Patents Issued in February 20, 2001
  • Patent number: 6189672
    Abstract: A rocker-type load separating mechanism for a roller conveyor includes a rocker arm and a release mechanism. The rocker arm is pivotally mounted in a discharge zone of the conveyor. The rocker arm is movable between a first load blocking position in which an upstream end of the rocker arm extends into the conveyor pathway to block loads in the holding zone of the conveyor, and a load releasing position in which the upstream end is positioned out of the conveyor pathway to allow those to pass from the holding zone into a discharge zone of the conveyor. A manually actuated release mechanism applies force to the downstream end of the rocker arm to move the rocker arm from a load blocking position to the load releasing position. The force applied by the release mechanism overcomes the weight of loads in the holding zone pressing against the rocker arm when the rocker arm is in the load blocking position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Interroll Holding AG
    Inventor: David S. Schut
  • Patent number: 6189673
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a floor for a passenger conveyor which includes floor rollers mounted below the floor, floor roller guide rails mounted upon a machine room for guiding the rollers, and a lift mounted in the machine room to be in contact with a bottom of the floor, wherein the floor can be easily opened and closed by one person without any other instrument in repair or maintenance, and wherein it is not needed to move the floor to another place after opening because the floor can stand upright in its place after opening the floor, so improving efficiency of working.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: LG Industrial Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jung Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 6189674
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for transferring a printed circuit board to an intended position at a high speed accurately and reliably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keizo Izumida, Hiroki Yamamoto, Kazuo Nagae
  • Patent number: 6189675
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for orienting a container, or plurality thereof, incident to a packaging operation by engaging the container with an elongate driven member travelling at a different speed than the container along a conveyor or assembly line. In particular, the containers may have the shape of a petaloid bottle, for beverages and the like, and the bottles are rotated into a common position to conform to requirements of the carton, carrier or other packaging material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Ganz Brothers, Inc.
    Inventor: Theodore Nosch
  • Patent number: 6189676
    Abstract: An orienting assembly for medicinal capsules; the orienting assembly being characterized by having a rotary drum having seats, each for housing a top or bottom shell oriented in one of two opposite spatial directions; and by having a nozzle for generating compressed air jets, so that, if the top or bottom shell is oriented with the convexity facing the nozzle, the initial position of the top or bottom shell remains unchanged; whereas, if the top or bottom shell is oriented with the concavity facing the nozzle, the top or bottom shell is inverted by the compressed air jet generated by the nozzle; the invention also relating to a supply and orienting unit featuring the above orienting assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: MG2 S.p.A
    Inventor: Angelo Ansaloni
  • Patent number: 6189677
    Abstract: An apparatus for advancing articles in a selected, approximately horizontal conveying direction, includes a plurality of side-by-side disposed table elements each having an upper, approximately horizontal article-supporting surface. The article-supporting surfaces together form an approximately horizontal conveying table. A first drive oscillates each table element parallel to its article-supporting surface in a motion having two motion components oriented in perpendicular, horizontal directions and a second drive vertically oscillates each table element. A first synchronizing arrangement synchronizes the horizontal oscillations in the direction of the two motion components and a second synchronizing arrangement synchronizes the vertical oscillations with the horizontal oscillations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: SIG Pack Systems AG
    Inventors: Lorenz Stefan Ruf, Peter Frei, Markus Wiesendanger
  • Patent number: 6189678
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming groups of superposed, flat items, includes a conveyor having a transporting device traveling in a conveying direction along a generally horizontal working flight; and a plurality of upstanding pusher fingers secured to the transporting device. A plurality of storage chutes are serially positioned above the working flight for holding items in a superposed stack therein. An item-retaining device is situated at a lower, item-discharging end of each chute. The item-retaining device includes a component defining an item-retaining surface for retaining the items in the chute by supporting a lowermost item of the stack. Each pusher finger is arranged for travel through the item-discharging end for pushing all items forming part of the stack in the chute and being situated in a path of travel of the pusher finger, off the item-retaining device and for advancing the items in the conveying direction along the working flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: SIG Pack Systems AG
    Inventors: Horst Loewenthal, Alfred Wipf
  • Patent number: 6189679
    Abstract: The stick metering device of the present invention is mountable beneath a stick conveyor, and includes an upstream gate and a downstream gate. The downstream gate is generally parallel to and spaced apart a first distance from the upstream gate. The upstream gate cooperates with a first actuator for vertical actuation of the upstream gate between an upstream elevated position and an upstream lowered position. The downstream gate cooperates with a second actuator for vertical actuation of the downstream gate between a downstream elevated position and a downstream lowered position. When in the upstream and downstream elevated positions, respectively, the upstream and downstream gates intersect a stick flow path so as to interrupt a downstream flow of sticks along the stick flow path on the stick conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: CAE Electronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Daniel A. Grinder
  • Patent number: 6189680
    Abstract: The rotary conveyor of the present invention has a simple structure and is capable of preventing an electric cable and an air tube from twisting and cutting. In the rotary conveyor, a rotating section can rotate in the both directions. A number N (an integer three or more) of movable stations are provided to the rotating section with regular angular separations (an angle &thgr;1). The movable stations respectively machine work pieces. The number N of fixed stations are provided on the base section and located at positions corresponding on the movable stations. The fixed stations respectively machine the work pieces with the movable stations. The rotating section is intermittently turned the angle &thgr;1 a prescribed number (N−1) of times, in one direction, from an initial position of the rotating section, then the rotating section is continuously turned, in the other direction, until reaching the initial position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Fujikoshi Kikai Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshio Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6189681
    Abstract: A tool for removing debris from a helical blade of an auger or other screw-conveyor, the tool comprising a central shaft about which is helically arranged a plurality of radially projecting elements. In use, the tool is rotated as the auger is withdrawn from the ground, and the radially projecting elements pass between adjacent flights so as to remove locked-in soil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Inventor: Melvin Gerard England
  • Patent number: 6189682
    Abstract: The present invention provides an automatic lug loader to place blocks on each lug on a lug conveyor in a finger jointing machine. The lug loader includes a support structure with a control station and a feed table. A powered loading conveyor overlies the support structure with an infeed end disposed over the control station. The loading conveyor extends downstream to an outfeed end which is disposed over the upstream end of the lug conveyor. A powered adjuster is connected to the loading conveyor and shifts the loading conveyor toward and away from the control station to selectively grip a block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Inventor: David A. Hill
  • Patent number: 6189683
    Abstract: A differential impulse conveyor includes a conveyor base 12 and a tray 16 movable in a forward direction to move goods with the tray and in a backward direction to slide goods along the tray. A pair of tray support members 18, 20, 192, 200, 222 interconnect the conveyor base in the tray. Each tray support member may be pivotally connected at a lower end of the conveyor base and pivotally connected at an upper end of the tray. An electrically powered linear motor 30, 82, 95, 135, 145, 225 moves the tray forward and rearward. A connector support 20 for interconnecting the base and the tray, or for interconnecting any stationary member and a movable member, may include a linear bearing having an end surface with a radius for rolling engagement with a contact surface having a radius twice of that of the end surface to achieve the desired linear motion of the tray or movable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Inventors: Paul B. Svejkovsky, Paul A. Svejkovsky, Thomas G. Knodell, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6189684
    Abstract: A device for conveying printing substrates includes a frame, a plurality of spaced-apart and axially parallel cylindrical rollers supported on the frame, one of the rollers being a rotatably drivable drive roller, and the other rollers being freely rotatably supported, and an endless conveyor belt wrapped around all of the rollers and in operation being in frictional contact with the drive roller, two of the rollers being relatively closely adjacent one another, being spaced apart from one another a distance selected from the group thereof consisting of less than and not considerably greater than the diameter of the drive roller; the drive roller being movable in a direction towards and away from the two spaced apart rollers; and including a retaining device for firmly retaining the drive roller in an operating position wherein an outer side of the conveyor belt rests on the drive roller, the conveyor belt being wrapped around the drive roller over an angle on the order of magnitude of 180°, while the oth
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Martin Greive
  • Patent number: 6189685
    Abstract: The present invention provides a guide rail support bracket assembly for supporting a conveyor system guide rail through a support rod. The assembly includes a support bracket having a mounting segment configured to be mounted to a conveyor body. The support bracket is preferably formed by cutting and bending a generally flat metal plate. A support segment is connected at one end to the mounting segment and at another end, spaced from the mounting segment, to an angled clamping section. The support rod is clamped into the clamping section by an eyebolt that fits through a clamping hole formed in the angled clamping section. The eyebolt is drawn into the angled clamping section by a clamping knob.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Valu Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Stuart J. Ledingham, David N. Padgett
  • Patent number: 6189686
    Abstract: Slats of a slat conveyor chain each have a multiplicity of drain holes distributed in a desired pattern, and discharge grooves formed in the underside of each slat along sliding surface portions facing guide rails of the slat conveyor chain. A treatment liquid, such as lubricating liquid or washing liquid, supplied onto a load-bearing upper surface of the slat conveyor chain for stable and damage-free conveyance of articles such as PET bottles, cans and so on is smoothly discharged from the discharge grooves through the drain holes without scatting around a frame of the slat conveyor chain. With this discharging of the treatment liquid, bearings and a speed reducer of a chain drive mechanism are protected against corrosion. The slat conveyor chain can, therefore, operate reliably over a long period of use while keeping the surrounding environment against contamination with the treatment liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Shibayama, Yoshihiro Murakami
  • Patent number: 6189687
    Abstract: The present invention and its preferred embodiments relate to an article carrier which is shaped to provide satisfactory strength to hold the bottles securely but with a degree of flexibility so that the load transferred to the handle is absorbed by a carrier. The shape of the blank minimises the amount of paperboard required. The carrier can be applied to an array of bottles by hand or automatic machinery. It is anticipated that the invention can be applied to a variety of carrier and not limited to those of the basket carrier type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: The Mead Corporation
    Inventor: Martinus C. M. Bakx
  • Patent number: 6189688
    Abstract: A multi-chamber dispensing container for storing at least two substances in an impervious and sterile environment. The container has a tubular body, with a bottom end and an end having an opening. At least one means of occlusion having a continuous outer edge is disposed in an oblique position inside the body between the ends prior to activation of the container. The means of occlusion seals the body imperviously and divides it into two chambers, each containing a substance. The container further has a means for dispensing the substances contained in the body, these means being disposed near the end presenting the opening and sealing this end imperviously. The means of occlusion has two different areas, one of which is partially tearable under the effect of activating pressure from the fingers, the other being designed so as to not tear under the effect of the pressure. This second area maintains the means of occlusion in place within the body after activation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Biodome
    Inventor: Antoine Aneas
  • Patent number: 6189689
    Abstract: A carrier for securely retaining one or more objects is provided, cut and scored from a unitary blank of paperboard or similar foldable sheet material so that it can be folded into two overlying panels and then manually fastened so that one panel is characteristically bowed away from the other to form an interior space. This bowed panel has at least one u-shaped mouth opening into this interior space, cut through the bowed panel face and large enough to allow an object to be loosely inserted through it with one-hand and retained therein for storage or transport. This carrier can then be integrated into the design of another product. Also, the carrier can be attached to the surface of selected articles with an adhesive strip applied to the back of the carrier or by using a standard pronged fastener that extends through openings provided in the carrier's back panel or by some other suitable attachment device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: ESAE, Incorporated
    Inventor: Stephen M. Toussaint
  • Patent number: 6189690
    Abstract: A display package for point-of-purchase display of an article such as a musical instrument sounded by shaking or rotating. The display package has a first opening for facilitating grasping and manipulation of the package by a consumer. A second opening permits sound to be emitted by the instrument. The second opening may be shaped for allowing appendages of the musical instrument to strike a percussion surface of the musical instrument upon rotation of the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: First Act, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Izen, Brian Connolly
  • Patent number: 6189691
    Abstract: An asymmetrical golf bag is provided. According to one aspect of the present invention, the golf bag includes a top located at an upper portion of the golf bag and a base located at a lower portion of the golf bag. Additionally, the golf bag additionally includes a body coupled between the top and the base. Further, a stand is mounted to the top and the base at an off center position. According to another aspect of the present invention, the top has an asymmetrical shape about two perpendicular axes. The asymmetrical top may additionally include a pair of corresponding halves defined by a longitudinal axis. The right half may have a convex shape designed to comfortably cradle the small of a golfer's back. The left half may have a concave shape to increase the volume of a pocket, such as a clothing pocket or a ball pocket. The asymmetrical top may additionally include one or more integral dividers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Sundara Industries, LTD
    Inventors: Chloe Helen Sundara, Eric Penman Bogner, Bruce Anthony Janis
  • Patent number: 6189692
    Abstract: A protective furniture shipment and storage bag is formed as an envelope comprised of inner and outer transparent film layers with protective cushioning foam elements sandwiched therebetween at opposite ends of the envelope to define a furniture viewing window longitudinally between the foam elements. Such bags are fabricated by sandwiching foam elements in spaced relation between two essentially coextensive transparent film layers, folding the sandwiched components along the longitudinal fold line, and heat sealing or otherwise attaching the folded film layers and foam elements at the opposite ends to form the aforedescribed envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Inventor: Robert L. Campbell, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6189693
    Abstract: An electric toothbrush comprising an elongated body portion and a head including a static portion and a circular portion, a handle, and an angled shaft between the head and the handle. The circular portion rotates or oscillates about an axis normal to a longitudinal axis of the head. The circular portion includes stiff bristles and the static portion includes soft bristles. The elongated body portion is hollow and further includes a motor in the hollow portion, which is operatively connected to the circular portion for rotating or oscillating the circular portion. A switch is operatively connected to the motor to provide momentary and continuous operation of the toothbrush. A worm gear and a pair of step gears are located in the hollow portion. The motor is operatively connected to the worm gear and the step gears are operatively connected to the worm gear and to each other. One of the step gears is offset with respect to a longitudinal axis of the elongated body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Dr. Johns Products, Ltd.
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Blaustein, John Osher, John R. Nottingham, John W. Spirk
  • Patent number: 6189694
    Abstract: A high temperature steam-sterilizable flexible pouch package includes a non-woven barrier web, a perforated plastic intermediate web, and an imperforate plastic upper web. Line heat seals bonding the webs form a cavity into which high temperature sterilizing steam may enter after passing through the barrier and intermediate webs. The line heat seal bonding the upper and intermediate webs is of the delamination failure type. An access opening is provided for insertion of an object to be sterilized into the cavity after which the access opening is sealed, enclosing the object in the cavity. After high temperature steam sterilizing, the package is opened by peeling apart the upper web from the intermediate web which causes a delamination failure of the line heat seal. Preferred materials enable vacuum cycle steam sterilization at a temperature of at least 270° F.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignees: Whitesell of North Carolina, Inc., American National Can Company
    Inventors: Mark E. Weiss, Thomas J. Bauer, Richard E. Johnson
  • Patent number: 6189695
    Abstract: An improved structure for foldable storage bins, the structure has on the edges of a bottom board upright stop pieces and has tenons and slot mortises on the ends of the side plates, in order to increase stability of the structure; and a plurality of protuberances and engaging recesses are provided at the pivotal connecting areas between the bottom board and the bottom edges of the side plates, so that a side plate can be maintained in its upright position with the protuberances and engaging recesses when it is erected, then another side plate can be erected under the favor of the stability of the former side plate. Some small sheets are provided on the external walls of the side plates at both ends of the storage bin to allow insertion of indicating tags.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Inventor: Liu Ching-rong
  • Patent number: 6189696
    Abstract: A packaging configuration includes a lavatory basket and a refill bottle assembly interconnected for storage, shipping and sale. The refill bottle assembly includes a refill bottle containing a cleaning agent for refilling the container of the lavatory basket during use, and a closure cap for sealing attachment with the outlet of the refill bottle. The lavatory basket includes a container for holding and selectively dispensing the cleaning agent, and a securing element extending therefrom. The container is configured to be releasably attached to a concave upper surface of the closure cap of the refill bottle by means of a projection tab on the closure cap in locking engagement with a corresponding recess in a wall of the container. A releasable connection is provided between the securing element and the refill bottle assembly to further secure the container to the refill bottle assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien
    Inventors: Erich Tuerk, Georg Muehlhausen
  • Patent number: 6189697
    Abstract: A container for personal articles such as cosmetics and the like has a rigid shell and a flexible cover that fits over the shell. The cover has a central pocket with one or more pockets arranged around the inside of the wall of the central pocket and an exterior wall having one or more pockets arranged around the exterior wall. The cover is removably fastened to the shell, preferably by means of a skirt having fasteners thereon which is folded under the base of the shell and secured by the fasteners to hold the cover in position about the shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Inventor: Sylvia Davis
  • Patent number: 6189698
    Abstract: A cosmetics organizer comprising a palette, hook and loop fasteners having mating halves, and at least one cosmetic item removably secured to the palette by hook and loop fasteners wherein one mating half of each fastener is secured to the palette and the other mating half is secured to said cosmetic item. The invention also encompasses a kit for the creation of a cosmetics organizer, said kit comprising a palette and hook and loop fasteners having mating halves wherein the user of the kit can secure one mating half of each fastener to the palette and the other mating half to a cosmetic item to removably secure the cosmetic item to the palette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Inventor: Diane Asser
  • Patent number: 6189699
    Abstract: A packaging material comprising a plurality of flexible strips of material integrally interconnected to one another along one end thereof so as to form a unitary mass and so that the strips of material are intertwineable with one another to form a resilient tuft. The strips of material interconnected via a border have a bonding material disposed thereon for bondingly connecting the packaging material to a container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Southpac Trust International, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald E. Weder
  • Patent number: 6189700
    Abstract: An expandable framework for attachment of display panels and the like. The linkage is lockable in one or more configurations intermediate the collapsed and fully expanded configurations so that the same framework may be used for more than one type of display, such as floor display and table-top display. A shipping case for containing the framework, when collapsed, is convertible into a podium by wrapping a decorative panel about the case and fastening the panel thereto to be flush with an upper platform on the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Stellar Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Packrall, Andrew Jay Burkette
  • Patent number: 6189701
    Abstract: Device and process for the manufacture of hollow plastic objects to screen out defective plastic preforms that are to be molded into their desired shape in a molding station before they reach the molding station, the conveyor track leading into the molding station comprising a screening area through which the preforms are conveyed in such a way that they are loosely supported on only one side, wherein screening apparatuses are provided in the screening area to screen out defective plastic preforms in response to signals from an inspection station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventor: Horst Winter
  • Patent number: 6189702
    Abstract: The present invention reveals a sorting device, positioned above and orientated across a plurality of conveyors, capable of diverting objects between the conveyors or removing objects entirely from the conveyors, based on the object's destination location or some other characteristic. To accomplish its purpose, the device comprises: a primary conveyor; a secondary conveyor; a monorail positioned above and orientated across the conveyors; a carriage that mounts the monorail; a linear actuator that drives the carriage side to side the length of the monorail; a paddle attached to the carriage that extends downward to contact the objects; a wiper located along the bottom edge of the paddle that is biased in contact with the conveyors; and a controller capable of positioning the carriage so the paddle contacts the object to be diverted and pushes it between conveyors or from conveyors to adjacent destination locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: United Parcel Service of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Henri Bonnet
  • Patent number: 6189703
    Abstract: An endless media filtration system includes a housing with a pool forming assembly mounted between a pair of side walls. The pool forming assembly includes a central shaft with two spaced-apart containment discs rotatably mounted on the shaft between the side walls. An endless loop filter media belt is supported on an endless loop carrier belt and includes an upper run which is pressed against the peripheral edges of the discs to form a generally semicircular shaped pool along bottom arcs of the discs. A separation pan is located between upper and lower runs of the carrier belt to direct filtered liquid to one side of the carrier belt and out the bottom of the housing. A backwash assembly includes a first spray rod spraying air through the filter media, a second spray rod spraying water through the filter media, and a third spray rod spraying air through the filter media after the filter media has passed under the second spray rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Inventors: John P. Dooley, Jr., Cecelia D. Moore, Harry A. Kiely, John D. Hood, Sr., Caleb N. Bell, III
  • Patent number: 6189704
    Abstract: A bone marrow collection kit is provided comprising a collection container for receiving a bone marrow containing fluid having a body that defines an interior and an inlet opening and an outlet opening and including a prefilter that extends from the outlet opening into the interior of the collection container so that fluid must flow through the prefilter to exit the collection container through the outlet opening. A first inline filter member is coupled to the outlet opening of the collection container, the first inline filter member having a flexible plastic body that defines an interior, and an inlet opening and an outlet opening and the interior including a filter so constructed and arranged that fluid that enters the inlet opening must flow through the filter to exit the first inline filter member through the outlet opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Baxter International Inc.
    Inventors: T. Michael Dennehey, Joseph C. West, Jr., James W. Yang
  • Patent number: 6189705
    Abstract: A shallow tray of the type for use on a worksurface or other support top having a construction which enables several such trays to be disposed vertically one above the other and at least partially nested one within another, either when the trays are empty or contain only a small number of documents therein to permit compact storage on a worksurface top while utilizing minimal space. The tray construction in addition allows the trays to be vertically cross-stacked one on top of another to provide for desired vertical separation and hence at least limited visibility and access to the individual trays in the stack, while at the same time providing significant storage capability and document separation while minimizing the amount of space utilized on the worksurface top.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Haworth, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Saylor, Sheldon Phillips, Edward Mitchell
  • Patent number: 6189706
    Abstract: A saddle blanket rack specifically designed for storing and drying a plurality of saddle blankets in a minimal amount of space including a substantially elongated rectangular frame component for attachment to a vertical wall. The frame component includes lateral upper and lower arms with a pair of opposing elongated side arms perpendicularly disposed therebetween. Disposed between the side arms is an elongated intermediate arm. A plurality of rack members are removably attached to the elongated frame component each including an upper beam member having first and second ends with a V-shaped portion perpendicularly extending from a first end thereof. Extending from each terminal end of the V-shaped portion is a side support. The free ends of the rack beam and side supports are removably received within apertures on the frame component side and intermediate arms. Accordingly, a plurality of saddle blankets or similar items may be vertically supported on the device for storage and drying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Inventor: Brian Akins
  • Patent number: 6189707
    Abstract: A shelving unit with adjustable brackets for enhanced mounting flexibility in a wide variety of refrigerated display cases. Bracket supports are carried longitudinally by a shelf having opposing ends. The bracket supports have opposing channels positioned at least at the opposing ends of the shelf. A shelf support bracket is provided for slidably engaging the opposing channels of the bracket support and being positioned longitudinally along the shelf corresponding to the spacing of vertical standards affixed within a refrigeration case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Stein Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. Meyers, Peter F. Sosso
  • Patent number: 6189708
    Abstract: An article suspending device is mounted above a doorway or other wall opening, and suspends hangers, articles of clothing and/or the like in the doorway. The article suspending device includes an article suspending portion that lies in a first plane, at least one stand-off portion connected to the article suspending portion, and at least one mounting leg connected to the at least one stand-off portion. The at least one mounting leg extends in a direction skew to a longitudinal axis of the article suspending portion and lies in a second plane that is perpendicular to the first plane. The article suspending device may also be attached to an exposed overhead floor joist in an unfinished basement or the like, or to an exposed rafter in an unfinished attic or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Inventor: James R. McNeece
  • Patent number: 6189709
    Abstract: A rack for hanging workpieces in industrial coating systems having a horizontal bar or beam with an upper flange, a lower flange, and a web joining those flanges, wherein the upper flange has a hook receiving aperture, and the flow flange has a hook receiving slot. The aperture and the slot are aligned to receive a hook from which a workpiece may be hung. The hook is bent near its upper end to form a spring with a terminal leg and a depending leg. The end of the terminal leg extends into the aperture in the upper flange, and the depending leg extends through the slot in the lower flange, behind a detent. The force of the spring biases the depending leg against release from behind the detent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Mighty Hook, Inc.
    Inventor: Lawrence E. Cullen
  • Patent number: 6189710
    Abstract: A display device for displaying articles of merchandise, such as gelatin and pudding. The display device has a base having a central opening, a vertical support pole secured in the central opening of the base, a plurality of three-sided trays defining three corner areas mounted on the pole, a plurality of U-shaped filler panels disposed between at least two of the trays, a plurality of support columns mounted in the trays, and a header assembly coupled to the support pole and engaging the columns. Each tray has a plurality of edges and comprises a plurality of cantilevered shelves disposed transversely, preferably at an upward angle, relative to the pole. The trays are vertically stacked and spaced apart from each other along the support pole. The filler panels are mounted in the shelves of one of the trays and each filler panel forms an open-faced compartment for display of the article of merchandise. Each of the support columns is mounted in two of the shelves in each tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: NDR Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy L. Mason
  • Patent number: 6189711
    Abstract: A support device for receiving and supporting official device elements includes a casing rotatably secured on a base. The casing includes two groups of opposite partitions disposed in a peripheral wall for forming two or more spaces within the casing and for receiving the official device elements. The partitions are parallel to each other for forming one or more channels and for receiving discs or the like. The partitions each includes a curved inner end connected to each other for forming a barrel, and include a height greater than the peripheral wall for allowing the official device elements to be easily obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Inventor: Chun Yuan Chang
  • Patent number: 6189712
    Abstract: A crane includes a telescopic jib having telescopic jib sections and a base jib. The telescopic sections are arranged so that they can be axially moved into and out of the base jib individually. Locking pins are used hold the telescopic sections in place once they are in the required position. A hydraulic piston-cylinder unit arranged in the telescopic jib can push or pull individual jib sections when the respective locking bolts are removed. The movable portion of the piston-cylinder unit has two securing and locking units located at opposing ends of the movable portion. To move the jib section, one of the securing and locking units is connected to the jib section to be moved and the movement of the movable portions pushed or pulls the telescopic section. Once the jib section is moved to a desired position, the locking pin is reinserted to hold the position of the jib section. Since there are two securing and locking units, the piston-cylinder unit is approximately half the length of the telescopic section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Mannesmann AG
    Inventors: Klaus Conrad, Thomas Krebs, Michael Irsch, Jens Fery
  • Patent number: 6189713
    Abstract: A coupler for linking a first coach to a second coach in a miniature train has a fixed member adapted to be affixed to an underframe of the coach and having an action groove and a coupler head part having a hook at a fore end thereof, the hook being adapted to join the first coach to the second coach. The coupler head has a coupler arm that is received in the action groove and that has a slot in the portion received in the action groove. A center pin on the fixed member is received in the slot in the coupler arm such that the coupler arm is pivotable about the center pin. A compression spring received in the slot of the coupler arm and having one end fixed to a first spring fixing pin on the center pin and the other end fixed to a second fixing pin on a rear end of the slot biases the coupler head part in the direction of the rear end of the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Inventor: Taek Rim Oh
  • Patent number: 6189714
    Abstract: An adapter is designed to interconnect the two glad hands that extend from the adjacently disposed ends of a pair of rail vehicles in a train. The housing of the adapter includes first and second connector bodies and an intermediate portion situated between the two connector bodies. The adapter housing encloses a flow chamber that runs from the first connector body through the intermediate portion to the second connector body. The intermediate portion defines a vertically disposed access port in communication with the flow chamber of the adapter housing. The connector bodies are formed on opposite, vertically oriented sides of the adapter housing. Each connector body features a mating surface from which a flow port in communication with the flow chamber emerges. Each connector body also includes a mechanism that allows the connector body to mechanically couple to one of the glad hands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Company
    Inventors: Paul J. Kettle, Jr., Edward W. Gaughan, Jonathan A. Cohen
  • Patent number: 6189715
    Abstract: A snifter for alcoholic beverages such as brandy, spirits and liquors including a glass having a softly flared container (1), with a bowl (2) extending therefrom and including two parts, a first lower part (20) flaring more sharply, extended by a second, higher part (21) gradually tapering up to the drinking lip (22), the opening of the latter defining a surface equal to or larger than that defined by the upper edge (10) of the container (1), which is the recommended filling limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Inventor: Aimé Dubois
  • Patent number: 6189716
    Abstract: A seal assembly for a fuel tank having a tank opening therein includes an access cover adapted to close the tank opening. The seal assembly also includes a first seal made of a compressible material adapted to be disposed between the access cover and a tank surface of the fuel tank. The seal assembly includes a second seal made of a non-permeating material adapted to be disposed between the access cover and the tank surface. The seal assembly further includes an attachment plate for attachment to the tank surface and adapted to be disposed about the tank opening. The seal assembly includes at least one attachment fastener cooperating with the attachment plate to secure the access cover to the attachment plate and to seal the tank opening via the first seal and the second seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Paul Lawrukovich, David Howard Burke, Mahlon Richard Pachciarz, Edward A. Beutler
  • Patent number: 6189717
    Abstract: A sump has a one-piece body, comprising a hollow base member for collecting fluids leaking from a piping system, the base member having an upper portion and a lower portion. The one-piece body further comprises a hollow riser section having an upper portion defining an opening, and a lower portion, the riser lower portion extending upwardly from the base member upper portion, the riser section having sidewalls with a generally corrugated shaped cross section in an axial direction. The hollow base member has a bottom and sidewalls, each of the bottom and sidewalls having an outer surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Advanced Polymer Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert H. Versaw, Jr., James W. Mosier, Daniel P. Nordstrom
  • Patent number: 6189718
    Abstract: A fluidtight seal for a container is formed by abutting a metal ring with a step machined in a convexo-concave container closure device and inserting this assembly into an open end of the container. Under compressive force, the closure device deforms causing the metal ring to pivot about the step on the closure device and interact with symmetrically tapered inner walls of the container to form a fluidtight seal between the container and the closure device. The compressive force is then withdrawn without affecting the fluidtight characteristic of the seal. A destructive force against the container closure device is necessary to destroy the fluidtight seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Department of Energy
    Inventor: Edward F. Morrison
  • Patent number: 6189719
    Abstract: The plastic cover is easily removed from a metal container to allow the plastic cover and the metal container to be separately recycled. The lip that holds the plastic cover to the metal container has two or more circumferential ends which have a lower degree of engagement than the remaining portion of the lip. A press point on the cover which transforms the circular cover into an elliptical shape is positioned on the outside of the cover opposite the circumferential ends and a shoulder is mounted inside the cover opposite the press point. The shoulder bears against the container to assist in removal of the cover. Where the cover has both an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder, a rib is employed to connect the inner cylinder of the cover to the outer cylinder of the cover and to transfer pressure from the press point to the inner cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Mitani Valve Co.
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Kanoya, Hideo Okada
  • Patent number: 6189720
    Abstract: A system for storing industrial drums in a manner allowing convenient dispensing of stored material contents from any of the drums during storage. The system comprises modular components which can be combined in a multitude of configurations to comply with drum storage requirements. When used in combination with means for retaining hazardous-material leaked from the drums or spilled during dispensing, contamination of the environment and/or injury to workplace personnel is prevented. The components of the invention direct the leaked or spilled material to the hazardous-material retaining means. Storage of “hazardous material” as well as other materials is accomplished in a safe and convenient manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Eagle Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: John G. Gillispie
  • Patent number: 6189721
    Abstract: A spill containment apron is made of a fluid-impervious sheet that forms a receptacle from which side flaps and end flaps extend. A plurality of straps having hook and loop fasteners at each end are passed under the sheet and extend on either side thereof. A plurality of magnets are included as part of the side flaps and end flaps. A drain valve is provided for the bottom of the receptacle. A pair of dams are disposed in the receptacle near the ends thereof. The apron can be folded compactly for storage and transportation, but can be unfolded quickly and attached easily to a leaking container such as a railroad tank car. The straps, magnets, and dams cooperate to minimize or prevent spillage of the contents of the receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Inventor: Merrill E. Bishop