Patents by Inventor Malcolm William Gray
Malcolm William Gray 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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Publication number: 20230213026Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to a vacuum system. The vacuum system includes a vacuum pump; and a heat exchanger for receiving a heat transfer fluid. The heat transfer fluid comprising a gas. The heat exchanger is thermally coupled to the vacuum pump and is operable to absorb thermal energy from the vacuum pump. Aspects of the present invention also relate to a method of operating a vacuum system; and a controller for controlling operation of a vacuum system.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2021Publication date: July 6, 2023Inventors: Sivabalan Kailasam, Malcolm William Gray
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Patent number: 11619233Abstract: An enclosure system may be formed of a lightweight panel with a thin non-porous membrane that enables the extraction and leak detection of hazardous gases from housing equipment such as vacuum pumps, valves, abatement equipment and the like. Additionally, the enclosure system includes a one or multiple layers of wire mesh which prevent projectiles with a high kinetic energy from escaping from the housing equipment thereby minimising the risk of an explosion causing parts or panels to be ejected from the enclosure system.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2017Date of Patent: April 4, 2023Assignee: Edwards LimitedInventor: Malcolm William Gray
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Patent number: 11542946Abstract: A twin-shaft pump comprising: a pumping chamber; two rotatable shafts each mounted on bearings is disclosed. Each of the two rotatable shafts comprises at least one rotor element, the rotor elements being within the pumping chamber and the two rotatable shafts extending beyond the pumping chamber to a support member. The support member comprises mounting means for mounting the bearings at a predetermined distance from each other, the predetermined distance defining a distance between the two shafts. A thermal break between the pumping chamber and the support member is provided for impeding thermal conductivity between the pumping chamber and the support member, such that the pumping chamber and support member can be maintained at different temperatures. The support member and the rotor elements are formed of different materials, a coefficient of thermal expansion of a material forming the support member being higher than a coefficient of thermal expansion of a material forming the rotor elements.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2018Date of Patent: January 3, 2023Assignee: Edwards LimitedInventors: Neil Turner, Phillip North, Michael Henry North, Malcolm William Gray, David Alan Turrell
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Patent number: 11098718Abstract: A pump cooling system may include a cooling body configured to be fitted to a pump housing to receive heat from the pump housing via a heat conducting path between the cooling body and pump housing. The cooling body may have a passage through which, in use, a cooling fluid is passed to conduct heat away from the cooling body. The pump cooling system includes a cooling control mechanism configured to provide a gap in the heat conducting path at pump operating temperatures below a predefined temperature so heat conduction from the pump housing to the cooling body is interrupted.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2017Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: Edwards LimitedInventors: Michael Henry North, Phillip North, Malcolm William Gray, Neil Turner
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Patent number: 10982662Abstract: A vacuum pumping system comprises a plurality of vacuum pumping arrangements for evacuating an enclosure and an auxiliary vacuum chamber for evacuation by at least one first vacuum pumping arrangement. The vacuum pumping system has a first state for evacuating the enclosure and a second state for conserving power consumed by the system. In a first stage of the second state the first vacuum pumping arrangement is arranged to evacuate an exhaust of at least one second vacuum pumping arrangement and in a second stage the exhaust of the first pumping arrangement is arranged to be evacuated by the auxiliary vacuum chamber.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2018Date of Patent: April 20, 2021Assignee: Edwards LimitedInventors: Ian David Stones, Malcolm William Gray, Iain David Port
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Publication number: 20200240414Abstract: A pump cooling system may include a cooling body configured to be fitted to a pump housing to receive heat from the pump housing via a heat conducting path between the cooling body and pump housing. The cooling body may have a passage through which, in use, a cooling fluid is passed to conduct heat away from the cooling body. The pump cooling system includes a cooling control mechanism configured to provide a gap in the heat conducting path at pump operating temperatures below a predefined temperature so heat conduction from the pump housing to the cooling body is interrupted.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2017Publication date: July 30, 2020Inventors: Michael Henry North, Phillip North, Malcolm William Gray, Neil Turner
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Publication number: 20200124050Abstract: A twin-shaft pump comprising: a pumping chamber; two rotatable shafts each mounted on bearings is disclosed. Each of the two rotatable shafts comprises at least one rotor element, the rotor elements being within the pumping chamber and the two rotatable shafts extending beyond the pumping chamber to a support member. The support member comprises mounting means for mounting the bearings at a predetermined distance from each other, the predetermined distance defining a distance between the two shafts. A thermal break between the pumping chamber and the support member is provided for impeding thermal conductivity between the pumping chamber and the support member, such that the pumping chamber and support member can be maintained at different temperatures. The support member and the rotor elements are formed of different materials, a coefficient of thermal expansion of a material forming the support member being higher than a coefficient of thermal expansion of a material forming the rotor elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2018Publication date: April 23, 2020Applicant: Edwards LimitedInventors: Neil Turner, Phillip North, Michael Henry North, Malcolm William Gray, David Alan Turrell
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Publication number: 20190170142Abstract: An enclosure system may be formed of a lightweight panel with a thin non-porous membrane that enables the extraction and leak detection of hazardous gases from housing equipment such as vacuum pumps, valves, abatement equipment and the like. Additionally, the enclosure system includes a one or multiple layers of wire mesh which prevent projectiles with a high kinetic energy from escaping from the housing equipment thereby minimising the risk of an explosion causing parts or panels to be ejected from the enclosure system.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2017Publication date: June 6, 2019Inventor: Malcolm William Gray
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Publication number: 20180372081Abstract: A vacuum pumping system comprises a plurality of vacuum pumping arrangements for evacuating an enclosure and an auxiliary vacuum chamber for evacuation by at least one first vacuum pumping arrangement. The vacuum pumping system has a first state for evacuating the enclosure and a second state for conserving power consumed by the system. In a first stage of the second state the first vacuum pumping arrangement is arranged to evacuate an exhaust of at least one second vacuum pumping arrangement and in a second stage the exhaust of the first pumping arrangement is arranged to be evacuated by the auxiliary vacuum chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2018Publication date: December 27, 2018Inventors: Ian David Stones, Malcolm William Gray, Iain David Port
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Patent number: 10082134Abstract: A vacuum pumping system comprises a plurality of vacuum pumping arrangements for evacuating an enclosure and an auxiliary vacuum chamber for evacuation by at least one first vacuum pumping arrangement. The vacuum pumping system has a first state for evacuating the enclosure and a second state for conserving power consumed by the system. In a first stage of the second state the first vacuum pumping arrangement is arranged to evacuate an exhaust of at least one second vacuum pumping arrangement and in a second stage the exhaust of the first pumping arrangement is arranged to be evacuated by the auxiliary vacuum chamber.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2014Date of Patent: September 25, 2018Assignee: Edwards LimitedInventors: Ian David Stones, Malcolm William Gray, Iain David Port
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Patent number: 9334863Abstract: A pump includes a plurality of pumping stages comprising a respective plurality of pumping mechanisms driven by one or more drive shafts for pumping fluid through the pumping stages from a pump inlet at a high vacuum stage to a pump outlet at a low vacuum stage; a lubrication chamber housing a bearing assembly for supporting the drive shaft for rotational movement, the drive shaft extending from the high vacuum stage to the lubrication chamber through an opening of a head plate of the lubrication chamber; an inter-stage purge port through which gas can enter the pump at an inter-stage location downstream of the high vacuum; a lubrication chamber purge port located in the lubrication chamber through which purge gas can flow from a source of purge gas; wherein the inter-stage port is connected to the lubrication chamber for controlling the pressure of purge gas in the lubrication chamber.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2010Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: Edwards LimitedInventors: Philip John Stephens, Ian David Stones, Malcolm William Gray, Paul David Neller
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Publication number: 20150377226Abstract: A vacuum pumping system comprises a plurality of vacuum pumping arrangements for evacuating an enclosure and an auxiliary vacuum chamber for evacuation by at least one first vacuum pumping arrangement. The vacuum pumping system has a first state for evacuating the enclosure and a second state for conserving power consumed by the system. In a first stage of the second state the first vacuum pumping arrangement is arranged to evacuate an exhaust of at least one second vacuum pumping arrangement and in a second stage the exhaust of the first pumping arrangement is arranged to be evacuated by the auxiliary vacuum chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2014Publication date: December 31, 2015Inventors: Ian David Stones, Malcolm William Gray, Iain David Port
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Patent number: 9004891Abstract: A pair of Northey rotors for a vacuum pump, in which each rotor comprises two opposing, substantially parallel faces, and a peripheral surface located between the opposing faces. In order to reduce damage caused by pumping a gas stream containing liquid or solid particulates, a plurality of grooves is located on the peripheral surface for accommodating the particulates.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2008Date of Patent: April 14, 2015Assignee: Edwards LimitedInventors: Neil Turner, Malcolm William Gray, Jack Raymond Tattersall
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Publication number: 20150037187Abstract: The present invention relates to a multi-stage vacuum pump which has a plurality of pumping stages. The pump comprises a stator forming the pumping chambers of respective pumping stages and at least one shaft, for supporting a plurality of rotors for rotation in respective pumping chambers. The stator comprises: a stator envelope which extends over an axial extent of a plurality of stator stages thereby circumscribing said at least one shaft and forming an internal profile of a plurality of stator stages: and a plurality of transverse walls located on either axial side of the stator stages to form respective said pumping chambers. At least one of the transverse walls is an inter-stage between stator stages and the stator envelope is configured to circumscribe the inter-stage for location of said inter-stage radially inward of the stator part.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2013Publication date: February 5, 2015Inventors: Neil Turner, Jack Raymond Tattersall, Paul David Neller, Malcolm William Gray
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Publication number: 20120251368Abstract: The present invention provides a positive displacement dry pump comprising: a plurality of vacuum pumping stages comprising a respective plurality of pumping mechanisms driven by one or more drive shafts for pumping fluid in series through the pumping stages from a pump inlet at the high vacuum stage to a pump outlet at the low vacuum stage; a lubrication chamber housing a bearing assembly for supporting the drive shaft for rotational movement, the drive shaft extending from the high vacuum stage to the lubrication chamber through an opening of a head plate of the lubrication chamber; an inter-stage purge port through which gas can enter the pump at an inter-stage location downstream of the high vacuum stage and pass only through the or each vacuum pumping stage downstream of the inter-stage port; a lubrication chamber purge port located in the lubrication chamber through which purge gas can flow from a source of purge gas; wherein the inter-stage port is connected to the lubrication chamber for controlling tType: ApplicationFiled: November 23, 2010Publication date: October 4, 2012Applicant: EDWARDS LIMITEDInventors: Philip John Stephens, Ian David Stones, Malcolm William Gray, Paul David Neller
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Publication number: 20100172782Abstract: A pair of Northey rotors for a vacuum pump, in which each rotor comprises two opposing, substantially parallel faces, and a peripheral surface located between the opposing faces. In order to reduce damage caused by pumping a gas stream containing liquid or solid particulates, a plurality of grooves is located on the peripheral surface for accommodating the particulates.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2008Publication date: July 8, 2010Inventors: Neil Turner, Malcolm William Gray, Jack Raymond Tattersall
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Patent number: 7214041Abstract: A seal assembly for the protection of a static seal device for use in a vacuum pump. The seal assembly comprising at least two components which are sealingly connected together, an o-ring seal, which is engaged between the two components to prevent transfer of fluid to and from the pump between these two components and a fluid channel. The fluid channel being in the plane of the o-ring and located between the o-ring seal and a process gas flow path. The fluid channel provides a path for a barrier gas to be routed when the apparatus is in use. The channel being connectable to an external source of barrier fluid and having an outlet in fluid communication with the pump swept volume.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2004Date of Patent: May 8, 2007Assignee: The BOC Group plcInventors: Peter Hugh Birch, David Alan Turrell, Malcolm William Gray, Neil Turner