Plural Rotary Or Swinging Units Patents (Class 34/186)
  • Patent number: 8745890
    Abstract: A tray dryer is provided that has tray stack with trays that rotate about an axis. A material leveler is stationary with respect to the rotating trays and has a leveling surface that engages the product. The material leveler has a plurality of prongs that engage the product and that in combination with the leveling surface form a series of rows in the product on the upper surface of one of the trays. The material leveler does not function to hold the product for transfer to a subsequent tray of the tray stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Consultex Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Arne W Niemann, Helmut T Stueble, Christopher A Sandmeyer
  • Publication number: 20140013719
    Abstract: A curing oven includes a set of pivoting, rotating trays within a curing chamber. The trays are attached to a mechanism that rotates the trays through a curing cycle, and the speed and timing of the rotation may be set by an operator, as desired. In a preferred embodiment, the oven includes a plurality of heating elements, a commercial dehumidifier, a recirculating fan and system, temperature and humidity sensors, and a series of pivoting trays attached to a motorized rotational assembly. The oven is controlled by a various controllers, which may be programmed to set the temperature, humidity levels, rotation speed and cycle time, and other aspects of oven operation. A loading and unloading chamber is effectively sealed off from the curing chamber within the oven, preventing or reducing a transfer of air between the curing chamber and the ambient air outside of the oven.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Inventor: Roger Blaine TRIVETTE
  • Patent number: 8561314
    Abstract: An installation for drying organic matter, especially kitchen and food wastes or other biological matter, including matter that contains packaging residues, napkins, straws or the like. The installation comprises the following components: (a) a vacuum mixer (M) having a closable charging opening for introducing the organic matter and a closable discharge opening, disposed at the bottom or laterally towards the bottom, for the dried matter, (b) at least one vacuum pump (VP) for evacuating the air in the mixer to generate the vacuum, the pump being connected to at least one evacuation tube mounted above the maximum filling level in the housing of the mixer (M), (c) a heater (H) for heating the organic matter, (d) at least one condenser (K), connected to the air evacuation duct (AL) of the vacuum pump (VP) and having a cooling unit (KA) connected thereto to condense the evacuated air, and (e) a discharge duct (AW) for the condensate obtained from the evacuated air by cooling in the condenser (K).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Inotec GmbH Co. Holding und Handels-KG
    Inventor: Günter Krüger
  • Publication number: 20100050466
    Abstract: A retort apparatus includes a primary rotating pipe within a second rotating pipe within a fixed pipe (27). The interior area of the primary rotating pipe is bounded by a heated pipe. A first annulus is formed between the primary and second rotating pipes. A second annulus is formed between the second rotating pipe and the heated pipe. A third annulus is formed between the primary rotating pipe and the fixed pipe. A heater is positioned within the interior area of said primary rotating pipe. In one embodiment, an inlet gate is provided for introducing a liquid and solid mixture into the first annulus proximate the second end thereof. A first conveyor is provided to move the mixture toward the hot end of the primary rotating pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventor: James Titmas
  • Patent number: 6766592
    Abstract: A manure processing apparatus which has a circular processing bin and a plurality of augers, with the augers arranged vertically and adapted to move in a circular path within the processing bin, and to raise and mix the manure continuously. The apparatus further comprises an air conditioning system to compost the manure and to dry the manure to produce feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Inventor: Willard Clark
  • Patent number: 6269552
    Abstract: A substrate transporting device and method 19 transports a plurality of wafers W standing upright in a row, from a previous process, i.e., a cleaning process. A substrate holder 40 is carried by a transporting device 50 arranged outside a drying chamber 20. The substrate holder 40 receives the wafers W from the substrate transporting device 19 while maintaining a posture of the wafers W. The transporting device 50 lowers the substrate holder 40 and sequentially moves it into the drying chamber 20 through an unloading and loading port 21 above the drying chamber 20. Thereafter, the substrate holder 40 is fixed to a rotor 30. After closing the unloading and loading port 21 with a lid body 25, the rotor 30 is rotated. In this way, moisture sticking to surfaces of the wafers W is eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Honda, Akira Koguchi, Eiji Masuda
  • Patent number: 6233840
    Abstract: The device that has been invented, sprays water into and around a windrow of hay evenly adding moisture to dry alfalfa to allow for baling at moistures above 14% and below 18%, reducing the losses of leaves due to shatter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Harvest Tec, Inc.
    Inventor: Denzel R. Finney
  • Patent number: 6199294
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for drying bulk materials, which has a hopper-shaped bulk material container 29 with adjustable side walls 30, by which the container 29 can be adjusted to the amount of bulk material to be dried, by varying the volume of the container and the angle of inclination of the hopper. To dehumidify the drying air, a membrane dryer 12 is provided, which processes preferably the compressed air of a compressed-air system 10, which is previously cleaned by filter elements 13 and 14. The rate of flow of drying air can be adjusted by a throttle 16 to the fill level of the container 29. In this manner an apparatus for drying bulk materials is created which is compact and therefore flexible in its application. Through optimization of the rate of flow of the drying air this apparatus is also economical in its consumption of compressed air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: Mann & Hummel ProTec GmbH
    Inventor: Achim Becker
  • Patent number: 5960562
    Abstract: A processing apparatus of the invention includes a rotary processing part for rotating and drying plural sheets of objects to be processed collectively in order to allow the object to be rotated immediately after they are accommodated in the rotary processing part and a balance adjusting mechanism for adjusting balance of the rotary processing part by moving counterweights in accordance with the number of the objects. Further the processing apparatus further includes a counter for counting the number of the objects accommodated in the rotary processing part and a control unit for controlling the balance adjusting operation of the balance adjusting mechanism in accordance with a predetermined relationship between the number of objects and the respective positions of the counterweights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Nishida, Kenji Miyachi, Syujiro Oka
  • Patent number: 5603166
    Abstract: An extractor for removing water from washed articles hung from hangers includes a hollow outer structure 11 containing therein a hollow inner structure 12 having side walls made of a perforated sheet metal and a motor 31 for rotating the inner structure 12. Both structures 11 and 12 are open at the top, and a plurality of hanger-supporting pieces 16 are attached to the inner structure 12 for suspending therefrom hangers 1 carrying washed articles. There are also a supply device 50A for causing hangers 1 to become suspended from the hanger-supporting pieces 16 from above and a discharge device 50B for removing hangers carrying dehydrated articles thereon from the hanger-supporting pieces 16 upward to above the inner structure 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1997
    Assignee: Y.A.C. Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Shimazaki, Fumikata Maeda
  • Patent number: 5469634
    Abstract: A draining and drying apparatus of semiconductor materials capable of adjusting the rotation balance of a rotor for holding the semiconductor materials without requiring any filling works of dummy semiconductor materials. In a rotary casing, a rotor horizontal moving mechanism is mounted on a rotation main shaft of a rotor, and the rotor is mounted on this rotor horizontal moving mechanism, and the rotor is mechanically moved horizontally in the intersecting direction to the rotation main shaft by the rotor horizontal moving mechanism, so that the rotation balance of the rotor may be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Assignee: Sugai Corporation
    Inventor: Tamotsu Mezaki
  • Patent number: 5419058
    Abstract: A system for loading a sleeve-like substrate into a processing module is disclosed. The system engages and retains a sleeve-like substrate by utilizing a first load head of a robot. The first load head typically engages and removes the sleeve-like substrate from a conveyor. The first load head transfer the sleeve-like substrate to a processing station module within the system. A second load head of the robot removes the sleeve-like substrate from the processing station module and transfers the module to a movable support structure. The robot provides movement of first or second load heads from a first position to a second position to orient the sleeve-like member in alignment with the support structure. The support structure inserts the sleeve-like substrate into the processing chamber for further processing. The system is particularly adapted for use in a rotary atomization manufacturing system in which a photoreceptor is manufactured by processing the sleeve-like substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1995
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Eugene A. Swain, David J. Vadas, Robert B. Parry, deceased
  • Patent number: 5386645
    Abstract: A rotary-type wafer drying apparatus includes a deflection prevention protecting plate attached to a cradle for a wafer, for diminishing rebounding of dewaterized water. A free side of the protecting plate in the cradle containing wafer maintains an appropriate angle with the cradle and the transverse length of the plate is longer than the transverse length of the radially outward side of the cradle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1995
    Assignee: Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dae I. Park, Weon G. Kim, Sang H. Park, Hee C. Son
  • Patent number: 5339726
    Abstract: A food heating oven comprising a plurality of perforate food baskets removably mounted to respective prongs of a rotating rod in an oven chamber. Hot air is blown through the oven chamber to heat the food in the baskets. Each prong is color coded, and there are a plurality of individually operable timing devices, each being color coded to correspond to related prongs. Thus, the time that each basket is placed in the oven can be selectively determined, and each basket can at any time be inserted into, or removed from, the oven chamber. This enables a variety of food items having different heating time rquirements to be simultaneously heated in the oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1994
    Assignee: Cyclofur Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Larry Poulson
  • Patent number: 5199189
    Abstract: A drying apparatus including a booth having a ferris wheel mounted therein, and a blower and heater mounted on the booth. The ferris wheel includes three pairs of rotatably mounted radially extending arms, a support plate pivotally mounted on the distal ends of the arms, adapted to hold a part which is loaded and sprayed with a waterbased clearcoat at a first position, indexed to a position directly below the blower and heater for approximately one minute to be impinged by warm air, then indexed to a third position to continue drying, before returning to the first position to be replaced by another part. The heater is a plurality of ceramic disc heater units in one embodiment and an electric duct heater in an alternate embodiment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1993
    Assignee: Davidson Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford L. Bourgoine, Kristan M. Pierce, Frederick J. Viles, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4819343
    Abstract: In the course of a process carried out on a packaging machine for (cigarette) packs, it is necessary for glue spots to set. For this purpose, there is a drying turret (20) which is equipped with a plurality of sawtooth-shaped pockets (27) directed approximately radially. These form chambers (31) which are arranged offset relative to one another and which are each intended for receiving a pack (21). It is thereby possible to handle effectively even only partially filled pockets (27).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1989
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co.)
    Inventors: Heinz Focke, Hans J. Bretthauer
  • Patent number: 4777732
    Abstract: A centrifugal wafer drying apparatus comprises a rotor rotatably disposed in a container, a cradle mounted on the rotor, and a carrier mounted in the cradle and having grooves for receiving wafers. The carrier holds the wafers at an oblique angle with respect to a plane normal to the axis of rotation of the rotor, at least during rotation of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Hirano
  • Patent number: 4735000
    Abstract: An apparatus for drying substrates by means of centrifugal force. Air is introduced into a drying chamber from the top end thereof. A rotary member is provided in the drying chamber, on which is mounted a cassette in which a plurality of substrates to be dried are stored. An auxiliary chamber is disposed at the bottom part of the drying chamber, within which fan blades are provided. An auxiliary exhausting duct is connected to the auxiliary chamber, whereby fine particles of dust produced around the bearing are completely exhausted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1988
    Inventors: Noriyuki Hayashi, Eiichiro Hayashi, Hisao Nishizawa
  • Patent number: 4677759
    Abstract: A rotary drier apparatus for drying semiconductor wafers within a vessel. The rotary drier apparatus has a turntable driven by a motor, support plates mounted on the turntable, cradles suspended pivotally from the support plates with the aid of a rotary shaft, and a stopper for stopping the cradles from touching each other in a nonrotating state. The centers of gravity of the cradles are located outwardly of a portion just under the pivotal axes of the cradles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1987
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Inamura
  • Patent number: RE37627
    Abstract: A centrifugal wafer drying apparatus comprises a rotor rotatably disposed in a container, a cradle mounted on the rotor, and a carrier mounted in the cradle and having grooves for receiving wafers. The carrier holds the wafers at an oblique angle with respect to a plane normal to the axis of rotation of the rotor, at least during rotation of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Hirano