Patents Assigned to Automation, Inc.
  • Patent number: 4493081
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for error correcting during the refresh cycle of a dynamic memory. The apparatus includes a refresh counter means for supplying row addresses to a dynamic memory during refresh cycles and decoder circuitry for supplying row address and column address strobe signals to the memory to cause it to refresh rows sequentially and pick one word out of each refreshed row for error correcting.Also disclosed is a computer system utilizing a semiconductor memory with on-board error correcting circuitry using hamming codes to generate check bits from which they are generated. Upon access of data from the memory, the check bits are used to locate and correct single bit errors and detect some double bit errors. A CPU is disclosed which incorporates a spot check system stored in non-volatile memory to independently randomly generate syndrome bits from data accessed from memory and compare these syndrome bits to the check bits stored with the accessed data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 8, 1985
    Assignee: Computer Automation, Inc.
    Inventor: Frederick W. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 4489675
    Abstract: A manure scraper assembly for removal of manure from collecting sheets used in association with poultry cage systems. The scraper assembly includes a blade member which is angularly disposed with respect to the manure collecting sheets and which has the lower portion of each end thereof raised sufficiently to facilitate sliding across the overlapped edges of the manure collecting sheets. The scraper assembly is pivotally movable with respect to the manure collecting sheets so that the leading and trailing ends of the scraper blade are functionally interchanged when the direction of movement of the scraper assembly is reversed upon reaching the end of the length of manure collecting sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1984
    Assignee: Diamond Automations, Inc.
    Inventor: Anthony J. Siciliano
  • Patent number: 4488637
    Abstract: A carriage assembly for transporting two eggs in side-by-side relationship from one station to another such as from a weighing station in an egg grader to a packing station. A pair of oppositely disposed egg engaging members are pivotally mounted on fixed shafts positioned in a platform. The engaging members are curved to engage the egg upon closing of the members, the closing movement being controlled by means of a cam in engagement with the upper horizontal portion of each engaging member. Each of the cams in engagement with the horizontal portion of the engaging members, is mounted on a shaft disposed perpendicular to that of the fixed shafts. A spring member is mounted on the fixed shaft and urges the egg engaging member toward the open position. An actuating bar is fixed to and extends from the mounting shaft in order to rotate the cams into and out of engagement with the horizontally disposed upper portion of the egg engaging members thereby controlling their closing and opening movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1984
    Assignee: Diamond Automations, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas V. Loeffler
  • Patent number: 4487321
    Abstract: An article coding and separating system such as for instance, in which articles or defective eggs which are randomly dispersed in a plurality of similar articles are coded and their location identified. An elongated pivotally mounted pointer is disposed so as to be pivotable over an inspection area in mutually orthogonal directions, parallel and transverse to the longitudinal axis of a conveyor, and axially movable towards and away from the articles being conveyed. The pointer generates signals for simultaneously indicating the position of articles on the conveyor within the inspection area, and the type of article being identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1984
    Assignee: Diamond Automations, Inc.
    Inventor: George N. Bliss
  • Patent number: 4472357
    Abstract: A plurality of cuvettes joined together by breakable links between each cuvette for use in testing blood for its ABO classification and the presence of a typical antibodies, and for crossmatching blood for compatibility, together with label means for indicating the reagents used in each cuvette and the identity of the person whose blood is being tested. The cuvettes may be adapted to accept a closure means which permits the cuvettes to be pre-packaged with reagents required to carry out blood tests. The cuvettes have a hydrophilic polymer coating thereon that is non-destructive of red blood cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 18, 1984
    Assignee: Medical Laboratory Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Didya D. Levy, Richard E. Scordato
  • Patent number: 4454752
    Abstract: In a photometric coagulation instrument a synthetic clot signal is generated so that the operation of the instrument can be checked without the need to measure the actual clotting time of a control plasma sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 19, 1984
    Assignee: Medical Laboratory Automation, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard E. Scordato
  • Patent number: 4452103
    Abstract: An improved dual cam indexing drive assembly (10) is disclosed which is well suited for use in driving various types of rotational, linear, and/or reciprocating work transfer apparatus (12). The drive system (10) utilizes primary and secondary rotatable cams (32, 34) supported on and driven by a common shaft (36) coupled to a power source (24) via suitable gear reduction (30), clutch and/or brake means. Aligned primary and secondary cam followers (54, 56, 58 and 64, 66, 68) are provided on the moving transfer apparatus (14), the primary cam followers (54, 56, 58) being designed to operatively engage cam grooves (46, 48) provided on both primary and secondary cams (32, 34) whereas the secondary cam followers (64, 66, 68) cooperate only with cam grooves (48, 50, 52) provided on the secondary cam (34) to drive the work transfer apparatus (12) between successive work stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1984
    Assignee: Expert Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael E. Lijewski, George Zeissler
  • Patent number: 4419962
    Abstract: A cage door construction, useful for poultry cages and the like which are stacked one above another, has a door opening framed in a wall of the cage by vertical and horizontal wires. The vertical wires extend beyond the upper horizontal wire of the door frame and are bent over to become part of the top of the cage where they serve as guide wires for sliding movement of the cage door. The case door is formed of a single piece of wire bent into a U-shaped with lateral arms extending outward from the open end therof. Each laterally extending arm is provided at its end with an eye which slidably engages one of the guide wires. Indentations, formed in the legs of the U-shaped door, can lock into place under the upper horizontal wire. When closed, a portion of the U-shaped door slides in front of and is then bent under a wire disposed below the door frame; it thus travels downward, being engaged in an entrapment below the door to restrict its sideward movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1983
    Assignee: Diamond Automations, Inc.
    Inventor: Anthony J. Siciliano
  • Patent number: 4418813
    Abstract: A modular chute for passing a workpiece therealong is disclosed. The chute of the present invention includes a pair of side walls secured in a spaced apart manner by a plurality of clips attached to upper and lower edges of the side walls. Wear members are disclosed that are selectively secured to the walls of the chute or to the clips to reduce friction and wear from parts moving along the chute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1983
    Assignee: Modular Automation, Inc.
    Inventor: John T. Leinenger
  • Patent number: 4415074
    Abstract: A workpiece support bearing for modular chuting for passing the workpiece along the chute is disclosed. The chute of the present invention includes a pair of side walls secured in a spaced apart manner by a plurality of clips attached to upper and lower edges of the side walls. Wear members are disclosed that are selectively secured to the walls of the chute or to the clips to reduce friction and wear from parts moving along the chute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1983
    Assignee: Modular Automation, Inc.
    Inventor: John T. Leinenger
  • Patent number: 4411574
    Abstract: An apparatus for transferring articles, such as eggs, from one station to another. The eggs are arranged in a predetermined configuration at the first or transfer station, and deposited at a second station in a different array or configuration. The transfer head, which contains egg engaging and lifting members in the form of vacuum cups, includes a first and second carrier section, each of which retains one-half of the array or egg engaging positions. The carrier sections are interconnected by linkage members which, when rotated, change the array configuration from a first position to a second position without the need for rotating the entire transfer head and the articles being carried.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1983
    Assignee: Diamond Automations, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas E. Riley
  • Patent number: 4402511
    Abstract: A golf putting device is described which comprises a golf ball, or a golf ball simulating device, disposed in a transparent cylindrical tubing which is provided with a set of rims for rolling contact with surface a along which the putting device is propelled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1982
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1983
    Assignee: Command Automation Inc.
    Inventor: Luther G. Simjian
  • Patent number: 4381834
    Abstract: A modular chute for passing a workpiece therealong is disclosed. The chute of the present invention includes a U-shaped cross-section having a bottom wall, a pair of opposed side walls, and an open top. A joining device is provided for abutting and securing a plurality of chutes into a continuous member. Wear members are disclosed that are selectively secured to the walls of the chute to reduce friction and wear from parts moving along the chute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1983
    Assignee: Modular Automation, Inc.
    Inventor: John T. Leinenger
  • Patent number: 4377953
    Abstract: An indexing apparatus (10) is disclosed which is designed for use with various types of work transfer equipment and is operative to provide smooth rapid jerk-free acceleration and deceleration whereby workpieces may be smoothly and rapidly transferred between operating stations. The indexing apparatus (10) includes suitably arranged cams (90, 90', 106, 124, 130, 132, 150, 162, 180) and cam followers (38, 52, 114, 116, 166, 168, 174) which operate to convert a driving input motion which is typically rotary in nature to a desired output motion which may be either linear or rotary but which is characterized by substantially jerk-free, smooth acceleration and deceleration at the beginning and end of the respective indexing movements. In one embodiment the apparatus comprises a crank arm (22) having cam followers (38, 52) provided thereon which control pivotal movement of transfer arm (58) which is in turn connected to a linearly reciprocable apparatus which may include a work supporting surface for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1980
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1983
    Assignee: Expert Automation, Inc.
    Inventor: James F. Hagen
  • Patent number: 4371498
    Abstract: A dual receptacle cuvette adapted for use in a plasma coagulation testing apparatus which cuvette is coded to enable the apparatus to determine the particular test procedure to be performed on the plasma sample in the cuvette receptacles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 1, 1983
    Assignee: Medical Laboratory Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard E. Scordato, Robert J. Varca
  • Patent number: 4367198
    Abstract: A reagent delivery system having a reagent reservoir adapted to permit mechanical stirring of the reagent therein and removal of the reagent from the bottom of the reservoir, and a compact heat exchange unit through which the reagent flows to facilitate rapid heating of the reagent immediately prior to its use in a testing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 4, 1983
    Assignee: Medical Laboratory Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard E. Scordato, Robert J. Varca, Robert S. Francis
  • Patent number: 4354376
    Abstract: A pipette calibration kit containing a plurality of solutions, each of a predetermined concentration, which are used for plotting a calibration curve, and at least one reagent of a predetermined concentration which is used to replace an identical quantity of diluent in a predetermined volume of the diluent. The concentration of the reagent-diluent mixture is measured and the quantity of the reagent substituted for diluent in the reagent-diluent mixture, i.e., the volume of the pipette used to add the reagent to the diluent, is determined from the calibration curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1982
    Assignee: Medical Laboratory Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Greenfield, Didya D. Levy, Richard E. Scordato, John J. Hartnett
  • Patent number: 4349109
    Abstract: An improved disposable pipette tip adapted to nest one within another and having a steeply tapered side wall to minimize the length to volume ratio of the tip. An improved self standing tray for the tip also is disclosed as is a new package for pipette tips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1982
    Assignee: Medical Laboratory Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Emil A. Scordato, Hugh W. Pratt
  • Patent number: RE31318
    Abstract: A modular minicomputer is provided which is assembled from a central processor unit module and a plurality of memory modules. Small calculators on the memory modules are so interlocked that when the computer is powered up, memory address boundaries are calculated automatically. As a result, the bank of memory modules appears to the central processing unit the same as a single large memory unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1979
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1983
    Assignee: Computer Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Phillip A. Kaufman, Kenneth C. Gorman, George C. Henry, Roy Blacksher
  • Patent number: D273031
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1984
    Assignee: Command Automation, Inc.
    Inventor: Luther G. Simjian