Patents by Inventor Joseph R. Waitlevertch

Joseph R. Waitlevertch 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: 9259780
    Abstract: Rotary lance drives for rotating a lance for injecting gas and powdered reagents into molten metal include a reciprocating rotary lance drive and an associated method. A lance mount which facilitates loading of a lance into a lance drive is also disclosed. Various lance designs are described for improving dispersion of reagent and decreasing process time, including lances having non-circular refractory portions and lances having cross-port arrangements for more evenly distributed reagent discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: ESM Group Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph R. Waitlevertch, Larry J. Epps, Nicholas S. Romeo
  • Publication number: 20140263703
    Abstract: Rotary lance drives for rotating a lance for injecting gas and powdered reagents into molten metal include a reciprocating rotary lance drive and an associated method. A lance mount which facilitates loading of a lance into a lance drive is also disclosed. Various lance designs are described for improving dispersion of reagent and decreasing process time, including lances having non-circular refractory portions and lances having cross-port arrangements for more evenly distributed reagent discharge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Joseph R. WAITLEVERTCH, Larry J. EPPS, Nicholas S. ROMEO
  • Patent number: 8623270
    Abstract: A dual outlet injector is disclosed for use in a dual lance or dual port desulfurization station, whereby reagent from a given injector vessel may be injected into two separate supply pipes respectively corresponding to the dual lances or dual ports. The dual outlet injector enables a desulfurization station to be configured comprising only one supply vessel for powdered magnesium reagent and only one supply vessel for a carrier reagent such as powdered lime.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: ESM Group Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph R. Waitlevertch, Larry J. Epps, Michael S. Ross
  • Publication number: 20110167963
    Abstract: A dual outlet injector is disclosed for use in a dual lance or dual port desulfurization station, whereby reagent from a given injector vessel may be injected into two separate supply pipes respectively corresponding to the dual lances or dual ports. The dual outlet injector enables a desulfurization station to be configured comprising only one supply vessel for powdered magnesium reagent and only one supply vessel for a carrier reagent such as powdered lime.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: ESM GROUP INC.
    Inventors: Joseph R. Waitlevertch, Larry J. Epps, Michael S. Ross
  • Patent number: 7939012
    Abstract: An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides an apparatus and a method for skimming slag from molten metal including a base, wherein the base pivots around an axis, a mast mounted on the base, a carriage including wheels and the wheels engage the plurality of posts, an outer beam disposed perpendicular to the mast and within an inner space of the carriage, and including walls defining a slot and powered wheels, an inner beam disposed movably within the slot of the outer beam and in frictional contact with the powered wheels, and rams including one end mounted on the other beam and the other end mounted on one of the base or the mast. This configuration provides at least four degrees of freedom to the apparatus in order to skim the slag from the molten metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: ESM Group Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph R. Waitlevertch
  • Publication number: 20090267274
    Abstract: An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides an apparatus and a method for skimming slag from molten metal including a base, wherein the base pivots around an axis, a mast mounted on the base, a carriage including wheels and the wheels engage the plurality of posts, an outer beam disposed perpendicular to the mast and within an inner space of the carriage, and including walls defining a slot and powered wheels, an inner beam disposed movably within the slot of the outer beam and in frictional contact with the powered wheels, and rams including one end mounted on the other beam and the other end mounted on one of the base or the mast. This configuration provides at least four degrees of freedom to the apparatus in order to skim the slag from the molten metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Inventor: Joseph R. Waitlevertch
  • Patent number: 7584876
    Abstract: A wire injector apparatus for impelling wire or injecting wire is provided. The wire injector has a motorized pulley system connected to a drive wheels for moving the wire laterally through the apparatus. Further, upper and lower idler wheels are arranged about the drive wheels to engage the wire with the drive wheels. A clamp connects the upper idler wheels to the lower idler wheels such that a single actuated lever can control and position multiple upper and/or lower idler wheels. Wire line paths for moving the wire are provided intermediate to the drive wheels and the idler wheels. The arrangement of the components of the wire injector allows for customizing the number of idler wheels and drive wheels to, in turn, provide any number of wire line paths for impelling or injecting any number of wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: ESM Group Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph R. Waitlevertch, Ronald L. Downard, Frank A. Sokolowski
  • Publication number: 20080041909
    Abstract: A wire injector apparatus for impelling wire or injecting wire is provided. The wire injector has a motorized pulley system connected to a drive wheels for moving the wire laterally through the apparatus. Further, upper and lower idler wheels are arranged about the drive wheels to engage the wire with the drive wheels. A clamp connects the upper idler wheels to the lower idler wheels such that a single actuated lever can control and position multiple upper and/or lower idler wheels. Wire line paths for moving the wire are provided intermediate to the drive wheels and the idler wheels. The arrangement of the components of the wire injector allows for customizing the number of idler wheels and drive wheels to, in turn, provide any number of wire line paths for impelling or injecting any number of wires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Inventors: Joseph R. Waitlevertch, Ronald L. Downard, Frank A. Sokolowski
  • Patent number: 6010658
    Abstract: A desulfurization apparatus which employs first and second separate independently movable spaced apart lances (10, 12), each lance having a single conduit (22) through which the desulfurization materials may flow from feed vessels (40, 42, 44, 46) into the molten iron in a ladle (16). First and second independently operable raising and lowering apparatus (28, 30) are provided, the first raising and lowering apparatus (28) being connected to the first lance (10), and the second raising and lowering apparatus (30) being connected to the second lance. Each of the first and second raising and lowering apparatus (28,30) is capable of moving the associated lance (10, 12) from between a raised position where the lower end of the associated lance is spaced above the surface of the molten iron in the ladle and a lowered position where the lower end of the associated lance is spaced within the ladle at a proper location for desulfurization of the molten iron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: ESM III
    Inventors: Michael S. Ross, Ronald L. Downard, Larry J. Epps, Joseph R. Waitlevertch