Patents Examined by Gene Crawford
  • Patent number: 9643788
    Abstract: A toothed belt for transporting objects includes a strip-shaped belt body, which supports tooth profiles, which are molded on one side thereof and are arranged uniformly distributed in the longitudinal direction of the toothed belt. At least one tooth profile has at least one recess in which a support roller is arranged, the bearing surface of the support roller protrudes past the top face of the associated tooth profile for supporting the toothed belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: BRECO Antriebstechnik Breher GmbH & Co., KG
    Inventor: Thomas Steinert
  • Patent number: 9637363
    Abstract: A conveyor frame for a conveyor system, having a lifting table, particularly a scissor-lift table, and a storage device for electrical energy for supplying an electrical lifting table drive for raising and/or lowering the lifting table, in which the maximum electrical power consumption of the lifting table is greater than the maximum electrical power consumption of all other electrical devices of the conveyor frame supplied by the storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Inventor: Christoph Mohr
  • Patent number: 9637314
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a machine (8) for processing and/or packaging objects, said machine having an essentially horizontal conveying section (10) for conveying articles, packages, and/or packaging units, which conveying section (10) comprises a first horizontal conveying device (14) with at least one conveying means (15) for a first operating mode, which horizontal conveying device (14) can be replaced by a further horizontal conveying device (24) with at least one second conveying means (25) that is different from the first conveying means (15) in order to establish at least one further operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Krones Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Juergen Werner, Herbert Spindler, Thomas Wimmer
  • Patent number: 9637353
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a monitoring module and an escalator/autowalk including the monitoring module. A monitoring device comprises: a first component disposed on one of the driving device of the escalator or autowalk and a fixed device; and a recess portion disposed on the other of the driving device of the escalator or autowalk and the fixed device and configured to receive at least a part of the first component; wherein a relative movement between the recess portion and the first component triggers the first component so as to indicate a movement of the driving device. By applying the monitoring device of the present disclosure, it is possible to achieve monitoring the movement of the driving device of the escalator or autowalk in multiple directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jim Jin Anquan, Yi Ding Wang
  • Patent number: 9638710
    Abstract: A laboratory automation system is described, comprising pairs of conveyor belts accommodating devices for conveying biological samples and actuated by a motorized traction device. Said motorized traction device includes a first and a second motor, each adapted to actuate both said pairs of belts a central control unit being adapted to control the simultaneous or alternating actuation of said motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: INPECO HOLDING LTD.
    Inventor: Gianandrea Pedrazzini
  • Patent number: 9637316
    Abstract: The invention relates to an auger feeder of concrete mix having a helical segment, which auger feeder has at least one insert (22), which is manufactured of material that is softer than that used for manufacturing the auger feeder's helical segment. One insert (22) is mounted on a downstream end of the auger feeder. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing an auger feeder, which method includes manufacture of a helical segment of the auger feeder, in which method at least one insert is manufactured from a material softer than that used for the auger feeder's helical segment. The insert (22) is to be mounted on a downstream end of the auger feeder of the casting of the auger feeder's helical segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Elematic Oyj
    Inventor: Tapio Kukka
  • Patent number: 9633503
    Abstract: The present application provides a vendor for vending a number of products. The vendor may include a cooler and a vending device positioned within the cooler. The vending device may include a number of product shelves with a number of product gates and one or more product locking systems that permit the removal of only one product at a time from the product gates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
    Inventors: Jurgen Roekens, Antonio Feltrin, Willy Van Esch
  • Patent number: 9633504
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for the purchase of and/or free sampling of products. The systems, methods, and/or apparatus may permit push notifications of purchased products and/or free product samples being available and may permit the use of mobile devices and/or mobile device applications to be used to purchase products or dispense free samples of products via a product dispenser or vending machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Inventors: Michael J Kline, Denise Lisa Salvucci
  • Patent number: 9623600
    Abstract: A method of conveying plastics material pre-forms includes the plastics material pre-forms supplied to a conveying device by a supply device. The conveying device has a first roller body and a second roller body. The plastics material pre-form is conveyed between these roller bodies. A portion of the plastics material pre-forms is supported by the two roller bodies. A further portion of the plastics material pre-forms passes through between the roller bodies. At least one first value characteristic of a state of occupation of the plastics material pre-forms is detected by a first measuring instrument. A second value characteristic is detected by a second measuring instrument downstream of the first measuring instrument in the conveying direction of the plastics material pre-forms. A setting variable of the supply device or the conveying device is controlled on the basis of the two values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Krones, AG
    Inventors: Martin Seger, Juergen Beutl, Johannes Vierheilig, Florian Nebl, Christian Paul, Andreas Seidl
  • Patent number: 9622612
    Abstract: A device for orienting and feeding capsules in a beverage producing machine includes a container that receives randomly oriented capsules, and a rotor that is rotatable around a rotation axis and is at least partly arranged in the container. The rotor is provided with at least one peripherally arranged capsule-receiving seat that is shaped to pick up a capsule oriented in a univocally determined orientation. Further, a capsule unloading duct with a duct inlet is arranged in the container and extends outside the container. The rotor is arranged to rotate around the rotation axis such to, during use, lift a capsule towards a position above the duct inlet, and the capsule-receiving seat is arranged to release the capsule under an influence of gravity from the position above the duct inlet into the duct inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Marco Righetti
  • Patent number: 9611085
    Abstract: A plurality of moist pads are arranged in two stacks (36,40) such that the pads (32,34) of the stacks (36,40) overlap in a partial region in such a manner that a pad (24) of a second stack (40) protrudes into the partial region (74) between two pads (32) of a first stack (36). The pads (32) of the first stack (36) and the pads (34) of the second stack (40) each have a material cut-out (50) at the edge in order to form a gripping aid, and the pads (32) of the first stack (36) and of the second stack (40) are each oriented in such a manner that the material cut-outs (50) of the pads (32) of the first stack and the material cut-outs of the pads of the second stack jointly define the partial region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: CMC Consumer Medical Care GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Mangold, Angela Roempp
  • Patent number: 9611097
    Abstract: A warehousing system for storing and retrieving goods disposed in containers is provided. The system includes a multilevel storage array including an array of storage shelves for holding containers thereon, at least one substantially continuous lift for transporting containers to and from at least one level of the storage array, at least one transport vehicle located on the at least one level and configured to traverse a transport area transporting containers between the at least one continuous lift and container storage locations so that the at least one continuous lift communicates non-deterministically, via the transport vehicle, with storage locations of each of the storage shelves on the at least one level, an infeed transport system linked to the at least one continuous lift, and an order fulfillment station for generating order containers corresponding to customer orders where the order containers are entered onto the storage shelves of the storage array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Symbotic, LLC
    Inventor: John Lert
  • Patent number: 9598222
    Abstract: Provided is a medicine dispensing device including: a medicine mounting portion that transports medicines mounted thereon; a dispensing portion that moves between a receiving position at which the medicines transported by the medicine mounting portion are received and a dispensing position at which the received medicines are dispensed; and a position movement preventing portion that prevents position movement of the medicines to be received later on when the medicines are received by the dispensing portion. The medicine dispensing device further includes a guide portion that guides the medicines mounted on the medicine mounting portion to a position corresponding to the receiving position, defines a space in which the medicines enter the dispensing portion at the receiving position, and causes a size of the entrance space to be adjusted based on sizes of the medicines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: JVM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jun Ho Kim
  • Patent number: 9592962
    Abstract: An apparatus for arranging and transferring ammunition, includes a slope conveyor, which is configured into an endless track structure so as to lift cartridges placed on a transfer track thereof using magnetic force, a plurality of permanent magnets, which are arranged on the slope conveyor so as to create a magnetic field outside the transfer track, one or more hole sifters, which are disposed near an outer surface of the transfer track and which have cartridge passage holes formed at locations through which the plurality of permanent magnets pass, and magnetizing controllers including electromagnets, which are disposed above and under the hole sifters and are assigned to the plurality of permanent magnets, wherein the magnetizing controllers detect a position of the permanent magnet when the permanent magnet passes through the cartridge passage hole, and controls the electromagnets to create a magnetic field, having polarity, orientation and density at least one of which is controlled, above or under the ho
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: POONGSAN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Dong Hee Lee
  • Patent number: 9592983
    Abstract: A missort prevention system prevents missorts in a sortation conveying system. The missort prevention system includes a sensor for detecting the presence of an unexpected article on a chute transitioning articles off of a conveyor and a missort preventer for blocking the further passage of the unexpected article on the chute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Laitram, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Mark Costanzo, David Herbert Myers, Matthew L. Fourney
  • Patent number: 9586766
    Abstract: A conveying apparatus includes a conveying portion configured to convey conveyed items at a predetermined speed, a speed adjustment portion arranged midway in the conveying portion, the speed adjustment portion being configured to adjust the conveying speed of the conveyed items, a thickness detector arranged further upstream in conveying direction than the speed adjustment portion, the thickness detector being configured to detect a thickness of the conveyed items; a gap detector arranged further upstream in conveying direction than the speed adjustment portion of the conveying portion, the gap detector being configured to detect a preceding gap between a conveyed item and the conveyed item that is conveyed immediately in front of that conveyed item and a following gap between that conveyed item and the conveyed item that is conveyed immediately behind that conveyed item; and a control device configured to control the adjustment speed of the conveyed item by the speed adjustment portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Toshiki Nakano
  • Patent number: 9586762
    Abstract: A long-bar handling apparatus that delivers a desired size and shape of long-bar quickly and efficiently for shearing, bending, or further processing. The long-bar is loaded in slots in multiple rotating disk plates. A slot opening and closing mechanism, such as a pivot arm, is utilized to prevent loaded long-bar from falling out of slots during portions of rotation. The slot opening and closing mechanism opens on the top portion of rotation for loading and removing the long-bar for processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: S&M Precast Inc.
    Inventor: Raymond L. Graf
  • Patent number: 9579155
    Abstract: A boxed glove dispenser has a front and an opposite back, two spaced apart ends connecting the front and the back, a top connecting the front, back, and ends, and a bottom opposite the top. The bottom has a lesser depth than the top and connects to the front and the back using two rails. The rails provide two edges parallel to the length of the dispenser and elevate a box placed upon the rails slightly above the bottom. The bottom also has a grate centered in it. The grate has a transverse orientation to the length of the bottom. The grate operates as an opening into the dispenser, yet the opening limits a medical provider's access within the dispenser to no more than two fingers while promoting single glove retrieval from any glove box placed within the dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Inventor: Michael J. Cosentino, II
  • Patent number: 9582752
    Abstract: A device for determining an occupancy rate of a conveying means is provided. The device comprises an adjusting means for adjusting at least one detecting means such that the at least one detecting means detects, after detecting the freight conveyed by the conveying means, the conveying means without conveyed freight, or such that the at least one detecting means detects, after detecting the conveying means without conveyed freight, the freight conveyed by the conveying means, and a determining means for determining a current occupancy rate of the conveying means on the basis of the position of the at least one detecting means, which was adjusted by the adjusting means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventors: Christian Paul, Johannes Vierheilig, Juergen Waetzold, Michael Keppler
  • Patent number: 9580249
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a conveyor belt which is comprised of a carry cover layer, a reinforcement layer which is situated below the carry cover layer, and a pulley cover layer which is situated below the reinforcement layer, wherein the carry cover layer is comprised of neodymium polybutadiene rubber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Veyance Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mayu Si, Heng-Huey Yang, Watudura Prabodha Upul Silva, Michael K. Stockdale, Thomas George Burrowes