Patents Examined by Laura E. Edwards
  • Patent number: 5554221
    Abstract: A system and apparatus for producing seasoned food products where seasoning is performed at individual packaging lines. The product is conveyed from the preparation area to a packaging area in an unseasoned condition. Upon reaching the packaging lines, which are disposed in packaging departments in the packaging area, the product can be selectively seasoned independent of other packaging lines. After seasoning, the product is packaged and prepared for delivery. At each packaging line, a volumetric feeder includes a feed head that cooperates with a tumbler having helical flights to produce continuous controlled product portions. A seasoning dispenser is positionable within the tumbler and can be adjusted to dispense a given weight of seasoning at a given rate, based on the amount of product passing through the tumbler, to obtain consistent seasoning levels and coverage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1996
    Assignee: Recot, Inc.
    Inventors: John L. Center, Patrick J. Bierschenk
  • Patent number: 5514216
    Abstract: An apparatus for holding and subsequently releasing a solid compact medicament, such as a caplet. The apparatus has a first and a second member each having an upper and a lower surface. The first and second members each have at least one notch opposed to each other and correspondingly aligned and extending beyond the respective upper and lower surfaces of each member. The first and second members have chambers adjacent to each of the notches, and each of the notches is moveable in the respective chamber of the opposing member so that the opposing notches form a gripping jaw that can move between a first and a second position. When the gripping jaw is in an open first position, it can receive a solid compact medicament, and in a closed second position, the gripping jaw can grip the medicament.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1996
    Assignee: Bayer Corporation (formerly Miles, Inc.)
    Inventors: Peter A. Pastecki, Thomas C. Reiter, Charles W. Pierson
  • Patent number: 5501734
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for applying coatings to yarns, particularly yarns to be utilized as dental floss. In a preferred arrangement, an array of parallel spaced yarns are continuously fed while being intermittently deflected by a cam or deflector. As the yarns are deflected, they enter a grooved liquid applicator, with the grooves maintaining a predetermined amount of liquid therein by capillary action. A predetermined amount of liquid is thus applied at intermittent or spaced locations along the length of the yarn. The method and apparatus is particularly suitable for providing dye at spaced locations along a continuous length of floss, thereby demarcating lengths suitable for individual use. Various aspects are also applicable to a variety of yarn coating and/or dyeing applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1996
    Assignee: Gillette Canada, Inc.
    Inventor: Larry J. Oliphant
  • Patent number: 5487780
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for applying pressure sensitive adhesive to a substrate, in which the adhesive is deposited on a transfer surface, such as a circulating transfer belt, dried, and subsequently transferred to a plurality of overlapping sheets. The sheets are preferably coated with a primer or a low adhesion backsize, or both, prior to application of the adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 30, 1996
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Johannes A. Ritter
  • Patent number: 5482556
    Abstract: Apparatus for mounting and moving coating dispensers within the interior of a spray booth, and particularly the coating dispensers located above an object moving through the booth. A first embodiment comprises a dispenser housing having an aerodynamically shaped outer surface formed with a leading edge, a trailing edge and opposed generally curved sides. A second embodiment includes a dispenser housing an outer surface with a convexly curved leading edge, flat side walls and a flat bottom wall. A pair of support assemblies isolated from the booth interior mount the dispenser housings within the booth interior such that the leading edge of each dispenser housing faces the top of the spray booth and the trailing edge faces the objects moving through the booth. One or more coating dispensers are mounted at the trailing edge of the dispenser housings in a position to discharge coating material downwardly onto the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1996
    Assignee: Nordson Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey R. Shutic, Robert J. Holland, John F. Carlson
  • Patent number: 5482552
    Abstract: A liquid metering and coating device made of a liquid permeation control material including porous polytetrafluoroethylene, adhered to a porous support material of open-celled foam. The porous support and permeation control material contain mixtures of silicone oil and silicone rubber which bond to the porous support material and form an interconnected network of silicone rubber throughout the device. The device is suitable for use as a part of a toner fixation mechanism in a plain paper copying machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1996
    Assignee: Japan GORE-TEX, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Kikukawa, Hiroshi Kato
  • Patent number: 5480484
    Abstract: Improved cytology centrifuge apparatus includes single or multiple well cell concentrators for being rotated by a centrifugal spinner. A rotor is removably supported by the spinner for rotation and is adapted to receive two or four cell concentrators. The rotor supports the cell concentrators in an unrestrained manner, thereby enhancing the ease of use and flexibility of the apparatus. Each cell concentrator includes a chamber having a top surface in which at least one fluid receiving aperture is disposed and a front surface in which at least one fluid expulsion aperture is disposed. A backing plate is provided with protruding top and bottom edges to vertically align a microscope slide with the chamber so that the fluid expulsion aperture is adjacent to a central portion of the slide. Retention clips secure the chamber to the backing plate with the slide sandwiched therebetween in horizontal alignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignee: StatSpin Technologies
    Inventors: Thomas F. Kelley, Alton D. Floyd
  • Patent number: 5472504
    Abstract: A coating device having a blade for metering a coating material onto a running web of paper or cardboard guided by a roll includes at least one noncontacting sensor disposed near the blade and between apparatus for adjusting the transverse profile of coating. The sensor provides a signal indicating the position of the blade. The device also includes a receiver for receiving the signal of the sensor and a control device for controlling the angular position of the blade as a function of the sensor signal. The angle of contact of the blade on the roll is determined as a function of the known pressing pressure (or a corresponding proportional value thereof) of the blade caused by the profile adjustment apparatus, preferably determined by a computer or microprocessor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1995
    Assignee: J.M. Voith GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Kustermann, Sergio Giuste
  • Patent number: 5466293
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming a protective layer on a card by use of a resin solution, includes a coating head having a fiber member, wherein the coating head is relatively positioned on the card so as to be brought in contact with a portion of a surface of the card so that the resin solution is transferred onto the contact portion of the card through the fiber member. The apparatus includes a moving device to selectively move at least one of the coating head and the card so as to move the contact portion along the surface of the card so that the surface of the card is coated with the resin solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1995
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Tanaka, Daiki Minamino, Akira Yoshizaki, Nakaya Nakano
  • Patent number: 5466291
    Abstract: A stand alone printing system (10) for coating a first face of sheets on which printing may be printed previously by a printer not associated with the system includes a feeding mechanism (14), a driven application roller (76) for transferring coating material disposed on the peripheral surface (77) to the first face; a metering device (78) for transferring a uniform thickness of coating material to the peripheral surface of the application roller; a driven impression roller (85) which contacts a second face of the sheets and which contacts the peripheral surface of the application roller at least at gaps disposed between the sheets during feeding of the sheets along the coating zone which transfers the coating material to the peripheral surface (86) of the impression roller; and a coating material removing mechanism (116) for removing coating material from the peripheral surface of the impression roller prior to rotation of the peripheral surface of the impression roller to a point of contact with the second
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1995
    Assignee: MMT Manufacturing Corp.
    Inventor: Mark A. DiRico
  • Patent number: 5466292
    Abstract: The invention relates to an applicator for the coating of a paper or the like web, having a belt which is guided around a support member and a drive roller and forming a nip with the web on a web guiding backing roll. A coating nip is formed between the backing roll and the belt for the application of the coating composition to the web. The support member for the belt at the nip is a roller of relatively small diameter, as compared with the guide roller. At least one further roller or a pair of such rollers support the small diameter roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1995
    Assignee: J.M Voith GmbH
    Inventor: Martin Kustermann
  • Patent number: 5462595
    Abstract: An ink pad device with ink reservoir for coating a stamping device with ink comprising ink reservoir, cap, housing, high-absorbency ink pad, low-absorbency ink pad and ink pad cover. The present invention incorporates an ink reservoir to an ink pad so that the ink pad device may be used indefinitely by refilling the ink reservoir with ink, thereby avoiding the predominant situation wherein the ink pad device is discarded when the ink in the ink pad is depleted and the ink pad subsequently dries up. The ink in the ink reservoir is absorbed by the high-absorbency ink pad located in the bottom of the housing and in turn the low-absorbency ink pad placed on top of the high-absorbency ink pad absorbs the ink in the high-absorbency ink pad, thereby preventing a given stamping device from acquiring excessive amount of ink from the ink pad device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Inventor: Jong P. Im
  • Patent number: 5462600
    Abstract: An apparatus for use in coating the surfaces of closely spaced channels in a workpiece is provided. In a preferred embodiment, an apparatus is provided which facilitates coating the microchannels in an ink jet printhead with insulative coating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation
    Inventor: John R. Pies
  • Patent number: 5460120
    Abstract: An applicator for coating sheet material has a relatively thick compressible, saturable layer for engaging the sheet which is effective to apply an optically clear coating when saturated with a flood of liquid coating composition. The coated article has virtually no visible defects and has high optical transmission and low haze.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: William C. Paul, Ronald F. Sieloff
  • Patent number: 5458853
    Abstract: A dual breath analysis device having a passive first mode of testing and analysing an exhaled breath sample without the use of a mouthpiece, and a second mode of testing and analysing a second breath sample through a mouthpiece apparatus when the first mode of testing indicates a substantially high level of alcohol in the first breath sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1995
    Assignee: Lion Analytics Pty. Ltd.
    Inventors: Anthony Porter, Robert Breakspere
  • Patent number: 5456753
    Abstract: A primer applicator which is movable along a surface of a workpiece such as an automobile window glass panel has a rotatable primer coating roller having an outer circumferential layer of soft resin. A robot arm which supports the primer applicator is actuated to move the primer applicator along the surface of the workpiece in rolling contact therewith to apply a primer to the surface of the workpiece. The primer is supplied to the outer circumferential layer of the primer coating roller when the primer coating roller rolls on the surface of the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1995
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masao Kuribayashi, Hajime Yoshino, Ryuichiro Furukawa
  • Patent number: 5456755
    Abstract: A full automatic coating system includes an endless metal tape driven to run in one direction along an endless traveling path, a product supplying station for automatically selecting products of a desired type and supplying them to the endless metal tape according to a production control procedure stored in a control unit, a coating station disposed in the traveling path downstream of the product supplying station and including a spray gun for selectively spraying one of coatings of different colors according to instructions received from the control unit, a drying and baking station and a coating removing station disposed in the traveling path downstream of the coating portion in the order named. All the components are linked to operate in timed relation to one another according to the instructions received from the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1995
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Shigenori Oomori, Hiroshi Yoshida, Yoshimichi Yamakita
  • Patent number: 5454871
    Abstract: An apparatus for applying spin-on-glass material to a wafer under controlled humidity conditions is described, The apparatus comprises a treatment chamber. Within the treatment chamber are a spin-on-glass coater spin table, a plurality of hotplates connected to one another and from the coater spin table by a moving belt, and wafer handlers to transfer wafers onto the coater spin table and onto the moving belt. A dehumidifier is disposed on top of the treatment chamber and a humidity control unit is disposed on top of the dehumidifier through which air is drawn and whereby relative humidity within the treatment chamber can be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1995
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yung-Haw Liaw, Hsin-Chieh Huang, Pao-Ling Kuo
  • Patent number: 5454869
    Abstract: A linear actuated sealant applicator pump for pumping a sealant into an aperture prior to installation of a fastener in that aperture. An air driven linear actuator translates a cam plate carrying a sealant applicator head from a first position in a first direction spaced from and slightly out of vertical alignment with the aperture to which sealant is to be applied. An adjustable stop limits the translation of the cam plate and injector pump. The actuator then continues in the first direction causing the cam plate to follow a cam slot translating the sealant applicator head in a second direction normal to the first direction toward and in vertical alignment with the aperture with the head engaging the edges of the aperture. The engagement of the head with the edges of the aperture prevents further translation of the sealant applicator head into the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1995
    Assignee: General Dynamics Corporation
    Inventor: William A. Roden
  • Patent number: 5454870
    Abstract: A coating device having an applicator roll which forms an application slot with the backup roll which conducts the web of material. Adjoining the applicator slot is a pressure space which is formed at the outlet side of the application slot and between the applicator roll and the backup roll. A flexible guide wall having a shape which approximates or is adapted to the surface of the backup roll and/or can be adapted thereto by the Coanda effect itself, which wall forms a narrow slot along the web of material downstream from the pressure space. The wall is at such a slight distance away from the web that the formation of drips or streaks in the applied coating by the centrifugal force is excluded. The dosaging place for the final dosaging is formed by a dosaging doctor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1995
    Assignee: J. M. Voith GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Sieberth