Patents Examined by J. Dwight Poffenberger
  • Patent number: 4803751
    Abstract: A scraper may be composed of a front portion, including a guard portion, hingeably connected to a handle portion. The handle portion includes a blade portion for receiving and retaining a cutting blade. The front portion is scored to allow the guard portion to fold against the top face of the handle portion, thereby substantially enclosing the blade and acting to provide protection for various objects and personnel from inadvertent contact with the sharp cutting blade when the scraper is not in use. When use of the scraper is desired, the front portion is folded against the bottom face of the handle portion thereby exposing the cutting edge of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1989
    Inventor: Morison Cousins
  • Patent number: 4804355
    Abstract: This invention relates to the ultrasound enhancement of sedimentation of particulates in a particulate-bearing fluid medium while the fluid medium is undergoing centrifugation. The ultrasound energy forms standing waves in the fluid and cause particulates in the fluid, whether solids, liquids, or gases, to agglomerate in bands. The bands approximate either the nodes or antinodes of the standing wave, depending on the density of the particulate relative to the fluid. The banded or agglomerated particulate enhances the rate of sedimentation as well as the reverse flow of suspernatent by removing particulate which would otherwise impede this flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1989
    Assignee: Utah Bioresearch, Inc.
    Inventors: Owen D. Brimhall, Thomas J. McLaughlin, Stephen C. Peterson
  • Patent number: 4799283
    Abstract: A mop wherein the mop head has two mirror symmetrical plate-like sections which are attached with play to a support at one end of a mop handle by hinges each of which enables the respective section to move toward or away from the other section while the sections confront each other in collapsed position of the mop head. This renders it possible to expel moisture from cushions at the undersides of the sections. The sections are pivotable to and can be releasably held and propped in extended positions in which they are substantially or exactly coplanar and the cushions at their undersides are ready to sweep the floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1989
    Assignee: Interpat Ltd.
    Inventor: Susen J. Haydon
  • Patent number: 4798471
    Abstract: Apparatus for making molding sand has one or more housings defining upright cylindrical chambers and being movable with reference to a plate-like support to and from positions of register with an aperture in the support. Each chamber is normally closed at its upper end by a closure which has outlets for sand and one or more binder materials (such as clayey matter, pulverulent iron oxide, pulverized wood and/or others), and a rotary propeller is movable axially in each chamber to mix the ingredients in the circumferential direction as well as axially of the respective chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1989
    Inventor: Joachim Laempe
  • Patent number: 4796324
    Abstract: The handle of the broom is canted in relation to its axis of rotation about the broomhead back through a given angle, and connected to the back by way of a hinge the axis of which is inclined through an angle, relative to the longitudinal axis of the back itself. The broom can be used with the handle either upright, or folded down in such a way as to keep the broomhead with the bristles resting upon the surface to be cleaned, without any unwanted tilting or wobbling movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1989
    Inventor: Francesco Sartori
  • Patent number: 4797003
    Abstract: A high pressure foam slurry generator, including a source of slurry, a source of gas, and a means for combining the slurry and the gas, which is usually nitrogen. A housing receiving the slurry and the gas has a connector with multiple channels. One channel for the nitrogen gas acts as an inlet and has a bushing with a series of multiple holes through which the nitrogen gas is broken into a plurality of high velocity streams. The slurry with a foamer agent added combines at right angles with the nitrogen gas and is formed before being pumped through a tubing string into a gas or oil well. Also included herein is a process for making foamed slurry by pumping a slurry capable of being foamed to a housing, pumping nitrogen to the same housing, separating the nitrogen into a plurality of high velocity streams, and combining the streams and the slurry in a foaming action. Either the slurry or the nitrogen may have two separate streams entering the housing as right angles to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1989
    Assignee: Dowell Schlumberger Incorporated
    Inventors: Donald C. Cameron, Mat Hoover
  • Patent number: 4794663
    Abstract: A flexible dust mop is disclosed which includes an elongate handle which preferably includes a telescoping portion. The handle is formed with an upper, rigid, non-flexible upper portion and a lower flexible portion secured to the rigid portion. The flexible handle portion terminates downwardly in a bottom connector which includes a pivotal connection and a first ratchet. A dust mop head is pivotally secured to the handle at the pivotal connection and includes a second ratchet which is engageable with the first ratchet. Once the dust mop head is pivotally moved in angular relationship to the handle, the interengagement between the first and second ratchets serves as a detent to tend to maintain the dust mop in the angularly adjusted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1989
    Assignee: Quickie Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter S. Vosbikian
  • Patent number: 4794662
    Abstract: The invention is a self-contained chimney cleaning apparatus. A winch operated wire brush is attached by cable to a winch pulley, which is in turn mounted to a pivoting housing. The pivoting housing is suspended over the opening of the chimney flue, and remotely controllable. The remote control allows the housing to be pivoted away from the chimney flue opening when the cleaning operation is complete. During the cleaning operation, the housing is positioned over the chimney flue opening and the winch operated brush is lowered and raised through the chimney flue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1989
    Inventor: Randy B. Parcher
  • Patent number: 4791697
    Abstract: A wiper arm for use with a highly curved windshield is designed so that the wiping pressure in the blade is substantially constant in spite of the deflections up and down to which the arm is subjected. The arm consists of two parts, a channel shaped main body cantilevered from the post of the wiper drive mechanism, and a slider bar that is free at its back end. As the arm deflects, the main body bends, creating a resistance force that adds to the wiping pressure in the blade, while the back end of the slider bar moves relative to the main body of the arm. A tension spring hooked between the back end of the slider bar and the vehicle pulls the arm toward the windshield, also adding to the wiping pressure. However, as the arm deflects up, the spring relaxes, so that the contribution of the spring to wiping pressure decreases concurrently with the contribution of the bending main body of the arm increasing. Therefore, the total wiping pressure remains more nearly constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1988
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy J. Fry
  • Patent number: 4792236
    Abstract: A paint tinter system includes a plurality of canisters disposed in a circle about a rotatable plate. An orbiting plate, driven by a single motor, is connected to drive arms, each of which is connected to a crank arm of a stirrer in one of the canisters. The connection is made through a lost-motion device in a cap covering each canister. The cap captures the end of the drive arm, whereby the cap may be removed and hinged out of the way for providing access to the canister. An impeller is freely mounted for rotation in a socket in the bottom of the canister. The upper end of the impeller is driven by engagement between a pair of driver bosses rotated by the crank and edges of a top plate on the canister. Thus, when the cover is removed, the impeller may remain unmoved or be lifted from the socket for cleaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1988
    Assignee: Red Devil, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Heinis, James C. Skene, Ronald Smith
  • Patent number: 4787301
    Abstract: A deep fat fryer, especially for potato chips, has a cradle screen with walls and lifting handles and means for supporting the cradle screen at a lower level within the cooking kettle, a cover screen with lifting handles being selectively insertable into the product above the cradle screen for stirring it or placed over the product and resting on the walls of the cradle screen for keeping the product submerged. When the oil is at a lower level, the cradle screen is removed from the kettle after an initial cooking period and inserted into the product for stirring it and is then supported at a higher level over the product for keeping it submerged. The cradle screen walls have an opening to permit scooping of the product into the cradle screen after cooking. The cooking method includes varying the heating rate in order to control the rate of temperature rise of the oil after it drops to its lowest point following loading of the product into the kettle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1988
    Assignee: Little Chipper, Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Hoatson, John I. Decker
  • Patent number: 4785490
    Abstract: This invention comprises a plurality of side by side chains mounted on a base, so that golf shoe spikes may be combed therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1988
    Inventor: Everett H. Thomas
  • Patent number: 4784634
    Abstract: A solid bowl centrifuge for dewatering sludge exhibiting a conical solid bowl and an inner rotor part which revolving at different speeds and has apparatus for axially transporting solid components for improved separating and reduced energy consumption. The sludge is introduced at a tapered end and solid components are discharge at an expanded end. Introduction of sludge is effected through a radial inlet channel(s). Surface elements are attached to the inner rotor by holder arms and are located at a slight distance from the inner wall of the solid bowl drum. A surface element free axial passage channel is defined between the inner rotor wall and the solid bowl drum extending at least 50% of the radial distance between the rotor wall and the drum. A baffle plate is mounted on the inner rotor at the wide end of the drum leaving an annular gap or passage between a compacting space and a sediment discharge which exhibits a radially inwardly directed sediment outlet channel(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1988
    Assignee: Krauss-Maffei A.G.
    Inventor: Herbert Schiele
  • Patent number: 4782548
    Abstract: A linear-motion wiper structure comprising a multistage hydraulic cylinder arm which can be driven by a transmission mechanism having both vertical and horizontal displacement function whereby a blade, which is driven by the arm, can wipe on the windshield in a linear reciprocating motion so as to completely clear the drops of rain on the windshield, and this may provide a clear vision for users who drive in the rain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1988
    Inventor: Edward Y. Wong
  • Patent number: 4781671
    Abstract: Commercial wide size distribution powders are size classified into precise size fractions by means of a controlled, semi-continuous, multi-stage centrifugal classification system. The system has utility for a wide range of colloidal materials. The throughput of the semi-continuous process is higher than that of batch processes, and the semi-continuous process produces narrow size ranges and optimum yields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Assignee: Ceramics Process Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Richard L. Pober, Bruce E. Novich
  • Patent number: 4778443
    Abstract: An improved system and method of gas and petroleum production from locations such as offshore facilities in which oily water and/or wet oil or an oil/water mixture is fed to a Podbielniak type centrifugal liquid/liquid contactor for separation and purification of the oil and water phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: Fluor Corporation
    Inventors: Charles D. Sands, Ronald L. Schendel
  • Patent number: 4773762
    Abstract: A continuous shearing rolling mill is disclosed with improved roll drive system, roll temperature control, surface and groove geometries of the shearing rolls, and material discharge and pelletizing devices on the front roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1988
    Inventor: August Albers
  • Patent number: 4773120
    Abstract: A portable polisher with an air pumping device. It comprises a cabinet and a base combined together in which are contained a motor decelerating construction and an air pump driven by said motor decelerating construction, a polishing wheel with a fixing disc under the base turned by a spindle connected with the motor decelerating construction and protruding through under the base. A tubing system connected with the air pump can supply compressed air both for air pumping in a tire and for polishing with sprayed liquid wax and hot air heated by a heater inside the polishing wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1988
    Inventor: Ta-Chin Wang
  • Patent number: 4771502
    Abstract: Disclosed are a towel adapted to be worn by the user and a method of making such towel. A single sheet of absorbent and pliant fabric material is cut such as to have a top end and a bottom end opposed to the top end and a first side and a second side opposed to the first side. A stiffening member is disposed against the fabric towel material. The top end is folded over to form a top fold. The first side edge is folded over and against the stiffening member to form a first rear towel face. The second side edge is folded over and against the first rear towel face. The stiffening member is encapsulated in the fabric towel material by securing the various towel faces together underneath the stiffening member and securing together the tops of the various folded towel material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1988
    Inventor: Harold J. Trimble
  • Patent number: 4771498
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rotary cleaning brush device for cleaners of paved surfaces, whose brushes (2) are aligned perpendicularly to the straight travel direction of the cleaner and have peripheral regions which are formed of an orderly succession of projections (8) and recesses (9), the projections (8) of each brush (2) fitting into the recesses (9) of another brush (2), and having at least one pair of brushes (2) arranged with their respective axes of rotation (4) convergent together in a direction away from a surface (7) to be swept, the brushes (2) being rotated in a direction which produces, in the areas of least mutual distance between the brushes (2), tangent velocities which are on the average oppositely directed with respect to the straight travel direction of such cleaners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1988
    Assignee: Idroplina S.R.L.
    Inventor: Nello Torta