Patents by Inventor Robert A. Bryson, Sr.

Robert A. Bryson, Sr. 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: 5203549
    Abstract: An improved apparatus is used to feed sheet material to a feed station of a collating conveyor. At the feed station of one embodiment of the invention, a first feed drum engages a leading edge portion of the sheet material and feeds the sheet material toward the collating conveyor. A first feed drum feeds the sheets along an arcuate path to a secondary drum. The secondary feed drum feeds the sheet material from another holder to a secondary conveyor. The secondary conveyor is inclined to a horizontal at an angle lesser than the arcuate path. A printer assembly prints indicia on the sheet material. The printer assembly directs ink toward opposite sides of the sheet material along paths which are skewed at an acute angle relative to the vertical so that particles of ink do not fall back onto ink jet nozzles and clog the nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1993
    Assignee: AM International Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert A. Bryson, Sr., David F. Christofferson, John Hobbs, Al Baglyos
  • Patent number: 5100118
    Abstract: An improved sheet material handling apparatus includes a pair of saddle conveyors. An extractor drum sequentially grips folded edge portions of signatures in hoppers and moves the signatures along an arcuate path. During rotation of the extractor drum to move the signatures along the arcuate path, a first signature engages a first stop member and is transferred to a first saddle conveyor. The first stop member is then retracted and the next signature moves past the first stop member into engagement with a second stop member. The second signatures is then transferred to a second saddle conveyor. A single stitcher assembly is provided to stitch signatures in first and second spaced apart streams of signatures being conveyed by the two saddle conveyors. In addition, a single trimmer assembly is provided to trim the signatures while maintaining the signatures in the first and second spaced apart streams of signatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1992
    Assignee: AM International Incorporated
    Inventors: John N. Hobbs, Robert A. Bryson, Sr.
  • Patent number: 5069598
    Abstract: An improved apparatus for sequentially loading sheet material articles into a plurality of compartments in a plurality of containers includes a loader assembly which is disposed at a loading station. An infeed shuttle assembly moves an empty container to a carriage disposed at the loading station. The carriage is movable back and forth along a linear path to sequentially position compartments of the empty container at the loading station. In addition, the carriage is operable to rotate the container about a vertical axis to at least partially position another compartment at the loading station. When the compartments of the container have been loaded with sheet material articles, an outfeed shuttle assembly engages the loaded container and moves it away from the carriage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1991
    Assignee: AM International Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephen R. Kleinhen, Robert A. Bryson, Sr.
  • Patent number: 5067699
    Abstract: A sheet material handling apparatus includes a main conveyor along which collated assemblies of signatures are sequentially moved. An inserter assembly is provided to feed inserts one-at-a-time into each of the collated signature assemblies in turn. The inserter assembly includes an infeed conveyor which feeds a continuous strip of interconnected inserts from a source. A separator assembly separates the leading insert from the remaining inserts in the strip of inserts. A separator conveyor moves the leading insert forwardly away from the strip of inserts toward a feeder conveyor. The feeder conveyor accelerates the insert to a relatively high speed and then propels the insert into an opening in the collated assembly of signatures. To form the opening in the collated assembly of signatures, a plow or deflector plate is mounted on the outer end portion of the feeder conveyor and engages the collated assembly of signatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1991
    Assignee: AM International Incorporated
    Inventors: Jeffrey G. Gadway, Robert Bryson, Sr.
  • Patent number: 4977827
    Abstract: A signature handling system is provided to form and handle stacks of signatures. The signature handling system includes a stacker which receives signatures and forms stacks of signatures. A plurality of containers have side-by-side cells to hold the stacks of signatures. A conveyor is provided to sequentially move the containers to the stacker. The stacker includes a loader which loads the signatures into cells of the containers. The loader may be extendable through open sides of cells of the containers to move stacks of signatures downwardly into the cells of the containers through open upper end portions of the cells. The containers may be provided with doors which are movable between an open condition and a closed condition. When the doors are in the closed condition, they at least partially block open sides of the cells to retain stacks of signatures in the cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: AM International Incorporated
    Inventors: Mohanijit S. Chandhoke, Robert A. Bryson, Sr.