Patents Examined by Chelsea Stinson
  • Patent number: 10213911
    Abstract: A fastener-driving tool includes a housing and a workpiece-contacting element movable between a rest position and an activated position. The tool also includes a trigger connected to the housing and movable between a rest position and an activated position, a control valve including an actuating pin, an actuation lever movably connected to the trigger and movable between a rest position and an actuating position adjacent to the actuating pin, and a trigger control mechanism associated with the actuation lever and configured for moving and holding the actuation lever in the actuating position. In a powered mode, the trigger control mechanism causes the-actuation lever to move and remain in the actuating position such that the tool is actuated each time the workpiece-contacting element contacts a workpiece and moves to the activated position causing the actuation lever to contact the actuating pin and initiate an actuation of the tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen P. Moore, Murray Z. Weinger, Daniel J. Birk, Hanxin Zhao, Ricardo Segura, Ryan L. Francis
  • Patent number: 10207830
    Abstract: A food product handling device is provided. The food product handling device can include a movable loading head having a plurality of rails and a vacuum system operatively associated with the head. In addition, a plurality of suction devices carried by the head and configured to pick up and transport a food product as the head is moved can be provided. A plurality of mounting blocks can be slidably coupled to the rails where at least one suction device is coupled to each mounting block. An actuating device can be operatively associated with the mounting blocks such that each mounting block is configured to slide between a first position and a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: F.R. Drake Company
    Inventors: Andre Richards, Thomas Ivy, Keith Wayne Hopkins, George Reed
  • Patent number: 10189154
    Abstract: A power tool comprises a housing having at least two housing parts and at least one recess, a portion of the recess provided by each housing part, and a bearing located in the recess. The power tool includes a seal comprising an elongate seal member located between the housing parts to seal at least a portion of the housing. The seal includes at least one polymeric extension part extending from the elongate seal member and in contact with an external part of the bearing without extending around the bearing. The polymeric extension part of the seal prevents the external part of the bearing from rotating with respect to the housing during use of the power tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Ernst Staas, Stefan Gensmann, Achim Buchholz
  • Patent number: 10189589
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a chamber machine for packaging products in at least one bag, where said chamber machine includes at least one gas nozzle. The chamber machine can also include a monitoring device configured for detecting the presence of a bag neck of the bag over the gas nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Multivac Sepp Haggenmueller SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Konrad Möβnang, Benjamin Öfele, Thomas Pfalzer, Klaus Rothermel
  • Patent number: 10189592
    Abstract: An apparatus for sealing an open end of a package comprises a first longitudinally extending sealing jaw, bearing mounted on a first eccentric shaft rotatable around a first rotational axis, and a second longitudinally extending sealing jaw, bearing mounted on a second eccentric shaft rotatable around a second rotational axis, the second sealing jaw being parallel with the first sealing jaw. At least one motor drives rotation around the first and second rotational axis in opposite directions, wherein the first and the second sealing jaws oppose each other, and are allowed to oscillate between sealing and open positions by moving towards and away from each other. A first and second transversally extending guiding bar cooperate with the first and second eccentric shaft via guiding pins running in guiding grooves, such that transverse play between the first and the second eccentric shaft and the first and second sealing jaw is allowed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: TETRA LAVAL HOLDINGS & FINANCE S.A.
    Inventor: Richard Persson
  • Patent number: 10179668
    Abstract: A method and machine for packaging smoking articles or other tobacco industry products in which the products and packaging may be transported from selected product supply systems and packaging material supply systems selectively along a plurality of alternative transport routes through the machine through a series of workstations arranged to incorporate batches of smoking products selectively in different packaging materials according to the transport route selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (INVESTMENTS) LIMITED
    Inventors: Anthony Bray, Gary Fallon, Roger Beck
  • Patent number: 10167098
    Abstract: A “weigh/fill” type box filler for cherries, cherries and similar small produce that incrementally moves and fills an array of individual packaging bags within conventional packing boxes. The box filler includes a box conveyer, a producer conveyer, a metering gate, a weigh/fill scale assembly and three independent box lifters. The box conveyer moves the packing boxes incrementally over the weigh/fill scale assembly to position each row of bags within successive packing boxes beneath the metering gate. As one packing box is incrementally moved across the weigh/fill scale assembly and each row of bags is weigh/filled, the box lifters sequentially raise the adjacent preceding and following packing boxes out of contact with the weigh/fill scale assembly. The metering gate uses independently actuated gate paddles to selectively control the flow of produce into the individual bags first at a high volume “gross” fill rate and finishing with a lower volume or “fine” fill rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Inventor: Robert L. Williamson
  • Patent number: 10160558
    Abstract: A selectively reconfigurable wrapping machine [A] for sequentially wrapping upright products. An infeed conveyor carries products to a wrapping station module where a tube of shrink-wrap material, pulled from rolled storage [B], is formed about the products by a film directing and tracking module generally designated [C] by use of a film plow [D]. Marginal edges of the shrink-wrap material are joined by a selectively configurable bottom seal module [E] which pulls the tube in to form a selectively positionable longitudinal bottom seal. A film sealing and cutting module [G] has opposed sealing heads [G2L, G2R] carried to face each other with fixed angular orientation such that the heads travel with products in the tube for a distance as it moves giving sealing dwell time for nonstop operation. A microprocessor-driven control system provides user setup controls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: TEXWRAP PACKAGING SYSTEMS LLC
    Inventor: Brian R. Stork
  • Patent number: 10150208
    Abstract: A muzzle suitable for holding different sized nail clamps includes a restricting plate and a movable member. The movable member is coupled to the cover and movable in the restricting direction. The restricting plate is inserted in the nail-hitting track and movable in the restricting direction. Therefore, the restricting plate can be moved to press against the second lateral side of different sized nail clamps to clamp the nail clamp between the lateral surface of the nail-hitting track and the restricting plate, and the nail clamp can be firmly positioned in the nail-hitting track without slipping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Nailermate Enterprise Corporation
    Inventor: Wen-Pin Lin
  • Patent number: 10150272
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an air bag machine. The operational steps of the machine mainly includes: first, placing bag film on a main body, and extending one end of the bag film to pass through a sealing device and material pulling module in sequence. Subsequently, the bag film is pulled to the rear end by the material pulling module when air filling is carried out to the bag film, and at the same time, the bag film is cut to form a hole entrance by a cutting element so as to facilitate filling air into the bag film Thereafter, the sealing device is used to seal the hole entrance to complete the sealing of the finished bag film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Inventor: Tung-Lung Chiang
  • Patent number: 10144542
    Abstract: A rotary wrapping machine (30, 110) for packaging products by means of a film unwound from a reel comprises a frame (13, 113) carrying a dispensing unit (19, 119) which is electrically controlled to dispense the packaging film from a reel of film present in the dispensing unit (19, 119). The dispensing unit is supported on the frame so as to be driven rotationally along a closed path around a packaging zone (38, 138) which contains a product to be wrapped with the film. Along the closed path there is a power supply antenna (25, 125) which is connected to an antenna power supply unit (26, 126) for transferring, by means of electrical induction, electric power to a corresponding receiver (28, 128) which is movable along the antenna together with the said dispensing unit and which supplies in turn electric power to the dispensing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: MESSERSI' PACKAGING SRL
    Inventor: Maurizio Messersi′
  • Patent number: 10131456
    Abstract: A packaging machine (1) for forming packets (3) of smoking articles (2), in particular cigarettes, comprises movement means for moving groups of smoking articles at least partially wrapped by an inner wrapping sheet (4), along a movement direction, a wrapping wheel (13) to receive the groups of smoking articles wrapped by the inner wrapping sheet (4) and to move them along a substantially circular wrapping path (P), and transfer means (22) to transfer the groups of smoking articles wrapped by the inner wrapping sheet (4) from the movement means to the wrapping wheel. The transfer means (22) transfer the groups of smoking articles wrapped by the inner wrapping sheet (4) along a transfer direction (T) radial with respect to the wrapping path (P), in order to reduce the bulk of the packaging machine (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: GIMA TT SPA
    Inventor: Fiorenzo Draghetti
  • Patent number: 10124455
    Abstract: A power tool system includes a hand-held power tool having a motor or a solenoid that drives a tool, and a first memory that stores at least one pass code. A battery pack is detachably attached to, and supplies current to, the power tool and has a second memory that stores at least one pass code. An electronically-actuatable lock and a first controller are provided in the power tool and/or in the battery pack. The first controller reads the pass codes from the first and second memories when the battery pack is attached to the power tool, directly compares the pass codes from the first memory and the second memory, and causes the first electronically-actuatable lock to prohibit or impair operation of the power tool when the pass codes do not match or otherwise correspond in a predetermined manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kosuke Ito, Hitoshi Suzuki, Nobuyasu Furui, Masaaki Fukumoto, Takuya Umemura, Hitoshi Sengiku
  • Patent number: 10098639
    Abstract: An end effector for use with a surgical apparatus. The end effector comprising a staple cartridge having a tissue contacting surface defining a central longitudinal slot and an anvil plate having a tissue contacting surface defining a central longitudinal slot. A surgical buttress releasably disposed on the tissue contacting surfaces of each of the staple cartridge and anvil plate. An adhesive tape is disposed over the central longitudinal slot of each of the staple cartridge and anvil plate and configured retain the respective surgical buttress atop the respective tissue contacting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventor: Gerald Hodgkinson
  • Patent number: 10005577
    Abstract: A system for stacking and packaging a plurality of discrete products of different sizes is provided. The system includes a stacking system having a movable lift plate, a slide plate assembly, an adjustable stop plate, and adjustable sidewalls. Layers of articles are introduced into a stack area, and movement of the lift plate and the slide plate assembly are coordinated to stack products in layers on the lift plate. The stacking system includes an adjustment assembly that allows adjustment of the position of the stop plate and/or the sidewalls relative to a frame such that the stacking system can be quickly and efficiently configured for use with layers of articles that have different depths and/or widths. In another aspect, the stacking system cooperates with a tipping system that rolls or tips stacked product to facilitate further processing or use of the product package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Valley Tissue Packaging, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Rooyakkers
  • Patent number: 9999967
    Abstract: A technique for making a handle vibration-proof while avoiding size increase is provided in an impact tool. The impact tool has a striking mechanism part for driving a tool bit in its axial direction, a motor for driving the striking mechanism part, a tool body housing the motor and striking mechanism part, an outer shell housing covering part of the tool body, a handle that is integrally formed with the outer shell housing and extends transversely to the axial direction, a first handle end portion formed on one extending end of the handle, a second handle end portion formed on the other extending end of the handle, a first elastic element that connects the first handle end portion and tool body for relative movement in the axial direction, and a second elastic element that connects the second handle end portion and tool body for relative movement in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masanori Furusawa, Yoshihiro Kasuya, Hajime Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 9975306
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing packages comprising a tubular body made from a cardboard material and a sealing structure made from a cardboard material, and machines implementing said method, comprising supplying a sealing unit (2) with preformed tubular bodies, two by two, and with sealing structures in the form of flat portions, two by two, each one comprising a central part with a shape conjugated to the shape of the opening of the tubular bodies, surrounded by a peripheral portion that can be folded down that is sufficient to assemble a sealing structure sealably with the inner side wall of the tubular body, inserting pairs of sealing structures into a forming tool (7), and forming them in a bowl, inserting, placing and sealing bowls in the tubular bodies using said forming tool; transferring, two by two, the tubular bodies assembled to the sealing structures to a finishing unit (10), if the sealing structure is a lid, precutting (14) the side wall of said tubular body and partiall
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Inventor: Guillaume Sireix
  • Patent number: 9944422
    Abstract: A sleeve applicator machine is used to remove and open a sleeve from a carrier for application of the sleeve around an elongated object such as a wire. A mandrel is inserted into an opening of an unopened sleeve while the sleeve is still supported by the carrier. Once the mandrel is inserted into the sleeve, the mandrel is lifted to separate the unopened sleeve from the carrier. While still on the mandrel, the sleeve (which is now in a semi-opened state) is positioned between a separable pair of sleeve-opening dies in which the dies are in an opened position. The dies are closed or brought together around the sleeve and mandrel to compress the sleeve to a fully open state. At this point and with the dies holding the sleeve open, the mandrel may be withdrawn from the sleeve and a wire or other elongated object inserted into the opening of the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Brady Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Schanke, Robert F. Behlmer, Richard L. Carriere
  • Patent number: 9925733
    Abstract: A gluing device for automatically gluing and folding a gluable item. The gluing device includes a support structure upon which a gluing apparatus and a support plate assembly are mounted. The support plate is configured for supporting and aligning a gluable item for gluing and assembly by the gluing apparatus. The gluing apparatus includes a first clamp configured for selectively and securely holding a first portion of the gluable item on the support plate, a glue dispensing nozzle fluidly coupled to a glue supply, and a folding apparatus configured for folding the first portion of the gluable item onto a second portion of the gluable item after glue has been applied. A method for automatically gluing and folding a gluable item is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: PACKSIZE LLC
    Inventors: Niklas Pettersson, Ryan Osterhout
  • Patent number: 9901343
    Abstract: Improved tissue fasteners are disclosed that can be inserted into (and optionally through) tissue structures underlying a tissue surface for affixing overlapping tissues and tissue planes together, and the like. In some embodiments, an elongate anvil body may protrude distally and/or laterally from a fastener support disposed along the base. The anvil body may have a sharpened end and be configured to penetrate into the tissue, with the elongate anvil body optionally having a bend from a more distal orientation adjacent the clip support to a more lateral orientation adjacent the sharpened end during at least a portion of the deployment. The first leg can be driven through a desired location on the surface of the first tissue and against a receptacle of the anvil body so as to deform the fastener and affix it to the first tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: O3 Optix LLC
    Inventors: Steven D. Vold, Kenneth A. Peartree, Timothy D. Buckley, Aaron Feustel