Patents by Inventor Alfred J. White

Alfred J. White has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6003778
    Abstract: An oil level control valve (10) has a molded base (12) having an oil receiving aperture (12d) formed through a bottom wall (12e) with a circumscribing generally rectangular cover plate seat in which a cover plate (14) is removably received. A thermostatic element (16) in the form of a generally rectangular sheet is fastened to posts (12f) extending upwardly from sidewalls of the base by means of peg portions (12g, 12h) received through holes in the sheet and heat staked to the posts. The thermostatic element allows the cover plate to move away from the seat for optimum oil flow at low temperature conditions and restricts the valve opening as temperature of the oil increases to accommodate an increase in oil volume due to expansion in order to maintain the fluid level in the main sump of a transmission housing by allowing an increase in the fluid level of an auxiliary sump in accordance with target values for different flow rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph M. Gondusky, Alfred J. White
  • Patent number: 5209399
    Abstract: A fluid level control valve has a base with a precisely controlled aperture formed therein which mounts on a transmission oil reservoir. A cover is pivotably disposed over the aperture and is biased by a thermostatic element in a direction tending to close the aperture. The thermostatic element is an elongated flat strip having each end captured by a bracket formed in each end of the base. A calibration post is precisely positioned on the cover to work with the brackets to place the thermostatic element in the desired position to provide a preselected force on the cover. The base has legs extending from the periphery of the controlled aperture for precisely attaching the valve to the housing of the transmission oil reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1993
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph M. Gondusky, Eric J. Giasson, Alfred J. White
  • Patent number: 5195678
    Abstract: A fluid level control valve has a base with an aperture formed therethrough. A cover is movably disposed over the aperture and is biased by a thermostatic element in a direction tending to close the aperture. The thermostatic element is a generally U-shaped strip having one end mounted on the base with its opposite end biased against the cover. The cover is adapted to pivot about one hinge at temperatures below a selected temperature value and pivot about a second hinge at temperatures above the selected value. A second embodiment particularly adapted to accommodate different flow rates employs a movable first hinge location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1993
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Eric J. Giasson, Alfred J. White, Narendra R. Zaveri, Joseph M. Gondusky, Phillip J. Leipf
  • Patent number: 5110045
    Abstract: A fluid flow control for an automative transmission system is shown in which a gate, attached to a free end of a thermostatic coil, is caused to slide on a control plate having first and second orifices dependent upon changes in sensed temperature between a position in which one orifice is covered and the other is uncovered and a position in which the one orifice is uncovered and the other is covered and an intermediate position in which one orifice opens as the other closes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1992
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Eric J. Glasson, Henry Ty, Alfred J. White, Joseph H. Gondusky
  • Patent number: 4921165
    Abstract: A fluid level control valve has a base with an aperture formed therein. A cover is slidingly disposed over the aperture and is biased by a thermostatic element in a direction tending to close the aperture. In one embodiment the thermostatic element is an elongated strip having one end captured by tabs projecting from the base, and an opposite end is captured by a bracket formed on the base. The thermostatic element is formed with a V-shaped formed imparing portion which is aligned with the cover and the position of the bracket is adjustable to place a selected force on the cover through the thermostatic element. The calibrated valve is then fixedly attached to a housing with the aperture aligned with an aperture in the housing. In another embodiment a U-shaped thermostatic strip has one end mounted on the base with its opposite end biased against the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Henry Ty, Narendra R. Zaveri, Alfred J. White
  • Patent number: 4865250
    Abstract: A fluid level control valve has a base with an aperture formed therein. A cover is slidingly disposed over the aperture and is biased by a thermostatic element in a direction tending to close the aperture. The thermostatic element is an elongated strip having one end captured by tabs projecting from the base, and an opposite end is captured by a bracket formed on the base. The thermostatic element is formed with a V-shaped force imparting portion which is aligned with the cover and the position of the bracket is adjustable to place a selected force on the cover through the thermostatic element. The calibrated valve is then fixedly attached to a housing with the aperture aligned with an aperture in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 12, 1989
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Narendra R. Zaveri, Henry Ty, Alfred J. White
  • Patent number: 4726452
    Abstract: A shock absorbing mechanism has a fluid filled pressure chamber with a piston mounted therein along with a restrictive orifice leading to an outer chamber. When shock is transmitted by the piston, fluid is forced through the opening against compressed gas contained in the outer chamber. The opening is formed in a movably mounted valve element normally biased against a valve seat but which is forced away from the valve seat by the fluid which had previously passed through the orifice after the force caused by the shock is abated. The size of the orifice in the valve element is controlled by a thermostatic coil mounted on the valve element. The coil is connected to a pin which pivots as the coil expands or contracts due to changes in temperature causing a flag mounted on the pin to slide over the surface of the valve element in which the orifice is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1988
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Henry Ty, Gerald L. McDermott, Alfred J. White
  • Patent number: 4600164
    Abstract: An over-the-shoulder automotive safety seat belt system having a latch providing a tensionless comfort setting for the belt during use and having remotely operable thermostat metal means to release the latch and permit automatic belt retraction after use is shown to have an improved electrically operable latch release mechanism providing reliable latching and providing fast and reliable latch release operation at low power levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1986
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Henry Ty, Alfred J. White
  • Patent number: 4537365
    Abstract: An over-the-shoulder automotive safety seat belt system having a latch providing a tensionless comfort setting for the belt during use and having remotely operable thermostat metal means to release the latch and permit automatic belt retraction after use is shown to have an improved electrically operable latch release mechanism providing reliable latching and providing fast and reliable latch release operation at low power levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1982
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1985
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Henry Ty, Alfred J. White
  • Patent number: 3962664
    Abstract: A current sensing, self-heating device for protecting equipment against abnormal current levels which is automatically resettable under mild overcurrent conditions and nonresettable under severe overcurrent conditions. The device comprises a thermostat metal assembly with a temperature compensating portion and an actuating portion which is placed adjacent a nonresettable two-position snap-acting blade electrically connected to ground. During normal operation current flows from the line source through the actuating portion of the thermostat metal assembly to the equipment. However, if an overcurrent condition occurs the heat generated in the actuating portion of the assembly will bend the assembly and cause it to make contact with the blade shorting the current from the line source to ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1976
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Henry Ty, Alfred J. White, Roger L. Boisvert, Raymond M. Sears