The Procter Gamble Company

The Proctor 'Gamble Company

The Procter & Gamble Plaza

Clifford Theodore Papsdorf

Uwe Schneider

Jason Lee DeBruler

Mark Neil Howdyshell

Stephen Douglas Congleton

Michael John Mers-Kelly

Todd Douglas Lenser

Eric Shawn Goudy

Daniel Patrick Findley

Roger Phillip Williams

Christopher Michael Richards

Rodney Alan Holloway

Robert Paul Cassoni

Andre Josephine Karel De Saert

Ronald Joseph Zink, Ii

Darrell Ian Brown

Stephen Lebeuf Hardie

John Glasgow Burns, Jr

Ronald Joseph Zink

Jennifer Lynn Tuertscher

Thomas Luebcke

Chris Albert Blair

Zulema Dorronsoro Martin

Kazuya Ogawa

Patrick John Healey

Adal Amine Tecleab

Scott Eugene Mizer

Geoffrey John Kerr

Hilde Cloostermans-Huwaert

Andre De Saert

Kazuki Fukushima

Jasmine Marie Browne

Brian Charles Crenshaw

Jason Lee Debruler

Jr John Glasgow Burns

A laundry treatment apparatus including a plurality of swivel casters. Two of the swivel casters are braked swivel casters. One of the swivel casters other than the braked swivel casters is a vertically adjustable swivel caster. The braked swivel casters restrain translational movement of the laundry treatment apparatus across a floor. The vertically adjustable swivel caster can help fix the position of the laundry treatment apparatus so as to restrain rocking and twisting of the laundry treatment apparatus.

Moveable laundry treatment apparatus

A laundry apparatus includes an exterior housing, a tub, one or more tub mounts rigidly mounting the tub to the exterior housing, a drum positioned within the tub and rotatable relative to the tub, a control unit, a motor, one or more load imbalance sensors, and a dynamic balancing assembly. The motor is communicatively coupled to the control unit and operatively coupled to the drum. The one or more load imbalance sensors are communicatively coupled to the control unit and configured to output a load imbalance signal to the control unit, the load imbalance signal being indicative of a load imbalance within the drum. The dynamic balancing assembly is includes one or more counterweight devices configured to be orbited about the primary rotation axis to counteract a detected load imbalance in the drum. The tub is unsupported by any displaceable suspension members extending between the tub and the exterior housing.

Suspensionless laundry apparatuses and methods of balancing a laundry apparatus

A laundry apparatus includes a tub, a drum, a control unit, a motor, and a dynamic balancing assembly. The drum is positioned within a fluid containment envelope of the tub and rotatable relative to the tub about a primary rotation axis. The motor is coupled to the tub and operatively coupled to the drum to cause rotation of the drum. The dynamic balancing assembly includes an orbital balancing passage arranged concentrically around the motor, a first counterweight device, and a second counterweight device. The first and second counterweight devices are positioned within the orbital balancing passage and are responsive to the control unit to move the first and second counterweight devices along the orbital balancing passage to adjust an angular position of the first and second counterweight devices. A cross-sectional plane passes through the dynamic balancing assembly, the motor, and the fluid containment envelope of the tub.

Laundry apparatuses having dynamic balancing assemblies

A dynamic balancing assembly for a laundry apparatus includes a control unit, one or more counterweight devices, and one or more clocksprings. The one or more counterweight devices are configured to be orbited about a primary rotation axis of the laundry apparatus to counteract a load imbalance in a drum of the laundry apparatus. The one or more clocksprings communicatively couple each of the one or more counterweight devices to the control unit.

Dynamic balancing assemblies and laundry apparatuses having one or more clocksprings

A system and an apparatus capable of independently driving movers are described herein. The system and apparatus includes: a track that forms a path for movers; a plurality of movers movably mounted on the track for moving along the path; and a plurality of drive elements fixedly arranged along the track. The drive elements each have a surface that is oriented to contact a driven member of the movers. The drive elements are configured to sequentially engage the driven member of a plurality of the movers to provide controlled independent motion of the movers along the track. The drive elements may be driven by rotary motors. A method of independently driving movers is also described herein.

Method of independently controlling motion of movers along a path

Apparatus that controls motion of independent movers along a path

Apparatus that controls motion of proximate independent movers along a path

Apparatus for controlled transport of articles along a path

Methods and apparatuses for moving and/or transferring discrete articles are described. In particular, the methods and apparatuses relate to flexible arrangements to move and/or transfer discrete articles that vary in size and/or shape with minimal to no change in equipment.

Methods and apparatuses for moving and/or transferring multiple discrete articles

An article feed system for aligning and singulating incoming articles includes a rotatable upper rim surface and an article delivery device that delivers articles received by the article delivery device to the upper rim surface. A drive system is operatively connected to the disk assembly that rotates the bowl assembly and the assemblies rotate at different speeds but in the same direction. A guide wall extends upwardly above the upper rim surface that guides the articles travelling along the upper rim surface toward an exit opening in the guide wall. A vertically oriented article engaging-type conveyor is at the exit opening in the guide wall. The vertically oriented article engaging-type conveyor includes a moving article engaging surface that is exposed to the exit opening in the guide wall for receiving the articles when they exit the exit opening.

Article feed system for aligning and singulating articles

The present disclosure is directed to a method of transferring discrete articles from or to a moving carrier member using a transfer assembly. The transfer assembly comprises a frame defining a rotation axis and a transfer member comprising a transfer surface configured to receive one of the discrete articles. The method comprises rotating the transfer member about the rotation axis and maintaining the transfer surface at a substantially constant minimum distance away from the moving carrier member at the point of discrete article transfer.

Methods for transferring discrete articles

An article feed system for aligning and singulating incoming articles includes a rotatable upper rim surface and an article delivery device that delivers articles received by the article delivery device to the upper rim surface. A drive system is operatively connected to the outer bowl that rotates the outer bowl. A guide wall extends upwardly above the upper rim surface that guides the articles travelling along the upper rim surface toward an exit opening in the guide wall. A vertically oriented article engaging-type conveyor is at the exit opening in the guide wall. The vertically oriented article engaging-type conveyor includes a moving article engaging surface that is exposed to the exit opening in the guide wall for receiving the articles when they exit the exit opening.

Growing community of inventors

Loveland, OH, United States of America

Clifford Theodore Papsdorf