Did You Know...
...that the x-ray was discovered purely by accident? When German physicist Wilhelm Konrad von Roentgen was experimenting with cathode rays in 1895, he put an activated Crookes tube in a book and went out to lunch. When he returned, he discovered that a key that had also been placed in the book showed up as an image on the developed film!
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7434663 | Retail checkout station including a plurality of selectively deployable barriers for intra-order separation of purchased items A retail checkout station includes a product scanning portion and a product support member. A bagging portion is arranged at a second end portion of the product support member. The bagging portion includes a first end, a second end and an intermediate zone for suppo... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7360645 | Modular-conveyor-belt-based apparatus and method for the distribution of components which are disposed in strips A system (1, 6) for the distribution of components which are disposed in strips (8), using conveyor belts (12) in order to transfer components (8) to a point at which they can be grabbed by the head of a pick-and-place machine. The system... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7308979 | Self-tensioning conveyor with slave drive A conveyor for possible use in transferring articles between two adjacent conveyors is disclosed. In one embodiment, the conveyor includes a pair of idler structures and a drive structure for collectively guiding and moving a conveyor belt or chain relative to a bed... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7283051 | Management system and management method for managing a wireless tagged article A management system includes a manager determining unit determining a manager who manages an article, a user determining unit determining a user related to the article based upon detection of a wireless tag by a wireless tag reader, and an attribute information hold... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7243758 | Food and drink managing device in circulation type carrying path A food and drink managing device with a circulation type path allows standardizing while adding food and drink onto the carrying path, simplifying management, holding down cost, and achieving precise identification information reading. The food and drink managing de... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7114611 | Methods and apparatus for improved self-checkout system A conveyor system for a self-checkout apparatus including a first side support rail having an inner side and an outer side and a second side support rail spaced apart from said first side support rail and positioned parallel thereto, where the second side support ra... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7071452 | Self-calibrating photoelectric control system A self-calibrating photoelectric control system for use in a checkstand to control the starting and stopping of a conveyer belt utilized to move products closer to a checkout clerk. The self-calibrating photoelectric control system including a light source for emitt... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7059513 | POS podium incorporating a short depth cash drawer A short depth cash drawer including, a cash drawer and an opening device. The cash drawer includes an open top side, a till holding portion, a front portion, a rear portion, and an opening device interface region. The opening device opens the cash drawer when an inp... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7016862 | Method for enhancing security and providing assistance in the operation of a self-service checkout terminal A method of providing security during operation of a self-service checkout terminal includes the step of creating a transaction table which includes a plurality of records corresponding respectively to a plurality of items entered into the checkout terminal during a... | 03/21/2006 |
| 7011880 | Belt and method of marking A belt and method of marking a belt. A layer of polyethylene material is joined or cured to a belt. The layer is optically distinguishable from a belt body. The layer is etched to expose a portion of the belt body in order to contrast the layer with the belt body. A... | 03/14/2006 |
| 6971504 | Conveyor belt with advertising, method and apparatus for making same A conveyor belt with advertising is fabricated by coating at least one flexible belting member with a vinyl size coating. A white base coat is applied over the vinyl size coating. Special white PVC coated belting material is also used. A variety of printing processe... | 12/06/2005 |
| 6705433 | Modular conveyor for checkstand A modular conveyor that may used, for example, as a take-away conveyor or an accumulation conveyor in a checkstand. The modular conveyor includes front and rear brackets that are configured for attachment of rollers for the conveyor belt. The front and rear brackets... | 03/16/2004 |
| 6668979 | Extension/retraction mechanism for checkstand with telescoping take-away conveyor An extension/retraction mechanism for a take-away conveyor in a checkstand. The extension/retraction mechanism selectively stops and holds the telescoping take-away conveyor at the scan-and-bag position as the telescoping take-away conveyor is moving betw... | 12/30/2003 |
| 6427915 | Method of operating checkout system having modular construction A checkout terminal includes a first bagging station and a second bagging station which is spaced apart from the first bagging station. The terminal also includes an item transport mechanism. The item transport mechanism is positionable between a first tr... | 08/06/2002 |
| 6409011 | Gate conveyor A conveyor has an endless belt which encompasses a gate section and a fixed section thereof Both the gate section and fixed section have beds which extend lengthwise and widthwise thereof between rails which extend along the lengths of the section. The ed... | 06/25/2002 |
| 6155381 | Checkout counter with transfer plate construction A construction for checkout counters useful with security and payment equipment which permits a customer to conduct price scans and enter payment without the assistance of a cashier includes intake, security and packaging modules, with the security module... | 12/05/2000 |
| 6148960 | Checkout counter divider bar tracks A track (2) for storing divider bars (24) used on a checkout counter (12) having a conveyor (14). The track (2) can be fitted over or replace a previously-installed track (10), and can store display/divider bars of much greater width than those presently ... | 11/21/2000 |
| 6035971 | Check out stand with telescoping take-away conveyor A check out stand (20) having a telescoping take-away conveyor (26) extending between a front module (22) and a rear module (24). Retraction of the telescoping take-away conveyor (26) allows an area located beneath the leading end of the conveyor to be ex... | 03/14/2000 |
| 5755308 | Check out stand with telescoping take-away conveyor A check out stand (20) having a telescoping take-away conveyor (26) extending between a front module (22) and a rear module (24). Retraction of the telescoping take-away conveyor (26) allows an area located beneath the leading end of the conveyor to be ex... | 05/26/1998 |
| 5752582 | Self-service checkout system An automated checkout station is provided which allows a single cashier to monitor and assist multiple customers simultaneously without the requirement for a video surveillance system. The automated checkout station includes all of the features necessary ... | 05/19/1998 |
| 5706912 | Checkstand counter with dual accumulation zones A checkout stand or counter for accumulating a number of discrete items having a primary conveyor to deliver items to a primary accumulation zone at the far end and exterior side of the upper surface, a secondary conveyor to deliver items to a secondary a... | 01/13/1998 |
| 5620061 | Checkout counter advertising display A checkout counter advertising display includes visible information containing for example an advertisement displayed through a transparent or translucent portion of a countertop of the checkout counter. A customer can signal an operator at the checkout c... | 04/15/1997 |
| 5515944 | Check-out counter for supermarkets A check-out counter for supermarkets and the like, including a cashier station (2) before which a conveying device (6) is located and next to which, on each side, a scanner (3) provided with a monitor (4) and connected to a keyboard (5) for the items manu... | 05/14/1996 |
| 5390764 | Store checkout stand A cashier's stand for three belt checkout stations is provided, the stand having a T-bar construction comprising a support channel beam and cross beam from which a keyboard stand for use by a cashier and a writing stand for use by the customer upwardly ex... | 02/21/1995 |
| 5358094 | Conveyor belt with advertisements A conveyor belt of the type used at checkout counters at retail establishments is adapted to the changeable display of advertising material on the visible surface of the conveyor belt. Static cling sheets bearing advertising indicia are adhered to the con... | 10/25/1994 |
| 5311969 | Article checkout system with enhanced throughput A checkout station for checking out articles selected for purchase and bearing UPC codes includes an island for checkout including a first checkout module, having a first UPC scanner and a first conveyor leading from the first scanner to a first bagging a... | 05/17/1994 |
| 5178234 | Checkout apparatus A checkout apparatus comprises a reading section for reading article codes of articles, and a first feeding section for feeding the articles whose article code are read by the reading section. The checkout apparatus further comprises a distributing sectio... | 01/12/1993 |
| 4979591 | Conveyor belt A conveyor belt is provided with advertising indicia on a visible surface thereof. A film of transparent plastic covers the visible surface of the conveyor belt to protect the advertising indicia. The conveyor belt can be used in combination with a cashie... | 12/25/1990 |
| 4953664 | Ergonomically designed check-out counter system for supermarket and merchandising industries An ergonomically designed check-out counter system for supermarket and merchandising industries is characterized by provisions for differences in human heights, hand and position of operators and for ease in handling of merchandise to reduce fatigue and i... | 09/04/1990 |
| 4618032 | Two belted supermarket checkout system A supermarket-type checkout counter facilitates two-handed scanning of merchandise coded indicia by an operator to speed up and simplify supermarket checkout procedures. A scanner is mounted in a module which, with a side live conveyor, a rear live convey... | 10/21/1986 |
| 4474288 | Check-out counter system A check-out counter assembly includes a cabinet that has an open space with guide rails located adjacent opposite edges of the space to receive a conveyor module which is completely self-contained and includes a power source as well as all of the removabl... | 10/02/1984 |
| 4401189 | Start/stop control system for conveyor means A coordinated start/stop control system for controlling the operation of multiple conveyor checkout systems, wherein the operation of a pair of rear transport belts is selectively controlled in response to the operation of a first transport belt, dependen... | 08/30/1983 |
| 4392553 | Two hand scanning check-out counter A supermarket-type check-out counter is formed of a forward customer unloading module and a rear bagging module. A pair of transversely spaced apart conveyors interconnect the two modules. The check-out operator stands in the space between the modules and... | 07/12/1983 |
| 4386679 | Transfer device especially for product checkout systems in stores A checkout counter associated with the exit till of a store has a registering conveyor belt adjacent the till and a discharge conveyor belt located downstream of the registering belt for distributing checked out products onto an inclined collection surfac... | 06/07/1983 |
| 4265336 | Convertible single-double belt check-out counter A check-out counter formed of a forward check-out module, having a conveyor belt for transporting merchandise along the top thereof, and a rear bagging module having an upper merchandise receiving deck. The two modules are spaced apart and a stowable seco... | 05/05/1981 |
| 4182433 | Convertible single-double belt check-out counter A check-out counter formed of a forward check-out module, having a conveyor belt for transporting merchandise along the top thereof, and a rear bagging module having an upper merchandise receiving deck. The two modules are spaced apart and a stowable seco... | 01/08/1980 |
| 4061205 | Checkout assembly having dual bagging station A supermarket type checkout assembly for bagging of articles of merchandise by a checkout clerk and/or for bagging by a person other than the checkout clerk. The checkout assembly is provided with two sections. One section is an article check counter for ... | 12/06/1977 |
