Patents by Inventor Alfred Wipf

Alfred Wipf has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20030005665
    Abstract: An apparatus for feeding piece goods (P) to a tubular-bag packaging station (4) has a feed conveyer (1) for feeding the piece goods (P) and a packaging-material-web conveyer (5) for conveying the packaging-material web (50) to the packaging station (4). A position-detecting unit (2) serves for detecting the piece goods (P) conveyed on the feed conveyer (1). Furthermore, at least one gripping unit (3) is provided for removing the piece goods (P) from the feed conveyer (1) and for depositing the piece goods (P′) directly or indirectly in a predetermined position on the packaging-material web (50), it being possible to convey the piece goods (P′) from the packaging-material web (50) to the packaging station (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2002
    Publication date: January 9, 2003
    Inventors: Alfred Wipf, Thomas Strasser
  • Publication number: 20020195317
    Abstract: A storage apparatus for storing goods (G) conveyed along a conveying section from an entry station to an exit station has a flexible conveying means (1), which is subdivided into a storage strand (10, 10′) and an idle strand (11, 11′, 12, 12′), and a carriage (2) which can be displaced along a conveying plane. The carriage (2) serves for changing a storage capacity of the storage apparatus, it being the case that the carriage (2) has a first deflecting roller (21) for deflecting the storage strand (10, 10′), and a second deflecting roller (21′) for deflecting the idle strand (11, 11′), in the at least one conveying plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2002
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Inventor: Alfred Wipf
  • Patent number: 6474462
    Abstract: The apparatus comprises an incoming conveyor and a revolving device, in which grippers (9) circulate at a regular first spacing (T1) over a closed circulating path (10). The grippers (9) can be individually switched between a first state, in which they take hold of the products (2) and carry them along, into a second state, in which they release the products from the grippers. At a transfer point (11) the grippers (9) pass above the incoming conveyor (1). They are switched at the transfer point (11) into the first state, in which they each take hold of a product and carry it along. A store (16) has carriers (19) which circulate at a regular second spacing (T2) in a closed, second circulating path (15). The second circulating path (15) runs over a buffer region (20) parallel to the first circulating path (11). Within the buffer region (20) the grippers (9) can be switched into their second state. The circulating speed of the grippers (9) is greater than the circulating speed of the carriers (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: SIG Pack Systems AG
    Inventors: Alfred Wipf, Harald Lenherr, Ralf Frulio
  • Publication number: 20020079199
    Abstract: The apparatus comprises an incoming conveyor and a revolving device, in which grippers (9) circulate at a regular first spacing (T1) over a closed circulating path (10). The grippers (9) can be individually switched between a first state, in which they take hold of the products (2) and carry them along, into a second state, in which they release the products from the grippers. At a transfer point (11) the grippers (9) pass above the incoming conveyor (1). They are switched at the transfer point (11) into the first state, in which they each take hold of a product and carry it along. A store (16) has carriers (19) which circulate at a regular second spacing (T2) in a closed, second circulating path (15). The second circulating path (15) runs over a buffer region (20) parallel to the first circulating path (11). Within the buffer region (20) the grippers (9) can be switched into their second state. The circulating speed of the grippers (9) is greater than the circulating speed of the carriers (9).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Publication date: June 27, 2002
    Inventors: Alfred Wipf, Harald Lenherr, Ralf Frulio
  • Patent number: 6289961
    Abstract: An apparatus for longitudinally welding and severing superposed thermoplastic films forming a packaging hose includes first and second feed rollers each having an outer periphery contacting one another for advancing the films passing therebetween; a drive for rotating at least one of the feed rollers; a circular heating disk mounted in the first feed roller coaxially therewith and having an outer diameter greater than the peripheral diameter of the first feed roller; and a circumferential groove provided in the second feed roller in alignment with the heating disk. Peripheral portions of the heating disk project into the circumferential groove of the second feed roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: SIG Pack Systems AG
    Inventors: Günther Bausch, Alfred Wipf
  • Patent number: 6189678
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming groups of superposed, flat items, includes a conveyor having a transporting device traveling in a conveying direction along a generally horizontal working flight; and a plurality of upstanding pusher fingers secured to the transporting device. A plurality of storage chutes are serially positioned above the working flight for holding items in a superposed stack therein. An item-retaining device is situated at a lower, item-discharging end of each chute. The item-retaining device includes a component defining an item-retaining surface for retaining the items in the chute by supporting a lowermost item of the stack. Each pusher finger is arranged for travel through the item-discharging end for pushing all items forming part of the stack in the chute and being situated in a path of travel of the pusher finger, off the item-retaining device and for advancing the items in the conveying direction along the working flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: SIG Pack Systems AG
    Inventors: Horst Loewenthal, Alfred Wipf
  • Patent number: 6170237
    Abstract: A process and device for packaging elongate products where a packaging material is drawn from a supply in a transportation direction includes sealing around the elongate products longitudinally and transversely. The packaging material is delivered in the form of a partial tube having one open longitudinal side and one closed longitudinal side, and a width between the open longitudinal side and the closed longitudinal side. A plurality of first transverse seals are made across the partial tube, extending less than the width of the partial tube, to form a plurality of transverse pockets in the tube and the elongate products are inserted into the pockets. A plurality of second transverse seals are made to form a transverse sealing seam across the full width of the tube. A seal is made on the open longitudinal side of the partial tube to form a longitudinal sealing seam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: SIG Pack Systems AG
    Inventor: Alfred Wipf
  • Patent number: 5423409
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming a plurality of output rows from a single input row of articles has a conveyor advancing articles in a row parallel to the conveying direction; a deflecting device including an endless deflecting belt trained about two end rollers and having, when in a working position, an operative length portion forming an acute angle with the conveying direction. The deflecting member includes a first length portion provided with a bounding edge extending generally parallel to the conveyor surface and being at a clearance therefrom which is less than an expected minimum height of the articles positioned on the conveyor. The deflecting member further has a second length portion provided with a bounding edge extending generally parallel to the conveyor surface and being at a clearance therefrom which is greater than an expected maximum height of the articles positioned on the conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1995
    Assignee: SIG Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft
    Inventor: Alfred Wipf
  • Patent number: 5052542
    Abstract: An item transfer apparatus has a first conveyor for advancing items thereon in a first advancing direction; a second conveyor for advancing items thereon in a second advancing direction; and a rotatable transfer device having a rotary axis and a pushing member arranged for motion across the first conveyor for displacing items from the first conveyor to the second conveyor. The rotary axis lies in a plane oriented parallel to the conveying plane of the first conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1991
    Assignee: Sig Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft
    Inventor: Alfred Wipf
  • Patent number: 4245734
    Abstract: Flat, rectangular items are, in a contacting series, conveyed by an input conveyor to an output conveyor, on which the items are to be further advanced by pusher members such that those sides of the items which were transversely oriented with respect to the advancing direction on the input conveyor are parallel to the advancing direction on the output conveyor and further, that the items are spaced from one another on the output conveyor. The angle defined by the directions of advance on the two conveyors is less than 90.degree.. In the zone of reorientation each item is engaged by a pusher member from behind and is pushed off laterally from the input conveyor onto the output conveyor. At the same time, a moving reorienting member engages a frontal part of the item and, while a diametrically opposite item corner is in engagement with an abutment, the reorienting member moves the item into alignment with a guide oriented parallel to the direction of advance of the output conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1981
    Assignee: SIG Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft
    Inventors: Gert Deutschlander, Alfred Wipf