Patents Examined by Lester Rushin
  • Patent number: 11377301
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motorized conveyor roller, comprising a roller body mounted so as to be able to rotate about a roller axle, a drive unit arranged inside the roller body and designed to generate a rotational movement about the roller axle between an axle element and the roller body. The invention is characterized by a control unit that is arranged inside the roller body and that is designed to receive a state signal from outside the roller body, to generate a control signal that describes a drive characteristic on the basis of the state signal, to control the drive unit by way of the control signal, to generate a self state signal that describes the state signal and/or the drive characteristic, and to transmit this self state signal outside the roller body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Interroll Holding aG
    Inventors: Andreas Hampe, Herbert Henze
  • Patent number: 11377303
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a modular sorting platform and a goods sorting system. The modular sorting platform includes a support structure and combination platform. The combination platform is installed on the support structure, and is composed of a plurality of platform modules. The platform modules include: a loading module including a loading module platform worksurface for forming a worksurface of the combination platform, an input position for receiving to-be-sorted goods, and a loading module connection part for connecting with another platform module; and an unloading module including an unloading module worksurface for forming the worksurface of the combination platform, an output position for outputting the goods, and an unloading module connection part for connecting with another platform module. The goods sorting system includes the modular sorting platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: BEIJING JINGDONG QIANSHI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xu Wang, Meng Wang, Jinxing Hu, Fengquan Huang
  • Patent number: 11365056
    Abstract: A conveying device including a frame, a transportation channel, and a branch conveying mechanism, the transportation channel and the branch conveying mechanism are driven by their respective driving units, and the transportation channel is provided with a number of rows of regular rollers, or at least a conveyor belt, or a combination of regular rollers and a conveyor belt, the branch conveying mechanism includes at least one group of irregular rollers, when the irregular roller rotates, the highest point of a top of the roller is higher than an upper surface of an adjacent transportation channel during the rotation, and the lowest place of a top horizontal plane of the roller is lower than the upper surface of the adjacent transportation channel; when the irregular roller does not rotate, the top of the roller substantially stops at the lowest place of the top horizontal plane of the roller during rotation; the transportation channel and the branch conveying mechanism are provided alternately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: SUZHOU SUXIANG ROBOT INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT CO., LTD
    Inventor: Lining Sun
  • Patent number: 11365065
    Abstract: According to the present embodiment, a control device of a conveyor system controls a moving device and a suction device to suction the transport target article so that an approximate center of an opening of at least one suction unit is located on a first imaginary line, and remaining suction unit is located on one end side in a longitudinal direction of the transport target article with respect to the first imaginary line, controls a turning-over section to be in a front-back reversing orientation, and performs control so that suction of the transport target article by the suction units is released after the suction device is in the front-back reversing orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshihide Otsuru
  • Patent number: 11365005
    Abstract: A caster roller assembly may comprise a base, a roller rotationally coupled to the base, and a thrust bearing assembly adjacent to an underside surface of the base. The thrust bearing assembly may include a bearing cup, a plurality of thrust rollers located in a channel defined by the bearing cup, and a top plate located between plurality of thrust rollers and the base. An inner circumferential surface of the top plate may define an opening configured to receive a protrusion extending from the underside surface of the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventors: Vinodkumar Shivalinga, Mohinder Saini
  • Patent number: 11352216
    Abstract: The invention relates to an unloading station (4) for automated unloading of an article container (2), which comprises an overhead conveying device (1) for transporting the article container (2) into the unloading station and for transporting the article container out of the unloading station, an opening and closing device (40) for adjusting a bag body between the closed position and the opened position and an unloading device (39) for unloading the bag body. The unloading device comprises an actuation device (56), by means of which the article container with the bag body can be tilted about a tilting axis (57) extending essentially in parallel to the longitudinal extension of the overhead conveying device between a provisioning position (58) and an unloading position (59), wherein in the unloading position an article (28) can be discharged from the article container through the unloading opening (29). Moreover, the invention relates to a method for the automated unloading of an article container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: TGW Mechanics GmbH
    Inventors: Josef Reischl, Martin Rausch
  • Patent number: 11352213
    Abstract: A printing system is described, which comprises: a conveyor belt; a first substrate supply mechanism to supply a cleaning substrate to said conveyor belt; wherein said conveyor belt is to advance a supplied cleaning substrate, and said first substrate supply mechanism is controllable to adjust motion of said substrate relative to said conveyor belt such that when said conveyor belt is activated said supplied cleaning substrate slides relative to the conveyor belt; and said printing system further comprising a friction adjustment mechanism to adjust an amount of friction between said conveyor belt and said supplied substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Roger Terradellas Callau, Brian Carvajal, Inaki Zudaire Rovira
  • Patent number: 11345550
    Abstract: A configurable belt conveyor for manufacturing comprising first belt and an adaptable border adjacent to the belt. The adaptable border having a first configuration in which a first width of the belt is available for supporting a pallet on the conveyor belt, and a second configuration in which a portion of the belt is covered by the adaptable border, such that the second width of the belt is sized for supporting a printed circuit board (PCB). In one embodiment, the configurable belt conveyor may be configured to form a dual stream conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Bright Machines, Inc.
    Inventor: Arkady Nayman
  • Patent number: 11344900
    Abstract: A linear transport system comprising a linear motor with at least a motor module and at least a conveyor driven by the linear motor along a path of motion is described. The motor module thereby comprises a stator magnetically interacting with a magnet device of the conveyor and having a plurality of stator teeth arranged side by side along the path of motion and a plurality of electric coils each wound around a stator tooth. The linear transport system further comprises a fluid system comprising at least a fluid channel passing through a stator tooth of the stator of the motor module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Beckhoff Automation GmbH
    Inventors: Jörg Neufeld, Andreas Sinzenich, Friedrich Bömer-Schulte
  • Patent number: 11332320
    Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, there is provided an adjustable roller bracket assembly for a belt conveyor system, and which comprises a first end portion, a second end portion, and an adjustment mechanism connecting the first and second end portions, the first end portion being for attachment to a system frame, the second end portion being for rotatably engaging a roller at an axial end thereof, and the adjustment mechanism being operable to permit selective movement of the second end portion relative to the first end portion against frictional resistance therebetween to effect adjustment of a rotational axis of the roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Inventor: Steven Armand Boire
  • Patent number: 11335154
    Abstract: A cartridge for food delivery apparatus is disclosed. The cartridge is for storing and conveying items. The cartridge includes a housing and an outer looped element affixed at least partially in a main cavity of the housing. A movable inner looped element is mounted on rotatable rollers. A plurality of panels defines a plurality of movable chambers between the outer looped element and the movable inner looped element. Each of the plurality of movable chambers is defined by a space between a first panel and an adjacent panel of the plurality of panels. A first movable door partially defining the outer looped element covers a first opening providing access to at one of the chambers. A second movable door is on the outer looped element and allows items to exit the cartridge. Generally, the cartridge enables the on-demand delivery of food items having a generally planar shape or surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Inventors: Daniel Braido, Audley Wilson
  • Patent number: 11332321
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a vehicle-mounted conveyor system, and more specifically a conveyor system that can be mounted on a short-length, non-CDL truck. The conveyor can convey a wide range of materials, including shingles, shakes (e.g., loose dirt, gravel, and rocks), tiles, underlayment, solar panels, siding, bricks, fasteners, etc. In some embodiments, the conveyor system includes a frame with a four-sided FRP tube, a belt positioned on top of the tube, cleats interconnected to the belt, belt pulleys, a motor, a material backstop, and conveyor positioning features. Conveyor positioning features include a tilting hinge a conveyor carriage, a telescopic vertical post, and a slewing drive. In some embodiments, the conveyor frame is a fiber-reinforced plastic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Multilift, Inc.
    Inventors: Job Bacon-Maldonado, III, Robert D. Drost, Chris K. Miller, Kenneth B. Drost, Job Maldonado, Jr., Kenton C. Ensor
  • Patent number: 11331949
    Abstract: A tire may comprise a hub and a plurality of discrete traction elements coupled to the hub. Each of the traction elements may comprise a backing plate and an elastomeric material bonded to the backing plate. Circumferentially adjacent traction elements may axially overlap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventors: Dustin Paul Scheer, Aaron J. Roberts
  • Patent number: 11325789
    Abstract: A sorting facility for sorting articles by a plurality of connected conveyance carriages. The sorting facility includes a supervisory controller managing a position of each of the conveyance carriages, a trigger sensor detecting each of the conveyance carriages, and a belt conveyor provided on each of the conveyance carriages. The supervisory controller identifies each of the conveyance carriages that should deliver the articles to the chute based on the managed position of each of the conveyance carriages. The supervisory controller instructs the belt conveyor provided in each of the conveyance carriages identified to start a delivery operation of each of the articles at timing when each of the conveyance carriages identified is detected by the trigger sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: DAIFUKU CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuichi Ueda, Osamu Matsui, Hiroyuki Koide, Atsushi Ishikura
  • Patent number: 11325785
    Abstract: An article conveying facility in which an article is conveyed by a conveyance carriage travelling on a pair of left and right rails provided along a conveyance path. The article conveying facility includes a carriage driving apparatus that drives the conveyance carriage by utilizing a frictional force generated by contact with the conveyance carriage, and sensors that detect floating of the conveyance carriage with respect to the rails. The conveyance carriage includes a fin that contacts the carriage driving apparatus. The fin is provided so as to extend along the travelling direction of the conveyance carriage, at a lower position than the position of an upper surface of the rails. The sensors detect floating of the conveyance carriage with respect to the rails by detecting the fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: DAIFUKU CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuichi Ueda, Osamu Matsui, Hiroyuki Koide, Atsushi Ishikura
  • Patent number: 11325793
    Abstract: A star wheel for a rotary packing machine, which includes a vertical shaft, a movable assembly with a frame fixed to said shaft, a plurality of pairs of arms, each arm is hinge mounted on the frame about an axis of rotation, an activation mechanism for each pair of arms, which activation mechanism moves the arms between an open position and a closed position, an adjustment mechanism, which moves the axis of rotation of each arm between two positions, and a locking mechanism, which locks the position of the axis of rotation, and a fixed cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: PACK'R
    Inventor: Didier Bessard
  • Patent number: 11319170
    Abstract: A device conveying a solid material into a radially-arranged stockpile. The device has a trailer chassis, with at least one wheeled axle at a first end thereof and, at a second end thereof, means provided for attaching the chassis to a tractor in a mobile condition and for fixed mounting in an operational condition. A stacking conveyor is mounted near the first end of the chassis. A power unit for generating electrical and hydraulic power is positioned on the chassis. A feed system is mounted to the chassis and extends generally along the length thereof from the second end to the first end, to receive the solid material at the second end and transport the solid material to the stacking conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Inventor: Stephen Forker
  • Patent number: 11305941
    Abstract: A conveyor (400) for transporting articles, such as coils springs, is described. The conveyor comprises a substrate (420) for supporting articles during transportation, and a plurality of retaining members (520) located on the substrate for retaining the articles during transportation. The retaining members (520) each comprise a mounting portion (530) for mounting to the substrate (420). A containment portion (540) comprises proximal and distal parts (540a) and (540b) define a space therebetween for receiving a coil spring (100) under compression. Slots (550a) and (550b) in the containment parts are aligned for receiving pushers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: HS PRODUCTS LIMITED
    Inventors: Simon Spinks, David Clare
  • Patent number: 11305944
    Abstract: An article conveyance apparatus includes a carriage which travels along a predetermined travel path, and an on-ground facility including a pair of traveling rails which define the travel path. The carriage includes a first slider which operates according to magnetic action to drive a transfer mechanism, and a drive transmission mechanism which supports the first slider and transmits a driving force from the first slider to the transfer mechanism. The on-ground facility includes a first stator which applies magnetic action to the first slider in the carriage to operate the first slider. The first stator includes an opening through which the drive transmission mechanism of the carriage passes. The opening is disposed in a position such that the inside of the first stator is not seen from the opening in top view of the first stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Murata Machinery, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masataka Hayashi, Kenji Kadoguchi
  • Patent number: 11299354
    Abstract: Disclosed is device for orienting at least one object, comprising: a fixed frame, conveying means defining a conveying surface to contact a bottom portion of object and convey object along a first direction; and rotating means selectively actuatable for creating on bottom portion a differential speed causing the rotation of object about a first axis transversal to first direction. The rotating means comprise a contact element that is fixed or movable along first direction with a differential speed relative to conveying means. The contact element is selectively movable with respect to conveying surface between: a first configuration, protruding from conveying surface along first axis, so as to contact bottom portion of object and to cause the rotation of object about first axis; and a second configuration, offset from conveying surface along first axis. The contact element is free to oscillate around a second axis parallel to first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: SIDEL SPA
    Inventors: Mauro Lanzi, Andrea Frosi