...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 |
| 8181430 | Method for stacking packaged food slices The invention relates to a method and device for producing packs of a food that comes in slices, in particular individually packaged processed cheese slices. The pack of food is put together from two uniform product stacks of food slices. The first product stack is ... | 05/22/2012 |
| 8079202 | Multi-layer frankfurter loading method A system and method for multi-layer loading of food items such as frankfurters in a receptacle includes the steps of displacing groupings of frankfurters along a staging area, allowing the frankfurters to drop downwardly by gravity to an accumulation and storage are... | 12/20/2011 |
| 8074430 | Twin layer packaging machine A twin layer packaging machine is disclosed for packing cartons with articles such as beverage cans in two layers, a top layer overlying a bottom layer. The packaging machine has a selector flight defining selector bays, a can flight defining can bays, and a carton ... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8015777 | Method for filling capsule body with tablet and device for filling capsule with tablet by using that filling method A plurality of flat tablets are held in containing holes (211) by pinching the circumferential edge of the flat tablet (t) at the lowermost position at the lower end of the containing hole, and then pinching state of the tablet (t) at the lowermost position i... | 09/13/2011 |
| 7856797 | Automated collector device and methods A collector device includes a collector connected to a positioner, such as a robot arm. The positioner can automatically move the collector in multiple dimensions to collect objects into the collector according to a specified collection pattern. By moving the collec... | 12/28/2010 |
| 7832186 | Packaging method for stacked articles A machine for packaging stacks of articles into containers using selectors for grouping the article stacks. The selectors include arrays of vertically spaced wedge members which engage the articles in each stack. The wedge members are aligned with slots in comb-like... | 11/16/2010 |
| 7757462 | Multi-layer frankfurter loading method A system and method for multi-layer loading of food items such as frankfurters in a receptacle includes the steps of displacing groupings of frankfurters along a staging area, allowing the frankfurters to drop downwardly by gravity to an accumulation and storage are... | 07/20/2010 |
| 7757461 | Method and device packaging flat objects In order to package flat objects (1) with the aid of a quasi-endless packaging material web, the packaging material web is placed around a row (4) of the objects (1), in which these objects are conveyed one after the other and in an interspaced ... | 07/20/2010 |
| 7637083 | Guide rails and selectors for packaging machine A machine for packaging stacks of articles into containers using selectors for grouping the article stacks. The selectors include arrays of vertically spaced wedge members which engage the articles in each stack. The wedge members are aligned with slots in comb-like... | 12/29/2009 |
| 7634894 | System and method for palletizing articles 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 carryi... | 12/22/2009 |
| 7475525 | Method and device for producing packs from at least two partial packs The invention relates to a method for producing packs (23) from at least two partial packs (25, 26) to form one groups of packs (21, 22) each of especially cuboid (cigarette) packs (20), a one-piece blank (24) being folded along (e... | 01/13/2009 |
| 7418808 | Method and apparatus for filling containers including a supporting band The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for placing patterns of product holders, more in particular placing stacks of layers of the holders, into boxes or crates, using a supporting band, cords or strips, whereby the use of complex gripper heads is ... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7396006 | Apparatus for assembly of document sets into a single collated packet A collating apparatus and method to merge different types of document sets into a single collated packet prior to a mail processing insertion operation. The collating device utilizes a synchronous conveyor pathway for conveying different types of document sets seria... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7389631 | Unit and method of feeding containers arranged in a number of superimposed rows A unit and method for feeding containers, whereby the containers, arranged in two superimposed rows, are fed along a horizontal path and through a reject station; upstream from the reject station, two superimposed containers are parted, by translation in a vertical ... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7370761 | Innovative shipping package A container package assembly comprises a first support member and a second support member, each of which have a front side, a back side, a right side and a left side. The support members being arranged along a common plane wherein one of the sides of the first suppo... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7370456 | Packaging object supplying apparatus, box body supplying apparatus, boxing apparatus, packaging system and packaging method A packaging object supplying apparatus for supplying a packaging object to a packaging unit for packaging the packaging object into a predetermined fashion and specifically, a packaging object supplying apparatus comprising a packaging object combining portion for f... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7353949 | Packaging unit Packaging unit (17) for absorbent articles (1) including a number of folded articles (1), the folded parts (11) of the articles being arranged towards one of the sides (18) of the packaging unit, but at different distances from the... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7350780 | Apparatus for assembly of document sets into a single collated packet A collating apparatus and method to merge different types of document sets into a single collated packet prior to a mail processing insertion operation. The collating device utilizes a synchronous conveyor pathway for conveying different types of document sets seria... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7347033 | Method of packing pairs of wrapped groups of cigarettes in hinged-lid wallet packets A method of packing pairs of wrapped groups of cigarettes in wallet packets with a hinged lid, whereby a blank—having a first portion defining a body, and a second portion defining a hinged lid of a relative wallet packet—is fed into a respective pocket—having... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7337597 | Unit and method of feeding containers arranged in a number of superimposed rows A unit and method for feeding containers, whereby the containers, arranged in two superimposed rows, are fed along a horizontal path and through a reject station; upstream from the reject station, two superimposed containers are parted, by translation in a vertical ... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7334381 | Method and apparatus for packaging panel products A system for packaging a flat panel product includes a dispensing device for dispensing a length of inner protective packaging material, a folding table for wrapping the inner protective packaging material around the product and folding an outer protective packaging... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7328542 | Loading apparatus for food stacks An apparatus is provided for loading stacked food product into packages. Open top containers are arranged in rows and movable into a loading station. A shuttle conveyor has a retractable and extendable conveying surface, the conveying surface having an end region ex... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7318306 | Packaging method for packaging containers and lids An apparatus for use in packaging containers and associated lids together includes a moveable gantry with a first support portion and a second support portion alongside the first support portion. The first and second support portions are sized and configured to supp... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7316103 | Continuous motion packaging system A continuous motion packaging system for packaging a series of articles in cartons as the cartons are moved along a carton conveyor. A series of selector wedges engage and form groups of articles received on the cartons, which are folded or wrapped about the article... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7302786 | Method and device for wrapping products Products (2) presenting bevelled or rounded corner edges (35) are advanced singly and in succession along a predetermined path (P), each enveloped in a wrapper (11) of parallelepiped box-like shape, and directed ultimately into a station (15 | 12/04/2007 |
| 7302783 | Method for filling a package for compressible flat articles A method for filling a package for compressible flat articles. The method includes the steps of arranging a stack of articles to be received inside the package, compressing the stack, opening and tenting the bottom of the package, and charging the package with the s... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7295888 | System for evaluating a parts carrier A method is disclosed for evaluating a parts carrier that is operatively associated with a material handling process. The method includes determining a plurality of parts to be processed, determining one or more types of the plurality of parts to be processed, and d... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7275635 | Free flow conveyance system A free flow conveyance system includes a plurality of linear conveyance apparatuses each having a plurality of unit conveyors linearly arranged, and a pivot conveyance apparatus having a unit conveyor which is arranged between the linear conveyance apparatuses being... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7269474 | Controlled self-adjusting process for reducing selected dimensions of electronic products A method provides a self-learning mechanism for developing a database of information to be used in guiding selection of parts for temporary removal from a product, in order to reduce product dimensions for shipping and delivery or the like. In one embodiment a produ... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7240467 | Packaging method and apparatus for stacked articles A machine for packaging stacks of articles into containers using selectors for grouping the article stacks. The selectors include arrays of vertically spaced wedge members which engage the articles in each stack. The wedge members are aligned with slots in comb-like... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7234288 | Folder sheets with reinforced holes, method and apparatus of making same A method of manufacturing folder sheets with reinforce holes, which comprises unwinding a spindled paper band; printing predetermined graphics on the paper band; causing the paper band to go through corona treatment; applying a reinforcement strip of thermoplastic m... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7225598 | Alert medication safety seal system and method The present invention provides for method and system in which a heat-shrinkable plastic cover is placed over an individual conventional medicine container. The cover is heat shrunk around the container to form a tight-fitting seal which covers the majority of the or... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7219485 | Semi-automatic boxing machine In a semiautomatic boxing machine, a first conveyor receives and moves a plurality of erected boxes to a work station, while a second conveyor receives and moves a plurality of products to a station for forming groups of products. A manipulator picks up groups of pr... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7207155 | Method of packing packets of cigarettes using a sheet of packing material for implementing such a method A method of packing packets (2) of cigarettes, in particular an orderly group (1) of packets (2) of cigarettes, wherein the orderly group (1) is packed solely in a sheet (11) of transparent heat-seal plastic packing material, which... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7201639 | Powder for disks A plurality of disks include a first disk and a second disk stacked upon the first disk. The first disk and the second disk are each formed from glass or glass-ceramic. A powder is disposed between the first disk and the second disk. The powder is selected from the ... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7165377 | Method and machine for preparing postman's route in one single pass In order to be able to prepare a postman's walk containing both letters (L) and “large format” flat postal objects (P) in a single pass: the letters and the large format objects are moved in series using a conveyor (3) o... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7162852 | Device for filling stand-alone flat-bottom bags A device for filling stand-alone flat-bottom bags with opposing side edges and a bottom, in particular filling them with liquid including a filling carousel which can rotate about a vertical axis and which has a plurality of holders for one bag each provided on its ... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7156606 | Article aligning apparatus An article aligning apparatus for aligning a plurality article tiers to be loaded into a carton. Each article tier comprises an article array delivered from an in-feed stream at an in-feed end of a packaging machine. The apparatus comprises an article conveyor for c... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7155877 | System for use in an assembly line A transfer system (10) is comprised of an air conveyor (11), a servo conveyor (12), and a fan feeder (13). In a typical configuration, the air conveyor is located at a first location where it receives packaged articles from a bagger syste... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7146779 | Method of packaging and shipping compressible structural panels A method of packaging and shipping compressible structural panels is disclosed. Compressible structural panels are provided, typically with first and second sheets separated by compressible or collapsible dividers. The structural panels are stacked and thereafter co... | 12/12/2006 |