Patents Examined by Saul J. Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 7540700
    Abstract: A grain cart or similar device for receiving and moving granular agricultural product from a harvester includes bulk filling structure for directly loading an elongated intermodal container. The cart has a frame supported on wheel structure at generally a constant height relative to the surface of the ground, and a grain tank is fixed to the frame. A lift assembly connected to the cart frame adjacent the tank supports a vertically adjustable high speed filling conveyor above the cart hitch. The filling conveyor is operable at a speed sufficient to throw the material along an arcuate path through a side opening in the intermodal container towards the opposite end of the container. The intermodal container can be filled directly from the grain cart with the end of the filling conveyor located outside of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Richard Wayne Hook
  • Patent number: 7537426
    Abstract: An adjustable hopper for aiding in the transportation of old roofing material, such as shingles, to a refuse dumpster is herein disclosed. The hopper is inwardly tapered towards a false bottom and has a manually actuating release lever for vacating the contents through said false bottom. The hopper assembly is mounted on four height-adjustable leg assemblies manipulated by a handle. The hopper and leg assemblies are mounted on a support frame with heavy-duty caster wheel assemblies at each of four corners. The support frame is constructed so as to enable the entire hopper assembly to be positioned about a conventional refuse dumpster with a minimal amount of clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Inventor: Roy A. Dunn
  • Patent number: 7534084
    Abstract: A modular tow trailer assembly tows cargo behind a motor vehicle. A base assembly pivotally connects to a fork assembly. A hydraulic lifting cylinder moves the wheels downward relative to the fork assembly to raise the fork assembly into a towing position with the load substantially centered over the trailer's wheels. The tow trailer is readily partially disassembled for fitting within a cargo container and transporting within a cargo carrier in field conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Inventors: James C. Brown, Esler C. Walker, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7534083
    Abstract: A trailer includes a deck frame which can be supported in a lowered transport position in which the deck frame is spaced above the ground below a height of the wheels corresponding to a deck between configuration and a raised transport position in which the deck frame is spaced above the ground substantially at or above the height of the wheels corresponding to a deck over configuration. Consumers are thus only required to purchase a single trailer to meet the advantages of both trailer configurations. Load supports, independent of a lift mechanism of the trailer, are provided in addition to the linkage which controls displacement of the deck frame between the two positions to ensure that the deck frame is supported on the wheels in a manner so as to safely bear a load on the deck frame in both the lowered and raised positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Inventors: Andre Trudeau, Claude Trudeau
  • Patent number: 7530777
    Abstract: A safety interlock system is disclosed that can be selectively actuated to prevent or enable access to a conveyor mechanism of a spreader. When actuated to prevent access, the safety interlock prevents a top cover from moving to a position that allows access to the conveyor through an open top of the trough and prevents a hopper door from moving to an opened position wherein an operator can access the conveyor mechanism through a bottom opening of the trough. The safety interlock system can be configured such that a hydraulic drive motor is disconnected from the conveyor mechanism before allowing the top cover and the door to move to positions providing access to the conveyor mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Henderson Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Bill Hintzsche, Mark Hollinrake
  • Patent number: 7527280
    Abstract: A scissor hitch assembly for use with a ground-level loading trailer which allows the ball hitch coupler to remain attached to the towing vehicle while the ground-level loading trailer is in its lowered or ground-level position. When in its travel position, the scissor hitch assembly is secured through a travel pin. When the ground-level loading trailer is to be lowered, a single individual can simply remove the travel pin from the scissor hitch assembly and allow a portion of the scissor hitch assembly to slowly lower through the assistance of gas springs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Inventors: Leo Zachmeier, Tony Wald
  • Patent number: 7520191
    Abstract: A guide mechanism, which guides a slider along an inner wall surface of a frame, includes a plurality of resin sliding members retained by the slider. The plurality of resin sliding members include a pair of first resin sliding members that make sliding movement along first sliding grooves formed in a bottom wall section of the frame, a pair of second resin sliding members that make sliding movement along second sliding grooves formed in side wall sections of the frame, and a pair of third resin sliding members that make sliding movement along third sliding grooves formed in the side wall sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Akio Saitoh, Masaki Imamura
  • Patent number: 7520711
    Abstract: A system for collecting liquids from scrapped vehicles, suitable for completely collecting liquids remaining in a scrapped vehicle, such as fuel, engine oil, brake oil, transmission oil and the like. The system includes a floor having rails positioned in a longitudinal direction on which a bogie frame moves, a lift having posts and carriages for raising the bogie frame together with a scrapped vehicle loaded thereon, a first scaffold and a second scaffold, hydraulic cylinders installed at each corner of the second scaffold, thereby adjusting the height of the second scaffold and a control panel for controlling the operation of collection of liquids from a scrapped vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Won Bae Lee
  • Patent number: 7510363
    Abstract: A bundle handling device is provided that includes a frame, a body, a scoop, a ramp and a controller. The body is mounted to the frame and includes a first opening through which bundles are loaded and a second opening through which bundles are discharged. The scoop and the ramp are mounted to the body. The scoop covers a substantial portion of the second opening, while the ramp covers the remaining portion. The controller is coupled to a plurality of actuators and a plurality of sensors, and controls the rotation of the body, the opening and closing of the scoop and the opening and closing of the ramp, in order to discharge a metered portion of bundles through the second opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin Chaoning Liu, Jason Jin Park, Kevin David Bruner, Robert Louis Stone
  • Patent number: 7481612
    Abstract: A large rectangular bale loading, hauling and stacking vehicle that mounts on a production truck chassis. Loading is accomplished with a bale manipulator that can selectively pick up and rotate bales, depositing them in tiers on a load rack, some in tie tiers. The manipulator works in conjunction with a transverse pivoting mast along the length of which the manipulator is selectively movable. A stack of bales is thus formed on the load rack and later deposited at a storage site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: CNH America LLC
    Inventor: Edward H. Priepke
  • Patent number: 7478989
    Abstract: A railcar vibrator includes a base member and a vertical support coupled to the base member. A vibrator component is disposed on the vertical support. A wheel having a cushioned outer portion is rotationally coupled to the vertical support capable of rotation around an axis. The wheel can freely rotate, for riding along a moving railcar or line of railcars. A lateral positioning structure is operable with respect to the vertical support for adjusting the lateral position of the vertical support to place the cushioned outer surface of the wheel in contact with the railcar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Ashross, LLC
    Inventor: Lloyd Ash
  • Patent number: 7476072
    Abstract: A transport apparatus includes a table capable of making a lateral reciprocating movement; a column arranged upright on the table so as to be capable of making normal and reverse rotation; an arm protruding sidewise from the column, the arm being capable of making a lateral reciprocating movement and ascending and descending along the column; a head mounted to the tip of the arm so as to be capable of making normal and reverse rotation; and a jig mounting stage mounted to the head so as to be capable of making normal and reverse rotation, thus allowing six-axis movements. A welding robot or a workpiece can be carried on the jig mounting stage and transported while being grasped, and the six-axis movements can be stopped at desired positions, making it possible to perform positioning on the welding robot or the workpiece in terms of orientation, height, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Line Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shuji Tamura
  • Patent number: 7476071
    Abstract: A vehicle equipped with a lift device, capable of suitably lowering objects that have been placed in a high place to a position at which they can be reached by people, is provided. A link unit is provided on the top of the vehicle. The link unit is comprised of telescoping arms, which are parallel to each other. The link unit is comprised of base arm members, slide arm members, a base link which connects the base arm members, and support links, which are parallel to the base links and which connect the slide arm members. Further, the link unit is comprised of a drive boom, which is swung up and down on the top of the vehicle around a drive shaft, and a follow boom, which is swung, in the same direction as the drive boom, around a support shaft that is parallel to the drive shaft. One base arm member is attached to the leading end of the drive boom, and another base arm member is attached to the leading end of the follow boom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Sato Kogyosyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideaki Ito
  • Patent number: 7469782
    Abstract: A cargo conveyor for use in loading and unloading a cargo compartment comprises: a plurality of conveyor units for being disposed within the cargo compartment and for being temporarily arranged to support a loading or unloading conveyor path having a length that varies during a same loading or unloading operation, the conveyor path for being lengthened during the unloading operation and for being shortened during the loading operation, the plurality of conveyor units for being coupled with and decoupled from the conveyor path for lengthening the conveyor path during the unloading operation and for shortening the conveyor path during the loading operation, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Dew Engineering and Development Limited
    Inventor: Neil Hutton
  • Patent number: 7465143
    Abstract: A load control system for a roll off trailer for effectively controlling the velocity of a load during unloading. The load control system for a roll off trailer includes a shaft, an actuator connected to the shaft, a plurality of levers pivotally attached to a roll off trailer, and a plurality of brake shoes attached to the plurality of levers. The plurality of brake shoes are aligned with corresponding rollers on the roll off trailer to selectively frictionally engage the rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Inventor: Bill J. Adams
  • Patent number: 7455492
    Abstract: The invention relates to a multiple trolley container crane having at least two trolley tracks (6, 7) disposed one on top of the other, on which trolleys (8) having running wheels, drive devices, and lifting devices move. Characterized in that running wheels (20) that can be laterally retracted and extended, and an integrated lifting system (21, 22, 24, 25, 26) are disposed on the trolleys (8) on the trolley tracks (6, 7), with which they support themselves on or next to the trolley tracks (6, 7) and thereby get from the lower to the upper trolley tracks (6, 7) and vice versa. The invention is suitable for fast loading and unloading of container ships, where several containers are supposed to be loaded and unloaded from them at the same time (Figure).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Noell Crane Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Otto Weis
  • Patent number: 7452173
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a transport device for transporting a building. The device includes a first support structure, the first support structure having at least four wheels capable of individual rotation about a vertical axis and a second support structure, the second support structure having at least four wheels capable of individual rotation about a vertical axis. The first support structure and the second support structure are configured to couple together to support and transport the building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Custom Quality Homes, L.L.C.
    Inventors: James Rhodes, Matthew Priddy, Aidan J. Bradley, Jeff Anderson, Gabriel T. Manville, Kevin T. Parent, Frank K. Weigand
  • Patent number: 7452179
    Abstract: A method and device for transferring packets, whereby two parallel, superimposed rows of packets are fed in a horizontal direction to a first transfer station, and the lead packets in the two rows are then conveyed in a vertical direction from the first transfer station to a second transfer station, where the lead packets are parted in the vertical direction; at this point, the parted lead packets are transferred in the horizontal direction to a heat-shrink unit having two parallel, superimposed, substantially horizontal channels, each of which is engaged by a respective row of packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: G.D Societa' per Azioni
    Inventors: Silvano Boriani, Stefano Negrini
  • Patent number: 7452174
    Abstract: A load-lock and semiconductor device manufacturing equipment have a wafer anti-contamination measure capable of maximizing production yield. The load-lock includes a chamber that can be hermetically sealed, a slit valve disposed at the front of the chamber for placing the chamber in communication with another chamber, a door disposed at the back of the chamber so as to allow a wafer cassette to be introduced into the chamber. In addition to having at least one of the load-locks, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment includes a transfer chamber to which the load-lock is connected, at least one process chamber connected to the transfer chamber, and an exhaust system by which each load-lock chamber is evacuated. The wafer anti-contamination measure may be an anti-eddy cover that covers the open back of a wafer cassette when the cassette is supported in the load-lock chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jin-Goo Lee
  • Patent number: 7445417
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device for stacking flat products, in particular, folding boxes, comprising a stack shaft for receiving the flat products which comprises an inlet opening opposite to an impinging surface, and is provided with guiding element disposed in side flanks, which guide the flat products in the form of a stack, wherein each side flank comprises a transport means for upward and downward vertical movement of a tray which projects into the stack shaft and which carries the flat products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Wilhelm Bahmueller Maschinenbau-Praezisionswerkzeuge GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Furthmüller