Patents Examined by Khoi M. Tran
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Patent number: 6523675Abstract: The invention relates to a mail-item container of a sorting device for the controlled transfer of a flat mail item into stationary sorting containers, the container having a stationary wall part and a movable wall part that is disposed at the front in the transport direction, and is inclined counter to the transport direction and has a slide part. In accordance with the invention, the slide part is embodied to swing, completely or partially, such that the front portions of the mail items are given momentum as they slide out, due to a swinging movement of the slide part that is initiated by the opening of the movable wall part, the momentum preventing short mail items from overturning due to the torque generated by gravity; the swinging duration is at least long enough that the respective short mail item has already exited the slide part at the time of the next swinging movement directed at the mail items.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2001Date of Patent: February 25, 2003Assignee: Siemens AktiengesselschaftInventor: Josef Romeder
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Patent number: 6282458Abstract: The system and method of controlling the olfactory stimuli release a specified aroma-causing agent from a first specified location in environment. In order to simulate the movement of the released aroma-causing agent in space, the same aroma-causing agent is released from a second specified location in the environment.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 1999Date of Patent: August 28, 2001Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Noboru Murayama, Satoshi Yamauchi, Koichi Suzuki
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Patent number: 6266575Abstract: A client/server architecture for database driven insertion and mail piece tracking system, method, and computer program product is disclosed. A database is populated with database driven insertion data comprising instructions for handling mailpiece material. A server manages the database by responding to requests for mail processing instructions from clients and storing mailpiece data received from clients. A scanning device reads key code marked mailpiece material in which the key code corresponds to a database location containing instructions for handling mailpiece material. A client processor receives the key code from the scanning device, and transmits a request to the server for accessing the database location containing the instructions for handling mailpiece material. The server retrieves the instructions for handling mailpiece material, and transmits the instructions to the client.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 1999Date of Patent: July 24, 2001Assignee: Bell & Howell Mail and Messaging Technologies CompanyInventors: Ralph R. Anderson, Jr., Mark G. Mackelprang
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Patent number: 5855254Abstract: Cable-clamping device for a synthetic fiber cable. A cable-clamping device for highly loaded synthetic fiber cables for elevator installations, wherein the cables can tolerate only small lateral pressures, the device including at least one retaining drum firmly connected with the elevator car and the elevator counterweight, with the retaining drum having several adjacent cable grooves, whose groove courses end or run out adjacently to the other for the running-off of the cables, with the cable grooves becoming progressively narrower in their cross-section starting at the entry of the loaded cable, with up to four and more retaining drums being arranged, one behind and beside the other, in this manner, wherein the run-off regions of the cable grooves point towards one another in order to avoid a fanning-out of the cables in front of the drive pulley.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 1995Date of Patent: January 5, 1999Assignee: Inventio AGInventor: Hans G. Blochle
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Patent number: 5799769Abstract: An adapter for use with a hanging conveyor system in which articles hanging on hangers and particularly articles of clothing, are transported for sorting or ordering by means of a conveyor along a transport path. The adapter is codable with data concerning the articles. The adapter is insertable between each article hanger provided with a hanger hook and the conveyor means. The adapter has a hook-shaped head region and a receiving region located below the head region. The receiving region has at least one section having a U-shaped cross section formed by an upward-extending arm. The receiving region contacts the hanger hook over such a region that the hanger hook, once inserted, will not twist in the receiving region. In a preferred embodiment, the receiving region is made up of two sections that are adjacent to each other, forming between them an intermediate space. Methods and arrangements for automatically loading hangers into and unloading hangers from the adapters also are provided.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 1996Date of Patent: September 1, 1998Assignee: Durkopp Adler AGInventors: Werner Heer, Rainer Brannahl, Thomas Zahn, Paul Janzen
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Patent number: 5738246Abstract: A disposable cup dispensing device having an upper annular member and a bottom annular member connected together. A barrel is mounted on the upper annular member to hold a stack of disposable cups. A pivotable bottom cover is located at the bottom annular member. An endless cord is mounted in between the upper and the bottom annular member to hold a plurality of actuating plates located in radial grooves inside the upper and the bottom annular members. A link is connected between the bottom cover and one of the actuating plates. A spring with a curving upward tail is located on the inside of the bottom cover and pivoted therewith. When the bottom cover is opened, the link is lifted to twist the endless cord and to turn the actuating plates, thereby causing the plates to pull one of the disposable cup downwardly, permitting it to fall onto the curved tail of the spring member of the bottom cover.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 1996Date of Patent: April 14, 1998Inventor: Chih-Wen Chung
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Patent number: 5645274Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet supply apparatus with a sheet supporting unit for supporting sheets, a sheet absorb device for absorbing a sheet supported by the sheet supporting unit to separate the sheet from the other sheets, a conveyer for conveying the sheet absorbed by the sheet absorb means, and a sheet feature detecting device for detecting rigidity of the sheet absorbed by the sheet absorb device.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 1994Date of Patent: July 8, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shinsuke Ubayashi, Yasumi Yoshida, Ryusei Kominato