Patents Examined by Paul Durand
  • Patent number: 9181686
    Abstract: A trim kit for providing improved aesthetics to a bathroom fixture having a first side and a second side with a housing of a device coupled to the first side. The trim kit includes a mounting plate configured to be coupled to the device on the second side of the fixture, and an escutcheon having an interior surface and an exterior surface. The exterior surface is configured to provide a decorative aesthetic for the trim kit. The mounting plate includes a plurality of tabs. The interior surface of the escutcheon includes a plurality of catches that are each configured to engage with a corresponding catch to allow the escutcheon to be detachably coupled to the mounting plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: KOHLER CO.
    Inventors: Benjamin Marotz, Murali Natarajan, Andrew Stokes, Lisa Burns
  • Patent number: 8820586
    Abstract: A provided powder/granular material feeding device fully satisfies the function of sufficiently preventing bridges and ratholes and the function of favorably stabilizing the filling rate of an outlet portion. Moreover, the powder/granular material feeding device does not require consumable items such as a flexible chute or leave a large amount of powder/granular material in a specific region inside a chute. The powder/granular material feeding device includes: a hopper 1 that receives powder/granular material; an outlet portion 2 that discharges powder/granular material; a chute 3 that guides, into the outlet portion 2, powder/granular material dropped from the hopper 1; and a stirring part 4 that rotates stirring members 4b about a shaft 4a protruding so as to tilt diagonally upward from the lower part of the interior of the chute 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Ozawa, Tsuneaki Sanada, Nobuhisa Horikiri
  • Patent number: 8202209
    Abstract: A motor-free dunnage conversion system for converting a sheet stock material into a relatively less dense dunnage includes a container having a wall with an opening therethrough, a supply of sheet stock material within the container, and a forming member. The forming member has converging sidewalls that define a passage alignable with the opening in the wall. The forming member is a converging chute having a relatively larger inlet spaced from the outlet, which is relatively smaller than the inlet. The forming member functions to crumple the sheet stock material as a packer draws the sheet stock material through the forming member to form a crumpled strip of dunnage. The forming member has a dimension that is larger than a corresponding dimension of the opening to keep the forming member from escaping the container as the packer pulls the stock material through the forming member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Ranpak Corp.
    Inventor: Robert C. Cheich
  • Patent number: 8186557
    Abstract: A surgical stapling apparatus includes a handle assembly and an elongate portion extending distally from the handle assembly. An end effector disposed adjacent a distal portion of the elongate portion includes an anvil assembly and a cartridge assembly, wherein at least one of the cartridge assembly and the anvil assembly is movable with respect to the other to move the end effector between an open configuration where the cartridge assembly and the anvil assembly are substantially spaced and a closed configuration where the cartridge assembly and the anvil assembly are closer together. The end effector also includes a clamping assembly including a first clamping surface deployable to extend laterally from the anvil assembly, and a second clamping surface deployable to extend laterally from the cartridge assembly such that, when deployed, the first and second clamping surfaces oppose one another when the cartridge assembly is in the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP
    Inventors: Matthew D. Cohen, Jennifer Broom, Christina Rideout
  • Patent number: 8186553
    Abstract: A fastener driving tool providing a prolonged durability and stabilized fastener driving operation. The tool includes a housing 2, a motor 31 disposed in the housing 2, a plunger 63 disposed in the housing and driven by the motor 31 for driving a nail 1A, a cable member 52 connected to the plunger 63 for pulling the plunger 63 from its bottom dead center where the nail is driven into a workpiece to a top dead center, and a drum 51 driven by the motor for winding the cable member thereover. A cable member is wound over the drum by a length greater than a linear distance between the bottom dead center and the top dead center. The cable member is flexed or deflected due to own weight when the plunger is at the bottom dead center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Tanimoto, Toshihito Sakaba, Hiroyuki Oda, Yoshihiro Nakano, Kenji Naganuma
  • Patent number: 8181428
    Abstract: A method for gas filling a handle portion of a container of a collapsible type. The handle portion being defined by two opposite side walls of the container and communicating, via a duct defined by the side walls, with an opening formed in one of the side walls. The method including the steps of supplying, at a gas filling station, a gas to the handle portion via the opening and the duct, blocking the duct by a squeezing action to retain the gas supplied to the handle portion, transporting the container to a sealing station while maintaining the squeezing action and, at said sealing station, sealing the duct while maintaining the squeezing action, so as to permanently enclose the gas in the handle portion. The disclosure further concerns a container of a collapsible type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Ecolean Research & Development A/S
    Inventor: Per Gustafsson
  • Patent number: 8181712
    Abstract: A nose piece for inserting fixing elements into predefined seats in a work piece includes a drive channel for receiving a lower end of a drive rod. The drive rod is movable from an initial upper position, through a first intermediate position, to a lower position when acted on from above on by a drive force. A lower face of the nose piece is adapted to receive a first fixing element. At least one finger is biased toward a side wall of the nose piece. When the drive rod exerts a force on an actuator, the actuator moves the finger from a closed position, in which a lower portion of the finger is disposed under an outer portion of the flange of the first fixing element, to an open position, in which the lower portion of the finger is disposed away from under the outer portion of the flange of the first fixing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Sigma Tool & Machine
    Inventor: Sung Hsiang Liu
  • Patent number: 8181431
    Abstract: Apparatus for molding and filling a device having a body defining an opening in communication with an interior chamber for receiving a substance therein, and a closure including a penetrable and resealable portion for sealing the opening and substance received in the device. A mold includes within the aseptic chamber plural mold cavities shaped to form the closure and body, and substantially sterile surfaces extending about and contiguous to the peripheries of the mold cavities. An assembly device including end-of-arm tooling having an engaging portion engageable with each of the body and closure is movable relative to the mold to engage and de-mold the substantially sterile closures and bodies from the mold cavities. Flexible barriers are coupled to the mold and the tool to substantially prevent the passage of contaminants from the molding machine and tool therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Medical Instill Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Py, Benoit Adamo, John Guthy, Nathaniel Houle, M. Jeffrey Willey
  • Patent number: 8177701
    Abstract: A dunnage conversion machine for converting stock material into a dunnage product includes a forming assembly and a pulling assembly. The pulling assembly includes at least two grippers movable together through a transfer region in opposition to one another and cooperative to grip therebetween the dunnage strip for advancing the dunnage strip through the transfer region, and at least one of the grippers including an aperture operative to gather and laterally capture therein the dunnage strip as the grippers move through the transfer region. Also disclosed is a severing assembly including a movable blade and a reciprocating actuator connected to the blade by a motion transmitting assembly that moves the blade through a full severing cycle upon a stroke of the actuator in either direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Ranpak Corp.
    Inventors: Kurt Küng, Dieter Schwarz, Dan Coppus
  • Patent number: 8171706
    Abstract: A wrapping machine has a body, a heater, a lifting platform and a controller. The body has a base, a top board, an upper cover, an exhaust box and a vacuum pump. The top board is detachably mounted on the top of the base. The upper cover is pivotally connected to the base. The heater is mounted in the body and has at least one heating pipe and a blower. The at least one heating pipe is mounted in the upper cover. The blower is mounted on the upper cover. The lifting platform is connected to the body and has a lifting arm and a lifting board. The lifting arm is mounted on and extends upward from the exhaust box. The lifting board is mounted on the lifting arm. The controller is mounted on the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Inventor: Chin-Tzu Chiu
  • Patent number: 8171701
    Abstract: Method and system for handling a plurality of hot-filled and capped containers having temporary deformations or distortions caused by vacuums induced in the containers. For each container, temporary deformations are confined or directed to a particular portion of the container. Annular hoop rings can be provided to confine the temporary deformations to a smooth sidewall portion of the container between the annular hoop rings. Alternatively, one or more supplemental vacuum panels can be provided to confine or direct the temporary deformation thereto. The annular hoop rings and the one or more supplemental vacuum panels can provide for substantially stable touch points for the container. The containers are conveyed with temporary deformations such that substantially stable contact points of each container are in contact with corresponding substantially stable contact points of other containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Graham Packaging Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Paul V. Kelley, Scott B. Bysick
  • Patent number: 8166732
    Abstract: A stretch wrap machine for wrapping a product comprising a base, a turn table on the base for rotating the product, a source of stretch wrap connected to the base, and a wrapping assembly configured to bring an end of the stretch wrap above the product, cut the stretch wrap at a position above the product after the product has been wrapped and/or hold an end of the stretch wrap at a position above the product as the turntable begins rotating the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Cousins Packaging Inc.
    Inventors: Neil G. Cousins, Boris Radovanovic
  • Patent number: 8167186
    Abstract: A surgical device is disclosed which includes a handle portion, a central body portion and a SULU. The SULU includes a proximal body portion, an intermediate pivot member and a tool assembly. The intermediate pivot member is pivotally secured to the proximal body portion about a first pivot axis and the tool assembly is pivotally secured to the intermediate pivot member about a second pivot axis which is orthogonal to the first pivot axis. The SULU includes a plurality of articulation links which are operably connected to the tool assembly by non-rigid links. The articulation links are adapted to releasably engage articulation links positioned in the central body portion. The body portion articulation links are connected to an articulation actuator which is supported for omni-directional movement to effect articulation of the tool assembly about the first and second axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP
    Inventors: David C. Racenet, Ralph Stearns, John W. Beardsley, Philip Roy, Lee Ann Olson
  • Patent number: 8162073
    Abstract: A device for impacting a fastener in one embodiment includes a drive mechanism configured to impact a fastener, a lever arm pivotable between a first position and a second position, and a motor including a plurality of permanent magnets mounted on a rotatable housing, the motor mounted on the lever arm such that when the lever arm is in the first position, the rotatable motor housing is isolated from the drive mechanism and when the lever arm is in the second position, the rotatable motor housing is positioned to transfer rotational energy to the drive mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Harald Krondorfer, John DeCicco, Eric Hlinka
  • Patent number: 8156716
    Abstract: Beverage bottling or container filling plant having a beverage bottle or container labeling machine, and a beverage bottle or container labeling machine having a vacuum drum. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: KHS AG
    Inventor: Lutz Deckert
  • Patent number: 8127520
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the filling of bags in automatic machines for the formation, filling and closing in a continuous process of bags from a tubular mesh, of those comprising a tubular body outside which the storage of tubular mesh is assembled, the device comprising means for the conveyance of individual pieces of large fruit and vegetable products, such as melons, watermelons or the like, from a loading position to a delivery position, and means for the holding and transfer, one by one, of the individual pieces conveyed to the delivery position, which comprise a head for the holding and subsequent release of the pieces and a mechanism for transmitting to the head a movement the path of which comprises a vertical downward section, of a sufficient length to convey the held piece through the inside of the tubular body of the machine towards the mouth of a bag open at the upper part, and such that the piece is accompanied in its entire downward path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Girnet Internacional, S.L.
    Inventor: Ezequiel Giro Amigo
  • Patent number: 8122690
    Abstract: A shipping system comprising: a plurality of edge protectors, each of the edge protectors comprising: a backwall; an upper jaw member in communication with the backwall, the upper jaw member having a top surface; a lower jaw member in communication with the backwall, the lower jaw member having a lower surface, and the lower surface and the top surface are generally flat and parallel to each other; a single slot defined by the upper jaw member and the lower jaw member, and the single slot being generally orthogonal to the backwall, the edge protector having an outer width; at least one u-channel support member, the u-channel support member comprising: a bottom wall; a first sidewall extending generally orthogonally from the bottom wall; a second sidewall extending generally orthogonally from the bottom wall; an interior width between an interior surface of the first sidewall and the interior surface of the second sidewall, and where the interior width is generally equal to the outer width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Inventor: Paul DiMauro
  • Patent number: 8122684
    Abstract: A flexible bag transport system for transporting flexible filling and sealing station which includes a pair of holding clamp assemblies opposed to each other for holding the top end of a bag. The first clamp assembly is supported by a first elongated carrier and a second clamp assembly is supported by a second elongated carrier that is parallel to the first carrier. Clamping assemblies remain apart from each other and the bags are transported and are displaced toward each other to permit the bag to be opened during filling of the bag. One of the elongated carriers supporting the clamping assemblies has an adjustable mechanism so that the clamp assemblies can be adjusted with respect to each other without requiring adjustment of the remaining components of the transport system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: INDAG Gesellschaft für Industriebedarf mbH & Co. Betriebs KG
    Inventors: Michael Kurz, Stefan Muller, Hans-Peter Wild
  • Patent number: 8122692
    Abstract: An empty bag supply method and apparatus first lifting up with a first suction member an empty bag of which bag bottom being in contact with and positioned by a first positioning stopper. The lifted bag is then held by chucks and transported upwards so that the empty bag is vertical with the bag bottom facing upward, and then a second suction member suctions the empty bag near the bag mouth and transports it onto a conveyor with the bag mouth facing forward, so that the bag mouth of the bag is stopped and positioned by a second positioning stopper. The empty bag is then lifted up by a third suction member, held by a chuck and transported upward so that the attitude of the bag is changed to vertical with the bag mouth facing upward, and then the bag is transferred to a gripper of a packaging apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Toyo Jidoki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiteru Inoue, Akio Yamane, Yoshikatsu Nakahara
  • Patent number: 8118204
    Abstract: To provide a compact portable fastening tool which can be easily pushed at its handle portion onto a punched side, even in case a magazine is attached at an inclination with respect to the horizon, so that it can be easily used even in a narrow place. An electric fastening tool 1 comprises: a housing 2 having a handle portion 2B formed to extend from a trunk portion 2A; an ejection unit attached to the lower portion of the housing 2; a magazine 5 attached to the ejection unit; a motor housed in the housing 2; a battery pack 3 for driving the motor; a flywheel rotationally driven by the motor; a follower shaft selectively rotated by the kinetic energy of the flywheel; and a plunger adapted to be linearly moved in the housing 2 by the rotation of the follower shaft thereby to drive the nail fed into the ejection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Ishida, Hitoshi Tsuzuki, Takeshi Matsuoka