Quotables
"To place a man in a multi-stage rocket and project him into the controlling gravitational field of the moon where the passengers can make scientific observations, perhaps land alive, and then return to earth--all that constitutes a wild dream worthy of Jules Verne. I am bold enough to say that such a man-made voyage will never occur regardless of all future advances."
Lee deForest, American radio pioneer ; 1957
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7780392 | Horizontal array stocker The present invention comprises a stocker. The stocker comprises multiple container storage locations arranged in a horizontal array. The horizontal array of storage locations may be suspended from the facility ceiling or supported by the facility floor. The stocker... | 08/24/2010 |
| 7381022 | Automated 3-dimensional multitasking, stocking, storage, and distribution system An automated storage and retrieval system wherein electrically driven, computer-controlled carriages (58) can navigate a system of rails (78) in three-dimensions. Multiple carriages (58) can independently operate at the same time to accomplish a... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7313464 | Bin-picking system for randomly positioned objects A method for picking up objects randomly arranged in a bin using a robot having a gripper for grasping the objects using prehension feature(s) on the object. The method includes a shaking scheme for rearranging the objects in the bin when no objects are recognized, ... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7284652 | Tiered control architecture for material handling A control architecture for material handling includes multiple tiers of controllers, such as three. The lowest-level controllers interact directly with sensors and actuators used in the material handling system, such as photo-eyes and motors used with conveyors. The... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7264126 | Supports for storing sheets of granite, stone, glass, and other materials Supports used in pairs for storing and handling large sheets of heavy materials such as granite, stone and glass. Each support comprises a vertical, steel A-frame welded to a horizontal steel I-beam. Spaced-apart steel post holders are welded to the web of the I-bea... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7261631 | Portable big game hoist assembly A portable big game hoist assembly includes a bottom rod that has a first end and a second end. Each of a pair of bottom couplers is attached to one of the first and second ends. Base supports are attached to and extend laterally away from the bottom couplers. A fir... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7249668 | Positive displacement sorter shoe A positive displacement sorter apparatus and method includes providing a plurality of interconnected slats defining an endless web, an upper run of the web defining a conveying surface. A plurality of pusher shoes are provided, each moving along at least one of the ... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7249678 | Sorting apparatus A sorting apparatus has at least two sorter cells arranged substantially one above the other. Sorter cells are fitted to a driving unit for moving the sorter cells from a horizontal loading plane to a horizontal discharge plane, both of which are assigned to the sor... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7251544 | Storage system A storage system comprises a first plurality of storage cartridges along an accessible side of a path, a second plurality of storage cartridges along a non-accessible side of the path, and a transport device to move the first and second plurality of magazines around... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7229110 | Bottle loading and unloading tool with extendable arms A device for grabbing bottles comprises a frame, a first set of gripping heads, shoulder pads, extendable arms, a second set of gripping heads. The frame has a first and a second parallel elongated support structure. The first set of gripping heads is mounted on the... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7203570 | Stowage and retrieval system A storage and retrieval system is provided that automates the process of handling a mixed inventory of palletized and containerized items. The invention is particularly useful in handling cargo and weapons within a ship's hold or magazine. When used on a ship, the i... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7200260 | Teaching model generating device A workpiece W serving as an object for detection is fixed in place. A camera 20 is mounted to the end of a robot RB. The camera is turned about an axis, which passes through the center position of the workpiece W and is perpendicular to the optical axis of th... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7117988 | Positive displacement sorter A positive displacement sorter includes a plurality of interconnected slats defining an endless web, an upper run of the web defining a conveying surface conveying articles in a longitudinal direction. A plurality of pusher shoes move along the slats to laterally di... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7101139 | Automated material handling system with motorized transfer vehicles A material handling system for use in storing and moving goods within multi-level storage warehouses, ocean going vessels and the like wherein storage areas are provided on at least one of the levels and wherein goods are automatically transferred to and from the st... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7086519 | Positive displacement shoe and slat sorter apparatus and method A positive displacement sorter apparatus and method includes providing a plurality of slats being interconnected in an endless web, an upper run of the web defining a conveying surface, and a plurality of pusher shoes gliding along at least some of the slats to late... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7083041 | Slat conveyor having conveying slats and lifting slats An inflatable bladder (50) is positioned between the top (24) of a lower slat (22) and the top (36) of an upper slat (20). An air supply/exhaust conduit (52) extends upwardly from a transverse manifold (76) to the inf... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7062893 | System and method for accommodating atypical customer requirements in a mass customization A build cell is utilized to manufacture computers and load data into the computers according to customer orders. The build cell may include a build station at which components are assembled into a computer and a first network connection that links the computer with ... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7054704 | Method, system and facility for controlling resource allocation within a manufacturing environment A method and system provide for the control of resource allocation within a build-to-order manufacturing environment. One example embodiment of a method according to the present disclosure includes an operation for monitoring a work-in-process (WIP) profile that rep... | 05/30/2006 |
| 6966106 | Method and apparatus for transporting and running tubulars The invention is a transporting apparatus for holding lengths of tubulars and transporting tubulars to a drill floor of a drill rig, wherein the transport container for tubulars has a bottom side, a two sides connected to the bottom side, and two ends connected to t... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6955045 | Oil pump system Variable displacement pump pumps oil to one or the other ports of an oil operated vehicle wheel motor to drive a lawn mower. ... | 10/18/2005 |
| 6951274 | Tiered control architecture for material handling A control architecture for material handling includes multiple tiers of controllers, such as three. The lowest-level controllers interact directly with sensors and actuators used in the material handling system, such as photo-eyes and motors used with conveyors. The... | 10/04/2005 |
| 6948900 | Flow rack A wire flow rack system including a longitudinal wire, a roller wire, a roller and an optional cap. The roller wire is joined with and transverse to the longitudinal wire and includes an unsupported free end that projects beyond the longitudinal wire. The roller def... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6950714 | Method, system and facility for controlling resource allocation within a manufacturing environment A method and system provide for the control of resource allocation within a build-to-order manufacturing environment by monitoring a work-in-process (WIP) profile that represents dynamic attributes of an area in a manufacturing facility. A user interface in a contro... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6931304 | Scalable means of supplying power to a remotely controlled, semi-autonomous robot An automated library system having multiple storage cells for storing multiple data cartridges. Rails are provided adjacent to the storage cells to guide one or more robots among the storage cells. Primary coils are disposed proximate the rails. A power supply produ... | 08/16/2005 |
| 6773220 | Semi-conductor wafer cassettes modular stocker A modular stocker for storage and retrieval of semi-conductor wafer cassettes that minimizes system down time for repair of replacement of components. The modular stocker is comprised of a rectangular or half cylindrical enclosure formed by vertical beams secured by... | 08/10/2004 |
| 6772046 | Semiconductor factory automation system and method for monitoring operational failure of stocker A method for monitoring an operational failure of a stocker for use in a semiconductor factory automation system, wherein the stocker is divided into a plurality of operational parts, includes the steps of: a) generating stocker state information representing an ope... | 08/03/2004 |
| 6709225 | System for installation, maintenance and removal of minienvironment components A system is disclosed for allowing quick and easy installation, maintenance and removal of components within a piece of equipment which may be attached to a front end of processing tool or stand alone unit in a semiconductor processing fab. In a first embodiment, th... | 03/23/2004 |
| 6655532 | Vertical installation system in which information processing apparatuses are installed A vertical installation structure includes a plurality of placing stages on each of which information processing apparatuses are to be installed, and supporting members for supporting the plurality of placing stages so that the plurality of placing stages... | 12/02/2003 |
| 6648572 | Magazine with removable inclined frames for storing and transferring panel-like products A magazine with removable inclined frames comprising a plurality of inclined frames arranged side by side in a parking area, each frame having, at its base, a carriage-like structure which carries the inclined frame so that it is mounted on, and slideable... | 11/18/2003 |
| 6558101 | Article storage system The object of the present invention is to reduce the number of shelves for supporting articles in an article storage system for storage of articles such as containers. The storage system includes a shelf 12 for supporting a container 2 having an engaging ... | 05/06/2003 |
| 6536131 | Wafer handling system A semiconductor wafer processing system has a carrier including wafer slots. A process robot engages the carrier and installs the carrier into a rotor within a process chamber. The rotor has a tapered or stepped inside surface matching a tapered or steppe... | 03/25/2003 |
| 6209712 | Conveyor for channels between storage racks A conveying apparatus (1) for use in a shelf channel of rack storage facilities. The conveying apparatus (1) comprises circulating conveying means (2) for conveying and storing goods. The conveying means (2) is an endless loop formed partially by a roller... | 04/03/2001 |
| 6139240 | Orthogonal type branching conveyer for diverting articles carried by a conveyer in an automated warehouse An automated warehouse includes a plurality of article storage shelves having a plurality of article storage sections arranged therein . An article may be conveyed from a main conveyer at one end of the shelves through a branching conveyer to a transfer a... | 10/31/2000 |
| 6079927 | Automated wafer buffer for use with wafer processing equipment An automated wafer buffer is provided for use with a wafer processing system. The wafer buffer includes an I/O port for loading and unloading wafer containers, each holding a batch of wafers, a storage structure for storing up to a predetermined number of... | 06/27/2000 |
| 6068436 | Pass thru mechanism for transferring media cartridges between automated cartridge library systems The pass thru mechanism for automated cartridge library systems serves to interconnect two juxtaposed operationally independent automated cartridge library systems and provides a simple apparatus that makes use of gravity to obviate the need for complex m... | 05/30/2000 |
| 5964361 | Ergonomic storage racks An ergonomic storage rack in which arcuate rails are joined to a horizontal beam in a spaced-apart relationship to form an access area therebetween. The arcuate rails form shelves on which loaded pallets may be stored. The rails may be positioned at any d... | 10/12/1999 |
| 5893468 | Storage rack system Apparatus comprising a plurality of mobile carriages arranged in a closely spaced row for storing, organizing and displaying a multiplicity of elongated items arranged in a plurality of groups according to a physical characteristic of the elongated items ... | 04/13/1999 |
| 5820327 | Apparatus for horizontally transferring distribution pallets A horizontal transfer apparatus for transferring distribution pallets includes two horizontally movable rails extending horizontally in a direction of transfer. The horizontally movable rails are adapted to mount thereon those end portions of each distrib... | 10/13/1998 |
| 5815085 | Storage and retrieval machine having improved real-time responsiveness and improved noise immunity A communication system for a storage and retrieval machine comprises a conductor bar, base and carriage electrical devices, a sliding brush, first and second transmitters, and first and second receivers. The sliding brush is mounted to the carriage and is... | 09/29/1998 |
| 5727669 | Method and apparatus for transferring palletized loads The present invention is directed to a conveyor system adapted to transfer palletized loads along a generally horizontal path under the force of gravity. In one preferred form, the conveyor system of the present invention includes a support structure whic... | 03/17/1998 |
