Patents Examined by Douglass Hess
  • Patent number: 10173864
    Abstract: A moving handrail monitoring system includes a sensor configured to sense at least part of a moving handrail of the passenger conveying device to acquire a data frame; a processing device configured to analyze and process the data frame to monitor whether a tension degree of the moving handrail is in a normal state, wherein the processing device is configured to include: a target object recognition module configured to recognize, based on a sensed movement and/or position and/or color and/or shape, a moving handrail portion that serves as a target object from the data frame; an object feature extraction module configured to extract a tension degree feature of the moving handrail portion; and a judgment module configured to compare the extracted tension degree feature with a system preset interval, and judge whether a current tension degree of the moving handrail is normal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: ZhaoXia Hu, Wilfrid Fuchs, Alois Senger, Hui Fang, Zhen Jia, Jianwei Zhao, Qiang Li, Anna Su, Alan Matthew Finn
  • Patent number: 10046952
    Abstract: A moving handrail monitoring system includes a sensor configured to sense at least part of a moving handrail of the passenger conveying device to acquire a data frame; a processing device configured to analyze and process the data frame to monitor whether a tension degree of the moving handrail is in a normal state, wherein the processing device is configured to include: a target object recognition module configured to recognize, based on a sensed movement and/or position and/or color and/or shape, a moving handrail portion that serves as a target object from the data frame; an object feature extraction module configured to extract a tension degree feature of the moving handrail portion; and a judgment module configured to compare the extracted tension degree feature with a system preset interval, and judge whether a current tension degree of the moving handrail is normal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: ZhaoXia Hu, Wilfrid Fuchs, Alois Senger, Hui Fang, Zhen Jia, Jianwei Zhao, Qiang Li, Anna Su, Alan Matthew Finn
  • Patent number: 7073651
    Abstract: A modular gravity-advance roller conveyor for conveying articles down an inclined path. The conveyor comprises an easy-to-configure modular conveyor mat supported in a conveyor frame with an inclined base. The conveyor mat is constructed of a series of rows of roller-top modules with rollers that extend above the top surface of the mat. Connecting elements along the ends of each row are connected to the connecting elements of adjacent rows to form the mat. The rollers on a roller-top module rotate about an axis of rotation. Modules with rollers that rotate about a given axis of rotation can be combined with modules with rollers that rotate about a different axis of rotation in a variety of patterns to meet common or special conveying requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Laitram, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Mark Costanzo, David W. Riddick
  • Patent number: 7036658
    Abstract: Various conveyor designs suitable for conveying objects along a transport direction and various related link designs are disclosed. The conveyor may include a plurality of the connected links. Each link may have a length extending across the direction of transport and a width extending along the direction of transport, a conveying surface, and at least one gripping member moveable along at least a portion of length of the link from a first position to a second position. The gripping member when in the first position is disposed below the conveying surface of the link, and the gripping member when in the second position is disposed above the conveying surface of the link for contacting one of the objects to hold the object during transport. Various designs of gripping members and related elements are disclosed, including spring loaded, cam driven, rack and pinion, and overhead designs. Various elements of the disclosed designs may be combined in various ways to form numerous link and conveyor options.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Hartness International, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas P. Hartness, William R. Hartness, III, Mark W. Davidson, Frank Brennan, Robert C. Beesley
  • Patent number: 6695134
    Abstract: A joint for toothed belt aimed at conveying articles, with the belt including an inner central layer, which defines the belt body, an upper layer, which defines a surface for receiving articles to be conveyed, and a lower layer featuring teeth, includes: first connecting mechanism, attached in an irremovable way to the central layer in the area of the terminal section of a belt first edge to be joined; second connecting mechanism, attached irremovably to the central layer in the area of the terminal section of a belt second edge to be joined. After the first edge had been moved close to the second edge to complete a closed loop formed by the belt, the first connecting mechanism and second connecting mechanism engage with each other and are reciprocally locked in a removable way by locking mechanism, acting crosswise to the belt in the area of the central layer, to join the first edge and second edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Vision Tech S.r.l.
    Inventors: Carmen Rubino, Attilio Rubino, Michele Barone, Damiano Dondarini, Marco Verri
  • Patent number: 5980198
    Abstract: A method for rapid transportation and loading of stacks of cartons aboard vessels is provided which may include the mounting of slings about the stacks of cartons, transporting the cartons to the dock by a flatbed vehicle, hoisting the stacks of cartons off the flatbed vehicle and into the hold, depositing the cargo onto a landing pad, lifting the cargo off the landing pad with a lift truck, preferably a load push type lift truck, and depositing the cargo in the hold at the appropriate location. A sling pallet and a landing pad for use with the method are also disclosed. The method provides the advantages of improving the quality of the product by, inter alia, reducing the risk of thawing or spoilage, reducing costs by eliminating labor, eliminating the need to remove pallets and debris from within the vessel, reducing the likelihood of injury to workers, saving demurrage charges and speeding the transportation to and loading of the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Stevedoring Services of America, Inc.
    Inventor: W. Sam Coblentz
  • Patent number: 5800118
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for use in manufacture of fed objects which is able to handle (e.g., convey and/or array) the fed objects in a soft manner and prevent the fed objects from suffering mechanical damage. A chamber is provided below a perforated plate having a multiplicity of fine holes formed therein and having an upper surface inclined at an angle relative to a horizontal plane. Compressed air is introduced into the chamber through a supply pipe to be ejected from the upper surface of the perforated plate. The ejected air causes fed objects placed on the upper surface side of the perforated plate to float above the perforated plate and moves them due to the inclination of the upper surface. The fed objects thus moved are received one by one into pockets formed in a rotating stopper wall at a periphery of the perforated plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Kurome, Kouta Tamura, Kenichi Watanabe