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!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7263409 | Method and apparatus for tracking a load on a conveyor system A method and apparatus for tracking a load on a conveyor system using the trailing edge of the load. The method includes the steps of sensing the trailing edge of the load with a first sensor and updating a load record for the load in response to sensing the trailin... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7261198 | Bi-directional package divert mechanism and method of use A bi-directional package divert mechanism used for sorting mail and other packages and items into appropriate bins for future delivery. The mechanism includes a downward extending moving mechanism which is capable of moving items into one of two directions, both per... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7259345 | Method and apparatus for sorting and bundling mail A method of sorting and bundling mail for delivery to a plurality of delivery points includes sorting the mail pieces in one or more passes through an automated sorting machine using destination codes associated with the mail pieces that are scanned and stored by a ... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7118034 | Systems and methods for package sortation and delivery using radio frequency identification technology A disclosed method comprises scanning a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag on a package to generate scanned data, and generating a handling instruction for the package based on the scanned data. The handling instruction can be executed to route the package to... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7017730 | Bi-directional mail tray pusher A bidirectional article pusher for a conveying system, which includes a multiplicity of spaced rollers for moving articles along a longitudinal path. There is a push up stop arranged below the conveyor and movable between adjacent rollers to a position above the rol... | 03/28/2006 |
| 7014030 | Modular substructure for material handling A structural frame assembly that is adapted to support a chute of a sorting machine, the frame assembly including two laterally spaced beams and at least one cross-beam interconnecting the two laterally spaced beams, the beams and the at least one cross-beam includi... | 03/21/2006 |
| 7007791 | Container storage and delivery system A container directing apparatus for directing containers carried by a conveyor, includes a lifting device for lifting the containers off of the conveyor. A moving apparatus moves the container off of the lifting device. The lifting device can include a lifting surfa... | 03/07/2006 |
| 6970825 | Planning engine for a parcel shipping system A planning engine for use in a planning system which is in turn used to plan shipment of a parcel of at least one item, the planning including routing and rating the shipment. The planning system, of which the planning engine is a component, includes a router for de... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6957197 | Load planning tables for a parcel shipping system A system for managing shipping parcels that includes a specially adapted set of load planning tables, or, from another aspect, a set of load planning tables for use with a system for managing shipping parcels. The system includes: a planning system for providing a r... | 10/18/2005 |
| 6907978 | Methods and apparatuses for inducting articles onto a conveyor An novel apparatus and technique may be used to induct articles onto a conveyor comprising at least one conveyor belt that moves articles along a first path that extends in a first direction. The apparatus may be used to move an article along a second path that exte... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6484886 | Feeder reader subsystem In one embodiment, an article sorting system includes successive coarse and fine singulators and a recirculating loop for processing a disordered stream of items including three-dimensional non-flat articles. A coarse singulator includes cascaded ramped c... | 11/26/2002 |
| 6370447 | Conveyance system A communication master unit of a conveyance controller and communication slave units for a main conveyor, loading conveyors and unloading conveyors are connected by a serial transmission line to transmit and receive different kinds of data signals to and ... | 04/09/2002 |
| 6235998 | Stopper gate for product conveyor An improved method and apparatus for distributing a food product, such as potato chips, which reduces the problem of staling. A plurality of stopper gates are placed adjacent to a plurality of slide doors on the downstream end of a distribution conveyor s... | 05/22/2001 |
| 6230872 | Method and apparatus for sorting articles using a matrix of conveyor cells An efficient package sorting system in which a stationary matrix of multi-directional conveyor cells sorts packages to a plurality of destination locations. In a preferred embodiment, the matrix delivers sorted packages to a plurality of lift assemblies t... | 05/15/2001 |
| 6168004 | Container distribution apparatus A container distribution apparatus having a frame surrounding a revolvable turret, the revolvable turret comprises intermediate transport members in the shape of slots adapted to receive containers from a feeding member such as a conveyor belt, to transpo... | 01/02/2001 |
| 6015039 | High speed tilted belt sorter A sorting apparatus and method operative to selectively discharge articles, such as parcels, from a tilted, gated conveyor to a desired output destination is disclosed. A powered roller is mounted along the top of the gates so that when a gate is lowered ... | 01/18/2000 |
| 6006491 | Equipment receiving continuously and individually delivered objects and arranging these objects in sets The invention concerns equipment receiving continuously and individually delivered objects and arranging these objects into sets for discharge to a packaging station. Two conveyor chains (3, 4) fitted with compartments to receive the objects are mounted t... | 12/28/1999 |
| 5871078 | Automatic infeeder device with reject An apparatus and method for depositing objects at separated locations on a movable belt. The device includes at least one channel through which objects enter the apparatus. A sensor measures separation between adjacent objects approaching the apparatus an... | 02/16/1999 |
| 5842557 | Automatic tortilla stack transfer An automatic system for arranging stacks of tortillas, first into rows, and then into a single file. The stacks of tortillas emerge at random from a stacker in a baking line or lines and are formed successively into a row, and then into a file of uniforml... | 12/01/1998 |
| 5361889 | Apparatus for merging multiple lanes of product An apparatus for merging two or more parallel conveyor lanes of product into one final lane includes a pair of parallel conveyors, one disposed above and in spaced relationship over the other. A pivotally mounted slide at the discharge end of the first co... | 11/08/1994 |
| 5335776 | Assembly for independently transporting yarn packages having path diverting capability The present invention provides an assembly for transporting tube support members which each individually support a textile yarn package in an upright disposition thereon. The transporting assembly includes a cyclicly reversing endless belt which transport... | 08/09/1994 |
| 5236076 | Apparatus for automatically unloading device in handler An apparatus for automatically unloading devices in handler which fills empty sleeves with devices tested from a tester and unloads the sleeves according to characteristics of the devices, and which can selectively actuate a plurality of stopper pins by o... | 08/17/1993 |
| 5230432 | Apparatus for singulating parts An apparatus (19) for singulating a series of packages (17). The apparatus (19) includes a vertical wheel (12), a retainer spring (10), a gravity feed track (14), a pass track (15), and a reject track (16). The vertical wheel (12) comprises a plurality of... | 07/27/1993 |
| 5217101 | Apparatus for merging mass flows of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry A first mass flow of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry is transported along a substantially horizontal path wherein the articles are moved sideways, and a second mass flow of articles is transported along a downwardly sloping path whi... | 06/08/1993 |
| 5147022 | Apparatus for merging mass flows of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry A first mass flow of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry is transported along a substantially horizontal path wherein the articles are moved sideways, and a second mass flow of articles is transported along an upwardly or downwardly slo... | 09/15/1992 |
| 5076704 | Methods of and apparatus for blending and elevating materials A material blender includes an inclined, axially rotatable drum which is capable of executing multiple functions related to blending of materials including weighing and conveying the materials. The materials, such as agricultural fertilizers are loaded at... | 12/31/1991 |
| 5070987 | Conveyor blade stop device A pair of blade stop devices are attached to the sides of a part conveyor. Each blade stop device includes a stop member pivotally mounted on a frame member. The stop member is normally held by a spring in a stop position wherein it projects above the upp... | 12/10/1991 |
| 5052541 | Sorter feeder system A sorter feeder system for automatically singulating, orienting, accelerating and conveying an article in the form of commercial packages (boxes, cartons or crates of square or rectangular shape) onto a moving tray or slat sorter conveyor. The article is ... | 10/01/1991 |
| 4986408 | Apparatus for handling rod-like articles A stream of rod-like articles such as cigarettes in multi-layer stack formation is separated by a movable gate having a leading end capable of limited reversible movement in a direction generally transverse to the direction in which the gate is advanced, ... | 01/22/1991 |
| 4934537 | Fish sorting apparatus and method Fish sorting apparatus comprises a lighted viewing conveyor belt arranged to receive fish seriatim and a video camera mounted above the viewing belt and directed downwardly for receiving images of fish on the belt. A second, sorting, conveyor belt is arra... | 06/19/1990 |
| 4926999 | Right angle flow-through jump transfer conveyor system A right angle flow-through jump transfer conveyor system having a plurality of tensioning strips disposed between a plurality of rollers arranged in a planar array and rails which are sequentially operated by actuator cylinders is disclosed. The strips ar... | 05/22/1990 |
| 4895246 | Device for the random selection of segments of a movable wall on a roller conveyor Device for the random selection of segments of a movable wall (11) on roller conveyors (10) which discharge rolled bars (23) laterally, whereby the movable wall (11) can descend and ascend in relationship with the roller conveyor (10) and a cooling plate ... | 01/23/1990 |
| 4821865 | Work delivering apparatus A delivering apparatus for selectively delivering a work conveyed from one inlet path to one of three paths. The delivering apparatus is disposed at an intersection of the inlet path and the exit paths. The delivering apparatus comprises a series of free ... | 04/18/1989 |
| 4821864 | Pin feeding apparatus An apparatus for feeding headed pins includes a frame having thereon a hopper into which the pins are placed. A ramp extends substantially horizontally from the hopper and has a plurality of spaced, parallel slots therein which are adapted to receive the ... | 04/18/1989 |
| 4752175 | Gravity motivated vertical lift conveyor A lift conveyor in the form of an endless chain is mounted on a vertically extending frame and provides a down-travel side and an up-travel side. Fastened to the chain is a progression of evenly spaced shelves for reception of articles to be loaded on and... | 06/21/1988 |
| 4732259 | Sorting conveyor with cross-over A continuous apron type sortation conveyor having carton pushers which travel with and crosswise of the apron is provided with branch lines arranged in pairs directly opposite each other along the main line to which oppositely angled guide tracks for the ... | 03/22/1988 |
| 4682682 | Feeding conveyor for feeding articles laterally onto another conveyor, particularly a sorting conveyor In connection with a feeding conveyor for feeding articles laterally onto a sorter conveyor is mounted a retractable V-shaped stop for the articles as conveyed on the feeding conveyor, whereby these articles are temporarily stopped and concurrently center... | 07/28/1987 |
| 4674940 | Package storage system A package storage system comprises a package conveyor disposed next to the package conveyor of the associated winder, a package stocker beside the former package conveyor, and a package transferring mechanism which includes a package positioning device fo... | 06/23/1987 |
| 4667957 | Basketball retrieval apparatus A portable apparatus having a funnel-like ball collector for disposition generally circumjacent a mounted basketball hoop on a basketball court and including a diverter mechanism beneath the collector for receiving successive basketballs from the collecto... | 05/26/1987 |
| 4610346 | Devices for separating contiguous articles Apparatus for handling biscuits comprises a pair of identical devices for separating and holding back advanced supplies of the biscuits, which are arranged in rows, in contiguous, upright relationship, within laterally-spaced supply channels. The rows of ... | 09/09/1986 |
