Did You Know...
...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7654386 | Machine for wrapping bundles of roll products A machine (1) for wrapping bundles (2) of roll products (3), where the products (3) are grouped together in piles (4), comprises a bundle (2) forming line (6), equipped with a chain conveyor (7), and a product ... | 02/02/2010 |
| 7475771 | Stacker A device for stacking flat, deformable, items contains a transfer device that accommodates individual items conveyed to it in receptacles and conveys them to a serializing device. At that transfer device, a row of compartments, into which the items are inserted, is ... | 01/13/2009 |
| 7337892 | Device for sorting products The invention provides a device for sorting products, comprising bogies which are movable in a direction of transport along a conveying path, which bogies are pivotally interconnected, and supporting platforms comprising a supporting surface for supporting products ... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7237654 | Lifter device To provide a compact lifter device, which can attain a work-piece's lifting/lowering operation in a stable supporting state and can reduce the parts number and an assembly load. A lifter device 100 in which a pair of work-piece lifting chains 130, 130 ... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7182201 | Wafer carrying apparatus and wafer carrying method A wafer carrying apparatus 20 for carrying intermediate products comprises: a conveyer 40 for carrying the intermediate products in the carrying direction; and a plurality of platforms 41 arranged in the conveyer 40 along the carrying dir... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7143465 | Apparatus for cleaning toner cartridges An apparatus for cleaning toner cartridges by means of compressed air has at least one cleaning chamber (1, 2) and a conveyor line (3) leading through this at least one cleaning chamber (1, 2). The conveyor line (3) is provided with varia... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7104027 | Product packaging system A product packaging system for receiving a series of products from one or more product transport lines. The products are loaded into a series of carriers and transported through a downstream inserter unit. Inserter assemblies moving in timed relation with the moveme... | 09/12/2006 |
| 6866140 | Conveyance apparatus and boxing system A conveyance apparatus of the present invention holds and conveys a group of items, and includes conveyors and driving devices. The conveyors include first and second conveyance belts, items-group holders, and detaching/attaching devices. The first and second convey... | 03/15/2005 |
| 6823981 | Conveyor system for an automatic accumulation system A method and apparatus for accumulating articles (28) include conveying a plurality of individual articles with a stacking conveyor (96) In particular aspects, the vacuum conveyor (96) can be arranged with an elbow configuration to substantially... | 11/30/2004 |
| 6811024 | Conveyor apparatus for items in packaging machines A conveyor apparatus for folding boxes in a boxing machine has conveyor chains which are respectively supported in pairs in a guide rail and have pusher lugs attached to them, between which the folding boxes are contained in a positively engaging fashion. To permit ... | 11/02/2004 |
| 6343688 | Conveyor and escalator for transporting eggs and the like A conveyor and escalator for transporting objects having a substantially uniform size and length such as eggs horizontally, vertically and helically vertically comprising at least one flexible endless support means; a drive means operably engaging said fl... | 02/05/2002 |
| 6269937 | Conveyor device A conveyor device for erected collapsible box. The conveyor device has a number of conveyor chains with drive ribs for the collapsible boxes. The conveyor chains are made up of chain links that are connected to one another in an articulating relationship.... | 08/07/2001 |
| 6260690 | Transport and gathering system A modular transport and gathering system used for moving a material to be fed (250) in a direction of transport and comprising a plurality of transport modules (A, B) having input-side and output-side end sections. Each transport module (A, B) includes a ... | 07/17/2001 |
| 6170638 | Stream aligner A conveyor which includes one or more pocket assemblies which are adapted to be transported in a closed path. The assembly includes a pocket having two walls which are hinged to each other. In the closed position, the walls retain the product (newspaper) ... | 01/09/2001 |
| 6070712 | High efficiency mechanical transducer A high efficiency mechanical transducer assembly including a primary drive assembly defined by at least one but preferably a plurality of synchronized conveyors being vertically oriented and structured to travel in a continuous path which is defined in pa... | 06/06/2000 |
| 5782338 | Transfer device for mail and the like A transfer device is provided which includes a rotating paddle wheel (FR) whose preferably fixedly arranged paddles (F) form pockets (Z) which receive the items (S) arriving on a first conveying device (FE1) and discharge the items onto circulating item c... | 07/21/1998 |
| 5775517 | Supporting frame The invention is directed to a supporting frame, in particular for a transporting device for transporting flat, preferably surface-coated objects. The supporting frame has a plurality of web parts which are welded together to form a receiving surface for ... | 07/07/1998 |
| 5671867 | Article packaging system for an automated article dispensing mechanism An article packaging system for an automated article dispensing mechanism includes a plurality of clamshell-like containers attached together by side support rails. Each clamshell includes two semi-cylindrical halves pivotably mounted together and pivotab... | 09/30/1997 |
| 5653330 | Loading machine, particularly for sheet-drying installations A loading machine, particularly for drying installations for coated sheets or sheet metal plates, with circulating chain conveyors with two roller chains, which are at a distance from one another and the links of which in each case are connected by bars, ... | 08/05/1997 |
| 5564556 | Belt conveyor device, for groups of delicate rod-shaped objects, especially in cigarette packaging machines A belt conveyor device for groups of delicate rod-shaped objects, especially in cigarette packaging machines, which device includes a continuous conveyor belt (3) travelling around pulleys (4, 5), at least one of which is driven, and attached to whose out... | 10/15/1996 |
| 5560473 | Drive mechanism for a carton conveyor A drive mechanism for a vertical cartoner which has a plurality of adjustable pockets including a primary drive motor, a servo motor and a clutch assembly for adjusting the pockets to accommodate cartons of different widths. The primary drive motor rotate... | 10/01/1996 |
| 5490591 | Conveyor with cleats having a product-carrying surface and an opposite product-releasing surface A conveyor with cleats having a curved product-carrying surface on one side and a curved product-releasing surface on the opposite side. The cleats are pivotally linked to form an endless loop. A sprocket assembly and motor are provided to rotate the endl... | 02/13/1996 |
| 5474168 | Stacking apparatus and method that reorients product units along a generally helical line while being conveyed from a loading station to an unloading station A method and apparatus for stacking and conveying product units. The product units are conveyed on a conveyor from a loading station to an unloading station. The conveyor has a number of paddles extending therefrom where adjacent paddles define receptacle... | 12/12/1995 |
| 5407059 | Adjustable carton conveyor for packing machine A conveyor has a pair of outer and a pair of inner endless conveyor elements having parallel conveying stretches extending in a transport direction, and respective rows of holders on the conveyor elements with the holders of the outer elements offset in t... | 04/18/1995 |
| 5337887 | Quick-disconnect lug for a cartoning machine A quick-disconnect lug for transporting cartons along the conveyor of a cartoning machine. The lug includes a base member for attachment to studs extending from the endless chain of the conveyor. The base member preferably has a pair of slots or recesses ... | 08/16/1994 |
| 5333723 | Accumulator paddle apparatus Paddle apparatus for an accumulator for receiving and transporting printed circuit panels including a plurality of tip elements and caps are distributed on the tip elements. The caps act as cushion elements to prevent inadvertent damage to the printed cir... | 08/02/1994 |
| 5282717 | Apparatus for storing and transporting printed circuit boards An apparatus for storing and transporting printed circuit boards is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a body having a base defining an upwardly facing support surface for supporting a stack of printed circuit boards. The support surface may optionally ha... | 02/01/1994 |
| 5279254 | Egg collector having separate continuous flexible belts of baskets for each cage conveyor An egg collection device for collecting eggs from an array of confinement cage rows comprises separate continuous flexible belts of individual, interchangeable basket members themselves linking together to form the egg collector. Each individual basket me... | 01/18/1994 |
| 5216949 | Conveyor for transporting lasagne and similar forms of pasta through a drier A conveyor for transporting fresh lasagne through a drier includes a plurality of container-supports substantially like cylindrical cages and each having a plurality of radial pockets for receiving and holding the lasagne. The containers are mounted remov... | 06/08/1993 |
| 5213196 | Support frame for a continuous conveyor installation A support frame for continuous conveying installations for flat, thin and bendable objects used in drying tunnels of a tunnel for thermal treatment. The support frame has a shape which causes the object to be bent about an axis which is in a vertical plan... | 05/25/1993 |
| 5163543 | Apparatus for grouping together articles side-by-side transversely and longitudinally in groups of variable quantities for continuous feeding to packaging machines An apparatus for grouping together articles in groups of variable quantities for feeding to packaging machines in a continuous movement has a pair of links to corresponding cursor-guide members in a mirror-image arrangement and is provided for positioning... | 11/17/1992 |
| 5151556 | Propellant magazine for field artillery piece A propellant magazine includes a conveyor for mechanizing the handling of propellant charge units into and out of magazine storage. The charge units are contained in open ended tubular packs which are loaded onto the conveyor at a resupply loading station... | 09/29/1992 |
| 5094339 | Pocket plate A multi-part tray is provided to carry a plurality of objects in precise and accurate array through a process device. The tray parts are each fastened to a flexible plate and also to a conveyor. The conveyor is caused to travel a circuitous route around c... | 03/10/1992 |
| 5071305 | Device for supporting and turning over board-like objects, to be transported through a continuous circulation oven An arrangement for transporting printed circuit boards along a path through a dryer operative for drying wet ink applied to at least one of the surfaces of each board, includes an endless conveyor for successively conveying the boards along a vertical asc... | 12/10/1991 |
| 5065872 | Dual access storage and retrieval system A storage, transportation and retrieval system, and accompanying storage racks, are disclosed for increasing the effective storage capacity of the storage racks, providing simultaneous access to two adjacent storage racks, requiring less call-ups to locat... | 11/19/1991 |
| 5050318 | Drier racking system A drier racking system for use in drying produce in a barn which includes an endless conveyor to which are attached a plurality of containment devices. The conveyor extends from a door of the barn to an inner region of the barn. The containment devices op... | 09/24/1991 |
| 4893707 | Chain conveyors A conveyor mechanism of the type having a pair of conveyor chains which have co-extensive portions of their length which are guided by guide tracks so as to extend along a conveyor path in close proximity to one another, the improvement wherein the guide ... | 01/16/1990 |
| 4876940 | Magazine ammunition conveying system An ammunition feeding system includes an endless, ladder-type conveyor trained throughout the interior of a magazine in a serpentine formation consisting of a plurality of straight line sections and interconnecting turnaround sections. The conveyor includ... | 10/31/1989 |
| 4767076 | Mechanism for automatically feeding collecting elongated core of fabrics A mechanism for automatically feeding and collecting elongated cores of rolled fabric, which is used with an unrolling machine for unrolling fabric from the cores. The mechanism includes elongated frames on which endless link chains circulate with pairs o... | 08/30/1988 |
| 4723652 | Accumulator apparatus for printed circuit boards Accumulator apparatus includes an endless belt having a plurality of spaced apart paddles extending outwardly from the belt, and the spaces between the paddles receive printed circuit boards for transporting the circuit boards. The paddles include slots f... | 02/09/1988 |
