Patents Examined by Patrick Mackey
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Patent number: 9517913Abstract: In a sheet or signature (printer folder sheet) accumulating a front positioning part 44 configured, when a sheet has entered a sheet accumulating part 40, to move away from a rear positioning part 46 such that a distance of the front positioning part 44 from the rear positioning part 46 is larger than a length of the sheet in a carrying-in direction of the sheet, and, after a front edge in the carrying-in direction of the sheet has contacted the front positioning part 44, to move closer to the rear positioning part 46.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2015Date of Patent: December 13, 2016Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokyo Kikai SeisakushoInventors: Shunsuke Aizawa, Kenichi Yamagiwa
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Patent number: 9517653Abstract: When two or more post-processing devices are designated for a print job, two or more attribute values (finished size, imposition method, finishing, etc.) of each print attributes which can be set for the print job are allowed to set. When two or more finished size attribute values are set, finished pages having a size smaller than a given finished size and register marks are sequentially laid out in a finished page having the given finished size in a nested manner.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2013Date of Patent: December 13, 2016Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Junko Sato
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Patent number: 9504628Abstract: Embodiments generally relate to a pill box adapted for dispensing medication. In one embodiment, the pill box includes a base member, a carousel coupled to the base member and configured to rotate about the base member, one or more compartments, each compartment formed within the carousel and configured to store a single dose of medication with a lid configured to enclose the base and the carousel. The pill box ratchet advancement mechanism includes a resilient member and a stop member configured to facilitate motion of the carousel in a first direction and to restrict motion in a second direction, and a locking component configured to permit a pre-determined displacement of the carousel in the first direction and to limit further displacement in the first direction by locking the carousel.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2013Date of Patent: November 29, 2016Assignee: Abiogenix Inc.Inventors: Goutam Reddy, Sara Cinnamon
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Patent number: 9505580Abstract: Provided is a sheet material binding apparatus capable of shortening a user's waiting time required to bind sheets through a manual operation with a movable stapler. A CPU (162) of a sheet material binding apparatus (50) monitors whether or not an image forming apparatus (1) can execute image formation processing. When the image forming apparatus (1) can execute the image formation processing, the movable stapler is arranged at a standby position close to the image forming apparatus (1). When the image forming apparatus (1) cannot execute the image formation processing, on the other hand, the movable stapler is arranged at a position for performing the manual operation, to thereby bind the sheets through the manual operation immediately.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2016Date of Patent: November 29, 2016Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yousuke Hata, Kazumi Sato, Toshifumi Kakutani, Takeyuki Suda, Yoshitaka Yamazaki, Hirohisa Kato, Shinya Suzuki
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Patent number: 9501889Abstract: A product storage device includes: a product rack including a plurality of product storage columns, the product storage column having a product storage path; a main gate member provided the product storage columns to be rotatable in a form of moving into or out of the product storage path; and a restraining unit including a guide member extending along a direction of arranging the product storage columns, and a plurality of piece members slidably housed in a housing region of the guide member. The restraining unit in a normal state restrains all the main gate members from being retreated from the product storage path. The restraining unit allows any one main gate member to be retreated from the product storage path and restrain the other main gate members from being retreated from the product storage path when extraction of a product in the product rack is allowed.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2013Date of Patent: November 22, 2016Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.Inventors: Yoshio Yasaka, Michihiko Makino
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Patent number: 9499328Abstract: A dispensing apparatus for dispensing articles includes a housing and a drive system. The housing defines a hopper chamber to hold the articles, a dispensing outlet, and a dispensing path between the hopper chamber and the dispensing outlet. The drive system includes a belt and a belt actuator operable to drive the belt. The dispensing apparatus is configured such that articles disposed in the hopper chamber are directed onto the belt and the belt, when driven by the belt actuator, conveys the articles received from the hopper chamber in a dispensing direction along the dispensing path toward the dispensing outlet to be dispensed.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2016Date of Patent: November 22, 2016Assignee: Parata Systems, LLCInventors: Matthew P. Daniels, Steve Bouchelle, Mark I. Perisich
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Patent number: 9492891Abstract: A parallel belt system for a laser cutter module and a method or non-transitory computer readable medium for transporting a cut sheet of media through a laser cutter in a printer is disclosed. For example, the parallel belt system includes a rotating shaft, a plurality of pairs of o-rings movably coupled to the rotating shaft, a plurality of belts for receiving a cut sheet of media, a guide for each one of the plurality of belts for holding a respective one of the plurality of belts rigid, a laser cutter for cutting a portion of the cut sheet of media and a collection module coupled below the plurality of belts for collecting the portion of the cut sheet of media that is cut by the laser cutter.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2014Date of Patent: November 15, 2016Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventor: Douglas K. Herrmann
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Patent number: 9480372Abstract: A portable towelette dispenser includes a liquid container comprising a liquid cavity, and a base rotationally connected to the liquid container. A stem connected to the base in rotating relation thereto, wherein the liquid container may be disposed about the stem. The base may be operative to rotate the stem relative to the liquid container via rotation of the base relative to the liquid container. A wetting configuration of the portable towelette dispenser is at least partially defined by at least partial alignment of one or more stem apertures relative to one or more wetting apertures. A sealed configuration of the portable towelette dispenser is at least partially defined by a completely non-aligned relation of the stem apertures relative to the wetting apertures.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2015Date of Patent: November 1, 2016Inventor: Kyle Taylor
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Patent number: 9477213Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus is described which is used to process a sheet transferred from an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine. A sheet processing apparatus is provided with a punching unit which cuts off part of a sheet conveyed along a conveying route, and a humidifying unit located on this conveying route in the upstream side of the punching unit and configured to humidify a predetermined area which is selected from the entire area of the sheet and includes punch areas to be cut off from the conveyed sheet by the punching unit. The cutting wastes can thereby be electrostatically discharged without leaving the sheet excessively wet.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2013Date of Patent: October 25, 2016Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Masahiro Kamiya, Takeshi Tamada
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Patent number: 9469086Abstract: The invention relates to a method for assembling a stack (10) consisting of single or multilayered pre-products (1115) of equal or different sizes, said pre-products lying freely one on top of the other, wherein the stack (10) has two outer pre-products (11, 15). According to the method, the stack (10) is given a cohesion that facilitates later handling. The cohesion is achieved in a very simple and flexibly applicable manner by providing the slack (10) to be assembled in a first step, said stack consisting of pre-products (11-15) that lie freely one on top of the other, and by attaching at least one connecting element (17) to an edge (16) of the stack (10) in a second step such that said element overlaps the two outer pre-products (11, 15) of the stack (10) in a clamping manner.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2011Date of Patent: October 18, 2016Assignee: Ferag AGInventor: Werner Honegger
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Patent number: 9463946Abstract: A system for collating a plurality of media including a first bin, a second bin arranged adjacent to the first bin, a collated stack receiver arranged proximate the second bin opposite the first bin, first, second and third guides, the first and second guides positioned on opposing sides of the first bin, and the second and third guides positioned on opposing sides of the second bin, and a pusher. When the first, second and third guides are positioned in non-retracted locations, a first set of the plurality of media is deposited in the first bin and a second set of the plurality of media is deposited in the second bin. When the first, second and third guides are positioned in retracted locations, the pusher moves the first set to the second bin vertically above the second set to form a first combined set and moves the first combined set to the collated stack receiver.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2015Date of Patent: October 11, 2016Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventor: Douglas K. Herrmann
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Patent number: 9463140Abstract: Embodiments generally relate to a pill box adapted for dispensing medication. In one embodiment, the pill box includes a base member, a carousel coupled to the base member and configured to rotate about the base member, one or more compartments, each compartment formed within the carousel and configured to store a single dose of medication with a lid configured to enclose the base and the carousel. The pill box ratchet advancement mechanism includes a resilient member and a stop member configured to facilitate motion of the carousel in a first direction and to restrict motion in a second direction, and a locking component configured to permit a pre-determined displacement of the carousel in the first direction and to limit further displacement in the first direction by locking the carousel.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2014Date of Patent: October 11, 2016Assignee: Abiogenix Inc.Inventors: Goutam Reddy, Sara Cinnamon
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Patent number: 9456958Abstract: Embodiments generally relate to a central monitoring system for a dispensing device in a healthcare network. In one embodiment, the central monitoring system includes one or more accessing devices configured to transmit a unique identity tag to the dispensing device, and one or more computing devices configured to receive an identity tag from one or more accessing devices. The computing device is further configured to receive a time stamp and create a report of the time of access of the dispensing device by the one or more accessing devices. In another embodiment, the central monitoring system is configured to transmit a real-time notification based on device data analyzed by the computing device.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2014Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Assignee: Abiogenix Inc.Inventors: Goutam Reddy, Sara Cinnamon
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Patent number: 9456959Abstract: Embodiments generally relate to a pill box adapted for dispensing medication. In one embodiment, the pill box includes a base member, a carousel coupled to the base member and configured to rotate about the base member, one or more compartments, each compartment formed within the carousel and configured to store a single dose of medication with a lid configured to enclose the base and the carousel. The pill box ratchet advancement mechanism includes a resilient member and a stop member configured to facilitate motion of the carousel in a first direction and to restrict motion in a second direction, and a locking component configured to permit a pre-determined displacement of the carousel in the first direction and to limit further displacement in the first direction by locking the carousel.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2014Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Assignee: Abiogenix Inc.Inventors: Goutam Reddy, Sara Cinnamon
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Patent number: 9446921Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus including: a first aligner to push lateral edges of a sheet inward across a width direction of the sheet conveyed from an upstream side for alignment of the sheet, the width direction being orthogonal to a moving direction of the sheet; a second aligner to abut a front edge of the sheet conveyed from the upstream side for a predetermined period of time for alignment of the sheet; a first aligner driver to drive the first aligner; a second aligner driver to drive the second aligner; and a controller to control operations of the first aligner driver and the second aligner driver, wherein the controller activates or inactivates the first aligner driver and the second aligner driver depending on a predetermined parameter on the conveyed sheet.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2014Date of Patent: September 20, 2016Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventor: Ryosuke Habara
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Patent number: 9440479Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a processing table to which a printed sheet is transported, a positioning member that positions the sheet, a cutter that cuts the positioned sheet into a binding margin portion and an image portion, and a taping unit that joins the binding margin portion and the image portion together with a tape in a state in which a gap is formed therebetween.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2014Date of Patent: September 13, 2016Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masashi Ishikawa, Takayuki Ono
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Patent number: 9434570Abstract: A sheet processing device includes an exit tray and a sheet alignment mechanism. On the exit tray, ejected sheets or ejected sheet sheaves subjected to stapling are stacked. When at least a sheet is ejected, the sheet alignment mechanism aligns the sheets in a manner to be in contact with and catch opposite ends of the sheets stacked on the exit tray from a base end side of the exit tray. When a sheet sheaf is ejected, the sheet alignment mechanism comes in contact with a plurality of points on a topmost surface of the sheet sheaves stacked on the exit tray to detect a height difference between the plurality of points.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2014Date of Patent: September 6, 2016Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventors: Takeshi Matsuo, Terumitsu Noso, Yasunori Ueno, Masahiko Miyazaki
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Patent number: 9437049Abstract: A ticket dispenser comprising a housing body, a lockable housing door configured to close an opening in the housing body, a ticket dispensing aperture, a lockable security cover configured to prevent the removal of tickets through the aperture, and a lock assembly, wherein the lock assembly is configured to lock the housing door and security cover when in a first orientation, wherein the lock assembly is configured to lock the housing door and not to lock the security cover when in a second orientation, and wherein the lock assembly is configured not to lock the housing door or the security cover when in a third orientation.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2012Date of Patent: September 6, 2016Assignee: FASTRAK RETAIL (UK) LIMITEDInventors: John Barrett, Stephen Matthews
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Patent number: 9434528Abstract: A pill dispenser for use with a pill container. The present invention describes a dispensing apparatus for a pill container comprising a housing, a rotatable closure to which a pill container may be mounted in an inverted orientation, a hopper for collecting pills emptied from the pill container into the housing, and a rotatable spool that is adapted to receive pills from the hopper. The spool comprises one or more slots that are sized to receive pills of various sizes and shapes. A metering sleeve rotatably disposed around the spool selectively covers all but one of the slots of the spool. Users can select the setting of the metering sleeve corresponding to the size and shape of the pill that they are seeking to dispense, ensuring that a single pill is received in the corresponding slot of the spool.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2014Date of Patent: September 6, 2016Inventor: Rosemary Ashbaugh
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Patent number: 9418502Abstract: A commodity storage device has commodity storage columns defining respective commodity storage passages, in each of which commodities are stored upright in a line. The commodity storage device includes first gate members, each of which is provided turnably in such a manner as to enter and retreat from the corresponding commodity storage passage; second gate members, each of which is provided so as to be able to turn in conjunction with the corresponding first gate member in such a manner as to enter and in conjunction with the corresponding first gate member in such a manner as to enter and retreat from the corresponding commodity storage passage; and flapper members, each of which is provided turnably on a side wall forming the corresponding commodity storage passage in such a manner as to enter and retreat form the commodity storage passage.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2013Date of Patent: August 16, 2016Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.Inventor: Yoshio Yasaka