Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Francis N. Carten
  • Patent number: 4441780
    Abstract: The plug of a plug and receptacle connector has a hollow cylindrical shell of such internal diameter as to permit its receipt onto and over a cylindrical receptacle shell during mating. A groove formed circumferentially about the inner wall of the plug includes a pair of intertwined continuous helically wound springs secured within the groove which wipes along the external wall of the receptacle as it is fitted within the plug. One of the wire springs has a cross-sectional dimension less than that of the other. At crossover points of the springs, they are bonded to one another. When received within the internal groove of the plug part, the large diameter helically wound part of the spring means is secured to the inner wall of the groove by use of a conductive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1984
    Assignee: Automation Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald E. Walters
  • Patent number: 4436694
    Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for decontaminating the wall of a boiling water reactor cavity. A chassis on wheels is rollable on the refueling floor along the cavity curb. A pair of horizontal wheels roll against the curb. A support member extends upwardly and laterally from the chassis to clear the personnel handrail. A mast depends from the support member into the cavity and includes a horizontal reaction wheel bearing against the cavity wall. A vertically positionable carriage is mounted on the mast and carries water spray nozzles directed against the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1984
    Assignee: Automation Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Vassalotti, Alvaro Obligado
  • Patent number: 4436692
    Abstract: There are disclosed method and apparatus for plugging the underwater recirculating nozzle of a boiling water reactor vessel. The method includes the lowering of a plug by a secondary cable into the annular space between the vessel sidewall and the nuclear fuel shroud. The cable is displaced outwardly, permitting the plug to enter the space between the sidewall and the jet pumps. Cable and plug are then shifted laterally into position over the nozzle, the weight of the plug being taken by a primary cable which lowers the plug into position. A special apparatus is provided which rests upon the core shroud and performs the steps of displacing and laterally shifting the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1984
    Assignee: Automation Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald D. Stenabaugh
  • Patent number: 4436693
    Abstract: A canister for holding loose nuclear fuel rods for containment within a cell of a pool storage rack. The canister is designed with lateral restraints at both its bottom and its top to substantially prevent impact with the sides of the cell during an earthquake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1984
    Assignee: Automation Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Louis J. Zezza, Iqbal Husain
  • Patent number: 4427485
    Abstract: Flexible tubing formed of a wire helix wrapped helically with plastic tape having overlapping turns fused directly together ultrasonically, with no extraneous adhesive, and with knurling imprinted on the tubing interior, and apparatus and a method for making such tubing wherein a rotating cantilevered mandrel has a knurled anvil band over which overlapping edges of the tape pass to receive fusing vibrations from an adjacent ultrasonic horn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1984
    Assignee: Automation Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. Kutnyak, Donald L. Johnson
  • Patent number: 4420707
    Abstract: A disk of porous sintered metal is employed as the backing material for the piezoelectric crystal in an ultrasonic transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1983
    Assignee: Automation Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Howard E. VanValkenburg
  • Patent number: 4415967
    Abstract: A mechanical element is moved from a first position to a second position along a vector path. Individual step controllers provide drive along each axis at respective velocities for vector movement. The velocity along the greatest distance axis is the master against which acceleration and velocity of the other axes is measured. Optional closed-loop operation insures synchronism of movement along the different axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1983
    Assignee: Automation Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Robinson C. Russell
  • Patent number: 4406506
    Abstract: A cover is provided for removably locating over the open end of a generally cylindrical connector part to protect exposed electrical elements against undesirable intrusions and to shield the elements from external electromagnetic energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1983
    Assignee: Automation Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth B. Baldwin
  • Patent number: 4397608
    Abstract: A turbine missile shield is formed by a series of substantially semi-cylindrical, concentric stainless steel shells joined and spaced apart by longitudinal and transverse spreader beams. The longitudinal peripheries of the shells are joined to form mounting rims with bolt holes formed therein to enable mounting on a turbine pedestal or operating floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1980
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1983
    Assignee: Automation Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Iqbal Husain, Arnold Gundersen, John F. Risley
  • Patent number: 4393991
    Abstract: A nozzle body has an elongated, conical passage with the smaller end opening facing in the direction it is desired the jet to travel. At right angles thereto, a fitting in the nozzle body interconnects with a supply of pressurized water. The pressurized water enters into a manifold or plenum surrounding a chamber in which a sonic transducer is located. The manifold wall has a plurality of openings arranged in a circle for directing pressurized water into the conical chamber along each of the openings. Water from the manifold serves to fill the enclosure containing the sonic transducer to provide full fluid coupling throughout the entire interior of the jet nozzle construction. A set of fins are arranged about the walls defining the conical passage to stabilize water moving therethrough and reduce any tendency to rotate on emission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1983
    Assignee: Automation Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Nathaniel B. Jeffras, Robert H. Torgersen
  • Patent number: 4394057
    Abstract: An electrical end fitting assembly for a flexible hose having a pair of electrical conductors extending throughout its length wherein molded male and female plug connectors are in turn molded within an enveloping fitting to provide a double-molded assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1983
    Assignee: Automation Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: James Williams, Henry K. Wills
  • Patent number: 4392283
    Abstract: A grommet clip, particularly useful for suspending air conditioning ducts, formed of a flat body having opposite portions snapped together along a fold line with means which penetrate a web on the duct and which define an eyelet to receive hangers for supporting the duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1983
    Assignee: Automation Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: David R. Timmons
  • Patent number: 4392104
    Abstract: Apparatus and a method for testing the dielectric integrity of an insulated conductor wherein the conductor is immersed in a flowable mass of metal beads and a voltage potential is established between the conductor and the mass of beads to sense any current flow therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1983
    Assignee: Automation Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: James C. Lewis, Jerry W. Miller, Clyde D. Simpson, Ronald G. Thomasson
  • Patent number: 4390222
    Abstract: A lanyard release/umbilical electrical connector with a collet, a coupling ring, and a detent shell. The collet has a base, a side extending from the base to a flange-lip extending radially inward at the top of the side (when seated on the base). The flange-lip has keyways corresponding to keys on the barrel of the receptacle. The collet is divided into three separate arc lengths. The coupling ring has provisions for attaching a lanyard and an internal sloping end portion which can ride over the collet base but not the collet side. A detent shell fits partially inside the opening in the coupling ring and has keys corresponding to those on a coupling nut and a nose which can slide underneath the collet base and side. The coupling ring and detent shell are resiliently held together so that a lanyard can pull the coupling ring back over the detent shell. The collet arc lengths provide rocker action under the force of the coupling ring internal sloped end and the detent shell nose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1983
    Assignee: Automation Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: David P. E. Carter
  • Patent number: 4385792
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a protective cover for the open face of the receptacle section of a multi contact electrical connector when the receptacle section and the plug section are not mated. The protective cover comprises a barrel and a cover plate closing one end of the barrel. Inside the barrel there is positioned a spring means so located that a disc placed over the spring means can be controllably moved longitudinally in said barrel to contact the end of said receptacle open face. At the outer end of said barrel are indexing means for polarized alignment with indexing means on said receptacle and locking means, for locked retainment of said cover to said receptacle socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1983
    Assignee: Automation Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Baur, Ralph T. Iversen
  • Patent number: 4385018
    Abstract: Hose continuously manufactured with an extruded elastomeric liner with a flexible strand reinforcement laid on the outer surface thereof together with a foam/sponge insulation layer thereon which is attached to the liner between the reinforcement strands. The apparatus comprises a ram air extruder mechanism for extruding the elastomeric foam outer insulation layer, or by addition of chemical blowing agents to the insulation compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1983
    Assignee: Automation Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas A. Kutnyak
  • Patent number: D267873
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 8, 1983
    Assignee: TIE/Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Wilbert C. Brown, Philip B. Saba
  • Patent number: D271394
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1983
    Assignee: TIE/communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Wilbert C. Brown, Roman F. Pomponi
  • Patent number: D271763
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1983
    Assignee: TIE/Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Wilbert C. Brown, Roman F. Pomponi
  • Patent number: RE31462
    Abstract: An electrical connector is disclosed herein which employs a breech lock whereby the two sections of the connector may be readily mated or unmated by a simple rotation of the breech lock through a fraction of a turn. In addition, means are also provided for retracting the electrical contacts into a protected position until the two sections are fully mated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1983
    Assignee: Automation Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Larry L. McCormick, Ben F. Selk