Patents Examined by Rinaldi I. Rada
  • Patent number: 8844787
    Abstract: A spring-type fastener driving tool includes a plunger having a blade that drives in fasteners, a spring that urges the plunger downwards and is capable of being compressed upwards, a spring compression mechanism unit that includes a drum that causes the plunger to move in a compression direction of the spring based on rotational force of a motor, a reduction mechanism unit, and a one-way clutch than prohibits reverse rotation of the motor. Reverse rotation of the drum due to the urging force of the spring is prevented by providing the one-way clutch between an input side rotating shaft of the reduction mechanism unit and a rotation output shaft of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihiro Shima, Hideyuki Tanimoto, Hiroyuki Oda, Yoshihiro Nakano, Takashi Ueda
  • Patent number: 8388506
    Abstract: There is described a sequencing unit (1) operating along a feed path (A) of a succession of opening devices (3) for attachment to respective sealed packages of pourable food products; the unit has: push means (25) interacting at a predetermined rate with the succession of opening devices (3) to feed them along the path (A); and locating means (29) interacting with the opening devices (3) and of variable configuration to maintain opening devices (3) with different geometric characteristics in a predetermined position with respect to the push means (25).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Zuccotti, Claudio Baldini, Mahmod Tabarte, Lars Skarin, Anders Gustfasson
  • Patent number: 8365505
    Abstract: Improved printing architectures and associated methods are disclosed for printing enclosures in substantially real-time for insertion with a document in a mail piece. The printing architecture allows for virtual enclosure bins in place of or in addition to actual enclosure bins. When a virtual enclosure bin is referenced in a document print job, an enclosure image is identified for the virtual enclosure bin and is printed in substantially real-time to generate an enclosure. The enclosure for the virtual enclosure bin may then be inserted with the document in the mail piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventor: Brian P. Doyle
  • Patent number: 8341923
    Abstract: A method of packing shutter panels including applying foam clips to sides of a shutter panel. The ends of the foam clips extend beyond ends of the shutter panel so that the ends of the foam clips overhang the panel. A plastic covering wrapped around the foam clips and the shutter panel is wrapped tight enough to compress and bend the ends of the foam clips inward toward the panel to form protective corners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Hunter Douglas Inc.
    Inventors: Denise C. Dyson, Michael S. Goldberg, Terry D. Goodale, Michael A. Panco
  • Patent number: 8341924
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method of supplying gas or a gas mixture to the inside of partly formed packages in a filling machine before a subsequent filling and sealing of the packages involves supplying the gas or gas mixture as at least one flow into the package via an opening in the package. The supply is made such that the at least one flow flows into the package to the inner region of the package and thereafter returns back through the opening. The method also involves temporarily catching the return flow from the package in a delimited space outside the opening, and directing the return flow out from the space in such a way that a substantially vertical flow along the outer envelope surface of the package is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
    Inventors: Ulf Lindblad, Jenny Karolina Olsson
  • Patent number: 8316624
    Abstract: Cassette system with cassette (17, 27, 37, 47) and method for grouping a number of flexible packs (10). It is proposed that the cassette be produced from two parts which are hinged with respect to one another, one or more flexible packs being placed in each part. The parts of the cassette with the flexible pack or flexible packs placed thereon are then moved relative to one another, and more particularly are rotated, in order thus to obtain a group of packs where the packs lie close together. The group thus obtained is then placed in an outer pack such as a box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Blueprint Holding B.V.
    Inventor: Nicolaas Martin Prakken
  • Patent number: 8297028
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and systems that may be used for individualized selection of one or more pharmaceutical agents and packaging of the one or more pharmaceutical agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, LLC
    Inventors: Edward K. Y. Jung, Royce A. Levien, Robert W. Lord, Mark A. Malamud, John D. Rinaldo, Jr., Lowell L. Wood
  • Patent number: 8281556
    Abstract: Packaging apparatus modules include a frame with a base adapted to reside on a support floor, the frame having opposing right and left hand frame sides and at least one lateral beam that extends therebetween, the right and left hand frame sides comprising respective upwardly extending frame portions which are configured to reside on opposing sides of a longitudinal product travel path having an axially extending centerline; and a clipper mechanism configured to selectively attach to either one of the right and left hand frame sides in a manner that positions the clipper mechanism at a substantially common operative full-clip location in the product travel path when mounted to either the right or left hand frame sides to thereby allow build options with selectable mounting orientations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Tipper Tie, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel D. Griggs, Dennis J. May, David T. Wince, William M. Poteat, Derek L. Brown
  • Patent number: 8231041
    Abstract: A surgical fastener applying apparatus comprising a cartridge body including a tissue contacting surface including a plurality of fastener retention slots arranged in a plurality of rows including at least an inner row and an outer row, a plurality of surgical fasteners disposed in the inner and outer rows and configured such that a plurality of fasteners disposed in the inner row have a first diameter that is less than a second diameter of a plurality of surgical fasteners disposed in the outer row, and an anvil having an inner row and an outer row of depressions for forming the fasteners. A plurality of pushers are operably associated with the plurality of surgical fasteners, the pushers configured to eject an associated surgical fastener towards the respective depression in the anvil such that upon formation of a corresponding surgical fastener, the surgical fasteners ejected from the inner row provide a greater compressive force to tissue than the surgical fasteners ejected from the outer row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP
    Inventors: Stanislaw Marczyk, John W. Beardsley
  • Patent number: 8231514
    Abstract: A folding assembly for producing a gable portion of a sealed package of pourable product, wherein the gable portion has first and second walls sloping with respect to each other and joined at a seal, and a flap connecting lateral edges of the first and second walls. The folding assembly is supplied with packs, each having an axis and, at one end and on opposite sides of the axis, two end portions which are folded to form the gable portion, with the end portions having, respectively, a first and a second portion to be folded, which are joined by a lateral face of the pack. The folding assembly includes a folding mechanism which interacts, on opposite sides of the axis, with the first and second portion of the pack to fold the second portion onto the lateral face, and the first portion onto the second portion to form the flap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
    Inventors: Fabrizio Rimondi, Massimo Pradelli, Paolo Fontanazzi, Lars Jeppsson
  • Patent number: 8225582
    Abstract: An automated pharmaceutical product packaging machine simultaneously fills a plurality of product package templates in parallel with desired pharmaceutical dosing requirements. The templates are subsequently positioned over a temporary storage template having cavities for receiving solid pharmaceutical doses. A collector member is subsequently placed beneath the temporary storage template for receiving the pharmaceuticals which in turn is positioned over a solid pharmaceutical product package having a plurality of cavities which correspond to openings on the templates and wherein each of the templates fills a pharmaceutical package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: MTS Medication Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd Siegel, Stuart C. Bagley, Anne M. Bagley, legal representative
  • Patent number: 8220223
    Abstract: A beverage bottling plant, in which beverage bottles are filled, closed, packed, and transported on dollies and pallets, an arrangement for transporting dollies, and a method therefor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: KHS GmbH
    Inventor: Joachim Junghans
  • Patent number: 8220228
    Abstract: A cap removal apparatus for a vacuum blood collection tube is configured to remove a cap from the collection tube of which an opening is closed by the cap so that the tube is kept under vacuum inside. The cap removal apparatus comprises, a tube clamping mechanism which clamps the collection tube upright in a cap removal position, a chuck mechanism which is disposed in the cap removal position and chucks the cap of the collection tube, seal pressure reduction unit which is disposed in the a chuck mechanism and configured to seal a region around the opening including the cap and reduce the pressure of the sealed region to substantially the same level as the internal pressure of the collection tube when the cap is chucked, and a lift mechanism which raises the chuck mechanism from a cap chucking position, thereby removing the cap from the collection tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: IDS Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Patent number: 8215839
    Abstract: A closure device for a thermoplastic bag which includes two opposing, longitudinally extending interlockable male and female fastening strips having respective male and female closure elements or profiles with outside wings that are deformed when the closure device is fully occluded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: The Glad Products Company
    Inventors: Michael G. Borchardt, Andrew E. Neltner
  • Patent number: 8209944
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical storing and dispensing device including a child resistant mode and a non-child resistant mode between the container and the closure. The closure comprises a non-child resistant cap shaped to removeably engage the container and a child-resistant cap shaped to be permanently fixed to the non-resistant cap. The non-child resistant cap and child resistant cap are provided in intentionally varying quantities such that the quantity of child resistant caps is less than the quantity of non-child resistant caps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Tri State Distribution, Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Miceli, Joseph A. Miceli
  • Patent number: 8201387
    Abstract: The invention relates to an automatic device which is used to envelope small items and which can be used to perform very-high-speed enveloping. The inventive device comprises a frame (11) having the following components mounted thereto, namely: a storage bin (12) containing a pile of stacked envelopes (15) which are disposed such that they can be removed one by one from the base of the bin, and a control drum (13) which is associated with a rotary cam (14). The aforementioned control drum (13) is arranged such as to move the envelopes (15) individually and successively from the storage bin (12) towards an area where a document is inserted therein and such as to open the envelope when the rotary cam (14) has unfolded the flap of same. The documents (30) to be inserted into the envelopes (15) are conveyed by way of cogs (32) which are solidly connected to a continuously-moving transport chain (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Kern AG
    Inventor: Gianfranco Passoni
  • Patent number: 8186452
    Abstract: A clamp system for an elongate member, comprising first and second clamp members, an actuator member, and an actuator system. The actuator member defines an actuator cam surface and is supported for movement between first and second actuator positions. The second clamp member defines a clamp cam surface and is supported for movement between first and second clamp positions. The actuator system displaces the actuator member between first and second actuator positions. As the actuator member moves from the first actuator position to the second actuator position, the actuator cam surface engages the clamp cam surface to cause the second clamp member to move towards the first clamp member, thereby clamping a portion of the elongate member between the first and second clamp members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: American Piledriving Equipment, Inc.
    Inventors: John L. White, David Yingling
  • Patent number: 8181715
    Abstract: A power tool according to the invention includes a dynamic vibration reducer having a body, a weight and elastic elements. The body is formed by a plurality of cylindrical members which are coaxially disposed to face each other. The elastic elements exert biasing forces on the cylindrical members such that the cylindrical members are held apart from each other. The cylindrical members are fixed to the tool body side under the biasing forces of the elastic elements. Venting members for forced vibration are provided on the cylindrical members and protrude radially outward from the cylindrical members, respectively. The venting members are mounted by inserting into venting member mounting parts on the tool body side in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical members. At least one of the venting members can move with respect to the cylindrical member in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Makita Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Bito, Takuro Konishi
  • Patent number: 8151901
    Abstract: A pressure fluid operated impact device comprising a frame (2) whereto a tool (3) is mountable movably in its longitudinal direction, and control means (7) for controlling pressure fluid feed to the impact device (1), as well as a method of generating a stress pulse in a pressure fluid operated impact device. The impact device (1) comprises a working chamber (8) and a transmission piston (9) moving therein. Energy charging means for charging energy of pressure fluid and the control means are coupled to allow periodically alternately pressure fluid to flow to the working chamber (8) and, correspondingly, to discharge pressure fluid from the working chamber (8). In the method, pressure fluid is fed to the working chamber (8), which produces a force pushing the transmission piston (9) in the direction of the tool (3), thus generating a stress pulse in the tool (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Sandvik Mining and Construction Oy
    Inventors: Markku Keskiniva, Jorma Mäki, Mauri Esko, Erkki Ahola, Aimo Helin, Timo Muuttonen
  • Patent number: 8141761
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a feed apparatus, a feed channel and a setting device, that is used in connection with these specific apparatuses. The feed apparatus uses either a strip magazine or a rotary magazine. The feeding of the fastening elements proceeds stepwise using a movable slide, where with use of the rotary magazine a simultaneous loading and unloading of the rotary magazine at different positions is guaranteed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Bollhoff Verbindungstechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Torsten Draht, Bernd Haesler, Hans-Jorg Lang, Iris Spiller-Bohnenkamp