Patents by Inventor William H. Pettigrew

William H. Pettigrew 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).

  • Drum elevator system
    Patent number: 6368041
    Abstract: A drum elevator and method of elevating cigarettes, the apparatus including a series of rotatable cigarette transferring drums including a first plurality of horizontally disposed drums at a first elevation and a second plurality of vertically disposed drums extending to a second elevation, the second plurality of vertically disposed drums receiving output from the first plurality of drums, the series of drums adapted to receive a procession of cigarettes at the first elevation and to elevate the cigarettes along a transfer path to the second elevation while maintaining the cigarettes arranged substantially in the procession; a rejection station at a location along the transfer path; a controller operative to selectively actuate the rejection station; and a stack former at the second elevation, the stack former receiving output of the second plurality of vertically disposed drums.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Charles Gary Atwell, Ricky N. Cooper, Martin T. Garthaffner, Andrew J. Gillespie, Ronald D. Honaker, William H. Pettigrew, William H. Smick, III
  • Drum elevator system
    Patent number: 6123201
    Abstract: A drum elevator and method of elevating cigarettes, the apparatus having a series of rotatable cigarette transferring drums including a first plurality of horizontally disposed drums at a first elevation and a second plurality of vertically disposed drums extending to a second elevation, the second plurality of vertically disposed drums receiving output from the first plurality of drums, the series of drums adapted to receive a procession of cigarettes at the first elevation and to elevate the cigarettes along a transfer path to the second elevation while maintaining the cigarettes arranged substantially in the procession; a rejection station at a location along the transfer path; a controller operative to selectively actuate the rejection station; and a stack former at the second elevation, the stack former receiving output of the second plurality of vertically disposed drums.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Charles Gary Atwell, Ricky N. Cooper, Martin T. Garthaffner, Andrew J. Gillespie, Ronald D. Honaker, William H. Pettigrew, William H. Smick, III