Patents by Inventor William E. Gifford
William E. Gifford 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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Patent number: 5289811Abstract: A purge control device for an evaporative control system comprises a single housing having two solenoid actuated valves controlling parallel orifices leading from an inlet chamber to an exit flow path. The two solenoid valves have different sized orifices to provide different flow capacities. Purge flow is controlled by an electronic control module which regulates the duty cycle of the solenoids. Each valve receives its own signal so that the flow through the orifices is individually controlled.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 1993Date of Patent: March 1, 1994Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: Charles H. Covert, Joseph Fornuto, William E. Gifford, Otto Muller-Girard, Jr., Gordon R. Paddock
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Patent number: 5253629Abstract: A device for detecting a malfunction of the evaporative control system comprises a two-way flow device in the atmospheric air vent of the evaporative canister with a sensor to detect whether fluid is flowing through the canister during selected operating conditions.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 1992Date of Patent: October 19, 1993Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: Joseph Fornuto, William E. Gifford, Karen M. Meyer, Otto Muller-Girard, Jr., Harold M. Haskew
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Patent number: 5119791Abstract: A vapor storage canister incorporates a liquid trap that protects the carbon bed, but which avoids purging liquid directly out of the trap. The trap consists of a cup that forms an interior cavity at the bottom of, and surrounded by, the carbon bed. The purge tube does not enter the trap directly, but instead runs to a plenum that draws from the bottom face of the carbon bed. The trap, in turn, is open to the interior of the carbon bed only through a screen mesh grid. Consequently, vapor can be pulled from the trap at purge, but not liquid.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 1991Date of Patent: June 9, 1992Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: William E. Gifford, Otto M. Girard, Jr., Charles H. Covert, Samuel Yu, Gordon R. Paddock, Richard H. Simons, Jr.
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Patent number: 5014742Abstract: A tank vapor vent valve assembly mounted to the top of the tank wall has a piston actuated by a source of engine vacuum which maintains a fill vapor exit closed until the gas cap is removed to relieve the vacuum and allow the piston to open.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 1990Date of Patent: May 14, 1991Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: Charles H. Covert, Kenneth W. Turner, Carl H. Sherwood, William E. Gifford, Richard W. Wagner
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Patent number: 4917157Abstract: A tank vapor vent valve assembly uses a spring loaded sealing flapper door located below a normally open float chamber. The flapper door spring is specifically designed to open when the tank pressure falls, allowing make up air to pull the flapper door down and draw in make up air through the canister inlet.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 1989Date of Patent: April 17, 1990Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: William E. Gifford, Carl H. Sherwood, Charles H. Covert, Kenneth W. Turner
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Patent number: 4893643Abstract: A TVVA with a buoyant overfill protection float contains the float closely and axially slidably within a sleeve, and feeds a negative pressure created by the rapid flow of fill vapors over the outside of the sleeve into the sleeve to hold the float down and prevent it from corking.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 1989Date of Patent: January 16, 1990Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: William E. Gifford, Carl H. Sherwood, Charles H. Covert, Kenenth W. Turner
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Patent number: 4732588Abstract: A fuel vapor storage canister includes a vapor inlet for introducing vapor into the canister and a bed of adsorbant material in fluid communication with the inlet for adsorbing vapor within the canister. A vapor purge tube is in fluid communication with the bed for purging fuel vapor from the bed. A thermoelectric cooler/heater selectively cools the inlet tube to promote condensation of vapors therein and selectively and alternatively heats the bed to promote purging of vapors from the bed and the remainder of the canister.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 1987Date of Patent: March 22, 1988Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: Charles H. Covert, William E. Gifford, Edwin C. Storey
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Patent number: 4724861Abstract: A fuel tank filler neck has a partition providing a vent orifice for vapor flow from a fuel introduction tube to a vapor discharge fitting. A ball valve guided beneath the orifice is adapted to float into engagement across the orifice to prevent liquid fuel from passing through said orifice. A filler neck restrictor plate is carried on an actuating arm that has a cam surface engaging the ball valve. The cam surface engages the ball valve across the orifice to inhibit flow of fuel vapor through the orifice when the restrictor plate inhibits introduction of fuel through the filler neck, and permits the ball valve to drop away from the orifice to permit flow of fuel vapor through said orifice when the restrictor plate permits introduction of fuel through the filler neck.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 1986Date of Patent: February 16, 1988Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: Charles H. Covert, Joseph Fornuto, Roy A. Giacomazzi, William E. Gifford, Carl H. Sherwood
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Patent number: 4714485Abstract: A canister adapted to store fuel vapor discharged from a fuel tank has an inlet chamber that forms a trap for liquid fuel. Fuel is purged from the canister through a purge tube that has a small liquid purge hole at the bottom of the chamber and a large vapor purge hole spaced above the bottom of the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 1986Date of Patent: December 22, 1987Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: Charles H. Covert, William E. Gifford, Craig G. Kemler, Gordon R. Paddock
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Patent number: 4706708Abstract: A fuel tank filler neck has a plate that pivots between a position restricting the filler neck and a position permitting introduction of fuel through the filler neck. A vent housing secured on the filler neck has a vapor inlet fitting and a vapor outlet fitting connected through a vent orifice, a pressure relief orifice, and a vacuum relief orifice. A diaphragm vent valve controls flow through the vent orifice. An actuating arm pivoted with the restrictor plate engages the vent valve across the vent orifice when the restrictor plate restricts the filler neck, and permits the vent valve to allow vapor flow from the vapor inlet fitting through the vent orifice to the vapor outlet fitting when the restrictor plate permits introduction of fuel through the filler neck. A diaphragm valve controls flow through the pressure relief orifice, and an umbrella valve controls flow through the vacuum relief orifice.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 1986Date of Patent: November 17, 1987Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: Joseph Fornuto, William E. Gifford, Daniel Nolan, Carl H. Sherwood
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Patent number: 4683862Abstract: A canister adapted to store fuel vapor discharged from a fuel tank has an inlet chamber at one end that forms a trap for liquid fuel. Fuel is purged from the canister through a purge tube that has a small liquid purge hole at the bottom of the chamber and a large vapor purge hole spaced above the bottom of the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 1986Date of Patent: August 4, 1987Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: Joseph Fornuto, William E. Gifford, Karen M. Meyer
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Patent number: 4359031Abstract: An engine charge forming device controls the fuel metering orifice area in proportion to the throttled air flow area of the induction passage and controls the pressure drop across the fuel metering orifice in proportion to a vacuum signal which is substantially independent of the compressibility effects of throttled air flow; fuel flow is thereby proportioned to air flow throughout the range of engine operating conditions. Adjustments are provided for varying the fuel metering orifice area to set minimum and maximum fuel flows, and controls are provided for modifying the vacuum signal to vary air-fuel ratio.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 1979Date of Patent: November 16, 1982Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: Donald D. Stoltman, William E. Gifford
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Patent number: 4203401Abstract: An evaporative emission canister, for use with the fuel system for an internal combustion engine, includes a canister housing defined by a cylindrical outer wall, a closed lower end wall, an upper end wall and a cylindrical inner wall depending from the upper end wall. An air-vapor permeable support means is positioned within the housing above the lower end wall in abutment against the lower free end of the inner wall to define with the lower end wall an air chamber in flow communication with the atmosphere and to define with the outer wall and the inner wall, an outer canister chamber and an inner canister chamber, respectively, that contain fuel vapor adsorbing material. The inner canister chamber is connected by a fuel bowl vent valve so as to receive vapors emitted from the float bowl of the carburetor of the engine when the engine is not in operation and the outer canister chamber is connected to receive vapors emitted from the fuel in the fuel tank for the engine.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 1979Date of Patent: May 20, 1980Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: Charles A. Kingsley, James R. Spaulding, William E. Gifford
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Patent number: 4017284Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing high purity oxygen gas wherein input ambient air is pressurized and then liquefied by passing the air in heat exchange relationship with a bath of liquid oxygen at the bottom of a distillation column having a cryogenic refrigeration source at the top thereof. The liquefied air is separated in the column into the oxygen and nitrogen components thereof, and high purity oxygen gas is collected. The oxygen gas is passed in heat exchange relationship with the input air to precool the input air before it is liquefied, and this is done in a regenerator having two identical portions each provided with separate regions through which air and oxygen flow in heat exchange relationship and having a switching valve means to alternate the flow of air through the portions.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 1974Date of Patent: April 12, 1977Assignee: Cryox CorporationInventor: William E. Gifford
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Patent number: RE34518Abstract: A tank vapor vent valve assembly mounted to the top of the tank wall has a piston actuated by a source of engine vacuum which maintains a fill vapor exit closed until the gas cap is removed to relieve the vacuum and allow the piston to open.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 1992Date of Patent: January 25, 1994Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: Charles H. Covert, Kenneth W. Turner, Carl H. Sherwood, William E. Gifford, Richard W. Wagner