Patents by Inventor Patrick Porter

Patrick Porter 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: 11333478
    Abstract: A marking device holder for use with a tape measure has a body with a curved cavity defined in it for receiving and holding the tape of the tape measure and a second cavity for receiving and holding a marking device generally orthogonal to the tape. The marking device holder can be placed on the tape at any desired location to enable the marking device to mark a work piece adjacent to the tape. The marking devise holder may be provided with a rectangular cavity for receiving a lath in order to make repetitive measurements of the same length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Inventor: Chris Patrick Porter
  • Publication number: 20210045773
    Abstract: A device may comprise a shaft comprising a hollow body, an anchor disposed adjacent an end of the shaft, wherein the anchor is configured to engage a surface to releasably secure the shaft to the surface, and a needle at least partially disposed within the shaft and is configured to be advanced toward the surface and outside of the shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Matthew Kuhn, Jorge Salazar, Christine Nicole Ballew, Rolando Marquez, Ellen Marie McMullen, William Patrick Porter
  • Patent number: 9957703
    Abstract: An extraction system for removing unpleasant odor includes a housing having front and rear walls and side walls interconnecting the front and rear walls. The depth of the housing from the front to the rear wall is substantially less than distances across the front and rear walls from one side to the other thereof. A centrifugal fan is mounted to the housing with an axis of the fan being perpendicular to the rear wall. The fan has an axial air inlet located centrally of the front wall for receiving odor-laden air and an air outlet from the fan is tangential to the fan and coupled to discharge air to atmosphere from the extraction system. An absorbent filter unit is located within the housing downstream of the fan and includes an absorbent mass and a perfume source. Air discharged to atmosphere is both substantially free of the odor and scented via the absorbent filter unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Washroom Wizard Ltd.
    Inventor: Patrick Porter
  • Patent number: 9463082
    Abstract: A process of forming a tissue scaffold is described, the process comprising electrospinning polymer fibers from a spinneret onto a tissue scaffold template. In embodiments, the fibers are plasma-treated between the spinneret and the template. The scaffold may be constructed of alternating layers of aligned and randomly oriented fibers. The scaffold may be heat treated to control the mechanical properties of the scaffold, such as density, pore size and pore interconnectivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: University of Ulster
    Inventors: Peter O'Hare, George Burke, Brian Meenan, Patrick Porter, Chris Rea
  • Patent number: 9341578
    Abstract: A method of inspecting a painted finish of a component such as a vehicle body or panel includes positioning the component with respect to an array of LED lighting fixtures each having LED tubes and generating light via the array with a predetermined set of lighting characteristics. The set of lighting characteristics includes a striped pattern, a beam angle of at least 120 degrees, and a CRI of at least 85 or at least 90. The method includes inspecting the painted surface for defects while illuminating the component with the light from the array. A control action is executed with respect to the component when the component contains a threshold number and/or a threshold size of the defects. Each array may have two LED tubes and four angled reflectors, and illuminating includes reflecting light from the LED tubes off of the angled reflectors toward the painted surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Patrick A. Porter, Alexander K. Peat
  • Publication number: 20160097725
    Abstract: A method of inspecting a painted finish of a component such as a vehicle body or panel includes positioning the component with respect to an array of LED lighting fixtures each having LED tubes and generating light via the array with a predetermined set of lighting characteristics. The set of lighting characteristics includes a striped pattern, a beam angle of at least 120 degrees, and a CRI of at least 85 or at least 90. The method includes inspecting the painted surface for defects while illuminating the component with the light from the array. A control action is executed with respect to the component when the component contains a threshold number and/or a threshold size of the defects. Each array may have two LED tubes and four angled reflectors, and illuminating includes reflecting light from the LED tubes off of the angled reflectors toward the painted surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: Patrick A. Porter, Alexander K. Peat
  • Publication number: 20140207250
    Abstract: A process of forming a tissue scaffold is described, the process comprising electrospinning polymer fibers from a spinneret onto a tissue scaffold template. In embodiments, the fibers are plasma-treated between the spinneret and the template. The scaffold may be constructed of alternating layers of aligned and randomly oriented fibers. The scaffold may be heat treated to control the mechanical properties of the scaffold, such as density, pore size and pore interconnectivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER
    Inventors: Peter O'Hare, George Burke, Brian Meenan, Patrick Porter, Chris Rea
  • Publication number: 20110138525
    Abstract: An extraction system for removing unpleasant odor includes a housing having front and rear walls and side walls interconnecting the front and rear walls. The depth of the housing from the front to the rear wall is substantially less than distances across the front and rear walls from one side to the other thereof. A centrifugal fan is mounted to the housing with an axis of the fan being perpendicular to the rear wall. The fan has an axial air inlet located centrally of the front wall for receiving odor-laden air and an air outlet from the fan is tangential to the fan and coupled to discharge air to atmosphere from the extraction system. An absorbent filter unit is located within the housing downstream of the fan and includes an absorbent mass and a perfume source. Air discharged to atmosphere is both substantially free of the odor and scented via the absorbent filter unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: WASHROOM-WIZARD LTD
    Inventor: Patrick Porter
  • Publication number: 20070126422
    Abstract: A system for mapping a surface defect in an electrically-conducting material by measuring a change in the resonance of the material includes a flexible printed circuit board and a two dimensional array of transducers printed on the flexible circuit board, wherein each element of the array includes two transducer coils in a paired arrangement. A receive circuit connected to the coils is tuned to a resonant frequency, and the transducer coils operate in a send/receive mode. In another feature of the invention, there are means for converting a change in measured resonance to a visual display of the depth and width of the surface defect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2006
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Applicant: THE CLOCK SPRING COMPANY L. P.
    Inventors: Alfred Crouch, Todd Goyen, Patrick Porter, Shawn Laughlin
  • Patent number: 6198277
    Abstract: A system for inspecting in-service gas distribution mains is disclosed. Coiled tubing technology and magnetic flux leakage (MFL) technology are integrated to produce a new inspection system for low pressure, in-service distribution pipelines. The coiled tubing provides the means by which an inspection module employing MFL technology is inserted into, moved through, and removed from an in-service pipeline. A portable inspection system can thereby be moved to a desired location on a trailer. The sensor module comprises a plurality of magnet assemblies each having a Magnet N out, a Magnet S out and a magnet core, the magnet assemblies being conical in shape and being arranged into a circular array. The magnet array diameter is smaller than that of a pipe to be inspected, thus defining a radial air gap. The magnet array being constructed and arranged to provide a magnetic circuit having sufficient strength so as to be operable through the radial air gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Gas Research Institute
    Inventors: Patrick Porter, Gerry Pittard, Kiran M. Kothari, Philippe Rave