Patents by Inventor Marc-Andreas Benz

Marc-Andreas Benz 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: 20240400306
    Abstract: An order picking system (1) for the transportation and stacked provision of piece good (W) includes a feeding device (2) with a suspension conveyor (2.1) for providing the piece good (W) and a delivery station (2.2) for discharging the piece good (W) from the suspension conveyor (2.1) to a stacking device (3) for stacking the conveyed piece good (W), wherein the piece good (W) is stacked vertically on a stacking spot (3.1) by the stacking device (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2024
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Applicant: FERAG AG
    Inventors: Marc-Andreas BENZ, Roberto FENILE
  • Patent number: 10040641
    Abstract: A method for emptying the pockets of a transport device in the form of a suspension conveyor, the transport device including one or more trolleys which are movably mounted on a trolley track and on each of which a pocket hanging downwards for receiving goods is arranged, the pocket formed by at least one flexible material web that is planar when open and that is fastened at both ends to the trolley, forming a loop hanging downwards. The material web is releasably fastened by at least one end to the trolley. The method includes: advancing a closed pocket, opening the pocket by releasing the fastening of the at least one end of the material web to the trolley, emptying the goods from the opened pocket, closing the pocket by fastening the at least one end of the material web to the trolley, and transporting away the emptied and closed pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: FERAG AG
    Inventors: Roberto Fenile, Marc-Andreas Benz
  • Publication number: 20180002115
    Abstract: A method for emptying the pockets of a transport device in the form of a suspension conveyor, the transport device including one or more trolleys which are movably mounted on a trolley track and on each of which a pocket hanging downwards for receiving goods is arranged, the pocket formed by at least one flexible material web that is planar when open and that is fastened at both ends to the trolley, forming a loop hanging downwards. The material web is releasably fastened by at least one end to the trolley. The method includes: advancing a closed pocket, opening the pocket by releasing the fastening of the at least one end of the material web to the trolley, emptying the goods from the opened pocket, closing the pocket by fastening the at least one end of the material web to the trolley, and transporting away the emptied and closed pocket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Applicant: FERAG AG
    Inventors: Roberto FENILE, Marc-Andreas BENZ
  • Patent number: 9643805
    Abstract: A device for separating individual, two-dimensional, flexible objects from the lower side of a stack of such objects and for conveying the separated objects away from the stack. The device includes a stack space with a support region, and a support member that supports the stack from below in the support region. The support member includes a support roller arrangement of a plurality of support rollers. The device further includes at least one separating member for separating the objects from the lower side of the stack in the support region. The support roller arrangement is part of a roller guidance device and is translatorily movable to and from between a support position and a release position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: FERAG AG
    Inventors: Roberto Fenile, Marc-Andreas Benz
  • Publication number: 20140054842
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) for separating individual, two-dimensional, flexible objects (2a, 2a) from the lower side of a stack (3) of such objects (2, 2a) and for conveying the separated objects (2, 2a) away from the stack (3). The device comprises a stack space (4) with a support region (5), and support means (7a, 7b 21) which support the stack (3) from below in the support region (5), wherein the support means comprise a support roller arrangement (7a, 7b, 57a) of a plurality of support rollers (8). The device further comprises at least one separating member (19) for separating the objects (2a) from the lower side of the stack (3) in the support region (5). The support roller arrangement (7a, 7b) is part of a roller guidance device (6) and is translatorily movable to and from between a support position (SP) and a release position (FP).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: FERAG AG
    Inventors: Roberto Fenile, Marc-Andreas Benz
  • Patent number: 8376123
    Abstract: A device for opening and further transporting of printed products with respectively at least two sheets held together over a fixed edge, including a conveying device with transport grippers driven in conveying direction (F) arranged with a distance between one another, which are designed to hold the printed products suspended on their fixed edge, as well as with an opening device arranged below the transport grippers, which is destined to open the printed products. The opening device includes an opening wedge capable of being inserted into a free edge zone between the sheets of the printed product, and the opening device furthermore includes a device for supplying blast air, by way of which the sheets of the printed product are capable of being fanned open in the edge zone, into which the opening wedge is inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Ferag AG
    Inventors: Erwin Stauber, Marc-Andreas Benz
  • Patent number: 8328001
    Abstract: In a method and a device for opening printed products (26), folded printed products (20) are held on a back (28) and transported. Thereby, they are aligned at an edge region (44) lying opposite the back (28), for example by way of co-running lugs (98?). Subsequently, the edge region (44) is encompassed by a holding element (50) and held in a preferably loose manner. Preferably, the uppermost sheet of the printed product (26) is gripped with a revolving opening element (72) engaging on the printed product (26) behind the edge region (44), and pulled out of the holding element (50), while the remaining sheet or the remaining sheets of the printed product (26) remain in the holding element (50). After moving a holding-open element (102) into the printed product (26) opened in such a manner, the holding element (50) moves away to the bottom and thus the edge region (44) of the printed product (26) slips out of the holding element (50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Ferag AG
    Inventor: Marc-Andreas Benz
  • Publication number: 20110290618
    Abstract: The invention is related to a device for opening and further transporting of printed products (6) with respectively at least two sheets (18) held together over a fixed edge (10), comprising a conveying device (1) with transport grippers (7) driven in conveying direction (F) arranged with a distance between one another, which are designed to hold the printed products (6) suspended on their fixed edge (10), as well as with an opening device (2) arranged below the transport grippers (2), which is destined to open the printed products (6). The invention is characterised in that the opening device (2) comprises an opening wedge (15) capable of being inserted into a free edge zone (24) between the sheets of the printed product (6), and the opening device (2) furthermore comprises means (5) for supplying blast air (21), by means of which the sheets (18) of the printed product (6) are capable of being fanned open in the edge zone (24), into which the opening wedge (15) is inserted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: FERAG AG
    Inventors: Erwin Stauber, Marc-Andreas Benz
  • Publication number: 20110005893
    Abstract: In a method and a device for opening printed products (26), folded printed products (20) are held on a back (28) and transported. Thereby, they are aligned at an edge region (44) lying opposite the back (28), for example by way of co-running lugs (98?). Subsequently, the edge region (44) is encompassed by a holding element (50) and held in a preferably loose manner. Preferably, the uppermost sheet of the printed product (26) is gripped with a revolving opening element (72) engaging on the printed product (26) behind the edge region (44), and pulled out of the holding element (50), whilst the remaining sheet or the remaining sheets of the printed product (26) remain in the holding element (50). After moving a holding-open element (102) into the printed product (26) opened in such a manner, the holding element (50) moves away to the bottom and thus the edge region (44) of the printed product (26) slips out of the holding element (50).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2010
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: FERAG AG
    Inventor: Marc-Andreas Benz