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.
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.
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
Abstract: MEMS structure and a method of fabricating them from ultrananocrystalline diamond films having average grain sizes of less than about 10 nm and feature resolution of less than about one micron . The MEMS structures are made by contacting carbon dimer species with an oxide substrate forming a carbide layer on the surface onto which ultrananocrystalline diamond having average grain sizes of less than about 10 nm is deposited. Thereafter, microfabrication process are used to form a structure of predetermined shape having a feature resolution of less than about one micron.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 8, 2002
Date of Patent:
November 2, 2004
Assignee:
The University of Chicago
Inventors:
Dieter M. Gruen, Hans-Gerd Busmann, Eva-Maria Meyer, Orlando Auciello, Alan R. Krauss
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
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
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
Abstract: A rasp blade includes a mounting aperture having at least two aperture segments which are laterally spaced and communicate with each other. Each aperture segment may independently secure the blade on a mounting pin. Alternate blades are mounted using different aperture segments to fix adjacent blades in laterally offset positions, thereby staggering the teeth in adjacent blades.
Abstract: A novel NMR principal detector element of the present invention comprises a NMR-active inductor in a radio frequency (RF) resonance circuit, and mitigates the distortions in a static magnetic field caused by the introduction of a toroid cavity NMR detector. The RF resonance circuit includes a novel principal detector element, capacitor elements, and a sample chamber (the cavity). The novel principal detector element defines the NMR active portion of the inductance of the electronic resonance circuit. In one embodiment of the invention, the novel principal detector element includes two hemispheres connected by a central rod. The central rod can be of any length and diameter, and the hemispheres can be of any diameter. A typical embodiment of the invention would include a rod that is 2 cm long having a diameter of 1 mm, and hemispheres having a diameter of 5 mm.
Abstract: Apparatus comprising a frame carried by an elongated and laterally extending bar and having mounted thereon a first pair of rotatable trash wheels and a second pair of rotatable trash wheels longitudinally spaced behind the first pair of rotatable trash wheels and forward of a furrow opener. The first pair of rotatable trash wheels is angularly disposed toward each other forming a first angle therebetween and staggered such that one rotatable trash wheel contacts soil forward of the other rotatable trash wheel. The second pair of rotatable trash wheels is angularly disposed toward each other forming a second angle therebetween greater than the first angle. The apparatus cuts and clears trash from minimally and untilled soil.
Abstract: An improved rotary pressure cutting apparatus that cuts, perforates, and scores plies of paper, window materials, label stock, and plastic laminates in conjunction with soft, discontinuous, and/or non-cylindrical anvil surfaces. A light weight, low mass anvil in the form of a metallic sheet is supported in a strike position beneath a rotating blade. The anvil is biased by springs or elastomeric members toward the strike position and moves with the material being cut and the moving cutting blade during a cut. The anvil is returned to the strike position by the biasing member upon completion of the cut.
Abstract: A multi-layer antistatic/antireflective coating having high electrical conductivity (103 ohms) and low reflectivity (0.7%) is applied to the outer surface of a video display screen by sputtering. The multi-layer coating includes an inner antistatic layer deposited directly on the video display screen and comprised of ITO, TiO2, etc., having a light refractive index in the range of 1.8-2.2 and a thickness in the range of 18-35 nm. The outer antireflective layer is comprised of SiO2, MgO, etc., having a light refractive index in the range of 1.3-1.47 and a thickness in the range of 110-140 nm. The multi-layer coating is applied using a sputtering apparatus having a dual vacuum chamber, a diffusion pump connected to one of the chambers, and plural vacuum pumps connected to the diffusion pump and to the dual vacuum chamber with various gauges and valves for monitoring and controlling the sputtering operation.
Abstract: A superconducting fault current controller/current controller employs a superconducting-shielded core reactor (SSCR) with a variable impedance in a secondary circuit to control current in a primary circuit such as an electrical distribution system. In a second embodiment, a variable current source is employed in a secondary circuit of an SSCR to control current in the primary circuit. In a third embodiment, both a variable impedance in one secondary circuit and a variable current source in a second circuit of an SSCR are employed for separate and independent control of current in the primary circuit.
Abstract: In general, increased video image contrast is achieved by reducing light transmission through an antistatic/antireflective (ASAR) coating disposed on the surface of the display screen of a cathode ray tube (CRT) by adding an organic dye to the coating. A silane coupling agent is added to the coating to prevent diffusion of the dye out of the coating which gives rise to undesirable water marks on the display screen. However, the silane coupling agent at the required concentrations weakens the mechanical strength of the coating, reduces its electrical conductivity, and changes its light reflective index. To avoid this, two or more different silane coupling agents are added to the ASAR coating with the plural silane coupling agents having an additive, or combining, effect which allows for the use of reduced amounts of the coupling agents and avoids the aforementioned problems. One agent is hydrophobic, while the other bonds to the organic dye.
Abstract: A meter for use in a radio frequency remote metering system comprises an antenna; a transmitter for transmitting meter signals via the antenna; a receiver connected to the antenna for receiving and filtering an incoming radio frequency signal; and a carrier signal detect circuit which is connected to receive the filtered radio frequency signal and which is operable to detect the presence or absence of a carrier signal, and to prevent activation of the transmitter in response to the presence of the carrier signal, to activate the transmitter in response to the absence of the said carrier signal.
Abstract: A method of operating an electrochemical cell is disclosed. The cell has an intermetallic negative electrode of Cu6-xMxSn5, wherein x is ≦3 and M is one or more metals including Si and a positive electrode containing Li in which Li is shuttled between the positive electrode and the negative electrode during charge and discharge to form a lithiated intermetallic negative electrode during charge. The voltage of the electrochemical cell is controlled during the charge portion of the charge-discharge cycles so that the potential of the lithiated intermetallic negative electrode in the fully charged electrochemical cell is less than 0.2 V but greater than 0 V versus metallic lithium.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 8, 2001
Date of Patent:
May 4, 2004
Assignee:
The University of Chicago
Inventors:
Michael M. Thackeray, John T. Vaughey, Christopher S. Johnson, Linda M. L. Fransson, Ester Kristina Edstrom, Gary Henriksen
Abstract: A device and method for separating water into hydrogen and oxygen is disclosed. A first substantially gas impervious solid electron-conducting membrane for selectively passing hydrogen is provided and spaced from a second substantially gas impervious solid electron-conducting membrane for selectively passing oxygen. When steam is passed between the two membranes at disassociation temperatures the hydrogen from the disassociation of steam selectively and continuously passes through the first membrane and oxygen selectively and continuously passes through the second membrane, thereby continuously driving the disassociation of steam producing hydrogen and oxygen.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 17, 2002
Date of Patent:
April 27, 2004
Assignee:
The University of Chicago
Inventors:
Tae H. Lee, Shuangyan Wang, Stephen E. Dorris, Uthamalingam Balachandran