Patents Examined by Howard Sanders
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Patent number: 9254976Abstract: A detection apparatus includes a rotating member which rotates in a rotation direction from a standby posture by being pushed by a conveyed sheet, a sensor of which an output is changed as the rotating member rotates from the standby posture, an elastic member which elastically applies a force to the rotating member in a direction opposite to the rotation direction, a first abutting portion which abuts onto the rotating member applied by a force by the elastic member to maintain the rotating member in the standby posture, and a regulation unit which allows the rotating member to rotate in the rotation direction by being pushed by the conveyed sheet and regulates the rotating member not to rotate in the rotation direction by a repulsion force when the rotating member rotated in the opposite direction by an elastic force of the elastic member abuts onto the first abutting portion.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2014Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Satoshi Koga
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Patent number: 9248985Abstract: A sheet feeder configured to hold a separation pad may include a pivotable housing having a connection element for attaching the separation pad. In one example, the connection element may correspond to a protrusion, with the separation pad including one or more corresponding recesses or holes. A fixing member configured to secure the separation pad may be slidably connected in the housing to be slidable, while connected to the housing, between a first position and a second position.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2014Date of Patent: February 2, 2016Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yoshikazu Kawauchi
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Patent number: 9242820Abstract: Disclosed are a sheet feeding apparatus and an image forming apparatus capable of reliably separating and feeding sheets one by one without delay and damage to a sheet for a high speed of a printer or the like. A sheet feeding portion has a nip guide member having a sloped guide surface sloped so as to guide a leading end of a sheet to a separation nip portion such that a guide leading-end is biased to a feed roller with a predetermined distance from the feed roller. A support member supports the nip guide member not to recede from the feed roller when a thickness of a sheet bundle bumping into the sloped guide surface is smaller than a predetermined distance between the feed roller and the guide leading-end and supports the nip guide member to recede from the feed roller when the thickness is larger than the predetermined distance.Type: GrantFiled: January 2, 2014Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Emi Machii, Koji Kawamura
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Patent number: 9242828Abstract: To take blanks of sheets for producing laminated glass, from a cutting table, an adjustable takeoff roller onto which the sheet blanks are wound is used. To fix the beginning of the sheet blank to be taken off to the takeoff roller, openings for applying negative pressure are provided in the lateral surface of the takeoff roller. When a sheet blank is taken from the cutting table, the takeoff roller is brought into position at the beginning of the sheet blank to be taken off, the blank is fixed to the takeoff roller and the takeoff roller is then moved along the cutting table while rotating about its own axis, and so the sheet blank is wound up around the lateral surface of the takeoff roller. For laying down the sheet blank onto a glass pane during the production of laminated glass, a correspondingly reversed procedure may be used.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2012Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: LISEC Austria GmbHInventor: Leopold Mader
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Patent number: 9244419Abstract: A sheet compression apparatus includes a pair of nipping members configured to be movable so as to contact and separate from each other and to compress a sheet while the sheet is nipped, and a contact/separation mechanism configured to perform a contact/separation operation of the pair of nipping members, and the contact/separation mechanism separates the nipping members from each other until a leading edge of the sheet fed by the sheet feeding unit passes between the nipping members, and then relatively moves the pair of nipping members closer to each other to start the nipping of the sheet so the sheet is compressed.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2012Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kazunari Hatazaki
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Patent number: 9233808Abstract: A paper feeder includes a document loading tray 2, a pickup roller 5 and an actuator. The actuator protrudes on a stacking face of the paper sheet stacking tray 2 and senses a paper sheet when touched, pushed and moved by a front edge thereof that is set. The actuator includes a first actuator 21 and a second actuator 22 that are fixed on a common swing shaft. The first actuator 21 is an actuator adapted for paper sheets of first sizes in width direction. The second actuator 22, disposed within business card width at an inner position than the first actuator 21 in width direction, is an actuator adapted for paper sheets of small sizes under normal paper sizes. An end on sensing side 221 of the second actuator 22 is located upstream in paper feed direction from an end on sensing side 211 of the first actuator 21.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2014Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yasumasa Morimoto
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Patent number: 9234838Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods to improve detection of PET polymer materials within a waste material to be sorted. The methods disclosed allow for municipal solid waste to be separated so that PET polymer materials, including those containing liquids, are separated for recycling, or other purposes. PET polymer materials, such as water bottles which have been disposed of while still containing liquid may now be separated by the enhanced methods disclosed herein.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2013Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: National Recovery Technologies, LLCInventor: Edward J. Sommer, Jr.
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Simplified valuable mineral sorting apparatus and method of sorting valuable minerals using the same
Patent number: 9227197Abstract: Disclosed herein is a simplified valuable mineral sorting apparatus including, a first storage tank which accommodates a mixture of water and heavy powder and includes a specific gravity measurement module; a second storage tank accommodating a portion of the mixture exceeding a capacity level line of the first storage tank; a first discharge tube which is connected to the first storage tank and the second storage tank to introduce the excess portion of the mixture into the second storage tank, and which is positioned at the capacity level line of the first storage tank; a second discharge tube which is connected to the first storage tank to discharge the mixture in the first storage tank and which includes a flow rate control module; a specific gravity sorting device which includes a sorting container for receiving the mixture discharged from the second discharge tube and which changes a slope of the sorting container to sort minerals from the mixture in the sorting container; and a control unit for controllType: GrantFiled: September 14, 2014Date of Patent: January 5, 2016Assignee: KOREA INSTITUTE OF GEOSCIENCE AND MINERAL RESOURCESInventor: Hyeoncheol Kim -
Patent number: 9227229Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods to improve detection of PET polymer materials within a waste material to be sorted. The methods disclosed allow for municipal solid waste to be separated so that PET polymer materials, including those containing liquids, are separated for recycling, or other purposes. PET polymer materials, such as water bottles which have been disposed of while still containing liquid may now be separated by the enhanced methods disclosed herein.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2013Date of Patent: January 5, 2016Assignee: National Recovery Technologies, LLCInventor: Edward J. Sommer, Jr.
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Patent number: 9216876Abstract: A paper discharge device includes: an end fence to restrict leading end positions of paper sheets discharged to a paper receiving tray; a lift mechanism to lower the paper receiving tray by a prescribed distance upon reach of a top surface position of the paper sheets stacked on the paper receiving tray to a reference position; an ultrasonic sensor to emit an ultrasonic wave in a horizontal direction toward the paper receiving tray from upstream of the paper receiving tray in a discharge direction in a prescribed height range including the reference position and portions above and below the reference position, and receive a reflected wave from a detection target; and a detector to detect the top surface position on a basis of changes in a reception level of the reflected wave over an elapsed time from an emission of the ultrasonic wave.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2014Date of Patent: December 22, 2015Assignee: RISO KAGAKU CORPORATIONInventor: Masao Suzuki
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Patent number: 9216867Abstract: A sheet feeder, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet tray on which a recording medium is loaded, a regulating member, a link mechanism, and a guide storage. The regulating member is movably disposed to regulate a position of the recording medium loaded on the sheet tray and has guide portions having a height higher than a maximum possible thickness of a sheet stack loadable on the sheet tray and the height thereof is changeable. The link mechanism rotatably supports the sheet tray with respect to a tray storing position and a sheet feeding position. The guide storage stores the guide portions of the regulating member as the link mechanism moves the sheet tray from the sheet feeding position to the tray storing position and has a depth set to be greater than a length in a height direction of the guide portions.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2014Date of Patent: December 22, 2015Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventor: Jumpei Aoyama
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Patent number: 9211738Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes: an apparatus casing in which a transport path for transporting a sheet is formed; a first sheet support unit having a first support surface configured to support the sheet; a feed unit configured to feed the sheet supported by the first support surface to the transport path; a second sheet support unit having a second support surface configured to support the sheet; a transport unit configured to transport the sheet from the first and second sheet support units via the transport path; and a recording unit configured to record an image on the sheet transported by the transport unit in the transport path. The first and second sheet support units are arranged on one side surface of the apparatus casing, and the first and second support surfaces are configured to incline with respect to a placement surface on which the apparatus casing is placed.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2013Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yuta Uchino, Wataru Sugiyama
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Patent number: 9199245Abstract: A water supply launder reducing imbalance of the flow amounts of the ore slurry and the additive water on the upper surface of the shaking table, and producing flow throughout the upper surface of the shaking table. The water supply launder included in a table gravity concentrator 1 to supply water to a table 2 of the table gravity concentrator 1 includes a launder body 20 which receives water supplied from a water supply unit 23 to an upper surface 21a of the launder body 20, and supplies the water to the table 2 of the table gravity concentrator 1, and a distribution member 30 which is attached to a lower surface 21b of the launder body 20, and contacts water dropping from the upper surface 21a of the launder body 20 and flowing to the table 2 of the table gravity concentrator 1 to distribute the water.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2014Date of Patent: December 1, 2015Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.Inventors: Hideki Kikutani, Daishi Ochi, Takeshi Nakamura
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Patent number: 9193553Abstract: The stacking wheel has one or a plurality of first and second stacking-wheel disks which are disposed on an axle in a mutually concentric relationship and spaced apart in the axial direction. Distributed over their circumference, the stacking-wheel disks respectively have a plurality of sheet slots for receiving a sheet and are disposed in a mutually staggered relationship in a portion of the sheet slots. An azimuthal profile offset of the stacking-wheel disks has the effect that the sheet slots of the first stacking-wheel disk run ahead of or run behind the sheet slots of the second stacking-wheel disk. The sheet slots of the first and second stacking-wheel disks have at their radially inside end an azimuthal profile offset that is reduced or eliminated again up to the slot end of the sheet slots. This avoids damage to the stacked sheets.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2013Date of Patent: November 24, 2015Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient GMBHInventor: Markus Haberstroh
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Patent number: 9187261Abstract: A device for rotating flat products, in particular sheets or stacks of sheets, moved in a first direction from a first orientation into a second orientation, by a predetermined total rotation angle, by means of a first rotating device, in which the product is rotated first by a first rotation angle, and by means of at least one second rotating device, in which the product is later rotated by a second rotation angle. The first and second rotating devices are arranged one after the other in transport direction, and each rotating device includes rotating elements, which engage with the product for the rotating process. In order to be able to process products having different formats at the highest possible throughput and as failure-free as possible, and in order to ensure as mild a treatment of the products as possible, at least the first rotating device includes switchable engagement elements by means of which the rotating elements can be engaged with or disengaged from the product at selected times.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2013Date of Patent: November 17, 2015Assignee: BOEWE SYSTEC GMBHInventor: Bernd Hoepner
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Patent number: 9174471Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes: an apparatus casing in which a transport path for transporting a sheet is formed; a first sheet support unit having a first support surface configured to support the sheet; a feed unit configured to feed the sheet supported by the first support surface to the transport path; a second sheet support unit having a second support surface configured to support the sheet; a transport unit configured to transport the sheet from the first and second sheet support units via the transport path; and a recording unit configured to record an image on the sheet transported by the transport unit in the transport path. The first and second sheet support units are arranged on one side surface of the apparatus casing, and the first and second support surfaces are configured to incline with respect to a placement surface on which the apparatus casing is placed.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2013Date of Patent: November 3, 2015Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yuta Uchino, Wataru Sugiyama
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Patent number: 9176079Abstract: The invention relates to a device (10; 10a) for controlling pharmaceutical products (1) in particular, hard gelatin capsules, by means of a radiation source (11) preferably designed as an X-ray source, comprising a storage device (13) which receives the products (1) in an uncontrolled manner, and from which the products (1) are transferred to a transport element (15) in which the products (1) are arranged such that they form at least one row. The products (1) are transported in a clocked manner in the radiation area (25) of the radiation source (11) which exposes the products (1) to radiation, preferably perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof. A first stopping device (20) for separating the products (1) in the row is arranged upstream of the radiation source (11) in the direction of transportation (18) of the products (1), and at least one sensor element (28, 28a) coupled to an evaluation device (30) captures the radiation which passed through the products (1).Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2012Date of Patent: November 3, 2015Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventors: Werner Runft, Iulian Maga, Jens Schlipf, Martin Vogt
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Patent number: 9162842Abstract: Provided is a medium receiving cassette that includes a medium receiving portion in which a medium is received, a medium support tray which is pivotally provided on the medium receiving portion and of which a state can be switched, in a pivoting manner, between a received state in which the medium support tray is positioned above the medium receiving portion and a medium support surface for supporting the medium is directed downward and an expanded state in which the medium support surface is directed upward and at least a part of the medium support surface is expanded outside the medium receiving portion, and a drawer portion which is drawn out from the medium receiving portion to extend a length of the medium receiving portion in a medium discharging direction.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2014Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Shintaro Komuro
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Patent number: 9156036Abstract: There is provided a workpiece separation apparatus permitting input of a mixture of workpieces and chips stably within a flow current and separating them accurately and efficiently. The workpiece separation apparatus includes an input cylinder inserted within a separating container, and a fluid supplying means arranged so as to supply fluid to the separating container from a part lower than a lower end of the input cylinder, and configured such that the fluid overflows and flows out of the upper end of the separating container due to a flow current generated within the separating container, and such that the level of the fluid rises up in the input cylinder and the fluid does not flow out of the upper end of the input cylinder, but is maintained substantially in a resting state and at a level above the level of the upper end of the separating container.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2014Date of Patent: October 13, 2015Assignees: Citizen Holdings Co. Ltd., Citizen Machinery Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shozen Yanakawa, Hiroshi Kasuya, Kyota Kotake, Satoru Akimoto, Takahiro Mogi, Youji Takeuchi, Umeo Tsuyusaki
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Patent number: 9156644Abstract: A printing apparatus according to one aspect of this invention automatically discharges, of sheets remaining on a conveyance path when a sheet being conveyed jams, dischargeable sheets to one of a plurality of sheet retraction units. At this time, the printing apparatus detects the stacked state of sheets discharged to the sheet retraction unit. When the printing apparatus detects that the sheet retraction unit has become a predetermined state, it changes the discharge destination of sheets to be conveyed to the sheet retraction unit, thereby controlling not to further discharge a sheet to that sheet retraction unit. According to this control, when retracting sheets remaining on the conveyance path upon occurrence of a jam in the printing apparatus, occurrence of a new jam can be prevented.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2014Date of Patent: October 13, 2015Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Takuto Harada