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:
Sep. 08, 1998
Filed:
Nov. 08, 1996
Applicant:
Inventors:
Michael J Mullins, Chesterfield, VA (US);
Barry S Smith, Hopewell, VA (US);
Roy E Vanderlinden, Frederick, MD (US);
Assignee:
Philip Morris Incorporated, New York, NY (US);
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B65G / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
4147887 ; 198454 ; 4147972 ;
Abstract
An apparatus and process for the inspection, conveying, and optionally temporary storage of uniform packaged goods is described. The apparatus includes a singulating device which takes dual stacked goods and reduces the dual stack to a single line of goods, inspects the goods, returns the goods to a dual stack, and transports them to a cartoner. A preferred embodiment contains a temporary buffer for storage of the goods to compensate for manufacturing speed changes, supply/demand fluctuations, or excessive rejects.