Patents by Inventor Stephen J. Kerpan

Stephen J. Kerpan 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: 5405120
    Abstract: An aircraft fueling nozzle has a body with a bearing sleeve mounted within the body. The nozzle has a poppet having a stem which is guided by the bearing sleeve. A seat is mounted in the nozzle body for forming a seal with the poppet head. The seat is retained in the body by a resilient lip which encompasses the seat projecting outward and interacts with an inwardly projecting lip on the body. The nozzle has a linkage for moving the poppet including an actuator located upstream of the bearing sleeve which is connected to an arm which overarches the bearing sleeve and is connected to the poppet. The actuator includes a crank which is connected to the arm and an actuator shaft which connects to the crank by interfitting splines. The nozzle further includes a swivel for rotatably coupling the nozzle body to a fuel supply. The swivel includes a replaceable annular bearing ring. The nozzle includes recesses for receiving the lugs of an aircraft fueling flange to secure the flange to the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1995
    Assignee: Whittaker Controls, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen J. Kerpan, Basil Tilling, Gary F. McKee
  • Patent number: 5361801
    Abstract: A ball valve has a housing which rotatably carries a ball. The housing has inlet and outlet ports. The ball has two ports which may be rotated to align with the housing's ports. The ball carries a cartridge in a cartridge compartment located transverse to the ball ports. The cartridge has inlet and outlet ports between which a cartridge flow passage is defined. A strainer is located within the cartridge flow passage. The ball and cartridge may be rotated to an orientation in which the ball ports are substantially transverse to the housing ports, from which orientation the cartridge may be extracted from the ball and housing and the strainer may be removed from the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1994
    Assignee: Whittaker Controls, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen J. Kerpan, Gary F. McKee