Patents Examined by Kenneth W. Bower
  • Patent number: 6830161
    Abstract: In a casing, a grasp means and a movement means are provided. The movement means is driven and controlled by a control means with a container box being positioned in a specified position based on coordinate data of an injection drug housing member preinstalled in a coordinate data table for moving the injection drug housing member to a graspable position by the grasp means. Next, after grasped by the grasp means, the injection drug housing member is automatically transported to a desired position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: Yuyama Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoji Yuyama, Tsuyoshi Kodama, Naoki Koike, Akitomi Kohama, Hiroshi Hashimoto, Masahiko Kasuya, Takayuki Fujikawa, Hiroyasu Hamada
  • Patent number: 6820873
    Abstract: The present invention includes apparatus and methods for feeding a mailpiece along a feed path in a mailing machine. An endless drive belt has a lower belt run adapted to feed a mailpiece in a downstream direction. A plurality of pivot arms are mounted in a sequence below the lower belt run. Each pivot arm has a respective roller mounted on a free end of the pivot arm. A respective bias mechanism associated with each pivot arm biases the pivot arm in an upward direction such that the roller contacts the lower belt run. A first pivot arm actuates a second pivot arm in a downward direction when the first pivot arm is actuated in a downward direction by a mailpiece fed by the endless belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventor: Walter J. Kulpa
  • Patent number: 6811151
    Abstract: The invention is to provide a paper feeding apparatus and a driving method thereof for an office machine. The office machine includes a paper accommodating device and a paper processing apparatus. The paper accommodating device is for accommodating paper sheets to be processed by the paper processing apparatus. The paper feeding apparatus is for feeding the paper sheets accommodated by the paper accommodating device one by one to the paper processing apparatus. The paper feeding apparatus includes a pickup roller, a delivery roller, a pair of feeding rollers, a detection device, a transmission gear assembly, a drive motor and a controller. The detection device detects a leading edge and a trailing edge of the paper sheet delivered by the paper feeding apparatus. In particular, the paper feeding apparatus is a simple-configuration, light-weight and compact component and capable of feeding paper sheets accurately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Benq Corporation
    Inventors: Yen Wei-Feng, Yang Kun-Yee
  • Patent number: 6805342
    Abstract: In accordance with printer-control method and printer-control apparatus according to the present invention, in speed control for a paper-supply motor from the time when a paper-supply roller starts a paper-supply operation to the time when an upper end of a printing paper abuts against a paper-feed roller and a driven roller thereof and then the paper-supply motor is stopped with the upper end portion of the printing paper being nipped by the paper-feed roller and the driven roller thereof, when a difference between a target speed and a current speed in a constant speed section under feedback control becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined value, a proportional gain coefficient used for speed control calculation is changed to a value which is larger than an usual value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Takahara, Tetsuji Takeishi
  • Patent number: 6805260
    Abstract: A device for feeding sheets to a sheet-processing machine includes a feeding table. Front lays are disposed at a front end of the feeding table, as viewed in a sheet-conveying direction. A first guide device is disposed immediately upstream from the front lays, as viewed in the sheet-conveying direction, and above the feeding table, and is adjustable vertically with respect to the feeding table. A second guide device is disposed upstream from the vertically adjustable first guide device, as viewed in the sheet-conveying direction. The second guide device is disposed in a position oriented parallel to the first guide device. A method of operating the sheet-feeding device is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Ralf Wadlinger
  • Patent number: 6805346
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention comprises a apparatus for stacking mailpieces comprising elongated intermittently rotating S-elements, one of the rotating S-elements has an S-shaped cross section, the other of the rotating S-elements has a mirror image of the S-shape cross section. In the preferred embodiment, a new mailpiece to be stacked enters the stacker below the top curve of the rotating S-shaped elements, and above the shelf-like center portion of the S-shaped elements. The imaged portion of the mailpiece (i.e. the top side) does not contact the stack or the S-shaped elements while being moved into the stacker. The likelihood of smearing is greatly reduced. Once the new mailpiece is moved into the area below the stack and between the two rotating S-shaped elements, the two elements are rotated. This action lifts the new mailpiece upward directly into contact with the bottom of the stack, thus lifting the entire stack by the thickness of the new mailpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventor: Denis J. Stemmle
  • Patent number: 6799760
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention comprises a means for holding the stack in a tilted position, the means comprising a tilted base; a sliding retainer positioned to support a side of the stack that is tilted toward the sliding retainer by the means for holding the stack in a tilted position; a first input area positioned above retainer element; a second input area positioned below the retainer element and above the means for holding the stack in a tilted position; a second input area positioned below the retainer element and above the means for holding the stack in a tilted position; and a translating carriage means attached to the means for holding the stack in a tilted position, the translating carriage means movable in an about vertical direction in response to a control signal indicating the direction of about vertical movement; whereby the apparatus is configured to selectably add mailpieces to the top of the vertical stack via the first input area or the bottom of the vertical stack via the second
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventor: Denis J. Stemmle
  • Patent number: 6793216
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device comprises a conveying mechanism for conveying a sheet material almost horizontally; and a supporting member movably attached to the conveying mechanism for supporting a sheet material, at least two or more supporting members being provided as aforesaid supporting member in the widthwise direction of conveyance substantially orthogonal to the conveying direction of sheet material, and at least one or more of the aforesaid supporting members being capable of supporting a sheet material in positions having different heights in the direction substantially perpendicular to the sheet material, and further, the positions of the aforesaid supporting members for supporting a sheet material being variable substantially in the same direction as the conveying direction of sheet material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takao Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6793213
    Abstract: In a feeding apparatus for material sheets, package blanks (B) are stored stacked in layers in a hopper (2) that opens downward, for example. A plurality of stopper guides (20) are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the package blanks (B) at the outlet of the hopper (2). Restrainer lugs (24) are located continuous with the guide surfaces (22) of the stopper guides (20). The package blanks (B) are supported in layers on the stopper guides (20), and the lowest one is supported directly on the guide surfaces (22). Since guide surfaces are inclined in the direction of delivery of the package blanks (B), the lowest one of the package blanks (B) deflects to the maximum degree, and a gap is formed between the lowest package blank and the overlying package blank (B). Further, the package blank (B) can be delivered as it gets over the restrainer lugs (24) by elastic deformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Japan Tobacco, Inc.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Ito, Masahiro Imuta
  • Patent number: 6789794
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device has a conveyance guide for guiding a sheet conveyed from a photosensitive drum and a transfer roller of a transfer portion to a pressurizing roller and a fixing roller of a fixing device, and the conveyance guide has a second guide surface and a third guide surface, the bending point of the guide surfaces being situated above the intersection of the nip plane of the photosensitive drum and the transfer roller and the nip plane of the pressurizing roller and the fixing roller and in a region on the side opposite to the direction in which the sheet is separated from the conveyance guide with respect to the nip planes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideaki Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 6786484
    Abstract: Stacks of flexible sheets, such as printed slotted and scored corrugated paperboard box blanks, are inverted during travel along a sheet stacker. A plurality of sheet inverter fingers, each with a friction enhancing surface on a free end, are interdigitated between the belts of the sheet stacker. These fingers engage the leading ends of the stacks and invert the stacks during continued forward travel of the stacks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Sebring Container Corp.
    Inventor: Richard W. Smith
  • Patent number: 6786481
    Abstract: There is provided a sheet feeding device, which is provided with a paper supply member which feeds a sheet of paper on the top of stack of paper, the paper supply member being actuated by an actuator. The sheet feeding device further provided with a control system which controls the paper supply member, the control system having a stable sheet feeding operation mode in which the control system drives the paper supply member for a first time period initially, then stops the paper supply member after the first time period terminates, and then drives the paper supply member for a second time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takamitsu Kawai, Koji Takito, Yukio Shiohara, Takatoshi Takemoto, Hiroshi Suzuki, Tetsuya Ouchi
  • Patent number: 6783026
    Abstract: An articulated flag body member permitting bi-directional passage of an object. The articulated flag body member has a flag body pivotably connected to a flag foot. As rotation of the flag foot occurs in one direction, the flag body rotates by engagement of a recess of the flag foot with a stop member extending along a projecting leg of the flag body. As the flag body rotates, a notch at the upper portion of the flag body changes positions such that light, or other signals, may no longer pass through the notch. Thus, positional indication of an object detected by rotation of the flag body. As rotation of the flag foot occurs in an opposite direction, an object may be extricated or removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Richard G. Chambers, Craig F. Robillard, Barry G. Mannie, Donald B. Maclane
  • Patent number: 6769566
    Abstract: A diaper storage and dispensing device and method is disclosed including a housing having an interior within which a stack of diapers is stored. The diapers are preferably stacked on top of a movable platform. The housing includes an access aperture through which the device can be stocked with diapers. The movable platform is preferably under tension in order to press the diapers upward. A dispensing opening is located toward the top of the device. The top diaper is aligned with the dispensing opening, and a diaper displacement mechanism operates to advance a single diaper at least partially out through the dispensing opening. The displacement mechanism is operated by a user pressing on a lever such as a foot pedal. After the diaper is removed, the next diaper in the stack is aligned with the displacement mechanism and the dispensing opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Inventors: Lori A. Rubin, Thomas J. Broeski
  • Patent number: 6763971
    Abstract: A candy dispenser transfers candy packaged in a loading container through a valve into a dispensation magazine when the dispenser is in a first orientation. The candies can subsequently be dispensed from the magazine when the dispenser is inverted. A manually-operated plunger mechanism then removes the candies from the magazine. The dispenser provides a sanitary container for the candies and also provides operating interest to the user. Additional candies can be loaded into the dispensation magazine by replacing the loading container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Inventor: Kui Kwong Tong
  • Patent number: 6764070
    Abstract: A method and system for sheet accumulating wherein a web of material is cut into groups of cut sheets and a right-angle transport device is used to collate the cut sheets into packets. Because the cut sheets in each packet are moved into and out of the right-angle transport device in separate paths with different pathlengths, the cut sheets overlap with each other by an overlapped amount as they exit the right-angle transport device. A path deflector having a curved path is used in at least one of the paths in order to reduce the pathlength difference, thereby increasing the overlapped amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: PitneyBowes Inc.
    Inventors: John R. Masotta, Gregory P. Skinger, John W. Sussmeier, William J. Wright
  • Patent number: 6761352
    Abstract: A system for detecting overlapped flat objects in a sequence of flat objects have at least one of their edges exposed for viewing as they pass along a feed path. The system includes a sensor for generating a signal in response to detecting a flat object in the feed path and a camera responsive to the signal for capturing a digital image of the exposed edges of the detected flat object in the feed path. A vision system is coupled to the camera for receiving the digital image. The vision system analyzes at least a portion of the image to determine a pixel density variation along a direction perpendicular to the edges and uses the pixel density variation to output an indication of the number of edges in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Omron Canada Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Paul Scicluna, Jeffrey Charles Neal, Douglas Craig Browne
  • Patent number: 6761351
    Abstract: Systems and methods of registration system control are provided that compensate for differences in physical properties of various substrates being transported through the system that impact velocity of the substrate. Exemplary systems of the Invention include at least one roll pair formed by a first, driven roll and a second roll defining a nip therebetween that is part of the transport path through which a substrate is passed. A prestored lookup table includes empirically-derived compensation factors for plural different kinds of substrates, with each compensation factor being based on physical characteristics of the substrate that impact displacement and velocity of the substrate along the transport path, such as the substrate's mass per unit area, which has been found to have a strong correlation with detected deviations in linear travel displacement and velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Richard L. Howe
  • Patent number: 6758472
    Abstract: A transporting system and method for use in a high velocity document processing system using lower velocity print technology. The invention including an upstream transport conveying spaced apart documents at a first transport velocity. A deceleration transport decelerates documents from the high speed to a lower print velocity before passing the documents a print transport. A sensor located at the deceleration transport, detects the presence of documents at the deceleration transport, and triggers the deceleration profile to be performed on the document. The deceleration transport is controlled such that a leading portion of a document that is being decelerated overtakes a trailing portion of a downstream document that already traveling at the lower print velocity in the control of the print transport. An overlapping arrangement urges the lead portion of the upstream document to overlap on top of the trailing portion of the downstream document when the upstream document overtakes the downstream document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventor: Denis J. Stemmle
  • Patent number: 6755415
    Abstract: In a sheet-processing apparatus, banknotes are separated by a separator (10) and fed to a depositing arrangement (18) via a sensor and transporting unit (8). Depositing takes place in different depositing compartments in accordance with depositing criteria which are determined by certain features of the banknotes (BN) being sensed. The individual depositing compartments (30, 32, 34) of the depositing arrangement (18) are assigned stacker wheels (20, 22, 24), which have stacker fingers which, in pairs, define a sheet compartment between them. The banknotes are introduced into the sheet compartments and are then deposited in the associated depositing compartment by the stacker fingers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Werner, Alois Wagner, Ralf Linck