Patents by Inventor Peter K. Zanger

Peter K. Zanger has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7611136
    Abstract: A collation control mechanism is used to transfer a collation from a dual accumulator to an exit nip of a collation machine. The collation control mechanism has a middle drum and two side rollers to form an upper nip and a lower nip. The drum is caused to rotate alternately in a clockwise direction and in a counter-clockwise direction for transferring a collation from the upper bay and the lower bay, respectively, to the exit nip. A motor is used to drive the drum in both the clockwise and counter-clockwise direction. A coupling mechanism including two sets of one-way clutches is used to engage the motor to the upper and lower rollers of the exit nip so that the upper roller is caused to rotate only in the counter-clockwise direction while the lower roller is cause to rotate only in the clockwise direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Robert F. Marcinik, Edward M. Ifkovits, Peter K. Zanger
  • Publication number: 20080272533
    Abstract: A collation control mechanism is used to transfer a collation from a dual accumulator to an exit nip of a collation machine. The collation control mechanism has a middle drum and two side rollers to form an upper nip and a lower nip. The drum is caused to rotate alternately in a clockwise direction and in a counter-clockwise direction for transferring a collation from the upper bay and the lower bay, respectively, to the exit nip. A motor is used to drive the drum in both the clockwise and counter-clockwise direction. A coupling mechanism including two sets of one-way clutches is used to engage the motor to the upper and lower rollers of the exit nip so that the upper roller is caused to rotate only in the counter-clockwise direction while the lower roller is cause to rotate only in the clockwise direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2007
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Applicant: Pitney Bowes Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert F. Marcinik, Edward M. Ifkovits, Peter K. Zanger
  • Patent number: 6658370
    Abstract: A method and system are invented for adaptively and automatically retuning a closed-loop servo motor that is operating within normal limits. A first active set of configurable tuning constants is assigned to the servo motor, and motor performance is periodically measured to determine if performance is outside a retuning threshold, in which case the active set of configurable tuning constants is replaced by selecting a replacement set of tuning constants from a finite group of discrete predesigned sets of tuning constants. Actual performance of the servo motor is remeasured, and this process is repeated if the performance remains outside the retuning threshold. The predesigned sets of tuning constants are derived and stored in the servo motor software, typically as a result of pretesting the servo motor model by the manufacturer, for example using manual retuning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard J. Christ, Egbert E. Most, Peter K. Zanger
  • Publication number: 20030036812
    Abstract: A method and system are invented for adaptively and automatically retuning a closed-loop servo motor that is operating within normal limits. A first active set of configurable tuning constants is assigned to the servo motor, and motor performance is periodically measured to determine if performance is outside a retuning threshold, in which case the active set of configurable tuning constants is replaced by selecting a replacement set of tuning constants from a finite group of discrete predesigned sets of tuning constants. Actual performance of the servo motor is remeasured, and this process is repeated if the performance remains outside the retuning threshold. The predesigned sets of tuning constants are derived and stored in the servo motor software, typically as a result of pretesting the servo motor model by the manufacturer, for example using manual retuning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2001
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Applicant: Pitney Bowes Incorporated
    Inventors: Bernard J. Christ, Egbert E. Most, Peter K. Zanger
  • Patent number: 5570280
    Abstract: In a microprocessor-controlled apparatus a plurality of event vector tables and a plurality of event action blocks are defined and stored in memory to provide a determined set of actions to be performed in correspondence to activation by respective determined events. A profile interpreter processes action function sequences from these tables and commands the corresponding actions, sets a corresponding event-occurred flag and thereafter commands other actions and manipulates the flag by operation of respective profile action functions associated with the respective operations of the apparatus. The levels of operation may be arranged hierarchically so that additional modules may be added at a lower level without altering the control functions provided at the higher level. All of the primitive functions that can be realistically supported by the device controller are preferably included in the base software. Aggregate functions may be designed to support complex I/O functions such as scanning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1996
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen C. Nunnally, Perry A. Pierce, Peter K. Zanger
  • Patent number: 5552691
    Abstract: A method for providing motion information for a motor controller is accomplished by defining a determined set of motion parameters for describing a desired motion in terms of encoder position data. The parameters are stored for use in calculating the desired motion profile of the motor during the various motion segments of the desired profile as the motor is being driven. The method saves on required memory storage for all the various motor profiles typically used in devices such as inserters since only the parameters used in calculating must be stored. A flag field is also provided to enable the microprocessor to determine which of the segments is being generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Perry A. Pierce, Peter K. Zanger