Did You Know...
...that the inventor of the electric motor was a blacksmith named Thomas Davenport? Described as "a brilliantly unsuccessful inventor", Davenport invented the first rotary electric motor. In 1836 he headed out -- on foot -- from his Vermont home to file a patent application at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. By the time he got there, he had squandered away his money and couldn't afford the $30 filing fee so he turned around and went home. When he later mailed in his application with money he'd raised, the Patent office was destroyed in a fire. He did finally get credit for his invention on Feb. 5, 1837.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7878391 | Egg counting device and method A device and related method for counting objects, such as eggs or the like includes a plurality of first detectors, each of which has a locally delimited detection area, which can detect electromagnetic radiation, in particular light in the visible or infrared range... | 02/01/2011 |
| 7287669 | Article transfer device An article transfer device which transfers articles using hanger rods each of which includes helical ridges or helical grooves, wherein the article transfer device can ensure the sufficient number of articles to be suspended even when a depth of a housing is narrowe... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7225913 | Device for discharge rod-like product having one end that is larger sized A device for discharging rod-like products each having one end that is large sized. The device includes a hopper having an opening in its bottom surface, a drive mechanism for oscillating the hopper, and a bottom cover for closing the opening of the hopper. An upper... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7128519 | Auto stacking machine for strip articles An auto stacking machine includes a worktable (10), a plurality of chutes (20), a pair of receivers (30), and a cushioning apparatus. Three vertical plates (14) are mounted on the worktable. The chutes are attached to outmost ones of the ... | 10/31/2006 |
| 6955031 | Mushroom packing apparatus The present invention provides a mushroom packing apparatus comprising a grading conveyor and a plurality of locations distributed under a longitudinal axis of the grading conveyor, each location being provided, in use, with a container for collecting the mushrooms ... | 10/18/2005 |
| 6667473 | Tablet monitoring system A monitoring system for adjusting a light source for a counting cell signal in a counting and dispensing system, which light deteriorates over time as a result of dust accumulation from the handling of pills, capsules, and tablets. The monitoring system u... | 12/23/2003 |
| 6535128 | Method and apparatus for identification of objects A system for identifying and counting articles, such as laundry and dry cleaning items, using a preassigned identification tag. The system uses a plurality of spheres which are carried in an article identification tag. Using a combination of spheres, each... | 03/18/2003 |
| 6206363 | Catch tray attachment for sheet feeding machine A catch tray attachment for a sheet feeding machine allows rapid accumulation and manual removal of a predetermined count of sheet articles from the catch tray. The catch tray itself is adapted for mounting to the frame of the sheet feeding machine so as ... | 03/27/2001 |
| 6050485 | Apparatus for counting recyclable returnable item having an air tight trap door mechanism An apparatus for counting recyclable, returnable items is provided. The apparatus includes a housing with an opening through which recyclable, returnable items ("returnables") are received for deposit into a receptacle located below the housing. As return... | 04/18/2000 |
| 5866887 | Apparatus for detecting the number of passers A plurality of rows are provided on a calling of sensors and each have a plurality of distance variation measuring sensors. The distance variation measuring sensors each include a light emitter and a light receiver arranged in the orthogonal direction to ... | 02/02/1999 |
| 5763861 | Counter stacker for tortilla food products Problems in counting and stacking fried food products such as tostadas are solved by an improved counter/stacker device in which tortilla food products ride a first moving belt through a photoelectric counting station. After being counted the product drop... | 06/09/1998 |
| 5629509 | Axle counter with variable threshold setting An axle counter which compares axle passage pulses generated in an electromagnetic rail contact with a predetermined threshold value and, when this threshold value is exceeded, feeds an axle counter pulse to presence-of-trains indicating equipment, is equ... | 05/13/1997 |
| 5258742 | Gauze counter apparatus for surgical use A gauze-counting apparatus for surgical use, includes a support frame on is mounted a receiver hopper and a recording chamber. The hopper has a minimum passage section for a single gauze in which is mounted a photoelectric cell, coplanar fashion, the beam... | 11/02/1993 |
| 5153415 | Counter for elastic rings This disclosure relates to a counter for elastic rings, comprising a screw having a spiral groove which is slightly wider than the width of an elastic ring and is slightly deeper than the thickness of the elastic ring. The screw has an open discharge end,... | 10/06/1992 |
| 5072099 | Container counting apparatus Apparatus for counting opaque and transparent containers has a movable conveyor which delivers such containers along a path to a discharge zone. The conveyor path is separated by dividers into adjacent lanes and such dividers are of varying height relativ... | 12/10/1991 |
| 5005192 | Method of and apparatus for counting flat objects in a stream of partially overlapping objects The sheets of a stream of partially overlapping sheets are counted during transport past a generator of ultrasonic waves which is operated by a control unit at a frequency such that each sheet reflects a series of successive waves. The resulting echoes ar... | 04/02/1991 |
| 4963720 | Apparatus for counting lump foodstuffs An apparatus for counting lump foodstuff includes a machine frame, a foodstuff feeding funnel fixed on the machine frame, a power-operated sheave unit mounted rotatably under the funnel, a conveyer belt unit disposed revolvably under the sheave unit, and ... | 10/16/1990 |
| 4939350 | Apparatus for counting bundled notes, especially banknotes The apparatus has separating elements (1) which are fastened at regular intervals to a rotating endless V-belt (21) and which, at the counting station (34), individually separate the note to be counted and temporarily keep it in the counting position. The... | 07/03/1990 |
| 4851655 | Check positioning system for use in an automatic check printing apparatus The check positioning system includes a guide tray (12) which in turn includes a guiding edge (31). Roller assemblies (18,20,22) in combination with associated lower gripping wheels (40,42,44) and a system (16) for driving the roller assemblies (18,20,22)... | 07/25/1989 |
| 4849999 | Laundry transfer and counting apparatus The invention includes an apparatus for and method of moving textile articles such as pieces of laundry or the like comprising an enclosed passageway having two opposing open ends, and at least one bend between the two open ends; a vacuum source coupled w... | 07/18/1989 |
| 4775782 | Checkout counter with remote keyboard writing pad and display A checkout counter includes an optical scanning system mounted therein and includes a cover member positioned in the top surface of the counter having an aperture through which the scanning system will scan a coded label on the merchandise item positioned... | 10/04/1988 |
| 4768209 | Magnetic induction counting device A magnetic induction counting device includes: an inductive source having a permanent magnetic member disposed therein and a structure adapted to be worn on a worker's hand during material handling and counting operations; at least two sensing members mad... | 08/30/1988 |
| 4743742 | Counting device for fish, especially smolt A counting device for fish, especially smolt, comprising a pipe that is open at both ends and is adapted for being secured at one end to a vessel containing a quantity of fish to be counted. To the pipe devices are connected for generating a water flow in... | 05/10/1988 |
| 4731802 | Apparatus for counting substantially cylindrical articles An apparatus for counting substantially cylindrical articles comprises a rotatable elevator cylinder having a circumferential series of compartments for the articles on the inside surface of the cylindrical wall thereof. Means are provided for sensing the... | 03/15/1988 |
| 4716280 | Particle counting device A self-cleaning counting device for particles such as seeds includes a circular housing have a well pivotally mounted therein for receiving and holding particles from a supply hopper. A disk having a plurality of openings is mounted for rotation in the ho... | 12/29/1987 |
| 4677283 | Device for counting and loading small items into containers A counting and batching device for items such as tablets, capsules or caplets is faster than the electronic radial feeder counters, and is more easily adjustable for different quantities, sizes and shapes of items than slat counters or disk counters. The ... | 06/30/1987 |
| 4590364 | Container counting apparatus Apparatus for counting containers such as empty aluminum cans comprises a loading conveyor for feeding empty containers to a counting unit having a movable conveyor underlying spaced, parallel partitions which provide a plurality of parallel pathways alon... | 05/20/1986 |
| 4580280 | Photoelectric counter with substantially unitary housing A compact, unitary non-contacting counting device includes a housing with contains a photoelectric sensor adapted to monitor the passage of articles and emit responsive electrical signals and a totalizer for receiving such electrical signals or a related ... | 04/01/1986 |
| 4484066 | Garment-counting apparatus The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for counting articles. The apparatus comprises a sensor which is adapted to generate a signal characteristic of a tag attached to each article; and means for counting the number of signals, thereby ... | 11/20/1984 |
| 4396828 | Pill counter Counter for pills, including an inclined tray and a photoelectric counter serving a digital readout.... | 08/02/1983 |
| 4395625 | Container counter A container counter for counting elongated objects such as empty beverage cans including a hopper for receiving objects to be counted, a plurality of chutes located below and communicating with the hopper for conveying objects out of the hopper, and an os... | 07/26/1983 |
| 4390779 | Method and apparatus for detecting articles moving in a continuous stream A method and apparatus for counting indeterminately spaced articles traveling in a continuous stream. Successive individual lead articles of the stream are diverted from their direction of movement in an oblique direction. A sensor located beneath the str... | 06/28/1983 |
| 4335874 | Sheet counting apparatus The invention relates to apparatus for counting flexible sheets contained in a stack, such as a pile of banknotes. The apparatus is of the type which has a rotary sheet removing assembly including a number of suction organs to which vacuum is applied in s... | 06/22/1982 |
| 4217491 | Counting system for articles conveyed in a stream An electro-optical device mounted over a conveyed stream of articles for sensing the passage of each article by projecting a single spot of light onto the articles and measuring the reflectance of that spot from two different angles. The measured reflecta... | 08/12/1980 |
| 4151402 | System and apparatus for counting hanging garments A system and apparatus employs a photo sensor moving relatively to specially configured garment hangers to register electronically the number of garment hangers and in turn the garments suspended therefrom. The light source may be fixed at a specific loca... | 04/24/1979 |
| 4139766 | Apparatus and method for counting fruits and other objects Apparatus and method for the counting of objects and in particular fruits such as oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and the like, which are randomly continuously presented by a conveyor or other means to a counting area in which the objects are illuminated. An... | 02/13/1979 |
| 4127766 | Automatic and accurate passenger counter with storage and retrieval Disclosed is an apparatus for determining the number of moving objects which completely traverse a given path. The apparatus provides an array of light sensors which are placed adjacent the path. A scanner periodically samples the output of each sensor in... | 11/28/1978 |
| 4024381 | Article counting and grouping apparatus An apparatus for counting and grouping articles has a discharge end through which the articles are discharged in consecutive groups, each having a predetermined number of articles; a first conveyor carrying the articles in random distribution; a second co... | 05/17/1977 |
| 4015110 | Electronic control means for paper counting and handling machines Electronic control means for a paper handling and counting machine. An LED array provides a visual display of the number of paper documents counted during either normal counting or "batching" operations. The LED display is utilized to the exclusion of add... | 03/29/1977 |
| 3971918 | Method and apparatus for measuring the number of stacked corrugated cardboards A method and an apparatus for measuring the number of a plurality of stacked corrugated cardboards. The one end of the stack is scanned horizontally and vertically by a photoelectric sensor, consisting of an array of 64 photodiodes switched in turn by ele... | 07/27/1976 |
