Patents by Inventor Benjamin J. Hekman

Benjamin J. Hekman 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).

  • Patent number: 10640302
    Abstract: An article sortation system and method of sorting articles includes an article sorter having an article support surface moving in a longitudinal direction and a plurality of discharge conveyors extending from the article support surface. The sorter is adapted to discharge articles from the article support surface to said discharge conveyors. One or more of the discharge conveyors includes an active aligner having a driven surface that is adapted to reorient at least some of the diverted articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Dematic Corp.
    Inventors: Harry Thad German, William P. Bray, Benjamin J. Hekman
  • Patent number: 10384879
    Abstract: A belt conveyor having a pair of side frames between which a belt is moved for conveying items includes a pair of idler rollers about which the belt is disposed for conveying items there between, a tension roller that is biased into engagement with the belt, and a driven roller operative to drive the belt about the idler and tension rollers. The tension and driven rollers are mounted between the side frames and are disposed lower than the idler rollers, with the tension roller mounted by a tensioner mount configured to impart a biasing force to the tension roller against the belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Dematic Corp.
    Inventors: Harry T. German, William P. Bray, Randall J. Carlson, Benjamin J. Hekman, William R. Stickland
  • Publication number: 20190031450
    Abstract: An article sortation system and method of sorting articles includes an article sorter having an article support surface moving in a longitudinal direction and a plurality of discharge conveyors extending from the article support surface. The sorter is adapted to discharge articles from the article support surface to said discharge conveyors. One or more of the discharge conveyors includes an active aligner having a driven surface that is adapted to reorient at least some of the diverted articles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Harry Thad German, William P. Bray, Benjamin J. Hekman
  • Publication number: 20190002210
    Abstract: A guard for a conveyor assembly, with the conveyor assembly having a pair of spaced apart side frames and at least a pair of adjacent conveyor zones, with each conveyor zone comprising a pair of rollers about which a conveyor belt is disposed with the rollers of the zones mounted between the side frames and a gap formed between the conveyor zones. The guard has an elongate lower portion configured to mount between the side frames in the gap, with the lower portion having a mounting receptacle configured to receive a connector for mounting the guard between the side frames. The guard also includes at least one elongate outwardly angled side extending upwards from the lower portion to a top surface, with the angled side configured to be disposed adjacent one of the rollers of one of the conveyor zones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Benjamin J. Hekman, Jeffrey D. Price, David L. Spaulding, Harry T. German
  • Publication number: 20180319602
    Abstract: A belt conveyor having a pair of side frames between which a belt is moved for conveying items includes a pair of idler rollers about which the belt is disposed for conveying items there between, a tension roller that is biased into engagement with the belt, and a driven roller operative to drive the belt about the idler and tension rollers. The tension and driven rollers are mounted between the side frames and are disposed lower than the idler rollers, with the tension roller mounted by a tensioner mount configured to impart a biasing force to the tension roller against the belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Inventors: Harry T. German, William P. Bray, Randall J. Carlson, Benjamin J. Hekman, William R. Stickland