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 |
| 8057154 | Device for moving a printed product A device (1) for moving a book (2) with a clamping device (3) moved by a first drive (22, 23) and having two clamping jaws (3a, b) that can be displaced in a parallel to open and close the clamping device, with a gear mechan... | 11/15/2011 |
| 7422411 | Gripping mechanisms, apparatus and methods The present invention provides grasping mechanisms, gripper apparatus/systems, and related methods. Grasping mechanisms that include stops, support surfaces, and height adjusting surfaces to determine three translational axis positions of a grasped object are provid... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7390458 | High throughput processing system and method of using Briefly, the present invention provides a system and method for high throughput processing using sample holders. The system has a plurality of work perimeters, with a rotational robot preferably associated with each work perimeter. At least one transfer station area... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7354335 | CMP apparatus and load cup mechanism In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a load cup mechanism is provided for loading and unloading apparatus such as a CMP apparatus. The load cup mechanism, configured to load a work piece into and to unload a work piece from the apparatus, comprises a ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7353603 | Method for mounting rotor blades to a rotor hub of a wind power installation A method of mounting rotor blades to a rotor hub which is connected to a pod of a wind power installation, includes the following steps: rotating the rotor hub into a predetermined first position, fitting a rotor blade, rotating the rotor hub by means of the rotor b... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7338249 | Sample plate gripping mechanism An apparatus for releasably gripping a sample plate for use with a mass spectrometer has been developed, the sample plate having substantially parallel faces and a peripheral surface. The apparatus comprises a planar member and first and second guiding structures. T... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7331094 | Method and device for positioning components to be joined together A device for positioning components to be joined together, such as car body components, is characterized by at least one movable central module and a plurality of arms, movable in space and connected thereto and which in each case have at least one holding element f... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7241101 | Double action grab fork and method A double action grab fork is provided according to the invention. The double action grab fork includes an upper grab member, a lower grab member, and an arm. The upper grab member has an upper grab end and an upper grab body. The lower grab member has a lower grab e... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7213684 | Device for holding a load on a load support of an industrial truck Device for holding a load on a load support of an industrial truck with the following characteristics: a support construction, adjustable in its height by a lifting drive, is mounted above the load support the supp... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7204535 | Lifting apparatus Apparatus for gripping and lifting objects such as fence posts. A frame carries a pair of grippers that are slidingly movable along the frame to grasp a post or other object. The grippers may pivot so that the object remains in essentially constant vertical orientat... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7175214 | Wafer gripping fingers to minimize distortion An apparatus for measuring semiconductor wafer shape that minimizes wafer distortion. The apparatus includes a plurality of wafer gripping fingers for holding a wafer in a predetermined position during wafer measurement. Each finger includes a groove that contacts t... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7146248 | Automated mineral processing systems and methods Mineral processing system performs product movement and processing within a secured room using robotics and computerized automation. A heated chemical processing well provides a hot bath wherein raw mineral is submersed into a separating agent. Used separating agent... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7127791 | Split nut for use with a rod having dual directional screw threads about a common diameter A docking apparatus for printed circuit boards including a cassette housing defining a housing cavity for containing a printed circuit board (PCB) and a linkage mechanism associated with the cassette housing. The linkage mechanism includes a linkage arm pivotally co... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7002772 | Gripper mechanism for tape cartridges A gripper mechanism for manipulating tape cartridges in a tape library system, the tape library system having a plurality of storage cells for removably storing a tape cartridge therein, each tape cartridge formed with engageable side slots located at side portions ... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6943975 | Automatic library for data storage tape cartridges An automatic library for cartridges of data storage tapes comprises a drive for cartridges having the form of a flat right parallelepiped having a flat side and a magazine. The drive has a cartridge pocket adapted to receive the cartridges. The magazine comprises on... | 09/13/2005 |
| 6931941 | Method and apparatus for fatigue testing A fatigue test system includes a frame having top, intermediate and bottom supports each operatively interconnected by at least one extension, and the intermediate support being disposed between the top and bottom supports. The fatigue test system further includes a... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6932556 | Slab tipping apparatus A slab tipping apparatus for tipping slabs onto forks of a forklift. The slab tipping apparatus includes a base member being designed for being selectively coupled to a carriage of the forklift. A pivoting assembly is coupled to the base member. The pivoting assembl... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6932557 | Gripping mechanisms, apparatus, and methods The present invention provides grasping mechanisms, gripper apparatus/systems, and related methods. Grasping mechanisms that include stops, support surfaces, and height adjusting surfaces to determine three translational axis positions of a grasped object are provid... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6906783 | System for using a two part cover for protecting a reticle A system and method are used to protect a mask from being contaminated by airborne particles. They include providing a reticle secured in a two-part cover. The two part cover includes a removable protection device used to protect the reticle from contaminants. The c... | 06/14/2005 |
| 6835042 | Robotic loading cell for molded utensils A robotic loading cell for plastic utensils is characterized by a synchronized supply conveyor and gripping mechanism for packaging individual utensils from an integrally molded group or rack of utensils. The gripping device is operable to remove a plurality of indi... | 12/28/2004 |
| 6811108 | Recording tape cartridge A recording tape cartridge which can be loaded in a drive device by a robot hand which grips the recording tape cartridge from above and below. A pair of ribs along a loading direction of a recording tape cartridge are formed at an angled surface portion of a lower ... | 11/02/2004 |
| 6592324 | Gripper mechanism A gripper apparatus for grasping an object such as a specimen holder. The gripper apparatus comprises two arms. In one embodiment the arms are pivotable, and in a second embodiment, each arm includes a pivotable member. The arms are moveably coupled to ea... | 07/15/2003 |
| 6499935 | Photomask case, transporting apparatus, and transporting method This mask case is a mask case for accommodating a reticle formed with a pattern to be transferred to a substrate, in which one outer wall face of the mask case is formed with first and second depressions and the form of the first depression is one of coni... | 12/31/2002 |
| 6477442 | Autoacceptertube delivery system with a robotic interface The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the automatic receipt and distribution of products, such as parenteral products or oral/solid products from a hospital pharmacy or specimen from a laboratory, through a pneumatic tube transport s... | 11/05/2002 |
| 6262862 | Hand closing mechanism for library apparatus A cartridge transferring robot for use in a library apparatus includes a pair of upper and lower hand members made to vertically come into contact with a cartridge to grip the cartridge, a pair of left and right direct-acting beatings for fitting the hand... | 07/17/2001 |
| 6082797 | Gripping tool assembly A gripping tool assembly disposed on the wrist section of a robot for gripping and moving various objects between a pick-up zone and a drop-off zone. The gripping tool assembly includes a frame having a top portion and a bottom portion with a pair of para... | 07/04/2000 |
| 6070398 | Machine for making up bundles of sheets, in particular banknotes Banknotes directed along the formation channels of a machine for making up bundles are caused to accumulate into an ordered stack at the outlet of each channel. The machine utilizes a bundling unit equipped with a sliding carriage and a first gripper, of ... | 06/06/2000 |
| 6039375 | Gripper assembly with integrated heat shield A gripper assembly with an integrated heat shield. The integrated heat shield is in the form of a shell having one or more openings through which a gas may flow into and out of in order to create a cooling current flow. Two axially aligned and opposed cyl... | 03/21/2000 |
| 5980187 | Mechanism for transporting semiconductor-process masks A system for transporting an article between a loading station and an inspection stage includes a novel support for safely retaining the article during transit. The support includes a number of article-retaining members, at least one of which is connected... | 11/09/1999 |
| 5907895 | Wafer tweezer assembling device The present invention provides a wafer tweezer assembling device by utilizing a chuck member and a plurality of tweezer blades separated by spacers having a predetermined thickness such that the mounting and the calibration of the tweezer can be accomplis... | 06/01/1999 |
| 5588796 | Apparatus and method for handling information storage media A media cartridge handling apparatus and method are disclosed which includes a frictional cartridge gripping feature and an optional cartridge flipping feature.... | 12/31/1996 |
| 5580210 | Seat handling device A device for handling an automobile seat having a bar suspended from a cable and a rotor connected to the bottom end of the bar with the output shaft of the rotor used to rotate a clamp-like device. The clamp-like device has a pair of blades which are mov... | 12/03/1996 |
| 5520501 | Wafer holding apparatus A wafer holding apparatus comprises a susceptor unit having wafer support grooves where wafers are detachably fixed, a plurality of chuck claws so provided as to be movable by air cylinders relative to a chuck body and adapted to hold the outer edge of th... | 05/28/1996 |
| 5484251 | Apparatus for overturning long-web rolls An apparatus for overturning a long-web roll comprises chucks for holding the long-web roll, which is placed on a first resting surface, by nipping an outer circumference of the long-web roll from both sides in the radial direction, and stop plates capabl... | 01/16/1996 |
| 5470192 | Arrangement for handling cylindrical bodies provided with central holes An arrangement for handling cylindrical bodies provided with central holes, the apparatus comprising gripping arms provided with gripping pins, second means arranged to move the gripping arms to obtain a forward movement, third means arranged to wind the ... | 11/28/1995 |
| 5429490 | Apparatus and method for manipulating prefabricated concrete products Apparatus for manipulating concrete products having first and second ends. The apparatus includes first and second engaging assemblies for engaging the first and second ends of the product. The engaging assemblies are mounted on a structural assembly. At ... | 07/04/1995 |
| 5365977 | Pipe seal Apparatus for covering an opening in a pipe and sealing a gas or fluid leak includes first and second pipe engaging blocks coupled to a frame. With the second block fixedly mounted to the frame and the first block movable along the frame by means of a hyd... | 11/22/1994 |
| 5330308 | Automatic refuse container loading device An automatic container loading device connected to an appropriate truck comprises a first telescopic arm connected to the chassis of the truck and able to rotate, both on a horizontal and on a vertical plane, a second telescopic arm centrally connected to... | 07/19/1994 |
| 5328319 | Robotic system for mixing and packing articles A system for transferring articles between containers to vary the mix of articles in the containers. A plurality of containers are moved to a mixing station and apparatus including a robot removes selected articles from the containers and places them into... | 07/12/1994 |
| 5297584 | Pipe seal Apparatus for covering an opening in a pipe and sealing a gas or fluid leak includes first and second pipe engaging blocks coupled to a frame. With the second block fixedly mounted to the frame and the first block movable along the frame by means of a hyd... | 03/29/1994 |
