Patents Issued in June 2, 1998
  • Patent number: 5758486
    Abstract: In a method for keeping clean and/or cleaning, during operation, the inner surfaces affected by deposits of a gas turbine including a turbine part (2) and an upstream compressor part (3), the "fouling" is effectively prevented without disturbing the operating procedure by subjecting the inside of the gas turbine (1) to sound waves, at least at times, in particular from sound transmitters (8a, . . . , 13b) arranged on the gas turbine (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Asea Brown Boveri AG
    Inventor: Mircea Fetescu
  • Patent number: 5758487
    Abstract: In a gas turbine engine including a turbine which has a closed cycle steam cooling system and an open cycle gas cooling system sealing arrangements are provided between adjacent pairs of turbine rotor stages. The sealing arrangement has axially extending passages to supply cooling gas from one of the turbine rotor stages to the cooling gas passages in the turbine rotor blades. Each sealing arrangement comprises a pair of sealing formations each made up of a plurality of sealing segments. Also the sealing arrangement has axially extending passages to supply steam from one of the turbine rotor stages to the steam cooling passages in the turbine rotor blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: Allan J. Salt, Alan Cash, Carlton Smith
  • Patent number: 5758488
    Abstract: A noise reduction system is provided for installation on a bypass turbine having a core engine, an outer casing and a thrust reverser. The system is comprised of an acoustically treated nose cowl conventional for the engine; a respaced inlet guide vane upstream of the core engine for reducing wake disturbances striking the engine fan; a flow diverter downstream of the core engine for turning fan air inward toward the engine center line and for turning core air outward; a structure for supporting and positioning said flow diverter relative to the engine; a core flow expansion chamber device for slowing the peak velocity of the exhaust gas prior to exhausting it to the atmosphere; and an acoustic tailpipe assembly configured to define an outlet area sized and shaped to compensate for the mass flow loss created by the core flow expansion chamber device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Roderick Thomson
    Inventor: J. Gary Batey
  • Patent number: 5758489
    Abstract: The invention is a nitrogen oxide trap comprising a porous support; and catalysts comprising platinum and lithium loaded on the porous support, the lithium being present in a high loading of at least 10 weight percent based on the weight of the porous support. The trap may be used in an internal combustion engine exhaust gas catalyst system. During lean-burn operation of the engine the trap sorbs nitrogen oxides (NOx) and releases the nitrogen oxides during decreased oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas, the desorbed NOx being converted to N.sub.2 and O.sub.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. Hepburn, William L. H. Watkins
  • Patent number: 5758490
    Abstract: A fuel metering control system for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders. The system includes an air/fuel ratio sensor and engine operating condition detecting means for detecting engine operating conditions at least including engine speed and engine load. The basic quantity of fuel injection is determined by retrieving mapped data according to the engine speed and engine load. An adaptive controller is provided to calculate a feedback correction coefficient to correct the quantity of basic fuel injection such that the detected air/fuel ratio is brought to a desired value. The desired air/fuel ratio is corrected by a second air/fuel ratio sensor installed downstream of a catalytic converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidetaka Maki, Shusuke Akazaki, Yusuke Hasegawa, Isao Komoriya, Yoichi Nishimura, Toshiaki Hirota
  • Patent number: 5758491
    Abstract: A diagnosing system of a catalytic converter in an internal combustion engine has a detecting unit to detect an operating state of the engine and an air/fuel ratio control unit to adjust a fuel injection amount so as to keep an air/fuel ratio of a mixture that is inhaled into the engine to a target value. The operating state of the engine is detected, whereby it is confirmed that the engine lies in a predetermined operating region to execute a catalyst diagnosis on the basis of the detected operating state. In each of a plurality of different catalyst diagnosis regions, the performance of the catalytic converter or the performance of the catalytic converter array is diagnosed on the basis of the output signal of the first exhaust gas component sensor arranged on the upstream side of the catalytic converter array and the output signal of the second exhaust gas component sensor arranged on the downstream side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Rogelio B. Agustin, Akihito Numata, Kazuya Kawano, Yutaka Takaku, Toshio Ishii
  • Patent number: 5758492
    Abstract: A system for detecting a failure of an electrically heated catalytic converter installed in an exhaust system of the engine for reducing pollutants from exhaust gases emitted from the engine, the catalytic converter having a heater which is connected with the power source to be supplied with current. A parameter such as electric power consumption indicative of an electric resistance of the heater of the catalytic converter. If the parameter is out of a range defined by reference values, it is determined hat a failure has occurred in the heater of the catalytic converter. In the system, reference values at a specific condition based on a correction coefficient obtained on the ratio between the parameter designed before manufacturing and that measured after manufacturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kato, Yuichi Shimasaki, Takashi Komatsuda, Akihisa Saito, Tetsu Teshirogi, Takuya Aoki, Hideo Furumoto, Takayoshi Nakayama
  • Patent number: 5758493
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for desulfating a NO.sub.x trap is proposed wherein half of the engine cylinders are operated at a rich air/fuel ratio and half are operated at a lean A/F during the desulfation process. The two exhaust gas streams, the rich stream and the lean stream, are physically or chemically separated until they enter the NO.sub.x trap. A catalyzed exothermic chemical reaction is then generated in the trap. The resulting temperature increase is sufficient to remove SOX from the trap. During desulfation spark advance is adjusted to minimize event time imbalance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph R. Asik, Garth M. Meyer
  • Patent number: 5758494
    Abstract: A system and method for compensating for variation in a signal generated by an exhaust gas sensor include determining local maxima and minima of the signal, determining an average difference between local maxima and adjacent local minima, determining an average of the local maxima and an average of the local minima, and modifying at least one parameter based on the average difference, the local maxima average, and/or the local minima average to compensate for variation of the signal generated by the exhaust gas sensor. The modified parameter may include a switching value used to count switches of the sensor signal for monitoring catalytic converter performance or a closed loop fuel control gain value. A sensor switch may be counted for each time period having a difference between an adjacent or consecutive maximum and minimum which exceeds the switching value. Switch ratios are maintained based on both a nominal switching value and the adaptive switching value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Kirk Davey
  • Patent number: 5758495
    Abstract: The device according to the present invention provides a relevant and, in some cases, total reduction of nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and particles of the unburnt gases of the exhaust which, before getting out of the silencer, are led between to electrodes kept at a high electrostastic potential difference, by means of a Van De Graaf generator or similar, so as to deviate the present and/or induced ions onto apposite containers, which may be replaced and regenerated after a determined working time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Inventor: Efisio Serra
  • Patent number: 5758496
    Abstract: A particulate and exhaust emission control system for a vehicle (10) having a diesel engine (12). The control system has a particulate trap (24) connected to the exhaust manifold (22) of the diesel engine, an additive tank (30) for storing a fuel additive decomposed by the engine's combustion process to form a reducible metal oxide capable of depressing the ignition temperature of the carbon particulates collected by the particulate trap (24) and a metering mechanism (34) responsive to the adding of diesel fuel to the vehicle's fuel tank (28) to add a quantity of the fuel additive to the diesel fuel in the fuel tank (28) to maintain a predetermined ratio of the fuel additive to the diesel fuel in the tank. The metal oxide depressing the ignition temperature of the carbon particulates collected by the particulate trap (24) to a temperature obtained by the particulate trap during selected operating parameters of the diesel engine (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Vemulapalli D. N. Rao, Harry A. Cikanek
  • Patent number: 5758497
    Abstract: An apparatus for silencing and catalytic treatment of gases has an air-tight casing connected to an exhaust inlet pipe and to an exhaust outlet pipe, acoustic compartments, monolithic bodies, and a diffuser element. The diffuser element is connected to the inlet pipe, or further downstream within the casing. The diffuser element distributes the gases evenly across the inlet face of the monolithic bodies. The diffuser element is a guide baffle or plate and a juxtaposed stagnation baffle or plate, which causes both flow stagnation in front of the stagnation plate and the gases to flow radially within the diffuser element. The diffuser element has apertures which are pervaded by partial flows of the gas and are adapted to provide additional recovery in the gas flow passing through the diffuser element. The geometry defining the fluid flow field within the diffuser is designed to prevent flow separation from the contour walls of the diffuser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Silentor A/S
    Inventors: Svend Frederiksen, Lars Frederiksen
  • Patent number: 5758498
    Abstract: A catalytic device is disclosed, in which a catalytic layer is electrically heated and activated. In one form, the quantity of the catalytic layer is greater near a gas outlet than near a gas inlet of the device. In another form, the catalytic layer is disposed only near the gas outlet. The catalytic layer can be quickly activated so as to promote purification of exhaust emissions immediately following the ignition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toyoaki Fukui
  • Patent number: 5758499
    Abstract: A hydraulic control system is intended to easily hydraulically back up a trouble caused in an electric system, while employing a control unit (13) to utilize the advantage of electric control, when the displacement of a hydraulic pump (1) is controlled in accordance with a status variable of a hydraulic driving system. To this end, a pump regulator (16) is constructed so as to increase the tilting amount .theta. of a swash plate (1a) with a reduction in pressure of a second hydraulic signal Pc. A characteristic of the pump regulator is set such that a negative control pressure Pco can be employed to operate the pump regulator in place of the second hydraulic signal, and characteristics of a fixed throttle (10) and a spring (18d) in the pump regulator are set such that the pump regulator can be operated in the working range of the negative control pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Genroku Sugiyama, Toichi Hirata
  • Patent number: 5758500
    Abstract: In an exhaust gas turbocharger for an internal combustion engine comprising a compressor and a turbine with an impeller and a turbine wheel mounted on a common shaft, the exhaust turbine includes radial and semi-axial flow passages through which the exhaust gas is conducted to the turbine wheel and which are separated by a guide ring, and an annular sleeve is mounted in the turbine housing so as to be slideable therein along the axis of the turbine wheel across the radial flow passage for closing the radial flow passage of the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG
    Inventors: Siegfried Sumser, Horst Hanauer
  • Patent number: 5758501
    Abstract: A sliding-blade vapor engine has a vortex boiler, condenser, blower and oval-shaped expander and pump chambers with cylindrical expander and pump rotors rotatably mounted eccentrically therein. Each rotor has at least two rectangular blades slidably mounted in slots extending through the cylindrical rotor in mutually perpendicular relation and each blade is independently movable relative to the other in a radial direction. Each blade has a guide element extending from opposed sides and through the opposed end walls of the respective rotor which are slidably received in guide grooves in the respective chamber end walls. The rotors are connected together by shafts in concentric relation whereby rotation of the expander rotor causes simultaneous rotation of the pump rotor and the guide elements traveling in the guide grooves cause the blades to extend and retract radially with their outer ends following the inner periphery of the respective chamber side wall with a constant minimum clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Inventors: Olga Jirnov, Alexei Jirnov
  • Patent number: 5758502
    Abstract: A gas turbine intake air cooling system and a method of operating the system are provided. The system can substantially reduce the construction cost for adding the system to a combined plant and improve the reliability of its chiller cooling system by indirectly dispersing exhaust heat from a chiller through an existing plant auxiliary equipment cooling system in the combined plant. The chiller cooling circuit is constructed so that the cooling water to the chiller is extracted through extraction water pipes branched from outlet pipes of heat exchangers composing the plant auxiliary equipment cooling system, and the cooling water heated by the chiller is returned to pipes downstream of the pumps through the returning pipes. In this construction, during operating of the chiller, a back-up division is operated to supply the plant auxiliary equipment cooling water to the chiller. By doing so, the gas turbine intake air system can be operated without affecting the combined plant side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Motoaki Utamura, Yuichi Keimi, Yukiko Kakinuma, Toyohiko Ishimaru
  • Patent number: 5758503
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine is provided which includes a plurality of liner segments and a support shell. Each liner segment includes a panel, a forward wall, a trailing wall, a pair of side walls, and a plurality of mounting studs. The panel includes a face surface and a back surface. The forward wall is positioned along a forward edge of the panel and the trailing wall is positioned along a trailing edge of the panel. The side walls connect the forward and trailing walls. The forward, trailing, and side walls extend out from said back surface a particular distance. The plurality of mounting studs extend out from the back surface, and each includes liner segment attachment apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas L. DuBell, William T. Wisinski, John R. Herrin
  • Patent number: 5758504
    Abstract: Existing combustors have the tendency to emit emissions and require a large quantity of cooling air to retain or extend the life of the components to a reasonable life expectancy. The present combustor reduces the emissions emitted therefrom, requires a reduced quantity of cooling air while resulting in a high heat transfer cooling rate extending the life expectancy of the components. The combustor construction includes an interior liner having a plurality of angled holes extending therethrough arranged in a preestablished pattern defining a centroid and an exterior liner having a plurality of holes extending therethrough at about a 90 degree. At least a portion of the plurality of holes in the exterior liner being radially aligned with the centroid of the plurality of holes in the interior line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: Mario E. Abreu, Virenda M. Sood
  • Patent number: 5758505
    Abstract: A miniature mixed gas refrigeration system and method of operation are disclosed. An optimum gas mixture is formulated from a group of component fluids, according to calculated thermodynamic properties of a group of candidate fluid mixtures. The gas mixture is pressurized by a compressor to a pressure less than 420 psia, for safety reasons. The compressed gas mixture is passed through a primary heat exchanger, and then through a primary-to-secondary heat exchanger, to precool the gas mixture. The secondary side of the primary/secondary heat exchanger is cooled by a secondary Joule-Thomson refrigeration system. Properly sized flow restrictions in the primary side of the primary/secondary heat exchanger can solidify and trap liquid contaminants that may be in the gas mixture. The gas mixture exiting the primary outlet of the primary/secondary heat exchanger passes to a primary Joule-Thomson expansion element where the high pressure gas is expanded isenthalpically to a lower temperature at least as low as 183K.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: CryoGen, Inc.
    Inventors: John D. Dobak, III, Terry L. Brown, Kambiz Ghaerzadeh, Xiaoyu Yu
  • Patent number: 5758506
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining refrigerant density and mass flow rate, and for pressurizing a refrigerant recovery tank while the refrigeration system is being recharged. The mass of a flowing refrigerant is automatically continually determined by reliable static means in a controlled recharging process. Flow-dependent pressure, such as the pressure drop across the orifice, and temperature data are taken from the recharging system and are connected to a data processor which uses the pressure and temperature data to determine the refrigerant density and the mass of the flowing refrigerant that has been used. The pressure of a source of recharging refrigerant can be maintained by withdrawing and heating liquid refrigerant and returning the resulting superheated vapor directly to the source of recharging refrigerant, and recharging operations can proceed during such pressure maintenance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: White Industries, LLC
    Inventors: John P. Hancock, Jack L. Lawson, James D. Miller
  • Patent number: 5758507
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for alleviating a short-term "cold blow" effect in a heat pump heating system. According to a method of the invention, reversing of a system valve in response to the sensing of a defrost condition is delayed by a predetermined time. The amount of this delay time depends upon the amount of time required for a supplementary heating unit to achieve an output sufficient to offset the cooling effect resulting from there being a cold indoor coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Inventors: Don A. Schuster, Hong Mei Liang, Louis J. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 5758508
    Abstract: A method of conditioning a process stream of air in an air conditioning system wherein the process stream of air is dehumidified and cooled to provide a conditioned stream of air, the method comprising providing an adsorption wheel having a multiplicity of passages through which the process air can flow for adsorbing moisture therefrom, the wheel capable of adsorption of moisture from the process air and of regeneration on a continuous basis as the wheel rotates. The method further comprises passing a first portion and a second portion of the process air to be conditioned through the wheel to remove moisture therefrom, the first portion of the process air passing through the wheel after the regeneration to remove heat from the wheel prior to the second portion passing through the adsorption wheel; then introducing the first portion of the process air to a heat exchanger to remove heat from the first portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignees: LaRouche Industries Inc., ACMA Ltd.
    Inventors: William A. Belding, Chiang Lam, Robert J. Horstmeyer, William D. Holeman, Scott L. Janke
  • Patent number: 5758509
    Abstract: A desiccant assisted air conditioning apparatus incorporates an absorption heat pump device to produce improved operating efficiency. The heat pump device has circulation units 1 and 2, each of which includes an evaporator, an absorber, a generator and a condenser and heat exchangers provided by heat transfer pipe action. The absorber in unit 1 operates at a higher temperature than the absorber in the absorber in unit 2 so that heat transfer can occur through heat transfer pipes acting as heat exchangers between the first evaporator and the second absorber in the two units. The heat of condensation from units 1 and 2, as well as the heat of absorption from unit 1 are used to heat regeneration air for regenerating the desiccant. The heat of evaporation in unit 2 is utilized to produce chilled water for cooling the process air in the air conditioning apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventor: Kensaku Maeda
  • Patent number: 5758510
    Abstract: A phase separator of a time shared dual evaporator cycle refrigerator includes an attachment unit formed at the end of a suction pipe and a cap formed at the attachment unit which prevents a flow of liquid refrigerant into a compressor. The liquid refrigerant which is flowing into a refrigerator compartment evaporator is expanded in a second capillary tube to be evaporated in a freezer compartment evaporator, and is then returned into the compressor. A refrigerant controlling unit determines the path of the refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Jae Hyun Cho
  • Patent number: 5758511
    Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for an improved air conditioning system for admitting air from an exterior space, adjusting the temperature and humidity of the exterior air, delivering the adjusted air to an interior space of a structure, removal of exhaust air therefrom and return of the exhaust air to the exterior space and wherein a regenerative desiccant is provided for removing water vapor from the air to be delivered to the interior space and delivering the water vapor to the exhaust air stream and a heat exchanger is provided for removing sensible heat4 from the air to be delivered to the interior space and transferring the sensible heat to the exhaust air stream.The apparatus combines for the first time electric air conditioning reheat and solar energy with desiccant technology, thereby furnishing conditioned air at an 80% reduction fo energy cost. The apparatus for the first time allows the use of waste oil heat to furnish conditioned air at an 80% reduction in energy cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Inventors: Robert W. Yoho, Robert Yoho, Jr., Jose M. Moratalla
  • Patent number: 5758512
    Abstract: A refrigerator having a middle fresh food compartment and a relatively large bottom freezer compartment arranged below the fresh food compartment and a relatively small freezer compartment arranged above the fresh food compartment. The bottom freezer compartment preferably supports a drawer including a frame and a removable bin. Cool air can be supplied to the compartments of the refrigerator by employing a two fan control system such that no electro-mechanical baffles are required. Alternatively, cool air can be directed to the compartments of the refrigerator by use of a baffle which requires only a single electro-mechanical device to control air flow into three different compartments. The baffle includes a main rotary damper which can be positioned to provide proportional amounts of chilled air to the three separate compartments based on the degree of cooling required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: James R. Peterson, Steven J. Kuehl, Michael S. Kauffman, Jim J. Pastryk, Devinder Singh, Richard C. Spears, Jeffrey L. Burk, Donald E. Janke, Li Gong Ling
  • Patent number: 5758513
    Abstract: A portable insulated cooler system for beverages which includes one or more bottles containing a freezable coolant refrigerant. The bottles define recesses for receiving the housed beverage containers. An insulated casing or liner extends about the bottle to maintain and contain containers in a cool condition for an extended period of time. The bottles and casing are inserted into a fabric carrying case for convenience of the user. The carrying case, bottles and insulative casing may be configured so that the cooler may be comfortably carried by the user in a manner similar to a "fanny pack". In other embodiments, the bottles containing the refrigerant are identical one to the other and are positioned in face-to-face relationship to form a plurality of cooling chambers. The cooler may also be placed in another article for transportation such as within the large side pocket of a golf bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Inventor: Ronald William Smith
  • Patent number: 5758514
    Abstract: A geothermal heating and/or cooling system includes one or more of a plurality of features that enhance the efficiency of the system. Preferably, the system includes a subterranean heat exchanger having tubes disposed against a conductive sheet. The system also preferably includes a reservoir vessel for holding a supply of heat transfer fluid in a liquid phase. Also, the system preferably includes heat exchange means for exchanging heat between the heat transfer fluid and the outdoor air. In addition, the system preferably has an automatically adjusting cooling expansion valve controlled by a sensor disposed to detect the pressure or temperature of heat transfer fluid exiting an indoor air handler in a cooling mode, the system also preferably has an automatically adjusting heating expansion valve controlled by a sensor that is preferably located so as to detect the temperature or pressure of heat transfer fluid flowing from the subterranean heat exchanger to a gas compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Envirotherm Heating & Cooling Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: John Genung, Frank K. Carpenter
  • Patent number: 5758515
    Abstract: A cryogenic air separation system wherein feed air is compressed in a multistage primary air compressor, a first part is turboexpanded and fed into a cryogenic air separation plant, and a second part is turboexpanded and at least a portion of the turboexpanded second part is recycled to the primary air compressor at an interstage position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Henry Edward Howard
  • Patent number: 5758516
    Abstract: To permit an engage ring or a marriage ring to be worn on the body without fitting on any finger, a case constituted by a body and a lid is provided with a ring accommodating section to fully or partly accommodate a ring. The case is also provided with a an attaching tool, such as a pin to be attached to the clothing or a chain to be worn round the neck. The case may be made transparent or semitransparent so that an accommodated ring in it can be seen from the outside. The case has openings to permit a portion of the accommodated ring to project or be exposed outward and be seen from the outside. The case may be provided with a plurality of ring accommodating sections in the forms of circular grooves having different diameters for accommodating the ring part of a ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Inventor: Hajime Uematsu
  • Patent number: 5758517
    Abstract: An jewelry article includes a metal portion and stones attached thereto. The metal portion has ornamental surfaces with a fragile structure, and the stones set fixedly directly to the ornamental surfaces without hammering or deforming of the ornamental surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: M. Fabrikant & Sons, Ltd.
    Inventor: Joseph Freilich
  • Patent number: 5758518
    Abstract: The invention provides a method by which a transit yarn fastening portion can be formed with a comparatively small number of steps by a flat knitting machine. The method of forming a transit yarn fastening portion is performed in a method of forming, by a flat knitting machine including a yarn carrier and two needle beds, a knit fabric having a transit yarn section in which a yarn from the yarn carrier is not knitted and forms a transit yarn portion and a knitting section in which the yarn from the yarn carrier is knitted, and includes the steps of successively forming two or more loops of the transit yarn by one of needles of that one of the needle beds which does not contribute to knitting which needle is located in the proximity of a boundary between the transit yarn section and the knitting section, and transferring the loops formed in the first step to one of needles on the other needle bed which contributes to knitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Tsudakoma Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuhisa Shu, Tetsuo Segura
  • Patent number: 5758519
    Abstract: A knitting machine and method for forming a composite band including an elongate knitted band and a drawcord secured to a front face of the knitted band by a covering yarn overlying the drawcord and stitched to the elongate band. The knitting machine includes a frame. A first knitting station is provided supported by the frame for forming the elongate knitted band. A second knitting station is provided supported by the frame and downstream of the first knitting station for receiving the knitted band after it exits the first knitting station. The second knitting station is operative to stitch the covering yarn to the knitted band from opposite sides of and across the drawcord to form a channel area defined between the covering yarn and the front face of the knitted band, the drawcord disposed in the channel area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Asheboro Elastics Corp.
    Inventors: Christopher W. Joyce, Richard T. Grier, Dan W. Tanner, Danny Corum
  • Patent number: 5758520
    Abstract: A fabric treatment apparatus for the treatment of a textile fabric, over the full width, with a fluid, which comprises at least one fabric treatment means provided with side walls which form a treatment path which allows fabric to pass through at full width while surrounding it at a narrow spacing and at least one treatment fluid blowing means constructed on at least a section of the side walls which can blow a treatment fluid into the treatment path to cover the entire width of the fabric passing through the treatment path, wherein the narrow spacing of the treatment path is 30 mm or less, and both ends of the treatment path are open to the surrounding atmosphere which is not pressurized. It efficiently performs various treatments on fabric including washing, desizing, scouring, fluff removal, resin impregnation, drying, dewatering, feeling adjustment and dyeing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignees: Komatsu Seiren Co., Ltd., Onomori Iron Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsukasa Hirano, Yoshihide Kitade, Hisashi Hasuta
  • Patent number: 5758521
    Abstract: An automatic detergent and fabric softener dispensing system for use with a washer with cold and hot water input lines which are opened upon the actuation of associated solenoidal valves. The present invention includes a pair of cylindrical tanks. The tanks each have an output conduit each connected at first end thereof to a bottom of the associated tank and a second end thereof in communication with the washer. The pair of tanks consist of a detergent tank with an associated detergent pump situated in communication with the corresponding output conduit. Such pump is adapted to effect the transmission of detergent to the washer only during the receipt of an activation signal. Associated therewith is a fabric softener tank with an associated fabric softener pump situated in communication with the corresponding output conduit. Similar to the pump of the detergent tank, the present pump is adapted to effect the transmission of fabric softener to the washer only during the receipt of an activation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Inventor: Perrion D. Roberts
  • Patent number: 5758522
    Abstract: Electronic access control of a seldom-used outdoor security enclosure, such as a key vault, is provided by a vault lid and key system whereby the procedure for opening the enclosure occurs in two stages. One stage is a low-force stage provided by electromechanical mechanisms housed within the lid and energized by a relatively low power source. The high-force stage is provided by a human operator applying manual force to open the lid. The system is particularly adapted for security enclosures that are exposed to an outdoor environment and not operated for extended periods of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: James D. York
  • Patent number: 5758523
    Abstract: A lock arrangement for blocking the open end of a winch inlet tube of a spare wheel hoist and storage winch mounted on a vehicle frame having a bumper mounted thereon with a hole in the bumper for permitting access to the winch inlet tube, the lock arrangement including an extension tube for mounting between the hole in the bumper and the opening in the winch inlet tube and a closure for selectively blocking the open end of the extension tube including a key-actuated lock on the closure for selectively permitting removal of the closure from the second end of the extension tube to thereby permit an elongated crank member to pass through the extension tube and the winch inlet tube for actuating the winch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: McGard, Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Kozlowski, Jr., James P. Markey, Lawrence G. Strasser, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5758524
    Abstract: A locking apparatus for use on a handle operable to be gripped by a user's hand. The apparatus includes a moveable actuator operable to be moved by a portion of a user's hand when gripping the handle. A first moveable blocking member is connected to the handle and is operable to be moved into an enabling position in which movement of the movable actuator is enabled and is operable to be moved into a blocking position in which movement of the actuator is blocked by the blocking member interfering with movement of the actuator. A first mounted magnet is connected to the first blocking member and is disposed in a position on the handle such that at least one of the user's fingers will be adjacent the first mounted magnet when the handle is gripped. The first mounted magnet is operable to cooperate with a first adjacent magnet placed adjacent the first mounted magnet to move the first blocking member between the blocking and enabling positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Inventor: Sandy Tai Sheung Yu
  • Patent number: 5758525
    Abstract: A lock and a key are provided wherein the key is used in conjunction with the lock. The key has a stop bit and a series of coding bits along its shank. The stop bit and each coding bit have a leading edge and a trailing edge to provide coding of the key and to form one side of a groove. The lock has a housing having a key-actuated cogwheel assembly. The cogwheels are registered with a keyhole and are spaced for engagement by the coding bits of the key. A driven cogwheel assembly has a series of cogwheels that mesh with a corresponding key-actuated cogwheel. A lock bolt is projected and retracted between two positions by a lock bolt actuating mechanism responding to position of the stop bit and coding bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Ilco Unican, Inc.
    Inventor: Ilan Goldman
  • Patent number: 5758526
    Abstract: A lock has a rotatable member (24), a latch member (22) operatively connected to the rotatable member for movement between locked and unlocked positions when the rotatable member is turned, a key stop (38) having an end facing toward an exposed end of a casing (10) that defines, together with the end of the rotatable member facing toward the exposed end of the casing a dead-end wall. Key stop (38)is mounted for axial reciprocation in, and for combined rotation with rotatable member (24) and has in the end facing toward the exposed end at least one code socket (46, 48) offset with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotatable member. The lock also has a rotatable spring-loaded block (54) mounted between the exposed end of the casing and the end of the key stop. The block is held in the casing against axial movement and has a substantially diametrical key slot (72) angularly offset with respect to the code socket. The key stop is axially pressed against the rotatable block by a spring (42).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Inventor: Mark Gorokhovsky
  • Patent number: 5758527
    Abstract: A high security deadbolt assembly for a door which bolt has a housing extending from the edge of the door inwardly of the transverse bore between the door surface. A deadbolt is reciprocable in the housing and has a recess at its inner end. A cylindrical drive member is rotatively supported in the housing and is located with or is aligned with the deadbolt recess. The drive member carries a stop and is connected to the bolt by a linkage. When locked, a substantial portion of the length of the bolt remains engaged in the bolt housing and door so that attempts at forcing the bolt to the unlocked position are resisted by the stop which stop engages an internal surface of the bolt recess. The components are made from high strength materials and the deadbolt assembly may be retrofit to existing lock cylinders with a minimum of installation modifications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Securitron Magnalock Corp.
    Inventor: Alois Crepinsek
  • Patent number: 5758528
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system of locking the type of lock which has a cylinder constituted by a static body or barrel and by a rotatory body or core, equipped with a multiplicity of radial assemblies or key sequences. The lock contains at least one pair of tumblers mounted against a common impeller spring. The lock sequences of which each operate in relation to respective indentations formed by the tooth-like cutting of the active edge of a key blade. The cylinder for six or five key sequences all of which are spring-loaded. The key corresponding to the cylinder and having corresponding indentations. A removable plug or stop which is selectively placed or removed with respect to the opening at back, is situated farther to the rear of the channel for insertion of the key into the rotatable body or core. The position of the removable plug or stop being such as to displace a step or an amplitude of the distance between the axes of two successive key sequences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Talleres de Escoriaza, S.A.
    Inventor: Luis Valdajos Gallego
  • Patent number: 5758529
    Abstract: A housing for externally mounting an electronic lock to a support structure has a conical sidewall joining front and rear faces of the housing. A cavity extending to the front and rear faces receives the electronic lock, such that a key access face of the lock coincides with the housing's front face. The rear face of the housing has an indented region to which a pivot bracket is mounted. The pivot bracket rotatably engages a pivot shaft coupled to a hinge plate of a pivotable front cover, which is spring biased against the front face of the housing. The housings's conical sidewall has a slot intersecting the indented region. The hinge plate is configured to conform with the slot and the housing sidewall, when the cover is closed against the front face of the housing. A rear end of the hinge plate is tapered so that as said hinge plate rotates about its pivot axis, it clears the structure to which the housing is mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Intellikey Corporation
    Inventor: KN Singh Chhatwal
  • Patent number: 5758530
    Abstract: A hot rolling line is constructed by a pair or a plurality of pairs of rolling rolls disposed opposingly on an upper side and on a lower side of a workpiece (1) to be rolled that is pinched in between the rollers. A descaling apparatus (5) has jet flow nozzles disposed so that two jetted flows, being liquid, gas or plasma, are opposing flows so as to collide with the surface of a strip on the upstream side of the rolling rolls and then collide with each other. The jet flow nozzles are disposed, so as to incline in a direction to face each other so that the angle of inclination is 15.degree. to 60.degree. from the horizontal direction of the strip surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masashi Yoshikawa, Keiji Mizuta, Ritsuo Hashimoto, Kazuo Morimoto, Hironori Fujioka, Jyun Sakamoto, Shinji Hirai, Jyunsou Fukumori, Shinsaku Kimura, Akira Kaya
  • Patent number: 5758531
    Abstract: A peening particle support having a plurality of asymmetrically arranged peening particles positioned to minimize tracking on a workpiece. The peening particles are attached to an exposed surface of the peening particle support. The peening particle arrangement includes three or less peening particles with substantially the same non-zero radial distance from a center of the exposed surface. The peening particles are preferably arranged in at least one linear array of peening particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Timothy L. Graf
  • Patent number: 5758532
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for spinning a product, wherein a metal plate which may be preshaped or not, is deformed on a rotating chuck by a forming roller into a hollow product with a wall thickness. The shape of the chuck is determined and is stored in a memory of a control unit as a series of successive points. The control unit moves the forming roller according to a path corresponding with the shape of the chuck. This path is determined by the stored shape of the chuck with a desired wall thickness of the product added thereto. The metal plate is deformed by moving the forming roller according to the thus determined path. In each point of the stored shape of the chuck, the control unit determines a tangent line of the chuck shape at the location of this point and adds the desired wall thickness to the chuck shape at the location of this point according to a line perpendicular to the tangent line to calculate the path of the forming roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Inventor: Johan Massee
  • Patent number: 5758533
    Abstract: An imbricated roll planisher comprising, inside a fixed stand, two planishing systems each including a plurality of live planishing rolls with parallel axes, rotatably mounted in a supporting chassis and each associated with at least one row of support rollers, the assembly being pressed, on the side remote from the strip to be planished, against a resistant bearing beam. At least one of the planishing systems bears against the corresponding bearing beam via a set of hydraulic jacks distributed across the entire surface covered by the system, in parallel rows of at least two jacks, each row corresponding to one of the live planishing rolls. By individually adjusting the position and the pressure of the jacks of each of the rows, it becomes possible to determine the degree of imbrication and the distribution of the force applied on each of the live rolls, it being possible to make this adjustment even while the strip is feeding through.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: CLECIM
    Inventors: Andre Quehen, Bernard Rossigneux, Michel Chevet
  • Patent number: 5758534
    Abstract: A leveling machine with parallel cylinders comprising at least one pair of active leveling cylinders (2), placed on each side of the strip to be leveled and each free to rotate and supported on a crosspiece (5) through a series of spaced bearing members (3). Each bearing member (3) comprises a bearing part (31) mounted in an individual frame forming a casing, connected to crosspiece (5) with a possibility of a clearance transverse to the plane of motion P of strip (A). Each of the said casings bears individually on crosspiece (5) through a positioning member (6) of variable length, for individual adjustment at the level of the corresponding bearing part (31) with respect to the crosspiece (5). The invention is particularly applicable to leveling of thin metal strips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Kvaerner Clecim
    Inventors: Jean-Baptiste Peyron, Felix Carchi
  • Patent number: 5758535
    Abstract: A method of producing corrugated fins employing a fin mill machine (12) for forming strip stock (14) into corrugated fins (16) to form heat exchanger fins or the like. A fin mill machine (12) that can carry out the method includes a tension control subsystem (20) employing a pneumatic cylinder (32) to create the tension which is controlled by a feedback loop which automatically adjusts cylinder pressure based upon measurements from a strain gauge (44). The fin mill machine also includes a height measurement subsystem (22) which continually measures the average height of the fins in a packed state, which allows for manual or automatic feedback to the tension subsystem (20) to adjust the average fin height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Ronald Lewis Pardi, Alfred John Michelini, Rodger Alan Lisk