Patents Issued the Week of May 5-9

5.12.25

Patent Protection & Registration

Patents grant property rights on new and useful inventions, allowing the patent holder to prevent others from using, making, or selling that invention without permission for a limited time. U.S. patents are permitted by the U.S. Constitution and are designed to promote scientific progress and invention. By allowing inventors to profit from licensing or selling their patent rights, inventors can recoup their research and development costs and benefit financially from their inventing efforts. There are three main types of patents utility, plant, and design. Utility and plant patents can last up to 20 years, while design patents can last up to 15 years. When a patent expires, the patented material enters the public domain, making it free to use by anyone without a license. U.S. patents are issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

U.S. Patent No. 12,291,840 entitled “System and Method of Automated Setting of Elevation Reference for Continuous Grade Control” issued May 06, 2025 to Deere & Company of Moline, Illinois. Invented by Alex R. Vandegrift of Davenport, Iowa; Bryan D. Sulzer of Dubuque, Iowa and Bryan J. Rausch of Durango, Iowa. Abstract: An auto-benching grade control system and method are provided for work machines such as excavators. Movements of at least one implement relative to a machine frame are actuated based on user inputs via a first user interface tool. Manual/automatic control modes are selected based on user inputs via a second user interface tool. Responsive to further user input via at least one of the first and second user interface tools, a target elevation is automatically specified based on a current elevation of at least one implement component corresponding to the further user input. During the automatic control mode, movement of at least the implement is controlled based at least in part on a specified target mainfall and a specified target cross-slope for at least a portion of the terrain to be worked, and the specified target elevation.

U.S. Patent No. 12,290,847 entitled “Infeed System for Hydrolyzer” issued May 06, 2025 to Bouldin Corporation of Morrison, Tennessee. Invented by Rodrigo B. Vera of Leeds, Alabama; David C. Palmer of Franklin, Tennessee and Terry L. Moore of Brentwood, Tennessee. Abstract: A hydrolyzer infeed system for supplying waste material to a hydrolyzer in a continuous manner, the infeed system comprises an infeed chamber, an inlet gate separate a chamber inlet from a chamber outlet, a ram disposed to reciprocate within the infeed chamber and compress waste material against the inlet gate when the gate is in the closed position and configured to push the compressed waste material past the inlet gate into a hydrolyzer when the gate is in an open position, an actuator operably coupled to the ram and configured to move the ram between retracted and extended positions. In one aspect, the ram extends past the inlet gate when in an extended position. In another aspect, an actuator position sensor operably coupled to the actuator generates a position signal representative of a position of the actuator and a corresponding position of the ram at all positions between the retracted ram position and the extended ram position.

U.S. Patent No. D1,073,317 entitled “Valet Tray” issued May 06, 2025 to Mia Kaminski of Franklin, Tennessee. Invented by Scott Kaminski also of Franklin, Tennessee. Claims: The ornamental design for a valet tray as shown and described.