David H Kent

US Patent:

8015781, Sep 13, 2011

Filed:

Mar 8, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/371351

Inventors:

David Max Kent - Kent WA, US

Assignee:

Seatal Automation Systems LLC. - Seatal WA

International Classification:

B65B 5/10

US Classification:

53536, 53245, 53255, 53260

Abstract:

A loader includes a sling for supporting a one or more items. The sling is secured on opposite sides of a loading chamber. The loader also includes a lowering mechanism. The lowering mechanism can lower the sling. The loader includes a release mechanism that secures one or both sides of the sling. After the sling is lowered by the lowering mechanism an adequate distance to place the one or more items close to the receptacle, the release mechanism releases one or both sides of the sling, which places the one or more items in or on a receptacle. The loader includes a take-up mechanism attached to one side of the sling. The take-up mechanism takes up the sling when the opposite side of the sling is released by the release mechanism. The loader is capable of inserting close fitting items into receptacles, such as a stack of trays of produce.

US Patent:

59645644, Oct 12, 1999

Filed:

Jul 15, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/680391

Inventors:

Miles T. Hanon - Des Moines WA
David M. Kent - Edmonds WA

Assignee:

B-W Controls, Inc. - Seattle WA

International Classification:

G01V 904

US Classification:

414417

Abstract:

An apparatus for displacing and detecting cross-slotted objects includes a cradle mounted to a frame, the cradle being sized and shaped to hold a tray of objects in slots. As the cradle rotates on the frame, a displacing assembly is deployed at the rear of the tray with projections that contact cross-slotted objects and urge the cross-slotted objects to move at least partially out of the tray. Suitably positioned sensors detect the displaced cross-slotted objects for notification to a controller. A method for detecting cross-slotted objects includes first displacing the cross-slotted objects, and second, detecting the displaced cross-slotted objects.

US Patent:

20210086362, Mar 25, 2021

Filed:

Dec 7, 2020

Appl. No.:

17/114490

Inventors:

- San Jose CA, US
Sarah Elliott - Mountain View CA, US
David Kent - Atlanta GA, US

Assignee:

Fetch Robotics, Inc. - San Jose CA

International Classification:

B25J 9/16

Abstract:

A method for selecting a preferred robotic grasp of an object-of-interest using pairwise ranking includes: identifying a robotic candidate grasp usable to grasp the object-of-interest, the object-of-interest situated in an environment; receiving a grasp preference for a preferred candidate grasp of the object-of-interest; calculating a heuristic to describe a relationship of the candidate grasp to one or more of the object-of-interest and the environment; and using the heuristic and using the grasp preference, computing a pairwise ranking of two candidate grasps to determine an ordering of the at least two candidate grasps.