Patents Examined by Louis Huynh
  • Patent number: 7438140
    Abstract: A shock attenuating coupling device is provided for a rotary impact tool for drivingly connecting a hammer mechanism to a drive anvil. The shock attenuating coupling device includes a first coupling member, a second coupling member, a drum, a shoe, and a body of resilient material. The first coupling member has a first drive portion. The second coupling member has a second drive portion. The drum is provided proximate the first drive portion and the second drive portion and has a radially inner engagement surface. The shoe is provided within the drum and between the first drive portion and the second drive portion. The shoe has a radially outer surface capable of being expanded in a radially outer direction. The body of resilient material is interposed between the drum and the shoe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Exhaust Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Sterling, Matthew R. Sterling
  • Patent number: 7424797
    Abstract: A process for preparing a water-soluble container having a thermoformed pocket and a lid, wherein a water soluble laminated film containing the pocket is produced comprising at least one extruded polyvinyl film laminated to at least one solution cast polyvinyl alcohol film, a composition such as fabric care, surface care, dishwashing, water-softening, laundry, detergent or a rinse-aid composition is filled into the pocket, and the filled pocket is sealed with a lid comprising a solution cast polyvinyl alcohol film on a surface facing the pocket to form a sealed water-soluble container containing a composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: Reckitt Benckiser (UK) Limited
    Inventor: John Paul Duffield
  • Patent number: 7415816
    Abstract: A container filling plant having a container closing machine with a bearing system to guide a reciprocating shaft in the container closing machine. The bearing system is designed to be cleaned to minimize the presence of contaminants in the bearing system and in the product in the containers to be closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: KHS Maschinen- und Anlagenbau AG
    Inventor: Herbert Bernhard
  • Patent number: 7412808
    Abstract: A device and method for assembling a food service set comprising at least one napkin wrapped around one or more utensils and secured by an adhesive band. The device includes a magazine subsystem including one or more magazines for containing and dispensing the at least one napkin, the one or more utensils, and the adhesive band. The device further includes an integrator subsystem configured to integrate the at least one napkin, the one or more utensils, and the adhesive band together. A processor subsystem is configured to roll the at least one napkin around the one or more utensils and to secure the adhesive band around the at least one napkin. A receiver subsystem is configured for receiving the service set. A sterilization system is provided to sterilize the utensils prior to, or after, being assembled into a service pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Convenience Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Payam Lavi
  • Patent number: 7406812
    Abstract: A flower shipping and arranging container comprising a planer flexible card having defined therein a number of apertures for receiving flower stems there through. The flower shipping and arranging container also includes sheet material wrapped around the flexible card so as to create a hollow pocket between the sheet material and a front surface of flexible card thereby creating a protected environment for the flowers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Inventor: Otto Bulk
  • Patent number: 7398630
    Abstract: An infeed assembly for spacing a continuous line of product into units to be wrapped in a continuous wrapping system is disclosed. At least one set of registration belts is orientated downstream of a set of spaced infeed belts in communication with a continuous line of product. The registration belts are programmed to move at the same velocity as the infeed belts to receive a product and then at a velocity greater than the infeed belt in order to separate and register one or more products into units to be wrapped and before returning to the velocity of the infeed belts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Inventor: Lloyd Kovacs
  • Patent number: 7399265
    Abstract: A folding-jaw cylinder of a folder for a printing press is disclosed. Actuable folding-jaw cheeks are assigned to a first cylinder part of the folding-jaw cylinder and fixed folding-jaw cheeks are assigned to a second cylinder part. Both cylinder parts are assigned one shaft, via which the cylinder parts can be driven rotationally. An intermediate gear is coupled on one side to a drive and on the other side to at least one actuating unit in such a way that the intermediate gear can be driven by the drive and inputs its drive into at least one of the shafts of the cylinder parts via the, or every, actuating unit, and the, or every, actuating unit is assigned an adjusting drive in order to adjust the two cylinder parts, and therefore the folding-jaw cheeks which are assigned to the cylinder parts, relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Stephan Bergmann, Karsten Stansch
  • Patent number: 7392632
    Abstract: A transfer station in a container filling plant comprising an input, an output, a conveyor for feeding containers, a plurality of spaced apart webs disposed upstream of the input of the transfer station, and vertically oriented rotatable directing elements, each rotatable about its vertical rotational axis and disposed upstream of the webs for contacting the bodies of the containers to steer the containers into the receiving spaces between the webs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: KHS Maschinen-und Anlagenbau AG
    Inventors: Ulrich Wiedemann, Klaus Jendrichowski
  • Patent number: 7381176
    Abstract: A machine for making a reinforced, collapsible bulk bin assembly is provided. The machine includes a body blank feeding device for providing a body blank from a stack of body blanks, an erecting device for partially erecting the body blank, and a bottom insertion device for inserting a partially folded bottom blank into the partially erected body blank. The machine also includes first fingers for attaching major flaps of the body blank to the bottom blank, second fingers for attaching minor flaps of the body blank to major flaps of the body blank after the body blank has been collapsed, and a strapping device for simultaneously applying a plurality of straps to an exterior surface of the body blank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas D. Graham, Amer Aganovic, John Thomas Yoder, IV, Tesfahun Y. Mengistu
  • Patent number: 7380386
    Abstract: A method of making a brand change, on an automatic production system for processing tobacco articles and which produces a first product from first materials; the method has the steps of: stopping the automatic production system once production of the first product is completed; feeding second materials onto the automatic production system; restarting the automatic production system to commence production of a second product from the second materials; checking all the second products in a first lot to ensure each second product in the first lot conforms with production specifications; externally marking each second product in the first lot conforming with production specifications; and generating a pass signal when a given number of consecutive second products conforming with production specifications is produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: G.D Societa' per Azioni
    Inventor: Mario Spatafora
  • Patent number: 7377086
    Abstract: The present invention is, in one embodiment, an apparatus for placing an insert within a nested group of taco shells. The insert placement apparatus comprises a vertical shaft, a horizontal shaft, a first pillow block, a second pillow block, a vacuum cup, a horizontal timing belt, an air cylinder, and a servomotor. The vacuum cup is adapted to transport the insert. The first pillow block has a bore therethrough for receiving the horizontal shaft. The second pillow block is supported off of the first pillow block and has a bore therethrough for receiving the vertical shaft. The vacuum cup is suspended off of the vertical shaft. The horizontal belt is routed around a drive pulley and a second pulley and is interconnected to the first pillow block. The servomotor is interconnected to the drive pulley. The servomotor causes the timing belt to displace the first pillow block along the horizontal shaft, thereby causing the vacuum cup to displace horizontally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: General Mills, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas G. Cremers, Craig Gustafson, Ralph Stenvik
  • Patent number: 7356981
    Abstract: A round bale wrapping mechanism that employs a second roll of wrapping material that is mounted adjacent an active roll. The second roll is powered by an electric clutch that allows a belt drive connected between the first roll and the second roll to rotate the second roll of wrapping material. The wrapping material on the second roll thus feeds onto the wrapping material being fed from the active roll and if fed through the wrapping mechanism onto the bale before the active roll is exhausted of wrapping material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: CNH America LLC
    Inventors: John R. McClure, James D. Walker
  • Patent number: 7353643
    Abstract: System for feeding bottle-tops to a bottle closing machine, in particular for feeding caps to an automatic capping machine, comprising an accumulation device, an entrance channel for feeding caps to the accumulation device and an exit channel to discharge the caps from the accumulation device and feed the caps to the capping machine. The accumulation device comprises a drum rotating around a vertical axis and provided with a plurality of pipes distanced uniformly one from another in the circumferential direction and each having an upper extremity and a lower extremity respectively for the entrance and exit of the caps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Arol SpA
    Inventor: Sergio Cirio
  • Patent number: 7350340
    Abstract: A shrink packaging machine for shrink wrapping an article with shrink film includes: a hot air chamber; a conveyor operable to transport the article covered by shrink film at least partially through the hot air chamber; a first roller disposed over the conveyor and configured to engage the article transported on the conveyor; and a plurality of additional rollers disposed over the conveyor. Each of the plurality of additional rollers is vertically displaceable relative to the conveyor independent of displacement of the other of the plurality of additional rollers. Furthermore, when each of the plurality of additional rollers is in a respective lowermost position relative to the conveyor, an axis of rotation of the first roller is disposed at a height from the conveyor that is greater than a respective height from the conveyor at which each axis of rotation of each of the plurality of additional rollers is disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: KPC-Master's Kraft International, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Anderson, Jeff Bockus
  • Patent number: 7350339
    Abstract: A mixing system includes a portioning device for sequentially supplying batches of a specified quantity of foodstuffs at a supply location. A mixing device includes a number of mixing chambers which can be sequentially aligned with the foodstuff supply location. A dispenser is provided for dispensing measured quantities of an additive at an additive supply location spaced from the foodstuff supply location. The mixing chambers are movable about a closed path so as to be sequentially brought into alignment with the foodstuff supply location and the additive supply location. A control system controls operation of the portion device, mixing device and dispenser. A packaging device is disposed downstream to the supply location and below the mixing device for packaging the batch of foodstuffs in a bag. Each mixing chamber is operable above the packaging device to discharge its contents into the packaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Ishida Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Yakushigawa, Adrian Meredith Sunter
  • Patent number: 7347809
    Abstract: A system for creating and dispensing cushioning dunnage is small and permits flexible installation configuration options for a single or multiple packing stations. A compact apparatus of the system is capable of being pivotally mounted as a unit on a stand and includes a motor and a material feeding arrangement driven by the motor for pulling material from a supply roll of the material supported on a stand of the system, and feeding it through the apparatus. A plurality of material shaping members upstream of the feeding arrangement shape the material in the apparatus to convert it into a continuous strip of cushioning product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Zsolt Design Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Zsolt Toth
  • Patent number: 7343722
    Abstract: An apparatus for unwrapping stretch film from a palletized load. The unwrapping apparatus can also include a spooler unit for collecting the film after the film has been cut by the cutting unit. The spooler unit can include a roller guide having two roller members which can be selectively positioned in one of an open position or a closed position. The spooler unit can include a stripper plate, one or more spooler forks, and a shuttle pin. The shuttle pin can be movable within a channel of the stripper plate to rotate within close proximity of one spooler fork during rotation of the spooler unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Task Automation
    Inventor: J. Bradley Rutten
  • Patent number: 7343724
    Abstract: An apparatus is used to dispense radiopharmaceuticals from a sealed source vial into capsules. The apparatus is particularly well suited for volatile radiopharmaceuticals such as radioiodine. This apparatus shields the operator from the radiopharmaceutical and also allows use of highly concentrated stock solutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Mallinckrodt Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Williams, Russell A. Nemer
  • Patent number: 7334384
    Abstract: A method and system for packaging an object in tubular plastic film, wherein the tubular film is prepared with a number of wrinkle-shaped folds, the film is then processed to bag-shape by welding the film and cutting the welded film from the remaining part of the tubular film, the bag-shaped film with folds is then transferred onto a stationary dispenser device to receive the object, the object is then moved out of the stationary dispenser device into the bag-shaped film and gradually pulls the bag-shaped film off the stationary dispenser device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Seelen A/S
    Inventor: Per Nissen
  • Patent number: 7335151
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and system for making cushioning product, and a roll tensioner therefor apply frictional resistance to the periphery of a roll of material to be converted into cushioning product with at least one roll support member which supports the roll in addition to applying frictional resistance to rotation. Efficient operation is attained automatically in that the frictional resistance applied and also the pulling profile exerted on the material during unwinding of the roll are changed as a function of weight and/or other characteristics of the roll of material to be converted into cushioning product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Zsolt Design Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Zsolt Toth