Patents by Inventor Thomas J. Nier

Thomas J. Nier 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: 6576594
    Abstract: A method of controlling algae in a municipal water plant including the step of adding an algicide-flocculant solution including 25-50 wt % acidic flocculent, 0-10 wt % polymer flocculant aid, an algicide consisting essentially of copper having a concentration of 0.025-1.275 wt % in the form of a water soluble copper salt, balance water. The algicide-flocculant solution may be added to the water via a clarifier of the water plant, a basin of the water plant, or a mixing chamber. The mixing chamber may be located within the clarifier, adjacent to the basin, or upstream of the clarifier and/or the basin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: Bay Chemical and Supply Company
    Inventors: Thomas J. Nier, Tosby L. Linn
  • Patent number: 6420312
    Abstract: An algicide-flocculant solution for use in treating raw water in a municipal water plant to control algae, the algicide-flocculant solution including 25-50 wt % of an acidic flocculant, 0-10 wt % of a polymer flocculant aid, an algicide of essentially copper having a concentration of 0.025-1.25 wt % in the form of a water soluble capper salt, and balance water. Uniform mixing of the flocculant into the raw water simultaneously uniformly mixes the algicide of the algicide-flocculant solution into the raw water. The acidic flocculant is preferably aluminium sulfate, iron sulfate, iron chloride or mixtures thereof. The water soluble copper salt is preferably copper sulfate, copper chloride, copper nitrate, copper acetate or mixtures thereof. Moreover, the flocculant aid is a high molecular weight quaternary amine such as diallyldimethylammonium chloride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Bay Chemical and Supply Company
    Inventors: Thomas J. Nier, Tosby L. Linn
  • Publication number: 20020022059
    Abstract: A method of controlling algae in a municipal water plant including the step of adding an algicide-flocculant solution including 25-50 wt % acidic flocculent, 0-10 wt % polymer flocculant aid, an algicide consisting essentially of copper having a concentration of 0.025-1.275 wt % in the form of a water soluble copper salt, balance water. The algicide-flocculant solution may be added to the water via a clarifier of the water plant, a basin of the water plant, or a mixing chamber. The mixing chamber may be located within the clarifier, adjacent to the basin, or upstream of the clarifier and/or the basin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2001
    Publication date: February 21, 2002
    Inventors: Thomas J. Nier, Tosby L. Linn
  • Publication number: 20010036904
    Abstract: A water soluble copper salt, preferably cupric sulfate pentahydrate, is mixed with water. A small quantity of an acidic flocculent is added to the copper sulfate solution to acidify the water and promote dissolving of the copper sulfate in the water. A 25-50% water solution of an acidic flocculant, with or without a cationic polymeric flocculent aid, is prepared and pumped into a processing vessel or tank. The acidified copper sulfate solution is added to the tank and mixed with the acidic flocculent. The algicide-flocculant solution is transported to a municipal water plant and added to raw water in the clarifier to drop out particulates in the incoming water and control algae in the clarifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Publication date: November 1, 2001
    Inventors: Thomas J. Nier, Tosby L. Linn
  • Patent number: 6248369
    Abstract: A water soluble copper salt, preferably cupric sulfate pentahydrate, is mixed with water. A small quantity of an acidic flocculant is added to the copper sulfate solution to acidify the water and promote dissolving of the copper sulfate in the water. A 25-50% water solution of an acidic flocculant, with or without a cationic polymeric flocculant aid, is prepared and pumped into a processing vessel or tank. The acidified copper sulfate solution is added to the tank and mixed with the acidic flocculant. The algicide-flocculant solution is transported to a municipal water plant and added to raw water in the clarifier to drop out particulates in the incoming water and control algae in the clarifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Bay Chemical and Supply Company
    Inventors: Thomas J. Nier, Tosby L. Linn
  • Patent number: 4138239
    Abstract: A glass forming chamber wherein glass is formed while floating on the surface of a pool of molten metal is provided with a submerged plate in the pool of molten metal, which plate is contoured to divert the flow of molten metal in a central portion of the pool beneath an advancing layer of glass and to cause the flow of molten metal from the central portion into marginal portions of the pool or vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1977
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1979
    Assignee: PPG Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Nier, Charles K. Edge
  • Patent number: 4116661
    Abstract: A glass forming chamber wherein glass is formed while floating on the surface of a pool of molten metal is provided with submerged dam barriers in the pool of molten metal which dam barriers are contoured to inhibit the flow of molten metal in a central portion of the pool beneath an advancing layer of glass relative to the flow of molten metal in marginal portions of the pool including marginal portions between the edges of a floating layer of glass and side walls of the forming chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1978
    Assignee: PPG Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles K. Edge, Thomas J. Nier
  • Patent number: 3954432
    Abstract: A method for forming flat glass of high optical quality on a bath of molten tin, in which the glass has a relatively short residence time, is disclosed. The method involves adding an oxidizing agent to the hotter regions of the molten tin bath which is believed to modify the bottom or tin-contacting surface of the glass while the glass is on the bath of molten tin so as to be able to produce glass substantially free of top surface distortion, a problem which is particularly severe for glass having relatively short residence times on molten tin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1974
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1976
    Assignee: PPG Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Merritt J. Hummel, Thomas J. Nier