Conveyor Detector Indexes Code Patents (Class 198/349.95)
  • Patent number: 11861554
    Abstract: Method and systems for product inventory are described. In one embodiment, an inventory surface unit retains a plurality of products in an unordered state. An inventory identification unit acquires information for an orientation, and location of the plurality of products on the inventory surface unit. The inventory identification unit is disposed above the inventory surface unit. An inventory pick unit is adapted to pick a product among the plurality of products from the inventory surface unit based on the orientation and location acquired by the inventory identification unit. The inventory pick unit is disposed proximal the inventory surface unit, and the inventory pick unit is communicatively connected to the inventory identification unit. Additional methods and systems are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles E. Eller
  • Patent number: 11524848
    Abstract: In a method for determining the elongation of segments of a chain of a chain drive during operation, a plurality of measured values is determined at different positions of the chain. A plurality of length values is determined from the plurality of measured values and a position of the segments of the chain is determined. The length values are assigned to the segments of the chain, with the length of the segments of the chain being smaller than the length of the chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: IWIS ANTRIEBSSYSTEME GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Peter Kreisfeld, Florian Madlener, Josef Siraky, Thomas Wolf
  • Patent number: 11518622
    Abstract: In a method for determining the elongation of segments of a chain of a chain drive during operation, a plurality of measured values is determined at different positions of the chain. A plurality of length values is determined from the plurality of measured values and the length values are assigned to the segments of the chain, with the length of the segments of the chain being smaller than the length of the chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: IWIS ANTRIEBSSYSTEME GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Peter Kreisfeld, Florian Madlener, Josef Siraky, Thomas Wolf
  • Patent number: 11046525
    Abstract: A vehicle body tracking system of a vehicle assembly line provided at a conveyor unit for transferring a vehicle body may include: a mounting frame to be installed at a power rail of the conveyor unit; a pair of rotating bodies installed at the mounting frame; a driven chain to be combined to the pair of rotating bodies and combined with a drive chain that travels along the power rail; and an encoder sensor installed at the mounting frame and connected to at least one rotating body of the rotating bodies. In particular, the driven chain travels on an endless track, and the encoder sensor detects a rotation amount of the at least one rotating body to output the detected rotation amount to a controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sangduck Han
  • Patent number: 10738416
    Abstract: The automatic sorting of laundry items requires a knowledge of all sorting criteria. One strives to read these out from data storage media attached to the laundry items. The problem is when laundry items lack data storage media, or they are not readable because they have been damaged, for example. The invention calls for deriving sorting criteria which cannot be otherwise obtained from at least one imaging recording of an imaging device, such as a 3D-camera. Such sorting criteria, which cannot be derived from the picture or recording of the 3D-camera, are derived from supplemental information which can be obtained in different ways. Thus, it is also possible to sort laundry items without data storage medium or with damaged data storage media in a fully automatic or at least largely automatic manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Herbert Kannegiesser GmbH
    Inventors: Engelbert Heinz, Wilhelm Bringewatt, Jürgen Sielermann, Peter Holtz
  • Patent number: 10573101
    Abstract: In order to measure a distance in a construction machine having a caterpillar chain drive, at least one contactless sensor for being arranged at a chassis of the construction machine is provided such that the contactless sensor is directed to a caterpillar chain of the caterpillar chain drive of the construction machine. An evaluating unit is connected to the contactless sensor and operative to determine a distance covered by the construction machine based on the signals received by the contactless sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: MOBA MOBILE AUTOMATION AG
    Inventors: Marcus Watermann, Dominik Becher
  • Patent number: 10532887
    Abstract: A vehicle body tracking system of a vehicle assembly line determines, in real time, a position of a vehicle body transferred to process sections divided by a predetermined pitch. The tracking system includes: a vehicle body detecting unit installed at a starting point of the assembly line so as to detect the vehicle body; an encoder unit provided at a conveyor unit, which travels along the assembly line and transfers the vehicle body, so as to detect a rotation amount of a rotating body rotated by a traveling body of the conveyor unit; and a controller to receive a detection signal from the vehicle body detecting unit to acquire identification information of the vehicle body and to calculate a moving distance of the vehicle body for each process section by receiving the detection value from the encoder unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sangduck Han
  • Patent number: 9978036
    Abstract: Method and systems for product inventory are described. In one embodiment, an inventory surface unit retains a plurality of products in an unordered state. An inventory identification unit acquires information for an orientation, and location of the plurality of products on the inventory surface unit. The inventory identification unit is disposed above the inventory surface unit. An inventory pick unit is adapted to pick a product among the plurality of products from the inventory surface unit based on the orientation and location acquired by the inventory identification unit. The inventory pick unit is disposed proximal the inventory surface unit, and the inventory pick unit is communicatively connected to the inventory identification unit. Additional methods and systems are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles E. Eller
  • Patent number: 9772179
    Abstract: A conveyor or drive chain wear monitor includes two sensors spaced apart from one another a predetermined distance which is less than the distance between the adjacent measuring points on a chain. Two timers are provided, one of which is a chain speed timer and the other of which is the chain wear timer. The two timers are both controlled by the spaced sensors. The upstream sensor, as determined by the direction of travel of the chain, turns the speed timer on and the wear timer off. The downstream sensor turns the speed timer off and the wear timer on. Thus, when a measuring point passes the upstream sensor, the speed timer is turned on, and is not turned off again until the same measuring point passes the downstream timer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Frost Tech LLC
    Inventors: Charles C. Frost, James A. Mitchell
  • Patent number: 9656810
    Abstract: A conveyor system is for intended use in conjunction with the conveyance of articles, such as for being sorted for downstream processing. The system comprises a conveyor, which may be an endless conveyor including a forward run and a return run. The conveyor may have a tilted conveying surface for supporting the articles being conveyed. A low friction guide extends along the conveyor for engaging the articles being conveyed by the conveyor, which may include rollers for providing rolling contact for the articles during conveyance. Related methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: SPAN TECH LLC
    Inventors: James L. Layne, Scott Dayton Barbour
  • Patent number: 8899403
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a transport device (10) which has a number of identical transport means arranged one after another in a transport direction, which are able to transport product along an intrinsically closed transport path (33) between stations (28) arranged on the transport path (33). To identify the individual transport means, use is made of selected transport means (RK) which can be detected by means of first sensors (24) arranged or on the transport path (33) as the said transport means pass the first sensors (24), which are distributed over the transport path (33) and subdivide the transport path (33) into individual segments. The transport means may be assigned individually consecutive fixed serial numbers, which are counted from a single starting point (34), and in that the starting point (34) is defined by a specific arrangement of a plurality of detectable transport means (DRK).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Ferag AG
    Inventor: Roland Keller
  • Patent number: 8549866
    Abstract: A cooling tunnel includes an infeed port for feeding objects, a discharge port for discharging objects, successive treatment stations for treating the objects with a cooling medium, and a conveyor system for transporting the objects to be cooled from the infeed port to the discharge port, with the conveyor system travelling through the individual treatment stations. The conveyor system has a first section running through several treatment stations, the first section extending from the infeed port to a turnaround station, a second section running through several treatment stations, the second section extending from the turnaround station to the discharge port, as well as a return section, which is arranged before the discharge port and connects a discharge-side zone of the second section with an infeed-side zone of the first section, to selectively either discharge objects or to cool them further. A method for operating a cooling tunnel is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: airinotec GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Hummrich
  • Patent number: 8167111
    Abstract: A sortation conveyor includes a method of calibrating the control system to provide a calibration value indicative of the spacial correlation between the sort induct sensor and the first shoe sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Intelligrated Headquarters LLC
    Inventor: Troy E. Asman
  • Patent number: 7133742
    Abstract: A device for processing slaughter animals or parts thereof, for example poultry, comprises a transport system with an endless track and a chain of chain elements which can be moved along the track, wherein a plurality of chain elements are set up as carriers to carry one or more slaughter animals and/or parts thereof. The device furthermore has a delivery station for delivering slaughter animals or parts thereof to the carriers of the transport system, one or more stations being set up along the track of the transport system to perform actions relating to the slaughter animals or parts thereof. The device furthermore has location means for determining the position of the chain in relation to the track, wherein the location means comprise an identifiable chain element which has an associated identification mark, and also an identification sensor set up along the track to detect each identifiable chain element, wherein the remaining chain elements in the chain are designed as unidentifiable chain elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Stork PMT B.V.
    Inventors: Petrus Wilhelmus Hendrikus Cruysen, Jan Willem Beeftink, Adrianus Josephes van den Nieuwelaar
  • Patent number: 6522943
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for sorting units of material includes a transport media formed in a plurality of segments. A plurality of actuators and at least one of an identification sensor, a segment sensor, a length sensor are connected with respect to the transport media. A parameter of a unit of material is sensed to generate a data update and calculate control outputs in a sort logic controller. The control outputs are sent from the sort logic controller to a network controller for the sensors and actuators. The network controller is synchronized to the output of the sort logic controller to receive and read the outputs, which are written together to the network memory, as soon as they are written from the sort logic controller. The output signal based upon the data update is then immediately multicast through the network to at least one actuator and the units of material are sorted based upon the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Honeywell Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Dierauer
  • Patent number: 6378687
    Abstract: Featured is a sorting/diverting apparatus that diverts articles from a plurality of moving belts, the sorting/diverting apparatus including a plurality of rollers that are rotatably mounted to a support frame and a moving mechanism that moves the support frame back and forth between two positions. The controller controls the moving of the support frame and the operation of the drive motor so as to divert/sort the articles. Each controller includes bi-directional communications ports, a processor that processes information and provides outputs, and an applications program for execution within the processor that includes instructions and criteria for processing the information and providing the processor outputs to control the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Quantum Conveyor Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Hans J. Lem, Richard J. Bowman, Robert J. Koehler, William E. Koehler, Gerald R. Grispart, Michel L. Plasse
  • Patent number: 6328297
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving the timing between the releasing of documents from enclosure feeders and the arrival of pusher fingers fixedly attached to a conveyer belt in a gathering section of an inserting machine. As the conveyer belt begins to wear and stretch after being used for a long period of time, the timing between the releasing of documents and the arrival of pusher fingers may no longer be appropriate. By using two sensors placed, preferably, at the two ends of the gathering section to measure the timing of the arrival of the pusher fingers at the sensors, the stretch of the chain can be determined and the delay of the arrival of a pusher finger at each enclosure feeder can be calculated. Adjustment to the releasing timing at each enclosure feeder can be made accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas R Antonelli, John W. Sussmeier
  • Patent number: 6208908
    Abstract: An integrated order selection and distribution system is provided for selecting and delivering a plurality of articles associated with a preselected customer order. The system includes discrete article receptacles, a conveyor, and a plurality of pack stations. The receptacles releasably retain articles associated with a preselected customer order. Each receptacle is transported to predetermined locations within the system by the conveyor. The pack stations are arranged along the direction of movement of the conveyor to receive the articles to be discharged from the receptacles. A system controller tracks the location of the receptacles in the system and generates a signal that causes each receptacle to discharge its articles at a predetermined location, relative to the pack stations. In the preferred embodiment, the system controller assigns each receptacle to at least one of the pack stations in round-robin fashion based upon the type of articles to be discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: SI Handling Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Brad J. Boyd, Donald R. Grunwald, David Galloway, James Werkheiser, David A. Clark