Superposed Floors Or Chambers Patents (Class 34/211)
  • Patent number: 11008186
    Abstract: In one aspect, the disclosure describes an apparatus comprising an auger section having an auger and a drive unit containing a motor for driving the auger. A collector ring housing containing a collector ring is positioned between the auger section and the drive unit. In another aspect, the disclosure describes an apparatus for attachment to a floor grate. The apparatus includes a pivot stand attached to a top surface of the floor grate, the pivot stand defining a vertical pivot axis. A collector ring has a first stationary portion and a second rotatable portion, with the stationary portion attached to the pivot stand. A housing surrounds the collector ring, and the housing and second rotatable portion of the collector ring rotate together about the pivot axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Sudenga Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Alan G. Hoogestraat
  • Patent number: 10529609
    Abstract: The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods to store and transfer objects, and more particularly to workpiece stocker configurations such as stocker for semiconductor wafers, reticles or carrier boxes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Brooks Automation (Germany) GmbH
    Inventor: Lutz Rebstock
  • Patent number: 10130115
    Abstract: Technologies for controlling food dehydration in a low-oxygen environment include a control device and an enclosed drying chamber. The control device receives sensor data from environmental sensors disposed within the drying chamber. A concentration of oxygen within the drying chamber is determined based on the received sensor data. The control device controls a valve to selectively feed an amount of a combustible gas to a burner assembly disposed within the drying chamber. The burner assembly is ignited by the control device and a flame is produced. The flame depletes the concentration of oxygen within the drying chamber to an initial oxygen concentration level. The control device controls another valve to feed an amount of non-reactive gas into the drying chamber to flush the drying chamber and further deplete the concentration of oxygen within the drying chamber to a lower oxygen concentration level. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Inventor: Joshua Butler
  • Patent number: 9877502
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a food dehydrator including: a body having a front door detachably mounted on the front surface thereof, a plurality of air inlet holes formed on the rear surface thereof and a plurality of body air discharge holes formed on the side surfaces thereof; an inner casing having a dry room formed at the internal space thereof, a plurality of inner casing air inlet holes formed on the rear surface thereof, a plurality of first air outlet holes and second air outlet holes formed on the side surfaces thereof; a fan adapted to supply the external air to the dry room; and a heating member disposed behind the fan along an air flowing path so as to heat the air supplied to the dry room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Inventor: Weh Gu Ha
  • Patent number: 9140492
    Abstract: A paint disposal or recovery system, which efficiently places the paint in layers and evaporates the water therefrom, permits efficient disposal or efficient recovery of the solid material or the formerly dispersed material. Layers of water-based paints are especially formed on vapor permeable surfaces in trays or on the Surface of a supported, vapor permeable pocket liner. The trays with the liner thereon or the supported pocket liner is then placed in dryer housing. Air or other drying agents are then forced through the dryer housing. The water evaporates and leaves the dispersed material from the water-based paint on the respective surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Inventor: Scott E. Gunsaullus
  • Patent number: 9004462
    Abstract: Vaporizable material is supported within a vessel to promote contact of an introduced gas with the vaporizable material, and produce a product gas including vaporized material. A heating element supplies heat to a wall of the vessel to heat vaporizable material disposed therein. The vessel may comprise an ampoule having a removable top. Multiple containers defining multiple material support surfaces may be stacked disposed within a vessel in thermal communication with the vessel. A tube may be disposed within the vessel and coupled to a gas inlet. Filters, flow meters, and level sensors may be further provided. Product gas resulting from contact of introduced gas with vaporized material may be delivered to atomic layer deposition (ALD) or similar process equipment. At least a portion of source material including a solid may be dissolved in a solvent, followed by removal of solvent to yield source material (e.g., a metal complex) disposed within the vaporizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Entegris, Inc.
    Inventors: John N. Gregg, Scott L. Battle, Jeffrey I. Banton, Donn K. Naito, Ravi K. Laxman
  • Patent number: 8819956
    Abstract: An apparatus for drying clothes includes a body having an inner space, a first dryer rotatably arranged in the inner space to dry a first load of laundry while the first load is tumbled, and a second dryer to dry a second load of laundry without tumbling. The second dryer uses air discharged from the first dryer to dry the second load of laundry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sungmin Kim, Jongseok Kim, Daeyun Park, Sogkie Hong
  • Patent number: 8474373
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for treating elongate food products in a process space using a conditioned airflow, comprising: a housing bounding the process space, with a feed opening arranged in the housing and a discharge opening arranged in the housing for respectively carrying elongate food products into the process space and discharging thereof from the process space, transport means for displacing the elongate food products through the process space, blowing means for generating an airflow in the process space, and conditioning means for conditioning the airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Stork Townsend B.V.
    Inventors: Marcus Bernhard Hubert Bontjer, Sigebertus Johannes Jacobus Jozef Meggelaars, Paulus Johanus Maria Thoonsen, Willem Kasper Van Den Berg
  • Patent number: 8444120
    Abstract: Vaporizable material is supported within a vessel to promote contact of an introduced gas with the vaporizable material, and produce a product gas including vaporized material. A heating element supplies heat to a wall of the vessel to heat vaporizable material disposed therein. The vessel may comprise an ampoule having a removable top. Multiple containers defining multiple material support surfaces may be stacked disposed within a vessel in thermal communication with the vessel. A tube may be disposed within the vessel and coupled to a gas inlet. Filters, flow meters, and level sensors may be further provided. Product gas resulting from contact of introduced gas with vaporized material may be delivered to atomic layer deposition (ALD) or similar process equipment. At least a portion of source material including a solid may be dissolved in a solvent, followed by removal of solvent to yield source material (e.g., a metal complex) disposed within the vaporizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: John N. Gregg, Scott L. Battle, Jeffrey I. Banton, Donn K. Naito, Ravi K. Laxman
  • Patent number: 7883886
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) for malting cereals comprising a tower (2) consisting a certain number of stories which are separated from each other by storey floors (9, 10), each storey comprising an air-proof carrier plate (13) carrying germinating cereals (24). Said tower also comprises air conditioning means for air conditioning, transfer means provided with a feeding channel and a removing channel for transferring conditioned air by means of the feeding channel which extends from air conditioning means downwards to the bottom of the carrier plate, passes along said carrier plate and a cereal layer arranged thereon in a direction of the top surface of said cereal layer and exits said top surface of the cereal layer by means of the removing channel. The inventive device is characterized in that the feeding channel and/or removing channel extend through a central opening in at least one storey floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Buehler AG
    Inventor: Gerardus Swinkels
  • Patent number: 7878112
    Abstract: Apparatus is described for storing sensitive materials in containers (32) which are sealed and in which the internal atmosphere may be purged by flushing with an inert gas fed in from a purger unit (30) via a suitable feed lead (35). The gas exhausted from inside the container (32) is fed back into the purge unit (30) and then checked against a desired parameter, for example oxygen concentration, until the value of that parameter reaches a desired level. Purging may then be stopped and the container left sealed, preferably at a slight over pressure relative to the ambient atmosphere. The use of a separate purge unit enables many containers to be sequentially and effectively processed. The containers are particularly useful for storing sensitive chemical and biological samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Roylan Developments Limited
    Inventor: Stuart Naylor
  • Patent number: 7828274
    Abstract: Vaporizable material is supported within a vessel to promote contact of an introduced gas with the vaporizable material, and produce a product gas including vaporized material. A heating element supplies heat to a wall of the vessel to heat vaporizable material disposed therein. The vessel may comprise an amoule having a removable top. Multiple containers defining multiple material support surfaces may be stacked disposed within a vessel in thermal communication with the vessel. A tube may be disposed within the vessel and coupled to a gas inlet. Filters, flow meters, and level sensors may be further provided. Product gas resulting from contact of introduced gas with vaporized material may be delivered to atomic layer deposition (ALD) or similar process equipment. At least a portion of source material including a solid may be dissolved in a solvent, followed by removal of solvent to yield source material (e.g., a metal complex) disposed within the vaporizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: John N. Gregg, Scott L. Battle, Jeffrey I. Banton, Donn K. Naito, Ravi Laxman
  • Patent number: 7762006
    Abstract: A device and corresponding methods for drying medical equipment involving a dryer for drying the medical equipment; and a supply orb having a body and a cavity within the body for holding, ventilating, and storing the medical equipment, the at least one supply orb being mechanically coupled to the dryer for operation and being mechanically decoupled from the dryer during non-operation. The supply orb having a ventilation feature and a configuration conducive to creating a combined irrotational and rotational gas flow therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: SiestaMed, Technologies
    Inventor: David Kasso
  • Publication number: 20100126037
    Abstract: An energy-efficient method and apparatus for drying pelletized, moist organic material is described. The method consists of a rapid, high temperature static drying process in a shallow bed, followed by traditional vertical static drying in a deep bed. Hot exhaust gas from the shallow-bed, hot-temperature static dryer is then recirculated to provide thermal energy to the deep-bed, warn-temperature static dryer. This invention can be used to convert wet, organic waste materials such as animal and poultry waste, municipal wastewater sludge, urban post-consumer food waste, or manufactured food byproducts and residuals into solid fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Inventors: William H. Moss, Richard J. Romanek, JR.
  • Patent number: 7556244
    Abstract: Vaporizable material is supported within a vessel to promote contact of an introduced gas with the vaporizable material, and produce a product gas including vaporized material. A heating element supplies heat to a wall of the vessel to heat vaporizable material disposed therein. The vessel may comprise an ampoule having a removable top. Multiple containers defining multiple material support surfaces may be stacked disposed within a vessel in thermal communication with the vessel. A tube may be disposed within the vessel and coupled to a gas inlet. Filters, flow meters, and level sensors may be further provided. Product gas resuting from contact of introduced gas with vaporized material may be delivered to atomic layer deposition (ALD) or similar process equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: John N. Gregg, Scott L. Battle, Jeffrey I. Banton, Donn K. Naito, Ravi K. Laxman
  • Patent number: 7487956
    Abstract: Vaporizable material is supported within a vessel to promote contact of an introduced gas with the vaporizable material, and produce a product gas including vaporized material. A heating element supplies heat to a wall of the vessel to heat vaporizable material disposed therein. The vessel may include an amoule having a removable top. Multiple containers defining multiple material support surfaces may be stacked disposed within a vessel in thermal communication with the vessel. A tube may be disposed within the vessel and coupled to a gas inlet. Filters, flow meters, and level sensors may be further provided. Product gas resuting from contact of introduced gas with vaporized material may be delivered to atomic layer deposition (ALD) or similar process equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: John N. Gregg, Scott L. Battle, Jeffrey I. Banton, Donn K. Naito, Ravi K. Laxman
  • Patent number: 7122085
    Abstract: Preferred embodiments of the present invention provides a sublimation system employing guidance structures including certain preferred embodiments having a high surface area support medium onto which a solid source material for vapor reactant is coated. Preferably, a guidance structure is configured to facilitate the repeated saturation of the carrier gas with the solid source for a vapor reactant. Methods of saturating a carrier gas using guidance structures are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: ASM America, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric J. Shero, Michael E. Givens, Ryan Schmidt
  • Patent number: 6921062
    Abstract: A vaporizer delivery system for use in semiconductor manufacturing processes including a plurality of vertically stacked containers for holding a vaporizable source material. Each of the vertically stacked containers includes a plurality of vented protuberances extending into the interior of the each stacked container thereby providing channels for passage of a carrier gas between adjacent vertically stacked containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: John Gregg, Scott Battle, Jeffrey I. Banton, Donn Naito, Marianne Fuierer
  • Patent number: 6689180
    Abstract: A heat-shrinking film packaging machine includes a conveyor for transporting an article to be packaged through a heating device to have a heat-shrinking film surrounding the article heated and shrunk and thus tightly packaging the article. The heating device includes a hot air flow control device including two air supply devices located on opposite sides of the conveyor to define a channel through which the article is transported. Each air supply device has a surface in which an array of openings is defined and arranged in rows and columns for supplying hot air toward the article. A blocking bar is movably mounted to the surface of each air supply device and associated with each row of the openings. The blocking bar is movable with respect to the openings to selectively and partially block the openings for controlling hot air flow through the openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Benison & Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Benker Liao
  • Patent number: 6560896
    Abstract: Apparatus, method and system for the treatment of a wafer. After a treatment at elevated temperature, a wafer is taken out of the reactor in question with the help of a mechanical transport apparatus which preferably grips the wafer around the circumference and on the under side and consists of a wafer surrounding ring. The wafer is then placed in a floating wafer reactor where it is cooled in a controlled manner. Transport for further action or treatment then takes place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: ASM International N.V.
    Inventors: Ernst Hendrik August Granneman, Vladimir Ivanovich Kuznetsov, Gert Jan Snijders
  • Patent number: 6399923
    Abstract: A multi-stage heating furnace for drying large-sized substrates arranged in a stack, including a furnace body, and shelf heaters arranged within the furnace body such that the shelf heaters are spaced from each other in a vertical direction at a predetermined spacing pitch and such that adjacent ones of the shelf heaters partially define drying chambers for accommodating the respective substrates, wherein each shelf heater consists of a far-infrared-radiation panel heater of double-side heating type including a heat radiating plate in which a heat-generating body is embedded, and the panel heater has opposite major surfaces covered with respective thin ceramic layers which emit a far infrared radiation when the heat radiating plate is heated by energization of the heat-generating body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Noritake Co., Limited
    Inventors: Takahiro Kano, Hisayasu Tachikawa, Tamotsu Sakai
  • Patent number: 6360452
    Abstract: The object of the Patent is a drying tunnel for fruit and vegetables which is prismatic rectangular in shape and is internally divided by spacing walls (1) with a bucket conveyor travelling successively up and down. The buckets are elongate, parallel to the walls (1) and closed at their ends by irregular hexagonal plates (2) which may swivel about top half-shafts (3), their concave bottom allowing an airflow through it and consisting of longitudinal spaced rods (4). Shafts (5) are arranged at the top of the end walls (2) with bearing means (6) at their free end which, upon abutting on a flat inclined guide (7), cause the bucket to be tipped and emptied, allowing the fruit to exit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Food Machinery Espanola S.A.
    Inventor: Antonio Ramon De Gracia
  • Patent number: 6336299
    Abstract: A storage floor air vent may comprise at least two vent walls positioned in substantially parallel relation to thereby define a channel; a plurality of angular baffle members, each angular baffle member composed of two segments forming an apex therebetween; the plurality of angular baffle members positioned in between the at least two vent walls in a linear arrangement, with each apex facing upward proximal the top end of each of the at least two vent walls, and each angular baffle member is positioned a distance apart from the adjacent angular baffle member to thereby define an orifice between the segment ends of adjacent angular baffle members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2002
    Inventor: Steven D. Wixom
  • Patent number: 6311411
    Abstract: An vertical dryer (10) is provided having a plurality of individual dryer decks (12-18) including alternating fan and heater decks (14, 16), an air circulation assembly (11), and an upright, common plenum chamber (26) in communication with the decks (12-18). The assembly (11) is operable to create a continuous drying air stream which passes upwardly in countercurrent flow relationship to product on the decks (12-18). Also, the assembly (11) serves to pass the drying air stream into, through and out of the plenum (26) at the level of each heater deck (16); in the plenum (26), the air stream velocity is decreased, causing particulate fines to fall out of the stream for collection. The use of the common plenum (26) also allows independent control of the decks (12-18) in terms of air flows therethrough and recirculation characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Wenger Manufacturing Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas Clark
  • Patent number: 6270839
    Abstract: A raw material feeding apparatus is provided for a film-forming apparatus in which a thin film is formed from a solid matter as a raw material during chemical vapor-phase deposition. The apparatus includes sub-containers each having an opening for introduction of a gas, an opening for discharge of a gas, a bottom, on which a solid raw material is spread between the inlet opening and the outlet opening, and a wall defining a gap, in which a gas being introduced and discharged is made to contact the solid raw material spread on the bottom while the gas is moved on the surfaces of the material. The apparatus also includes a raw material container for receiving and holding the sub-containers. The apparatus also includes a heating device for heating the raw material container, and carrier gas conveying tubes for introducing a carrier gas into the raw material container and including a passage communicated to the outlet openings of the sub-containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Onoe, Ayako Yoshida, Kiyofumi Chikuma
  • Patent number: 6263591
    Abstract: The portable sports equipment drying container comprised: a box shaped body; a cover for the body; the body having opposed side walls and opposed end walls; an input fan mounted in one of the walls; an output fan mounted in a another one of the walls; a heating pad in the box shaped body; perforated or porous insulating structure between the heating pad and clothing or equipment placed in the box shaped body; and electrical circuitry for energizing the fans and the heating pad for drying moist or wet clothing or equipment placed in said container and for circulating air through the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Inventor: Victor M. La Porte
  • Patent number: 6185835
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided for the conditioning of a commodity (12) such as clothing suitable for vacuum packing in which there is provided a conditioning tunnel (2) including a floor (4), a ceiling (6) and two side walls (8), through which tunnel runs a conveyor system (10) for transporting the commodity. The tunnel is provided with air inlets (14) for directing streams of air into tunnel, and means for extracting and transporting air from the tunnel to apparatus for dehumidifying the air. There is further provided means for conveying the dehumidified air to the air inlets. Means are provided on at least one side wall for influencing the flow path of the air passing from the inlet to the outlet. Use of the apparatus conditions the commodity so that when vacuum packed, the commodity does not crease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Qualpak UK Limited
    Inventors: Sven Äke Enbom, Alex Tin Sing Lee, John Anderson Mitchell
  • Patent number: 6112426
    Abstract: A thermal compression plant with heat recovery for vacuum dryers of industrial leathers and similar products with one or more drying chambers (4) each one composed of a heated table (2), on which the products to be dried are laid, and a hermetic cover (3). A circulating fluid in a first closed circuit (6, 7) heats each table and each drying chamber (4) is connected to a second open circuit (14) for the suction and the condensation of the steam generated by the products. The second steam circuit (14) includes at least one vacuum pump (16) of relatively low capacity placed downstream from a condenser and compression means made up by at least one blower (19) with a higher capacity of the one of the vacuum pump (16) able to compress and superheat the steam to a higher temperature to that of the heating fluid of the working tables at continuous running. The condenser (21) uses for refrigeration the heating fluid circulating in the first circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Inventor: Emilio Buttazzi
  • Patent number: 6085442
    Abstract: A modular food dehydrator utilizing a heater blower assembly located on a top surface of a dehydrator module is disclosed. The heater blower assembly includes a motor driven fan, a heating element and an air distribution portion for directing heated air across the support surfaces. The heater blower assembly is preferably releasably attachable to the dehydrator module. In a first embodiment, the dehydrator module has a central opening extending generally vertically through the support surfaces in fluid communication with the heater blower assembly for directing heated air radially outward across the plurality of support surfaces. The dehydrator module preferably includes outlet vents on an outer perimeter surface for exhausting the heated air. At least one outlet vent is preferably located between each of the plurality of support surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: The Metal Ware Corporation
    Inventor: Chad S. Erickson
  • Patent number: 6076274
    Abstract: A vacuum drying cabinet has nozzles on a pipe body which can be removable from but attached to a pipe fitting mounted in the roof of the cabinet and which, when in place, can be coupled to the shaft of a motor for driving the cleaning unit and to the cleaning liquid supply. When the vacuum drying cabinet is used for vacuum drying, the cleaning unit is removed and replaced by a cap which is hermetically sealed to the pipe section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Inventor: Bernd Dreisbach
  • Patent number: 6041696
    Abstract: An apparatus for dehydrating fruits, vegetables and foods includes a base having a top formed with a center hole and two opposite vertical recesses close to two sides, the base having two opposite through holes at two opposite lower corners in communication with the two recesses, a cover having a bottom formed with two holes at two opposite sides thereof, a pair of positioning plates each having a top formed with a projection configured to engage with the holes of the cover, an inner side formed with a plurality of parallel grooves, and a lower edge with a hook engageable with a respective one of the through holes, and a plurality of trays each having a lower portion formed with two opposite flanges configured to slidably engage with respective grooves of the positioning plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Inventor: Yung-Sen Su
  • Patent number: 5926970
    Abstract: A wet and/or dry finishing machine for fabrics in rope or open-width form comprising a treatment tank in which a transporting means is installed for the fabric, for example in endless-loop form, the transporting means drawing the fabric from the base of the tank and feeding it against a counteracting fuller element, in proximity to at least one base wall portion of the tank there being positioned a duct provided with apertures and through which an air stream is circulated, a portion of the fabric bearing on the top of the duct. This improves drying and shortens the drying time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Zonco Federico & Figlio S.p.A.
    Inventor: Maurizio Zonco
  • Patent number: 5878508
    Abstract: A modular food dehydrator utilizing a heater blower assembly located on a top surface of a dehydrator module. The heater blower assembly includes a motor driven fan, a heating element and an air distribution portion for directing heated air across the support surfaces. The heater blower assembly is preferably releasably attachable to the dehydrator module. In a first embodiment, the dehydrator module has a central opening extending generally vertically through the support surfaces in fluid communication with the heater blower assembly for directing heated air radially outward across the plurality of support surfaces. The dehydrator module preferably includes outlet vents on an outer perimeter surface for exhausting the heated air. At least one outlet vent is preferably located between each of the plurality of support surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: American Harvest, Inc.
    Inventors: John L. Knoll, Troy M. Iverson, Jeffrey E. Sandahl, Bryce M. Lemon, Joaquim da Rosa, Chad S. Erickson, David A. Dornbush, Richard P. Riedel
  • Patent number: 5746008
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electronic substrate processing system comprising a processing equipment for processing electronic substrates including semiconductor wafers and liquid crystal substrates; a cleaning equipment for cleaning said electronic substrate in a predetermined processing step; a portable closed container for accommodating a cassette containing said electronic substrate; a purging station for gas-purging said portable closed containers; and a storage member for storing said portable closed containers, wherein said cassette accommodates said electronic substrates which have been cleaned by said cleaning equipment being set in said portable closed container and purged with an inert gas in said purging station, and said portable closed container or containers is stored in said storing section when necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Shinko Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Teppei Yamashita, Masanao Murata, Tsuyoshi Tanaka, Teruya Morita, Hitoshi Kawano, Mitsuhiro Hayashi, Atsushi Okuno, Akio Nakamura
  • Patent number: 5621982
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electronic substrate processing system comprising a processing equipment for processing electronic substrates including semiconductor wafers and liquid crystal substrates; a cleaning equipment for cleaning said electronic substrate in a predetermined processing step; a portable closed container for accommodating a cassette containing said electronic substrate; a purging station for gas-purging said portable closed containers; and a storage member for storing said portable closed containers, wherein said cassette accommodates said electronic substrates which have been cleaned by said cleaning equipment being set in said portable closed container and purged with an inert gas in said purging station, and said portable closed container or containers is stored in said storing section when necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1997
    Assignee: Shinko Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Teppei Yamashita, Masanao Murata, Tsuyoshi Tanaka, Teruya Morita, Hitoshi Kawano, Mitsuhiro Hayashi, Atsushi Okuno, Akio Nakamura
  • Patent number: 5505009
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a food storage, display, and warming apparatus having a first storage compartment for holding bulk food at a predetermined temperature above ambient temperature and including one or more door members for accessing the bulk food therein, a second storage and display compartment for holding and displaying a plurality of individualized food portions and including one or more transparent door members for viewing and accessing the individualized food portions therein, a heater and blower arrangement for circulating heated air between the first and second storage compartments, a thermostat for sensing the temperature in the first storage compartment and for discontinuing operation of the heater when a maximum temperature is sensed to avoid overheating the bulk food.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1996
    Assignee: Six Corners Development Company
    Inventors: Andrew M. Stein, Andrew Jinks
  • Patent number: 5444922
    Abstract: The invention relates to a single pass airflow apparatus for cooling and drying corrugated product having open flutes, comprising an airflow exhaust duct having a first cross-sectional area, an inlet plenum with a cross-section area greater than the airflow exhaust duct and having an exit in airflow communication with an inlet to the airflow exhaust duct. The plenum has an open faced chamber abuttingly facing the stack of corrugated product which presents the open flutes to the plenum. A fan is provided for drawing airflow through corrugated product into the plenum and from there into airflow exhaust duct from whence the drawn air is exhausted to atmosphere. The invention is directed to the structure and to the method of its use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1995
    Assignee: George Koch Sons, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul L. Ubelhor
  • Patent number: 5437108
    Abstract: The present food dehydrator may be substantially cylindrical in shape including a base member, an air heating and circulation means, a plurality of stackable trays, and a top. Each tray includes an outer wall structure and a platform section which may be separated from each other. Removal of a platform section when the trays are stacked allows for dehydration of larger items, and otherwise allows for easier cleaning of the tray and for replacement of the platform section. Attachment and detachment is performed by rotation of the platform section with respect to the outer wall structure. A method of forming the two-piece tray for the dehydrator is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1995
    Assignee: American Harvest, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven Alseth
  • Patent number: 5185939
    Abstract: A drying apparatus for rubber boots and other items comprising hollow housing equipment with open front and rear surfaces, disinfectant spraying equipment a low-temperature dehumidifier connected in free communication with the housing equipment, wherein the housing equipment is partitioned into rows and columns of housing boxes by partition frames and has its bottom surface designed to serve as slit shelves so that the drying apparatus for rubber boots and other items can dry, in particular, rubber boots used at work, or outfits such as golf bags and ski wears at low temperature, which does not damage the material, by forcible air convection and the disinfectant is carried on the air stream and distributed throughout the housing equipment to perform sanitary drying and dehumidification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1993
    Inventor: Takayuki Kimura
  • Patent number: 5025570
    Abstract: An oven employing a group of identical modular oven units, each unit divided into a main cavity with a first upper auxiliary chamber and a second lower auxiliary chamber. A barrier plate separating the upper chamber from the main cavity is gas pervious and serves as a filter to separate micron size particles and larger from entering the main chamber as the particles are carried by heated inert gas or air passing into the main cavity. The barrier plate separating the lower chamber from the main cavity is also gas pervious and serves as a sink to adsorb particles of sizes up to 100 microns. The group of modular ovens is partially surrounded by a heat transfer wall which allows heat to be rejected from the modular ovens and removed by a fluid coolant in contact with the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1991
    Inventor: William A. Moffat
  • Patent number: 5020246
    Abstract: A grain bin structure having an inverted frusto-conical interior drying floor dividing the bin structure into a drying chamber and a storage chamber, and a transfer means comprising a rotating helical conveying system for transporting grain from the drying chamber to the storage chamber, said rotating helical conveying system having inlet means in communication with the drying chamber and outlet means in communication with the storage chamber. Preferably, the bin structure further comprises control means for sensing the moisture content of the grain in the drying chamber and for signaling activation of the transfer means when the moisture content reaches a predetermined level. The grain bin structure may also include improved diverter means for insuring complete transfer of the grain from the drying chamber to the storage chamber and deflector means for promoting even piling of the grain within the storage chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1991
    Assignee: CTB, Inc.
    Inventors: Marcus D. Rust, Jeffrey L. Wilson, Harmon L. Towne
  • Patent number: 4636168
    Abstract: An apparatus for thermally and pneumatically treating granular solids to remove organic and inorganic chemical additives which are bonded to the granular solids or in admixture with them, to provide a purified granular solid product which is suitable for reuse, for example foundry sand for use in high strength molded cores, or for other productive uses, such as landfill. Granular solid feed material is preheated in a dilute phase zone of a fluidized bed, organic chemical additives are thermally oxidized in a dense phase zone of the fluidized bed, and remaining inorganic chemical additives are separated and removed from the granular solids in a contiguous pneumatic impaction zone. The purified granular solids are removed from the pneumatic impaction zone and organic and inorganic materials are elutriated from the fluidized bed and removed from the head space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1987
    Assignee: Institute of Gas Technology
    Inventors: William A. Sandstrom, Jitendra G. Patel, John R. Bush
  • Patent number: 4627174
    Abstract: Glowing coke descending through a cooling duct in a coking plant is quenched by two gas flows respectively traversing an upper compartment and a lower compartment of the duct, the two compartments meeting at a restricted gate for the passage of the coke. At least the lower gas flow, passing in countercurrent to the descending coke charge, is also circulated through a drying and preheating oven for coal to be fed to a coke-oven battery of the plant, thus containing some water vapor. When the upper flow is also constituted by coal-drying gas, it is passed downward through the upper compartment in order to reduce the height of a high-temperature zone in which combustion and thus loss of coke could occur. The coke gate is formed by a funnel-shaped upper partition and an upwardly pointing conical lower partition between which a scavenger gas passes in cross-flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1986
    Assignee: Bergwerksverband GmbH
    Inventors: Kurt Hedden, Kurt-Gunther Beck, Wolfgang Rohde, Horst Schumacher
  • Patent number: 4578881
    Abstract: One or more mesh-topped, extendable trays removably coupled to a motor-driven fan for causing forced air, normally at ambient temperature, to pass thru the mesh top or tops and thru one or more knitted or crocheted garments lying thereon, the flow of air into each tray being adjustable and an air diverter preferably being provided to assure equal distribution of forced air within each tray, the combination producing drying of the garment rapidly but without shrinking or other distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1986
    Inventor: John I. Karlsson
  • Patent number: 4548191
    Abstract: An oven and method for cooking food products. The oven comprises an elongated housing having an inlet for food products to be cooked in the oven and an outlet for emitting cooked food product from the oven, together with means for heating a gaseous cooking medium in the housing for cooking the food products therein, and a plurality of vertically tiered endless conveyors for passing the food product back and forth through the housing during the cooking process, whereby an oven taking less floor space for a predetermined flow path extent of cooking various food products, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1985
    Assignee: Stein Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Yong Y. Hwang
  • Patent number: 4531304
    Abstract: A method of producing concrete articles comprises reclaiming a portion of the heat energy from the kiln atmosphere during the curing of the concrete articles, and then utilizing the reclaimed heat energy to pre-heat mixing water used to form other concrete articles, or to add to boiler feed water used to generate low pressure steam, or both. In the case where two or more kilns are operated simultaneously at staggered curing cycles, the high temperature kiln atmosphere from the kiln undergoing cool down is intermixed with the low temperature kiln atmosphere from the kiln undergoing heat up thereby reclaiming heat energy from one kiln and using it in the other kiln thereby reducing the total energy consumption required for curing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1985
    Assignee: Besser Company
    Inventors: Billy J. Wauhop, Jr., Willard W. Stratz
  • Patent number: 4502228
    Abstract: In the drying of printed or coated webs of moving material with the aid of heated air, the air is cycled through drying chambers or hoods until it is laden with solvents up to a predetermined value of saturation such as 50% of the lower explosion limit, whereafter it is extracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1985
    Assignee: Windmoller & Holscher
    Inventors: Helmut Helbig, Manfred Verlemann
  • Patent number: 4481724
    Abstract: In order to preserve the quality of treated coking coal, the drying and preheating operation is performed in consecutive stages. For this purpose, a set of superimposed containers is provided with vertically oriented pipes for a heating medium, the pipes in each container having separate inlets and outlets. The bottom region of each container is further provided with horizontally directed pipes having separate inlet and outlet for receiving a pressure medium which is discharged into the bottom region of each container to produce a whirling bed of the coal. In this manner, the coal is preliminarily dried in the uppermost container, then additionally dried and preheated in the intermediate container, and heated to the desired final temperature in the lowermost container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1984
    Assignee: Krupp-Koppers GmbH
    Inventors: Vladan Petrovic, Heinz Durselen
  • Patent number: 4479308
    Abstract: Heat is recovered from a hot particulate solid by passing the solid through a heat recovery zone having a countercurrent flow of gas and internal means for controlling backmixing and residence times, said internal means also containing a circulating heat transfer fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1984
    Assignee: Chevron Research Company
    Inventor: Corey A. Bertelsen
  • Patent number: 4438571
    Abstract: An arrangement for dry cooling of coke has a prechamber for a coke to be cooled with a prechamber wall, a cooler with a cooler wall, a plurality of connecting members connecting these walls with each other, so that a cooling gaseous medium can pass between the connecting members, and a plurality of throttling elements arranged between the connecting members and actuated from outside of the walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1984
    Assignee: Krupp-Koppers GmbH
    Inventor: Wilhelm Jakobi