Patents Examined by Charles Greenhut
  • Patent number: 7441387
    Abstract: A method and a commissioning system are provided for commissioning articles (A1) which are suitable for a central belt in a central belt commissioning system and articles (A2) which are not suitable for a central belt, preferably manually from an article warehouse or shelf (5), wherein articles which are suitable for a central belt (1) are commissioned and automatically fall directly onto the driven central belt (1) in a targeted manner, and at the end of the central belt they fall into a stationary container or immediately into a container (10) arranged on the driven central belt. The articles (A2) which are not suitable for a central belt are commissioned manually in containers (10) in a commissioning path to the right and/or left of the central belt (1) of the central belt commissioning device and are directly fed to a dispatching station or preferably to the central belt commissioning device for commissioning with articles (A1) which are suitable for a central belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Knapp Logistik Automation GmbH
    Inventor: Karl Freudelsperger
  • Patent number: 7431550
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for handling a tubular above a wellbore. In one aspect, the present invention provides a pipe handling apparatus operable with a pipe pick-up and lay-down machine. The pipe handling apparatus includes at least one arm having a first end and a second end and at least one stop member coupled to the second end of the arm. Preferably, the first end is pivotally coupled to the pipe pick-up and lay-down machine. The pipe handling apparatus may be actuated to limit movement of the tubular as it is moved toward the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Technologies Alliance
    Inventor: Carroll R. Thompson
  • Patent number: 7431552
    Abstract: A group of objects arranged in fixed relative positions on a floor is moved while conserving the positions of the objects relative to each other by: providing a rigid framework surrounding the group of objects and having supporting means for supporting each object as well as air cushion units; establishing supportive contact between each object and corresponding supporting means; lifting the framework as one rigid unit by activating the air cushion units; and displacing the framework.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Inventor: Christian Finn Laursen
  • Patent number: 7407359
    Abstract: The invention relates to a funnel plate and method of use thereof which facilitates transfer of components from a first tray to a second tray assisting in the packaging, shipping, or assembly of electronic components. The invention provides a plate which includes at least one aperture having internal surfaces which are beveled. The sloped internal surfaces of the apertures precisely aligns electrical component transfer reducing the need for complex post-alignment testing. The funnel plates and processes of the present invention are easily integrated into modern in-line transfer machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Danville Automation Holdings LLC
    Inventor: Thomas P. Sisson
  • Patent number: 7393174
    Abstract: A modified cart and coil hanger assembly wherein vertical support assemblies are provided to receive the coil turns for lifting and transport to and from the field and which are selectively locked to a coil cart main body for ground transport. As such, the assembly of the invention provides the advantages of a fully mobile coil cart including the ability to manage floor lay down space in the field rewind area as well as coil hanging and overhead transport as required for field rewind.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bruce Allen Faulk, James Thaddeus Henley, Garth Townsend
  • Patent number: 7390159
    Abstract: A refuse receptacle lifter is disclosed that is mounted on a transporter secured to the front end of a collection vehicle rearwardly of an associated collection container. The transporter is adapted to move the lifter in a generally side-to-side direction relative to the collection container in order to move the lifter between a retracted position and a position in which it is spaced from the collection container so that it can engage a refuse receptacle. If the collection vehicle does not have a collection container. being carried on the front of the vehicle, the lifter may be moved to stored position generally adjacent to the front end of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Perkins Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: James Rimsa, Carlos Arrez, Ramiro Arrez
  • Patent number: 7371040
    Abstract: A bale wagon is disclosed having rolling rack tines that pivot, by only a few degrees, so as to reduce the angle between said rolling rack tines and the bale wagons loading bed surface at several preset positions, allows improved control over the lean angle of the unloaded bales.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: CNH America LLC
    Inventor: Stephen W. Jacobs
  • Patent number: 7360982
    Abstract: Various types of recording cartridges, each of which has a case which rotatably accommodates a reel on which a recording tape is wound, are provided with grasped portions with concave portions at side walls of the case and which a grasping device of a same, external library with accommodating chambers can grasp from both sides. A height from a floor surface of the accommodating chamber to the grasped portions when the cartridge is accommodated in the accommodating chamber of the library is made to be the same regardless of a type of the recording tape cartridge, and an interval between a pair of corner portions of the grasped portions, which corner portions are near a removal opening of the library, are made to be the same regardless of the cartridge type. A pair of corner portions of the grasped portions, which corner portions are deeper in the library, are chamfered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Hiraguchi, Wataru Iino
  • Patent number: 7347657
    Abstract: Refuse collection apparatus including a collection container grasping mechanism and a lifting and dumping mechanism. The grasping mechanism includes a pair of grasping arms mounted for movement between an at-rest position and a grasping position, springs attached to the grasping arms so as to bias the grasping arms into the at-rest position, and a first hydraulic cylinder attached to an activating element for moving the grasping arms from the at-rest position into the grasping position. The lifting and dumping mechanism is coupled to the grasping mechanism for moving the grasping mechanism from a refuse container grasping position to a dumping position. The lifting and dumping mechanism includes elongated linking arms and a driving hydraulic cylinder coupled in a four point movement for simultaneously lifting and rotating the grasping mechanism from the refuse container grasping position into the dumping position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Inventor: Larry Brunn
  • Patent number: 7347658
    Abstract: A wheelchair lift and lateral transport apparatus has a lift assembly operable to elevate a platform supporting a wheelchair from a first ground position to a second elevated position adjacent a side of a motor vehicle. A headrest is mounted on the upper end of the lift assembly. A lateral transport assembly mounted on the vehicle floor and secured to the lift assembly operates to move the lift assembly and wheelchair on the platform from the second position to a third position. The lift assembly lowers the platform from the third position onto anchor pins secured to the floor of the vehicle to locate the person in the wheelchair in the vehicle driver's position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Inventor: Phillip E. Schlangen
  • Patent number: 7347656
    Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus is composed of a cassette block and a vacuum processing block. The cassette block has a cassette table for mounting a plurality of cassettes containing a sample and an atmospheric transfer means. The vacuum processing block has a plurality of processing chambers for performing vacuum processing to the sample and a vacuum transfer means for transferring the sample. Both of the plan views of the cassette block and the vacuum processing block are nearly rectangular, and the width of the cassette block is designed larger than the width of the vacuum processing block, and the plan view of the vacuum processing apparatus is formed in an L-shape or a T-shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Soraoka, Ken Yoshioka, Yoshinao Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 7344350
    Abstract: The invention discloses a transporting apparatus that transmits a drive force to a transported object in a state where the transported object is supported by a air-supplying-type support apparatus. In one implementation thereof, a device for transferring drive force to a transported object transfers drive force to one side in the width direction, which is perpendicular to the transporting direction. In another implementation thereof, the transporting apparatus can be switched between a horizontal state in which the transported object is supported substantially horizontally, and an upright state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiteru Ikehata, Takayoshi Ono, Yuichi Morimoto
  • Patent number: 7341417
    Abstract: A carrier for securing a personal transporter to a motorized vehicle generally includes a base for engagement with the motorized vehicle and a transporter support movably engaged with the base for movement between a transport position and a loading position. The personal transporter includes a pair of wheels with a platform therebetween, and a stem extending upwardly from the platform. The transporter support includes a stem receiver and a platform support. The stem of the personal vehicle is releasably engaged with the stem receiver, and the platform is releasably secured to the platform support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Saris Cycling Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Joshua G. Lohr
  • Patent number: 7325389
    Abstract: A high-clearance dump system is described for use with a riding mower. A folding lift assembly lifts the catcher box up and away from the riding mower to allow dumping over and away from the walls of a truck or other receiving vehicle. The folding lift assembly interfolds into the dumping catcher assembly and the dump system mount assembly thus providing a low-profile when in the lowered position. A lift pivot arm, and lift control rods that are shorter than the lift pivot arm, cause the catcher frame to be tilted at an obtuse angle with respect to the lift pivot arm so that the back end of the catcher frame is higher than the front end of the catcher frame when the lift pivot arm is raised, thus providing high clearance. A power system provides power a switch box that switches power between a lift cylinder and a dump cylinder so that the catcher may be dumped in a raised, partially raised, or lowered position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Walker Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Dean M. Walker
  • Patent number: 7322787
    Abstract: A substrate is supported on a plurality of substrate supporting pins mounted to a second movable member. Next, so as to bring the plurality of substrate supporting pins close to a plurality of substrate supporting pins mounted to a first movable member, the first movable member and second movable member are moved, respectively. After this, with the substrate being supported between the substrate supporting pins, the first movable member and the second movable member are reversed. Then, the first movable member and the second movable member are moved relative to each other such that the respective plurality of substrate supporting pins are spaced apart from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koji Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7314343
    Abstract: A manipulator for servicing tubes extending through a tube sheet having three major components: a base member, a block member, and a foot member. The base member has a holder for supporting tooling or inspection devices. The base member also has at least one gripper for releasably gripping a tube extending through the tube sheet. The block member is connected to the base member for linear movement and rotation relative to the base member. The foot member is connected to the block member for linear movement relative to the block member. The foot member has at least one, and preferably two grippers, for releasably gripping a tube extending through the tube sheet. The manipulator supports itself using the two sets of expandable and translatable grippers that anchor into the tube ends and can move from tube to tube by alternately engaging each set of grippers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Co. LLC
    Inventors: Phillip J. Hawkins, Lyman J. Petrosky
  • Patent number: 7309205
    Abstract: A trailer unloading system anchors one or more trailers to a deck, with, or without tractor attached. The sides of the trailers are free to pivot from a top, longitudinal, pivot axis once unlatched from the edge of the trailer floor. The deck tilts the trailers sideways, the doors swing free, and the load discharges. The deck returns to level, the sides latch to support the floor and the trailers are ready to be reloaded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: TY-Crop Manufacturing Ltd.
    Inventors: Kevin Richard McCrory, Gary Wayne Teichrob, Todd Mendenhall, Fred P. Smith
  • Patent number: 7306421
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an inside vehicle lift for transferring a load through a rear door opening of a vehicle. The lift comprises a load platform for receiving the load. The load platform is horizontally movable between a loading position with the load platform being disposed behind a rear bumper of the vehicle and a transport position inside the vehicle. Lift actuators move vertically a lift support base with the load platform between a first vertical position with the load platform being in close proximity to ground and a second vertical position suitable for horizontally moving the load platform into the vehicle. The inside vehicle lift is highly beneficial for installation in minivans and SUVs enabling loading of a large number of different commercially available scooters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Inventor: Clifford L. Wolfe
  • Patent number: 7287947
    Abstract: A trailer for hauling heavy equipment includes front end loading assembly that allows hitching and loading, a trailer bed, and a set of rear wheels. Longitudinally aligned support beams from the trailer bed, ends terminating at the front end loading assembly. The front end loading assembly comprises a low profile trailer front end section that uses a box beam positioned between the support beams and a pickup shaft of the assembly. The low profile front end section reduces the height of the front end of the trailer, thereby allowing loading of small equipment, while maintaining its load carrying and transmitting capability for heavy equipment. The trailer can be modular in design with removable ramp and trailer bed side sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Inventor: Francis V Smith
  • Patent number: 7284944
    Abstract: A wheelchair lift and lateral transport apparatus has a lift assembly operable to elevate a platform supporting a wheelchair from a first ground position to a second elevated position adjacent a side of a motor vehicle. A headrest is mounted on the upper end of the lift assembly. A lateral transport assembly mounted on the vehicle floor and secured to the lift assembly operates to move the lift assembly and wheelchair on the platform from the second position to a third position. The lift assembly lowers the platform from the third position onto anchor pins secured to the floor of the vehicle to locate the person in the wheelchair in the vehicle driver's position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Inventor: Phillip E. Schlangen