Patents by Inventor Berton L. Vicars

Berton L. Vicars 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: 7172175
    Abstract: A suction valve including a valve seat and a piston movably joined to the valve seat. The piston has a head for engaging the top surface of the valve seat and a stem extending downwardly from the head through the valve seat. A valve guide is positioned adjacent the bottom surface of the valve seat and slidably receives the stem. A valve keeper is fitted upon the stem such that the valve guide is disposed between the valve seat and the valve keeper. A keeper pin is slidably positioned within a transverse aperture in the stem and abuts the bottom of the valve keeper. A compressed spring is positioned between, and exerts opposing forces upon, the valve guide and the valve keeper so as to normally retain the head of the piston in engagement with the top surface of the valve seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Gardner Denver, Inc.
    Inventor: Berton L. Vicars
  • Patent number: 7004195
    Abstract: A discharge valve including a valve seat and a piston having a head with a bottom surface that is convex across its entirety for engaging the valve seat. The piston has a stem extending upwardly from the head away from the valve seat. A valve guide has a socket for slidably receiving the stem of the piston and a number of apertures intersecting the socket for providing pressure relief thereto. A compressed spring is disposed between the valve guide and the head for normally retaining said the in engagement with the valve seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Gardner Denver, Inc.
    Inventor: Berton L. Vicars
  • Patent number: 6979125
    Abstract: A rod-guided crosshead assembly for use in a pump or similar machine. The assembly includes a crosshead having a rigid body with a pair of parallel passageways passing from the front to the rear of the body. The body also has a rearwardly opening cavity between the parallel passageways for receiving the ring-shaped link of a crank arm. Further, the body has a transverse aperture intersecting the cavity for receiving a pivot pin capable of passing through the ring-shaped link to pivotally connect the crank arm to the crosshead. The body additionally has a connecting rod extending from the front thereof for connecting to a reciprocating machine part. A conduit connects the parallel passageways and places them in fluid communication with one another. A pair of parallel guide rods extends through the parallel passageways. One of the guide rods is hollow so as to define an elongated aperture therein and has a peripheral groove around its exterior surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Gardner Denver, Inc.
    Inventor: Berton L. Vicars
  • Publication number: 20040234404
    Abstract: A fluid end for a high-pressure pump. The fluid end includes a pump housing having a plunger bore within which is positioned a reciprocating plunger. Extending upwardly at an incline from the inner end of the plunger bore is a discharge passage. Extending downwardly at an incline from the inner end of the plunger bore is a suction passage. Discharge and suction valves are secured, respectively, within the discharge and suction passages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2003
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Inventor: Berton L. Vicars
  • Publication number: 20040226616
    Abstract: A discharge valve including a valve seat and a piston having a head with a bottom surface that is convex across its entirety for engaging the valve seat. The piston has a stem extending upwardly from the head away from the valve seat. A valve guide has a socket for slidably receiving the stem of the piston and a number of apertures intersecting the socket for providing pressure relief thereto. A compressed spring is disposed between the valve guide and the head for normally retaining said the in engagement with the valve seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2004
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Inventor: Berton L. Vicars
  • Publication number: 20040223669
    Abstract: A rod-guided crosshead assembly for use in a pump or similar machine. The assembly includes a crosshead having a rigid body with a pair of parallel passageways passing from the front to the rear of the body. The body also has a rearwardly opening cavity between the parallel passageways for receiving the ring-shaped link of a crank arm. Further, the body has a transverse aperture intersecting the cavity for receiving a pivot pin capable of passing through the ring-shaped link to pivotally connect the crank arm to the crosshead. The body additionally has a connecting rod extending from the front thereof for connecting to a reciprocating machine part. A conduit connects the parallel passageways and places them in fluid communication with one another. A pair of parallel guide rods extends through the parallel passageways. One of the guide rods is hollow so as to define an elongated aperture therein and has a peripheral groove around its exterior surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2003
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Inventor: Berton L. Vicars
  • Patent number: 6796321
    Abstract: A pressure relief valve including a valve seat and a valve seat retainer abutting the valve seat. The valve seat has a central channel whereas the valve seat retainer has a number of peripheral channels. A deformable plug is positioned between the valve seat and the valve seat retainer. The deformable plug has a head abutting the valve seat and normally blocking the central channel and a tail abutting the valve seat retainer at a location between the peripheral channels. The tail deforms upon receiving a predetermined load from the head thereby permitting the head to unblock the central channel and open the pressure relief valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Garnder Denver, Inc.
    Inventor: Berton L. Vicars
  • Patent number: 6786111
    Abstract: A connecting rod including shaft with a major flange projecting outwardly from one of its ends and a minor flange projecting outwardly from the other of its ends. The major flange and the minor flange each have a number of holes for the passage of threaded fasteners. Abutting the minor flange is a ring with a transverse aperture. A number of threaded fasteners releasably join the shaft and the link together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Gardner Denver, Inc.
    Inventor: Berton L. Vicars
  • Publication number: 20040170507
    Abstract: A fluid end for a high-pressure pump including a unitary body with a plurality of horizontal passages each for receiving a reciprocating plunger at one of its ends and a pressure relief valve at the other of its ends. The body is provided with a corresponding number of vertical passages each of which intersect one of the horizontal passages and contains a suction valve at its bottom and a discharge valve at its top. A suction manifold is hingedly attached to the bottom of body to provide a flow of fluid into the body via the suction valves. A discharge passage intersects the vertical passages and receives fluid pressurized by the plungers via discharge valves and ports such from the fluid end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2004
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Inventor: Berton L. Vicars
  • Patent number: 6767132
    Abstract: A connecting rod bearing including a housing with an attaching portion and a retaining portion releasably joined together so as to define a transverse passageway. The attaching portion and the retaining portion are each provided with a pair of bores. The bores are respectively located on opposite sides of the transverse passageway and can be brought into registry with one another. The bores also partially intersect the transverse passageway. A pair of alignment pins is positioned within a respective one of the bores and project into the transverse passageway. A sleeve is positioned within the transverse passageway and has notches for snugly receiving the alignment pins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Gardner Denver, Inc.
    Inventor: Berton L. Vicars
  • Patent number: 6698450
    Abstract: A discharge valve including a valve seat and a piston having a head with a bottom surface that is convex across its entirety for engaging the valve seat. The piston has a stem extending upwardly from the head away from the valve seat. A valve guide has a socket for slidably receiving the stem of the piston and a number of apertures intersecting the socket for providing pressure relief thereto. A compressed spring is disposed between the valve guide and the head for normally retaining the piston in engagement with the valve seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Gardner Denver, Inc.
    Inventor: Berton L. Vicars
  • Patent number: 6695007
    Abstract: A suction valve including a valve seat and a piston movably joined to the valve seat. The piston has a head for engaging the top surface of the valve seat and a stem extending downwardly from the head through the valve seat. A valve guide is positioned adjacent the bottom surface of the valve seat and slidably receives the stem. A valve keeper is fitted upon the stem such that the valve guide is disposed between the valve seat and the valve keeper. A keeper pin is slidably positioned within a transverse aperture in the stem and abuts the bottom of the valve keeper. A compressed spring is positioned between, and exerts opposing forces upon, the valve guide and the valve keeper so as to normally retain the head of the piston in engagement with the top surface of the valve seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Gardner Denver, Inc.
    Inventor: Berton L. Vicars
  • Publication number: 20030235508
    Abstract: A fluid end for a high-pressure pump including a unitary body with a plurality of horizontal passages each for receiving a reciprocating plunger at one of its ends and a pressure relief valve at the other of its ends. The body is provided with a corresponding number of vertical passages each of which intersect one of the horizontal passages and contains a suction valve at its bottom and a discharge valve at its top. A suction manifold is hingedly attached to the bottom of body to provide a flow of fluid into the body via the suction valves. A discharge passage intersects the vertical passages and receives fluid pressurized by the plungers via discharge valves and ports such from the fluid end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2002
    Publication date: December 25, 2003
    Inventor: Berton L. Vicars
  • Publication number: 20030234049
    Abstract: A pressure relief valve including a valve seat and a valve seat retainer abutting the valve seat. The valve seat has a central channel whereas the valve seat retainer has a number of peripheral channels. A deformable plug is positioned between the valve seat and the valve seat retainer. The deformable plug has a head abutting the valve seat and normally blocking the central channel and a tail abutting the valve seat retainer at a location between the peripheral channels. The tail deforms upon receiving a predetermined load from the head thereby permitting the head to unblock the central channel and open the pressure relief valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2002
    Publication date: December 25, 2003
    Inventor: Berton L. Vicars
  • Publication number: 20030206671
    Abstract: A connecting rod bearing including a housing with an attaching portion and a retaining portion releasably joined together so as to define a transverse passageway. The attaching portion and the retaining portion are each provided with a pair of bores. The bores are respectively located on opposite sides of the transverse passageway and can be brought into registry with one another. The bores also partially intersect the transverse passageway. A pair of alignment pins is positioned within a respective one of the bores and project into the transverse passageway. A sleeve is positioned within the transverse passageway and has notches for snugly receiving the alignment pins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2002
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Inventor: Berton L. Vicars
  • Publication number: 20030192398
    Abstract: A connecting rod including shaft with a major flange projecting outwardly from one of its ends and a minor flange projecting outwardly from the other of its ends. The major flange and the minor flange each have a number of holes for the passage of threaded fasteners. Abutting the minor flange is a ring with a transverse aperture. A number of threaded fasteners releasably join the shaft and the link together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2002
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Inventor: Berton L. Vicars
  • Publication number: 20030188783
    Abstract: A suction valve including a valve seat and a piston movably joined to the valve seat. The piston has a head for engaging the top surface of the valve seat and a stem extending downwardly from the head through the valve seat. A valve guide is positioned adjacent the bottom surface of the valve seat and slidably receives the stem. A valve keeper is fitted upon the stem such that the valve guide is disposed between the valve seat and the valve keeper. A keeper pin is slidably positioned within a transverse aperture in the stem and abuts the bottom of the valve keeper. A compressed spring is positioned between, and exerts opposing forces upon, the valve guide and the valve keeper so as to normally retain the head of the piston in engagement with the top surface of the valve seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2002
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Inventor: Berton L. Vicars
  • Publication number: 20030188785
    Abstract: A discharge valve including a valve seat and a piston having a head with a bottom surface that is convex across its entirety for engaging the valve seat. The piston has a stem extending upwardly from the head away from the valve seat. A valve guide has a socket for slidably receiving the stem of the piston and a number of apertures intersecting the socket for providing pressure relief thereto. A compressed spring is disposed between the valve guide and the head for normally retaining said the in engagement with the valve seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2002
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Inventor: Berton L. Vicars