Patents by Inventor Malcolm Higgins

Malcolm Higgins 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: 10639682
    Abstract: The invention provides a surface cleaning system for cleaning said surface from contaminants, said system comprising a laser device for generating a high intensity laser beam, projection optics for projecting said beam as at least one laser spot on the contaminants, and a control device for determining a longitudinal displacement speed of said surface cleaning system and said surface with respect to one another, and adapted for controlling said laser device and said projecting optics to result in a pattern of laser spots, the laser spots having a spot size, said pattern comprising said laser spots having a spacing of up to the spot size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: XENSIT TRIBOLOGY B.V.
    Inventor: Malcolm Higgins
  • Publication number: 20160339487
    Abstract: The invention provides a surface cleaning system for cleaning said surface from contaminants, said system comprising a laser device for generating a high intensity laser beam, projection optics for projecting said beam as at least one laser spot on the contaminants, and a control device for determining a longitudinal displacement speed of said surface cleaning system and said surface with respect to one another, and adapted for controlling said laser device and said projecting optics to result in a pattern of laser spots, the laser spots having a spot size, said pattern comprising said laser spots having a spacing of up to the spot size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventor: Malcolm HIGGINS
  • Publication number: 20060159572
    Abstract: The present invention adds a separate pilot pumping chamber and associated pumping plungers and cam followers axially offset from the main pumping chamber and pumping plungers. The axis of the pilot plunger bores is angularly offset from the axis of the main plunger bores so that the pilot plungers are actuated by a different set of cam lobes of the cam profile. This arrangement allows one pumping chamber to be refilled while the other pumping chamber is being discharged. A pilot injection event well in advance of the main injection can take place without refilling problems because each pumping chamber fills once for an injection event that includes a pilot and main injections. Discharge passages from the respective pumping chambers are ported to deliver the pilot and main fuel pulses to the same discharge port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2005
    Publication date: July 20, 2006
    Inventor: Malcolm Higgins
  • Patent number: 6797918
    Abstract: A method of cleaning a rail by removing contaminants from the surface of the rail comprises generating a high intensity pulsed laser beam and directing the laser beam onto the surface of the rail so as to destroy at least part of the contaminants. Preferably the parameters of the laser beam are selected so that the contaminants are destroyed by being converted directly into gases. The temperature of the contaminants may be raised to at least 6000 degrees Celsius. Apparatus cleaning a rail by removing contaminants from the surface of the rail comprises means for generating a high intensity pulsed laser beam and means for directing the laser beam onto the surface of the rail so as to destroy at least part of the contaminants. Preferably the apparatus comprises means for selecting the parameters of the laser beam so that the contaminants are destroyed by being converted directly into gases. The temperature of the contaminants may be raised to at least 6000 degrees Celsius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Laserthor Limited
    Inventor: Malcolm Higgins