Did You Know...
...that when IBM conducted a market study of Chester Carlson's invention in 1959, the company concluded that it would take only 5000 units of his new product to saturate the market? IBM therefore declined to be part of the new product introduction. Too bad for IBM. Carlson's invention was the xerography process, and his new product was the beginning of the Xerox Corporation. It is estimated that every day, worldwide, 3,000,000,000 copies are made!!
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 |
| 7743908 | Receive device and conveyor method A receive device of a conveyor unit, an apparatus including the receive device and a method for transporting rod-like articles for tobacco-processing. The receive device includes a deceleration device to decelerate the rod-like articles and an acceleration device to... | 06/29/2010 |
| 7681712 | Alignment conveyor apparatus In an alignment conveyor apparatus including an input conveyor (1), an output conveyor (2) with a flap sensor (14), a single or a plurality of alignment conveyors (3), a product sensor (12), and a control unit (7), the contr... | 03/23/2010 |
| 7578382 | Virtual lug loader A virtual lug loader includes a lug loader for loading workpieces in a flow direction into the spaced apart lugs on a lugged conveyor, wherein the workpieces are transversely oriented relative to the flow direction. The lug loader includes an array of pairs of endle... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7413071 | Conveyor induction subsystem and method of inducting articles using feedback-gappers An induction subsystem for a conveyor sortation system and method of inducting articles includes providing a plurality of tandem conveying surfaces. The speeds of the conveying surfaces are individually controllable. At least one sensor is provided for sensing artic... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7398630 | Infeed assembly for a continuous motion wrapping assembly An infeed assembly for spacing a continuous line of product into units to be wrapped in a continuous wrapping system is disclosed. At least one set of registration belts is orientated downstream of a set of spaced infeed belts in communication with a continuous line... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7387196 | Device for combing at least two partial flows of items to be sorted to form a total flow of articles to be sorted The invention relates to a device for combining at least two partial flows of articles so as to form a total flow. In the total flow, the articles to be sorted are about equidistant from one another. A withdrawal device and a first acceleratable section are arranged... | 06/17/2008 |
| 7356980 | Automated method for packaging food An automated food processing system and method is provided that allows food to be dispensed, fried and packaged in a suitable container, which may be an individual portion-sized container. In one embodiment, the system includes separate automated modules for dispens... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7322459 | Differential speed conveyor accumulation system and method A product conveying and accumulation system and method employs a primary product transporting conveyor with accumulation and re-circulating sections. The conveyor is configured to receive products from an upstream destination and discharge products to a downstream d... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7311192 | Systems and methods for providing an improved timing conveyor Methods and apparatus for a conveyor system for evenly spacing conveyed objects are provided. In one embodiment, the conveyor system includes a conveyor belt that includes a conveyor having cavities, rollers in some of cavities, and a positioning component. The conv... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7306087 | Arrangement and a method for controlling units within a flow Apparatus for controlling units within a flow from at least one incoming feeder track into at least one outgoing feeder track is provided, including at least one shifting unit for controlled shifting of the flow into one or more selectable paths of the outgoing feed... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7281623 | Transport system including vertical rollers A transport system for conveying articles along conveyance paths including straight, curvilinear, horizontal, inclined and declined conveyance sections. The articles are conveyed between a pair of vertical belts while being supported by protrusions extending from th... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7264109 | Transport system The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for controlling the transportation of a product from a first transporter to a second transporter. Further, a feed transport system and method of use is provided. ... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7220197 | Tracked drive device The tracked drive device particularly protected by its frame or hood as well as by protective plates, so as to prevent any accidental insertion of a finger or any other part of the human body between the track elements. The arrangement makes access to the track, for... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7207429 | Feeding device of chocolates and similar products A feeding device of chocolates and similar products for a wrapping machine includes: a first belt means which has a continuous advance motion, supports and moves a plurality of products, aligned and arranged in a single line at mutual contact; a second belt means al... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7204363 | Machine for inspecting bottles A machine for inspecting bottles which has a conveyor for conveying bottles at a first velocity. A bottle spacing mechanism receives bottles conveyed by the conveyor at a first location and releases bottles on the conveyor at a second downstream location. The bottle... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7191894 | Variable angled-roller belt and conveyor A conveyor constructed of a single belt or a plurality of abutting belts arranged side by side in the conveyor, in which the belt or belts have rollers arranged to rotate on axes oriented at multiple angles oblique to the direction of belt travel. A gradual or monot... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7156237 | Articles separating and supplying apparatus and method An articles separating and supplying apparatus and method are provided by which, even in case of a size change of articles, articles of a predetermined number can be securely separated and supplied at a high speed. A transfer conveyor for transferring arrayed articl... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7128197 | High volume conveyor sortation system A sortation system and method includes providing a sorter assembly and a slug-building assembly. Product is received by the sorter assembly and sorted to a series of sortation lanes. The slug-building assembly includes a plurality of supply lines supplying product f... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7125216 | Device for loading a three-knife trimmer In a device for loading a three-knife trimmer with brochures, periodicals or like bound book blocks (1), comprising a feed conveyor (4), a stacking device (16) operable in magazine mode and counted stack mode and including a magazine (17)... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7083509 | High capacity food processing system A high capacity food processing system, including for an elongated strand of food product such as hot dogs, sausage links, etc., has first and second loading stations with serial accumulators enabling intermittent stopping of the loading operation, which is a necess... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7063206 | Accumulating conveyor system An accumulation conveyor system and method of accumulating articles includes providing an accumulation assembly that is adapted to accumulating a plurality of articles into a slug of articles. Slugs of articles are discharged to a transport line which transports the... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7032742 | Differential drive spiral accumulator apparatus Various designs of a spiral accumulator apparatus are disclosed for controlling the flow of articles. The accumulator may have an infeed conveyor driven in a first direction to convey articles therealong in the first direction along a first path that is at least par... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7017321 | Machine for sealing containers by applying a covering film A system for feeding containers on conveyor consisting of a feeder conveyer and an accumulator conveyor in which the speed of the accumulator conveyor is controlled to meter the distribution of containers to a processing station, such as a sealing unit. ... | 03/28/2006 |
| 7016768 | Conveyor system for transporting articles, in particular containers for baggage pieces, and method for controlling such a conveyor system A system and method is described for transporting articles, in particular for transporting container holding baggage pieces. At least two endless conveyor belts are sequentially arranged to define an upstream conveyor belt and a downstream conveyor belt for transpor... | 03/21/2006 |
| 6976572 | Method and system for synchronizing loads before injection on a tilt tray type sorting system A method for synchronizing loads before the injection thereof on a sorting machine, consisting of trays which pass in front of an injection system comprising conveyors for moving the loads towards an injection site, a synchronization conveyor for positioning a load ... | 12/20/2005 |
| 6964330 | Elevated grade station drive system An elevated grade station drive system includes a plurality of conveyor sections for conveying workpieces downstream at a variable transfer speed along and between the plurality of sections according to control instructions provided by a control system. The output f... | 11/15/2005 |
| 6951271 | Flight lug A flight lug is provided for releasable attachment to a conveyor belt. The lug comprises a base and first and second side walls mounted to opposite edge surfaces of the base such that the base extends between and interconnects the side walls intermediate upper and l... | 10/04/2005 |
| 6945530 | Device for conveying stacks of sheets of paper 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 restin... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6923307 | High volume conveyor sortation system A sortation system and method includes providing a sorter assembly and a slug-building assembly. Product is received by the sorter assembly and sorted to a series of sortation lanes. The slug-building assembly includes a plurality of supply lines supplying product f... | 08/02/2005 |
| 6918588 | Device for separating printing products transported in an imbricated formation into a succession of spaced printing products A device for separating an imbricated formation (2) of continuously conveyed printing products (1) into a succession of spaced printing products (1), comprises a first conveyor (3) driven at a first velocity (v1), a second conveyor... | 07/19/2005 |
| 6848566 | Continuously adjustable apparatus for repositioning discrete articles An apparatus for changing the spacing between discrete articles having at least one linear motor disposed radially from a central axis, and a pick-up disposed proximate to the linear motor. The at least one linear motor is capable of adjusting the radial position of... | 02/01/2005 |
| 6763931 | Conveyor system This conveyor system provides head-to-head or head-to-tail placement of product. More specifically, the system is configured to use the minimum acceleration necessary to perform the targeted spacing. Feedback control continuously readjusts acceleration to perform th... | 07/20/2004 |
| 6758323 | Singulating conveyor A singulating conveyor for aligning a mass of conveyed articles into a single file. The conveyor includes a first centering conveying zone in which one or more roller-top conveyor mats direct conveyed articles sidewise toward a side or the center of the zone. The ro... | 07/06/2004 |
| 6755297 | Symbol printer A lumber processor includes slowdown conveyor to transition lumber pieces from one processing device to a subsequent processing device where the movement of lumber pieces changes from lineal to lateral motion; a printer station includes a printer boom which includes... | 06/29/2004 |
| 6751524 | Parcel singulation software control logic A method and an apparatus are provided for singulating articles received in a slug and/or manipulating such articles to create a controlled gap between a trailing edge of a leading article and a leading edge of a successive article, while targeting a desired through... | 06/15/2004 |
| 6736257 | Device and method for transferring articles in the tobacco-processing industry A transfer device is provided for transferring articles from a first conveying device to a second conveying device. The device has a central body and a plurality of transfer element sets attached to the central body. Each transfer element set comprises a plurality o... | 05/18/2004 |
| 6669006 | Method and device for conveying reams of paper A method and device for conveying reams of paper, whereby a ream is conveyed by at least two conveyors arranged in series and connected to each other at a transfer station; and wherein at least a first of the two conveyors is an endless conveyor having at... | 12/30/2003 |
| 6662929 | Parcel singulation software control logic A method and an apparatus are provided for singulating articles received in a slug and/or manipulating such articles to create a controlled gap between a trailing edge of a leading article and a leading edge of a successive article, while targeting a desi... | 12/16/2003 |
| 6658826 | Assembly for packaging a discontinuously supplied stream of products An assembly for packaging a discontinuously supplied stream of products, comprising a packaging apparatus provided with folding means for folding the longitudinal edges of the continuous packaging web around the products in longitudinal direction to form ... | 12/09/2003 |
| 6648125 | Apparatus for evenly spacing packages on an assembly machine An apparatus to enable products to be evenly spaced so that they can be loaded onto a collator or other receiving device on a packaging machine. The packages are caused to be placed on a chain conveyor belt which has a multiplicity of spinning rollers to ... | 11/18/2003 |
