Patents Assigned to Chart Inc.
  • Patent number: 6474115
    Abstract: A cartridge housing surrounds a shaft for rotating a basket within the pressurized cleaning vessel of a dry cleaning system that utilizes liquid carbon dioxide as a solvent. Primary and secondary seals are disposed between the cartridge housing and the shaft in a spaced relationship so that a primary chamber is defined. A final seal is also disposed between the cartridge housing and the shaft and spaced from the secondary seal so that a secondary chamber is defined. The primary chamber houses an inboard bearing while the secondary chamber houses an outboard and thrust bearings. Primary and secondary tanks containing supplies of oil communicate with the primary and secondary chambers, respectively, via their head spaces and wet sides. As a result, the bearings are lubricated. Solvent leaking across the primary seal is vaporized and delivered to the head space of the primary tank so that the pressure differential across the primary seal is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Chart Inc.
    Inventors: A. Duane Preston, Jon R. Turner
  • Patent number: 6453680
    Abstract: The invention is directed to novel cryogenic liquid transport and storage containers, which utilize external coolant tanks to supply cooling to a cryogenic liquid storage tank. The coolant tanks are mounted above the cryogenic liquid storage tank such that the length of the cryogenic liquid storage tank is capable of extending the entire length of the transport container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Chart Inc.
    Inventor: Mark S. Allen
  • Patent number: 6442980
    Abstract: A carbon dioxide dry cleaning system features a pair of liquid carbon dioxide storage tanks in communication with a compressor. A sealed cleaning chamber contains the objects to be cleaned. By selectively pressurizing the storage tanks with the compressor, liquid carbon dioxide is made to flow to the cleaning chamber through cleaning nozzles so as to provide agitation of the objects being dry cleaned. Liquid carbon dioxide displaced from the cleaning chamber returns to the storage tanks. In an alternative embodiment, a single storage tank is pressurized via a compressor with gas from the cleaning chamber so that liquid solvent from the storage tank travels to the cleaning chamber through nozzles. The objects in the cleaning chamber are agitated by a rotating basket. After a prewash cycle, liquid solvent from the cleaning chamber is directed to a still. The liquid solvent in the still is boiled through a connection with the head space of the cleaning chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Chart Inc.
    Inventors: A. Duane Preston, Jon R. Turner, Charles Svoboda
  • Patent number: 6393847
    Abstract: An improved liquid cryogen dewar for storing cryobiological materials is disclosed having an inner tank with a reservoir holding a pool of liquid cryogen. A rotatable tray is contained within the inner tank, containing a platform, vertical dividers and a thermally conductive cylindrical outer sleeve, which contains a skirt extending into the pool of liquid cryogen. The sleeve transfers entering heat away from the cryobiological materials and into the liquid cryogen pool. The sleeve maintains a consistently low temperature throughout the vertically disposed shelves of the cryobiological materials contained within the inner tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Chart Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Brooks, Keith Gustafson
  • Patent number: 6354088
    Abstract: A system for dispensing cryogenic liquid to a use device tank from a bulk storage tank containing a supply of cryogenic liquid features a pump in communication with the bulk storage tank, a dispensing line in communication with the pump and a heater in communication with the dispensing line. A system control device controls the operation of the pump and heater. A liquid level sensor and temperature or pressure sensor communicate with the use device tank and the system control device and the system control device. As a result, the conditions of the cryogenic liquid initially in the use device tank may be used by the system control device to calculate the appropriate amount of cryogenic liquid and heat that should be added to the cryogenic liquid as it is dispensed so that the use device tank becomes substantially filled with saturated cryogenic liquid. A liquid level sensor may alternatively be used as the sole use device tank sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Chart Inc.
    Inventors: Claus Emmer, Tom Drube, Keith Gustafson
  • Patent number: 6336344
    Abstract: A cryogenic process for the separation of one light gas component from a heavier gas component in a gas feed stream, by injecting a liquid hydrocarbon additive stream into the top or upper portion of a dephlegmator-heat exchanger, to increase the rectification temperature, or to maintain the temperature and reduce the additive flow rate relative to the respective values required with a conventional, single stage condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2002
    Assignee: Chart, Inc.
    Inventor: John V. O'Brien
  • Patent number: 6333445
    Abstract: The olefin-hydrogen effluent vapor stream from a dehydrogenation process is separated by a cryogenic separation method utilizing a cryogenic separation system. The method does not require external refrigeration and reheats and portions an expander feed stream to extract energy and controls the warm end and cold end temperature differences in the primary heat exchanger to provide energy savings and economical operation and material use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Chart, Inc.
    Inventor: John V. O'Brien
  • Patent number: 6134893
    Abstract: A method and system for dispensing cryogenic fluids, such as liquified natural gas (LNG), using a swivel bayonet joint interconnecting first and second sections of cryogenic pipe. The swivel bayonet joint includes a male bayonet joint and a corresponding female bayonet joint. An insertion stem of the male bayonet joint is dimensioned to have a very high tolerance fit within the receiving sleeve of the female joint that extends a sufficient length for formation of a vapor trap by the cryogenic fluid between the insertion end of the stem and the clamp end of the receiving sleeve. The vapor trap prohibits movement beyond the vapor trap of any cryogenic fluid passing through the joint, consequently, elastomeric seals in the bayonet joint remain insulated from extremely cold temperatures of the cryogenic fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Chart Inc.
    Inventor: John W. Bonn