Patents Represented by Law Firm Barnes, Kisselle, Raisch, Choate, Whittemore & Hulbert
  • Patent number: 5766438
    Abstract: In an electrolyzer provided according to this invention, the polarity of electrodes is periodically inverted at very short intervals. This has the effect of allowing gases to be generated uniformly all over the surface of each electrode in the form of extremely small bubbles instead of being formed in specific positions in the form of large bubbles as is the case with a conventional electrolyzer in which a direct current is allowed to flow without changing the flow direction. Thus the surfaces of electrodes are prevented from being covered with bubbles, and the flow of liquids along the surfaces of electrodes is not disturbed by the bubbles any more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Unitika, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadaya Ishibashi, Masanori Sasaki, Hideto Obara, Hiroshi Kano
  • Patent number: 5767713
    Abstract: A non-linear integrated phase locked loop circuit includes a phase detector for receiving a data signal and a clock pulse and for outputting a pump-up signal and a pump-down signal, a pulse divider connected to the phase detector for receiving the pump-up signal and the pump-down signal and producing a first output at predetermined multiples of the pump-up signal and a second output at predetermined multiples of the pump-down signal. A pulsed filter or integrator is connected to the pulse divider for receiving the first output and the second output and providing a frequency control signal for a voltage controlled oscillator. A three state amplifier is connected to the phase detector for receiving the pump-up signal and the pump-down signal and providing a phase control signal for a voltage controlled oscillator. The voltage controlled oscillator is connected to the pulsed filter and the amplifier for receiving the frequency control signal and the phase control signal and producing a corresponding output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Bertrand Jeffrey Williams
  • Patent number: 5765812
    Abstract: A modular support rail assembly that includes a rail having an open end with an internal wall surface and an elbow with facility at one end for mounting to a support, such as a building wall, and an opposing end with an internally threaded opening. An insert construction is disposed within the open end of the rail, and a fastener extends through the insert into the internally threaded opening in the elbow. An expansible ring is carried by the insert structure within the open end of the rail, and is responsive to compression of the insert structure upon tightening of the fastener to expand radially outwardly against and frictionally engage the internal wall surface of the rail. The rail is thereby firmly fastened to the elbow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignees: Torbett B. Guenther, Dolores Guenther
    Inventor: Torbett B. Guenther
  • Patent number: 5762714
    Abstract: A plasma guard member that has the configuration of a flat concentric ring is used in a vacuum process chamber equipped with a plasma reaction chamber, a plasma source and a lower chamber which houses an electrostatic chuck for preventing charged particles from drifting or diffusing to the lower chamber and contact the electrostatic chuck such that the substrate holding capability of the chuck is not adversely affected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jon Mohn, Joshua Chiu-Wing Tsui, Kenneth S. Collins
  • Patent number: 5761939
    Abstract: An automatic indexer a portable sheet bending brake having a first longitudinally extending member forming a clamp surface, a second longitudinally extending member movable with respect to the first member for clamping sheet material against the clamp surface, and a third member pivotally coupled to the second member for bending sheet material clamped between the first and second members over a bending anvil on the forward edge of the second member. The indexer includes a pair of slides having means for mounting the slides parallel to each other and spaced from each other lengthwise of the clamp surface on the bending brake. A pair of carriages are each slidably disposed on one of the slides, and a bar extends longitudinally between the carriages for engagement with an edge of sheet material inserted between the first and second members of the sheet bending brake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Tapco International Corp.
    Inventors: Daniel J. Spencer, Arthur B. Chubb, Matthew S. Damron, James E. Suyak
  • Patent number: 5763776
    Abstract: A sight glass for a fluid vessel that includes a housing with facility for mounting to a fluid vessel wall, and a transparent window mounted within the housing for viewing fluid within the vessel from outside of the vessel wall. A valve mounted within the housing has a normally open position for permitting passage of fluid from within the vessel to adjacent the window, and a closed position for blocking such fluid passage. The valve includes structure responsive to one or more predetermined conditions at the sight glass for moving the valve to the closed position so as to block passage of fluid to the window, and thereby provide a visual indication of occurrence of the predetermined conditions from outside of the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Vickers, Inc.
    Inventors: G. Pat Birch, Stephen Showalter
  • Patent number: 5758973
    Abstract: A collapsible bulk bag with lift straps is formed from a tubular blank of material severed from an elongate web of material and is provided with reinforced upper corners integral with the blank. The blank is severed from the web to provide a central portion which forms four rectilinear side walls and triangular portions preferably adjacent each end of the central portion. The adjacent sides of adjacent triangular portions at the lower end of the central portion are connected together to form a bottom of the bag. Each triangular portion at the upper end of the central portion is folded over and disposed with its base along the upper edge of two adjacent side walls and its apex generally collinear with the juncture of the adjacent side walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Custom Packaging Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Lee LaFleur
  • Patent number: 5760634
    Abstract: An output buffer device utilizes a PMOS transistor as a first pull-up element and an NMOS transistor as a second pull-up element. An output signal is used to control a feedback circuit. An output signal is switched from a low to high voltage by a trigger voltage. The first pull-up element switches to the second pull-up element to complete the voltage switching from low to high. The device combines the high speed of the first pull-up element and the low noise of the second pull-up element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventor: Shiu-Jin Fu
  • Patent number: 5761609
    Abstract: A limited use circuit in an electronic system that comprises a state machine which controls the operability of the electronic system and determines after boot whether a non-volatile memory device is at its initial data point and then allows the system to operate if it is at its initial data point or cause the electronic system to go down if it is not wherein the state machine is comprised of registers and logic gates or a CPU and a mask circuit and the non-volatile memory device may be selected from the group consisting of PLD, PAL, PLA, EEPROM, FLASH and ROM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventor: Chung-Shan Chen
  • Patent number: 5757688
    Abstract: A high speed division method and apparatus that does not require the use of dividers are provided. The method and apparatus utilize a binary shift-add technique to simplify a divisional computation process and to enable computational error to be contained in a predetermined range, and to obtain a higher computing speed. The apparatus includes a divisor left-shift apparatus for inputting a divisor and to left-shift the divisor, a dividend left-shift apparatus for inputting a dividend and to left-shift the dividend, a left-shift controller for controlling the left-shift motion of the divisor, a quotient right-shift apparatus for inputting the indexes from a division table and then right-shift the quotient. The apparatus utilizes left-shift or right-shift to achieve a multiplication or division by 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Holtek Microelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Chen, Paul Chen, George Chang
  • Patent number: 5757839
    Abstract: In order to avoid problems associated with thermal distortion, loss of energy, and destruction of system components, the invention provides a means for producing, for the first time, high repetition rate, high power pulses while avoiding thermal distortion and its attendant difficulties. The invention provides the ability to remove heat generated from the gain media (lasant material) and to repeatedly extract energy from the media without the accumulation of heat in the media which causes thermal distortions. The invention avoids thermal distortions by pumping an unheated gain region every time an optical pulse is incident thereon. In one aspect, the gain media is essentially uniformly pumped using an essentially instantaneous uniform spatial profile provided by a multi-mode oscillator. The resulting instantaneous uniform temperature profile does not create thermal gradients, thus, no thermal distortions occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of Michigan
    Inventors: Subrat Biswal, Gerard A. Mourou
  • Patent number: 5752369
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the operation of a packaging machine of the type which carries out the operations of causing a tube film placed around articles under transport to be cut and sealed between adjacent articles for being successively formed into bags, then causing individual bags, each with an article contained therein, to be conveyed forward by a delivery conveyor, causing the bags to be sequentially transferred from the delivery conveyor onto moving surface plates, causing each surface plate to be covered with a cover member, and then causing the interior of the cover member to be placed under a vacuum atmosphere while the open end of the bag is hermetically sealed. A bag sensor sequentially detects the passage of open ends of bags on the delivery conveyor, and a surface plate detecting sensor sequentially detects the passage of individual surface plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Furukawa Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasutaka Suga
  • Patent number: 5753148
    Abstract: A needle valve limiter cap of single-stage and two stage types having a hollow cylindrical outer body of rigid material, carrying a limiter arm. A spring steel hollow retainer clip sleeve is telescopically received in the body and has inwardly and outwardly protruding resilient barbs reversely oriented relative to one another to respectively engage the cap body and the needle valve shank to respectively prevent retrograde relative telescopic motion between the clip and the body and between the clip and valve shank. Easy seating of the single or two-stage caps into their locked first and/or second stage needle adjustment positions also produces an audible click and feel as the inwardly protruding spring barb(s) snap into a needle shank groove or grooves. A cap living-hinge type anti-tamper flap at the cap end prevents access of any adjustment tool to a needle valve head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Walbro Corporation
    Inventors: Eric L. King, George M. Pattullo, Karl P. Richter
  • Patent number: 5751082
    Abstract: A high starting torque induction motor with simultaneously reduced starting current adapted to be associated with a drive having a high load torque on starting that includes a stator, a rotor, a first end ring fixed on said rotor, a second movable end ring associated with said rotor and having a lower electrical resistance than the first ring, and a centrifugal device associated with the second ring and operable upon the rotation of the rotor at a predetermined speed such that, when the motor is electrically energized, the high resistance of the first ring produces a high starting torque at reduced starting current, and when the motor achieves a predetermined speed, the second ring is moved into engagement with the first ring reducing the effective resistance and permitting normal operation of the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventor: Umesh C. Gupta
  • Patent number: 5751042
    Abstract: An internal electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit for semiconductor devices defines a structure for protecting adjacent n-channel devices. The first n-channel device includes a pair of n+ regions defining source and drain regions wherein the drain region is connected to a positive power supply terminal (V.sub.DD). The second, adjacent, n-channel device also includes a pair of n+ regions forming source and drain regions, respectively, wherein the source region of the second n-channel device is connected to a negative power supply terminal (V.sub.SS). The drain of the first n-channel device is laterally spaced, and isolated from the source of the second n-channel device by a thick field oxide region. The novel structure includes forming an N-conductivity type well that substantially overlaps the drain n+ region of the first n-channel device and extends toward the n+ region that forms the source of the second n-channel device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Ta-Lee Yu
  • Patent number: 5749307
    Abstract: There are provided a pretreatment facility (1) and a incineration/melting facility (2). In the incineration/melting facility, an incineration chamber (3) and a melting chamber (5) are integrally formed through a partition wall (7) so that incineration residue can be continuously transferred. Fine crushed material finely crushed by the pretreatment facility (1) is supplied as fuel to a burner (4). This enables it to obtain melting heat source from waste, and to efficiently treat the waste at a low cost by directly superheating and melting non-cooled incineration residue from the incineration chamber (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Hitachi Zosen Corporation
    Inventors: Noboru Okigami, Yoshitoshi Sekiguchi, Kunio Sasaki, Hideo Shimotani, Masaharu Terashima
  • Patent number: 5746462
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a flexible vacuum pick-up device for use in wafer processing that includes a handle portion adapted for holding by a human hand, the handle portion has a passage therein for fluid communication, a flexible conduit for providing a connection between the handle portion and a pick-up head and for providing a vacuum passage therethrough, and a vacuum pick-up head that has an extended planar surface adapted for making intimate contact with a substantially flat wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company,Ltd.
    Inventors: C. H. Lee, Y. H. Chen
  • Patent number: 5743129
    Abstract: A sheet bending brake and stabilizing assembly wherein the sheet bending brake alone is constructed and arranged such that when a workpiece is clamped for bending when a person stands on the floor facing the handle means and the handle means is grasped and raised in a direction away from the person in order to move the handle means and raise the handles means, forces occur which prevent the handle means from moving sufficiently to produce a predetermined bend and the forces causes the entire sheet bending brake to tip away from the person about the portions of the legs which project outwardly from said bending brake and thus prevent the movement of the bending member relative to the first member and prevent bending of the workpiece. The stabilizing assembly for counteracting such forces on the sheet bending brake comprises transversely spaced rails receiving at least a portion of the ends of the leg assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: Tapco International Corporation
    Inventors: Arthur B. Chubb, James E. Suyak
  • Patent number: 5740783
    Abstract: A fuel delivery system and method for providing fuel to a fuel injected engine using an engine control unit (ECU) to determine engine fuel demand and adjust fuel pump operation accordingly to supply at least as much fuel as demanded by the engine. The ECU determines a fuel pump control signal based upon fuel demand and applies the signal to a fuel pump driver that controllably drives the pump in response to the control signal. The ECU determines fuel demand by monitoring engine operation and calculates a control signal that controls the duration of time the fuel injector stays open during an upcoming intake stroke of engine operation. The pump control signal is proportional to engine fuel demand multiplied by a constant that ensures more fuel will be available for delivery to the injector than demanded by the engine. Engine fuel demand is proportional to the duration of time the injector will stay open multiplied by the engine speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1998
    Assignee: Walbro Corporation
    Inventors: William L. Learman, Ronald H. Roche, Matthew L. Werner
  • Patent number: D395118
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Walbro Corporation
    Inventors: Harley L. Cramer, Robert A. Huebner, Stephen E. Kipp, Gary J. Toska