Patents by Inventor William J. Souza

William J. Souza 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: 7779754
    Abstract: A canned food pressing device includes a top piece, wherein the top piece is adapted to conform to the shape of a circular can and has multiple columns of vertically aligned gripping teeth. The top piece is also adapted to facilitate gripping and turning. The device also includes a bottom piece, having multiple columns of vertically aligned arcing teeth, wherein the vertically aligned arcing teeth are adapted to mate with the vertically aligned gripping teeth. The bottom piece is also adapted to facilitate gripping and turning. In addition, the bottom piece includes a magnet for lifting a magnetic can lid. Both the top piece and bottom piece also include alignment markers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Inventor: William J. Souza
  • Patent number: 7725970
    Abstract: A washing machine control system is combined with a working fluid dispensing system and a payment processing system to provide a merged system for automatically providing detergents, bleach, softeners and the like in a pay-as-you-go laundry environment, such as public laundry facilities in Laundromats, dormitories, apartment complexes and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Inventors: Robert J. Tuttle, William J. Souza
  • Publication number: 20040098811
    Abstract: A washing machine control system is combined with a working fluid dispensing system and a payment processing system to provide a merged system for automatically providing detergents, bleach, softeners and the like in a pay-as-you-go laundry environment, such as public laundry facilities in Laundromats, dormitories, apartment complexes and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventors: Robert J. Tuttle, William J. Souza
  • Patent number: 5817231
    Abstract: A water purification apparatus for purifying input water and dispensing a user selected quantity of purified water into a portable container in response to deposit of a predetermined amount of money. The apparatus comprises a first purified water path and a second purified water path. The first purified water path includes a reverse osmosis filter and a storage tank. The second purified water path includes an ultraviolet sterilizing unit connected between the tank and a dispensing unit with one or more dispensing valves. A recirculation water path periodically recirculates tank water through the ultraviolet sterilizing apparatus to improve and maintain the purity thereof. Another water recirculation path may be provided to recirculate concentrate from the reverse osmosis filter to a filter inlet line where it is mixed with input water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: American Dryer Corporation
    Inventor: William J. Souza
  • Patent number: 5649372
    Abstract: A drying cycle controller for a garment dryer. The drying cycle is controlled to have a decreasing temperature and humidity profile which avoids the removal of moisture at a rate which will cause shrinkage and wrinkling of the garment. The drying cycle temperature profile is controlled by continuously sensing the humidity within the drying chamber, and decreasing the drying temperature each time the relative humidity drops to one of a plurality of set points. Once the humidity has reached the final set point, the dryer enters a cool down cycle for a predetermined cool down time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1997
    Assignee: American Dryer Corporation
    Inventor: William J. Souza
  • Patent number: 5161314
    Abstract: A dryer of the type having a burner for supplying a source of hot gas for drying material being tumbled. The apparatus provides a cool-down cycle for the dryer. A burner control circuit enables and disables the burner to supply hot gasses in accordance with a sequence which produces a substantially linearly decreasing temperature over time. At the end of the time interval a signal is generated indicating that the cool-down sequence has been completed. Each cool-down cycle starts from the same initial temperature as determined by the operator such that the final cool-down temperature for the same cool-down run time is the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1992
    Assignee: American Dryer Corporation
    Inventor: William J. Souza