Method and system for tracking glove failure

• US 9,635,891 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2016
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Summit Glove, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Summit Glove, Inc.
• Inventors: Hull, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, R. A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COURSON, TANIA C
• Application Number:
  US15/168,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20160270462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 336 Days
• Field of Search: 116201, 116209, 116200, 2159, 2161, 21616, 21617, 21618, 2169, 40625, 235385, 235465
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/00 Other devices for processing meat or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 19/00 Gloves brush bodies shaped as gloves A46B5/04; gloves for washing the body A47K7/02; gloves for domestic washing or cleaning A47L13/18; surgical gloves A61B42/10; swimming gloves A63B31/02; as accessories for games or sports, e.g. baseball, boxing or golf gloves A63B71/14; gloves for glove-boxes B25J1/02
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 19/0082 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/00 Indicating measured values

Abstract

A system and method for identifying areas of a processing plant in which a glove is damaged. The system includes utilizing color-coded sets of gloves in different areas or processing steps within the plant. All the gloves used in a particular plant are provided with a unique identifier. If a piece of a glove is located in the product within the plant, the color of that piece indicates the area or process of the plant in which the glove was used. If a piece of a damaged glove is located in the product at a remote destination, the unique identifier in that piece is matched with a registry to determine the plant in which the glove was used. The color of the piece then helps the plant to identify where the damaged glove was used. The system and method are particularly helpful in the food processing industry, especially meat processing.

Claims

1. A system for identifying areas or processing operations of a food processing plant in which a glove is damaged comprising:

a first set of gloves used in a first area of the plant or in a first processing operation in a first part of a production of an end product, wherein the first set of gloves is provided with a first identifier;

a second set of gloves used in a second area of the plant or in a second processing operation in a second part of the production of the end product;

wherein the second set of gloves is provided with a second identifier and

utilizing an identifier on a piece of glove located in the end product produced in the first and second areas of the plant or in the first and second processing operations to identify in which of the first and second areas or the first and second processing operations the piece originated.

2. The system as identified in claim 1, further comprising:

a third set of gloves used in a third area of the plant or a third processing operation in a third part of the production of the end product;

wherein the third set of gloves is provided with a third identifier.

3. The system as identified in claim 2, further comprising:

an additional set of gloves including a different identifier from any of the first, second and third identifiers, wherein the additional set of gloves is used in an additional area of the plant or in an additional processing operation in an additional part of the production of the end product.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second identifiers are colors approved for use in food processing by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of gloves are fabricated from latex or nitrile, or any other material approved for use in food processing by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

6. The system as defined in claim 5, further comprising a list or registry of identifiers used in a plurality of plants that process the same foodstuff.

7. A method of identifying an area or processing operation utilized in a plant from which a damaged glove originated, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of different sets of gloves, wherein each of the different sets includes a different identifier on each glove of that set of gloves;

assigning a different set of gloves to each of a plurality of areas or a plurality of processing operations in the plant where each processing operation performs a different part of a production of a common end product;

causing workers in a first area or first processing operation in the plant to wear gloves that include a first identifier;

where the first area or first processing operation comprises a first part of a production of the end product;

causing workers in a second area or second processing operation in the plant to wear gloves that include a second identifier;

wherein the second area or second processing operation comprises a second part of the production of the end product; and

utilizing an identifier found on a piece of glove located in the end product produced in the first and second areas or in the first and second processing operations to identify in which of the first and second areas or first and second processing operations the piece originated.

8. The method as defined in claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

locating the piece of the glove in the end product;

noting the identifier found on the piece of glove located in the end product;

comparing the identifier found on the located piece of glove with the first and second identifiers;

matching the identifier found on the located piece of glove with one or the other of the first and second identifiers; and

identifying a specific one of the first and second areas or first and second processing operations in which a glove was damaged utilizing the matched one of the first and second identifiers.

9. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the plant is a food processing plant and the method includes the step of:

handling a foodstuff utilizing gloves of the first identifier or gloves of the second identifier.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the food processing plant processes raw foodstuffs and the step of handling includes:

handling a raw foodstuff utilizing gloves of the first identifier or gloves of the second identifier.

11. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the handling step includes:

performing the first processing operation on raw meat with the gloves of the first identifier; and

performing the second processing operation on raw meat with gloves of the second identifier.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein the handling step includes:

performing the first processing operation on raw poultry with the gloves of the first identifier; and

performing the second processing operation on raw poultry with gloves of the second identifier.

13. A method of identifying a processing plant from which a damaged piece of glove originated, said method comprising the steps of:

marking gloves originating in a first processing plant with a first identifier; and

marking gloves originating in a second processing plant with a second identifier;

providing a list of matching identifiers and processing plants to merchants;

where the list includes the first identifier and the second identifier matched with the first and second processing plants, respectively; and

wherein the step of marking the first identifier comprises marking one or more of a first symbol, a first number, a first chemical signature, a first electronic signature or a first digital signature on the gloves for the first processing plant; and

the step of marking the second identifier comprises marking one or more of a second symbol, a second number, a second chemical signature, a second electronic signature or a second digital signature on the gloves for the second processing plant.

14. The method as defined in claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

locating an identifier on the damaged piece of glove;

identifying the identifier as one of the first identifier or the second identifier;

reviewing the list; and

matching the identified one of the first and second identifiers with the respective one of the first and second processing plants; and

contacting the matched one of the first and second processing plants to report the locating of the damaged piece of glove.

15. The method as defined in claim 14, where the step of marking the gloves originating in the first plant includes marking a first set of gloves of a first color with the first identifier;

and marking a second set of gloves of a second color with the same first identifier.

16. The method as defined in claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

using the first set of first colored gloves in a first area or first processing step in the first processing plant; and

using the second set of second color gloves in a second area or second processing step in the first processing plant.

17. The method as defined in claim 16, where the step of marking the gloves originating in the second processing plant includes marking a first set of gloves of a first color with the second identifier and marking a second set of gloves of a second color with the same second identifier.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

using the first set of first colored gloves with the second identifier in a first area or first processing step in the second processing plant; and

using the second set of second colored gloves with the second identifier in a second area or second processing step in the second processing plant.

19. The method as defined in claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

notifying the matched one of the first and second plants of a color of the damaged piece of glove; and

comparing the color of the damaged piece of glove with one of the first color and the second color to identify the one of the first and second areas or first and second processes in which the glove was worn.

20. The method as defined in claim 19, further comprising the step of:

utilizing additional sets of differently colored gloves other than the first and second colors for additional areas or process within the plant and marking the additional sets of differently colored gloves with the same identifier as the first and second color gloves.

21. The method as defined in claim 20, further comprising the step of changing plant operations to prevent further glove failure in the area or processing step in which the piece of glove found in the product originated.

22. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the step of using the first and second colored sets of gloves occurs in a food processing plant.

23. The method as defined in claim 22, wherein the step of using the first and second colored sets of gloves occurs in a meat processing plant.

24. The method as defined in claim 23, wherein the step of using the first and second colored sets of gloves occurs in a poultry processing plant.