Patents by Inventor W. Reid Stout

W. Reid Stout 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).

  • Ice dispensing and metering system and methods
    Patent number: 9989293
    Abstract: An ice dispensing assembly includes a hopper, a metering disk, a shelf member, and a separating wall. The hopper includes an outlet opening defined in a bottom end of the hopper, and an ice inlet defined in a top end of the hopper. The metering disk is positioned in the hopper and includes a plurality of cavities. The shelf member is arranged to at least partially shield the cavities from a supply of ice held in the hopper. The metering disk is rotatable relative to the hopper between a first position wherein at least one cavity is exposed to the supply of ice to be filled with ice, and a second position wherein the cavity is separated from the supply of ice by the separating wall and ice in the cavity is dispensed through the outlet opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: BLENDTEC, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas D. Dickson, Jr., Sterling O. Kingdon, Mark W. McLane, David J. Throckmorton, Kory B. Robins, W. Reid Stout
  • Ice dispensing and metering system and methods
    Patent number: 8881952
    Abstract: An ice dispensing assembly includes a hopper, a metering disk, a shelf member, and a separating wall. The hopper includes an outlet opening defined in a bottom end of the hopper, and an ice inlet defined in a top end of the hopper. The metering disk is positioned in the hopper and includes a plurality of cavities. The shelf member is arranged to at least partially shield the cavities from a supply of ice held in the hopper. The metering disk is rotatable relative to the hopper between a first position wherein at least one cavity is exposed to the supply of ice to be filled with ice, and a second position wherein the cavity is separated from the supply of ice by the separating wall and ice in the cavity is dispensed through the outlet opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: K-TEC, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas D. Dickson, Jr., Sterling O. Kingdon, Mark W. McLane, David J. Throckmorton, Kory B. Robins, W. Reid Stout