Did You Know...
...that power steering was invented by independent inventor Francis W. Davis? As chief engineer in the 1920s of the truck division of the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company, he saw how hard it was to steer heavy vehicles. So that he would be able to keep the profits from his future invention, Davis left his job, rented a small engineering shop in Waltham, Mass., and developed a hydraulic power steering system that led to power steering.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 6734417 | Displacement measurement system and sheet feed system incorporating the same A displacement measurement system and a sheet feed system incorporating the same are described. The displacement measurement system includes a support arm, a roller, and an optical encoder. The support arm has a first end and a second end and is configured to turn a... | 05/11/2004 |
| 6547078 | Automated mail extraction and remittance processing An apparatus for the automated processing of bulk mail in a continuous and automatic procedure includes an operative combination of processing stations including an input station for receiving incoming mail in bulk fashion and for separating the pieces of... | 04/15/2003 |
| 6505534 | Method and apparatus for processing envelopes containing contents A method and apparatus for processing mail is provided. Mail is placed into an input bin having a conveyor that conveys the mail towards a feeder. The feeder serially feeds the envelopes by engaging the lead envelope in the stack of mail and displacing th... | 01/14/2003 |
| 6360447 | Empty envelope assurance apparatus and method An empty envelope assurance system is provided. The system includes a conveyor for conveying an opened envelope having a front face and a rear face along a path of movement. The conveyor is arranged such that any contents of the envelope rests against one... | 03/26/2002 |
| 6329139 | Automated sorting system for matrices with memory Automated drug discovery protocols, or partially automated protocols, in which matrices with memories serve as the platform on which all manipulations are performed or serve as the repository of information that is transferred to other memories as the syn... | 12/11/2001 |
| 6089985 | Fastener sorting apparatus A fastener sorting apparatus is configured to mount on a fastener forming machine and to shunt bent workpieces through a wastegate of the fastener forming machine when the bent workpieces contact a detection ring. The detection ring is electrically-conduc... | 07/18/2000 |
| 6036026 | Technique for check sorting An arrangement for automatically, selectably diverting, different-weight checks being transported along a prescribed track with divert-blade means at a prescribed divert-station therealong, said checks comprising "standard" and "non-standard", heavier ver... | 03/14/2000 |
| 5853089 | Apparatus for detecting multiple superposed sheets An apparatus for detecting the passage of superposed sheets, e.g. deposited currency notes, along a feed path includes a mechanism which has a pair of cooperating rollers (42,44) and which is arranged to generate an output voltage whose magnitude varies i... | 12/29/1998 |
| 5727692 | Apparatus and method for checking an envelope for contents A method and apparatus for checking an envelope for contents is provided to determine whether or not an envelope has been completely emptied. The thickness of the envelope is measured at a plurality of points along the envelope. From the measured thicknes... | 03/17/1998 |
| 5526939 | Method of checking the composition of multilayer units composed of sheetlike parts and apparatus for composing, and checking the composition of, such units An apparatus for verifying any of a plurality of predetermined compositions of multilayered units composed of stacked sheetlike parts passed in spaced succession by a checkpoint, including the steps of determining a first value according to a thickness of... | 06/18/1996 |
| 5310064 | Method and apparatus for sorting component parts of an assembly process A method and apparatus for measuring and sorting component parts of an assembly includes a single station wherein parts are continuously fed, precisely measured, sorted by measurement, and then transported. For measuring the parts a contact member is moun... | 05/10/1994 |
| 5265733 | Method of checking the composition of multilayer units composed of sheetlike parts and apparatus for composing, and checking the composition of, such units A method for verifying any of a plurality of predetermined compositions of multilayered units composed of stacked sheetlike parts passed in spaced succession by a checkpoint, including the steps of determining a first value according to a thickness of a f... | 11/30/1993 |
| 5165551 | Apparatus and method for detecting defects in an article An apparatus for detecting defects in discrete articles, such as fasteners having an indexable article carrier with a plurality of article holders on the article carrier for supporting articles in a holding position so that each article in the holding pos... | 11/24/1992 |
| 5157847 | Apparatus and method for measuring the depth of a recess An apparatus for determining the depth of a recess formed in the end of articles such as headed fasteners having a first indexable article carrier with a plurality of article holders for supporting articles so that each article moves in a prescribed path ... | 10/27/1992 |
| 5131545 | Method and apparatus for extracting the contents of envelopes A method and apparatus for extracting the contents of envelopes, each of which has been opened along at least one edge and has an opposite edge which is unopened. The envelopes are successively projected with their unopened edges leading, against an adhes... | 07/21/1992 |
| 4998987 | Automatic disc gauging and sorting apparatus An automatic disc gauging and sorting apparatus for gauging the thickness of the discs and sorting the discs into a series of predetermined ranges of varying thickness is provided. The apparatus includes a revolving disc sorting unit including a plurality... | 03/12/1991 |
| 4883181 | Foreign substance disposing device for money receiving and disbursing machine A foreign substance disposing device is disclosed for a money receiving and disbursing machine. The machine comprises a bill receiving section for receiving a stack of bills to be processed in. The machine, pick out rollers for picking out the bills one b... | 11/28/1989 |
| 4863037 | Apparatus for the automated processing of bulk mail and the like An apparatus for the automated processing of bulk mail in a continuous and automatic procedure includes an operative combination of processing stations including an input station for receiving incoming mail in bulk fashion and for separting the pieces of ... | 09/05/1989 |
| 4795554 | PLCC co-planarity measurement method and apparatus There is provided, a method and apparatus for determining if the lengths of all of the leads on all four sides of a PLCC packaged devices are within a selected tolerance of each other. To do so a relatively smooth surface across which the device is to be ... | 01/03/1989 |
| 4696426 | Document reading envelope depository A banking machine having a single opening for both envelope and individual check or note deposit is disclosed. The entrance to the depository has a deposit item thickness sensor just inside of the deposit gate opening which can detect the difference betwe... | 09/29/1987 |
| 4664369 | Multiple sheet indicator apparatus and method Thickness indicator apparatus mounted adjacent to a bill path inside an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) includes a wishbone (45) having a pair of identical fingers (46) which contact bills moving in the bill path, and a metallic target (52). The wishbone i... | 05/12/1987 |
| 4624369 | Method of and apparatus for sorting slide fasteners Slide fasteners are fed longitudinally one at a time along a path by at least one stream of air flowing along the path, and are then introduced into a clearance or gate which is narrow enough to prevent the passage of sliders so that when the slide fasten... | 11/25/1986 |
| 4582200 | Device for measuring the offset between the faceplate panel and funnel of a kinescope A device for measuring the offset between the funnel and panel of a kinescope includes a pivotable member which engages the reference pads on the funnel. The pivotable member is mounted on a slidable mount which is biased to an extended position. When the... | 04/15/1986 |
| 4579334 | Apparatus for indicating the status of sheets A note checking apparatus for indicating whether normal single notes, double notes or notes having local attachments of folds are passing therethrough includes two rollers 10 and 12 between which the notes pass. The roller 10 has a fixed axis, and the rol... | 04/01/1986 |
| 4576287 | Apparatus and method for checking the contents of envelopes and sorting documents by thickness Apparatus and method for checking the contents of envelopes and sorting envelopes and other documents according to thickness. The envelopes or other documents are fed along a predetermined path, the thickness of each envelope or document is checked as it ... | 03/18/1986 |
| 4550550 | Automated mineral wool roll-unit processing system A method and system for packaging insulation units comprising a receiving section that indexes each roll-set that comes off a production line, a roll breaking section that separates the roll-set into individual units and spaces each unit, a diverter secti... | 11/05/1985 |
| 4512701 | Pallet height sensing mechanism Automatic height sensing mechanism is provided to sense the height of an individual pallet or slip sheeted pallet and automatically adjusts the stripper plate above the sensed height as the pallet is moved along a predetermined path of travel by a conveyo... | 04/23/1985 |
| 4505073 | Apparatus for sorting power transmission belts An apparatus and method of sorting power transmission belts into groups of substantially equal length. The apparatus is entirely automatic and includes mechanism for transferring seriatim the respective belts from a supply to a measuring drive mechanism. ... | 03/19/1985 |
| 4473953 | Apparatus for checking a sheet having a bent profile Apparatus for checking the profile of a sheet and comparing measured data with that data from measurement of a standard. The apparatus includes a frame, a plurality of studs on the frame providing three support locations for the sheet, a plurality of refe... | 10/02/1984 |
| 4454947 | Product inspection and ejection system A method of removing product of an unacceptable height from a product line is disclosed. In the method, a quantity of the product is arrayed in a carrier and moved to a gauging station where the array is placed between a reference plate and a correspondin... | 06/19/1984 |
| 4453314 | Apparatus for inspecting the chimbs of cylindrical articles such as kegs Apparatus for inspecting the chimbs of cylindrical articles such as kegs or drums comprises means for rotating a keg about its cylindrical axis and sensing means arranged to engage the chimb of the keg and to sense displacement of the chimb from a predete... | 06/12/1984 |
| 4449399 | Apparatus for detecting the passage of multiple superposed documents along a feed path A double detect device includes first and second parallel and superposed rows of steel balls retained in a block, the first row being in contact with a steel roller whose axis is parallel to the rows of balls. An actuating rod is urged resiliently against... | 05/22/1984 |
| 4378109 | Device for detecting the thickness of a paper sheet A device for detecting the thickness of paper sheet such as bank note used for a paper sheet transfer system comprises a thickness detection roll rotatably supported at a free end of a pivotal lever and urged against a paper sheet transfer roll, via a pap... | 03/29/1983 |
| 4307807 | Apparatus for sorting conical bobbin tubes of textile machines An apparatus for sorting conical bobbin tubes for textile machines with their tip ends located to one side comprises a supply device supplying individual bobbin tubes transversely of their axes along a guide table and between two lateral guide edges. The ... | 12/29/1981 |
| 4161251 | Inspection fixture An electronic inspection fixture is provided which checks a dimension of objects and rejects oversized ones. The inspection fixture includes spaced conducting members set apart at a fixed distance and preferably placed one above the other at angles to the... | 07/17/1979 |
| 4146136 | Pit detector for food products Apparatus for detecting and separating out articles having pits therein after the product has been passed through a pit removing device. The apparatus includes a pair of detector wheels supported to rotate in the same plane. Each of these wheels is power ... | 03/27/1979 |
| 4121716 | Doubles and thickness detector and sorter An automatic doubles and sheet thickness detector is disclosed that operates by comparing consecutive sheet materials that are delivered to a rotating drum. The consecutive sheet materials pass under two spaced apart rollers that are movably biased agains... | 10/24/1978 |
| 4030607 | Flat-article separating apparatus for an automatic mail handling system and the like An automatic flat-article separating apparatus for mail handling is disclosed. The apparatus has an article transport path, an ejecting route, a suction belt, a thickness detector installed on the transport path and a roller assembly for compressing the f... | 06/21/1977 |
| 4002560 | Automatic article sorting apparatus An automatic laundry sorting machine comprising separate sorting stations having individually driven conveyor units for feeding and sorting folded laundry articles according to size. Sorting and sensing means are associated with at least one of the convey... | 01/11/1977 |
