Patents Examined by Chelsea E Stinson
  • Patent number: 11185327
    Abstract: A method of surgical stapling that uses a surgical instrument operable to compress, staple, and cut tissue. The instrument includes a body, a shaft, and an end effector with a pair of jaws. A placement tip extends distally from one of the jaws of the end effector. The method includes positioning the end effector at a desired site for surgical stapling. The method also includes controlling one or more of the jaws of the end effector to place the end effector in an open position. The method also includes positioning the end effector such that tissue is located between the jaws. The method also includes clamping the tissue between the jaws by moving at least one of the jaws toward the other jaw. The method also includes advancing a firing beam of the apparatus from a proximal position to a distal position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Cilag GmbH International
    Inventors: Jason L. Harris, Gregory J. Bakos, Chester O. Baxter, III, Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Hilary A. Reinhardt, Christopher J. Hess, Taylor W. Aronhalt, Daniel L. Baber
  • Patent number: 11186472
    Abstract: Described is a capping head for closing a container using a metallic cap, comprising a main body, a plurality of capping ends having on their inner face a capping profile and a capping ring configured for elastically deforming the plurality of capping ends by means of a relative translation along the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: PELLICONI & C. S.P.A.
    Inventors: Francesco Cutaio, Federico Morselli, Doriano Naldi
  • Patent number: 11186393
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an attachment unit for attaching a container element to a container body. The attachment unit comprises a retaining device adapted to retain the container body while the container element is being attached to the container body and an applicator for positioning the container element in the container body. The retaining device comprises at least one through-going positioning cavity being adapted to receive a portion of the container body. The applicator is aligned with the positioning cavity, such that the container element is displaceable by means of the applicator into the container body by moving at least partly through the positioning cavity of the retaining device. The attachment unit comprises an internal housing arranged to provide and maintain a protective gas atmosphere above the positioning cavity of the retaining device. The internal housing is adapted to at least partly enclose the applicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Inventor: Lennart Larsson
  • Patent number: 11185330
    Abstract: A cover member for a surgical staple cartridge. The cover member is configured to retain a wedge sled within the staple cartridge in a starting position when the cover member is attached to the body of the staple cartridge. The cover member includes a top portion that covers all of the fastener openings in the deck of the staple cartridge when the cover is attached to the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Cilag GmbH International
    Inventors: Thomas W. Huitema, Michael E. Setser, Geoffrey C. Hueil
  • Patent number: 11179837
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a combustion-powered fastener-driving tool including multiple combustion chambers and/or usable with fuel canisters of varying lengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Marc Largo, Maureen Shea, Charles Zhao
  • Patent number: 11174055
    Abstract: A conveyor assembly for packages of containers for pharmaceutical use which include an outer bag. The assembly includes a handling line for gripping elements and a dispensing apparatus for a laminar flow of gas positioned above the top of the line and directed towards the line itself. Each gripping element includes at least one clamping jaw for at least one flap of said bag to hang it so that each of its outer surfaces is invested by the laminar flow of gas during its handling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: I.M.A. INDUSTRIA MACCHINE AUTOMATICHE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Claudio Trebbi, Gabriele Gabusi
  • Patent number: 11166716
    Abstract: A surgical system is disclosed that comprises a stapling instrument including a staple firing lockout and a staple cartridge configured to defeat the staple firing lockout when the staple cartridge is seated in the stapling instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Cilag GmbH International
    Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Jason L. Harris
  • Patent number: 11167869
    Abstract: A taping device includes a device base with a tape traveling groove in a front surface of the device base; a parts conveying disk including parts housing grooves in an outer circumferential surface of the parts conveying disk at regular angular intervals and a rear surface disposed to face the front surface of the device base; a disk rotating mechanism for intermittently rotating the parts conveying disk; a parts feeding mechanism for feeding, in a parts feeding zone, the parts into the parts housing grooves; and a parts inserting mechanism for inserting, at a parts insertion position, the parts from the parts housing grooves into the parts housing recessed portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hidenao Kitakubo, Shuntaro Murayama, Tomofumi Akiba, Koji Saito
  • Patent number: 11167871
    Abstract: Several blister packs are picked simultaneously from pick positions, where they are arranged next to each other in a first row, moved, and placed simultaneously in several place positions. In the place positions, the blister packs are also arranged next to each other in a second row, which is parallel to the first row of the blister packs in the pick positions. The blister packs are placed in the place positions with a rotation of 180° around their centers in comparison to their orientation in the pick positions. The second row of blister packs in the place positions is laterally offset in the direction of the second row relative to the first row of blister packs in the pick positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Uhlmann Pac-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Bernd Haehnel, Sebastian Binder
  • Patent number: 11142352
    Abstract: A system and method for dispensing a powdered pharmaceutical into a bottle is disclosed. The system includes a filler having a powder filler head and respective weight sensor, two or more draft shields, and one or more static reduction devices. In some embodiments, the system also includes one or more dust extractors. In some embodiments, the static reduction device is an active static reduction device, such as one or more static bars. The two or more draft shields may include an inner draft shield to reduce small pressure and/or airflow changes and an outer draft to reduce large pressure and/or airflow changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
    Inventors: Premal Gandhi, James B. Nagle, Kevin Hacker
  • Patent number: 11129611
    Abstract: A surgical stapling instrument including a first jaw configured to removably support a surgical staple cartridge therein and a second jaw movable relative to the first jaw between an open position and a closed position. A firing member is configured to axially move between a starting and ending position upon application of a firing motion thereto. A firing member lockout interfaces with ae camming assembly in the surgical staple cartridge to lockout the firing member unless the camming assembly is in an unfired position. A cartridge verification member is configured to move the camming assembly out of the unfired position to an intermediate position unless the cartridge verification member detects a verification feature on the surgical staple cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Cilag GmbH International
    Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Jason L. Harris, Gregory J. Bakos
  • Patent number: 11130601
    Abstract: A gas-sealed body with cushioning function is adapted to be inflated by a processing machine. The processing machine includes an inflation bar and pressing wheels adjacent to the inflation bar. The inflation bar is to inflate the gas-sealed body. The pressing wheels roll on a rolling track of the gas-sealed body for conveying the gas-sealed body. The gas-sealed body includes an inflation channel, gas inlets, pillow structures, and gas chambers. Each gas chamber includes one or more gas inlets, one or more cushion-part gas column, and a main-part gas column. When each of the inflation inlets is inflated, the corresponding one or more cushion-part gas column and the corresponding main-part gas column are inflated and expanded in order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: KUNSHAN AIRBAG PACKING CORP
    Inventors: Tai-An Liao, Kao-Hsiung Liao, Ping-Yuan Liao
  • Patent number: 11130602
    Abstract: A tilt-able flat table, mounted on cams in a frame, retrieves rows of containers from a stage and deposits them in a box. The table is mounted on a horizontal tilt axle which is borne between two parallel cams. The tilt angle determines the path of the containers into the box. The cams rotate about a cam axis which determines the position of the table relative to the frame. Container top bands engage the containers on the table and move them in the forward-rearward direction on the table. The frame is movable relative to the box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Inventor: William Gary Beall
  • Patent number: 11123854
    Abstract: A handheld power tool has a tool socket (2) to hold a tool (4) along a working axis (11), a motor (5) and a slip clutch (21) having a number of blocking elements. A sensor (27) serves to record a measured signal (28) as the measure of vibrations inside the handheld power tool (1). A band-pass filter (29) has a pass range in which a frequency lies that is equal to the product of the rotational speed of the wheel (22) on the drive side and the number N of blocking elements (24). The measured signal (28) filtered by the band-pass filter (29) is fed to an evaluation unit (30). When the filtered measured signal (28) exceeds a limit value, the evaluation unit (30) reduces the rotational speed of the motor (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Hilti Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Erwin Manschitz, Walter Wissmach
  • Patent number: 11123230
    Abstract: A method of folding a pant-like disposable absorbent garment includes providing a garment defining first and second waist side regions, a waist center region positioned therebetween, and a crotch region longitudinally below the waist center region. In particular embodiments, the method further includes folding the garment along a transversely extending fold line so as to bring the crotch region into superposed relation with the waist center region; providing a chute having a floor and first and second side walls; urging the garment into the chute; and, while the garment is in the chute, folding the garment along longitudinally extending first and second fold lines so as to position the first and second waist side regions over the waist center region. The first and second fold lines are adjacent the first and second side walls, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason K. Sieck, Bradley W. Schoon, Brian R. Vogt, Steven Kolasinski
  • Patent number: 11123850
    Abstract: A removable contact trip can be received in an aperture of the barrel and can be slidable between a retracted position and an extended position relative to an end of the barrel. The removable contact trip can define a muzzle aperture aligned with the driver axis and through which a fastener is driven by the nail driver. The removable contact trip can include a latch pocket. A removable contact trip latch can be biased toward a latched position in which the removable contact trip latch extends through a window of the barrel and is receivable in the latch pocket to latch the removable contact trip to the barrel. The removable contact trip latch can also be movable to an unlatched position in which the removable contact trip latch is not receivable in the latch pocket to unlatch and permit removal of the contact trip from the barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Erin Elizabeth Jaskot, Stuart Garber
  • Patent number: 11124325
    Abstract: A packaging machine packages items using film. The packaging machine includes: a film transporter for feeding film; and a cutting device for cutting film. The cutting device is transferrable by a driving force from a rest position into an extended position. The film is severable by the cutting device in the extended position. The cutting device is connected to a housing surrounding the cutting device via a return mechanism. The return mechanism is activatable upon the cutting device being transferred from the rest position into the extended position. A return force in a direction of the rest position is exertable by the return mechanism in the activated state on the cutting device in its extended position, the force being greater than a return resistance of the cutting device in its extended state by which the cutting device is held in the extended state without action of the driving force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Bizerba SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Sascha Kirsch, Franz Heller, Eugen Elis
  • Patent number: 11117692
    Abstract: Process for reducing the height of a box to the level of the apex of the stack of objects therein, wherein horizontal score lines are made at a height substantially equal to that of the apex of the stack of objects and such that the distance between the apex and the top of the box is greater than the half-width of the box. During a phase of simultaneous folding of the upper parts of the two side walls parallel to the length of the box toward the centre thereof, and before the upper edges or ridges of the upper parts meet, the angles of inclination of the upper parts are differentiated with respect to one another so that, when the upper parts meet, the upper edge of one covers the upper edge of the other, the upper parts sliding over one another during the final phase of folding the latter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: B+ Equipment
    Inventors: Claude Durand, Frédéric Duffes, Robert Casanova
  • Patent number: 11117340
    Abstract: A device supports first and second flaps on a box traveling on a conveyor, the conveyor traveling at a speed in a direction. The device includes a cam track having a selected profile. The device includes a drive mechanism, wherein at least a portion of the drive mechanism travels proximate the cam track in the direction at substantially the speed of the conveyor. First and second mounting blocks are pivotally attached to the drive mechanism, including first and second cam followers for engaging the cam track; first and second fingers; and first and second hooks attached to the first and second fingers and configured to engage and hold the first and second flaps on the box. Relative positions of the first and second fingers with respect to the box change as the drive mechanism travels along the cam track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Inventor: Ellis W. Davis
  • Patent number: 11117343
    Abstract: A system and method for cutting straws. The system includes a cutting device. The cutting device may include a cutting device frame, a tubing guide connected to the cutting device frame for receiving tubing and guiding the tubing into a position to be cut, and a blade spool having a spool central axis. The blade spool may include a spool frame, connected to the cutting device frame, and a blade assembly. The spool frame may rotate with respect to the cutting device frame about the spool central axis. The blade assembly may include a blade shaft connected to the spool frame and a blade connected to the blade shaft. The blade may rotate about the blade shaft central axis and move through the tubing when the tubing is in the position to be cut. In another embodiment, the system may include a winding device and a control monitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Hoffmaster Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Jerome P. Schultz