Patents by Inventor Stephen L. Heston
Stephen L. Heston 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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Publication number: 20140154042Abstract: In an item-handling device, a layer head includes an item layer building platform defining an item receiving plane, the layer building platform being vertically positionable. A puller bar mounts to the layer head and moves in relation thereto within a plane above the item-receiving plane. The puller bar is positionable between a retracted position above the layer building platform and an extended position offset from the layer building platform.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2014Publication date: June 5, 2014Applicant: Top Tier, Inc.Inventors: Cary Michael Pierson, Stephen L. Heston
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Patent number: 8539739Abstract: The present invention relates to compact palletizers that include a stretch-wrap operation as the pallet is built. A four-sided compaction mechanism compresses the rough-built load to the final pallet size and then the entire layer is released to the pallet. Individual items or group of items are picked and placed onto a layer support device in a loose orientation. The loose orientation enables a much faster palletizing operation because the robotic arm that pick-and-places the item, the items, or the row of items, can travel much faster as it does not have to precisely locate the item, items, or row of items. During the time that a layer is being loosely constructed on the layer support device concurrent wrapping can occur.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2012Date of Patent: September 24, 2013Assignee: Top Tier, Inc.Inventors: Cary M. Pierson, Stephen L. Heston
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Publication number: 20130058753Abstract: In an item-handling device, a layer head includes an item layer building platform defining an item receiving plane, the layer building platform being vertically positionable. A puller bar mounts to the layer head and moves in relation thereto within a plane above the item-receiving plane. The puller bar is positionable between a retracted position above the layer building platform and an extended position offset from the layer building platform.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2012Publication date: March 7, 2013Applicant: TOP TIER, INC.Inventors: Cary Michael Pierson, Stephen L. Heston
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Publication number: 20120297733Abstract: The present invention relates to compact palletizers that include a stretch-wrap operation as the pallet is built. A four-sided compaction mechanism compresses the rough-built load to the final pallet size and then the entire layer is released to the pallet. Individual items or group of items are picked and placed onto a layer support device in a loose orientation. The loose orientation enables a much faster palletizing operation because the robotic arm that pick-and-places the item, the items, or the row of items, can travel much faster as it does not have to precisely locate the item, items, or row of items. During the time that a layer is being loosely constructed on the layer support device concurrent wrapping can occur.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 16, 2012Publication date: November 29, 2012Applicant: TOP TIER, INC.Inventors: Cary Michael Pierson, Stephen L. Heston
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Patent number: 8257011Abstract: In an item-handling device, a layer head includes an item layer building platform defining an item receiving plane, the layer building platform being vertically positionable. A puller bar mounts to the layer head and moves in relation thereto within a plane above the item-receiving plane. The puller bar is positionable between a retracted position above the layer building platform and an extended position offset from the layer building platform.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2010Date of Patent: September 4, 2012Assignee: Top Tier, Inc.Inventors: Cary Michael Pierson, Stephen L. Heston
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Patent number: 8220229Abstract: The present invention relates to compact palletizers that include a stretch-wrap operation as the pallet is built. A four-sided compaction mechanism compresses the rough-built load to the final pallet size and then the entire layer is released to the pallet. Individual items or group of items are picked and placed onto a layer support device in a loose orientation. The loose orientation enables a much faster palletizing operation because the robotic arm that pick-and-places the item, the items, or the row of items, can travel much faster as it does not have to precisely locate the item, items, or row of items. During the time that a layer is being loosely constructed on the layer support device concurrent wrapping can occur.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2009Date of Patent: July 17, 2012Assignee: Top Tier, Inc.Inventors: Cary M. Pierson, Stephen L. Heston
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Patent number: 8074431Abstract: The present invention relates to compact palletizers that include a stretch-wrap operation as the pallet is built. Specifically, the present invention uses a robot to place items from a fixed infeed elevation either above or, alternatively, below the height of the finished load. A four-sided compression mechanism compresses the rough-built load to the final pallet size and then the entire layer is released to the pallet. Individual items or group of items are picked and placed onto a layer support device in a loose orientation. The loose orientation enables a much faster palletizing operation because the robotic arm that pick-and-places the item, the items, or the row of items, can travel much faster as it does not have to precisely locate the item, items, or row of items. During the time that a layer is being loosely constructed on the layer support device concurrent wrapping can occur.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2009Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: Top Tier, Inc.Inventors: Cary M. Pierson, Stephen L. Heston
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Publication number: 20100254794Abstract: In an item-handling device, a layer head includes an item layer building platform defining an item receiving plane, the layer building platform being vertically positionable. A puller bar mounts to the layer head and moves in relation thereto within a plane above the item-receiving plane. The puller bar is positionable between a retracted position above the layer building platform and an extended position offset from the layer building platform.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2010Publication date: October 7, 2010Applicant: Top Tier, Inc.Inventors: Cary Michael Pierson, Stephen L. Heston
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Patent number: 7802959Abstract: A compact palletizer combines a plate apron and an apron conveyor as a layer build area positionable both vertically and horizontally to implement receipt and organization of items as layers and to stack item layers on a pallet. A puller bar serves to pull item rows into layers in a layer building operation and to act as a backstop in delivering an item layer onto a stack of items. An apron serves to also deliver empty pallets to a stack build area.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2006Date of Patent: September 28, 2010Assignee: TopTier Inc.Inventors: Cary Michael Pierson, Stephen L. Heston
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Patent number: 7736120Abstract: In an item-handling device, a layer head includes an item layer building platform defining an item receiving plane, the layer building platform being vertically positionable. A puller bar mounts to the layer head and moves in relation thereto within a plane above the item-receiving plane. The puller bar is positionable between a retracted position above the layer building platform and an extended position offset from the layer building platform.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2004Date of Patent: June 15, 2010Assignee: Toptier, Inc.Inventors: Cary Michael Pierson, Stephen L. Heston
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Publication number: 20080025832Abstract: A compact palletizer combines a plate apron and an apron conveyor as a layer build area positionable both vertically and horizontally to implement receipt and organization of items as layers and to stack item layers on a pallet. A puller bar serves to pull item rows into layers in a layer building operation and to act as a backstop in delivering an item layer onto a stack of items. An apron serves to also deliver empty pallets to a stack build area.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2006Publication date: January 31, 2008Inventors: Cary Michael Pierson, Stephen L. Heston
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Publication number: 20040191051Abstract: In a palletizing device including a layer formation structure defining a layer building plane, a contact element moves between a first position an a second position, said first position being at least one of at and below said layer building plane and said second position being above said layer building planeType: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2004Publication date: September 30, 2004Inventors: Stephen L. Heston, Cary Michael Pierson
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Patent number: 6533533Abstract: A pick and place device includes a lift head and a build platform. Both the lift head and the build platform include flexible aprons. An item layer is constructed on the build platform and the lift head is moved into position over the build platform. By slipping the lift head apron under the layer while concurrently pulling from under the layer the build platform apron, support for the layer passes from the build platform to the lift head. The lift head then moves to a place site and the lift head apron is pulled from under the layer and the layer falls from the lift head onto the place site. Under one form of the device, the layer may be constructed directly upon the lift head apron and then moved to a place site and deposited thereat by pulling the lift head apron from thereunder. Tower configurations illustrated define a vertical column of space including a layer pre-build table, layer transport and layer stacking occurring therewithin.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 1999Date of Patent: March 18, 2003Inventor: Stephen L. Heston
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Publication number: 20030026682Abstract: A synchronized palletizer includes a row conveyor and a layer head, each vertically reciprocating within a frame. An infeed conveyor delivers in series items row-by-row onto the row conveyor. The row conveyor moves to vertically coincide with the layer head and laterally transfer a row items onto the layer head. Once a complete item layer has been constructed on the layer head, the layer head collapses the layer together and drops the layer through its floor onto a pallet or stack of item layers therebelow. Generally, the layer head vertical position follows the top of stack of item layers and the row conveyor travels reciprocally between the infeed conveyor and the layer head to deliver items row-by-row to the layer head. A variety of alternative relative positioning schemes, however, may be implemented.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 1, 2001Publication date: February 6, 2003Inventors: Stephen L. Heston, Cary Michael Pierson
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Patent number: 6231298Abstract: A top-picking palletizer and de-palletizer moves pallet layers along a fixed path by use of a single-dimension actuation system and top-picking lift head. The illustrated system includes an actuation assembly operated by a single reversible motor moving drive chains selectively in first and second directions. In a first direction, the lift head moves along the fixed path towards a first pick and place site and in the second direction moves along the fixed path toward a second pick and place site. By selectively engaging and disengaging the lift head, layers of items to be stacked or unstacked may be moved from one site to the other site, i.e., such as by palletizing and de-palletizing operations.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 1999Date of Patent: May 15, 2001Inventor: Stephen L. Heston
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Patent number: 5984620Abstract: A pick and place device includes a lift head and a build platform. Both the lift head and the build platform include flexible aprons. An item layer is constructed on the build platform and the lift head is moved into position over the build platform. By slipping the lift head apron under the layer while concurrently pulling from under the layer the build platform apron, support for the layer passes from the build platform to the lift head. The lift head then moves to a place site and the lift head apron is pulled from under the layer and the layer falls from the lift head onto the place site. Under one form of the device, the layer may be constructed directly upon the lift head apron and then moved to a place site and deposited thereat by pulling the lift head apron from thereunder.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 1998Date of Patent: November 16, 1999Inventor: Stephen L. Heston
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Patent number: 5971700Abstract: A top-picking palletizer and de-palletizer moves pallet layers along a fixed path by use of a single-dimension actuation system and top-picking lift head. The illustrated system includes an actuation assembly operated by a single reversible motor moving drive chains selectively in first and second directions. In a first direction, the lift head moves along the fixed path towards a first pick and place site and in the second direction moves along the fixed path toward a second pick and place site. By selectively engaging and disengaging the lift head, layers of items to be stacked or unstacked may be moved from one site to the other site, i.e., such as by palletizing and de-palletizing operations.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 1998Date of Patent: October 26, 1999Inventor: Stephen L. Heston
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Patent number: 5613419Abstract: A load balancing arm is shown and described as having improved control including a programmable control element and electronic air regulation to provide precise and controllable lifting force on a load. The disclosed load balancing arm responds to slight operator applied force to aid in movement of the load in overcoming system hysteresis, friction and load inertia without requiring the operator to apply a sufficiently large magnitude force to overcome such counteracting forces in the system. The disclosed load balancing arm further includes automatic load weight detection sensors for accommodating variation in load weights while applying a lifting force to the load which substantially equals the weight of the load. This allows the operator to move the load freely throughout a work space.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 1995Date of Patent: March 25, 1997Assignee: Integrated Systems, Inc.Inventors: Cary M. Pierson, Stephen L. Heston
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Patent number: 5456130Abstract: A load balancing arm is shown and described as having improved control including a programmable control element and electronic air regulation to provide precise and controllable lifting force on a load. The disclosed load balancing arm responds to slight operator applied force to aid in movement of the load in overcoming system hysteresis, friction and load inertia without requiring the operator to apply a sufficiently large magnitude force to overcome such counteracting forces in the system. The disclosed load balancing arm further includes automatic load weight detection sensors for accommodating variation in load weights while applying a lifting force to the load which substantially equals the weight of the load. This allows the operator to move the load freely throughout a work space.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 1994Date of Patent: October 10, 1995Assignee: Integrated Systems, Inc.Inventors: Cary M. Pierson, Stephen L. Heston