Patents Examined by Stefanos Karmis
  • Golf ball dispenser
    Patent number: 8162173
    Abstract: The invention relates to a golf ball dispenser having an upper container which houses the golf balls and a flange which receives the balls from the container and which supplies the balls individually to a dispensing arm. The dispensing arm, which is disposed such that it is essentially vertical in the rest position, includes structure for pivoting around a horizontal axis when a golf ball is being dispensed, the pivot structure is disposed in the upper part thereof close to the above-mentioned flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Inventor: Claude Pommereau
  • Tier sheet dispensing apparatus for a conveyor system
    Patent number: 8152160
    Abstract: A tier sheet dispensing apparatus for a conveyor system stores a stack of tier sheets and sequentially dispenses the tier sheets, one at a time, onto the top of a two-dimensionally arrayed layer of objects that is being conveyed on a conveyor system. The tier sheet dispensing apparatus has a curved surface that supports the stack of tier sheets. The curved surface bends the stack of tier sheets in a convex curve that facilitates the removal of a single sheet from the top of the stack. The apparatus also has a lift mechanism that moves vertically over the stack of tier sheets to selectively attach to the top tier sheet in the stack and raise the top tier sheet from the stack. The lift mechanism also moves transversely relative to the stack of tier sheets to position the attached tier sheet over the conveyor for placement of the tier sheet on the layer of objects conveyed by the conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Ouellette Machinery Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph F. Ouellette, Richard J. Ouellette
  • Image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 8141871
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit; a conveyance unit; a motor; a stop order unit that orders stoppage of the motor; a detection unit, which detects a rotated number of the motor or a conveyance distance during a post-order period, and the post-order period being a period from when the stop order unit ordered stoppage of the motor until when the motor stops; a storage unit; a sensor, which detects passage of the recording medium; a timing determination unit, which determines a pre-order period as a appropriate order timing, wherein the pre-order period is calculated from dividing a difference between a first distance and a second distance by a conveyance speed, wherein the first distance is the conveyance distance stored in the storage, and the second distance is a distance between a position where the sensor detects passage of the recording medium and the target stoppage position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Nakazawa
  • Method of folding gloves and dispenser therefor
    Patent number: 8132692
    Abstract: A method of interfolding gloves including superposing finger portion of second glove adjacent finger portion of first glove, with second glove finger portion being disposed parallel and in a direction opposite the first glove finger portion, in a superjacent opposing relationship. First glove hand and cuff are lapped over second glove finger to create lapped, superjacent opposing fold. By repeatedly lapping previous glove hand over subsequent glove fingers, a glove bundle is formed. Folding can be longitudinal before lapped, superjacent opposing folding. Gloves are disposed in portable dispenser with lapped, superjacent folding and dispensing opening cooperating to dispense one glove, cuff first.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Oneglove, LLC
    Inventor: Earl Jordan
  • Passive linear encoder
    Patent number: 8118302
    Abstract: A passive linear encoder includes a loop and a sensor. The loop is configured to engage print media and to move in concert with, and under power of, the print media. The sensor is positioned to scan indicia defined on an inner surface of the loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Steven B. Elgee, Steve O. Rasmussen
  • Sheet supply device
    Patent number: 8113501
    Abstract: A sheet supply device includes a sheet storing section on which sheets are stacked and are stored; a sheet feed unit controlled by a controller that feeds the sheets stored in the sheet storing section to a next process; and an air blower controlled by the controller that blows air to the sheets stored in the sheet storing section, the air blower has an air nozzle and a mechanism that can adjust a height of the air nozzle in an up-down direction, and the mechanism increases or decreases the air flow rate of the air being blown to the sheets, wherein a force provided by the air blower to push up the sheets is exerted on the sheets, such that a less force is exerted when the sheets are being fed compared to when the sheets are not being fed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobutaka Uji, Hiroaki Fujikura
  • Sheet decurling device and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 8113514
    Abstract: A moving unit includes first and second transportation paths that can selectively link to main transportation path of a recording sheet, a first roller arranged between the first and the second transportation paths, second and third rollers capable of making contact with the first roller across the first and the second transportation paths, respectively. When the moving unit moves to a position at which the first transportation path or the second transportation path is linked to the main transportation path, a mechanism varies a pressing force of the second roller or the third roller with respect to the first roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Sekino, Junji Shirakawa, Yutaka Shoji, Takayuki Muneyasu
  • Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 8113502
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes: an arm member that is provided with a drive shaft at a base end thereof, the arm member being configured to swingably rotate around the drive shaft; a feed roller that is disposed at a leading end of the arm member, the feed roller feeding a sheet by being rotated while pressed on the uppermost sheet; and a transmission mechanism that is provided with one or more transmission rollers that transmit power provided from the drive shaft to the feed roller. Each of the transmission rollers is provided with a spindle that protrudes from both side faces thereof along an rotational axis. The arm member is provided with one or more pairs of bearing members for the respective transmission rollers, each of the pairs of the bearing members being faced with each other and being monolithically formed on the arm member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisuke Kozaki, Yuji Koga
  • Powder classifying device
    Patent number: 8100269
    Abstract: The powder classifying device classifies powder having a particle size distribution and collects the classified powder. The device includes a disc-like cavity to which the powder is supplied and where the supplied powder is classified, a powder supply port for supplying the powder to the cavity, guide vanes arranged so as to extend from an outer periphery of the cavity in an inner direction at a predetermined angle, a discharge unit for air streams including fine particles discharged from the cavity, a collection unit for coarse particles discharged from the cavity and air nozzles arranged below the guide vanes on an outer peripheral wall of the cavity along a tangential direction of the outer peripheral wall and blow compressed air into an inside of the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Nisshin Seifun Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenji Taketomi, Kazumi Kozawa, Masaru Kyugo
  • Image generating apparatus
    Patent number: 8096549
    Abstract: In an image generating apparatus, a push-up member for pushing up a paper and bringing the same into contact with a paper feed roller includes a first push-up member, a second push-up member and a torsion coil spring, a second engaging portion of the second push-up member is rotatably engaged with a first engaging portion of the first push-up member, a second spring engaging portion of the second push-up member is engaged with a coil portion of the torsion coil spring, and a first spring engaging portion of the first push-up member is engaged with a first arm portion of the torsion coil spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Daisuke Shimizu
  • Cash handling system
    Patent number: 8087656
    Abstract: A cash handling system 10 has an upper unit 100 mounted on a lower unit 200. The upper unit 100 has a cash slot 110, first bill transfer openings 160a to 160c, and a conveyor line 120. The lower unit 200 has a second bill transfer opening 210, cash cartridges 240, and a conveyor line 220. The conveyor line 120 has multiple conveyance branch paths 120a to 120c provided corresponding to multiple first bill transfer openings 160a to 160c. This arrangement enables the position of the cash slot to be readily changeable relative to the cash cartridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions, Corp.
    Inventors: Junji Fujita, Minoru Kadowaki, Shinji Shibata, Riichi Kato
  • Sheet conveying device and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 8087670
    Abstract: A second rotary member is arranged opposite to a first rotary member to form a nip between them. A driving unit drives the first rotary member. A sheet-width measuring unit measures a width of a sheet to be fed into the nip. A speed compensating unit compensates a fluctuation of a rotation speed of the first rotary member occurring when the sheet is fed into the nip. The speed compensating unit adjusts a compensation target value for compensating the fluctuation of the rotation speed of the first rotary member based on the width of the sheet measured by the sheet-width measuring unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hidetaka Noguchi, Toshiyuki Andoh, Takashi Hodoshima, Seiji Hoshino, Takashi Hashimoto, Tatsuhiko Oikawa
  • Method and machine for automatically inspecting and sorting objects according to their thickness
    Patent number: 8083066
    Abstract: This invention has as its object an automatic process and machine for inspecting and sorting non-metallic objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Pellenc Selective Technologies
    Inventor: Antoine Bourely
  • Sheet alignment apparatus and sheet post-processing apparatus
    Patent number: 8083227
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a sheet alignment apparatus that is excellent in alignment properties in the conveyance direction and operates stably without being affected by various conditions, and a sheet post-processing apparatus having therein the sheet alignment apparatus. Alignment members are constructed so that alignment surfaces of the alignment members arranged to be in a form where a distance between the alignment surfaces grows greater toward the downstream side, or the direction of movement of the alignment member is made to be an oblique direction pointing to the stopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Mizubata, Hisao Hosoya, Satoru Shimizu, Tsuyoshi Shiokawa
  • Sheet braking mechanism
    Patent number: 8079587
    Abstract: A sheet braking mechanism for a sheet punching and/or embossing machine for the braking a sheet in a processing station of the sheet punching and/or embossing machine, includes a movable pneumatic sheet brake and a movable carrier, on which at least one brake brush is mounted. The pneumatic sheet brake and the carrier are mechanically coupled, for example, by a driving element, so that a movement of the pneumatic sheet brake causes a movement of the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Sascha Holzschneider, Peter Palmen, Anna Wysgol
  • Document processing assembly
    Patent number: 8079584
    Abstract: An improved document feeder flag assembly is disclosed. The improved document feeder flag assembly allows single handed, on the fly loading of a document sorter. A method for loading a document sorting machine with a single hand, while the method of operating the machine is also disclosed. The document feeder flag assembly includes a baseplate and a pivot post attached to the baseplate. Further, the assembly includes a flag arm having a first side and a second side, the first side of the flag arm is attached to the pivot post. There is also a feeder flag having a first side and a second side, the first side of the feeder flag being attached to a second side of the flag arm. The document feeder flag assembly also includes a resistance device attached between the feeder flag and the flag arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Burroughs Payment Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: David B. Tratar
  • Sheet feed tray and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 8074979
    Abstract: A sheet feeding tray includes a frame member, and freely upwardly swingable plural bottom plates arranged on the frame member side by side perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction. The bottom plates cooperatively support a stack of envelope recording mediums. A lifting device having plural curvature sections is provided. The plural curvature sections are respectively arranged below the bottom plates to scuff and lift the lower surface of the plural bottom plates at a section downstream of the sheet feeding direction. The plural curvature sections each include a different outline in accordance with a difference of a decreasing amount of a thickness of the stack during sheet feeding. The different outlines enable the topmost surface of the stack to be almost horizontal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hisashi Kawamoto
  • Sheet feeding device and image-forming apparatus
    Patent number: 8074978
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus and sheet feeding device capable of feeding sheets without skewing or multi-feeding of sheets using a small number of side air blowing drive sources. The sheet feeding device has a plurality of side discharge nozzles comprising side discharge outlets for blowing air onto the respective side edge surfaces of a paper stack, and two sirocco fans which are communicatively connected in series as a side air blowing drive source, and are communicatively connected, via a side discharge drive source chamber and a side discharge relay tube (duct), to the plurality of side discharge nozzles. The respective side discharge nozzles capable of moving in linkage with side fences, and an immovable fixed side discharge nozzle are disposed at different distances from the leading edge of the loaded and set paper stack with respect to a sheet feeding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Tohoku Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takayuki Takahashi
  • Apparatuses for feeding sheets and printing apparatuses
    Patent number: 8074980
    Abstract: Apparatuses for feeding sheets and printing apparatuses are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Colin Jon Partridge, Paul J. Newland
  • System and method for directly connecting an advanced facer canceler system to a delivery bar code sorter
    Patent number: 8078314
    Abstract: Systems and methods that allow for orienting and delivering mail between a postage verifier and a mail sorter. A postage verifier includes an optical character reader for decoding addresses on mail pieces that do not have bar codes. A reverter orients mail from the postage verifier into a position required for processing by the mail sorter. A combination of mail carrying modules carry the mail from the reverter to the mail sorter. The mail sorter prints bar code information on mail lacking bar codes, when the data is available, and sorts the mail based on the bar code information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: United States Postal Service
    Inventors: Timothy B. Barnum, George Laws, Leung M. Shiu, James E. Goodbar, III