edge. Such a cutting blade may additionally have fixed points of reference on the cutting blade which may be used to automate some or all of the process of creating and/or hardfacing a cutting blade to the desired profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Inventors: Todd Sears, Thomas Garnier
  • Publication number: 20160183547
    Abstract: A grain management system can condition a grain mass held in grain storage equipment using environmental inputs, varietal inputs, nutrient inputs, and/or characteristic inputs. The inputs can provide a customized grain conditioning strategy or program to maintain nutritional attributes of the grain mass and/or prevent overdrying, mold, decomposition, or other spoilage of the grain mass. The inputs can be entered by a user or automatically detected or entered based on present or historical data associated with the grain or grain conditioning equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Johnselvakumar LAWRENCE, Charles Todd SEARS
  • Publication number: 20160183548
    Abstract: A grain management system can condition a grain mass held in grain storage equipment using environmental inputs, varietal inputs, nutrient inputs, and/or characteristic inputs. The inputs can provide a customized grain conditioning strategy or program to maintain nutritional attributes of the grain mass and/or prevent overdrying, mold, decomposition, or other spoilage of the grain mass. The inputs can be entered by a user or automatically detected or entered based on present or historical data associated with the grain or grain conditioning equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Johnselvakumar LAWRENCE, Charles Todd SEARS
  • Patent number: 8128015
    Abstract: A cutter assembly for a rotary, shear-type shredder including a cutting-tool carrier having a body possessing a rotational axis, a shear cutting tool, and a generally radial, sliding-friction-type, heat-cycle, binding interface removably anchoring the tool to the carrier body. This assembly is made by (a) forming a projection on one of the tool and the carrier, (b) forming a generally complementary, projection-receiving void space in the other of the tool and the carrier, whereby the projection and the void space nominally have an interference-fit relationship relative to one another, (c) creating a temperature differential between the tool and the carrier to an extent producing a clearance-fit relationship therebetween, (d) following that creating, fitting the projection snugly inside the void space, (e) reducing the created temperature differential toward zero, and (f) thereby establishing a robust, linear-sliding-friction anchoring interface between the tool and the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: SSI Shredding Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd A. Sears
  • Publication number: 20100270410
    Abstract: A material shredder including an elongate rotor including distributed, outwardly projecting cutting teeth having cutting edges collectively defining a rotor cutting profile, and an elongate bed-knife disposed operatively adjacent the rotor and possessing distributed cutting edges collectively defining a bed-knife cutting profile which meshes complementarily with the rotor cutting profile with rotation of the rotor, these two profiles collectively defining an elongate shredding interface wherein there are certain reverse-facing, mutually facing, respective cutting edges in the teeth and bed-knife that face, respectively, toward and away from the rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Inventor: Todd A. Sears
  • Publication number: 20090014570
    Abstract: A cutter assembly for a rotary, shear-type shredder including a cutting-tool carrier having a body possessing a rotational axis, a shear cutting tool, and a generally radial, sliding-friction-type, heat-cycle, binding interface removably anchoring the tool to the carrier body. This assembly is made by (a) forming a projection on one of the tool and the carrier, (b) forming a generally complementary, projection-receiving void space in the other of the tool and the carrier, whereby the projection and the void space nominally have an interference-fit relationship relative to one another, (c) creating a temperature differential between the tool and the carrier to an extent producing a clearance-fit relationship therebetween, (d) following that creating, fitting the projection snugly inside the void space, (e) reducing the created temperature differential toward zero, and (f) thereby establishing a robust, linear-sliding-friction anchoring interface between the tool and the carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Inventor: Todd A. Sears
  • Publication number: 20070203756
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product to create a quote for providing a benefit, such as an employee benefit of a group health insurance policy or a retirement plan. Products that can be associated with the quote are automatically determined using at least one rule for associating products with quotes. A product can be associated with the quote if the product satisfies the rules. Rules can require another product to be included with the product in the quote, require a given value for an attribute of the product, or require a relationship between the values of attributes of different products. Rules can also be added to specify how data for the products are presented in a display via a user interface. A user can use a configuration user interface to set up rules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Inventors: Todd Sears, Ann Klein, Hong Qian, Hang Lu
  • Patent number: 6375106
    Abstract: A blade assembly for a waste reduction machine includes a hub which is mounted on a rotatable shaft. A plurality of attachment devices are located at spaced-apart intervals on the periphery of the hub. Each attachment device has a tooth releasably attached to it. The attachment device includes an elongate threaded element which is oriented generally perpendicular to a radial line on the hub which intersects the threaded element. The threaded element engages the tooth and pulls it onto or pushes it off of the attachment device. The attachment device includes an elongate locking element and the tooth includes a slot which slidingly interfits onto the locking element. The locking element and slot are configured so as to prevent the tooth from moving radially outwardly from the periphery of the hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: SSI Shredding Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd Sears
  • Patent number: 5671543
    Abstract: A tape measure marking device and method for use thereof in which a C-member is removably attached to the tape case across a narrow dimension thereof, by an existing screw in the tape case being inserted through the C-member. The C-member includes an implement holding member projecting to a side of the tape case, the implement holding member providing for releasably attaching a marking or cutting implement to the tape case. The C-member further includes an indexing member disposed across a substantial portion of an extensible tape being extended from the tape case and the implement holding member provides for centering marking implements having different sizes and shapes to register with the indexing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1997
    Inventor: Todd A. Sears