Patents Represented by Attorney Barry L. Clark
  • Patent number: 4311338
    Abstract: An armrest assembly for a vehicle seat includes a parrallelogram-action support mechanism for permitting upward and downward movement of the armrest while maintaining the armrest horizontal. A toothed coupling is operable to lock the support mechanism at various selected heights of the armrest. An independently operable locking device releases the armrest for pivotal upward movement from its normal horizontal position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1982
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: David Moorhouse
  • Patent number: 4309058
    Abstract: This invention relates to a load-supporting frame.A load-supporting frame has load-supporting means e.g. in the form of filaments stretched across the frame, the filaments being secured at one end to one of the frame sides and at the other end to a variable tensioning device which itself is connected to the opposite frame side. The tensioning device comprises a spinal column of links each secured to one of the filaments and connected at its opposite end to the adjacent frame side by springs. Intermediate the springs is a variable tension coupling comprising a carriage slidable along the flexible column of links, a slider slidable along the frame side, and a screw connection connecting the slider to the carriage and operable to vary the tension in the filaments adjacent thereto. The frame is particularly intended to provide variable-position lumbar support in the back rest of a vehicle seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1980
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1982
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Geoffrey W. Barley
  • Patent number: 4295918
    Abstract: Assembly apparatus for a wear resistant plastic mining screen, preferably one made out of wires formed by extruding urethane around a rigid steel core, includes a feed roll having spaced grooves for receiving elongated profile wires which define the working surface of the screen. A support rod positioning member is mounted at a welding station to frictionally receive a screen support rod on its top side and then be flipped over to position the support rod above the profile wires which pass transversely under it. A welding bar having heated fin portions on its upper and lower sides is then passed between and in contact with the support rod and the profile wires to slightly melt them. The welding bar is then quickly removed and the support rod is quickly moved downwardly against the profile wires and held until the integral joints formed at each intersection are solidified. Additional support rods are welded to the profile wires at spaced intervals until the desired screen length has been reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1979
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1981
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventors: Henry E. Benson, Terrence D. Moravec
  • Patent number: 4295627
    Abstract: A vehicle seat suspension, of the type comprising a seat frame supported on a base frame by two spaced pairs of scissor action linkage arms, has the ends of the linkage arms connected to one of the frames wholly by pivotal connections having freedom for displacement longitudinally of the suspension and a resilient coupling connecting the one frame to one of the linkage arms to damp the transmission of vibrations between the frames in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1979
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1981
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin Graves
  • Patent number: 4295681
    Abstract: A seat backrest having a contourable upholstered portion supported by a rigid frame portion includes means to produce a desired supporting contour in the lumbar region of the seat occupant. The contour-producing means includes a lumbar pad, a pair of link members connecting the lumbar pad to the frame, and a double threaded shaft means operable by a seated occupant from the side of the backrest for moving and holding the link members in an infinite number of fixed, generally horizontal positions forward of the frame. The position of maximum lumbar support can be adjusted vertically by pivoting the link members and lumbar pad by means of a pin which is engaged with an angled slot in a sliding plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1981
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Leslie A. Gregory
  • Patent number: 4294643
    Abstract: Laminated heater plate assembly is formed from a plurality of layers of glass cloth and/or glass mat and epoxy resin which are laminated together under heat and pressure. One or more thermally conductive heater members are mounted in a cut-out region(s) in a pre-cured or "C" stage laminate top portion of the assembly while a plurality of uncured or "B" stage glass mat and epoxy resin laminations are stacked, assembled under the "C" stage portion and heater portion(s), and bonded to each other into a rigid, warp-free heater plate assembly which can be repeatedly subjected to steam or hot water without damage. Preferably, the resin density after bonding in the region of the edges of the heater portion(s) and the adjacent surrounding edges of the cut-out region(s) is greater than in locations spaced further from the heater portion(s) in order to enhance the sealing of the assembly in the most critical areas thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1981
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas D. Tadewald
  • Patent number: 4289029
    Abstract: Sample injection and vaporization system for gas chromatography is capable of continuous injection of a liquid hydrocarbon sample in the -44.degree. F. to 1074.degree. F. boiling range from a closed system such as a flowing liquid stream or high pressure sample bomb. The system overcomes the temperature limitations inherent in the seals of existing sample valves and utilizes a syringe to transport a liquid sample from the sample stream to a hot vaporization zone through which a carrier gas is flowing. Insulating means keep the sample block containing the seals, including one which is contacted by both the carrier gas and sample stream, at a sufficiently low temperature to protect the seals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1981
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Sampson, Francis H. Franke
  • Patent number: 4288897
    Abstract: Improved heat transfer surface for nucleate boiling is produced by metallizing a reticulated organic foam layer placed in contact with a tube or other heat transfer surface so as to form a reticulated metal surface layer which is integrally bonded to the heat transfer surface. The metallized foam layer is then at least partially pyrolyzed to form hollow metal strand portions. The boiling surface so produced is then modified to enhance its long term boiling stability by deforming the hollow strand portions to reduce their minimum internal diameter. In one manufacturing process, suitable small solid particles, which may or may not be permitted to remain in the finished product, are worked into the porous surface of the reticulated metal layer after which the layer is compacted so as to cause the particles to deform the hollow metal strand portions and thereby reduce their ability to carry liquid flow which could "flood out" vapor bubbles trapped in the tips of the hollow strands during a boiling operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1981
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: James G. Withers, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4286765
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle seat, of the type in which a seat part is spring-mounted on a base part and in which the height of the seat part above the base part can be varied by varying the preload of the spring. The movement of the seat part is limited by UP-stop and DOWN-stop assemblies and the invention provides means for automatically moving the UP-stop position in dependence upon a change to the static height of the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1981
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventors: Jean Delgleize, Henri Deleenher
  • Patent number: 4286143
    Abstract: Laminated heater plate assembly is formed from a plurality of layers of glass cloth and/or glass mat and epoxy resin which are laminated together under heat and pressure. One or more thermally conductive heater members are mounted in a cut-out region(s) in a pre-cured or "C" stage laminate top portion of the assembly while a plurality of uncured or "B" stage glass mat and epoxy resin laminations are stacked, assembled under the "C" stage portion and heater portion(s), and bonded to each other into a rigid, warp-free heater plate assembly which can be repeatedly subjected to steam or hot water without damage. Preferably, the resin density after bonding in the region of the edges of the heater portion(s) and the adjacent surrounding edges of the cut-out region(s) is greater than in locations spaced further from the heater portion(s) in order to enhance the sealing of the assembly in the most critical areas thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1979
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1981
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas D. Tadewald
  • Patent number: 4284138
    Abstract: Assembly of a coated screen jacket and a coated pipe base is held together by radially positioned fasteners such as shear pins which pass through overlapping portions of male and female slip fittings which are welded to the screen jacket and pipe base before it is coated. The mating fittings include an internal groove for mounting an O-ring. Since the screen jacket has complementary male and female fittings on its opposite ends, a plurality of short screen jacket portions can be easily mounted in series on a pipe base member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1980
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1981
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Richard E. Allred
  • Patent number: 4276265
    Abstract: Screen for use in collecting and/or distributing process flow streams has profiled surface wires welded to channel-shaped support members and is preferably made by helically wrapping and welding a profiled surface wire around the elongated channel members which are rotated about the screen axis to produce a cylindrical slotted screen which is then cut along a line parallel to its axis, flattened, and either used flat or rerolled and welded at right angles to its original direction so that the channels form hoop-like supports. The channels are preferably apertured to such an extent that the total open area for an inlet stream flow on the channel side of the screen is less than the open area of the slots on the wire side of the screen. Also, it should be noted that the outer edge of each leg portion of each of the channel members is positioned so close to the outer edge of a leg portion of an adjacent channel member that substantially all of the process stream will flow through the aperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1981
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: George A. Gillespie
  • Patent number: 4274516
    Abstract: A rotary vibration damper comprises one or more vanes secured to a rotor within a housing filled with damper fluid, the vane or vanes cooperating with one or more fixed walls to define complementary fluid-filled chambers within the housing between which fluid will flow as relative vibratory movement occurs between the housing and the vane or vanes. A partition wall movable axially within the housing like a piston is spaced from one end of the vane or vanes to define a restricted path for the flow of damper fluid between complementary chambers. The restriction of the flow path, and hence the vibration damping effect, can be increased or decreased by axial movement of the partition wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1981
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Geoffrey W. Barley
  • Patent number: 4269807
    Abstract: Arrangement for resiliently mounting a ceramic monolithic type catalytic converter element in a metal housing with a blanket of knit wire mesh material includes at least one circumferential band of high temperature intumescent material containing ceramic fibers positioned within the wire mesh blanket which prevents virtually all bypass leakage around the element and substantially reduces the temperature of the wire mesh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1979
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1981
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventors: Charles H. Bailey, Ted V. DePalma, James E. Dillon
  • Patent number: 4263841
    Abstract: Fluid power motor construction provides for an encompassing guard tube or cylinder to be spaced around the entire cylindrical body section which accommodates the reciprocating piston member in order to preclude any harmful denting to such body section. The construction utilizes retaining rings to anchor the end caps and is especially adapted to facilitate the initial assembly of the motor and its subsequent repair while permitting the maintenance of close tolerances on the length of the piston stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1979
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1981
    Inventor: Charles W. Bimba
  • Patent number: 4264103
    Abstract: Storable legrest assembly for a passenger seat offers support for the entire length of an occupant's legs and includes a pair of support arms which cause the padded rear support panel to be generally flush with the front portion of the seat cushion when the cushion is occupied. The arms project generally normally to the rear support panel and have pins at their lower ends which are anchored in downwardly offset portions of elongated slots formed in a pair of brackets carried by the seat frame. During storage, the pins and arms are slid to the rear ends of the slots where they are retained so that the folded legrest panels will be firmly held in a vertical position under the front end of the cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1979
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1981
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventors: Gary L. Peresada, Walter J. Cutler
  • Patent number: 4251342
    Abstract: Solid electrolyte oxygen sensor incorporates a sealed integral heater which is positioned internally of the tubular wall of the ceramic sensor body in the region radially adjacent the disc shaped solid electrolyte which is mounted transverse to the axis of the body. A plurality of small longitudinal apertures are formed in the body wall by extrusion. A groove formed in the external side wall of the body provides access so that a resistance heating wire can be threaded alternately in opposite directions through the small apertures. The wire bends are accommodated by the side wall groove and an end wall groove, each of which can be sealed with a castable ceramic after the wire is installed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1981
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventors: Edward P. Habdas, Jon D. Aaron
  • Patent number: 4249920
    Abstract: Improved scrubber and method for removing particulate matter from hot flue gases, particularly flyash in a sludge incinerator, utilizes a plurality of cylindrical slotted wire screen canisters which are preferably mounted vertically in apertures in a plate in a chamber in which the hot gas moves vertically. The bottoms of the canisters may be closed so that the vertically moving gases will change direction at least twice as they move sideways through the screen slots and then vertically again inside the screens, or alternatively, the bottoms can be screens also with a baffle plate positioned under them to cause a change of direction of the gases. A spray nozzle in each canister keeps the spaced wires forming the sides and the slots wet so that a majority of the flyash will be captured and washed down the sides of the canisters while additional particles will be captured by the water wash spray inside the canisters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1981
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Lawrence M. Vesel
  • Patent number: 4250146
    Abstract: Catalytic converter assembly which has no case around the monolith element is retained between its inlet and outlet plenums by a plurality of spring loaded retaining members. The design eliminates the necessity for the usual wire mesh mounting material and the failures which can result when the mesh overheats. The design also simplifies catalyst replacement, eliminates by-pass leakage and reduces weight and expense.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1981
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Charles H. Bailey
  • Patent number: RE30623
    Abstract: A cabinet type enclosure, preferably in the form of a cart, which is adapted to be connected to a source of refrigeration for refrigerating a plurality of food items on a plurality of meal trays positioned in the enclosure has a plurality of thin, generally horizontal fixedly mounted heater shelf members extending into the enclosed space from one side wall thereof. The heater shelf members are adapted to be moved relative to and under hot food containers positioned on the trays to heat same. The enclosure also has pairs of tray guides on its opposing side walls. The meal trays have integral transverse abutment means which extend over a portion of the tray surface at a location above the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1981
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Schulz, Ralph R. Pecoraro, Gerard T. Hogan