Brentwood inventor Curt Jones came up with the idea of quick-freezing little pellets of ice cream while working in Lexington, Ky., on a project to freeze yogurt bacteria to use in animal feed.

The company he founded makes Dippin' Dots in Paducah, Ky.

The Tennessean reported that on Wednesday, a group of Oklahoma investors who formed Dippin' Dots LLC will ask a U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Louisville for permission to take over the assets of Dippin' Dots, Inc., which filed for bankruptcy late last year.

Jones said the recession and a protracted legal battle nearly ruined the company.