Patents Examined by Cheryl L. Gastineau
  • Patent number: 5413204
    Abstract: A glass plate positioning and supplying machine has a glass plate positioning machine disposed above a roller conveyor for adjusting the longitudinal, transverse, and rotational position of the glass plate, and a glass plate supplying machine disposed below the glass plate positioning machine for receiving the positioned glass plate from the glass plate positioning machine and supplying it onto the roller conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignee: Central Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Mori, Masato Nakamura, Eiji Nakayama
  • Patent number: 5413327
    Abstract: A device for aligning box blanks in a box blank processing machine including a frame supporting a lengthwise guiding rail, an upper carrier and lower carrier which are directly interconnected by brackets and have one end pivotably mounted to the frame adjacent an exit end of the device so that the entrance end of the carriers can be spaced from the rail to provide a lateral movement of a blank against the rail. The position of the entrance end of the carriers is adjustable relative to the guide rail. The upper carrier preferably is formed of a series of rollers and the lower carrier has a series of rollers supporting a belt which is driven by a drive pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignee: Bobst SA
    Inventors: Jacques Reymond, Jean L. Wenger
  • Patent number: 5413209
    Abstract: A motorized conveyor roller is provided which includes a mechanism for rotatably mounting a roller tube in a conveyor frame, the roller tube having a length, an inner diameter and a hollow interior. The roller tube has disposed within the hollow interior, a motor and a gear reducer also mounted inside the roller tube operatively connected to the motor. The gear reducer includes an output and a drive member being driven by the gear reducer output to drive said roller. A lubricant is contained within the hollow interior for lubricating and cooling the motor, the gear reducer, the gear reducer output, and the inner diameter of the roller tube. The roller tube has a device for ensuring that the lubricant is uniformily distributed about the inner diameter and length of the roller tube proximate portions of the inner diameter which do not contain the motor, the gear reducer, or the gear reducer output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignee: Werner Motor Company Ltd.
    Inventor: Hans Werner
  • Patent number: 5413208
    Abstract: A conveyor belt scraper blade adapted for use in cleaning the surface of a conveyor belt. The scraper blade includes a resilient arm member extending between a lower base portion and an upper end portion. The arm member is adapted to pivot about an axis extending through the base portion. A scraping block is attached to the upper end portion of the arm member. The scraping block includes a front surface and a rear surface. The front surface extends between an upper scraping edge adapted to contact the surface of the conveyor belt and a spaced apart lower edge. The front surface is adapted to form an obtuse scraping angle with the surface of the conveyor belt. A restraining member extends substantially from the scraping edge to the arm member. The restraining member substantially prevents movement of the scraping edge with respect to the front surface and controls the amplitude of vibration of the scraper blade during use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignee: Martin Engineering Company
    Inventor: Willem D. Veenhof
  • Patent number: 5411129
    Abstract: A dual motion divider for articles moving along a conveyor belt has an intake lane defining member with elongated parallel spaced partition walls defining an intake lane for articles carried on an associated conveyor belt. The member is pivotable at its article receiving end in an arc extending transversely of the partition walls and movable at its other end. The divider also has a discharge lane defining member with a multiplicity of elongated parallel spaced partition walls defining a plurality of discharge lanes for the articles. The discharge lane defining member is pivotable at its article discharging end in an arc extending transversely of the partition walls and movable at its other end. The movable ends of the members are adjacent each other and a drive assembly is connected to each of the lane defining members to move concurrently the movable ends in opposite directions and bring the intake lane into alignment with a predetermined one of the discharge lanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Assignee: B & B Equipment, Inc.
    Inventor: G. William Crouch
  • Patent number: 5411150
    Abstract: Culling device for vacuum cleaners and other equipment which is made either as uni-functional (1) or two-functional (16), a part of which enclosure (6) is most frequently made of transparent materials, the device itself being made as tube, handle, part of handle or a specially constructed device which is inserted into the conveying tunnel of a vacuum cleaner (suction pipes), or similar devices. Inside the culling device there are waveformed paralell teeth (4) on a moveable axle (9), so-called culling comb (2), which by an external actuating mechanism (13, 24, 14, 5) is either adjusted so that:a) it rises diagonally into the air path and arrests articles which are carried into the culling device, while they are inspected and, as the case may be, removed (uni-functional culling device), or sucked or otherwise collected into a special collecting compartment (two-functional culling device), orb) it lies down and allows passage for the articles into the vacuum cleaner's accumulation case (its dustbag).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Inventor: Steinn Sigurdsson
  • Patent number: 5411252
    Abstract: A side guide device adjustably positioned between two laterally spaced frame members includes a pair of side guide plates, each having vertical and horizontal members and a transverse mounting plate. A pair of rail members are mounted on the laterally spaced frame members. Each of the rail members includes a longitudinal groove wherein ends of the transverse mounting plate are adjustably positioned within the grooves of the rail members whereby the side guide members are positionable longitudinally. The transverse mounting plate includes at least two lateral slots through which the side guide members are adjustably mounted whereby the side guide members are positionable laterally. There is structure for locking the transverse mounting plate at a fixed position in the grooves of the rail members. The side guide plates are mounted below the locking plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth W. Lowell
  • Patent number: 5411168
    Abstract: A sheet dispenser or sheet dispenser subassembly including a coherent stack of tape flags or other adhesive-bearing sheets that can be unobtrusively permanently or removably adhered on a page of a book, catalog, brochure, etc., because it has a supple cover layer that is a thin, tear-resistant polymeric film. The dispenser subassembly has a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on a peripheral portion of the cover layer by which it can be adhered to the page which then serves as a back layer for the dispenser, whereas the dispenser includes a bottom layer on an outer surface of which is a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive layer by which the dispenser can be adhered to a surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Timothy A. Mertens, Alden R. Miles, Wayne K. Darvell, David C. Windorski
  • Patent number: 5411251
    Abstract: Sheet delivery of a printing machine having a gripper system running on an endless conveyor includes air containers located adjacent the endless conveyor and being formed with a sheet-wide field of air-outlet openings, the gripper system including grippers for gripping a sheet of printing material at a leading edge thereof so that the sheet is floatingly conveyable by the endless conveyor over the sheet-wide field of air-outlet openings formed in the air containers, the endless conveyor having a capability of turning the sheet and depositing it on a sheet pile, at least one of the air containers extending over the sheet width and having air-outlet openings of varying shapes formed so that air is discharged therefrom in different directions, the one air container being chargeable with blowing air regulatable in accordance with specific requirements of the printing material of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Gotthard Schmid, Arno Wirz
  • Patent number: 5411131
    Abstract: A non-synchronous plural conveyor system for transporting articles between work stations which operate at varying production rates. Each conveyor operates alternately in an accumulate or deliver mode such that articles may be placed thereon at a first station at a rate different from the rate they are removed at a second station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Inventor: Richard P. Haegele
  • Patent number: 5411170
    Abstract: System for metered feeding of cylindrical bodies from a stock to a processing machine. This involves, starting from the stock, first aligning the cylindrical bodies and then feeding them in a metered manner to a transfer device in order to move the cylindrical bodies to the processing machine. According to the invention, the device for aligning the cylindrical bodies coming from the stock consists of a rotatable drum-shaped member consisting of a number of bars disposed in the form of a ring. Between the bars the opening through which the cylindrical bodies can emerge is delimited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Assignee: Boschman Holding B.V.
    Inventor: Everardus H. Boschman
  • Patent number: 5411127
    Abstract: A passenger conveying device has a plurality of interacting movable steps, at least one of the steps having a cover plate fastened to an exterior surface thereof. The cover plate is fastened by a projecting flange adjacent an edge of said cover plate and a complementary channel in which the flange is engaged. The cover plate is pivotally movable relative to the step on that engaged flange and channel. At least one fastener passes through an aperture in the cover plate spaced away from that edge, to fasten onto the step. The cover plate is light transmissive, and the step displays indicia behind the cover plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Assignee: Escalator Advertising Limited
    Inventor: Alexander Findlay
  • Patent number: 5409100
    Abstract: A recycling assembly includes a first endless conveyor belt, a second endless conveyor belt, a plate disposed between the first belt and the second belt and a third endless conveyor belt. An upper conveying surface of the first belt is inclined at an angle with respect to a horizontal reference plane. An upper conveying surface of the second conveyor belt is disposed at an inclined angle which is greater than the inclined angle of the upper surface of the first conveyor belt. The plate has an upper surface which is inclined with respect to the horizontal reference plane at an angle greater than the inclined angle of the upper surface of the second conveyor belt. The upper surface of the third conveyor belt is disposed at an angle which is parallel to the horizontal reference plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Assignee: Star Recycling, Inc.
    Inventor: William Brennan
  • Patent number: 5409132
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tablet dispenser, including a dispenser housing, a replaceable tablet package to be accommodated in the housing, an adjustable periodicity indicator and a single tablet dispensing aperture in the dispenser cover. The tablet package includes a cover, rotatably connected to the bottom portion of the package and provided with an opening which, upon use of the dispenser, is in alignment with the tablet dispensing aperture. The dispenser further includes a locking device to compel joint rotational movement of periodicity indicator and package bottom portion, and an operating member to effect stepwise rotation of the package bottom portion relative to said package cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Assignee: Duphar International Research B.V.
    Inventors: Kees Kooijmans, Alfred H. Van Elk
  • Patent number: 5409095
    Abstract: A change-over device is provided for a sorting conveyor. Projected members of slats forming the sorting conveyor are made of ferromagnetic substance such as iron alloy. Those projected members are guided by a guide rail which is installed on the rear side of the conveyor. The guide rail is made up of a main rail and a branch rail. The side wall of the branch rail is partially omitted near at the inlet of the branching portion of the guide rail where the branch rail branches from the main rail, and instead an upper side wall and a lower side wall are formed there by an electromagnet and a permanent magnet, respectively. When the electromagnet is energized, each projected member is attracted towards the upper side wall, and is then allowed to move along the lower side wall, thus being led into the branch rail. Thus, the articles on the conveyor are suitably sorted while being conveyed to the selected branch conveying path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Assignee: Toyokanetsu Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiomi Hoshi, Katsumi Ishihara, Hiroki Shinohara
  • Patent number: 5409103
    Abstract: A conveyance device is disclosed having a line of members which are held by guide rails, and which include end faces located next to adjacent members. Each member has grooves disposed on opposite sides that extend in the longitudinal direction of transportation for receiving the guide rails and a drive source. Each member includes a bore that passes through the member in the transverse direction to receive an entrainment pin. Each member also includes at least one metal piece extending in the longitudinal direction of transportation that is fixed to at least one plastic part such that an end face of the plastic part projects over the metal piece in the longitudinal direction of transportation, the total length of the member being greater than the total length of the metal piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
    Inventors: Norbert Hartel, deceased, by Ingrid Hartel, Georg Petz
  • Patent number: 5409205
    Abstract: A paper feeder for a printing and bookbinding system incorporates a top load, bottom feed hopper having a cyclically operated platform for transporting paper signatures from a stack to a conveyor. The platform utilizes spaced supports of a high friction, low durameter rated material in contact with the lowermost signature in the stack. A gating mechanism is adjustable to pass only a single signature during each cycle of the platform. Outfeed rollers grasp the signature after initial advancement by the platform. Operation of the platform is synchronized to position such that the platform lowers to drop the supports out of contact with the signature as the advancing signature is grasped by the rollers. In one form, the platform may include a vacuum attachment to assure adherence of the signature to the supports. A vacuum mechanism may also be attached to the outfeed rollers for use in opening signatures for an insert-stitch-trim operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Assignee: Synchromotion, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas F. Macke, Sr., Edward D. Scarborough
  • Patent number: 5407053
    Abstract: A hopper apparatus for rod members comprises a hopper for storing filter rods as the rod members, a pair of rod feeders for feeding the filter rods independently into the hopper, and a rotatable hopper drum for taking out the filter rods one by one from the hopper through a discharge port thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1995
    Assignee: Japan Tobacco Inc.
    Inventors: Minoru Suzuki, Shuichiro Oku
  • Patent number: 5407055
    Abstract: A goods reception conveyor 17 has a support member 61 capable of excursion along a goods conveying path, and a plurality of flexible goods receptacle members 62 supported by the support member 61 at different positions thereof in the conveying direction. Each goods receptacle member 62 is supported by the support member 61 at an upstream and a downstream point 63B and 63A along the conveying direction such as to be suspended in a flexibly U-shaped form to form a U-shaped goods receptacle 62A. The distance between the upstream and downstream support points of each goods receptacle member 62 is variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1995
    Assignee: Kao Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5407187
    Abstract: A separating apparatus having a magazine in which stacked sheets made of plastics material or the like are arranged, and having movable suction means for moving the separated sheets to a workplace, where the sheets in the stack are supported in a horizontal position by holding means on the bottom edge of the magazine, and therebetween the bottom most sheet is freely disposed and is accessible to the suction means. The holding means comprises a rotatably driven shaft arranged along the two bottom edges of the magazine, the cross-section of which shaft, in the region of the length of the sheet, is recessed so as to form a shoulder, the depth of the shoulder being equal to the thickness of the sheet to be separated, and arranged approximately in the center between the edges of the magazine are the suction means which are able to move toward and away from the bottom sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1995
    Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
    Inventors: Wilhelm Reil, Udo Liebram, Heiko Bub