Patents Examined by Robert S. Katz
-
Patent number: 5090753Abstract: The invention is directed to an automatic locking mechanism for a dumpster container having a hinged lid. The elements of the locking mechanism comprise an L or U-shaped securing member which is attached to one or both sidewalls of the container. The securing member pivots over the lid, and is held in place by a securing mechanism. The securing mechanism fixes the L or U-shaped securing member in a position that inhibits opening of the container lid. The securing mechanism is automatically operated by a spring or gravity operated foot piece and linkage system which pivots the securing member over the lid of the container.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 1990Date of Patent: February 25, 1992Inventor: Lowell R. Goodman
-
Patent number: 5090687Abstract: A sorting device includes a plurality of shelves placed one above the other in a frame, each adapted to receive a printing plate in sorted fashion. Located in front of the insertion opening of the shelves is a transport device for moving the printing plates along the shelves, preferably from top to bottom. Between the transport device and the shelves is a sorting carriage which can travel along the shelves and which includes a pivotable flap which operates to deflect the printing plates from the transport device to a desired shelf. To allow the printing plates to be introduced into the shelves, while keeping the shelves placed close together, the shelves are pivotally mounted at their lower edges and the sorting carriage is provided with a tappet for engaging the shelf located above the selected shelf, to lift the upper shelves and thereby enlarge the insertion opening. The arrangement is especially suitable for sorting so-called "flexoplates" and flexible offset plates.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 1990Date of Patent: February 25, 1992Assignee: Daverio AGInventors: Willy Maier, Thomas Bachmann
-
Patent number: 5088876Abstract: The invention concerns a tractor comprising a front frame (1) and a rear frame (5) linked together by a hinge (7) with a vertical pivot and by a power cylinder for the steering of the tractor. In the tractor of the invention, the rear frame (5) consists of an interior body (9) and an exterior body (10) which are telescopically movable relative to each other using a power cylinder (8), the exterior body being provided with a tipping device (11) and a power cylinder (12) for the tipping of a platform placed on the tipping device.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 1990Date of Patent: February 18, 1992Inventor: Veikko Lifflander
-
Patent number: 5088875Abstract: A roll-off hoist includes a trailer main frame having a forward end defining a first pair of tracks and having a rearward end; a roll-off hoist frame hingedly connected at its rearward end to the rearward end of the main frame to pivot between a horizontal transport position and a rearwardly inclined loading position, the hoist frame adapted to receive a container directly atop and adjacent thereto, the hoist frame defining a second pair of tracks which align with the first pair of tracks when the hoist frame is in the horizontal transport position; a trolley mounted to slide within the first and second pair of tracks; trolley stop means mounted on the trolley for engagement with coacting container stop means on a container; a cable which apparatus anchored to the hoist frame and adapted to pull the container onto the hoist frame; and actuator means interposed between the trolley and the hoist frame for moving the trolley within the first and second pairs of tracks and moving a container connected to the trolType: GrantFiled: May 1, 1990Date of Patent: February 18, 1992Assignee: Galbreath IncorporatedInventors: Donald E. Galbreath, Kent Kruzick
-
Patent number: 5088873Abstract: A mixed freight handling system, particularly for limited access areas such as an end-opening trailer at a dock, includes a telescoping conveyor overlapping a fixed conveyor and translatable into the trailer to receive hand liftable articles. A freight manipulator includes an appropriate and changeable freight manipulator tool mounted on an extendible boom and is translatable adjacent and along the conveyors to the dock edge. The tool is extendible into the trailer for engaging and supporting manually nonliftable freight for transfer to or from a freight conveyor extending alongside the path of the manipulator. The telescoping conveyor includes a base section engaged with a track, an inclinable lift section, and a liftable and laterally swingable head section. The manipulator includes a chassis engaged with a track straddling the fixed and telescoping conveyors and has a tunnel formed therethrough, allowing the passage of articles on the conveyors therebeneath.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 1991Date of Patent: February 18, 1992Assignee: Yellow Freight System, Inc.Inventors: Carl J. Ruder, Ronald J. Haney, Richard J. Chutorash, Wayne W. Bostad, Arnold A. Zweig, Lyle B. Payne
-
Patent number: 5087166Abstract: A handling vehicle is used for the interchanging or replacement of printed product reels and empty reel cores. The vehicle body has a substantially U-shaped frame in plan. On the frame is a structure (1), into which is integrated a working module (35) with a vertically adjustable manipulating device (4). This working module is movable at right angles to the vehicle body (2) and is arranged in the central area of the vehicle body. Longitudinally spaced from the working module (35) is a laterally movable gripping arm (12) fixed to the structure (1) on the vehicle body (2). The working module (35) is used for the handling and transportation of printing product reels (8) and the gripping arm (12) for handling and transporting empty reel cores (50).Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 1990Date of Patent: February 11, 1992Assignee: SFT AG SpontanfordertechnikInventor: Werner Honegger
-
Patent number: 5087165Abstract: Apparatus having a frame and an axle on which are two ground engaging wheels and in between the wheels is a plurality of spaced discs arranged to wedge golf balls between adjacent discs and to discharge those golf balls into a forward basket; half of the discs and wheels being in one of two separately rotatable sections mounted on the same axle, the wheels being slightly larger in diameter than the ball engaging discs and capable of functioning as load supporting wheels located at the ends of the axle, but inside the frame.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 1990Date of Patent: February 11, 1992Inventor: Fred A. Akel
-
Patent number: 5083891Abstract: A multistory parking space wherein at least one parking floor is located underground. An entry way and an exit way for vehicles of the multistory parking space are provided with an entrance lift and an exit lift, respectively. The parking floor is provided with at least one power carrier and a large number of parking pallets, and vehicles are transferred between the lifts and the carrier and between the carrier and the pallets by conveyors. Shutters are provided between the lifts and the entry and exit ways, and the lifts and the passenger ways to prevent accidental falling of a vehicle or a passenger.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 1990Date of Patent: January 28, 1992Assignee: Takenaka CorporationInventor: Tsubota Takahiro
-
Patent number: 5082404Abstract: A cargo clamp for a van, the van having cargo space defined by a floor, upwardly extending sidewalls and a roof. The cargo clamp comprises a transverse track that extends between the sidewalls below the roof and is supported below the roof and is held in place by side rails on each side. A clamp is attached to the track and is movable along the side rails between the sidewalls. The clamp also includes a downwardly extending brace that engages and restrains sheet material that is positioned on edge in the cargo space. The clamp includes a handle and bolt for engagement in a threaded hole for securing the clamp to the track at a selected position.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 1990Date of Patent: January 21, 1992Inventors: Peter V. Stewart, David R. Butts
-
Patent number: 5080550Abstract: An industrial process is disclosed for increasing the production and efficiency of handling palletized material (D, E) by an industrial forklift truck (10) in which a left and right fork (A, B) are spread and inserted simultaneously on outer sides (26a) of center beams (26). The forks are then moved together to squeeze the pallets together for balancing and simultaneous handling.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 1990Date of Patent: January 14, 1992Inventor: Ralph E. Helbert
-
Patent number: 5078566Abstract: A freight transportation system is provided and comprises a loading station, an unloading station and a vehicle moveable therebetween to transport freight. The vehicle includes a lower platform for carrying freight and a pair of doors moveable between open and closed positions. In the closed position, the doors constitute side walls to prevent removal of the freight from the vehicle. In the open position, the doors are located to facilitate removal of the freight from the vehicle. The unloading station includes a door moving mechanism for moving the doors of the vehicle to the open position upon its arrival at the station. A freight removal device moves the freight off of one side of the platform when the doors are moved to the open position.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 1990Date of Patent: January 7, 1992Assignee: UTDC, Inc.Inventor: David N. Ferrence
-
Patent number: 5071303Abstract: A system includes a point-of-use container having a plurality of removable bins with each bin for a different recyclable material. A pickup container, transportable to a pickup location, has a plurality of bins corresponding to the point-of-use bins, each bin having a normally closed hinged lid. A truck body has a set of bins corresponding to the pickup container bins and an automated arm mechanism for holding the lids closed, and for picking up and inverting the pickup container over the truck body bins. A computer is programmed to control the arm mechanism to perform the required movements. A barcode on the pickup container is read and each lid is released selectively when each bin is over a corresponding truck body bin to dump the contents of the container bins. The container is returned to its pickup location and released.Type: GrantFiled: December 24, 1990Date of Patent: December 10, 1991Inventor: William S. Carson
-
Patent number: 5071307Abstract: A truck body for mounting on a truck or trailer mounts apparatus for engaging, picking up, and selectively dumping a compartmented curbside container having separated recyclable materials. The truck body is divided into a plurality of bins. A carriage is movably mounted on a longitudinal track, the track supported by a pair of movable telescoping arms, the carriage powered to move along the track. Extensible arms are attached to the carriage and includes hydraulic actuators for extending and retracting the arms. A pair of clamping arms is disposed at a distal end of the extensible arms, and include a hydraulic actuator for clamping the clamping arms on a container. Thereafter, the container is picked up, inverted over the bins, and the container contents dumped selectively as the inverted container is moved over the bins. The container is returned to curbside after dumping.Type: GrantFiled: December 24, 1990Date of Patent: December 10, 1991Inventor: William S. Carson
-
Patent number: 5069596Abstract: A method and apparatus for handling and discharging bulk bags allowing dosage control is disclosed. A bulk bag is hung from a maneuverable frame with a pair of winches mounted thereon. After opening the bottom of the bag, actuation of the winches tightens a cable looped around the lower portion of the bag to restrict the flow of material out of the opening. A bulk bag specially adapted for the method is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 1990Date of Patent: December 3, 1991Assignee: Lawter International, Inc.Inventors: Hermann Mueller, Timothy J. Hendron, David Dawood
-
Patent number: 5067867Abstract: A mixed freight handling system, particularly for limited access areas such as an end-opening trailer at a dock, includes a telescoping conveyor overlapping a fixed conveyor and translatable into the trailer to receive hand liftable articles. A freight manipulator includes an appropriate and changeable freight manipulator tool mounted on an extendible boom and is translatable adjacent and along the conveyors to the dock edge. The tool is extendible into the trailer for engaging and supporting manually nonliftable freight for transfer to or from a freight conveyor extending alongside the path of the manipulator. The telescoping conveyor includes a base section engaged with a track, an inclinable lift section, and a liftable and laterally swingable head section. The manipulator includes a chassis engaged with a track straddling the fixed and telescoping conveyors and has a tunnel formed therethrough, allowing the passage of articles on the conveyors therebeneath.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 1991Date of Patent: November 26, 1991Assignee: Yellow Freight System, Inc.Inventors: Carl J. Ruder, Ronald J. Haney, Richard J. Chutorash, Wayne W. Bostad, Arnold A. Zweig, Lyle B. Payne
-
Patent number: 5061145Abstract: An improved apparatus for picking up, transferring and depositing lightweight articles. The apparatus includes a driven rotary member having a pluality of tubular arms extending from circumferentially spaced portions of the member. The ends of these arms pass through a portion of a receptacle in which the articles are stored and suction is set up on these arms at their ends as moved through the receptacle to attract articles thereto. An extracting mechansim is positioned in close proximity to the arc created by the ends of the tubular arms and applies a vacuum, greater than the vacuum applied by said tubular arms, to extract the articles from the tubular arms and transfer the articles to a point of deposit.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 1990Date of Patent: October 29, 1991Assignee: Gen-Gar-Inc.Inventors: James Genis, Normand J. Madgar
-
Patent number: 5054988Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for transferring a plurality of semiconductor wafers from their cassettes to a boat. This apparatus comprises a support body on which the cassettes and the boat are mounted, a lifter for lifting wafers from the cassettes, a handling device for carrying the wafers and transferring them to the boat, and a plurality fans for introducing dust created by the handling device into the support body and removing it outside the support body.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 1989Date of Patent: October 8, 1991Assignee: Tel Sagami LimitedInventor: Hirotsugu Shiraiwa
-
Patent number: 5054578Abstract: A power-operated lift and presenting mechanism is disclosed which lifts an article stored on a platform member in a vehicle trunk to an upwardly lifted position. A start assist member is included to assist in the initial movement of the platform member from a lowered stored position to the upwardly lifted position. The platform member is forced upwardly at two locations when it initially begins to move. The motor has a short period of time to warm up before it begins lifting the platform member. The lift and presenting mechanism is incorporated into controls for vehicle, such that when a trunk opening switch within the vehicle cab is actuated, the lift and presenting mechanism is automatically actuated to drive the platform member to an upwardly lifted position. A switch is placed in an easily accessible position within the vehicle trunk and includes a kill switch to disconnect the automatic actuation.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 1990Date of Patent: October 8, 1991Assignee: C. M. Smillie & CompanyInventors: Charles M. Smillie, III, Anthony J. Tomac
-
Patent number: 5051053Abstract: A trailer apparatus having a perimeter frame with a front, rear and intermediate portion thereof includes a trailer hitch attached to the front of the perimeter frame for permitting it to be attached to a towing vehicle. Wheels are rotatably attached to the perimeter frame and have axle-supporting structures passing between the left and right side aligned wheels. The tilting bed is pivotally attached at a point above and midway between the rotational axes of the axles, in the case of a tandem wheel arrangement having two wheels on each side thereof, or immediately above the axle on a trailer having just one wheel on each side thereof. By having the tilting bed pivotally connected to a perimeter frame at this point, the perimeter frame of the trailer will not have a tendency to tip during the loading process.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 1990Date of Patent: September 24, 1991Inventor: Ronald L. Groeneweg
-
Patent number: 5046912Abstract: Apparatus for receiving and dumping a top-unloading car. Cradle track extends from a car receiving position to a car dumping position, and is inclined downwardly from the car-receiving position. A car-receiving cradle assembly movably mounted on the cradle track includes rocker members with arcuate peripheries for contact with and support by the cradle track. Car rails support a loaded car on the cradle assembly with the combined center of gravity of the car, of its load and of the cradle assembly being located relative to the peripheries of the rocker members such that the cradle assembly, with a loaded car thereon, can roll by gravity action from a normal vertical position at the car-receiving position through an angle in the range of about 70 to about 110 degrees and, with an emptied car thereon, can roll by gravity action from the car-dumping position to return to a position within that range.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 1988Date of Patent: September 10, 1991Assignee: Rail Engineering, Inc.Inventors: John Bostrom, Eugene A. Annis