Patents Examined by Gregory W. Adams
  • Patent number: 10513895
    Abstract: A catwalk for transporting tubular members of a well system includes a substructure, a first transport frame pivotally coupled to the substructure at a first pivotal joint and including a first support surface configured to engage the tubular member, a second transport frame pivotally coupled to the first transport frame at a second pivotal joint and including a second support surface configured to engage the tubular member, and a strut pivotally coupled between the second transport frame and the substructure, wherein the strut is configured to transfer the weight of the tubular member from the second transport frame to the substructure when the tubular member is transported between the first support surface and the second support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: CAMERON INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Max Holand, Dag Holen, Glenn Sæbø
  • Patent number: 10508507
    Abstract: A tubular transfer system is disclosed which includes a trough coupled between a pair of lifting apparatus, a base member coupled to each of the pair of lifting apparatus, a first adjustment device disposed on the pair of lifting apparatus for adjusting a presentation angle of the trough, and a second adjustment device coupled to the base member and a portion of each of the pair of lifting apparatus for adjusting a presentation height of the trough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: FORUM US, INC.
    Inventor: Rogelio Rios
  • Patent number: 10501272
    Abstract: A blister package stacker having a nest inlet for reception of blister packages from a conveyor, a nest assembly for holding one of the blister packages, and a blister package collection tower for storing a stack of the blister packages. The nest assembly is configured to insert one blister package at a time upward into a bottom of the blister package collection tower. The blister package stacker may have a push arm which pushes the stack of the blister packages from the collection tower into storage tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: REMEDI TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventors: Bobby Owen Archer, Bruce Scott Dunn, Jan Bohlmann
  • Patent number: 10501021
    Abstract: One embodiment of a ladder rack system and method of use are described. The system may have a ladder rack frame with an inner rail and an outer rail. The system may also have a ladder rack bed that is selectively moveable with respect to the ladder rack frame. The ladder rack bed may have an inner beam and an outer beam. The system may also have a driveshaft and at least one driveline arm that are connected together. The driveline arm is also connected to the ladder rack bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Adrian Steel Company
    Inventors: Nolin Miller Livingston, Michael Duane Gettel, Mark Dankow, Thomas Richter
  • Patent number: 10501221
    Abstract: An extraction device and method (1) for moving, from a pile (3), a batch (4) of stacked flat products (2) that are not connected to one another and that form the top of the pile (3), with the extraction device (1) including a frame (5), and, mounted in the frame (5), a gripping element (6) in the form of a controlled vise for firmly grasping section by section the batch (4) to be extracted. This device also includes, mounted in the frame (5), a separation element (8), separated from the gripping element (6), carrying a support surface (9) to come under the batch (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: SIDEL PACKING SOLUTIONS
    Inventor: Anthony Gautheron
  • Patent number: 10486608
    Abstract: A ladder rack assembly for a work vehicle has a stationary bed for attachment to the roof thereof. A pair of parallel, spaced apart rails has guides thereon that extend from the rails' first ends toward, but short their second ends. Rollers on side edges of a load support member ride on the bed rails. When the rollers are constrained by the guides, only translation of the load support member takes place. Upon exit of the rollers from the rear ends of the guides, both translation and rotation of the load support member can occur. A control arm is pivotally joined at one end to the stationary bed. Its free end has cam actuated latch pin assemblies attached to it that co-act with cams on the stationary bed during rearward displacement of the load support member to latch the load support member to the control arm whereby further rearward movement of the load support member causes it to tilt to a somewhat vertical position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: ROM Acquisition Corporation
    Inventor: Avraham Y. Levi
  • Patent number: 10479453
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rescue device for a container (7) having container corners (9) loaded onto a damaged ship (110), comprising a crane (50) arranged on a carrier (20, 21, 22), wherein the crane (50) has a front support arm (51), over which a load cable is guided, whose section leading away from the support arm (51) is connected to a container (7) to be unloaded, and the length of which can be changed. The invention is characterized in that the carrier (20, 21, 22) has at least one locking mechanism (204, 205) located opposite the crane (50), by means of which the carrier (20, 21, 22) is temporarily fastened in a releasable manner at the container corners (9) of at least one of the containers (7) fastened on the deck (1) of the damaged ship (110).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Tractebel Overdick GmbH
    Inventor: Reiner Klatte
  • Patent number: 10480265
    Abstract: A combination hydraulic pipe handler and power swivel for providing services normally requiring two machines, two hydraulic systems, two engines, two spaces at a rig site, and two costs to the user. Now only one machine is required. The combination hydraulic pipe handler and power swivel can pick up tubulars, present tubulars safely to the rig floor at an adjustable angle, and provide a tilting power swivel which tilts to the same adjustable angle allowing the rig operator to threadably engage tubulars and lift the tubulars to vertical. Tailing of tubulars with a rope and manpower is not required, thus the operation is much safer than normal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Inventor: Larry G. Keast
  • Patent number: 10480264
    Abstract: An adaptable pipe transitioning system and method that can easily be used with drilling platforms varying in height is provided. The adjustable pipe handler includes a base having a surface forming a track for receiving at least one pipe, a lift arm having a first end being pivotally mounted to the front section of the base and a second end resting against the elevated platform, the lift arm being positionable at an incline from the base, and forming a channel operably corresponding to the track of the base for receiving the at least one pipe therefrom, and a transitioning arm, movably connected to both the base and the lift arm, for positioning the lift arm, the transitioning arm also forming a channel operably corresponding to the track of the base for receiving at least one pipe therefrom and guiding the pipe along the lift arm to the elevated platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: DRILLFORM TECHNICAL SERVICES LTD.
    Inventors: Todd McCorriston, Daniel Huvenaars, Colin Irving, Patrick McDougall, Ronald Pollard
  • Patent number: 10471495
    Abstract: A material separation device comprises a placement component, a blower, a suction component, a suction pad driver, and a controller. The blower blows air at a plurality of aluminum sheets that have been stacked on the placement component to float an uppermost aluminum sheet. The suction component uses suction pads to chuck and hold the uppermost aluminum sheet from above while the air is being blown. The suction pad driver drives the suction component up and down, using servomotors as a drive source. The controller performs control so that the suction pads chucking the aluminum sheet are raised to a temporary stopping position by the suction pad driver, and the suction pads are stopped for a predetermined length of time at the temporary stopping position while the air is stopped, and the suction pads are then raised by the suction pad drivers to a conveyance position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignees: KOMATSU INDUSTRIES CORPORATION, AISAKU CO.,LTD
    Inventors: Yusuke Uedera, Hiromoto Shimada, Shoichi Kambaya, Wataru Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 10464763
    Abstract: A rotary apparatus or machine that takes or receives a barrel stack of mounted tires in the vertical position (i.e., barrel stacked), and rotates the stack as a whole to a horizontal position, where each unit or tire is an upright position. The tires can then be rolled off individually or in multiple units to be installed on the equipment being built, or transported from the tire holding area to the assembly floor or installation area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Inventor: David Strickland, III
  • Patent number: 10464762
    Abstract: A robotic carton unloader is configured for automatic unloading of cartons from a carton pile. In various embodiments, the robotic carton unloader may include a mobile body, a movable robotic arm attached to the mobile body and comprising an end effector, a conveyor system having a front portion, and a lift attached to the mobile body and the front portion of the conveyor system to move the front portion. In some embodiments, the conveyor system may comprise a front-end shelf conveyor configured to be moved (e.g., raised, lowered, laterally moved, tilted, etc.) relative to the body of the unloader. The front-end shelf conveyor may be moved separately for positioning below the robotic arm in order to receive cartons from a small distance. The front-end shelf conveyor may be moved via various mechanisms (e.g., scissor lifts, pedestal lifts, etc.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: INTELLIGRATED HEADQUARTERS, LLC
    Inventor: Michael L. Girtman
  • Patent number: 10457435
    Abstract: Provided is a food container supply device in which a gripping device includes a pair of claws and a pair of shutters which move in each horizontal direction between a forward movement position of contacting a food container and a backward movement position of non-contacting the food container respectively and a control device selects one of gripping operation patterns including an operation of respectively moving the claw and the shutter to the forward movement position at the same time, an operation of moving one of the claw and the shutter to the forward movement position and then moving the other to the forward movement position, and an operation of moving only one of the claw and the shutter to the forward movement position during each operation of extracting the food container in response to a shape of the food container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hisao Iida
  • Patent number: 10457187
    Abstract: A pivoting system has an electronic device pivotably mounted on a cargo platform. A base is coupled to a cargo support. A linkage rod slidably engages with the cargo platform. A proximal pivot pivotably couples the proximal end of the linkage rod arm to the base. A device pivot pivotably couples the electronic device to the cargo platform. A distal pivot pivotably couples the distal end of the linkage rod to the electronic device. The pivoting system causes pivoting of the electronic device between a lower general horizontal position and an upper general horizontal position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Harmar Mobility, LLC
    Inventor: Derek J. Nash
  • Patent number: 10443760
    Abstract: A system for installing and labeling lay flat irrigation pipe in flooded rice and furrow irrigated fields, and a trailer for laying a roll of pipe in an irrigated field. The trailer includes a flexible hitch assembly positioned at a first end of the trailer, wherein the hitch assembly couples the trailer to a vehicle. The trailer also includes a distribution assembly positioned at a second end of the trailer, wherein the distribution assembly includes a spindle and wherein the distribution assembly couples the roll of pipe to the trailer; and a gooseneck frame including a first end coupled to the hitch assembly and a second end coupled to the distribution assembly, with an upper member between the first end and the second end of the gooseneck, wherein the upper member of the gooseneck is elevated relative to the hitch assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
    Inventors: Christopher G. Henry, Henry Earl Kline
  • Patent number: 10435274
    Abstract: A container for maintenance capsule as a component of a maintenance system for an offshore wind turbine maintenance program. The container transports tools, parts and maintenance personnel to and from respective wind turbine towers. The container is seaworthy, watertight and floatable, and can be loaded on a maintenance vessel which carries the container to and from a wind turbine tower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Inventors: Howard M. Chin, Kimberly A. Carraha
  • Patent number: 10435964
    Abstract: The systems, devices, and methods described herein relate to a modular gripperhead system for a drilling rig. The system includes a gripper having a first gripper arm and a second opposing gripper arm, each gripper arm having an inwardly facing gripping surface that forms at least a portion of a chamber sized to receive a portion of a cylindrical tubular, wherein the portion of the chamber has a longitudinal axis. The system also includes a grabber having a first grabber arm and a second grabber arm. Each grabber arm may be displaceable between a retracted position and an extended position in a direction along a first axis that is transverse to the longitudinal axis. The first and second grabber arms may be pivotable about a first and second pivot point between an open position sized to permit a portion of a cylindrical tubular to enter between the first and the second grabber arms and a closed position sized to secure a portion of a cylindrical tubular between the first and the second grabber arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Nabors Drilling Technologies USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Magnuson, Steven K. Deel, Predrag Radovanovic, Djuric Miodrag
  • Patent number: 10421649
    Abstract: A method of providing motion compensation of a subsea package with a synthetic rope comprising attaching the synthetic rope to the subsea package, supporting a first gripper with a wire rope from a winch capable of motion compensation control characteristics and gripping the synthetic rope with the first gripper, supporting a second gripper with a second wire rope, and repeating the following sequence: lowering the first gripper, the synthetic rope, and the subsea package a first distance, gripping the synthetic rope with the second gripper, releasing the first gripper from the synthetic rope, raising the first gripper the first distance, gripping the synthetic rope with the first gripper, releasing the second gripper from the synthetic rope, such that when the subsea package is lowered proximate the subsea landing location the winch capable of operating with motion compensation characteristics can operate to compensate for the vessel motion and smoothly lower the subsea package to the subsea landing location
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Reel Power Licensing Corp.
    Inventor: Benton Frederick Baugh
  • Patent number: 10421630
    Abstract: A device for reducing rotation of an article during singulation of a stack of articles is disclosed. The device may include a torsion element, a rotatable member configured to rotate about an elongated axis of the torsion element between a first position and a second position, and a revolving member coupled to the rotatable member. An outer surface of the revolving member contacts a drive belt in the first position and an article in the second position. The torsion element exerts torque on the rotatable member when it moves from the first position towards the second position. The torque causes the outer surface of the revolving member to apply a frictional force to the article, thereby minimizing rotation of the article. Systems and methods of singulating articles are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: United States Postal Service
    Inventors: John W. Brown, Edward F. Houston, Juan A. Roman, Leung M. Shiu, Riley H. Mayhall, Jacob L. Timm, Reza Badri, Thomas A. Hillerich
  • Patent number: 10421564
    Abstract: Features for systems and methods for loading items into a tray are disclosed. The system may have an item conveyor configured to move the items towards a tray conveyor. The tray conveyor may be configured to move trays to receive items from the item conveyor into the tray. One or more sensors may detect the height of the items on the item conveyor and/or in the tray, and/or the position of the trays on the tray conveyor. A controller may receive data related to the one or more detected heights of the items and/or the position of the trays on the tray conveyor and correspondingly control movement of the item and/or tray conveyors for efficient loading of items into the tray and efficient movement of the trays for further processing. Tray conveyor movement sensors may detect movement of the trays or tray conveyors for further control or reliability of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: United States Postal Service
    Inventors: Dongliang Yang, Shao C. Yang, Christopher R. Simpson, James E. Goodbar, III, Marina E. Khazanov, George Coupar