Patents Represented by Attorney Emrich & Dithmar LLC
  • Patent number: 6911134
    Abstract: A method of electrochemically reducing a metal oxide to the metal in an electrochemical cell is disclosed along with the cell. Each of the anode and cathode operate at their respective maximum reaction rates. An electrolyte and an anode at which oxygen can be evolved, and a cathode including a metal oxide to be reduced are included as is a third electrode with independent power supplies connecting the anode and the third electrode and the cathode and the third electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: The University of Chicago
    Inventors: Dennis W. Dees, John P. Ackerman
  • Patent number: 6909617
    Abstract: A zero-voltage-switched, full-bridge, phase-shifted DC-DC converter for use in a DC power supply or battery charger includes a power transformer, four switching transistors connected to form a full bridge, and a decoupling capacitor and resonant inductor connected in series to the primary winding of the power transformer. At high loads, i.e., high output voltages, the resonant inductor charges the stray and internal capacitance of the switching transistors. Under light loads or in a no-load condition, with the current through the resonant inductor insufficient to allow the inductor to recharge these capacitances, the combination of a second inductor connected at one end to the central tap of the power transformer's primary winding and at its second opposed end to the middle point of a capacitive voltage divider, permits the second inductor to store enough energy to effectively recharge the stray and internal capacitance of the switching transistors for improved operating efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: La Marche Manufacturing Co.
    Inventor: Gregory Mirskiy
  • Patent number: 6902010
    Abstract: A foldable implement frame and hitch having a front end for attachment to a draft vehicle having dedicated transport wheels movable between a stored position wherein the transport wheels are out of contact with the ground and a transport position wherein the dedicated transport wheels engage the ground and support the implement frame. The dedicated transport wheels are longitudinally movable along one of the telescoping main frame members toward and away from the draft vehicle to change the center of gravity of said foldable implement frame. Additional pivots in the wings provide greater contouring following capabilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Inventor: Kenneth E. Shoup
  • Patent number: 6894006
    Abstract: A method for reducing the concentration of non-superconducting phases during the heat treatment of Pb doped Ag/Bi-2223 composites having Bi-2223 and Bi-2212 superconducting phases is disclosed. A Pb doped Ag/Bi-2223 composite having Bi-2223 and Bi-2212 superconducting phases is heated in an atmosphere having an oxygen partial pressure not less than about 0.04 atmospheres and the temperature is maintained at the lower of a non-superconducting phase take-off temperature and the Bi-2223 superconducting phase grain growth take-off temperature. The oxygen partial pressure is varied and the temperature is varied between about 815° C. and about 835° C. to produce not less than 80 percent conversion to Pb doped Bi-2223 superconducting phase and not greater than about 20 volume percent non-superconducting phases. The oxygen partial pressure is preferably varied between about 0.04 and about 0.21 atmospheres. A product by the method is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignees: University of Chicago, American Superconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Victor A. Maroni, Nazarali N. Merchant, Ronald D. Parrella
  • Patent number: 6883299
    Abstract: A sensor for detecting the height above the soil of harvesting machinery such as a combine header includes an elongated, curved, flexible arm attached at one end to a rotation sensor mounted to the harvester. The sensor arm is concave in an upward direction and includes and outer sheath such as of plastic and an inner metal rod for increased strength to resist breakage such as during turns and when traversing irregular terrain. The arm is positioned forward of, or immediately adjacent to, the lowest part of the harvester which includes a cutter assembly for cutting and separating the crop. As the harvester encounters upraised portions of the soil, the arm's point of contact with the soil moves forward along the arm to provide an increasingly early warning of upraised soil to facilitate early height adjustment and the avoidance of soil contact and possible damage to the harvester.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Inventor: Richard Gramm
  • Patent number: 6871443
    Abstract: A flying inspect trap includes large, multi-directional, oppositely facing ingress openings to elongated chambers housing UV lamps emitting insect attractant light. A disposable cartridge has two sections which mate together to form a container for a roll of adhesive trapping medium. The cartridge sections are opened and spread apart to fit beneath the UV lamps. A motor indexes the adhesive medium so that some unused portion is always available for trapping insects until the roll is exhausted. The spent roll is then rolled into one cartridge section externally; and the two cartridge sections are coupled together to encase the spent roll for disposal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Paraclipse, Inc.
    Inventors: C. Ronald Lambert, Kevin D. Sinclair, Larry R. Taylor
  • Patent number: 6862778
    Abstract: A self-supporting hinge assembly structurally arranged to provide a hinge on the opposite edges of a door or closure member is disclosed. The hinge assembly includes a pair of support members, one support member being mounted to the container frame and the other support member being mounted to the inside surface of the container door or closure and a pair of closing arm members positioned within the pair of support members. The ends of the closing arm members are selectively and pivotally mounted to the ends of the support members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Inventor: Amilcar Félix Sosa
  • Patent number: 6861038
    Abstract: A method of continuously producing a non-oxide ceramic formed of a metal constituent and a non-metal constituent. A salt of the metal constituent and a compound of the non-metal constituent and a compound of the non-metal constituent are introduced into a liquid alkali metal or a liquid alkaline earth metal or mixtures to react the constituents substantially submerged in the liquid metal to form ceramic particles. The liquid metal is present in excess of the stoichiometric amount necessary to convert the constituents into ceramic particles to absorb the heat of reaction to maintain the temperature of the ceramic particles below the sintering temperature. Ceramic particles made by the method are part of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: International Titanium Powder, LLC.
    Inventors: Donn Reynolds Armstrong, Stanley S. Borys, Richard Paul Anderson
  • Patent number: 6855460
    Abstract: A negative electrode is disclosed for a non-aqueous electrochemical cell. The electrode has an intermetallic compound as its basic structural unit with the formula M2M? in which M and M? are selected from two or more metal elements including Si, and the M2M? structure is a Cu2Sb-type structure. Preferably M is Cu, Mn and/or Li, and M? is Sb. Also disclosed is a non-aqueous electrochemical cell having a negative electrode of the type described, an electrolyte and a positive electrode. A plurality of cells may be arranged to form a battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: The University of Chicago
    Inventors: John T. Vaughey, Linda M. L. Fransson, Michael M. Thackeray
  • Patent number: 6853316
    Abstract: An industrial Ethernet switching hub includes a casing in which a plurality of industrial Ethernet connector assemblies are mounted. Each Connector assembly includes a rigid connector receptacle sealed to the casing and receiving an Ethernet connector. The casing of each connector assembly has an externally threaded extension for receiving a mating Ethernet connector. A quick disconnect power connector is also mounted to the casing and a switch IC controller is embedded in the casing for data signal routing among the Ethernet connectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Woodhead Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian D. Payson, Mark E. Fillion, Robert Neagle, Brad Woodman
  • Patent number: 6843186
    Abstract: An agricultural implement with an elongated bar having a front side nearer in use to a drive vehicle and a rear side. A first plurality of row units are laterally spaced apart along the bar and extend rearwardly thereof connected through parallel linkage to the front side of the elongated bar. A second plurality of row units are laterally spaced apart along the bar and extend rearwardly thereof interleaved with the first plurality of row units and connected through parallel linkage to the rear side of the bar. Parallel linkage for both the first and second plurality of row units is directly mounted to and extends rearwardly of and below the bar to position all row units to the rear of the bar, allowing both field crops or row crops to be planted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Inventor: Kenneth E. Shoup
  • Patent number: 6842940
    Abstract: A floor scrubber includes a forward cylindrical brush with adjustable down pressure. The cylindrical brush is sprayed uniformly with a controlled amount of water or solution and moves debris forward with a direct propelling action into a collection hopper. A set of three disc brushes is located behind the cylindrical brush, followed by a suction liquid recovery device for suctioning spent solution. A control system allows independent use of the forward cylindrical brush, or the rear disc brush set, or all brushes. A floor-engaging flap having a central opening extends transverse of the machine behind the cylindrical brush to channel water from the cylindrical brush to the disc brush set and then to the suction recovery device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Minuteman International, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald M. Christopher, Timothy A. Strickland
  • Patent number: 6837522
    Abstract: A manually operated tool engages and draws towards one another opposed spaced flanges of a repair clamp disposed about a leaking pipe for securely maintaining the clamp in position on the pipe over the leak allowing plural nut and bolt combinations on the clamp to be tightened in sealing off the leak. A movable handle has attached thereto first and second pivoting arms adapted for respectively engaging a slot within the clamp's first edge flange and the outer edge of the clamp's second opposed edge flange when the handle is in a first non-use position. Moving the handle to a second use position urges the clamp's edge flanges toward one another drawing the clamp securely about the pipe, while still allowing the clamp to be moved along the pipe over the leak and plural nut and bolt combinations to be securely tightened in sealing off the leak.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Cascade Waterworks Manufacturing Co.
    Inventor: Jerry E. Elliott
  • Patent number: 6820643
    Abstract: A pressure regulator assembly includes an inlet portion having a passageway through which liquid passes through the assembly. The assembly includes a plunger movable within the housing to selectively engage the inlet portion or the housing to control the path of liquid through the assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Inventor: Daniel Héctor Giordano
  • Patent number: 6817733
    Abstract: A light for an industrial stringlight includes a cap having wire channels receiving insulated conductors. Non-interchangeable contact elements are placed in a screw-shell adapted to hold a lamp, and the cap and screw-shell are forced together. The cap is secured to the screw-shell, and insulation-piercing points on the contact elements establish electrical continuity with their associated conductors. The assembly is then overmolded for protection and sealing. A lamp guard is assembled to the overmold and has a bottom section hinged about a horizontal axis to permit replacing the lamp from beneath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Woodhead Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Rob A. Frei, Scott A. Hagen, Michael P. Mackin, Sheena Kantharia, Yih-Chyuan Chiou, Servando Cedillo
  • Patent number: 6797140
    Abstract: An electrodeionization method for continuously producing and or separating and/or concentrating ionizable organics present in dilute concentrations in an ionic solution while controlling the pH to within one to one-half pH unit method for continuously producing and or separating and/or concentrating ionizable organics present in dilute concentrations in an ionic solution while controlling the pH to within one to one-half pH unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: The University of Chicago
    Inventors: YuPo J. Lin, Jamie Hestekin, Michelle Arora, Edward J. St. Martin
  • Patent number: 6793849
    Abstract: An electrically conducting n-type ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) having no less than 1019 atoms/cm3 of nitrogen is disclosed. A method of making the n-doped UNCD. A method for predictably controlling the conductivity is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: The University of Chicago
    Inventors: Dieter M. Gruen, Alan R. Krauss, Orlando H. Auciello, John A. Carlisle
  • Patent number: 6790252
    Abstract: A process of making an article of a tungsten-carbide-cobalt alloy with or without an additive of one or more of tantalum, cobalt-nickel, nickel-tantalum, tantalum-carbide, titanium-carbide, niobium-carbide, chromium-carbide, titanium-nitride and diamond dust. The method includes forming a homogeneous mixture of polygonal-shaped powder tungsten-carbide-cobalt and a polygonal-shaped powder additive and a binder including wax and a high molecular weight polyolefin polymer and injecting the mixture under heat and pressure into a metal injection mold to form a green preform of the article. The green preform is immersed in a linear hydrocarbon or a halogenated hydrocarbon or mixtures to dissolve and remove the wax and convert the green preform into a brown preform which is sintered to remove the remainder of the binder and to densify the brown preform into an article having a density not less than 98%. Various tungsten-carbide articles are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Hard Metals Partnership
    Inventors: David J. Smith, Thomas B. Shappie, Robert A. Sanford, Richard J. Liesz
  • Patent number: D505612
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Woodhead Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Maurice C. Evans, Michael J. Peterson
  • Patent number: D506002
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Vaxcel International Trading Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Chia Yao Chen