Apparatus For Moving Intersupporting Articles Into, Within, Or From Freestanding, Orderly Layered, Or Mutually Stabilizing Orderly Group Patents (Class 414/788)
  • Publication number: 20080304951
    Abstract: A supporting device includes a support body for supporting a substrate and an auxiliary wing for supporting the corner of the substrate, so that the substrate is substantially horizontally disposed on the supporting device. Also disclosed is a substrate transportation equipment including the supporting device and a movable protruding member. The substrate transportation equipment can prevent the movable protruding member from hitting the edge of the substrate when the movable protruding member moves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2007
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Inventor: Shun-Chu Chang
  • Publication number: 20080206751
    Abstract: The application relates to a method of performing a multi-step reaction vessel (68) having at least two compartments (685, 680). The reagents are placed in the first compartment (685) and moved to second one (680) by centrifugation, after which another set of reagents may be placed in the first compartment (685) while the reaction in the lower chamber takes place. Once the reaction is complete, the reagents that were in the first compartment (685) may be moved to the lower one (680) by centrifugation. The application also claims a container having a pierceable lower surface and an upper surface with either a pierceable component or a lid. A wand capable of being electrostatically charged, an apparatus comprising such a wand and a method of transferring solid reagents using such a wand is also claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2006
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: ENIGMA DIAGNOSTICS LTD
    Inventors: David James Squirrell, Martin Alan Lee
  • Publication number: 20080206036
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus is described. The apparatus includes a substrate load lock chamber. A plurality of storage bays may be used to store magnetic media substrates. A first set of one or more multi-axis robot arms may transfer one or more magnetic media substrates between the substrate load lock chamber and the plurality of storage bays. A substrate transfer chamber is vacuum coupled to the substrate load lock chamber. A plurality of process chamber modules are vacuum coupled to the substrate transfer chamber. A second set of one or more multi-axis robot arms may transfer magnetic media substrates between the storage bays and the plurality of process chamber modules under sub-atmospheric conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Inventors: John M. Smith, James Carter Hall, Jeffrey G. Ellison
  • Publication number: 20080187428
    Abstract: A vacuum lifter mountable on a fork lift has a low vertical profile particularly useful in the warehousing of sheet materials, minimizing the needed clearance thereabove to access the sheet materials. The lifter includes a low vertical profile frame having a protective wall to minimize damage to the vacuum cups mounted on the frame. The vacuum cups may be raised to a position within the protective wall and lowered to a position therebelow to facilitate vacuum attachment to sheet materials or other objects to be lifted. The vacuum cups may be mounted on the frame via pivot arms cantilevered from the frame. The pivot arms may be positioned in opposed pairs and raised by camming action such as by a cam bar extending between the pivot arms and slidably mounted on the frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: PROTOTIER-1 INC.
    Inventor: Shawn Murry
  • Publication number: 20080095602
    Abstract: A suspended receptacle for at least one piece of dough has a base comprising two lateral retaining pins with which the base can be connected, so as to pivot about a pivot axis, to a conveyor element conveying a plurality of suspended receptacles of this type. A dough support element of the suspended. receptacle has a support for the piece of dough. The dough support element is configured as an exchangeable insert which is detachably connected to the base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Applicant: Neuenkirchener Maschinenfabrik Emil Kemper GmbH
    Inventors: Heinz Verfurth, Dieter Selker
  • Publication number: 20080095601
    Abstract: A system is provided for palletizing articles including a stacking area for stacking palletized article layers. Each palletized article layer is constructed from a plurality of arranged articles. The stacking area includes a structural member for structurally carrying a stabilizer over the stacking area. The stabilizer provides substantially continuous lateral support along the periphery of arranged articles of the article layer being constructed to substantially prevent tipping of the plurality of arranged articles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Applicant: DYCO INC.
    Inventors: Peter D. Yohe, Ronald H. Cordingly, Justin L. Mowery
  • Publication number: 20080036059
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method in which components (101, 102) are provided, movement elements (104) are in each case applied to surfaces of a number of the components (101), and the components (101, 102) are stacked, so that one or a plurality of the movement elements (104) are situated between adjacent components (101, 102) and the components (101, 102) are held in their position by connecting elements (103).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2006
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Inventors: Jens Pohl, Michael Bauer
  • Publication number: 20070280815
    Abstract: A plate feeding method includes a suction-holding step for causing suction pads to suck and hold an upper surface adjacent an end edge, remote from nip rollers, of each plate, a moving step, while swinging the suction pads about a moving unit, for moving the moving unit toward the nip rollers, thereby inverting a portion adjacent the end edge of each plate P, and subsequently moving the end edge of the plate inverted to a position to be pinched by the nip rollers, a pinching step for causing the nip rollers to pinch the end edge of the plate having been inverted, a releasing step for canceling suction-holding of the plate by the suction pads, a pressing step for pressing the plate with a support roller, and a transporting step for rotating the nip rollers to transport the plate P.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Inventor: Hiroshi Miyoshi
  • Publication number: 20070248447
    Abstract: Components are transported from a manufacturing factory to an assembly factory after accommodated in accommodating spaces 20 of a hollow transport container 14 made of high polymer material at the manufacturing factory. At the assembly factory, the transport container 14 is placed on a supporting jig 15. At that time, supporting walls provided on a top surface of the supporting jig 15 are inserted into hollow structure of the container 14. Then, in a state in which the transport container 14 is thus supported, the components accommodated in the accommodating spaces 20, 20 are taken out through opening in the longitudinal direction of pair of end walls 17, 17 and intermediate walls 18, 18. The above problem is solved by reducing weight of the transport container 14 and also eliminating the need of sending back the transport container 14 to the manufacturing factory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Applicant: NSK Ltd.
    Inventor: Kinji Mikami
  • Publication number: 20070248448
    Abstract: An apparatus and a process for the automatic palletising and/or depalletising of containers, in particular small-load carriers, having a control device are described. The control device is functionally connected to at least one sensor device for detecting the position and/or the orientation of at least one container to be gripped and to a gripping device for gripping the container. The gripping device has at least one outer gripper movable relative to the container for gripping at least one edge of the container. The outer gripper has at least two gripping jaws.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Inventor: Reiner Starz
  • Publication number: 20070248446
    Abstract: An apparatus connectable to a robotic arm for selecting, positioning, and loading a pallet for use in manufacturing and warehouses. The apparatus being made of a frame with opposing pallet gripping arms with hooks to engage and transport a pallet. The frame also having a suction assembly, which can select and transport a top loading sheet for placement on top of a pallet. The frame further comprising a carriage sub-assembly which aligns, stabilizes, and secures articles, including different sized and amorphous bagged materials. The frame further comprising opposing bag gripping arms, which lift and carry the articles to the pre-positioned pallet and stack them.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Inventors: Jay R. Wildner, Terry Heintz
  • Publication number: 20070154298
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing capable of reducing footprint and a working time for loading substrates as short as possible, and a method using the same are disclosed. The apparatus includes a cassette to accommodate a plurality of substrates, a stocker in which the cassette is loaded, a process progressing unit to receive the respective substrates in the cassette and to perform a process, a loader having at least two hands and disposed between the stocker and the process progressing unit to receive and supply the respective substrates accommodated in the cassette on the stocker to the process progressing unit, and at least one withdrawing unit to withdraw and supply the respective substrates from the cassette to at least one of the hands in the loader.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2006
    Publication date: July 5, 2007
    Inventor: Yoon Ho Hwang
  • Patent number: 7210280
    Abstract: A machining system and unit, especially a welding cell, is provided for use for the machining of workpieces (2), especially body parts of vehicles. The machining system has one or more machining stations (15, 16) with robots (18, 19, 20) and at least one rotation or turning station (5), which has at least two work stations (6, 7) for carrying out different operations simultaneously. The turning station (5) has at least two multiaxially movable turning units (8, 9) arranged next to one another with said gripping tools (11, 12, 13). The working areas (10) intersect each other at the work stations (6, 7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: KUKA InnoTec GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Cottone, Florian Simons
  • Patent number: 7192237
    Abstract: A series of transport carts are positioned in side by side relation in fore and aft extending spaced apart rows disposed along a delivery van to leave an aisle between them. The carts have wheel supported upright frames with bottom supports for the products disposed at a level above the floor of the van and open fronts from which the carts can be unloaded. The carts have rear posts which are disengageably locked in track sections provided in longitudinally spaced relation along the van side walls. Pallets with discs projecting downwardly from the floors of the pallets support the product stacks on the cart bottom supports. A hand truck with a bifurcated nose plate defining disc receiving arms engages under each pallet to enable removal of a pallet and product stack from the cart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Inventors: Norman C. Strohfus, Robert W. Grace, David J. Glancy
  • Patent number: 7124687
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for positioning an element with respect to at least two reference points (4a, 4c), in which said device acts upon a working point on the element to be positioned and comprises a positioning arm attached to a fixed hinging point with respect to said reference points (4a, 4c), comprising two mutually hinged parts (6a, 6b) allowing a movement of said element to each reference point (4a, 4c). The invention related further to a device for positioning at least one offset plate on a positioning table of a pre-press equipment, comprising means to move the offset plate in a plane parallel to the positioning table to at least one reference point (4a) on the positioning table, in which said means acts upon a working point situated in the supporting plane of the offset plate on the positioning table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Strobbe Graphics N.V.
    Inventor: Bart Wattyn
  • Patent number: 6945530
    Abstract: In a device for conveying stacks of sheets of paper, each stack is caused to advance along a pre-set path inside a pocket, which has a resting surface for supporting the stack and is provided with at least one pressure member designed to grip the stack on the resting surface during at least part of the displacement of the pocket along the path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Innopack S.r.l.
    Inventors: Andrea Cinotti, Luca Schiavina
  • Patent number: 6872044
    Abstract: Sheets held by a sheet transfer mechanism are supplied from a supply unit to an aligning unit, and aligned with each other by the aligning unit. Thereafter, corners of the sheets are cut off by first and second cutting units, and then the sheets are vertically inverted by an inverting unit. Then, the sheets are turned into a given direction by a turning unit, and supplied to a discharge unit, from which the sheets are discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masao Tsuruta
  • Patent number: 6854582
    Abstract: An improved stopping mechanism is provided for a conveyor that accepts one or more streams of product input and converts the one or more streams to a format that is suitable for automatic loading to a subsequent machine, wherein a stack of slices must be temporarily stopped on the conveyor while moving. The stopping mechanism includes a lower stop having a lower stack-engaging portion and a lift portion, the lift portion selectively actuatable to elevate the lower stack-engaging portion to engage a bottom surface of the stack and to lift the stack above the conveying surface. The stopping mechanism further includes an upper stop having an upper stack-engaging portion and a lowering portion, the lowering portion selectively actuatable to lower the upper stack-engaging portion to engage an upper surface of the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Formax, Inc.
    Inventor: Glen F. Pryor
  • Publication number: 20040240979
    Abstract: A system is provided for qualifying a stack of generally flat, paper, cardboard, and the like. The system includes a robotic mechanism having a plurality of joints that provide varying degrees of motion and a robotic implement attachable to the robotic mechanism. The robotic mechanism is operable to articulate the robotic implement through various degrees of angular and linear motion. The robotic implement includes a first support barrier, a second support barrier disposed in generally parallel relation with the first support barrier, and a third support barrier extending between the first and second support barriers and connecting the first and second support barriers therewith. Together, the first, second and third support barriers form an open cross-section that defines a bay for supporting the stack. The cross-section includes an open side opposite the third support barrier for receiving an unqualified stack and dispensing a qualified stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2003
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Inventors: Joe Curtis Beavers, Joshua A. Jaetzold
  • Publication number: 20040227221
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that uses electrostatic forces to align semiconductor chips relative to each other. The system operates by fabricating a first set of conductors on the top surface of a first chip and fabricating a corresponding second set of conductors on the top surface of a second chip. To align the chips, the system electrically charges the first set of conductors and the second set of conductors. The system also places the first chip face-to-face with the second chip, so that the first set of conductors is in close proximity to the second set of conductors. This allows electrostatic forces between the first set of conductors and the second set of conductors to bring the first chip into alignment with the second chip and to hold them in place.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2004
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Inventors: David L. Harris, Robert J. Drost, Ivan E. Sutherland
  • Publication number: 20040131463
    Abstract: A stacking machine has a conveyor which supports skids onto which panels sheared from side-by-side strips of metal sheet fall, there to accumulate in stacks. As the stacks form, empty skids are organized on a skid positioning machine located to the side of the stacking machine, and there the spacing between the skids corresponds to the spacing between the skids already on the conveyor. When stacks are completed, the conveyor moves the skids on which they are formed away, and the skid positioning machine deposits the properly spaced empty skids on the conveyor which moves them into the positions where they receive the panels. To this end, the conveyor of the stacking machine may have powered rollers, while the skid positioning machine has a carriage provided with transfer beams configured to fit between the rollers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2002
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventor: Elroy Schoenbeck
  • Patent number: 6748855
    Abstract: The invention is a method and a device for blocking a stack of stacked objects. A device for blocking in accordance with the invention includes two opposed side walls which engage the stack, a pressing device which has at least two pressing elements opposite one another which contact the stack, between which elements of the stack are compressed while contacting the side walls, and charging electrodes which charge the stack, and wherein the charging electrodes are located in at least one of the pressing elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Eltex-Elektrostatik GmbH
    Inventors: Ernst August Hahne, Franz Knopf, Hermann Kunzig
  • Patent number: 6748858
    Abstract: A printing apparatus and a printing method capable of preventing stacks of printed sheets from falling apart which can occur when continuously printing stacks of sheets of different sheet sizes. A printing press is controlled to suspend printing for removal of printed sheets, to change the storage destination of the printed sheets or to change printing order, based on a result of sequential or simultaneous comparisons between print sizes of a plurality of print data and a previously determined permissible limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuya Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6710436
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that uses electrostatic forces to align semiconductor chips relative to each other. The system operates by fabricating a first set of conductors on the top surface of a first chip and fabricating a corresponding second set of conductors on the top surface of a second chip. To align the chips, the system electrically charges the first set of conductors and the second set of conductors. The system also places the first chip face-to-face with the second chip, so that the first set of conductors is in close proximity to the second set of conductors. This allows electrostatic forces between the first set of conductors and the second set of conductors to bring the first chip into alignment with the second chip and to hold them in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: David L. Harris, Robert J. Drost, Ivan E. Sutherland
  • Patent number: 6702278
    Abstract: This invention includes a weighted apparatus for gently holding an existing stack of paper at opposite sides thereof so that a new job may be deposited over the existing stack without degrading the stacking quality of the existing stack. The apparatus may be readily incorporated into many existing paper handling devices which have a paper output tray which is upwardly and downwardly movable in a vertical direction. The apparatus includes a mirror-image pair of paper hold mechanisms, each of which secures a single edge of the existing stack. Each mechanism includes an arm having a longitudinally-oriented slot in a laminar upper end portion thereof and a guide pin anchored to the frame of the paper handling device which passes through the slot. The arm is retained on the pin between a pair of flanged collets. The collets limit movement of the arm within a plane, while the pin constrains the arm to movement along the length of the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Teodoro Ortiz Michel
  • Publication number: 20030231947
    Abstract: A stack of alternating plates and interleaves are stored in a cassette of a plate feed apparatus. An interleaf is removed from the stack by a plurality of vertically moving suction cups. There are cases where a plate is attached to the back surface of the interleaf during the removal. Lifting up the plurality of suction cups being reciprocated horizontally causes the plate attached to the interleaf to drop off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Publication date: December 18, 2003
    Applicant: DAINIPPON SCREEN MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 6638002
    Abstract: The invention is a magnet for facilitating separation of individual sheets from a stack of ferro-magnetic sheets; the invention is in the form of an elongate housing containing an elongate array of magnets which may be selectively positioned in relation to the housing so as to bring the array in proximity to the edge of the stack of ferro-magnetic sheets, thereby inducing a magnetic field in said sheets and causing the sheets to separate, thereby facilitating manipulation of the uppermost sheet from the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Inventor: Claire T. Martin
  • Patent number: 6632067
    Abstract: A pallet dispenser can receive a vertical stack of skewed or misaligned pallets in an interior of a frame of the pallet dispenser and align the pallets as they are sequentially dispensed from the pallet dispenser onto a conveyor below the pallet dispenser. The pallet dispenser that can be quickly manually changed over to accommodate pallets of different sizes and vertically dispense the pallets one by one onto a conveyor below the pallet dispenser. The pallet dispenser is provided-with a quick, manual change over that enables the pallet dispenser to be quickly adjusted to accommodate a vertical stack of large or small pallets to be reoriented and dispensed by the pallet dispenser onto a separate conveyor without appreciable downtime of the pallet dispenser or the conveyor with which it is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: Oullette Machinery Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph F. Ouellette
  • Patent number: 6585255
    Abstract: A sheet jogging device includes a compact housing having an inclined front face, and a rack resiliently mounted to said housing along said front face. Within the housing a drive spring is fixed at one end to the housing and connected at an opposite end to the rack. An electromagnet is mounted beneath the drive spring to exert an oscillating magnetic force on the drive spring to flex the drive spring about its base to reciprocate the rack along the inclined face of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: FMC Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Leonard Evansic
  • Publication number: 20030113199
    Abstract: A golf ball stacking and dispensing apparatus comprising a hopper having two pyramidal shells each of different dimensions. Each of the shells is truncated and has a respective open substantially rectangular rim defining a respective open base of a different dimension than that of the other. The shells are joined together where each is truncated so as to converge together and define a funnel opening between the shells. Each of the shells is configured to form a self-supporting stack of golf balls atop each other as a stacking tray closes the open base of one of the shells and the golf balls are poured through the other of the shells. A method of forming different size pyramidal stacks of golf balls by pouring golf balls through one pyramidal shell of a hopper to fill the other pyramidal shell thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Inventor: Gregory J. Kelly
  • Publication number: 20030099535
    Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus of a semiconductor device includes an introducing section, a process section, and a withdrawing section. The introducing section introduces a transfer box therein. The process section takes in the semiconductor substrate put in the introducing section and applies a prescribed processing to the semiconductor substrate. Further, the withdrawing section is arranged on a surface differing from the surface on which the introducing section is arranged and discharges the transfer box holding the semiconductor substrate withdrawn from the process section of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Publication date: May 29, 2003
    Inventor: Kunihiro Miyazaki
  • Publication number: 20030053905
    Abstract: An improved jogger includes a sidewall with a guide groove, a chain defining a closed path including a sloped loading end and a straight transport section, the sloped loading end being angled toward the transport section in the direction of the travel of the chain at least two sprockets, the sprockets defining the slope of the sloped loading end of the closed path, a plurality of fingers coupled to the chain at spaced apart intervals, the fingers receiving flat articles therebetween at the sloped loading end and conveying the articles along the horizontal transport section and a plurality of guides coupled to the fingers, the guides engaging the guide groove and orienting fingers in a position perpendicular to the horizontal transport section as the fingers are carried into the sloped loading end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2001
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Inventors: Hauke Luebben, Jochen Loose, Daniel Kang, Michael Allain, Michael Yaklin
  • Patent number: 6527499
    Abstract: A system and method for automatically loading tires into a tire transport frame is disclosed. The system stacks a plurality of tires in a herringbone pattern within a tire transport frame. The tire transport frame provides a structure that maintains the stacked tires in a stable, compressed state. Further, the tire transport frame may be adapted to withstand external loads so that multiple tire transport frames may be stacked atop one another for long term storage of tires. Further, the loaded tire transport frames may be easily loaded by forklift into a vessel for storage and/or transportation without requiring significant expenditures of manual labor, time, space, or cost. As a result, the instant invention enables significant improvements in reliability, cost, and capacity in the storage and/or transportation of tires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Wendell B. Leimbach, James Wheeler Marshall
  • Patent number: 6523247
    Abstract: A motor stator is constructed from loose laminations which are aligned and secured to the compressor housing at the time of assembling the compressor unit. The loose lamination stator is first attached to the compressor housing to initially locate the stator. A solid sizing mandrel is pushed through the rotor accommodating bore to remove any burrs and initially size the bore. An expanding mandrel is then positioned within the rotor accommodating bore and expanded to finalize the sizing of the bore and the alignment with the compressor housing. Once the final size and alignment have been achieved, the stator is secured to the motor housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Copeland Corporation
    Inventors: Gobind P. Mirpuri, G. Russell Woodruff, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6508352
    Abstract: The stack of flat mail pieces that are arranged adjacent to one another on a support can be portioned with the aid of at least one displaceable holding support containing a conveyor belt because the support is divided into a horizontally oriented, stationary section and an adjacent section that can be pivoted about a pivoting axis positioned at the end of the pivotable section in the stacking direction. During the portioning process, the pivotable section extending downward at an angle from the stationary section is pivoted downward into a horizontal position. A holding support with a conveyor belt that is driven downward during the pivoting process is arranged underneath the stationary section at its border with the pivotable section. An additional support is arranged on the frame of the pivotable section of the support above the mail pieces. This additional support holds the stack remaining on the stationary section of the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Peter Enenkel, Armin Zimmermann, Dirk Nolte
  • Patent number: 6470655
    Abstract: A packaging line for periodicals, magazines and similar printed products comprises at least four of the following functional components a first strapping device for the longitudinal or cross-strapping of the stack of products arriving from a compensating stacker or the like, a top sheet feeder, a film wrapping device for wrapping the stack of products with a packaging film and for welding the packaging film on two opposing sides of the stack of products, a second strapping device for the longitudinal strapping of the stack of products, a welding device for welding the sides of the packaging film which have remained unwelded in the film wrapping device, and a third strapping device for cross-strapping the stack of products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: SMB Schwede Maschinenbau GmbH
    Inventor: Roland Schwede
  • Publication number: 20020090289
    Abstract: A method for displacing an article using first and second pallets for holding and transporting an article between two process stations and an H-bar assembly for receiving the first and second pallets, the method including the steps of: receiving the first and second pallets and articles thereon by the H-bar assembly at one of the two process stations; performing a first process on the articles while received by the H-bar assembly; moving the first and second pallets and articles thereon to a second process station; and performing a second process on the articles while at the second process station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2001
    Publication date: July 11, 2002
    Inventors: Ralph R. Comulada, Robert Albert Meyen, Keith C. O'Neil, Brenda Lee Peterson, Kurt A. Smith
  • Patent number: 6374728
    Abstract: This invention entails the piling of newspapers to be bundled into a stack atop a pair of shelves secured to, and between, rear and side walls of a housing, with the shelves being separated a distance to allow a length of twine, cord, rope, tape or other material to be drawn down from off a roll, under and over the newspapers to be tied in perpendicular directions, without having to lift and rotate the pile. In one embodiment of the invention, the bundling apparatus can be wall-mounted, while in a second embodiment, a lower compartment can be provided to accumulate stacked bundles or to house an additional collection container for glass, plastic, metal, or paper trash so separated, as a free-standing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Inventor: Robert A. Baillie
  • Patent number: 6354793
    Abstract: A stack grasper, in particular for unbound printed products comprises a stack receiving space (22) which is open towards the bottom, a guide (14, 16, 18, 20) at all four sides of the stack receiving space, and a stack support (24, 26) on which the stack lies flat and substantially with its full length and/or width. It has the special feature that the stack support (24, 26) is arranged in the region of the lower end of the guide (14, 16, 18, 20) and is movable into and out of and into the stack receiving space (22) by a horizontal movement. This type of grasper ensures good guidance of the stack and a compact design suitable for a stack grasper attached to the arm of a robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Gammerler AG
    Inventors: Peter Gämmerler, Peter Gauges, Michael Taffertshofer, Helmut Krickl
  • Publication number: 20020008048
    Abstract: When a first article is to be delivered to a customer and a second article is to be collected from the customer, first rack components required for delivery of the first article and second rack components not required for delivery of the first article, yet required for collecting the second article, are specified. Delivery procedure and collection procedure of the articles using the specified first rack components and second rack components are instructed to a worksite. Accordingly, delivery and collection of the articles can be carried out by making efficient use of the rack components commonly used for the first article and the second article.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2001
    Publication date: January 24, 2002
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Sakae Ishikawa, Satoshi Ishihara, Tomoaki Arai, Isamu Tanaka, Isamu Seki, Hideaki Arai, Masashi Nagatsuka, Kazuharu Yoshikawa, Takashi Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20020003994
    Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for automatically storing and replenishing expandable wafers used in component feeders used in automated printed circuit board assembly systems, for example the Hover-Davis Direct Die Feeder (DDF). In the mass production of printed circuit boards automated pick-and-place equipment accepts die from “chip feeders” and then mounts them at a predetermined location on the circuit board. The present invention includes a wafer or tape reel storage bay and a gripping assembly that is moved by a gantry robot to retrieve a wafer or reel from the storage bay and automatically deposit it into a component feeder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2001
    Publication date: January 10, 2002
    Inventors: Peter Davis, Dean Tarrant, Michael A. Summers
  • Publication number: 20010056312
    Abstract: A storage and retrieval system of pallets for handling of work pieces. Said system is ready-fitted in one or more freight containers. Preferably, it is arranged to be coupled as a part of an automatic manufacturing system. It can comprise a loading station to be conveyed inside the freight container, which is arranged to be connected outside said freight container for reception and delivery of work pieces. The system contains at least a shelving structure arranged inside the freight container and comprising several storage locations, a lift and transfer apparatus and a control system, which is arranged for maintaining and monitoring of material management and production plans, for controlling the transfers and for data transmission between said control system and another manufacturing system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2001
    Publication date: December 27, 2001
    Inventor: Juhana Kantola
  • Publication number: 20010028838
    Abstract: A system and method for automatically loading tires into a tire transport frame is disclosed. The system stacks a plurality of tires in a herringbone pattern within a tire transport frame. The tire transport frame provides a structure that maintains the stacked tires in a stable, compressed state. Further, the tire transport frame may be adapted to withstand external loads so that multiple tire transport frames may be stacked atop one another for long term storage of tires. Further, the loaded tire transport frames may be easily loaded by forklift into a vessel for storage and/or transportation without requiring significant expenditures of manual labor, time, space, or cost. As a result, the instant invention enables significant improvements in reliability, cost, and capacity in the storage and/or transportation of tires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2001
    Publication date: October 11, 2001
    Inventors: Wendell B. Leimbach, James Wheeler Marshall
  • Publication number: 20010019741
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for loading a substrate is applied to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which a substrate is carried in a vacuum-processing chamber, and loaded on a heated processing table, and further is applied with predetermined processing in a cold-wall processing mode. In the method, for example, the substrate is temporarily stopped before being loaded on the processing table. By the temporal stop, the temperature difference between the substrate and the processing table becomes smaller. When the temperature difference becomes smaller, even if the substrate expands due to heat from the processing table, the degree of the change becomes smaller and therefore it is possible to reduce peeling of films deposited on the substrate-loading surface of the processing table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2001
    Publication date: September 6, 2001
    Applicant: ANELVA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichi Inaba, Yosuke Ide
  • Patent number: 6148991
    Abstract: A roller conveyor is designed to advance successive stacks of superimposed sheets of paper or the like against an abutment. The lowermost sheets of the stacks tend to slide relative to the sheets above them, and such tendency is counteracted by constructing the roller conveyor in such a way that its major section, which is spaced apart from the abutment, advances the stacks with a first force and the next-following section thereupon advances the stacks with a greater second force. The conveyor has driven shafts which extend transversely of the direction of advancement of the stacks and are surrounded, with play, by ring-shaped or hollow cylindrical rollers which contact the undersides of lowermost sheets of the stacks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignee: TOPACK Verpackungstechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Henning Meishner, Carsten Kiprowski
  • Patent number: 6102651
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for forming stacks of items, e.g. stacked newspapers, periodicals or the like, on a tray for further conveyance in the direction of transport, where the stack is taken further by a cross assembler to a compacting tunnel, where there is a blocking device for the stack with at least one charging device with charging electrodes in the direction of transport on both sides near the stack, in which the charging device for electrostatically charging the objects is fitted in the cross assembler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignees: Grapha Holding AG, Eltex-Elektrostatik GmbH
    Inventors: Ernst A. Hahne, Hermann Kuenzig, Iwan Christ
  • Patent number: 6102650
    Abstract: Apparatus for simultaneously shifting a plurality of tiles (2) or tile mouldings arranged in at least one row (1), into a skew position with respect to the tile row, comprising at least two gripper devices (3) which engage opposite end faces (5) of the tiles (2). At least one of the gripper devices (3) is movable in the longitudinal direction of the one tile row (1). The gripper devices (3) have an elastic pad (6) on the sides facing the tile end faces (5), in order to avoid any damage to the tile end face (5) or tile edges (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: Hans Lingl Anlagenbau und Verfahrenstechnik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Hans Lingl
  • Patent number: 6092978
    Abstract: An alignment device used to manufacture a plurality of structural insulated panels A base with at least one end post and at least two side posts are provided so that a stack of a structural insulated panels or SIPs can be assembled thereon, cured thereon, and then removed together therefrom as a stack of SIPs. If a plurality of different sized SIPs are to be manufactured thereon, more posts can be provided on the end or side of the device, but they must be spaced so that any SIP will only engage one end post and two side posts. Drop indexers can be used to function as posts if adjacent stacks of SIPs are to be assembled. Index blocks can be used to recess the foam in a SIP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: Fishchersips, Inc.
    Inventor: Fred A. Fischer
  • Patent number: 6086319
    Abstract: A device and method for expanding the distance between individual multiwell plates of a stack of multiwell plates so that all the plates can be loaded at once into a magazine commonly used in automated analysis systems. Significant to the device are a series of inter-connected rails, each rail capable of supporting one plate. As the distance between the rails is increased, the stack of plates is expanded and will align with slots from a magazine loader. By using the device, a stack can be expanded in preparation for loading, or conversely, plates coming from a magazine can be restacked for storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Kevin C. Cavanaugh, Adam P. Doiron, Lee A. Ketchum, Michael J. Leporati, James H. Santerre, Normand J. Voisine
  • Patent number: 6045322
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for straightening a stack (P) of sheet material that has been deformed after conveyance on a roller conveyor (4), the rollers of which are mounted around parallel axes of rotation (5) extending transverse to the direction of conveyance of the stack (P), consists of putting the stack (P) in engagement with a stop surface (32) and driving the axes (5) of the rollers on which the stack (P) rests in a movement of translation in the direction of conveyance of the stack (P), allowing the rollers to rotate freely around their respective axes of rotation (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: Martin, S.A.
    Inventor: Regis Breysse