Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Paul R. Katterle
  • Patent number: 7452447
    Abstract: A steam distributor that uses a porous metal plate to replace the conventional screen plate of a steam shower for distributing steam to a moving web such as the web of a paper making machine. Steam showers using a steam distributor with this porous metal plate can deliver extremely uniform steam to the surface of a paper web. Profiling steam showers constructed by using an array of the steam distributors are able to deliver the best profiling results for various paper products. The porous metal plate can be considered as an equivalent of a screen plate with thousands of micro-orifices arranged tightly in both the machine direction and the CD direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Ltd.
    Inventors: Shizhong Duan, Geoffrey Arthur Jones
  • Patent number: 7444885
    Abstract: The vortex flow meter provides a surface which is simple but nevertheless resistant to the substances to be measured. All parts of the measurement tube of the vortex flow meter which come in contact with the substance to be measured are coated with a less noble material, which is resistant to the respectively relevant substance to be measured, the basic material not having this resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Keese, Frank Buhl
  • Patent number: 7412901
    Abstract: A magnetic-inductive flow meter with a measuring tube (1) made of metal, which is flowed through by a medium (4) which has a minimum electrical conductivity and is permeated by a magnetic field generated by means of an arrangement of magnets (5), in the region of which field at least two measuring electrodes (6) arranged diametrically on the measuring tube (1) are provided for sensing the inductively generated measuring voltage, the metal measuring tube (1) being provided with an electrically insulating inner layer (7) and an electrically conductive grounding disk (8) being arranged at the end face for grounding the medium flowing through the measuring tube (1), which disk is connected to ground via the measuring tube, the grounding disk (8?) consisting of an electrically conductive plastic which comes to lie in sealing contact directly against the end face (2) of the measuring tube (1) in order to be connected to ground by the direct contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Baecker, Dieter Keese, Karl-Heinz Rackebrandt
  • Patent number: 7404335
    Abstract: A magnetoinductive flowmeter having a measurement tube (1), through which a flowable medium (3) flows, with a magnet unit (4a, 4b) which is arranged on the outside of the measurement tube (1) and produces a magnetic field which is oriented substantially perpendicular to the direction of flow of the flowable medium (3), with at least two measurement electrodes (5a, 5b) which are inserted opposite one another in the wall of the measurement tube (1) such that they are electrically insulated being provided for detecting the measurement voltage which is induced through the flowable medium (3) in the magnetic field and each coming into contact with the flowable medium (3) by means of at least one end face (9), so that the measurement electrodes (5a, 5b) operate in the manner of galvanic electrodes, wherein each measurement electrode (5) is designed in a divided manner and comprises a head section (8) which is composed of a noble, low-corrosion material and also a shaft section (7) which is composed of a base, elect
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Conrady, Dieter Keese
  • Patent number: 7376664
    Abstract: A preferred method for evaluating a transformer design using data representing test results from a plurality of transformers and stored in a data base includes comparing the data representing test results to predetermined criteria for the test results to determine whether the test results satisfy the predetermined criteria. The preferred method also includes counting the number of the test results that do not satisfy the predetermined criteria, and generating an indication that a predetermined quantity of the test results do not satisfy the predetermined criteria if at least the predetermined quantity of the test results do not satisfy the predetermined criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Karen J. Smiley, Thomas E. Long, David N. Cox
  • Patent number: 7373841
    Abstract: The invention concerns a Coriolis mass flowmeter comprising at least one conduit (9) traversed by the mass, which produces mechanical vibrations under the effect of an excitation unit (8) and acts as an oscillating element, whereof the oscillating behaviour which varies based on the mass flow rate is sensed by at least one sensor (15, 16) to determine the mass flow. The invention aims at determining the degree of wear of the conduit (9). Therefor, the excitation unit (8) applies a single excitation pulse to the conduit (9), whereof the oscillatory response is sensed by the sensor (15; 16). The invention is characterized in that an evaluating unit (10) arranged downstream calculates the initial dampening constant recorded when the conduit (9) was new.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Patent GmbH
    Inventor: Lothar Deppe
  • Patent number: 7358744
    Abstract: The invention relates to a two-wire transducer in automation engineering that outputs a measurement signal as an injected current. For the method to test the serviceability, it is proposed to increase the DC loop current (IS), independently of the measured value, from the minimum value towards the maximum value (ISM), and to measure the input voltage (UE) across the internal resistance of the transducer in the process, and to compare it with a definable threshold value (UES) that is greater than the minimum input voltage (UEM) required to maintain serviceability. If the input voltage (UE) falls below the threshold value (UES) before the DC loop current (IS) has reached its maximum value (ISM), the DC loop current (IS) is reduced until the input voltage (UE) reaches at least the definable threshold value (UES), and the error is signaled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Patent GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfang Scholz
  • Patent number: 7340323
    Abstract: An industrial robot that uses a simulated force vector to allow a work piece held by the robot end effector to be mated with a work piece whose location and orientation is not precisely known to the robot. When the end effector makes contact with the location and orientation in which the other work piece is held the robot provides a velocity command to minimize the force of the contact and also provides a search pattern in all directions and orientations to cause the end effector to bring the work piece it is holding in contact with the other work piece. The search pattern and the velocity command are continued until the two work pieces mate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Hui Zhang, Zhongxue Gan, Torgny Brogardh, Jianjun Wang
  • Patent number: 7321807
    Abstract: A robotic wash cell is provided and includes a six-axis robotic arm and end effector equipped with nozzles that spray unheated, solvent free, pure water at high-pressure to clean or debur objects by maintaining the nozzles in close proximity and substantially normal to each surface being cleaned or edge being deburred. The robotic cell wash is particularly useful for cleaning contaminants such as oil and grease from items having more complex shapes. The six-axis robotic arm positions the nozzles and their sprays substantially normal to each surface being cleaned or deburred. The nozzles produce a multi-zone spray pattern with a continuous effective cleaning zone. A water recycling and pressurizing system collects the used water, separates out the oil and grease contaminants to a level of about 5 ppm, and pressurizes the pure water to about 3,000 psi for washing operations or about 6,000 psi for deburring operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen J. Laski
  • Patent number: 7302752
    Abstract: A method of making and using an extended test switch starting with a previously existing un-extended test switch that is ready for connection to electrical devices to be tested. A housing selected from one or more available housings each having a predetermined length is connected to a modified un-extended test switch. Each housing has a rear wall that has several inwardly and outwardly facing terminals. At least one of the rear facing terminals of the un-extended test switch is connected to an associated one of the inwardly facing terminals of the housing. After manufacture the extended test switch can be mounted in a suitable receptacle for connection to at least one electrical device. One or more of the switches on the front of the un-extended test switch to be left in an operational condition with a clear cover attached to the front of the test switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Inc.
    Inventor: Roy Ball
  • Patent number: 7283914
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method of monitoring assets of an enterprise, wherein the assets perform a process and include machines subject to vibration. The system includes a vibration diagnostic software system integrated with a process automation system and a computerized maintenance management system to provide a single window interface for controlling and monitoring a process, for monitoring and analyzing the vibration of the machines associated with the process and for managing the maintenance of the machines. This integration brings vibration data collection, transmission, analysis, historical recording, display and maintenance activities all together in a defined workflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Anne Poorman, Oliver Gramberg, Chen Yang Steen
  • Patent number: 7275001
    Abstract: A method for determining an electrical current value using at least two current sensing circuits. One current sensing circuit is provided if the current value is below a switching threshold. The other current sensing is provided if the current value is above a switching threshold. Both current sensing circuits having a processing means to process the current signal and a determining means to determine the value of the current signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Marty L. Trivette, Erskine R. Barbour, David C. Whyte, Carl J. LaPlace, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7270014
    Abstract: A magnetoinductive flowmeter for a medium (2), which is flowing through a measuring tube (1) and has a minimum electrical conductivity, having at least two electric coils (3a, 3b), which are arranged opposite one another on the measuring tube (1), for the purpose of inducing a magnetic field running essentially perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the measuring tube (1), and having an electrode arrangement (4), which is likewise aligned essentially perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the measuring tube (1) and essentially perpendicularly with respect to the magnetic-field axis, for the purpose of measuring a measurement voltage induced as a result of the flow of medium (2), the electric coils (3a, 3b) being accommodated such that they are sealed on the outside in each case one associated housing part (4a and 4b, respectively), which housing parts are in the form of hollow-cylinder segments and are mounted detachably on the measuring tube (1) by being joined together so
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Keese, Ralf Baecker
  • Patent number: 7272515
    Abstract: A digital signal processor implementation of three algorithms used to detect high impedance faults. The algorithms can be wavelet based, higher order statistics based and neural network based. The algorithms are modified to process one second of data instead of ten seconds of data and a double buffered acquisition is connected to the output of the algorithms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignees: ABB Technology AG, ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: John M. Peterson, Steven A. Kunsman, Mohamed Y Haj-Maharsi, Reynaldo Nuqui, James Stoupis
  • Patent number: 7263672
    Abstract: A method and system are described for creating a metadata text file corresponding to a geometry of a physical layout and/or a circuit layout of an electrical device. The layouts are defined in a user interface. A text file having metadata elements in a hierarchical format is produced that can be used by other programs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: David Cox, Thomas J. Lanoue
  • Patent number: 7260883
    Abstract: A preferred embodiment of a three-phase transformer includes a first, a second, and a third winding leg, and a first, a second, and a third winding positioned around the respective first, second, and third winding legs. The first, second, and third windings each includes an electrical conductor wound into a plurality of overlapping layers each formed by a plurality of adjacent turns of the electrical conductor, and an insulating material without end fill positioned between each of the overlapping layers. The electrical conductor has a transition portion formed therein between a first and a second of the overlapping layers. The transition portion is at least one of bent to form an offset in the electrical conductor, and secured to at least one of the plurality of adjacent turns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Harold R. Younger, Egil Stryken, John Wallumrod
  • Patent number: D554592
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Hartmut Mildes, Wenkai Shang, Edgar Dullni
  • Patent number: D558148
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventor: Till Ruemenapp
  • Patent number: D558149
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventor: Till Ruemenapp
  • Patent number: D558687
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Inc.
    Inventor: Roy Ball