Patents Examined by Mark A. Deuble
  • Patent number: 11634284
    Abstract: A cleaning device and system operable to a continuous conveyor is shown. The cleaning assembly is operable to clean debris from the continuous conveyer. The cleaning device comprises a cleaning assembly mounted below a lower conveyor belt. The cleaning assembly is pivotable to form an angle with respect to a direction of the lower conveyor run. The cleaning assembly has a removable cartridge having a shaft with a pair of ends and having a cylindrical cleaner mounted on said shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Inventors: Evan Reyes, Victor A. Ceci
  • Patent number: 11623827
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for conveying in translation, in a transport zone, glass containers (2) held in a suspended position between two slide rails on which slides a counter-ring (7) arranged on each container which has a ring surface (8) defining the opening of the container, the method consisting of ensuring the movement in translation of the containers (2) by a bearing surface (18a) of at least one belt (18) driven in translation and exerting mechanical pressure on each ring surface (8) of the containers (2) to create a bond by adherence between each ring surface (8) of the containers and the bearing surface (18a) of the belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: TIAMA
    Inventors: Etienne Leprat, Arnaud Brosse
  • Patent number: 11618631
    Abstract: A bucket and a corresponding bucket elevator, the bucket has a bucket wall surrounding a filling and discharge opening and having a rear wall and a front bucket wall, the front bucket wall having a front edge delimiting the filling and discharge opening, and the bucket being connectable to a conveyor device via the rear wall, wherein the ratio between the bucket depth, which corresponds to the horizontal distance between the rear wall and the front edge, and the bucket height, which corresponds to the vertical distance between a bucket low point and the front edge, is greater than 1, preferably greater than 1.3, more preferably greater than 1.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Adam Von Schwartz, Peter Cornelius
  • Patent number: 11618635
    Abstract: A dynamic, reconfigurable, and modular cleaning device utilizes software, sensors, and modular components to provide a one-size-fits-all approach to cleaning conveyor belts. The cleaning device secures to a body or frame associated with a conveyor belt, in which an associated cleaning head cleans the conveyor belt's surface. The cleaning head has an arm that extends from its body and inserts into a corresponding opening on a connecting frame associated with the cleaning device. The cleaning head is then secured in place via a cylindrical pin that extends through aligned holes on the arm and the connecting plate. Insertion of the pin connects the components together, and removal of the pin enables a user to disconnect the cleaning head and swap a new one in its place, such as to provide a different cleaning action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Crossford International, LLC
    Inventors: Timothy J. Kane, Gregory Wyatt, Evan Reyes, Joseph Franzino, Russell Barnes, Robert Folchi
  • Patent number: 11618035
    Abstract: In a maceration conveyor assembly (10) a juice deflector (50) deflects juice around a return run of a conveyor into a trough (51). Preferably the juice deflector and trough are configured as opposed axially extending V-shaped stainless steel plates. The assembly (10) feeds into a first mill (11) of a milling tandem, and output from the mill (11) is delivered onto another conveyor and carried to the next mill in the tandem. Low pol maceration liquid is returned to the conveyor via return lines to respective distribution weirs (16) and (17). The conveyor assembly (10) includes an inlet end (20) and an outlet end (21) all supported on a supporting framework (22) so that the assembly is inclined from the inlet end (20) to the outlet end (22). An endless plate conveyor (25) comprises interconnected perforated plates (26) adapted to pivot relative to each other in chain like fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Inventor: Alan Lewis Fitzmaurice
  • Patent number: 11617305
    Abstract: A crop ramp for use in a combine header is provided. The crop ramp includes a flat section, a curved section, and a flange. The flat section facilitates coupling the crop ramp to a cutterbar of the combine header. The curved section extends from the flat section. The curved section is configured to facilitate transfer of crop to a belt system of the combine header. The crop is transferred in a first direction defined from the flat section to the curved section. The flange extends from the curved section. The flange is configured to hover above the belt system of the combine header to prevent dirt from flowing in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Jeff Thomas, Benjamin Kemmerer, Herbert M. Farley, Scott Deichmann
  • Patent number: 11613425
    Abstract: A bag bundle conveyance apparatus which conveys a bag bundle including a plurality of bags, includes: a support body which supports the bag bundle from below; a holding unit which holds the bag bundle; and a transfer drive unit which moves the holding unit in a conveyance direction, wherein the transfer drive unit moves the holding unit in the conveyance direction in a state where the bag bundle is supported from below by the support body and is held by the holding unit, in such a manner that the bag bundle is conveyed in the conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: PACRAFT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu Morino, Kazuo Fukunaga, Takayuki Utsunomiya
  • Patent number: 11613437
    Abstract: An arrangement structure of a stacker and a reclaimer, comprises a stacker, a reclaimer, a stacker travelling track, a reclaimer travelling track, a material input conveyor, a material output conveyor, a material storage yard, and a closed material storage shed. The stacker and the material input conveyor are inside the reclaimer, and the reclaimer upwards straddles the stacker and the material input conveyor. The stacker and the material input conveyor penetrate through an internal space of the reclaimer. An arrangement form that a rack of the reclaimer upwards straddles the stacker is adopted so that a problem of interference caused when the stacker is as high as an upper travelling platform of the reclaimer is solved. The upper travelling platform of the reclaimer does not need to be independently arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: CISDI ENGINEERING CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yu Ai, Shang Lun Chen
  • Patent number: 11613426
    Abstract: In an aspect, there is provided a correlator for guiding a vehicle onto a vehicle conveyor. The correlator includes a wheel support surface defining a receiving end of the correlator and a conveyor-interfacing end of the correlator. The wheel support surface is positioned to support a wheel of the vehicle as the wheel rolls thereon. The correlator further includes at least one guide structure positioned to guide a wheel of the vehicle laterally during travel of the wheel on the wheel support surface from the receiving end towards the conveyor-interfacing end. The wheel support surface has a surface region having surface properties selected such that a coefficient of friction between the surface region and tire rubber is sufficiently low to prevent the wheel from having sufficient traction on the surface region to enable climbing of the wheel onto the at least one guide structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Stephenson Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Roy Stephenson
  • Patent number: 11607854
    Abstract: Disclosed is a guiding device having a guide roller that is rotatable about a roller axis and that has an exterior guide surface extending in a circumferential direction about the roller axis, wherein the guide roller includes a plurality of roller segments juxtaposed in an axial direction along the roller axis for forming the exterior guide surface, wherein the plurality of roller segments are movable relative to each other to enable the guide roller to be positioned in a maximum bend state in which the roller axis extends along an arc, wherein the plurality of roller segments are interlocked to rotate together about the roller axis in a maximum bend state, wherein the plurality of roller segments extend over an arc length along the arc of the roller axis, wherein the arc length is at least ninety degrees in the maximum bend state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Inventors: Cornelis Veldhoen, Henrick Theodoor Posthumus
  • Patent number: 11603269
    Abstract: A quick release mounting assembly for an endless belt conveyor that allows a drive motor to be connected to a drive roller of the conveyor. The quick release mounting assembly includes a drive roller hub connected to the shaft of the drive roller. A drive motor hub is connected to the drive shaft of the drive motor. Both the drive roller hub and the drive motor hub include an external series of external splines. The mounting assembly includes a drive coupling having a first receiving area that engages the drive motor hub and a second receiving area that engages the drive roller hub such that the drive coupling transfers rotation of the drive shaft to the drive roller. The drive coupling is received within a housing that is removably mounted to a gearbox of the drive motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Dorner Mfg. Corp.
    Inventors: Michael A. Hosch, Scott Grahl
  • Patent number: 11597603
    Abstract: A rotating and locking conveyor side guard system may include an elongate side guard of sheet material having three longitudinal bolt slots therethrough, one at each end and one at the center, and three bolts for securing the side guard to a side of a conveyor through the bolt slots. With the bolts loosened, a user may slide the side guard from side to side, relative to the conveyor, and rotate the side guard about the center bolt to a substantially perpendicular orientation to allow access to an interior of the conveyor through the side of the conveyor. It may then be rotated in a second direction until the first and second bolt slots engage corresponding bolts, in a locked position, to prevent rotation of the side guard. Some systems may include multiple side guards end-to-end in series, each side guard sharing a bolt with each adjoining side guard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Inventor: Tim Holmberg
  • Patent number: 11597608
    Abstract: In one aspect, a transfer guard member having a body for being positioned in a gap intermediate conveying surfaces, an upper portion of the body for spanning the gap and outer portions of the upper body for slidingly engaging the conveying surfaces, and a pair of spaced, resilient legs having distal end portions for resiliently and slidingly engaging the conveying surfaces. In another aspect, a transfer guard member having a body and at least one attachment member of the body configured for being detachably fixed to a mounting bar. The body has at least one recess adjacent the attachment member for receiving at least one attachment member of another transfer guard member fixed to the mounting bar so that upper transfer surfaces of the attachment members are adjacent one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Flexible Steel Lacing Company
    Inventor: Mark Steven Pettinga
  • Patent number: 11597609
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for conveyor operation and maintenance that employ one or both of a “smart shoe” technology where one or more conveyor shoes incorporate features, such as an RFID tag, and a “missing pin detection” technology where one or more pin components of conveyor shoes incorporate features, such as an RFID tag, allowing selective wireless tracking and identification capability. A conveyor system comprises a shoe management system allowing interactions directly with one or more RFID readers, which can detect, store and/or monitor information associated with “smart shoe” and/or “missing pin detection” RFID tags, where interface between this application and the reader can be implemented via a socket interface. System and method also or optionally provide for unique slat installation and removal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Aegis Sortation LLC
    Inventor: Kenneth Jay Ice
  • Patent number: 11591165
    Abstract: The present disclosure concerns a belt conveyor roller wear liner superposable against an outer peripheral surface of a roller cylindrical body, the roller wear liner comprising: a shock-absorbing matrix; and a plurality of inserts, spaced-apart from one another and embedded in the shock-absorbing matrix with external surfaces of the inserts and the shock-absorbing matrix, extending between the inserts, being exposed outwardly, the roller wear liner being substantially ring-shaped. It also concerns a corresponding belt conveyor roller assembly, a corresponding belt conveyor and a corresponding method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: TECHNOLOGIES ENDURIDE INC.
    Inventors: Richard Laflamme, David Boies
  • Patent number: 11584601
    Abstract: A mail processing system utilizes a conveyor to shingle or de-shingle mailpieces as they move through the processing system and utilizes belts to move the mailpieces. A first shingling conveyor moves a first mailpiece to overlap with a second mailpiece to create shingled mailpieces. A second shingling conveyor moves a first mailpiece away from a second mailpiece to de-shingle them to create singulated mailpieces. A camera takes images of the mailpieces in the conveyor and image analysis software is used to determine dimensional aspects of the mailpieces that are used to control the belt speeds to move mailpieces with respect to each other. A mail processing system may include a mail processing station that scans addresses, applies postage and/or weighs the mailpieces. Mail may be de-shingled prior to being weighed and then re-shingled for subsequent processing, or mail may be shingled prior to passing through a scale if weighing is not necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: TRITEK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: James Malatesta
  • Patent number: 11584591
    Abstract: A multi-belt conveyor is described. The multi-belt conveyor comprises a base assembly comprising a base frame that extends along a length of the multi-belt conveyor. Further, the multi-belt conveyor comprises a conveyor bed having a plurality of cartridges positioned adjacently to each other and mounted to the base frame. In this regard, each cartridge of the plurality of cartridges comprises a set of conveyor belts configured to move in a direction along the conveyor bed at a defined speed. Further, in accordance with example embodiments, a cartridge of the plurality of cartridges is configured to be removed from the conveyor bed without removing an adjacent cartridge from the plurality of cartridges. Further, each cartridge of the multi-belt conveyor comprises an actuation assembly comprising: a drive pulley, a roller-slider bed comprising a plurality of rollers, and the set of conveyor belts mounted around the roller-slider bed and the drive pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Intelligrated Headquarters, LLC
    Inventors: John Joseph Wilkins, Zachary Lee Robbe
  • Patent number: 11577913
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for an apparatus for moving objects along a predetermined path. A system includes plurality of conveying units, each conveying unit being connected to two other conveying units. A particular conveying unit includes a first link unit configured for connection to a first neighbor conveying unit. A second link unit is configured for connection to the first link unit, the second link unit further being configured for connection to a first link unit of a second neighbor conveying unit. A cup is detachably connected to the second link unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Brown International Corporation, LLC
    Inventors: Mike Poorbaugh, Tony Tedesco, Terrence A. Pagano
  • Patent number: 11577937
    Abstract: This application relates to a method and an apparatus for monitoring a state of a passenger transport system such as, for example, an escalator. The method includes monitoring the state of the passenger transport system using an updated digital double data record that reflects characterizing properties of components of the passenger transport system in an actual configuration of the passenger transport system in a machine-processable manner after the assembly and installation thereof in a building. The updated digital double data record can be obtained, for example, by accurately surveying the passenger transport system and using signal values from sensors housed in the passenger transport system, and allows conclusions as to the present or future state of the passenger transport system, based on which maintenance measures can be planned efficiently and adequately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventor: Thomas Novacek
  • Patent number: 11565888
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus for an endless conveyor belt is provided. The cleaning apparatus is operable for a rotary cleaning head to perform a cleaning action on a first section of the endless conveyor belt. In an embodiment of the present invention, the rotary cleaning head comprises a rotating disc assembly. The rotary cleaning assembly is operable for a mobile mount to position the rotary cleaning head into a first cleaning contact position with the endless conveyor belt. To affix the rotary cleaning head assembly to a mount, a connecting portion having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end includes a first coupling is provided. Said coupling is capable of making a connection to and disconnecting from the mobile mount, and said distal end capable of making a connection and disconnecting from the rotary cleaning head and adapted for use with the rotary cleaning head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Crossford International, LLC
    Inventors: Timothy J. Kane, Gregory Wyatt, Evan Reyes, Joseph Franzino, Russell Barnes, Robert Folchi