Patents by Inventor Tom L. Hicks

Tom L. Hicks 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: 20120070592
    Abstract: A method of making a film and the resulting film are disclosed. A matrix polymer comprising at least 20 wt. % nylon-6 is combined with moisture-absorbing particles and mixed in an extensional flow mixer to disperse the moisture-absorbing particles in the matrix polymer. The mixed composition is formed into a film comprising at least 20 wt. % matrix polymer and 1 wt. % moisture-absorbing particles. The film is oriented in at least one direction by a ratio of at least 1.2:1 to provide an unperforated, oriented film having a thickness of at least 20 microns and a water transmission rate of at least 24 g/m2/hr. The film is useful in food casing applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Inventors: Alan D. Stall, Carl Frauenpreis, Vladimir A. Sinani, Tom L. Hicks, Tatyana Y. Samoylova
  • Publication number: 20110151158
    Abstract: In a method of making a food casing a mixture is extruded to form a seamless tube. The mixture comprises at least 10% of cellulose fiber and at least 50% of nylon-6 content. The nylon-6 content has a weighted average viscosity number of at least 155 ml/g and at most 230 ml/g. The seamless tube is oriented by at least 10% in the machine direction with at most 0% orientation in the transverse direction to form an oriented seamless tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Inventors: Alan D. Stall, Carl Frauenpreis, Vladimier A. Sinani, Tom L. Hicks, Tatyana Y. Samoylova