The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 12, 2024
Filed:
May. 02, 2024
Hallmark Cards, Incorporated, Kansas City, MO (US);
Huston Perry Hund, Meriden, KS (US);
Douglas V. Henderson, Topeka, KS (US);
Glen Orrin Coats, Allen, KS (US);
HALLMARK CARDS, INCORPORATED, Kansas City, MO (US);
Abstract
A dump gate system having a pair of belts configured for rotation in opposite directions and spaced apart to define a gap between the belts. Fins extend outward from the belts. The fins may support an item in the gap when the belts are in a loading position. Each belt may have a tapered section extending from the top of the belt to a lower section of the belt. Each belt may taper toward the other belt in the tapered section to gradually reduce the width of a gap between the belts from the top of each belt to the lower section. The lower sections of the belts may be generally parallel to each other. A drive system may be configured to rotate the belts to move the fins from an initial loading position to a final loading position while items are fed into the gap for support by the fins.