Patents Examined by Tamiko Bellamy
  • Patent number: 8596108
    Abstract: A gas measuring device for measuring a presence of a target gas in a fluid medium includes a sensor having a sensing element and a heating element being configured to heat the sensing element to a predetermined operating temperature. The sensing element is responsive to the target gas such that at least one electrical property of the sensing element varies based on a presence of the target gas, and the electrical property of the sensing element is measured by the gas measuring device. The gas measuring device also includes a control circuit having a heating element controller connected to, and measuring an electrical property of, the heating element. The control circuit also includes a heater power supply supplying power to the heating element, wherein the heating element controller is connected to, and controls the operation of, the heater power supply based on the measurement of the electrical property of the heating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Scott Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: L. Rodney Bristol
  • Patent number: 8596148
    Abstract: An automated cascade impactor comprises an extension mechanism operable to couple to a plurality of impactor stages. The extension mechanism is operable to compress and separate impactor stages of the plurality of impactor stages via automation. The system provides a plurality of isolation stages operable to be automatically inserted between respective impactor stages when the impactor stages are separated by the extension mechanism. The system provides the plurality of isolation stages to be automatically compressed between impactor stages to isolate each impactor stage from at least one adjacent impactor stage. The plurality of isolation stages is operable to be automatically uncompressed and removed from between the impactor stages. The isolation stages allow automated extraction of particulate matter, cleaning and drying of interior surfaces of each impactor stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Inventor: Krishna Maheshwari
  • Patent number: 8584512
    Abstract: To inspect recesses in sides of an airfoil, gauge heads are moved into engagement with the recesses. Fluid pressure is conducted to the recesses while the gauge heads are in engagement with the recesses. A determination is made as to whether the rate of leakage of fluid from the recesses is greater than or less than a predetermined rate. If the rate of leakage of fluid is greater than a predetermined rate, one or more of the recesses is unacceptable. However, if the rate of leakage of fluid pressure is less than the predetermined rate, the recesses are acceptable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: PCC Airfoils, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth B. Clarke
  • Patent number: 8584504
    Abstract: An ammonia concentration detection sensor 100, has: a sensor element 110 capable of detecting the ammonia concentration of a measurement target gas; and a protective cover 120 that regulates the inflow of the measurement target gas into the sensor element 110 and protects the sensor element 110. The protective cover 120 is coated with a coating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Ito, Sang Jae Lee
  • Patent number: 8584518
    Abstract: A gas trap apparatus for liberating gas from drilling mud and collecting such gas for analysis. A motor is connected to a rotatable vertical shaft having beater bars thereon, which when the shaft is immersed in drilling mud and rotate, stirs such mud to liberate gas entrained therein. The gas trap is characterized in having a top member and a bottom member which surrounds the vertical shaft and which is releasably secured to the top member thereof by a quick release mechanism which facilitates rapid detachment of the bottom member from the top member to permit quick access said vertical shaft and beater bars thereon for replacement or servicing. The vertical shaft may further likewise be provided with a quick-release means to allow quick release of the shaft from the motor for easy replacement and servicing of same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Rigsat Communications Inc.
    Inventor: Terence D. Phillips
  • Patent number: 8573071
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing a liquid sample in a sample tube. The apparatus includes a base, a receptacle for receiving a sample tube, and a heating portion coupled to the base to selectively apply heat to the receptacle. A shaking portion is coupled to the base and supports the receptacle. The shaking portion agitates the receptacle with respect to the base. A magnetizing portion is coupled to the base and movable to selectively change a magnetic field with respect to the receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Promega Corporation
    Inventors: Steve Krueger, Julia E. Krueger, Cristopher Cowan, Aaron Bonk
  • Patent number: 8567229
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a rotational angle sensor having a rotor (12) coupled to a rotating shaft (10) in a manner which is faithful to the rotational angle, a stator (16), and a scanning means (14) arranged on the stator (16). The scanning means (14) scans a material measure of the rotor (12) and generates measured angle values associated with the rotational angle position of the rotor (12). A laser gyroscope (18) measures the angular velocity of the shaft (10). The signals from the laser gyroscope (18) which are dependent on the angular velocity of the shaft (10) are integrated over time with respect to the rotational angle. The measured angle values from the scanning means (14) are compared with reference angle values, and correction variables are formed from the differences. During measurement of the rotational angle, the measured angle values are corrected using the correction variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Sick Sensors Ltd
    Inventor: Yishay Netzer
  • Patent number: 8561456
    Abstract: A liquid detection device for detecting liquid at a location on a structure includes a nanoscale spectrometer-on-a chip, and a fluid-absorptive element for absorbing liquid at the location and also securing the chip to the structure. Fluid absorbed by the element is analyzed by the spectrometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Kimberly D. Meredith, Morteza Safai, Gary E. Georgeson
  • Patent number: 8549898
    Abstract: A sampling apparatus for sampling a fluid, the apparatus comprising a sensor and a flow regulator open to allow the continuous flow of fluid through the apparatus past the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Intelisys Limited
    Inventor: Nathan Boyd
  • Patent number: 8549936
    Abstract: The sampling valve comprises a valve body that is movable in a valve housing between a closing position and an opening position of the sampling valve, and is characterized in that the valve body comprises an outlet bore for the sample to be taken, the outlet bore continuously increasing in size towards the free end of the valve body, and that the lower edge of the outlet bore is sloping downwards towards the free end. After a sample has been taken, there will be no drops remaining in the outlet bore, whereby a source of contamination for a sample taken that has so far been encountered frequently is now eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Inventor: Manfred Völker
  • Patent number: 8539828
    Abstract: A fluid level probe for use in a tank containing a first fluid, including a probe shaft, a first float with a first magnet that is slidably disposed for movement along the probe shaft and adapted to float at the top surface of the first fluid, a second float with a first magnet that is slidably disposed for movement along the probe shaft beneath the first float and adapted to float within the first fluid, and electronics adapted to determine a first distance between the first magnet of the first float and the first magnet of the second float which is used to determine a first density of the first fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Veeder-Root Company
    Inventors: Ambroise Prinstil, Joseph Tessitore
  • Patent number: 8539809
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of gas measurements, andmore specifically to the field of testing the measuring function of a measuring device (7) for gas measurements, the measuring device (7) including a gas sensor (9) generating at least one output signal. The method includes connecting at least one simulation signal to the measuring device (7) and/or feeding a gas mixture to the measuring device wherein the magnitude of the concentration of a gas to be measured in the gas mixture is known. The invention also relates to a simulation device (1) for connection to the measuring device (7) for gas measurements when testing the measuring function of the measuring device (7). The simulation device (1) generates at least one simulation signal which can attain at least one signal level, wherein a certain signal value corresponds to a certain gas concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Aerocrine AB
    Inventors: Tryggve Hemmingsson, Mats Carlsson
  • Patent number: 8539812
    Abstract: Air bubbles may be characterized by an air bubble detector by choosing an optimum set of frequencies and then comparing a return signal from a sensor receiving those frequencies against an internal reference. The number of pulses that exceed the internal reference represents a width and may be counted. The width, as counted, may be correlated to bubble characteristics including volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Zevek, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Stringham, Roger Millis, John Foley, David Blaine
  • Patent number: 8539847
    Abstract: An apparatus for collecting fragments from a substrate subjected to an exploded munition, including a predetection element for removing large fragments from a sheet of the substrate; a detection and removal element for locating fragments embedded within the sheet and for removing located fragments from the sheet; and a capture element for capturing removed fragments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Franklin Engineering Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles N. Sturdivant
  • Patent number: 8528398
    Abstract: A touch roller is pressed to the surface of a sheet being conveyed in a space and the amount of displacement of the touch roller is measured to evaluate the sag of the sheet at the position at which the touch roller is pressed against the sheet. The method enables the sag of a sheet to be accurately evaluated with the use of a device having a relatively simple structure and easily maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignees: Maysun Corporation, Yupo Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Ichikawa, Masahiro Ikeda
  • Patent number: 8505379
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a sensor system for monitoring elements (1), in particular supporting-structure elements, by measurement with at least one sensor (5) in thick-film technology, and with a line (8) for connection to a measurement system, wherein the at least one sensor (5) is comprised of at least one film of an electrically conductive paste (2), and wherein the paste (2) is baked. To create such a method, and such a sensor system, by means of which elements (1) that would not fit into a continuous furnace can be provided with sensors (5) using thick-film technology, it is provided that the at least one sensor (5) is arranged directly on the surface of the element (1) to be monitored by applying the at least one film of paste (2) directly to the surface of the element (1) to be monitored so as to form the at least one sensor (5), and optionally connection lines (8) and a field bus (6), and by baking the same directly on the element (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Inventors: Viktor Maier, Karola Maier, Mohamed Hassan, Alexander Kraus, Helmut Wenzel
  • Patent number: 8499611
    Abstract: A disk drive emulator for testing a test slot of a disk drive testing system includes an emulator body, an interface connecter disposed on the emulator body, and at least one vibration sensor disposed on the emulator body. The emulator body comprises a material having a tensile modulus of at least 40×10^6 Psi.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Teradyne, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian S. Merrow, Robert A. Dasilva
  • Patent number: 8479554
    Abstract: A sensing device obtains range-related data—such as Doppler data or pulse time-of-flight data—from a sports projectile during flight. The time course of the range-related data is employed, in light of predictable characteristics of the projectile trajectory, to determine and output an accurate determination of the projectile speed for one or more points of interest in its flight. Such determination of speed may, for instance, be the speed at the time of projectile release, even though range-related data is gathered later in the flight, when the projectile is traveling neither so fast, nor straight at the sensor. Such sensing device may employ inexpensive short-range acoustic Doppler, and be incorporated into a target device that automatically displays to a pitcher-in-training the speed and ball/strike condition of each pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Inventor: Jerry B. Roberts
  • Patent number: 8474338
    Abstract: A system comprising a viscoelastic interface sheet to engage a sound vibrations sensors array to a sound generating objects. The structure of the interface sheet includes elements for easy handling, positioning and mounting. A device for storage and mounting support of such interface sheets is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Deep Breeze Ltd.
    Inventors: Gregory Gelman, Guy Ben-Ezra
  • Patent number: 8468901
    Abstract: The field of the present invention pertains to a controlled transfer biological collection device using a dry solid storage and transfer medium and a method for the collection of biological material of interest (genetic or proteinaceous material) in a form suitable for storage and/or subsequent analysis. Specifically, the present invention provides for a sampling device that controls the transfer of the biological sample to the storage medium by holding the storage medium and a moveable sample collection cmember having an analyte collection surface. The invention further provides for a method not only for storing a biological analyte on this collection device but also for analyzing the stored biological analyte using methods that are suited for automated analyzing systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: GE Healthcare Bio-Sciences Corp.
    Inventors: Michael A. Harvey, Breck O. Parker, Stevan Paul Tortorella, Elizabeth A. Moran, John Pipinias