Patents Examined by Mark Deuble
  • Patent number: 11970338
    Abstract: A conveyor system for translating objects is disclosed, each object with vertical protrusions extending upward and/or downward from one or more sides of the object. The conveyor system can accommodate structural members such as roof truss members, on which connector plates are affixed and from which the connector plates protrude vertically up, down, or both. The conveyor system may have a slide or some other support for the objects. The slide or other support may be narrow. The slide or other support can be tall, relative to an object. The conveyor system may have an engagement tool driven by an overhead carriage to translate the objects along the slide or other support. The engagement tool may be narrow. The engagement tool can be tall, relative to an object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: House of Design LLC
    Inventor: Shane Christopher Dittrich
  • Patent number: 11970340
    Abstract: A significantly self-contained station for providing selective control and operation of motorized equipment (such as a conveyor) via a momentary contact switch or wireless remote, where the self-contained station is connected to and receives power from an existing service disconnect line of the equipment, where upon the service disconnect line being powered, the self-contained station receives power to provide electrical signals to a motor contactor of the self-contained station, which then selectively provides electrical signal to a motor of the equipment to selectively operate the equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Industrial Maintenance Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael G. Parrott
  • Patent number: 11964822
    Abstract: An adjustable conveyor rail having a curved portion includes a first conveyor rail positioned a first radial distance from a centerline of a conveyer, the first conveyor rail including a first rail member operatively connected to a first band. The adjustable conveyor rail further includes an opposed second conveyor rail positioned a second radial distance from the centerline of the conveyer, the second conveyor rail including a second rail member operatively connected to a second band. The first band and the second band do not contact articles conveyed between the first conveyor rail and the second conveyor rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Dyco, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter D. Yohe, Ronald H. Cordingly, Thomas M. Zurewich
  • Patent number: 11952219
    Abstract: A drive assembly for conveyor belt comprises a pair of opposing end plates for mounting a conveyor drive and mounting assemblies for mounting at least one of a position limiter assembly, a scraper assembly, a combined limiter-scraper assembly and side guards. The scraper assembly and combined limiter-scraper assembly include a leaf spring that is selectively tensioned by a tensioning element on an end plate to bias the scraper blade of the scraper assembly into an operational position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Laitram, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Michael Hendrik DeGroot, Jake A. Mohan, Gerko Hulshof, David A. Kokx, Jeff Batchelder, Drew Downer, James R. Honeycutt, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11945654
    Abstract: The invention relates to a grain conveyor chain for a harvesting vehicle having a chain made of standard chain elements, wherein the standard chain elements comprise inner plates, outer plates, pins and/or sleeves, and a plurality of scoops, wherein the scoops are fastened on the chain and wherein the chain has chain links, which are partially back-rigid, and to a method for operating the grain conveyor chain according to the invention in a harvesting vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Inventors: Eric Schill, Jaymin Patel
  • Patent number: 11945659
    Abstract: A transport device for conveying products (12), in particular packaged and/or non-packaged food, comprises at least one transport unit (14) which comprises at least one endless transport element (16), in particular an endless conveyor belt, which has a product support surface (18) for receiving products (12) to be conveyed, the transport device further comprising at least one guide unit (20) for guiding the transport element (16) and which has at least one, in particular movably supported, guide element (22), in particular a guide roller, and comprising at least one bearing unit (24) for pivotable or tiltable support of the guide unit (20) together with the transport unit (14) relative to a frame unit (26) of a production installation, in particular around a movement axis (30) of the guide unit (20), running at least essentially parallel to the product support surface (18), wherein the guide unit (20) has at least one further guide element (32) for guiding, in particular deflecting, an endless further transpo
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Syntegon Packaging Systems AG
    Inventor: Linus Baenteli
  • Patent number: 11939169
    Abstract: A roller conveyor system configured for installation on top of a mobile robot to provide robotic transport of a payload includes: a roller conveyor, the roller conveyor comprising: a roller assembly, the roller assembly comprising a plurality of rollers, the rollers configured to move a payload, each of the rollers being configured to rotate, the roller assembly comprising a motorized roller and one or more auxiliary rollers, the motorized roller comprising a motor configured to cause the motorized roller to rotate; and a hybrid power transmission configured to drive the rollers, the hybrid power transmission coupling the motorized roller to at least one of the one or more auxiliary rollers, the hybrid power transmission using at least two power transmission methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Diehr, Andrew Zeller
  • Patent number: 11939165
    Abstract: An accessory assembly (1) of toothed belts (9), toothed conveyor belts (9a) or portions thereof, comprising a base piece (2), a first piece (3) and a second piece (4) with respectively a first, a second and a fourth coupling part (21, 31, 41). The first and the second coupling part (21, 31) are complementary to one another so that the first piece (3) is couplable above the base piece (2) in one or more predetermined positions and the fourth and the first coupling part (41, 21) are complementary to one another so that the second piece (4) is couplable above the base piece (2) in one or more predetermined positions. The first piece (3) comprises a third coupling part (32) complementary to the fourth coupling part (41) and which faces in an opposite direction to the second coupling part (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: PR Rubino S.r.l.
    Inventor: Attilio Rubino
  • Patent number: 11935318
    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: February 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: TRITEK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: James Malatesta
  • Patent number: 11933801
    Abstract: The present invention provides a transport device and a specimen analysis system including the transport device that reduce the pulsation of thrust for moving an object to be transported, reduce vibration of the object to be transported during transport, and realize stable transport. The transport device of the present invention includes a first electromagnet unit including a first tooth made of a magnetic body, a first core connected to the first tooth and made of a magnetic body, and a first winding formed around the first core; a second electromagnet unit including a second tooth installed adjacent to the first electromagnet unit and made of a magnetic body, a second core connected to the second tooth and made of a magnetic body, a second winding formed around the second core; and a magnetic coupling unit made of a magnetic body between the first tooth of the first electromagnet unit and the second tooth of the second electromagnet unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuaki Aoyama, Ryosuke Hoshi, Satoru Kaneko, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Takeshi Tamakoshi, Hiroshi Watanabe, Katsuhiro Kambara, Kuniaki Onizawa
  • Patent number: 11926480
    Abstract: A container supplying apparatus includes a supply conveyer conveying containers and a screw engaging with the containers on the supply conveyer and conveying the containers to a downstream side. The screw is divided into an upstream screw and a downstream screw rotationally driven by different servomotors. In a case where no container is supplied to a specific bottle table of a weighing and filling apparatus, the upstream screw is decelerated and is then accelerated relative to the downstream screw. As a result, an interval of the successive containers is expanded, and a large interval is maintained therebetween. This supplies no container to the specific bottle table of the weighing and filling apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: SHIBUYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shun Okuhata, Masaharu Kawahara, Koji Kaya
  • Patent number: 11926486
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a conveyance assisting apparatus includes a placement portion, a base portion, a support portion, a moving device, and a projecting portion. The placement portion has a placement surface on which a package is placed. The base portion is fixed to a conveyance apparatus including a door portion to be opened/closed between a closed-position and an open-position. The support portion is on the base portion and supports the placement portion so that the placement portion is movable in a first-direction between a first-position where the placement portion covers the door portion and a second-position where the placement portion uncovers the door portion. The moving device is on the base portion and configured to move the placement portion. The projecting portion is on the placement surface and extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Reiya Asanuma
  • Patent number: 11919718
    Abstract: An assembly includes a frame and a conveyor mat configured to transition between a retracted state in which the conveyor mat is disposed within a footprint of the frame, and a deployed state in which the conveyor mat is disposed at least partially disposed outside the footprint of the frame. The conveyor mat has a plurality of linkages, a plurality of rollers, a plurality of supports, and a plurality of axles. Individual axles couple to individual linkages of the plurality of linkages, individual rollers of the plurality of rollers, and individual supports of the plurality of supports together. A tensioning system is configured to control the conveyor mat transitioning between the retracted state and the deployed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Karan Arora, Thomas Murphy, Peter Fischer
  • Patent number: 11919716
    Abstract: A conveyor system is configured to prevent objects from getting caught or pinched between rollers and belts. The system includes a base, frames on opposite sides of the base, a plurality of rollers each having a bearing, an attachment axle, a drive shaft, a drive belt connecting the draft shaft to one of the bearings, and connecting belts connecting the bearings. The bearings may be disposed between the frames such that the drive belt and connecting belts are protected between the frames or may be disposed within the frames such that the drive belt and connecting belts are protected within the frame when a cover is attached to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: LEWCO, INC.
    Inventor: Gerald T. Guerra
  • Patent number: 11919715
    Abstract: Various embodiments illustrated herein disclose an axle lock assembly comprising a first plate with a first aperture, a second plate with a second aperture, a shaft, wherein the shaft is inserted through the first aperture and the second aperture and a bush. When the bushing is in contact with the first plate and the second plate, the bush creates a lateral force to move the first plate and the second plate in opposite directions to secure the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: INTELLIGRATED HEADQUARTERS, LLC
    Inventors: Saravanan Sadasivan, Ravi Kumar Avupati, Venkatesh Raikar, Balaji Krishnaswamy
  • Patent number: 11905121
    Abstract: An apparatus for turning elongate objects conveyed into a discharge orientation. The apparatus includes a feed device and a turning worm screw. The turning worm screw comprises at least one worm channel open radially outwards and is delimited by a feed side delimiting wall, discharge side delimiting wall, and a radially inner circumferential wall. Both the feed side delimiting wall and the discharge side delimiting wall have a screw pitch which reduces from a feed end to a discharge end of the turning worm screw. A feed path of the feed device approaches a feed portion of the turning worm screw to the side. The feed portion adjoins the feed end of the turning worm screw. The apparatus includes a discharge device assigned to the discharge end of the turning worm screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SOMIC VERPACKUNGSMASCHINEN GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Christian Essbach, Alexander Riegel, Josef Lipp
  • Patent number: 11905129
    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: February 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: AEGIS SORTATION, LLC
    Inventor: Kenneth Jay Ice
  • Patent number: 11905127
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses are disclosed for helical container conveyance. In one embodiment, an example container conveyance system may include a set of rails having a first rail and a second rail, the set of rails configured to guide a container from an upright position at a first point along the set of rails to an inverted position at a second point along the set of rails. The system may include a drive mechanism configured to propel the container along the set of rails, and a conveyor disposed under a portion of the set of rails corresponding to the second point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Vivek S. Narayanan, Rajeev Dwivedi, Ganesh Krishnamoorthy
  • Patent number: 11905122
    Abstract: The present invention is a conveyor belt cleaning apparatus, comprising: a case, wherein the case is designed to secure to a conveyor belt assembly; a frame member, wherein the frame member is secured to the case; at least one applicator attached to the frame member; tubing attached to the frame member and directly in contact with the applicator; at least one pump connected to the tubing; a solution reservoir connected to the at least one pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Inventors: Sheldon Meyers, Michael Schrlau, Chad Uckermark
  • Patent number: 11891251
    Abstract: A raised belt transfer unit may comprise a first angled support and a second angled support, a drive roller rotatably mounted to the first angled support and the second angled support, a plurality of driven rollers rotatably mounted to the first angled support and the second angled support, and a drive connecter in communication with the drive roller and a driven roller. The drive roller may be positioned adjacent a lower end of the first support and adjacent a lower end of the second support. The drive roller may be adapted to be coupled to a conveyor belt of a telescopic conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: FMH Conveyors LLC
    Inventors: William Mark Hogan, Barry Wayne Freeman