THOMAS PATTERSON HARTNESS
Pilots in Greenville, SC

3986321, Oct 19, 1976

Dec 4, 1975

5/637530

Thomas P. Hartness - Greenville SC
Robert G. Hartness - Greenville SC

B65B 5702

53 64

A control apparatus is provided for properly positioning an empty case on an elevator platform of an article loading machine having a conveyor for moving the empty case onto the elevator platform to be raised thereby to a loading position beneath a loading mechanism, a clutch and brake arrangement for intermittently controlling the conveyor, and hydraulic or pneumatic means for raising and lowering the elevator wherein the control apparatus comprises a cam means having a first position abutting a front end of the case when transported onto the elevator platform for physically stopping the case and for sequentially de-actuating the clutch, and actuating the brake for stopping the conveyor and for actuating the hydraulic means for raising the elevator platform. The cam means has a second position below a bottom surface of the case when loaded and lowered to an original position for actuating the means for starting the conveyor while providing a roller surface over which the loaded case is moved. The control apparatus thus provides proper alignment and positioning of the case on the elevator platform to prevent mis-loading of articles in the case and malfunctioning of the loading machine when the case is raised to the loading position.

7191896, Mar 20, 2007

Apr 24, 2006

11/409765

Thomas P. Hartness - Greenville SC, US
Robert C. Beesley - Greenville SC, US
Marc Monaghan - Greenville SC, US

Hartness International, Inc. - Greenville SC

B65G 37/00

198594, 198444, 198812, 1983473

A spiral accumulator apparatus is disclosed for controlling the flow of articles. The apparatus includes an infeed conveyor driven in a first direction to convey articles therealong in the first direction along a first path that is at least partially curved, and an outfeed conveyor driven in an opposite direction to convey articles therealong in the opposite direction along a second path that is at least partially curved. The infeed and outfeed conveyors are spaced apart and generally parallel along at least a portion of the first and second paths so as to define a space therebetween. A movable transport member is disposed generally across and movable along the space, and an article transfer member is carried by the transport member and operably disposed between the infeed and outfeed conveyors to transfer articles between the infeed conveyor and the outfeed conveyor. A transport member mover is connected to the transport member, the transport member mover including an endless loop movable when a relative speed difference exists between the infeed and outfeed conveyors thereby causing the transport member to travel in the direction of the faster of the infeed and outfeed conveyors. Various options and modifications are possible, including use of a differential drive mechanism of mechanical, gear-based, or sensor and controller based designs.

7850003, Dec 14, 2010

Mar 17, 2006

11/384031

Thomas P. Hartness - Greenville SC, US
Mark W. Davidson - Greer SC, US
Ernst Van Wickeren - Weeze, DE

Illinois Tool Works Inc. - Glenview IL

B65D 75/00

206150, 206432, 206497, 206820

A heat-shrinkable holder is disclosed for securing a plurality of articles. The holder may include a first sheet formed of heat-shrinkable material, and a second sheet formed of heat-shrinkable material and joined to the first sheet. The first sheet and the second sheet are joined so as to create at least two openings therebetween. Each of the openings is sized larger than one of the articles. The first and second sheets are heat-shrinkable to an extent to shrink the openings sufficiently to secure two of the articles together into a unit. Various modifications and additions are possible, including use of more than three sheets, providing for the reading of printed indicia on the articles or holder, providing a handle. Numerous orientations and collections of articles are possible. Related packages including a holder and articles are also disclosed, as well as related methods of manufacture of the holder and package.

7207434, Apr 24, 2007

Sep 23, 2004

10/948844

Thomas P. Hartness - Greenville SC, US
Mark W. Davidson - Greer SC, US
Frank Brennan - Greenville SC, US
Robert C. Beesley - Greenville SC, US

Hartness International, Inc. - Greenville SC

B65G 25/00

1988037, 1984682

A conveyor is disclosed suitable for conveying objects along a transport direction. The conveyor includes a plurality of connected links, each link having a length extending across the direction of transport and a width extending along the direction of transport. Each link has a conveying surface and at least one movable gripping member extending from the conveying surface of the link. Each gripping member is movable from a first opened position to a second gripping position. The gripping members each include a gripping arm having a pivot point, a gripping end spaced from the pivot point, and a cam follower extending outward from the gripping arm between the pivot point and the gripping end. The gripping arm is located so as to be able to contact one of the objects via the gripping end when the gripping member is in the second position to hold the object relative to the link during transport. Each link includes at least one spring member urging the gripping members toward the second position.

4169342, Oct 2, 1979

Nov 14, 1977

5/851603

Thomas P. Hartness - Greenville SC
Robert G. Hartness - Greenville SC

B65B 3902, B65B 2106

53248

An apparatus for controlling the flow of articles being fed to a case packer in rows on a transporting surface by separating a predetermined number or charge of articles loaded on the case packer from the incoming articles. The apparatus includes a plurality of divider plates which separate the articles into rows and a plurality of fluid operated cylinders which are carried above the rows. The cylinders have pistons extending downwardly therefrom upon which an elongated abutment is carried. These cylinders are selectively activated for raising and lowering the abutments into and out of the path of the incoming articles for stopping the flow of articles to the case packer. This is to enable the articles to be loaded into a case without being adversely affected by the pressure of the incoming articles bearing thereagainst. The cylinders are carried on a plate whose longitudinal position can be adjusted for loading articles of different sizes.

4493599, Jan 15, 1985

Dec 2, 1982

6/446234

Thomas S. Hartness - Greenville SC
Thomas P. Hartness - Greenville SC

B65G 5902

414120

A device for depalletizing tiers of articles and depositing said articles carried on a multi-tier pallet A onto a receiving table. The device includes an elevator clamp C which extends over the multi-tier pallet A and, upon being lowered to the top tier of articles, four spaced walls of the clamp are moved inwardly for gripping the bottles therebetween. The elevator is then raised with the top layer of articles and shifted forward over a receiving table E. The elevator with said articles are lowered for depositing the articles onto the receiving table. Prior to the articles being deposited on the receiving table E, side walls of the receiving table are moved apart so that the articles can be readily received therebetween. After the articles are deposited on the table E, the side walls are brought back together forcing the articles into alignment so that a wiper arm F can shift successive rows of articles onto a table top conveyor G.

4292839, Oct 6, 1981

Sep 4, 1979

6/071864

Thomas S. Hartness - Greenville SC

Hartness International, Inc. - Greenville SC

G01M 332

73 492

A crown release pressure tester for testing the pressure that is required for a crown carried on a container to fail or if the crown is leaking. The device includes an elongated housing which has a bore extending therethrough. The top portion of the container which has the crown that is to be tested threaded thereon is severed from the container and secured to the top of the housing in axial alignment with the bore. A piston threadably carried in the bore is rotated to increase the pressure imparted through liquid and compressed air until the crown releases from the top of the container. The pressure that the crown releases is recorded on a pressure gauge.

4300330, Nov 17, 1981

Nov 13, 1979

6/093869

Thomas S. Hartness - Greenville SC

Hartness International, Inc. - Greenville SC

B65B 2106, B65B 2118

53539

A bottle loading machine having a bottle transfer conveyor transferring charges of bottles in aligned rows to a case loading station for being deposited through a grid set into a case carried therebelow. Aligned pairs of gripping arms are carried in the path of the transfer conveyor directly over the grid set for receiving the aligned rows of bottles. A pair of abutments are carried adjacent the forward end of the grid set for tilting the leading bottle of the charge of bottles so that when the bottles are dropped, they drop freely into the case. A plurality of stops are carried on a pivotal arm positioned adjacent the junction of the transfer conveyor and the grid set for restraining the incoming bottles as the charge is being dropped into the case.

6983577, Jan 10, 2006

Oct 21, 2002

10/274656

Thomas Patterson Hartness - Greenville SC, US
Richard M. Wiernicki - Roebuck SC, US
Robert Leslie Dillard - Easley SC, US
David Lee Scott - Greenville SC, US

Hartness International, Inc. - Greenville SC

B65B 7/28, B65B 5/10

53471, 53251, 53278, 53299, 53475, 53485, 141145, 141237, 141250

An apparatus and method is disclosed for processing containers or other articles by using continuous rotation of processing heads in a circular path about a single vertical axis and controlling the processing heads to independently rotate about a swivel axis causing them to move in a straight-line path while the heads are lowered to engage a group of containers or articles arranged in parallel rows. In this manner, a higher production apparatus and method are provided which is simpler, more reliable, requires less floor space, and easy to reconfigure for different applications.

4392586, Jul 12, 1983

Nov 10, 1980

6/205194

Thomas S. Hartness - Greenville SC
Thomas P. Hartness - Greenville SC

Hartness International, Inc. - Greenville SC

B65G 5906, B65B 1702

221210

A device for feeding cartons in succession from a stack of cartons for being deposited on top of articles carried in a case being moved on a conveyor. A plurality of picker fingers are selectively moved to and from the stack of cartons, and outwardly extending projections carried on top of the picker fingers extend between the lowermost carton and the next carton. Upon lowering of the picker fingers, the lowermost cartons of the stack are deposited on a feed chute for delivery to the case. The case is moved along the conveyor under a pressure foot which presses the cartons down over the tops of the articles for securing the articles in packages.