Patents by Inventor Wayne L. Covington

Wayne L. Covington 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).

  • Automatic air heating system for vending machines
    Patent number: 5556000
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a heating system which includes a product dispensing assembly, a heating basket mounted for rotation within a closed-loop air heating system, a separator for removing entrained particulates from the circulating air stream, and an air exchange system for refreshing air in the closed-loop air heating system. The product dispensing assembly accurately meters a portion of the product, and includes a hopper with an helix auger, a weigh scale and a trap door for dispensing the metered product into the heating basket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Assignee: Ore-Ida Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne L. Covington, Steven C. Price
  • Automatic air heating system for vending machines
    Patent number: 5419239
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a heating system which includes a product dispensing assembly, a heating basket mounted for rotation within a closed-loop air heating system, a separator for removing entrained particulates from the circulating air stream, and an air exchange system for refreshing air in the closed-loop air heating system. The product dispensing assembly accurately meters a portion of the product, and includes a hopper with an helix auger, a weigh scale and a trap door for dispensing the metered product into the heating basket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1995
    Assignee: Ore-Ida Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne L. Covington, Steven C. Price
  • Automatic air cooking system for vending machines
    Patent number: 5203253
    Abstract: A closed-loop air cooking system includes: a) a closed-loop air duct assembly; b) a cooking basket means mounted for rotation within the air duct assembly; c) fan means for forcing air through the air duct assembly; d) heating means for heating air that circulates within the air duct assembly; and e) separator means for removing entrained particulates from the air stream that circulates within the air duct assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1993
    Assignee: Ore-Ida Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne L. Covington, Glen R. Green
  • Automatic air cooking system for vending machines
    Patent number: 5097754
    Abstract: A closed-loop air cooking system for use in a vending machine that vends french fried potatoes and the like, including: a) a closed-loop air duct assembly; b) a cooking basket mounted for rotation within the air duct assembly; c) a fan for forcing air through the air duct assembly; d) a separator for removing entrained particulates from the air stream within the air duct assembly; and e) a heater for heating air that circulates within the air duct assembly. In addition, the cooking system includes a separator for removing oil and other particulates from the closed-loop air stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1992
    Assignee: Ore-Ida Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne L. Covington, Glen R. Green
  • Method and apparatus for forming torn, random size pieces of sausage meat
    Patent number: 4112545
    Abstract: Chopped or ground sausage meat or like material is extruded as a continuous column into the path of action of a set of wipers which individually sweep across different fractional portions of the extrusion opening, thereby tearing respective random size chunks of material from the column being extruded. The chunks are primarily useful as pizza topping and may be frozen and stored for that purpose. The set of wipers is preferably provided as a plurality of radial arms rotatably mounted at intervals about a common axis and offset laterally from one another, so that free extremities of the arms act as tearing fingers as they sweep past respective fractional portions of the extrusion opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 12, 1978
    Assignee: Ore-Ida Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne L. Covington, Glen R. Green