Patents Examined by Willie Berry
  • Patent number: 10800313
    Abstract: A cargo assist can help a user in loading, unloading, and/or transporting items in a vehicle. The cargo assist can include a cargo assist arm. A cargo carrier can be operatively connected to the cargo assist arm and can be selectively disconnected therefrom. The cargo assist arm can be selectively movable between at least a stowed position and a deployed position. In the stowed position, the cargo assist arm can be located entirely within a cargo space of the vehicle. At least a portion of the cargo assist arm and at least a portion of the cargo carrier can be received within a recess defined within a first lateral side wall of the cargo space. In the deployed position, the cargo carrier and a portion of the cargo assist arm can extend through an access opening to the cargo space and can be located outside of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott L. Frederick, Scott P. Robison, Paxton S. Williams
  • Patent number: 10791675
    Abstract: The combine system provides a motor driven paddle system for the movement of grain from combine storage, such as a hopper, to secondary storage, including but not limited to a grain bin, truck, or grain cart. The paddles are constructed from a somewhat rigid material that enable the paddles to move the grain to the secondary storage. The paddle conveyor may be partially enclosed by a housing that protects users from accidental contact with the paddles and the paddle conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Inventor: Carl R. Dixon
  • Patent number: 10793407
    Abstract: A high visibility push-pull handler configured to be mounted on a lift truck. The handler comprising a frame assembly, a pantograph mechanism coupled to the frame assembly, and a faceplate assembly coupled to the pantograph mechanism. The hander is configured with a view window extending through the handler, the view window not obstructed by parts of the handler when the handler is in any normal operating configuration, including a fully extended configuration, a fully retracted configuration, and any configuration in between the full extended and fully retracted positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Rightline Equipment, Inc.
    Inventors: Jim D. Hamlik, Joel D. Hamlik, Cameron R. Burak
  • Patent number: 10793378
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a transfer apparatus includes a gripper, a first driving mechanism, an elastic passive joint part, a conveyor, a second driving mechanism, and base. The gripper grips an article. The first driving mechanism linearly moves the gripper in at least two directions including a first direction and a second direction intersecting with the first direction. The elastic passive joint part is interposed between the gripper and the first driving mechanism, and operates in accordance with an operation of the gripper. The conveyor conveys the article. The second driving mechanism linearly moves the conveyor in the at least two directions, and is connected to the conveyor. The base supports the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Junya Tanaka, Kazuo Watabe, Akihito Ogawa, Hideichi Nakamoto, Takafumi Sonoura, Haruna Eto
  • Patent number: 10785915
    Abstract: The invention provides a transportable agricultural bin for storing and dispersing an agricultural material. The invention also provides a trailer or a vehicle including the transportable agricultural bin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Coolamon Steelworks Pty Ltd
    Inventors: George Bruce Hutcheon, Heath John Hutcheon
  • Patent number: 10787312
    Abstract: An apparatus for the transport and storage of proppant has a container with a top wall, a pair of end walls and a pair of side walls. The pair of side walls extend between the pair of end walls. The container has a bottom discharge opening. The container includes a funnel extending from the pair of side walls and from the pair of and walls toward the bottom discharge opening. The funnel has sides extending in an angle of greater than 25° with respect to horizontal. The funnel includes a pair of side plates extending respectively from the pair of side walls toward the bottom discharge opening and a pair of end plates extending respectively from the pair of end walls toward the bottom discharge opening. Each of the side plates and the end plates is formed of a stainless steel material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: OREN TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: John Oren, Joshua Oren
  • Patent number: 10784136
    Abstract: A load port for loading wafers to and unloading wafers from a front opening unified pod (FOUP) includes a shield member that covers and provides a seal over an opening of the FOUP. The shield member includes a narrow wafer slot that is sized to allow a single wafer to be loaded to or unloaded from the FOUP but otherwise minimize loss of the purge environment within the FOUP. The shield member is movable so that the wafer slot may be moved vertically to provide a wafer transfer robot access to any desired wafer position within the FOUP. The shield member, for example, may be a flexible sheet that is held taut and is rolled onto and off of at least one roller to vertically position the wafer slot. The shield member may alternatively be one or more rigid members that slide on rails to vertically position the wafer slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: ONTO INNOVATION INC.
    Inventors: Paul A. Doyle, Morgan A. Crouch
  • Patent number: 10779563
    Abstract: Method of emptying a container filled with rod-like articles manufactured in the tobacco industry comprising the following stages: the container to be emptied is delivered to the entrance area of an intermediate store comprising adjacent channels separated from one another by walls; the rod-like articles are transferred by supporting plates from the container to the channels of the intermediate store; the channels of the intermediate store are filled with the rod-like articles; characterised in that during the transfer of the rod-like articles from the container to the channels of the intermediate store the intermediate store makes a reciprocating motion in the horizontal direction, transversely to the axis of the rod-like articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: International Tobacco Machinery Poland Sp. z o. o.
    Inventor: Radoslaw Owczarek
  • Patent number: 10777445
    Abstract: Examples of a substrate processing apparatus includes a susceptor, a plurality of three or more susceptor pins configured to protrude from an upper surface of the susceptor or be positioned below the upper surface of the susceptor, a transfer arm configured to provide a substrate onto the susceptor or take out a substrate on the susceptor, a plurality of sensors configured to individually detect contact or non-contact of a substrate with the plurality of susceptor pins individually, and a control device configured to monitor a detection result of the plurality of sensors and determine abnormality when an order of variations in a contact state of the substrate with the plurality of susceptor pins is not a predetermined order or when a time difference between the variations in the contact state of the substrate with the plurality of susceptor pins is not within a predetermined time difference range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Nishiwaki
  • Patent number: 10758045
    Abstract: A load lock door assembly with side actuation is disclosed. Load lock door assembly includes a load lock door and a door support assembly coupled thereto. Door support assembly includes one or more pivot members pivotable relative to one or more sides of the load lock body, a door support bracket coupled to the load lock door, one or more separator side actuators coupled between the door support bracket being actuatable to separate the load lock door from a sealing surface, and one or more pivot side actuator operable to pivot the load lock door above or below the load lock entry. Load lock apparatus with side actuation, systems including one or more load lock door assemblies with side actuation, and methods of operating load lock door assemblies are provided, as are numerous other aspects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Eran Weiss, Travis Morey, Nir Merry, Paul B. Reuter, Izya Kremerman, Jeffrey C. Hudgens, Dean C. Hruzek
  • Patent number: 10759598
    Abstract: A self-contained guide track is formed by first guide tracks and second guide tracks of a rack level and each track section of the closed guide track is determined from an intersection point of one of the first guide tracks with one of the second guide tracks to the next intersection point of one of the first guide tracks with one of the second guide tracks and the at least one rail vehicle is configured to be controlled on the track sections of the closed guide track during storing and removing the items in a main direction in the form of a roundabout such that the track section of the closed guide track, on which more than one rail vehicle is located, is used by the rail vehicles only in the main direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: KNAPP AG
    Inventors: Franz Mathi, Heiko Süss, Christoph Lafer, Wolfgang Puntigam
  • Patent number: 10752454
    Abstract: Systems and methods for processing debris from job sites are disclosed. Carts for receiving the debris are also disclosed. Each cart has a base, a plurality of wheels extending downwardly from the base relative to a vertical axis, and a plurality of walls extending upwardly from the base. The walls and the base of each cart cooperate to define a debris-receiving space. The carts can be engaged by a lifting apparatus that rotates along an arcuate path to position the carts in an unloading position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: RICHARD S. BURNS & COMPANY, INC.
    Inventor: Allen T. Burns
  • Patent number: 10752148
    Abstract: A tilt bed trailer is provided with a latching system to secure the tilt bed in a transport position. The tilt bed trailer can have a frame with a first side rail and a second side rail. Ground wheels can be attached to the frame. A tilting bed portion can have a first pivoting rail and a second pivoting rail provided inside the first side rail and the second side rail and pivotally connected to the side rails so that the tilting bed portion can pivot relative to the frame around a pivot axis. A keeper can extend laterally from at least one of the pivoting rails. A latching assembly can include a rod extending between the side rails, a lever connected to the rod and at least one latching member engageable with the keeper. A biasing element can be provided to place a torsional force on the rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Brandt Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Mark Selzer, Raymond Strelic, Rod Sawcyn
  • Patent number: 10750668
    Abstract: A crop unloader having a frame, an unloader tube mounted to the frame, a driven gear fixed to the unloader tube and having driven teeth extending radially from a first axis, a drive gear mounted to the frame and having drive teeth extending radially from a second axis and extending to mesh at an engagement location with the driven teeth during rotation of the drive gear about the second axis, and a motor operable to rotate the drive gear to rotate the driven gear to move the unloader tube between a first position about the first axis and a second position about the first axis. The teeth form a tapered gap at the engagement location, the tapered gap extending from an upper end to a lower end and being larger at the lower end than at the upper end. An agricultural combine having the crop unloader is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Michael Minnich, Karl R. Linde
  • Patent number: 10752147
    Abstract: A selectively lowerable and raisable vehicle trailer system for raising and lowering of a vehicle trailer to expedite loading and unloading of cargo includes a rear wheel assembly. An elongated trailer is pivotally supported by the rear wheel assembly. The trailer is positional between a horizontal transport orientation and a sloped or angled loading/unloading orientation on the rear wheel assembly. The rear wheel assembly is selectively adjustable in position along the trailer between a rear transport position and a forward loading/unloading position, rearward and forward of the trailer center of gravity, respectively. A wheel assembly adjustment mechanism engages the rear wheel assembly. The wheel assembly adjustment mechanism operably engages the rear wheel assembly to facilitate selective positioning of the rear wheel assembly between the transport position and the loading/unloading position. A method of loading and unloading cargo onto and from a vehicle trailer is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Inventor: James Oliver Pedersen
  • Patent number: 10752455
    Abstract: A sealing system for connecting a bulk bag to a material handling and processing system. The sealing system comprises a main housing and a discharge tube housed within the main housing. The discharge tube is configured to fluidly connect the bulk bag with the material handling and processing system. The sealing system additionally comprises a first seal configured to selectively seal the bulk bag with respect to the discharge tube, and a second seal configured to selectively seal an interior space of the main housing from the material handling and processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Schenck Process LLC
    Inventors: Kent Carolan, Austin Petry, Tim Strathman
  • Patent number: 10755960
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer transport apparatus includes a frame, a transport arm movably mounted to the frame and having at least one end effector movably mounted to the arm so the at least one end effector traverses, with the arm as a unit, in a first direction relative to the frame, and traverses linearly, relative to the transport arm, in a second direction, and an edge detection sensor mounted to the transport arm so the edge detection sensor moves with the transport arm as a unit relative to the frame, the edge detection sensor being a common sensor effecting edge detection of each wafer simultaneously supported by the end effector, wherein the edge detection sensor is configured so the edge detection of each wafer is effected by and coincident with the traverse in the second direction of each end effector on the transport arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony C. Bonora, Justo Graciano
  • Patent number: 10745199
    Abstract: A material placement device is configured for placement of a plurality of materials from the preceding process, and includes a slide rail assembly configured to be disposed on one side of an aisle of a place, a plurality of storage units slidably disposed on the slide rail assembly and movable toward or away from each other, and a plurality of fixing units each of which detachably fixes two adjacent ones of the storage units. Each storage unit includes a storage portion defining a plurality of storage spaces for receiving and storing the materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Inventor: Pu-Lin Chang
  • Patent number: 10748796
    Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing apparatus that includes: a polygonal transfer chamber; a process chamber connected to the polygonal transfer chamber via a transfer port through which a substrate is transferred; and a transfer mechanism provided in the polygonal transfer chamber and configured to transfer the substrate between the polygonal transfer chamber and the process chamber via the transfer port, wherein the polygonal transfer chamber and the process chamber have regions overlapping each other when viewed from the top.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Takehiro Shindo
  • Patent number: 10743474
    Abstract: A dual auger grain cart includes a horizontal auger assembly, a vertical auger assembly, and a drive assembly operatively connected to the horizontal and vertical auger assemblies. The horizontal and vertical auger assemblies each include an auger shaft and flighting disposed on the auger shaft. The drive assembly includes a first member operatively connected to the horizontal auger shaft, a second member operatively connected to the vertical auger shaft, and a power input device operatively connected to the first and second drive members to drive rotation of the horizontal and vertical auger shafts. The arrangement of the first and second members allow the longitudinal axes of the horizontal and vertical auger shafts to be coplanar and the vertical auger flighting to extend at least in part below the longitudinal axis of the horizontal auger shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: UNVERFERTH MANUFACTURING CO., INC.
    Inventors: Ronald J. Schlimgen, Michael D. Van Mill