Patents Examined by Christopher Harmon
  • Patent number: 8951177
    Abstract: A carton conveyer for a packaging machine has upper and lower flights to which sets of flight lugs are attached. Each set of flight lugs comprises leading flight lugs and trailing flight lugs and the leading flight lugs have recesses that face and oppose recesses on the trailing flight lugs. The recesses are formed to confine an open carton therebetween. Notches are formed in the flight lugs in such a way that movement of the leading and trailing flight lugs toward one another causes an un-erected carton between the lugs to be captured and erected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Graphic Packaging International, Inc.
    Inventor: Colin P. Ford
  • Patent number: 8943783
    Abstract: A system and method for handling wicket bags involve a wicket bag holder for transporting wicket bags to a working position along a transport path, the bag holder including one or more holding devices each being operable between an open position allowing receipt of an upper tab of the wicket bag and a closed position whereby the bag is held suspended within a working zone. Also involved are one or more main gripping devices each being operable between an open position allowing receipt of a suspended wicket bag and a closed position whereby the bag is gripped to form a bag neck portion. The system and method may be used for bag filling applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Centre de Recherche Industrielle du Quebec
    Inventors: Jean-Claude Ouellet, Sylvain Bilodeau, Olivier Marcotte, Denis Lépine, Nicolas Deschênes, Denis Hotte, Bertrand Maheux
  • Patent number: 8938936
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for dosing and packaging polysilicon chunks, wherein a product flow of polysilicon chunks is transported via a feed channel, separated by at least one screen into coarse and fine chunks, weighed and dosed to a target weight by a dosing balance, discharged via a discharge channel and transported to a packaging unit where a first plastic bag is filled with the polysilicon chunks and sealed, the plastic bag containing polysilicon chunks being packaged with a further plastic bag which is formed by a shaper and subsequently welded, wherein the at least one screen and the dosing balance at least partially include a hard metal on their surfaces and the shaper for forming the plastic bag includes a wear-resistant coating. Also disclosed are a dosing unit, a packaging unit and a device for dosing and packaging polysilicon chunks, which contains a dosing unit and a packaging unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Wacker Chemie AG
    Inventors: Matthias Vietz, Rainer Hoelzlwimmer, Bruno Lichtenegger
  • Patent number: 8938939
    Abstract: A trolley apparatus for dispensing plastic stretch wrap film from a roll suitable for wrapping a pallet of stacked loose goods, characterized by a transportable frame structure having wheels or castors to provide support and mobility, the frame having a means of adjusting the height of the roll, the frame is provided with a guide roller positioned for use as a fulcrum point for generating tension in the stretch wrap film, and, a cutter for detaching the stretch wrap film at the completion of the operation, the end of the stretch wrap film being retained for next use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Inventor: Glenn Roche
  • Patent number: 8935905
    Abstract: A method of providing liquid-filled kegs and a manufacturing apparatus for performing the method of providing liquid-filled kegs, which method includes filling open plastic keg bodies with liquid, applying a disposable keg fitting, and releasing the neck of the filled, closed keg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: KHS GmbH
    Inventor: Alois Monzel
  • Patent number: 8925288
    Abstract: A packing method and unit (11) for folding a sheet (3) of packing material about a group (2) of cigarettes, and having: a first packing conveyor (12) having a first pocket (14) for receiving the group (2) wrapped in the tubular-folded sheet (3) of packing material; a second packing conveyor (18) having a second pocket (20) for receiving the group (2) wrapped in the tubular-folded sheet (3) of packing material; and a transfer device (24) which transfers the group (2), wrapped in the tubular-folded sheet (3) of packing material, from the first pocket (14) to the second pocket (20), and has a pusher (26) located at the first pocket (14) and engaging a first base wall (4) of the group (2), and a counter-pusher (27) located at the second pocket and engaging a second base wall (4), opposite the first base wall (4), of the group (2); the pusher (26) and/or the counter-pusher (27) of the transfer device (24) having respective lateral appendixes (28) which engage minor lateral walls (6) of the group (2), when the push
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: G.D Societa'per Azioni
    Inventors: Marco Ghini, Roberto Polloni, Andrea Biondi
  • Patent number: 8919084
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing mail is provided. A feeder serially feeds envelope from a stack of mail. Two cutters at a cutting station cuts one or two edges of the envelopes. As the envelopes travel from the feeder to the cutters the envelope is jogged on two edges to justify the contents with the envelopes. Additionally, an improved feeder is provided to reduce the number of jams created when feeding the envelopes from the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Opex Corporation
    Inventors: John Allen, Robert R DeWitt, Joseph Valinsky
  • Patent number: 8915047
    Abstract: A beverage bottle closing machine being configured and disposed to close tops of filled beverage bottles with screw-type and other caps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: KHS GmbH
    Inventors: Lothar Wilhelm, Thomas Schneider, Igor Singur
  • Patent number: 8893456
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing mail is provided. Mail is placed into an input been having a conveyor that conveys the mail towards a feeder. The feeder serially feeds the envelopes to a cutter that severs the top edge of the envelopes. A transport conveys the envelopes from the top cutter to an extractor. The extractor opens the edge-severed mail and presents the contents of the envelopes to an operator who manually extracts the contents. From the extractor, the operator manually feeds the extracted documents to a document input. From the document input, the documents are fed to a document transport that conveys the documents past an imaging module to obtain image data for the documents before sorting the documents to output bins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Opex Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Sullivan, Erick Grasmueck, David Helmlinger, Robert R DeWitt, George L Hayduchok
  • Patent number: 8887476
    Abstract: A bread packaging system comprising: a movable member on which a scoop for holding a packaging member to package bread is mounted; a guide member for defining a moving path along which the movable member is moved; a reciprocating motion mechanism having an endless revolving member for reciprocating the movable member along the guide member; and a link member for linking the endless revolving member with the movable member, wherein the bread packaging system is configured to reciprocate the movable member along the guide member by revolving the endless revolving member in one direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Oshikiri Machinery Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Suzuki, Shuichi Iribe, Michinori Watanabe, Seiichi Akutsu
  • Patent number: 8881315
    Abstract: A helmet, which includes an injection molded shell having an inner surface and an outer surface, the injection molded shell including a first main body portion and a second main body portion, wherein the first and second main body portions are formed of a first material; and a first molded hinge portion formed intermediate the first and second main body portions, the molded hinge portion adapted to allow the first main body portion and the second main body portion to move relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sport Maska Inc.
    Inventors: André Desjardins, Philippe Martin, Ryan Crelinsten
  • Patent number: 8869497
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device and to a method for closing containers (3) having a closure (1), particularly a bottle closing machine. Said machine has at least one closing head (4) displaced in a direction toward a container opening (2) along a displacement path (H) for applying the closure (1). To this end, a prescribed external force (FA) is applied to the closing head (4). According to the invention, the closing head (4) comprises an internal force supporting element (6, 7) supporting the externally applied force (FA).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: KHS GmbH
    Inventor: Igor Singur
  • Patent number: 8844247
    Abstract: A storage method of storing a package with its contents under irradiation of light. At least part of the package is made of polyamide (A) which is obtained by polycondensation of a diamine component comprising 70 mol % or more of m-xylylenediamine and a dicarboxylic acid component comprising 70 mol % or more of ?,?-linear aliphatic dicarboxylic acid having 4 to 20 carbon atoms. The oxygen transmission of the package including polyamide (A) is reduced by irradiation of light, to prevent the spoilage of the contents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Jun Mitadera
  • Patent number: 8834335
    Abstract: A plastic or other film bag is formed from a continuous extruded tube. The tube is flattened and sealed across its width at intervals to form bag bottoms. The bags are joined to one another at a perforation line and folded in thirds lengthwise prior to being rolled into a compact roll, either with or without supporting core. After folding the bags may be chisel cut through the center of the perforation line to assist in dispensing of the bags. The chisel cut will extend through all layers of the bag when folded, resulting in three chisel cuts in the bag. The bags may be gusseted for part or as much as all of their width. The bags may also be corona treated and printed on their outer surfaces. The bags may be formed from partially recycled materials and various combinations of linear low density, medium and high density polyethylene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Inventor: Sabrina Pichee Chen
  • Patent number: 8826632
    Abstract: A packaging module for wrapping packs or article groups with packaging film. The packs or article groups to be wrapped are transported in an upright position on a horizontal conveying device to a packaging station. A film wrapping device includes at least one wrapping rod extending perpendicular to the transport direction and is guided on both long sides of the horizontal conveying device by continuous traction devices. The continuous traction devices each includes guiding sections that define the position and the deflection of the continuous traction device. The corresponding guiding sections of the two parallel continuous traction devices are adjustable pair wise in the same direction in their vertical and/or horizontal position and/or in their angular position about a pivot point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventors: Christian Hastreiter, Peter Koch
  • Patent number: 8826633
    Abstract: A pack, and a method and apparatus for producing the pack, comprising an outer pack and an inner pack as a sealed block with an inner blank which encloses the pack contents, the inner pack having, in the region of an inner end wall, an opening aid which can be used a number of times and, in the region of side walls of the inner pack, folding flaps which are connected to one another by thermal sealing. Folding flaps in the region of an inner rear wall of the inner blank are configured as a fin fold and are connected to one another by thermal sealing outside the region of the cigarette group to form a fin seam, the fin seam being arranged at a spacing from regions of folding flaps which cover one another multiple times, in the region of the inner side walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Henry Buse, Reinhard Lohmann
  • Patent number: 8821360
    Abstract: A method including: a step of carrying a continuous web; a cut-off step of cutting the continuous web into individual worn articles 1; a first folding step of folding the diaper body 2 so that a skin-contact surface of a front portion 20 and a skin-contact surface of a back portion 21 lie one each other; and a folding step of folding a pair of side panels 3, wherein in the folding step, the pair of side panels 3 are folded as second pads 32, which rotate in a folding direction in which the side panels 3 are folded with respect to a first pad 31, rotate in the folding direction, while the diaper body 2 is held on the first pad 31 and while the side panels 3 are held by the second pads 32.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Zuiko Corporation
    Inventor: Toyoshi Umebayashi
  • Patent number: 8820035
    Abstract: A sealing machine adapted to support a plurality of different heating/sealing/cutting mechanisms, including tubular heaters and heated cutting blades, is disclosed. The sealing machine utilizes a common interface and mounting system for all side sealers. In addition, in some embodiments, the control system within the sealing machine is adapted to monitor and control the temperature of these various mechanisms automatically so as to create proper seals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Shanklin Corporation
    Inventors: Russell Christman, Thomas Orsini, Todd Brown, Robert Simonelli
  • Patent number: 8800250
    Abstract: An easy-open and reclosable package includes a pouch including a discrete laminate including a tape including a base strip coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive, and a panel section having a die cut defining a die cut segment, the panel section adhered by the PSA to the base strip; the panel section anchored to a first side panel; the second surface of the base strip anchored to the inner surface of a second side panel; and a product in the pouch. The die cut segment is so arranged with respect to the pressure sensitive adhesive that when the package is opened, the package can be reclosed by adhering the pressure sensitive adhesive to the first side panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Cryovac, Inc.
    Inventor: Andrew W. Moehlenbrock
  • Patent number: 8800249
    Abstract: The medicament dispensing machine enables to use vials having various sizes and shapes without changing a part in the machine or without performing a special operation. The medicament dispensing machine contains a discharging unit that receives a vial filled with a medicament from a medicament filling means and discharges out of a vial discharging window. The discharging unit contains a vial gripping means having a pair of gripping arms that grip a vial, a body of gripping means having the vial gripping means, a moving means that moves the vial gripping means from the medicament filling means to the vial discharging window, and an orientation changing mechanism that changes the orientation of the body of gripping means. With a coordination of the movement of the body of gripping means toward the vial discharging window, the orientation changing mechanism makes the gripping arms orient to the vial discharging window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Yuyama Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoji Yuyama, Naoki Koike, Takafumi Imai, Yoshinori Kumano, Akira Maeda, Mitsuhiro Mitani