Patents by Inventor Jean-Claude Oppliger
Jean-Claude Oppliger 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).
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Patent number: 8627943Abstract: A guide arrangement is provided for guiding movement of a transport member to convey products in a conveying direction of a conveying section having a predetermined course. The transport member includes a number of functional units operatively connected to each other. The guide arrangement includes a number of sequentially connected guide rail elements defining a guide channel along the conveying section. The guide channel has inside walls including structure to guide the transport member.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2012Date of Patent: January 14, 2014Assignee: Mueller Martini Holding AGInventors: Jean-Claude Oppliger, Michael Landolt
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Patent number: 8534455Abstract: A transport device for conveying printed products. The transport device includes a conveying chain. The conveying chain includes at least two functional units arranged sequentially along a conveying section and connected to each other by a connecting element. Each functional unit includes a first chain link and a second chain link. The first and second chain links are operatively connected to one another and differing in their respective functions.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2010Date of Patent: September 17, 2013Assignee: Muller Martini Holding AGInventors: Jean-Claude Oppliger, Michael Landolt, Tony Kluser
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Patent number: 8529133Abstract: A pivot bearing includes a spherical bearing body and a single-piece bearing shell. The bearing shell encloses the bearing body at least partially and creates a clearance fit between the bearing body and the bearing shell which clearance fit permits a degree of articulated freedom of the pivot bearing. The single-piece bearing shell includes a radial slot based on a wall thickness of the bearing shell and has at least one contoured bulge. At least one push-in element has a part shape corresponding to the bulge such that the part shape of the push-in element has a defined oversize with respect to the bulge of the slot. The oversize indicates a predetermined clearance fit between the bearing body and the bearing shell that defines a bearing play when the push-in element is mounted in the slot.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2012Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: Mueller Martini Holding AGInventors: Jean-Claude Oppliger, Michael Landolt
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Publication number: 20130001051Abstract: A guide arrangement is provided for guiding movement of a transport member to convey products in a conveying direction of a conveying section having a predetermined course. The transport member includes a number of functional units operatively connected to each other. The guide arrangement includes a number of sequentially connected guide rail elements defining a guide channel along the conveying section. The guide channel has inside walls including structure to guide the transport member.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2012Publication date: January 3, 2013Applicant: Mueller Martini Holding AGInventors: JEAN-CLAUDE OPPLIGER, Michael Landolt
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Publication number: 20120151741Abstract: A pivot bearing includes a spherical bearing body and a single-piece bearing shell. The bearing shell encloses the bearing body at least partially and creates a clearance fit between the bearing body and the bearing shell which clearance fit permits a degree of articulated freedom of the pivot bearing. The single-piece bearing shell includes a radial slot based on a wall thickness of the bearing shell and has at least one contoured bulge. At least one push-in element has a part shape corresponding to the bulge such that the part shape of the push-in element has a defined oversize with respect to the bulge of the slot. The oversize indicates a predetermined clearance fit between the bearing body and the bearing shell that defines a bearing play when the push-in element is mounted in the slot.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2012Publication date: June 21, 2012Applicant: Mueller Martini Holding AGInventors: Jean-Claude OPPLIGER, Michael Landolt
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Publication number: 20110114456Abstract: A transport device for conveying printed products. The transport device includes a conveying chain. The conveying chain includes at least two functional units arranged sequentially along a conveying section and connected to each other by a connecting element. Each functional unit includes a first chain link and a second chain link. The first and second chain links are operatively connected to one another and differing in their respective functions.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2010Publication date: May 19, 2011Applicant: Mueller Martini Holding AGInventors: Jean-Claude Oppliger, Michael Landolt, Tony Kluser
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Patent number: 7404549Abstract: A transporting mechanism includes a link chain and clamps which are attached to a chain link of the link chain and which are capable of gripping at least one printed product. At least two clamps are attached to each chain link of the link chain, wherein the clamps in the link chain are spaced apart from one another by equal spacings.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2006Date of Patent: July 29, 2008Assignee: Müller Martini Holding AGInventors: Jörg Meier, Jean-Claude Oppliger
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Publication number: 20060283690Abstract: A transporting mechanism includes a link chain and clamps which are attached to a chain link of the link chain and which are capable of gripping at least one printed product. At least two clamps are attached to each chain link of the link chain, wherein the clamps in the link chain are spaced apart from one another by equal spacings.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2006Publication date: December 21, 2006Inventors: Jorg Meier, Jean-Claude Oppliger
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Publication number: 20050155843Abstract: A transporting mechanism includes a link chain and clamps which are attached to a chain link of the link chain and which are capable of gripping at least one printed product. At least two clamps are attached to each chain link of the link chain, wherein the clamps in the link chain are spaced apart from one another by equal spacings.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2005Publication date: July 21, 2005Inventors: Jorg Meier, Jean-Claude Oppliger
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Publication number: 20040103107Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for sorting items which are provided with delivery information. The method includes the use of a continuous sorting conveyor having a given determining path and a plurality of determining path elements. The elements are respectively divided into a number of determining sections. The determining sections have a plurality of consecutive determining positions.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2003Publication date: May 27, 2004Applicant: SIEMENS SCHWEIZ AGInventors: Raymond P. Brady, Peter Bretschneider, Jean-Claude Oppliger
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Patent number: 6431369Abstract: A device for sorting and selectively collecting flat products, such as shipping pouches, printed products or workpieces, which are placed at predetermined collecting points along the conveying path of an endless conveyor and below the conveyor in collecting containers, includes a pushing device for moving the empty collecting containers transversely of the direction of movement of the conveyor on a transfer path between a lateral pick-up position and the collecting point. The pushing device is reversibly driven in a guide arrangement of the transfer path, wherein the filled collecting containers can be ejected from the collecting point. For driving the pushing device, the pushing device is connected to a drive member of a fixedly mounted drive unit, wherein the drive member is attached to an endless or revolving traction unit.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2000Date of Patent: August 13, 2002Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Manfred Boller, Jean-Claude Oppliger
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Publication number: 20020027060Abstract: A method and an apparatus for a gap-free line-up or placement of containers successively supplied from a pick-up section, wherein the containers can be removed from the pick-up section as desired. The container removed from the pick-up section and the containers following the removed container on the subsequent pick-up section as seen in the conveying direction of the containers cause an automatic conveyance of the respectively subsequent container which results in a filling of the gap left by the removed container. The apparatus is composed of a pick-up section for supplied containers provided with a plurality of drivable rollers which are arranged transversely of the conveying or feeding direction of the containers and which form a conveying plane.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2001Publication date: March 7, 2002Inventors: Manfred Boller, Jean-Claude Oppliger
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Patent number: 6082521Abstract: For processing sorted goods, in particular for processing mail pieces in postal facilities, an apparatus is proposed for transposing address-bearing sorted goods into an ordered sequence according to a predetermined order of possible addresses, starting with two supplied partial sequences in which the sorted goods are already ordered according to the predetermined order of possible addresses. The apparatus includes a number of actuable transfer devices equal to the number of partial sequences for sequentially transferring the sorted goods of a respective one of the partial sequences to a selection unit. The selection unit is actuable for selectively receiving sorted goods from all transfer devices and for conveying the received sorted goods to a delivery point common to all sorted goods. For this purpose, the selection unit is actuated by a controller for recording the addresses of the sorted goods to be transferred.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 1997Date of Patent: July 4, 2000Assignee: Grapha-Holding AGInventors: Wilhelm Maier, Jean-Claude Oppliger
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Patent number: 6079570Abstract: An arrangement is provided for distributing articles to be sorted to physical target locations. The articles to be sorted are delivered to a number of receiving elements that move along a conveying path past the physical target locations. The receiving elements are controlled so that the physical target locations are assigned dynamically and in dependence on the operating sequence for the sorting operations to the logical sorting targets, which optimizes the capacity of the arrangement and the operating sequence.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 1997Date of Patent: June 27, 2000Assignee: Grapha-Holding AGInventors: Jean-Claude Oppliger, Samuel Kaspar
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Patent number: 6076824Abstract: An apparatus (1) for decollating juxtaposed flat objects (3) conveyed in form of vertical stacks is comprised of a conveyor (2) having a continuous loop traction mechanism (4) and a decollation unit (7) for removing the objects (3) individually from the front end of the stack (6) in a lateral direction, wherein the decollation unit (7) moves forward and backward, respectively, in relation to the front end of the stack (6), with the movements initiated by a transmitter (16) which is connected to the decollation unit (7) and faces the front end of the stack (6), based on the distance between the transmitter (16) and the front end of the stack (6).Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 1997Date of Patent: June 20, 2000Assignee: Grapha-Holding AGInventors: Jean-Claude Oppliger, Thomas Zimmermann
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Patent number: 6059091Abstract: An apparatus and and a method for merging streams of presorted pieces provided with addresses into a row of pieces in accordance with a predetermined sequence of possible addresses, starting from at least two presorted rows in which the pieces are sorted in accordance with the predetermined sequence. The apparatus includes receiving elements which are transported successively along a conveying path, and transfer devices arranged at transfer points along the conveying path, wherein the number of transfer devices is equal to the number of presorted rows. The receiving elements are conveyed past the transfer devices in a timed sequence determined by the transport along the conveying path. The transfer devices can be actuated selectively for transferring a sorted piece each from the respective presorted row into one of the receiving elements as the receiving element travels past the transfer device.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 1997Date of Patent: May 9, 2000Assignee: Grapha-Holding AGInventors: Wilhelm Maier, Jean-Claude Oppliger
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Patent number: 5994657Abstract: A device and method for sorting flat mailed pieces. The mailed pieces are individually transferred to conveying cells which can be conveyed one behind the other along a conveying path and are delivered to receptacles which are arranged along the conveying path. The mailed pieces are transferred by a transfer device to the conveying cells. The main planes of the mailed pieces (14) are oriented essentially vertically. The receptacles for the mailed pieces conveyed by the conveying cells are determined on the basis of a preset sequence of all possible mailing addresses, the mailing addresses of all mailed piece transferred to the conveying cells, and the association data representing the association between the individual mailed pieces and the conveying cells.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 1997Date of Patent: November 30, 1999Assignee: GRAPHA-Holding AGInventors: Wilhelm Maier, Jean-Claude Oppliger
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Patent number: 5959868Abstract: In order to increase the efficiency of an arrangement for distributing articles for dispatch with a distributing conveyor, a transfer device is proposed. The distributing conveyor is used to deliver the articles for dispatch to collecting containers that are arranged at delivery locations along a conveying route of the distributing conveyor. The transfer device responds to transfer signals emitted by a control device that respectively designate a delivery location of a collecting container, and is used for transferring the collecting containers between the delivery locations and a predetermined transporting route for the collecting containers.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 1997Date of Patent: September 28, 1999Assignee: Grapha-Holding AGInventors: Jean-Claude Oppliger, Manfred Boller
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Patent number: 5913512Abstract: A device for separating flat objects includes an endless conveyer belt on which the flat objects are supplied standing on edge and forming a stack. A conveying device including a rotating conveying element picks up the objects individually on the flat side from a front of the stack by a run of the rotating conveying element which removes the flat objects crosswise relative to the stack. The conveying device includes a guide arrangement for displacing the conveying device through a stroke approximately parallel to a direction in which the stack is formed while bearing on the front end of the stack.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 1996Date of Patent: June 22, 1999Assignee: Grapha-Holding AGInventors: Beat Fritsche, Peter Schmid, Jean-Claude Oppliger
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Patent number: 5895043Abstract: An arrangement for feeding a conveying apparatus comprising hoppers for flat products such as envelopes, mailing pouches, workpieces and the like, which can be emptied at certain intervals and are secured on a rotatably driven traction element. A device including a slanted guide wall defining a conveying channel is located above the conveying apparatus for conveying the products in a conveying direction into a respective one of the hoppers located below the conveying channel. The device includes a size intake opening communicating with the conveying channel for receiving products into the conveying channel from a side of the device in a direction at a right angle to the conveying direction. The device further includes a rotating clearing mechanism laterally penetrating the conveying channel and operating jointly with the guide wall for conveying the products into the hoppers.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 1997Date of Patent: April 20, 1999Assignee: GRAPHA-Holding AGInventors: Wilhelm Maier, Jean-Claude Oppliger