...that after Parker Brothers executives turned down the game of Monopoly because it had "52 fundamental errors" (including taking too long to play), a copy of the game wound up in the home of the company president who stayed up until 1 a.m. to finish playing it? He was so impressed by the game that the next day he wrote to inventor Charles Darrow and offered to buy it!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7850411 | Storage and retrieval system A storage and retrieval system includes a continuous track and a plurality of individual storage units stacked in multiple columns or rows. Each storage unit includes wheels for engaging the continuous track for selective movement along the track. A conveyor apparat... | 12/14/2010 |
| 7695234 | Device for temporarily loading, storing and unloading a container A device for temporarily loading, storing and unloading a container without deforming the container and affecting its contents. An enclosure (2) having struts (3) at both its left and right sides is provided. A support beam (4) of a transporter ... | 04/13/2010 |
| 7651309 | Floating unit, and an article support apparatus having floating units A floating unit comprises: a stationary portion; a movable portion supported to be movable relative to the stationary portion and including an article support; a support disposed between the stationary portion and the movable portion, the support having a plurality ... | 01/26/2010 |
| 7387485 | Cartridge transport assembly Storage library systems and methods of operating and assembling library systems are provided. The storage library system may include a stationary support member having a first axis and a cartridge transport assembly. The cartridge transport assembly includes a cartr... | 06/17/2008 |
| 7377737 | Storage lift A storage lift has two shelving columns that support storage goods carriers (5). A vertical conveyor is located between the two shelving columns and at least one of the shelving columns has a loading and removal opening. A light grille (9, 10) and face... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7376961 | Contactless power and/or data transmission in an automated data storage library employing segmented coils A contactless power system for an automated data storage library having a plurality of storage shelves for storing data storage cartridges, at least one picker for accessing the data storage cartridges with respect to the storage shelves, and a transport system for ... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7367747 | Adjustable and extending transport cradle for watercraft A cradle assembly for moving and positioning a watercraft with respect to a support module. The cradle assembly comprises a plurality of horizontally varying cradle beams, a cradle wall extending upward from the cradle beams and a transportation track traversing the... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7359186 | Storage subsystem The storage subsystem is connected to an external device and comprises a storage device arrangement portion, on which a plurality of storage devices is arranged, and a control device that controls communications between the plurality of storage devices arranged on t... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7337533 | Device for mounting component An object of the present invention is to provide a component mounting apparatus and a component mounting method in which a movement time of a nozzle can be shortened so that production efficiency can be improved. There is provided a control means for controll... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7338041 | Image recording material supply apparatus and method For replacing a cassette 9 in an automatic loader section 4, an operation of retracting the cassette 9 to a cassette accommodation section 3 is performed in parallel with an operation of inserting a new cassette 9 from the cassette... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7332680 | Conveying device having container order changing mechanism, and combination weighing device and quality inspection device provided therewith A conveying device is disclosed that changes the order of containers during conveyance in order to speed up processes, such as a discharging process performed by a combination weighing device and a rank-order sorting process performed by a quality inspection device.... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7329081 | Apparatus for transporting containers An automated apparatus suitable for transporting containers arranged in a row of stacks or partial stacks includes an overhead gantry system. The overhead gantry system has a moveable support for supporting at least one stack or partial stack of containers and movin... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7328442 | Robotic corner negotiating systems and methods for automated storage libraries In one aspect of the invention, an apparatus for transferring storage cartridges within an automated storage library is provided. The apparatus includes a sled and a track for supporting and guiding the sled. The track includes a corner portion wherein the sled move... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7322561 | Vacuum processing apparatus The invention provides a highly reliable plasma processing apparatus having stable sealing performance. The vacuum processing apparatus comprises a vacuum vessel 509 having its inside decompressed, an opening 1201 disposed on a wall of the vacuum vesse... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7314341 | Automatic storage device and climate controlled cabinet with such a device The invention relates to a storage device and a climate controlled cabinet with a storage assembly and a transport device. For minimizing the access times, the transport device can be arranged in the center of a rotating table. The storage assembly is arranged on th... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7304260 | System and method for filling, removing and transporting containers The present invention relates to a system and method for automatically transporting receiving containers for sorted products. The containers are filled with the sorted products along a sorting stretch at individual, similar target stations, and automatically transpo... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7287953 | Method for loading and unloading Method for loading and unloading long-distance transportation means (1, 2) and for temporarily storing a standardized cargo (18) in an intermediate storage facility (3) includes a rail-guided hoist (5) with gripper (8). The cargo i... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7286903 | Robotic library communication protocol A method and system are disclosed for transmitting data among robots and a controller computer system within an automated robotic library. A robotic library communication protocol is described for communicating among the robotic mechanisms and the controller compute... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7281608 | Loading/unloading device for shelving The invention relates to a rack serving device (1) with a load-bearing means (4) displaceable in the height direction of a mast (2), the mast (2) being guided by means of bogie assemblies (7, 8) on bottom and top guide tracks and m... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7274531 | Extendable storage bin mounting for automatic storage library In one exemplary embodiment an automated storage library is provided. The automated storage library may include a media drive, an array of storage bins for holding storage devices, and a robotic transfer mechanism for transporting storage devices between the media d... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7270510 | Device and method for transporting wafer-shaped articles An apparatus for treating wafer-shaped articles includes at least one linear arranged array of a plurality of at least two process units wherein in each such process unit one single wafer-shaped article can be treated, a cassette-holding unit for holding at least on... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7264432 | Device and method for transferring objects A device for transferring and characterizing objects positions the object on a horizontal work field. The device includes at least one rail extending parallel to the X direction and a displacement unit, movable back and forth in the X direction, having a motorized g... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7266421 | System for controlling lifting and remote handling units located in a confined enclosure The control system is used to control manipulation equipment (41) and carrying equipment (43) confined in a containment (40) inaccessible to operators and to perform maintenance operations related to electronic circuits for onboard equipment enc... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7261509 | Method and system for operating a racking system preferably in a dispatch unit A method for operating a rack system preferably in a dispatch unit (1), with a rack (2) and an associated rack serving device for the storage and retrieval of containers (3), trays or the like to or from the rack. A rack region of the rack (2... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7249924 | Rack serving unit A rack serving unit comprises a carriage which may be moved along a rack aisle on substantially horizontal carrying rails. Carried along by the carriage there is a lifting platform which is suspended on the carriage by way of at least two traction mechanisms, prefer... | 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 |
| 7214022 | Object storage device and climate-controlled cabinet The invention pertains to an object storage device with at least two storage spaces for stackers as well as a horizontally tiltable transport platform whose height can be displaced by a hoisting unit. The hoisting unit is arranged at a base point, which can be moved... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7213698 | Sensors for article sorter A sortation assembly includes a plurality of chutes which are movable along a continuous loop and along and over a plurality of sort stations. The chutes are operable to deposit articles, such as mail or flats mail or the like, to appropriate bins or trays positione... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7199967 | Methods and apparatus for transporting data cartridges between adjacent cartridge libraries An apparatus and method for transporting data cartridges between cartridge libraries. A data cartridge is received by a data cartridge transport device, pivoted, and then ejected to a cartridge sleeve of a second cartridge library. In one embodiment, the data cartri... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7169263 | Coarse dirt collector for removing coarse material from a pulper and corresponding method The invention relates to a coarse dirt collector (7) for removing coarse material from a pulper (1). The coarse dirt collector (7) comprises a support arm (8) with a collecting basket (9). The collecting basket (9) consists ... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7168905 | Storage and retrieval system A storage and retrieval system includes a plurality of individual storage units stacked in multiple columns. Each storage unit includes wheels which engage a track for selective movement along the track. Vertical and horizontal actuators are used to move the storage... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7168748 | Intelligent, self-contained robotic hand A robotic device has a base and at least one finger having at least two links that are connected in series on rotary joints with at least two degrees of freedom. A brushless motor and an associated controller are located at each joint to produce a rotational movemen... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7159722 | System and method for item handling A system and method are set out for automatically extracting pods from a carousel shaped casing tower which include elements for engaging and moving the pods within the carousel while the carousel maintains its place. The pods travel on a track within the carousel w... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7162329 | Automated data storage system including a moveable rail system and garage Applicants' automated data storage system includes a first media storage library having a first rail system, a garage having a movable rail system, said garage being disposed adjacent the media storage library, and a plurality of accessors movably disposed on either... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7158326 | Data storage library and accessor control method A data storage library for storing a storage media, wherein a plurality of accessors accesses the data storage media stored in an array of storage cells includes a first accessor transporting the storage media, the first accessor including a first carriage storing o... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7138596 | Apparatus and method for mail sorting A method for sorting mail to a case having a plurality of slots is described, wherein each slot corresponds to a destination. The method includes steps of loading a mail piece to be sorted into a delivery robot, determining for the mail piece a destination slot the ... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7131361 | Workpiece-transfer device The present invention provides a workpiece-transfer device that has functions for both loading and unloading workpieces, without requiring a workpiece-storage device to enable a function for replacing material and product workpieces with each other, and that require... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7131810 | Carriage A carriage for transport of a load, for example a load pallet, along a rail pair in a so-called deep racking store, has a carrier arrangement which, in a deactivated transport position, passes under a load resting on the rail pair. The carrier arrangement is dispose... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7131811 | Rail system A system for the deep racking storage of pallets includes at least one pair of rails which are intended for supporting pallets. The rails are of sufficient length to support several pallets. A carriage is positionable on a pair of rails and drivable therealong for m... | 11/07/2006 |