Patents Examined by H. Burks, Sr.
  • Patent number: 3942325
    Abstract: A throttle actuator for accelerating and decelerating the speed of an internal combustion engine in response to work demand where the engine drives the pump of a hydraulic system. In one aspect, the invention is directed to a throttle actuating piston and rod arrangement for operating the throttle of the engine and a pulsation intensifier for sensitively controlling the piston's movement. The pulsation intensifier is connected in a pressure line from the pump and comprises a free spring biased floating piston of configuration such that there is a differential in area across the piston for fluid pressure intensification purposes. The intensifier piston in one embodiment also has an axial passage therethrough and an orifice communicating with the throttle actuating piston. Both pistons are slidably mounted in housings which have springs to normally position the pistons in directions to cause the engine to return to idle speed when there is no work demand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1973
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1976
    Inventor: David Franklin Howeth
  • Patent number: 3940937
    Abstract: An intensifier for use with pressurized fluids requiring additional pressure boosting to assume higher presures includes an elongated housing with differential diameter internal bore of which large end is closed by a cap with fluid port therein and the opposite small end provided with an end wall having fluid passage therethrough, a differential diameter elongated piston of close sliding fit inside the bore having small plugging piston end at one end and a large actuating piston end at the other end with an intermediate diameter intensification piston therebetween and capable of being shuttled inside housing bore from first small piston end engaged position preventing pressurized fluid supply to the intensification chamber to the second small piston disengaged position allowing fluid supply thereto while simultaneously developing an evacuated annulus inside intensifier with a vacuum force tending to maintain piston in the first position and aiding in the operation of intensifier through an airless void when a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1974
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1976
    Inventor: Richard S. Pauliukonis
  • Patent number: 3940938
    Abstract: A master brake cylinder comprises a spring biased piston reciprocally mounted in a bore defined in a housing thereof. A cup seal, disposed in the bore to abut the piston, comprises a flexible annular flange portion having a plurality of circumferentially disposed grooves formed thereon to induce rotation of the cup seal upon the return stroke of the piston, subsequent to a braking operation. The cup seal is composed of a cured elastomeric material having a cup-shaped reinforcing fabric encapsulated therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1974
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1976
    Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co.
    Inventors: Donald F. Durham, Robert D. McFeeters
  • Patent number: 3939659
    Abstract: A geothermal energy transfer and utilization system abstracts thermal energy stored in hot solute-bearing well water to generate super-heated steam from an injected flow of clean water; the super-heated steam is then used for operating a turbine-driven pump at the well bottom for pumping the hot solute-bearing water at high pressure and always in liquid state to the earth's surface, where it is used by transfer of its heat to a closed-loop vapor generator-turbine-alternator combination for the generation of electrical or other power. Cooled, clean water is regenerated by the surface-located system for re-injection into the deep well and the residual concentrated solute-bearing water is pumped back into the earth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1974
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1976
    Assignee: Sperry Rand Corporation
    Inventor: Hugh B. Matthews
  • Patent number: 3939658
    Abstract: A hydraulic power brake booster powered by power steering gear pump pressure and utilizing an open-center valve so that fluid flows through the booster without pressure reduction when the booster is not activated. The booster has two power chamber sections, both being pressurized at the same time under normal brake operation. However when the brakes are applied very fast, a high rate of pressure increase occurs in one chamber but not in the other due to a flow restriction between the two chambers. The booster piston assembly will therefore move in the brake applying direction more quickly than it would if the pressure fluid should be acting on the full power piston diameter since less displacement is momentarily required to build up the necessary pressure. The chamber section with the slower pressure buildup rate will increase in volume and be maintained full of fluid by a check valve arrangement extending through the piston and connecting with the low pressure side of the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1974
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1976
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Robert A. Horvath
  • Patent number: 3939660
    Abstract: In a turbine system with first and second turbine stages, each having a bypass line thereacross, provision is made for utilizing only the valving of the first turbine stages to control the acceleration of the shaft driven by the turbine system from start-up to synchronous speed. At the same time, provision is made for diverting enough of the flow to the second turbine stages to meet the requirements of those stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1974
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1976
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Ola J. Aanstad
  • Patent number: 3938332
    Abstract: This hydraulic coupling mechanism consists of at least a pair of pressure transmitting cylinders which are operated in a predetermined sequence, at least a pair of pressure receiving cylinders synchronously operated by the pressure transmitting cylinders through corresponding closed liquid lines, each of which is provided with a corresponding pressure adjustable cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1974
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1976
    Inventor: Rafael Tuti Roces
  • Patent number: 3938333
    Abstract: A dual master cylinder has a secondary piston which when actuated pressurizes fluid in two secondary chamber sections with one chamber section increasing pressure at a faster rate than the other as the piston is stroked. The piston has passage means therein interconnecting the two chamber sections, a proportioning valve mechanism in the passage means acting to proportion fluid pressure from the one chamber section to the other chamber section after a predetermined pressure differential exists in the two chamber sections. A shuttle piston also mounted in the secondary piston is responsive to pressure generated in the one secondary chamber section and in the primary pressurizing chamber between the primary and secondary master cylinder pistons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1975
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1976
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas P. Mathues
  • Patent number: 3938334
    Abstract: A geothermal energy transfer and utilization system makes use of thermal energy stored in hot solute-bearing well water to generate super-heated steam from an injected flow of clean water; the super-heated steam is then used for operating a turbine-driven pump at the well bottom for pumping the hot solute-bearing water at high pressure and in liquid state to the earth's surface, where it is used by transfer of its heat to a closed-loop boiler-turbine-alternator combination for the generation of electrical or other power. Residual concentrated solute-bearing water is pumped back into the earth. The clean cooled water is regenerated at the surface-located system and is returned to the deep well pumping system also for lubrication of a novel bearing arrangement supporting the turbine-driven pump system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1974
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1976
    Assignee: Sperry Rand Corporation
    Inventor: Hugh B. Matthews
  • Patent number: 3938337
    Abstract: Improvements in apparatus for converting one form of energy into another form with the use of an essentially closed, continuous loop passageway containing a plurality of freely movable, unrestrained bodies. Force generated by expansion of a gas is applied to successive bodies in one region of the passageway to propel them around the passageway in one direction. At another point in the passageway, at least a portion of the kinetic energy of the propelled bodies is converted into another form of energy. Each body, before being propelled around the passageway, enters a compressor section where it compresses the gas in the passageway, the compressed gas being bled off through a check valve where energy is added to it before it is used to propel a body around the passageway in the expander section which immediately follows the thrustor section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1975
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1976
    Assignee: Battelle Development Corporation
    Inventors: Sherwood L. Fawcett, James N. Anno
  • Patent number: 3937018
    Abstract: Drive means for the displacer piston of a free-piston Stirling type motion device comprises a rod which has one end connected to the displacer piston, while the other end, which has a small piston thereon, is mounted for limited axial movement in a cylinder zone formed in a power piston or in a stationary cylinder. A pair of gas passages connect opposite sides of the small piston to a source of compressed gas. The source of compressed gas is created by movement of the power piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1974
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1976
    Assignee: Research Corporation
    Inventor: William Taylor Beale
  • Patent number: 3937021
    Abstract: A hold off valve for use in a two stage pressurizing mechanism to control the transition from a first operational condition to a second operational condition. A stepped piston in the pressurizing mechanism has a first diameter and a second diameter through which an input force sequentially operates a control valve to produce a first operational fluid force and a second operational fluid force in a pressurizing chamber. A relief chamber which is connected to the pressurizing chamber receives the first operational fluid force when the control valve is operated. The hold off valve retains the first operational fluid in the relief chamber until a predetermined pressure build up occurs after which the second diameter independently operates to produce the second operational fluid force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1974
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1976
    Assignee: The Bendix Corporation
    Inventors: William C. Sisco, Frederick G. Grabb
  • Patent number: 3937017
    Abstract: To simplify control, decrease start-up time and improve efficiency, a heat storage device is provided connected to receive hot combustion gases from a burner, the heat storage device preferably including a vessel which contains a substance changing in phase between solid and liquid, and being heated by the exhaust gases from the burner. A heat pipe is in heat transfer relation to the substance, extending in a predetermined direction, and ducts, pipes or conduits conducting the combustion gases from the burner extend in parallel to the heat pipe, through the substance, or surrounding a vessel containing the substance. Preferably a group of heat storage units are joined to common inlet and outlet manifolds connecting combustion gases, arranged such that the flow speed of combustion gases further downstream is higher than that further upstream, to equalize heat transfer and hence storage capability and storage times of the individual units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1974
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1976
    Assignees: Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nurnberg Aktiengesellschaft, Firma Motoren-Werke Mannheim Aktiengesellschaft, Vormals Benz Abtielung Stationarer Motorenbau
    Inventors: Franz Beschorner, Burkart Feurer, Hans Aupor
  • Patent number: 3937024
    Abstract: A coordinated control system for a power producing unit consisting of two, single reheat steam generators supplying steam to a single turbine-generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1974
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1976
    Assignee: The Babcock & Wilcox Company
    Inventors: Oliver W. Durrant, John William Smith
  • Patent number: 3936651
    Abstract: A turboset located in an engine room containing a helium atmosphere under overpressure includes a generator cooled by helium which is introduced therein through openings formed in the generator housing and flows through a connecting line to a location of the helium circulatory loop that has a gas pressure lower than the internal gas pressure of the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1974
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1976
    Assignee: Kraftwerk Union Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Arnold Abolins, Hermann Finckh, Dietrich Lambrecht, Martin Trabler
  • Patent number: 3935709
    Abstract: A vehicle brake booster and master cylinder assembly has a vacuum suspended booster section which is controlled by movement of the vehicle brake pedal. A hydraulic booster section is in series with the vacuum suspended booster section, and a master cylinder unit is in series with the hydraulic booster section. The assembly is so arranged that in normal operation the vehicle operator obtains booster brake actuating pressures by operation of the vacuum suspended booster which acts through the hydraulic booster mechanism without operating the hydraulic booster. When greater brake actuating pressures are required, as indicated by increased brake pedal force exerted by the operator, the vacuum booster reaches its limit or run-out condition and the hydraulic booster is operated so as to continue the increase in master cylinder output pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1975
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1976
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas P. Mathues, Donald L. Parker
  • Patent number: 3934419
    Abstract: The stages of a turbine system are independently controlled to produce a desired system power output by monitoring and comparing the power characteristics of each stage to the desired power output. Flow through each of the stages is adjusted until the desired power output is generated, while any flow that is passing through bypass lines about each of the turbine stages is varied inversely to the variations in the flow through the turbine stages. Non-linearities occurring in the system are offset by appropriate modification of the control of each stage and by comparison of the power output of the system with the power requirements to direct continuing control until the power requirements are met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1974
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1976
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Ola J. Aanstad
  • Patent number: 3932994
    Abstract: A thermal actuator has means for containing a vaporizable liquid and means for vaporizing the liquid. Means is provided for supplying only a portion of the liquid to the vaporizing means to affect vaporization thereof and for subjecting the remaining liquid in the containing means to the vapor established upon vaporization of the liquid portion by the vaporizing means. A method of driving a thermal actuator and an actuating system including a thermal actuator are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1974
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1976
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Paige W. Thompson
  • Patent number: 3931714
    Abstract: An electrohydraulic emergency trip system which automatically shuts off the steam supply to a turbine power plant upon the detection of specific operational contingencies is disclosed. The hydraulic portion of the system includes two pair of combined electrical and hydraulically operated pilot trip valves that are so arranged that the opening of any one valve of each pair decreases the hydraulic trip pressure to close rapidly the steam inlet valves to the turbine; that an open or closed failure of a single trip valve does not prevent a valid trip or cause an unwarranted trip; and finally that an open failure of one pair of the valves does not result in an unwarranted trip. Each pair of valves is electrically operated from an independent voltage source such that the electrical failure of one source does not cause or prevent an unwarranted turbine trip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1974
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1976
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Karl O. Jaegtnes, Millard F. Smith
  • Patent number: RE28695
    Abstract: 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1974
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1976
    Assignee: The Cessna Aircraft Company
    Inventor: Evans Glenn Freese