Patents by Inventor Kuo-Kuang Hu
Kuo-Kuang Hu 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).
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Patent number: 6517277Abstract: An expansion or crack joint assembly (32) utilizes a coupler (20) with or without a bottom sheet (34) to join adjacent roadway concrete slabs (86, 90) formed separately initially or continuously cast and later separated by a saw cut, which induces cracking to form a crack joint. The coupler (20) includes a casing (22), an internal component (24,25,62,65), and outer sleeve (26), and end caps (28,30). The casing (22) defines an internal chamber (40) which receives the internal component (24,25,62,65) therein. The sleeve (26) and end caps (28,30) fit over the casing (22). The casing (22) and sleeve (26) transmit loads between the concrete slabs (86,90) while the sleeve (26) and end caps (86,90) operate to reduce stress concentrations. The bottom sheet (34) inhibits water from entering the expansion or crack joint assembly (32) from below, if used, and prevents pumping.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2001Date of Patent: February 11, 2003Assignee: Kansas State University Research FoundationInventors: Kuo-Kuang Hu, Philip G. Kirmser
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Publication number: 20010022918Abstract: An expansion or crack joint assembly (32) utilizes a coupler (20) with or without a bottom sheet (34) to join adjacent roadway concrete slabs (86, 90) formed separately initially or continuously cast and later separated by a saw cut, which induces cracking to form a crack joint. The coupler (20) includes a casing (22), an internal component (24,25,62,65), and outer sleeve (26), and end caps (28,30). The casing (22) defines an internal chamber (40) which receives the internal component (24,25,62,65) therein. The sleeve (26) and end caps (28,30) fit over the casing (22). The casing (22) and sleeve (26) transmit loads between the concrete slabs (86,90) while the sleeve (26) and end caps (86,90) operate to reduce stress concentrations. The bottom sheet (34) inhibits water from entering the expansion or crack joint assembly (32) from below, if used, and prevents pumping.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2001Publication date: September 20, 2001Inventors: Kuo-Kuang Hu, Philip G. Kirmser
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Patent number: 5660007Abstract: A stiffness decoupling assembly (22) is provided for the protection of buildings or other structures (20) subject to earthquakes, in order to prevent collapse or catastrophic failure of such structures (20). The preferred decoupling assembly (22) includes a plurality of elongated, relatively flexible, concrete-filled pipes (28) rigidly connected to the structure (20) and extending downwardly toward an underlying foundation (26), with at least certain of the pipes (28) being coupled to the foundation (26) for resisting overturning of the structure (20). A primary load-bearing column (46) rests upon the foundation (26) and receives the array of pipes (28); bearing means (32) is interposed between the upper end of the column (46) and structure (20) for permitting relatively lateral movement therebetween. The invention serves to decouple the lateral stiffness from the load-carrying strength of the column (46), to thereby reduce the transmissibility of ground acceleration to the protected structure (20).Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 1996Date of Patent: August 26, 1997Assignee: Kansas State University Research FoundationInventors: Kuo-Kuang Hu, Philip G. Kirmser, Stuart E. Swartz
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Patent number: 5470174Abstract: A prefabricated roadway expansion joint/load transfer assembly (10) is provided which accommodates normal expansion and contraction between adjacent slabs (90a, 90b) while transferring vertical shear loads and minimizing stress cracking of the surrounding concrete (90). The assembly (10) includes a plurality of X-configuration bar units (12) including crossed, unconnected metallic bars (20, 22) whose ends (24, 30, 28, 26) are embedded within the adjacent slabs (90a, 90b). The bar ends (24, 30, 28, 26) are coupled within the corresponding slabs (90a, 90b) through use of respective U-shaped coupling assemblies (14) each having spaced legs (38, 40) and a bight (42), and vertical tie rods (44). The individual bar units (12) are joined by laterally extending connecting rods (56-70). A central spacer (18) is supported by the bar units (12) and supplementary spring supports (76) and extends the full width of the assembly (10).Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 1994Date of Patent: November 28, 1995Assignee: Kansas State University Research FoundationInventors: Kuo-Kuang Hu, Philip G. Kirmser, Stuart E. Swartz, Mustaque Hossain
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Patent number: 5386671Abstract: A stiffness decoupling assembly (22) is provided for the protection of buildings or other structures (20) subject to earthquakes, in order to prevent collapse or catastrophic failure of such structures (20). The preferred decoupling assembly (22) includes a plurality of elongated, relatively flexible, concrete-filled pipes (28) rigidly connected to the structure (20) and extending downwardly toward an underlying foundation (26), with at least certain of the pipes (28) being coupled to the foundation (26) for resisting overturning of the structure (20). A primary load-bearing column (46) rests upon the foundation (26) and receives the array of pipes (28); bearing means (32) is interposed between the upper end of the column (46) and structure (20) for permitting relatively lateral movement therebetween. The invention serves to decouple the lateral stiffness from the load-carrying strength of the column (46), to thereby reduce the transmissibility of ground acceleration to the protected structure (20).Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 1992Date of Patent: February 7, 1995Assignee: Kansas State University Research FoundationInventors: Kuo-Kuang Hu, Philip G. Kirmser, Stuart E. Swartz
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Patent number: 5366319Abstract: A prefabricated roadway expansion joint/load transfer assembly (10) is provided which accommodates normal expansion and contraction between adjacent slabs (90a, 90b) while transferring vertical shear loads and minimizing stress cracking of the surrounding concrete (90). The assembly (10) includes a plurality of X-configuration bar units (12) including crossed, unconnected metallic bars (20, 22) whose ends (24, 30, 28, 26) are embedded within the adjacent slabs (90a, 90b). The bar ends (24, 30, 28, 26) are coupled within the corresponding slabs (90a, 90b) through use of respective U-shaped coupling assemblies (14) each having spaced legs (38, 40) and a bight (42) and vertical tie rods (44). The individual bar units (12) are joined by laterally extending connecting rods (56-70). A central spacer (18) is supported by the bar units (12) and supplementary spring supports (76) and extends the full width of the assembly (10).Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 1993Date of Patent: November 22, 1994Assignee: Kansas State University Research FoundationInventors: Kuo-Kuang Hu, Philip G. Kirmser, Stuart E. Swartz, Mustaque Hossain
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Patent number: 4096934Abstract: A method and apparatus for reproducing desired Chinese ideographs using standard typewriter keyboard bearing phonetic symbols is disclosed for typing, typesetting and composing, transmissions of telegrams in computer languages and the like including the steps of coding ideographs by their phonetic spelling and characteristic identification to uniquely identify each ideograph, storing the coded information, inputing the phonetic spelling of a desired ideograph, inputing characteristic identification of the desired ideograph, identifying the desired ideograph based on the stored information and the input information, and reproducing the desired ideograph thereby permitting the use of a conventional keyboard to print Chinese ideographs without requiring any additional means for selecting the desired ideograph.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 1975Date of Patent: June 27, 1978Inventors: Philip George Kirmser, Kuo-Kuang Hu