WILLIAM RUFUS HARTNESS, III
Pilots at Rocky Pt Way, Greenville, SC

2004006, Apr 15, 2004

Aug 8, 2003

10/637740

Thomas Hartness - Greenville SC, US
William Hartness - Greenville SC, US
Mark Davidson - Greer SC, US
Robert Dillard - Easley SC, US
David Scott - Greenville SC, US

B65B005/00

053/247000

A case packing and case flap separation apparatus is disclosed for packing articles into cases and closing the cases. The cases typically have first and second major and minor flaps interconnected by tab-locks and held in folded positions adjacent vertical ends and sides of the cases. The apparatus includes a conveyor having a radial transport path adapted to transport successive cases through an article insertion section, first and second tab slitting sections, and a case exit section. Tab slitters are associated with the first and second slitting sections adapted to sever the tab-locks so that the major and minor flaps can be separated. First and second flap guides are associated with the first and second slitting section adapted to engage and elevate the separated major flaps away from the vertical walls after the tab-locks have been severed. Preferably, the case packing station and first and second tab slitting sections are located in proximity along the transport path so that the tab-locks are severed while the articles are inserted and gripped in the cases. By gripping the articles with the pickup heads, the articles and their cases can be guided by the pickup heads through the slitting sections as well as weighted down. A pickup head motion converter is operatively connected to the pickup heads to move the pickup heads in a compound motion to effect a first generally linear path at the pickup station for reliable article pick up and a secondary generally linear path at the flap separation station for reliable flap separation.

2007021, Sep 20, 2007

Oct 27, 2006

11/588844

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

B65D 65/00, B65D 75/00

206432, 206497, 206139

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 each have a substantially equal pre-shrinking length, and 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.

2005010, May 19, 2005

Nov 13, 2003

10/712406

Thomas Hartness - Greenville SC, US
William Hartness - Greenville SC, US
Mark Davidson - Greer SC, US
Frank Brennan - Greenville SC, US
Robert Beesley - Greenville SC, US

B65G017/06

198803700, 198844100, 198850000

Various conveyor designs suitable for conveying objects along a transport direction and various related link designs are disclosed. The conveyor may include a plurality of the connected links. Each link may have a length extending across the direction of transport and a width extending along the direction of transport, a conveying surface, and at least one gripping member moveable along at least a portion of length of the link from a first position to a second position. The gripping member when in the first position is disposed below the conveying surface of the link, and the gripping member when in the second position is disposed above the conveying surface of the link for contacting one of the objects to hold the object during transport. Various designs of gripping members and related elements are disclosed, including spring loaded, cam driven, rack and pinion, and overhead designs. Various elements of the disclosed designs may be combined in various ways to form numerous link and conveyor options.

6182812, Feb 6, 2001

Jul 30, 1999

9/365119

William R. Hartness - Greenville SC
Thomas P. Hartness - Greenville SC
David N. Cooley - Greenville SC

Hartness International - Greenville SC

B65G 3700

198364

An apparatus is provided for controlling the flow of articles. The apparatus includes a first conveyor driven in a first direction and a second conveyor driven in a second opposite direction. The conveyors extend in a side-by-side and parallel relationship with a space defined therebetween. A movable transport member is disposed within the space between the conveyors and defines a bridge that extends across the space and is generally flush with the upper surfaces of the conveyors. The transport member is drivingly engaged by the conveyors so as to move linearly between the conveyors depending on a speed differential of the conveyors. An article transfer member is carried by the transport member and is disposed transversely to the conveyors to contact and transfer the articles from the first conveyor over the bridge member and onto the second conveyor.

2005010, May 19, 2005

May 17, 2004

10/847214

Thomas Hartness - Greenville SC, US
William Hartness - Greenville SC, US
Mark Davidson - Greer SC, US
Frank Brennan - Greenville SC, US
Robert Beesley - Greenville SC, US

B65G017/06

198803300, 198850000

A link is disclosed for a conveyor suitable for conveying objects along a transport direction. The link includes a body having a length extending across the direction of transport and a width extending along the direction of transport. The body has a conveying surface and two opposed gripping members extending from the conveying surface. Each gripping member is movable from a first opened position to a second gripping position. The gripping members each include a gripping arm configured to be pivotable relative to the conveying surface when the gripping members move from the first position to the second position. The gripping arms are located so as to be able to contact one of the objects when the gripping members are in the second position to hold the object relative to the link during transport. The link includes at least one spring member urging the gripping members toward the second position. Various other related options are disclosed, along with related conveyors.

6119848, Sep 19, 2000

Jan 22, 1999

9/235887

William R. Hartness - Greenville SC
Paul L. Horton - Metairie LA
Mark W. Davidson - Greer SC
David W. Bogle - Destrehan LA
John C. Hawkins - Mandeville LA

Hartness International - Greenville SC

B65G 2314

198833

A conveyor drive unit is provided for engaging and driving a belt type conveyor. The unit includes a motor drive unit and drive chain assembly having a drive chain driven by the motor along a drive path. The drive chain has drive lugs configured thereon to engage with drive dogs on the conveyor as the drive chain is driven along the drive path. The drive path defines the drive angle with respect to a straight path of the conveyor along the drive path. An adjustable positioning device is disposed relative to the drive chain assembly such that upon variable positioning of the drive chain assembly, the drive angle defined between the drive path of the chain and the straight path of the conveyor along the drive path varies. In this manner, the degree of engagement of the drive lugs with the drive dogs of the conveyor along the drive path can be adjusted by varying the drive angle.

2005010, May 19, 2005

Mar 30, 2004

10/809806

Thomas Hartness - Greenville SC, US
William Hartness - Greenville SC, US
Mark Davidson - Greer SC, US
Frank Brennan - Greenville SC, US
Robert Beesley - Greenville SC, US

B65G017/06

198803300, 198850000

A conveyor suitable for conveying objects along a transport direction, and related links, are disclosed. 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 also has a body, a cam follower member, and at least one gripping member. A gear drive mechanism may be used to interconnect the cam follower member and the gripping member. The cam follower member is movable to selectively move the gripping member between a first position and a second position. The gripping member when in first position is disposed in an open position, and the gripping member when in the second position is disposed in a gripping position for contacting one of the objects to hold the object during transport. Gear-drive mechanisms of various designs may be used to interconnect the cam follower member and gripping member. A releasable holding member, such as a spring-loaded ratchet member, may be used to secure the gripping member in the second position. Multiple opposed gripping members may be used. Various modifications and options are possible.

2005028, Dec 29, 2005

Jun 29, 2004

10/880351

Thomas Hartness - Greenville SC, US
William Hartness - Greenville SC, US
Mark Davidson - Greer SC, US

B67C003/00

141144000

A rotary filling machine is disclosed for filling containers, the machine including a rotating platform rotatable relative to a vertical rotating axis through a filling zone, and a conveyor configured to convey empty containers to be filled to the rotating platform for filling and to convey filled containers from the rotating platform. Cooperating elements are disposed on the rotating platform and conveyor for releasably attaching the conveyor to the rotating platform at least in the filling zone, a filling turret is disposed generally above the rotating platform and rotatable relative to the vertical rotating axis at a speed corresponding generally to that of the rotating platform, the filling turret including a plurality of filling heads movable from a rest position to a filling position as said turret rotates between through the filling zone, each of the filling heads having a plurality of filling elements, the filling elements movable into engagement with the containers as the filling heads move to the filling position for filling the containers. Various aspects and designs of the above elements are disclosed, as well as a related method.

2005010, May 19, 2005

Nov 13, 2003

10/712405

Thomas Hartness - Greenville SC, US
William Hartness - Greenville SC, US
Mark Davidson - Greer SC, US
Frank Brennan - Greenville SC, US
Robert Beesley - Greenville SC, US

B65G017/06

198697000, 198370020, 198699100, 198476100, 198479100, 198480100, 198803700, 198803900, 198844100, 198850000

Various conveyor designs are disclosed, along with related link designs, suitable for conveying objects along a transport direction. The conveyor may include a plurality of connected links. Each link may have a length extending across the direction of transport and a width extending along the direction of transport. Each link may have a body, a slider, at least one gripping member, and a gear drive mechanism interconnecting the slider and gripping member. The slider is slidable along the length of the body to selectively move the gripping member between a first position and a second position via the gear drive mechanism. The gripping member when in first position is disposed in an open position, and the gripping member when in the second position is disposed in a gripping position for contacting one of the objects to hold the object during transport. The gear drive mechanism may be a rack and pinion mechanism, the gripping member may have one or more gripping arms, and the gripping arms may or may not be offset from the gear drive mechanism.

2005028, Dec 29, 2005

Jun 29, 2004

10/879686

Thomas Hartness - Greenville SC, US
William Hartness - Greenville SC, US
Mark Davidson - Greer SC, US

B65B005/00

053136100, 053167000, 053282000

A system is disclosed for conveying articles for processing, the system including a conveyor configured to convey articles to the processing station. The conveyor includes a plurality of links, each link including at least one movable gripper for gripping an article, articles being gripped by adjacent links so as to achieve a predetermined spacing between the articles. A processing station is disposed along the conveyor, the conveyor being driven so as to move the articles through the processing station maintaining the predetermined spacing via the movable grippers, the processing station including mating elements spaced according to the predetermined spacing for processing the articles. The articles may be containers, and the processing station may be a filler or other container processing elements.