Bradford Company

J. R. Automation Technologies, Inc.

Mark J Feenstra

Judson A Bradford

Allen L Burns

Calvin D Nyeboer

Kenneth Assink

Timothy A Bublitz

Brian T Dobrinski

Gerald L Boyer, Jr

Donald J Bazany

Eric S Bruinsma

A container for holding product therein during shipment and being returned for reuse has a frame, tracks supported by opposite sides of the frame, and a plurality of dunnage supports extending between the tracks. At least one of the tracks on each side is generally U-shaped and at least one is linear. Each dunnage support may comprise end members and a middle member, the end members being movable along the tracks. The dunnage supports support dunnage for supporting products for storage or shipment.

Container having non-linear and linear tracks for supporting movable dunnage

The present invention provides a container for holding product therein during shipment and being returned for reuse that has a body, tracks attached to opposite sides of the body, and a plurality of support members extending between the tracks. Sliders are located at the ends of tubular supports, the sliders being slidable in the tracks to move the support members. The support members support dunnage for supporting products for storage or shipment.

Method of loading product from container having movable pouches

A container for holding product therein during shipment and being returned for reuse has a frame, tracks supported by opposite sides of the frame, and a plurality of dunnage supports extending between the tracks. At least one of the tracks on each side is generally U-shaped. Each dunnage support comprises end members and a middle member, the end members being movable along the tracks. The dunnage supports support dunnage for supporting products for storage or shipment.

Container having non-linear tracks for supporting movable dunnage

The present invention provides a container for holding product therein during shipment and being returned for reuse that has a body, track assemblies attached to opposite sides of the body, and a plurality of tubular support members extending between the track assemblies. The tubular support members have notches which enable the support members to slide along track assemblies to move the support members. The tubular support members support dunnage for supporting product for storage or shipment.

Container having sliding support members for supporting dunnage

The present invention provides a container for holding product therein during shipment and being returned for reuse that has a body, tracks attached to opposite sides of the body, and a plurality of support members supported by the tracks. Rollers are located at the ends of the support members which roll in the tracks to move the support members. The support members have product receptacles whereby products may be suspended between adjacent support members, portions of the products residing in the product receptacles.

Container having sliding support members

The present invention provides a container for holding product therein during shipment and being returned for reuse that has a body including at least one frame, holders supported by the body and a plurality of stationary support members extending between the holders. Each support member may be fixed in a stationary position by the holders. The support members support dunnage for supporting product for storage or shipment.

Container having stationary support members for supporting dunnage

A method of manufacturing a non-disassembling partition assembly comprises providing a partition matrix made up of intersecting first and second slotted partitions. The partitions may be made by folding over a partition blank and securing a foam portion of the folded partition blank to itself. The foam may be heated before being cooled under pressure to secure opposed plies of the partition together. The partition assembly is held together by a floor parent welded to the intersecting partitions. The floor has a lower outer skin and a foam layer to which the partitions are parent welded.

Method of forming partition assembly having floor parent welded to partitions

The present invention provides a collapsible container for holding product therein during shipment and being returned for reuse that has a collapsible body, tracks attached to opposite sides of the collapsible body, and a plurality of support members extending between the tracks. Sliders are located at the ends of flexible supports, the sliders being slidable in the tracks to move the support members. The support members support dunnage for supporting products for storage or shipment.

Collapsible container having sliding support member assemblies for supporting dunnage

A non-disassembling partition assembly comprising a partition matrix made up of intersecting first and second slotted partitions, each of the partitions having at least one slot. The slots of the partitions are engaged with each other at a plurality of intersections. The partitions may be made by folding over a partition blank and securing a foam portion of the folded partition blank to itself. The foam may be heated before being cooled under pressure to secure opposed plies of the partition together. The partition assembly is held together by a floor parent welded to the intersecting partitions. The floor has a lower outer skin and a foam layer to which the partitions are parent welded.

Partition assembly having floor parent welded to partitions

An assembly of air heaters and reciprocally movable air driven staking tools is provided for use in the assembly of pieces using thermally softenable and pressure deformable studs. The air heaters and air driven staking tools are assembled in a supporting structure through which air is circulated to cool the staking tools to limit adhesion of hot softened material to the working face of each staking tool. The air heaters and air driven staking tools are individually selectable and controllable to meet the requirement of each workpiece to be hot staked. The method of operating the hot staking assembly is also disclosed.

Hot staking machine

A heat staking apparatus includes a workpiece support and a moveable support plate having a planar surface spaced from the workpiece support. A plurality of extensible components are supported on the support plate by holders that slideably engage the planar surface in a manner allowing horizontal adjustment in an infinite number of directions within a given area on the plane. The extensible components include staking tools configured to heat stake a workpiece located on the workpiece support. The hot staking apparatus further includes a plurality of adjustable hot air heater assemblies, one for each extensible cylinder. Each hot air assembly includes a holder adjustably secured to the support plate. The holder includes opposing members, one of which is spring-loaded for removably releasably engaging and holding the respective hot air heater assembly.

Heat staking apparatus

An upholstering apparatus is provided including a frame, a work-supporting plate operably mounted on the frame including a nest configured to support a sheet of upholstery material, especially fabric, and a substrate. A clamp on the frame is configured to rubbingly press the substrate against the upholstering material. In a first embodiment, a plurality of edge fold assemblies are located around the nest, each including a first subassembly having an edge fold blade operably attached to the work-supporting plate, and a second subassembly operably attached to the clamp for engaging the edge fold blade. A first actuator is operably connected to the edge fold blade to extend the blade into contact with the edge of the upholstery material to press the edge of the upholstery material against the substrate, and a second actuator is operably connected to the clamp to press the edge fold blade against the upholstery material edge and the substrate for two dimensional complex movement as the edge fold blade is moved around onto the back surface of the substrate. A controller attached to the actuators controls the sequential actuation of the actuators so that the upholstering apparatus is automatically operated for optimal performance. In a second embodiment, heaters are movably connected to the clamp to heat a strip along a back edge of a polymeric structural member to create a fluidized film on the back surface so that, when edge fold blades press a sheet of material against the back edge, the fluidized film of bonds the sheet of material to the structural member as the fluidized film cools.

Upholstering apparatus

An apparatus and method for laying a composite tape on an elongated molding is provided. The apparatus includes a reciprocatable carrier for carrying the molding, a composite tape applicator adapted to apply a pair of parallel strips of composite tape to the back of the molding, and a release-paper-adhering tape applicator adapted to apply release-paper-adhering tape to the release paper on the composite tape. The composite tape applicator includes a composite tape advancing mechanism, a cutter for cutting an expended strip of composite tape from a supply of the composite tape, and a pressing roller for pressing the composite tape securely onto the molding. The release-paper-adhering tape applicator includes a second tape advancing mechanism, a cutter for cutting a section of the release-paper-adhering tape from a supply of the release-paper-adhering tape, and a pressing member and a heater for securely bonding the section of release-paper-adhering tape to the release paper of the composite tape. The apparatus further includes a controller operably connected to the carrier, the composite tape applicator and the release-paper-adhering tape applicator for automatic operation, the controller including the capability of automatically applying release-paper-adhering tape to the end of composite tape strips and also to spliced locations on the composite tape strips so that the release paper can be later removed easily with a single pull when the molding is to be assembled to a vehicle. An article manufactured in accordance with the above is also provided.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Haven, MI, United States of America

Mark J Feenstra