Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Alfred D. Lobo
  • Patent number: 6193890
    Abstract: The outer surfaces of hollow fiber membranes in a skein, or a bank or cassette of stacked skeins, are kept essentially free of solids by maintaining a substantially uniform flow of a stream of coarse bubbles through each of plural orifices in an aerator disposed beneath the fibers. Aerators for skeins used in microfiltration of wastewater in a tank are periodically flushed when their air orifices are fouled, by injecting a flushing fluid into a fouled aerator. The flushing fluid may be a two-phase mixture of flushing liquid and air, or flushing liquid only. The flushing liquid may be permeate, clean water or wastewater (substrate). When air is injected into the flushing liquid flowed to an aerator for less than 5 min, preferably less than 20 sec, the flushing fluid produces discrete masses of liquid which are flowed laterally through the body of the aerator, cleaning its walls and maintaining the orifices essentially free from plugging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Zenon Environmental Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Kristian Pedersen, Henry Behmann
  • Patent number: 6182545
    Abstract: A conventional ball lock mechanism has been replaced with a wedge adapted to lock a tool, such as a punch, forming tool or die bushing in a retainer block in which the tool can be accurately positioned relative to the retainer block. The tool is released by moving the wedge away from the retainer block. The inclined surface of the wedge may be inclined upward or downward at an acute angle to the vertical, or the wedge may have both upwardly and downwardly inclined surfaces. The upper portion of the tool is preferably non-circular and is held within a tool cavity formed when the wedge is disposed in the retainer block. One surface of the wedge (its tool-mating surface) is adapted to correspond to the surface of the tool in contact with the wedge. The assembly of wedge slidably disposed within the retainer block is preferably used with a hardened backing plate rather than being secured directly to the die shoe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Inventor: Francis Richard Janek, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6168058
    Abstract: A wheeled container is constructed so as to be demountably secured to a cargo carrier assembly (or “carrier”) which is externally carried at the rear of a sports utility vehicle or truck. The carrier includes a support beam to which the container is secured by attachment latches on its rigid base. Two of the attachment latches are pivot latches, allowing the container to be pivotably disposed on the support beam without lifting wheels of the container off the ground. In one embodiment, the container comprises a frameless rigid tub adapted to be secured to the support beam; in another the container comprises a framework of elongated rigid struts, e.g. of metal tubing which may be collapsible within which is secured a rectangular receptacle or “sack” of flexible material. Only a portion of the base of the container is directly supported on the support beam, or supported on pivot pins secured to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Inventor: Nikolas Christian Janek
  • Patent number: 6087588
    Abstract: An active cover plate is provided for a standard electrical device such as a switch or receptacle which has a body unit-molded from a synthetic resin. The active cover plate is so termed because an active load is embedded within it. The exterior of the body is provided with at least a pair of terminals for connection to a building's current supply. A pair of opposed spring-strips embedded in the plate are positioned so as to protrude rearward from the plate and contact terminals on the device. The spring-strips are connected to terminals of the active load. Contact of the spring-strips against the terminals is good enough to provide the active load with the current it needs. The active load may be an electroluminescent panel, or a radio transmitter, or receiver, or any other device which consumes less than about 25 watts, and the components of which can be sandwiched within the plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Technical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Jack Arbuthnott Soules
  • Patent number: 6042677
    Abstract: A filtration device is provided for withdrawing permeate essentially continuously from a multicomponent aqueous substrate containing growing microorganisms in a reservoir. A vertical skein of fiber is scrubbed with coarse bubbles which emanate from a conversion baffle positioned under the skein. The substrate is aerated with fine bubbles in a size range small enough to transfer oxygen to the substrate efficiently. The baffle traps the fine bubbles and converts them to coarse bubbles which are effective to scrub the fibers. In the most preferred embodiment, the finished headers of the skein are derived from composite headers comprising a fixing lamina of resin in which the fibers are potted near their terminal ends, and a fugitive lamina of fugitive powdery material in which the terminal ends of the fibers are potted. The fugitive lamina is removed, preferably by dissolving the powder, e.g. finely divided common salt in water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Zenon Environmental, Inc.
    Inventors: Mailvaganam Mahendran, Ake Adolf Deutschmann, Wayne Jerald Henshaw, Henry Behmann
  • Patent number: 6024872
    Abstract: A filtration membrane for micro- or ultra-filtration is formed from a complex of PVDF and calcined .alpha.-alumina (".alpha.-Al") particles, in which complex the particles are reacted and dispersed. The suspended complex is then mixed with a hydrophilic polymer such as polyvinyl alcohol (40%-90% hydrolyzed) referred to herein as HPVA, which reacts with the complex imparting hydrophilicity to the polymer. The novel membrane provides about 50% higher specific flux than a membrane made with the same polymer but without the .alpha.-Al particles. Unexpectedly, the net flux is improved by treating the membrane with a solution of sodium hypochlorite which fails to remove the HPVA from the novel membrane but does remove it from the prior art membrane which does not contain the .alpha.-Al. The preferred membrane comprises a macroporous support coated on its outer surface with a thin tubular asymmetric semipermeable film of polymer containing less than about 50% by weight of .alpha.-Al particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Zenon Evironmental Inc.
    Inventors: Mailvaganam Mahendran, Kenneth Paul Goodboy, Jinhua Bai
  • Patent number: 6020431
    Abstract: Dynamic vulcanizates of an engineering thermoplastic ("plastic"), e.g. a polyamide or polyester, with acrylate rubbers having dissimilar functional groups are prepared with a metal fatty acid salt in the absence of a conventional curative, provided the rubbers are molecularly intermixed. An acrylate rubber with halogen functionality ("AcrRubHal") is thus crosslinked in a single mixing stage with an acrylate rubber having carboxyl, hydroxyl or epoxy functionality ("AcrRubX") in a "plastic". Quaternary ammonium salts and tertiary amines do not function as curatives, as one might expect. But a metal fatty acid salt, preferably a metal stearate or oleate and concentrates thereof effectively crosslink the rubbers. TPVs produced without conventional curing agents are relatively "soft", but have highly desirable low temperature physical properties and oil resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: Advanced Elastomer Systems, L.P.
    Inventors: Krishna Venkataswamy, Tonson Abraham
  • Patent number: 6005052
    Abstract: This invention describes a staged process in which successive dynamic vulcanizations of plural curable rubber blend components are based on condensation reactions of a functional group (reactive site) carried by each curable rubber. The process is carried out in three stages during each of which gases evolved during the condensation reactions are removed. It is essential to form an intermediate fully dense hard blend in the second stage. This intermediate hard blend contains a relatively large amount of plastic (relative to curable rubbers) and is therefore much harder than the desired final blend. In the third stage, additional rubber and curative for uncured rubber are added to achieve the desired softness. This process, carried out in an extruder, results in fully dense pellets which are injection moulded to produce articles having essentially the same specific gravity as that of the pellets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Advanced Elastomer Systems, L.P.
    Inventors: Krishna Venkataswamy, Craig Allen Chmielewski
  • Patent number: 6001763
    Abstract: A process for recovering a solution of Co and Mn acetates and other valuable components of a waste residue of used catalyst discharged from a plant for the liquid-phase, homogeneously catalyzed oxidation of alkylaromatic compounds, to produce polycarboxylic aromatic acids. The residue is pyrolized in a reaction zone provided forming molten metal in an electric arc or molten metal furnace under conditions which convert essentially all carbon in the residue mainly to CO, hydrogen and compounds vaporized in an effluent from the reaction zone. The effluent is passed through a liquid-gas-contacting means to yield a quench or scrubber stream. The residue may also be sludge from a pond in which the residue is stored. The alloy recovered is atomized to form a powder metal which is then digested in acetic acid, and/or aqueous hydrogen bromide, and/or mixtures thereof with the quench or scrubber stream, to form the corresponding salts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Inventor: David Feitler
  • Patent number: 5992310
    Abstract: A drupe which is infested with a larva of a moth or larvae of other insects, and is contaminated with related excretions, referred to as a "frass", in a central zone within the drupe, is cleansed with a longitudinally bored pitting knife mounted in the pitting head of a conventional pitting machine. A source of cleansing fluid is connected to the bore within the knife and fluid is discharged through radial passages in the knife, which radial passages communicate with the longitudinal bore. In operation, while the knife pits the drupe, fluid discharged from within the knife contacts the walls of the passage left by the ejected pit, and removes the frass. If desired, the drupe may be first pitted, then decontaminated or washed, and/or dried sequentially, in separate stages. The invention is particularly effective with dates, prunes, olives, cherries, nectarines, peaches and avocados.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Inventor: Efren Castro
  • Patent number: 5944997
    Abstract: The outer surfaces of hollow fiber membranes in a skein, or a bank or cassette of stacked skeins, are kept essentially free of solids by maintaining a substantially uniform flow of a stream of coarse bubbles through each of plural orifices in an aerator disposed beneath the fibers. Aerators for skeins used in microfiltration of wastewater in a tank are periodically flushed by injecting flushing air into permeate returned to the tank over a short period. The air is injected into returning permeate for less than 1 minute, preferably less than 20 sec so as to produce discrete masses of water which are flowed laterally through the body of the aerator, cleaning its walls and maintaining the orifices essentially free from plugging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Zenon Environmental Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Kristian Pedersen, Henry Behmann
  • Patent number: 5914039
    Abstract: A filtration membrane for micro- or ultra-filtration is formed from a complex of PVDF and calcined .alpha.-alumina (".alpha.-Al") particles, in which complex the particles are reacted and dispersed. The suspended complex is then mixed with a hydrophilic polymer such as polyvinyl alcohol (40%-90% hydrolyzed) referred to herein as HPVA, which reacts with the complex imparting hydrophilicity to the polymer. The novel membrane provides about 50% higher specific flux than a membrane made with the same polymer but without the .alpha.-Al particles. Unexpectedly, the net flux is improved by treating the membrane with a solution of sodium hypochlorite which fails to remove the HPVA from the novel membrane but does remove it from the prior art membrane which does not contain the .alpha.-Al. The preferred membrane comprises a macroporous support coated on its outer surface with a thin tubular asymmetric semipermeable film of polymer containing less than about 50% by is weight of .alpha.-A1 particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1999
    Assignee: Zenon Environmental Inc.
    Inventors: Mailvaganam Mahendran, Kenneth Paul Goodboy, Jinhua Bai
  • Patent number: 5910250
    Abstract: A filtration device is provided for withdrawing permeate essentially continuously from a multicomponent aqueous substrate containing growing microorganisms in a reservoir. A vertical skein of fiber is scrubbed with coarse bubbles which emanate from a conversion baffle positioned under the skein. The substrate is aerated with fine bubbles in a size range small enough to transfer oxygen to the substrate efficiently. The baffle traps the fine bubbles and converts them to coarse bubbles which are effective to scrub the fibers. In the most preferred embodiment, the finished headers of the skein are derived from composite headers comprising a fixing lamina of resin in which the fibers are potted near their terminal ends, and a fugitive lamina of fugitive powdery material in which the terminal ends of the fibers are potted. The fugitive lamina is removed, preferably by dissolving the powder, e.g. finely divided common salt in water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1999
    Assignee: Zenon Environmental Inc.
    Inventors: Mailvaganam Mahendran, Ake Adolf Deutschmann, Wayne Jerald Henshaw, Henry Behmann
  • Patent number: 5857952
    Abstract: A flat trapezoidal container provides a generally frustoconical single cavity for snugly sheathing a flower pot. The container is specifically dimensioned sheath a flower pot so as either (a) to leave therebeneath, a surplus of film in an transition zone which is concealable under the flower pot, or (b) form a hexagonal gusset in the bottom. The container is made from two flat panels of heat-sealable film, each shaped in the general form of a trapezium; or from a single web folded double. The lower portion of the container is ornamentally imprinted along a border extending beneath a generally lateral line above the longitudinal axis of the web; and, with a marker in the upper portion, identifies the contents, or provides instructions for their use or care. When the cavity is distended by being partially filled, the entire container, except for a transition zone, presents a smoothly arcuate surface of the frustum of a cone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: Professional Package Company
    Inventor: Scott Robert Gilbert
  • Patent number: 5788135
    Abstract: A cargo carrier assembly (or "carrier") is externally carried at the rear of a truck. The carrier comprises a monorail support in combination with a wheeled container specifically adapted to be pivotably loaded onto the monorail by using pivot latches which matingly receive locking pins fixedly secured to the container. The monorail ("M") comprises (i) an elongate rectilinear slider shank connecting the M to the truck, and (ii) a support beam telescopable on the slider shank. Only a portion of the base of the container is either directly supported on the M, or supported on pivot pins secured to the base. Though the container may be secured with only two pivot latches and an attachment latch, it is preferred to use, in addition, a second attachment latch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Inventor: Nikolas Christian Janek
  • Patent number: 5783083
    Abstract: A gas-scrubbed vertical cylindrical skein of "fibers" has their opposed terminal portions held in headers unconfined in a modular shell, and aerated with a cleansing gas supplied by a gas-distribution means which produces a mass of bubbles serving the function of a scrub-brush for the outer surfaces of the fibers. The skein is surprisingly effective with relatively little cleansing gas, the specific flux through the membranes reaching an essentially constant relatively high value because the vertical deployment of fibers allows bubbles to rise upwards along the outer surfaces of the fibers. The effectiveness is critically dependent upon the length of each fiber in the skein. That length is in the range from at least 0.1% more than the fixed distance between opposed faces of the skein's headers, but less than 5% greater than the fixed distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: Zenon Environmental Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne Jerald Henshaw, Mailvaganam Mahendran, Henry Behmann
  • Patent number: 5759229
    Abstract: A process for recovering valuable components of a residue from a stream of used catalyst, discharged from a plant for the liquid-phase, homogeneously catalyzed oxidation of alkylaromatic compounds under pressure, to produce polycarboxylic aromatic acids. The residue containing mainly cobalt (Co) and manganese (Mn) compounds is injected into a molten metal bath in combination with enough oxygen gas to convert essentially all carbon in the residue mainly to CO. The residue may also be sludge from a pond in which the residue is stored. The Co content of the molten metal is determined by how much of the Mn in the residue is to be rejected from the molten metal. The Mn rejected is distributed between a slag overlying the molten metal and the effluent which leaves the bath. In the slag, the Mn is trapped as manganese oxide (MnO); in the effluent Mn leaves as manganese dibromide (MnBr.sub.2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Inventor: David Feitler
  • Patent number: 5732866
    Abstract: A cargo carrier assembly (or "carrier") is externally carried at the rear of a truck. The carrier comprises a frameless L-shaped support beam in combination with a wheeled container specifically adapted to be pivotably loaded onto the rack by using pivot latches which matingly receive locking pins fixedly secured to the container. The L-shaped support beam ("L") comprises (i) an elongate rectilinear rail connecting said L to the truck, (ii) an overlying strut telescopable on the rail, and (iii) a rectilinear transverse strut integral with the overlying strut. Only a portion of the base of the container is either directly supported on the struts of the L-shaped support beam or supported on pivot pins. Though the container may be secured with only two pivot latches, it is preferred to use, in addition, an attachment latch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Inventor: Nikolas Christian Janek
  • Patent number: 5664374
    Abstract: An economical three-component snow guard comprising (1) a laminar strap, (2) a snow-stop and (3) a gusseted brace is reinforced and its rigidity and compressive strength greatly improved. At the same time, the resistance to damage due to re-freezing of melted snow, and internal weathering of the brace, is essentially eliminated. The disdavantages of a structurally similar prior art snow guard are unexpectedly avoided by providing particularly improved structural features. The novel snow guard, formed as a unitary structure of foldable sheet metal less than 2 mm thick, can withstand not only the forces exerted by an accumulated snow pack, but also the compressive force of a person's weight exerted in either the down-roof or vertical directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Inventor: Vicki Parker Lee
  • Patent number: 5647168
    Abstract: A flat trapezoidal container provides a generally frustoconical single cavity for snugly sheathing a flower pot. The container is specifically dimensioned sheath a flower pot so as either (a) to leave therebeneath, a surplus of film in an transition zone which is concealable under the flower pot, or (b) form a hexagonal gusset in the bottom. The container is made from two flat panels of heat-sealable film, each shaped in the general form of a trapezium; or from a single web folded double. The lower portion of the container is ornamentally imprinted along a border extending beneath a generally lateral line above the longitudinal axis of the web; and, with a marker in the upper portion, identifies the contents, or provides instructions for their use or care. When the cavity is distended by being partially filled, the entire container, except for a transition zone, presents a smoothly arcuate surface of the frustum of a cone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1997
    Assignee: Professional Package Company
    Inventor: Scott Robert Gilbert