Patents Represented by Attorney Robert E. Harris
  • Patent number: 6854586
    Abstract: A conveying device with a diverter having a curved path for conveying lightweight unstable articles, such as plastic bottles having a neck portion with a neck ring thereon. The unstable articles are conveyed along a first path to different ones of plural second paths through a third path at the diverter with the third path having first and second ends alignable with the first path and different ones of the plural second paths and a middle portion maintained in a curved configuration that is varied during aligning movement of the second end. A controller controls the aligning movement of the second end, preferably along a straight path, and the unstable articles are supported by engaging members in actuating guides to urge the unstable articles along the article paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Goldco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard H. VanderMeer, Donald J. Simkowski
  • Patent number: 6736573
    Abstract: A selective conveying device is disclosed for conveying unstable articles, such as plastic bottles, having a neck portion with a neck ring thereon. Neck ring supported unstable articles are conveyed in single file along an article conveying path established by first and second guide units with the guide units having spaced connectors with neck ring engagable elements thereon spaced different distances from one another to receive the neck portions of unstable articles having different size neck portions. A first actuator, such as a pneumatic or mechanical actuator, causes relative movement between the guide units so that unstable articles are conveyed along the article conveying path on the neck ring engagable portions of the first guide unit when in a first operating position or are conveyed along the article conveying path on the neck ring engagable portions of the second guide unit when in a second operating position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Goldco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald J. Simkowski
  • Patent number: 6582179
    Abstract: A contoured layer pad has first and second pockets with the pockets receiving different portions of unstable articles, such as the base and neck portions of containers. The pockets have end portions at opposite sides with side portions extending from the end portions, and the pockets at the opposite sides are associated and/or in substantial alignment. The contoured layer pad is positioned between first and second layers of the articles with opposite end portions of the articles received in the pockets so that the middle portions of the articles are maintained in close proximity to one another to improve the stability of the layers of articles. The contoured layer pad may be formed to have central and peripheral portions and/or to receive articles in nested relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Goldco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald J. Simkowski
  • Patent number: 6523670
    Abstract: Conveying apparatus and method are disclosed for receiving articles, such as cans, adjusting, or rearranging, the received articles between single and multiple lines during conveyance, and/or adjusting the spacing between the articles so that the articles are spaced from one another a preselected distance, including, if needed, equal spacing between the articles in the single and multiple lines. Rearrangement of the articles in single to multiple line mode (or, alternately, in multiple to single line mode) and/or control of spacing of the articles are/is effected by conveyance of the articles to and between a plurality of article actuators, each including a rotatable disk having negative pressure thereat for selectively establishing and maintaining engagement of the articles with the peripheral portions of the disks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Goldco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald J. Simkowski
  • Patent number: 6431817
    Abstract: Palletizing or depalletizing unstable articles is disclosed. A first conveyor, connected with a first carriage, has a plurality of pick-up units, each with mechanically movable elongated arms, to engage plural articles in different ones of associated rows of articles at a first area, located at either a load station or at a depalletizing station, enabling pick up and removal of articles by groups (normally layers) in plural rows with plural articles in each row, and transfer of the removed articles from the first area to a second area, located at either a palletizing station or at an unload station, for deposit of the articles thereat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Goldco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald J. Simkowski
  • Patent number: 6382399
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for conveying articles, particularly articles such as containers, or bottles, having a neck portion with a neck ring thereon, along an article conveying path with the articles being urged along the article conveying path by article engaging members extending from a plurality of sections of an elongated movable member that extends from a guide along a guide path adjacent and horizontally offset from the article conveying path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Goldco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald J. Simkowski
  • Patent number: 6374992
    Abstract: A conveying device with a diverter is disclosed for conveying lightweight unstable articles, such as plastic bottles having a neck portion with a neck ring thereon. The unstable articles are conveyed along a first path established by a first guide unit to different ones of plural second paths established by a plurality of second guide units through a third path established by a third guide unit having a diverter to align a first end of the third path with the first path and to move the second end of the third path for alignment with the different ones of the plural second paths with a deviation in the third path between the ends thereof being established during aligning movement of the second end of the third path by flexing of a flexible bar positioned adjacent to the third path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Goldco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald J. Simkowski
  • Patent number: 6279729
    Abstract: Apparatus for conveying articles, particularly articles such as containers, or bottles, having a neck portion with a neck ring thereon, along an article conveying path with the articles being urged along the article conveying path by article engaging members extending from a plurality of sections of an elongated movable member that extends along a second path adjacent and horizontally offset from the article conveying path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Goldco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald J. Simkowski
  • Patent number: 6150039
    Abstract: Method and structure are disclosed for forming a protective and/or reflectivity enhanced over coating layer, or layers, on a noble metal. A metallic binder layer, capable of forming a metallic bond with the noble metal and exhibiting good adhesion to the over coating layer, is deposited on the noble metal, utilizing physical vapor deposition, and the over coating layer is thereafter deposited on the metallic binder layer, again utilizing physical vapor deposition. The noble metal is preferably gold, but may be silver or an alloy of gold or silver, and may be deposited on a substrate. Each metallic binder layer is a thin layer, such as a layer of chromium, titanium, tantalum, nickel, cobalt, or an alloy thereof, and over coating is formed as a single dielectric layer of material or as a stack of alternating low and high indices of refraction dielectric layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignee: Research Electro-Optics, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramin Lalezari, Dale E. Long
  • Patent number: 6105359
    Abstract: An efficiency enhanced turbine engine and method are disclosed for a turbine engine having a rotor and a fluid flow path that extends through compression, combustion, and expansion or turbine stages with fluid flowing through the fluid flow path driving the rotor. The turbine engine has one or more stator-rotor-stator assemblies, and use of a flat rotor disk with turbine blades provides simplicity in fabrication and operation. Increases in pressure during combustion above the pressure at the compression stage are prevented from flowing back to the compression stage and/or capturing of fluid during combustion enables elevation of the temperature and pressure while maintaining the fluid at near constant volume during combustion, both of which enhance the efficiency of the turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Inventor: Michael A. Wilson
  • Patent number: 5971699
    Abstract: This invention pertains to load forming systems, especially those designed to place cased product on e.g. a pallet. The invention contemplates receiving cases at a high rate of input, and fragmenting the input, sending it to parallel processing elements of the load forming system. A layer creating subsystem has parallel processing elements, and preferably has sufficient designed throughput capacity to continue processing cases at the overall rated capacity of the case loading system when any one of the parallel processing elements in the layer creating subsystem fails. The case loading subsystem also can incoroporate parallel layer transfer elements and load forming elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Inventor: Ernest P. Winski
  • Patent number: 5966927
    Abstract: An efficiency enhanced turbine engine and method are disclosed for a turbine engine having a rotor and a fluid flow path that extends through compression, combustion, and expansion or turbine stages with fluid flowing through the fluid flow path driving the rotor. The turbine engine has one or more stator-rotor-stator assemblies, and use of a flat rotor disk with turbine blades provides simplicity in fabrication and operation. Increases in pressure during combustion above the pressure at the compression stage are prevented from flowing back to the compression stage and/or capturing of fluid during combustion enables elevation of the temperature and pressure while maintaining the fluid at near constant volume during combustion, both of which enhance the efficiency of the turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Inventor: Michael A. Wilson
  • Patent number: 5961275
    Abstract: Palletizers and methods of palletizing are disclosed. The palletizers are adapted to receive and arrange units of material and to concurrently fabricate first and second layers therefrom; or to place them in layers at either of first and second delivery support areas; or both. A plurality of layer forming stations can be vertically spaced, horizontally spaced, or both. Plural load forming stations can be horizontally spaced, vertically spaced, or both. Pallets can be sequenced into the load forming stations when empty or partially empty; and can be sequenced out of the load forming stations when empty, partially empty, or full. A given layer may be a hybrid layer comprised of the sum of partial layers fabricated separately. In some embodiments, the transfer apparatus can transfer layers to more than one of more than one load forming stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Goldco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Ernest P. Winski, David R. Rastall
  • Patent number: 5920388
    Abstract: Small particle identification is disclosed. A high intensity light source provides light at a sensing region for contact with small particles at the sensing region to cause resulting light that includes scattered light and emitted light due to heating of optically absorbing particles to incandescence with the resulting light terminating if vaporization of the optically absorbing particles occurs. A laser, having a laser cavity with the sensing region within the laser cavity, preferably provides high intensity laser light in the laser cavity for contact with the small particles at the sensing region. Utilizing optical detection, predetermined particle characteristic determination is enabled, including particle size and composition of optically absorbing particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Research Electro-Optics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jon C. Sandberg, Nelson C. Turner, Richard C. Gallant
  • Patent number: 5907575
    Abstract: Apparatus and method are disclosed for minimizing performance degradation in a laser device having a laser cavity operating in a predetermined spatial mode having predetermined light beam wavefronts within the laser cavity mode. An optically transmissive unit is placed within the laser cavity and has at least one intracavity optical surface that may be positioned at or provides one end of a laser medium that is within the laser cavity with the intracavity optical surface being coincident with the laser mode wavefronts in order to minimize power losses in the laser device due to contamination buildup at the intracavity optical surface. The optic unit may also include a second optical surface that is less exposed to contamination and has a configuration suitable for providing needed focal properties for the optic unit, and one or more of the optical surfaces may have a reflection coating thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: Research Electro-Optics, Inc.
    Inventor: Jon C. Sandberg
  • Patent number: 5889589
    Abstract: Intracavity particle detection is disclosed using optically pumped laser media. A laser medium, positioned within a laser cavity, is end-pumped by an optical pump source to excite the laser medium to provide laser light within the laser cavity, and a detecting region, also positioned within the laser cavity and capable of having particles, or particle-containing fluid, therein, is exposed to the laser light whereby light is affected, as by being scattered, by particles in the detecting region with the scattered light being indicative of particles, such as small particles having a size of between 0.05 and 10 microns, causing the light to be scattered so that the scattered light, when collected, can be used to provide an output indicative of particles at the detecting region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Research Electro-Optics, Inc.
    Inventor: Jon C. Sandberg
  • Patent number: 5842818
    Abstract: A single-to-multiple line conveying system for conveying unstable articles, such as plastic bottles, having a neck ring. The unstable articles are neck ring supported and are conveyed in single file along a first path established by a first guide unit to second paths established by a plurality of second guide units through a third path established by a third guide unit having a displaceable section to align the third path with successive ones of the second paths by an electric motor actuated in response to an article counter. The unstable articles are air conveyed along the first and second paths with continuous movement of the unstable articles along the third path being effected by a continuously rotating star wheel that spaces the unstable articles and urges the unstable articles toward the displaceable section that includes a mechanical unit, having a continuously moving chain with article engaging finger units thereon, and an air unit for urging the unstable articles from the third path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Goldco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald J. Simkowski
  • Patent number: 5819907
    Abstract: Apparatus and method are disclosed for conveying different types of force responsive articles, such as steel and aluminum cans, and particularly for efficiently conveying different force responsive articles between first and second positions, including positions at different elevations. A conveyor, such as a chain, moves the articles along a predetermined path between the first and second positions with the articles maintained in engagement during movement along the predetermined path and with the conveyor using different applied forces for different ones of the types of articles to be conveyed, such as a magnetic force for conveying steel cans and a negative pressure (vacuum) force for conveying aluminum cans. A support face for the conveyor has magnets mounted thereat to establish the magnetic force and apertures communicating with an adjacent plenum to establish the negative pressure force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Goldco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald J. Simkowski
  • Patent number: 5803703
    Abstract: This invention pertains to load forming systems, especially those designed to place cased product on e.g. a pallet. The invention contemplates receiving cases at a high rate of input, and fragmenting the input, sending it to parallel processing elements of the load forming system. A layer creating subsystem has parallel processing elements, and preferably has sufficient designed throughput capacity to continue processing cases at the overall rated capacity of the case loading system when any one of the parallel processing elements in the layer creating subsystem fails. The case loading subsystem also can incorporate parallel layer transfer elements and load forming elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Goldco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Ernest P. Winski
  • Patent number: D439389
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: Goldco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald J. Simkowski