Patents Examined by Dennis J. Williamson
  • Patent number: 4402394
    Abstract: A conveyor belt scraper is used in combination with a conveyor belt and consists of a primary axle, at least one primary actuator arm attached to and extending from the primary axle, a secondary axle which is preferably concentric with the primary axle and is capable of rotational movement with respect thereto, at least one secondary actuator arm attached to the secondary axle and extending outwardly therefrom, a primary scraper extending from the primary axle which includes a primary blade for engaging a belt, a secondary scraper extending from the secondary axle and including a secondary scraper blade for engaging a belt, an air cylinder attached to and extending between the primary and secondary tension arms, and a mounting bracket for mounting the primary and secondary axles to a support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1983
    Inventor: Donald L. Stoll
  • Patent number: 4401203
    Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for accepting an initially presented population of randomly oriented elongated slender articles which terminate in an enlarged head portion, and providing a high-speed output stream, wherein all said articles are commonly oriented for further mechanical manipulation. The apparatus comprises an input bowl for accepting the articles, which bowl includes a rotatable central disk for feeding objects incident thereupon to the periphery of the disk. A continuous wall member extends upwardly from the disk periphery about a major arced zone, the bottom of the wall member being spaced from the disk to define a gap through which the elongated portion of the articles may protrude while the heads of same continue to ride upon the disk periphery in sliding contact with the side wall. An output section defined adjacent the periphery of the disk at the portion opposed to the arced zone receives and delivers the articles from the disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1983
    Inventors: Walter McDonald, Norbert F. Seitel
  • Patent number: 4397384
    Abstract: A system capable of accommodating variations in individual work station operation, and a method of achieving and maintaining a desired predetermined manufacturing system rate utilizing integrated work station and dual conveyors. First and second conveyors are provided adapted to transport pallets thereon, and the conveyors are mounted so that they are generally parallel to and spaced from each other permitting the integration of automatic work stations between the independent conveyor. The conveyors are powered to run in the same direction, pallets being transported by the first conveyor being transported generally parallel to pallets being transported by the second conveyor. Workpiece acting stations are disposed between and extend between the first and second conveyors for acting upon workpieces brought into an dpositioned therein and retained generally in a static mode for the duration of the operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1983
    Inventor: John E. Nohren, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4397084
    Abstract: An escapement apparatus of this invention accepts a contiguously arrayed plurality of conductors and dispenses them into a carrier spaced apart on centers to facilitate their assembly to a ribbon connector. The escapement apparatus includes a guideway having a first portion which receives the conductor array and which is inclined at an angle to the horizontal. The array is received in the first portion of the guideway and a second, more steeply inclined portion and is biased toward an exit. The exit communicates with a passageway along which is moved a toothed carrier. The carrier includes a plurality of nests having a spacing which corresponds to that of the connector. As the carrier is moved at a velocity which is controlled relative to forces applied to the conductor array in the guideway, the nests are aligned seriatim with the exit to facilitate the movement of a conductor into each nest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1983
    Assignee: Western Electric Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger G. A. Ebrey, Herbert A. Sckerl
  • Patent number: 4396107
    Abstract: A device for transporting flexible workpieces comprises one or more carrying brackets for holding the flexible workpieces having a substantially horizontal receiving rod for receiving the workpieces and a clamping lever movably mounted to the receiving rod having a spring connected thereto for biasing the clamping lever into a closed position to hold the workpieces. The clamping lever has an end portion which extends downwardly beyond the receiving rod so that when the carrying bracket is placed on a holding apparatus which has a support surface, the free end of the clamping lever causes the clamping lever to move into an open position, releasing the workpieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1983
    Assignee: Pfaff Industriemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Stanislaw Krawczyk, Jerzy Nowak, Tadeusz Pawlowski, Jerzy Nowak
  • Patent number: 4396110
    Abstract: A multi-section conveyor is assembled from at least one power driven section and a plurality of non-powered sections that derive operating power from the powered section through a coupler linking the sections in tandem. The conveyor sections each have opposite end rollers with a central roller core carrying a diametric cross-pin. The coupler between each pair of sections consists of a pair of shafts linked to transmit the rotation of one shaft to the other, and each shaft is receivable within one of the roller cores. The shaft end so receivable is slotted to engage the cross-pin and thus becomes locked into rotation with the roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1983
    Inventor: Frantz G. Christensen
  • Patent number: 4392567
    Abstract: A feeder of bulk materials (fuel) comprises according to the invention, a conveyor and a batcher, the case whereof is separated into at least three sections, wherein the case of the batcher incorporates drives having output shafts, each section uses a band for transferring bulk material, with bands in one section moving in opposite direction to bands in other sections, and the sections using the bands of one direction of movement are arranged alternately with the sections using the bands of opposite direction, with the drive of the sections using the bands of the same direction made common to them and furnished with output shafts coupled with shafts of the sections through clutches serving for coupling and uncoupling the drives and shafts, with the batcher case incorporating a receiver tube in the top part thereof for receiving free-flowing material, and an outlet tube in the bottom part thereof serving for delivery of bulk material from the batcher to the conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1983
    Inventors: Vladimir P. Glebov, Georgy V. Krivtsov, Jury V. Danchenkov, Sergei A. Khukhry, Sergei G. Schepotin
  • Patent number: 4384642
    Abstract: Apparatus for individual delivery of fish comprising a substantially V-shaped feed groove in which the fish is given an increasing velocity in the feed direction, the feed groove being provided with feed elements in the form of truncated cones protruding through cut-outs in the groove walls or belts or the like running along the groove walls, the feed elements having mutually increasing speeds towards the bottom of the groove and in the feed direction of the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1983
    Assignee: Trio Engineering Ltd. A/S
    Inventor: Georg Gundersen
  • Patent number: 4381055
    Abstract: A polyvalent suspension balance for the assembly lines of manufactured goods, especially motor vehicles, involving at least one overhead device for coupling to an aerial conveyer drive is disclosed. The suspension balance consists of two vertical curved arms, shaped roughly like a wide-open C, each of which separately connects an overhead coupling piece to at least one lower and separate anchoring member for the substructure of the product to be assembled. The said curved arms are articulated about a more or less vertical axis which has great freedom of movement, thereby making it possible to gain easy access to all of the products during all stages of their assembly. Application is to assembly lines for relatively bulky and complex manufactured goods, especially to the production lines of motor vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1983
    Assignee: Regie Nationale des Usines Renault
    Inventor: Emile Picaud
  • Patent number: 4380285
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for longitudinally aligning particles, such as chips during the manufacture of chipboards, into a preferred direction by means of parallel, vertical aligning plates spaced apart from each other. Sets of alternating spiked and solid discs are mounted above the vertical aligning plates intermeshing with them to prevent clogging and facilitates longitudinal alignment of the particles being fed. The solid discs may have different diameters to facilitate flow. Preloosening rollers are mounted above the aforementioned disc rollers at different levels to more uniformly distribute particles. The central preloosening rollers slightly overlap each other and rotate in opposite directions. Outer preloosening rollers also rotate in opposite directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1983
    Assignee: Carl Schenck A.G.
    Inventors: Wolfgant Burkner, Franz-Josef Ebert
  • Patent number: 4365706
    Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning a conveyor belt comprises a cleaning member mounted on a lever which can move angularly about a pivot axis extending transverse to the run of the belt, the lever also carrying a pressure member arranged to contact the face of the belt opposite to the face to be cleaned, the cleaning member being urged into contact with the surface of the belt by the reaction of the pressure member to movement of the belt causing angular movement of the lever about its pivot axis. The pressure member and cleaning member may be resiliently urged towards one another in the direction of the axis of the lever to enable wear of the cleaning member to be compensated automatically while reducing the angle through which the lever pivots during the useful life of the cleaning member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1982
    Assignee: Champion Conveyor Components Limited
    Inventor: Donald F. Bright
  • Patent number: 4364468
    Abstract: This invention relates to apparatus for coordinating the indexing movement of a conveyor with pivotal movement of a kickout arm for removing workpieces from its delivery end. A double acting fluid powered cylinder alternately indexes the loop and pivots the kickout upon reciprocating movement of first and second piston rods thereof. Preferably, a rack is provided extending axially from the first of the rods. A pinion engages the rack and is operatively connected and disconnected from the loop by a clutch upon stroke of the rod in opposite directions. A collet operatively connects the second piston rod to the kickout arm when the loop is at rest and disconnects said arm therefrom when the loop is being driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1982
    Assignee: United States Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew A. Hetra, Jr., Charles W. Jacob