Patents Represented by Law Firm Fowler, Lambert & Hackler
  • Patent number: 4561136
    Abstract: An adjustable shower head assembly is provided which includes a minimum of parts for enabling the adjustment of a shower head to accommodate persons of varying stature. A housing including a front panel, having a slot therein, is provided along which a conventional-type shower head is adjustably mounted therealong, the position of the shower head being maintained at any preselected position along the slot by a flexible hose which is contained within the housing by interior surfaces of the housing sides. The interior surfaces, in effect, provide abutment and a guide means for restricting the shape and position of the hose within the housing. In addition, the force of water through the hose during operation of the shower head exerts sufficient pressure against the housing sides to stabilize the shower head along the slot, despite the forces generated against the shower head by exiting water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1985
    Inventor: Martin D. Baer
  • Patent number: 4558277
    Abstract: For the purpose of limiting NMR spectroscopy to a selected area of a body the said area is prepared by applying first a homogeneous magnetic field passing through the entire body and superimposing thereafter upon the said magnetic field a first magnetic field of identical orientation whose strength varies in a first sense (first field gradient), exciting thereafter all the selected nuclear spins present within the body and in addition, selectively, only the nuclear spins present in a first body plane containing the volume element and extending vertically to the said first field gradient so that the selected nuclear spins contained in this body plane are returned to the direction of the homogeneous magnetic field while the nuclear spins outside this plane receive an orientation differing from the sense of the homogeneous magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1985
    Assignee: Bruker Medizintechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Hans Post, Dieter Ratzel, Peter Brunner
  • Patent number: 4535290
    Abstract: In NMR tomography, the nuclear spins of a selected type present in a selected area of a body are selectively excited by applying first a selection gradient field and exciting thereafter the nuclear spins by a HF signal which initially effects a rotation of the nuclear spins situated in a selected plane by an angle .alpha. of less than 90.degree., then a rotation of all selected nuclear spins by 90.degree. and finally again a rotation of the nuclear spins contained in the selected plane by an angle of 90.degree.-.alpha.. As a result thereof, the nuclear spins contained in the selected area have resumed at the end of this excitation their original orientation determined by a homogeneous magnetic field, while nuclear spins located outside this area lie within a plane extending almost vertically thereto. Thereafter, a measuring gradient field may be switched on without disturbing the orientation of the nuclear spins contained in the selected area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1985
    Assignee: Bruker Medizintechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Hans Post, Dieter Ratzel
  • Patent number: 4533182
    Abstract: A method for collecting oil from a plurality of spaced-apart oil-bearing subterranean formations includes the steps of drilling a shaft from the earth's surface to a depth sufficient to intersect a plurality of spaced-apart oil-bearing formations, excavating a working area at selected oil-bearing subterranean formations and thereafter drilling a plurality of generally horizontal boreholes from each of the working areas into the selected oil-bearing subterranean formations. Thereafter, oil collection troughs are excavated within each of the working areas to collect oil from the boreholes and conduct the collected oil into a sump from which the oil is raised to the earth's surface utilizing a single lift. During collection and raising of the oil from each of the spaced-apart oil-bearing subterranean formations, the shaft and working areas are sealed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1985
    Assignee: Methane Drainage Ventures
    Inventor: Walter L. Richards
  • Patent number: 4528169
    Abstract: A process for removing hydrogen sulfide from geothermal steam and from vent streams, or concentrated portions produced by a hydrogen sulfide separation process, includes the steps of introducing an oxygen-containing gas, such as air into the steam, or vent stream, and thereafter contacting the steam and oxygen-containing gas in a contacting stage with iron oxide supported by a carrier resistant to deterioration. The steam having a temperature of at least 250.degree. F. is mixed with oxygen to provide a molar ratio of oxygen-to-hydrogen sulfide ratio of less than about 10. During the contacting stage the pressure of the steam and oxygen-containing gas is maintained at a pressure sufficient to enable removal of a majority of the hydrogen sulfide from the steam and oxygen-containing gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1983
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1985
    Assignee: Occidental Research Corporation
    Inventors: Phillip N. La Mori, Chien-Cheng J. Shih
  • Patent number: 4524962
    Abstract: Prefold, web scoring apparatus for signature folding machines or the like comprises mating first and second web scoring rollers, each scoring roller having alternating scoring blade and resilient roller portions. The scoring rollers are mounted, preferably on existing, rotatably driven nip roll shafts, upstream of a first web folding stage in which the web is cut into sheets and the sheets are transversely folded, the folded sheets being fed therefrom to a second web folding stage for folding at right angles to the first stage fold. Arc lengths of each of the scoring roller blade and resilient roller portions is equal in length to the second stage fold line. The scoring rollers, between which the web is advanced, are positioned and oriented on their mounting shafts so as to score the web in alternating directions corresponding to the direction of folding of each paper layer in the second folding stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1985
    Assignee: Penn Lithographics, Inc.
    Inventors: Harold D. Davenport, Anthony J. DeVito
  • Patent number: 4524673
    Abstract: A linkless ammunition magazine for small arms weapons utilizes energy taken from a reciprocating bolt to power the feeding of ammunition rounds into the weapon. No modification of existing small arms weapons is required to utilize the magazine. A spring provides an energy buffer for the power input from the reciprocating bolt and is sized to store only a small amount of energy so that it operates at a low stress level. Since the spring is not required to store sufficient energy to move all of the ammunition rounds into the weapon, a larger number of ammunition rounds may be stored in the magazine, and/or, the magazine may operate at higher rates of fire than otherwise possible with totally spring driven ammunition magazines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1985
    Assignee: Western Design Corporation
    Inventor: Michael D. Golden
  • Patent number: 4524976
    Abstract: A remotely resettable target assembly includes an enclosure having a window therein and a number of individual targets pivotally-mounted within the enclosure for rotation from a set position to an unset position upon being struck by an incoming projectile. A master target is provided and coupled to a bar, including a plurality of permanent magnets for attracting the individual targets and holding them in an unset position. Upon striking of the master target, rotation of the bar including the pertinent magnets contained therein, causes separation of the permanent magnets from the individual targets, causing the individual targets to be reset by the force of gravity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1983
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1985
    Assignee: Air Cabin Engineering
    Inventors: Fred H. Seitz, Max J. Jaschke
  • Patent number: 4522728
    Abstract: A method is provided for combining a high pH steam condensate with a flow of an acidic geothermal brine from which the steam is extracted so as to inhibit the formation of suspended particulate matter by the chemical combining of impurities in the condensate and brine. The method includes acidifying the steam condensate, preferably by hydrochloric acid, to reduce the pH to between about 7 and about 5.5 and then permitting the acidified condensate to outgas such volatiles as hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide before combining the condensate with the brine, formation of such insolubles as heavy metal sulfides and calcium carbonate being thereby inhibited. In a silica crystallizer stage in which flashed brine is contacted with a silica seed material to cause silica removal from the brine, the treated condensate is combined with the brine in a low pressure crystallizer upstream of brine clarification and reinjection stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1983
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1985
    Assignees: Union Oil Company of California, Mono Power Company, Southern Pacific Land Company
    Inventors: Darrell L. Gallup, John L. Featherstone
  • Patent number: 4510694
    Abstract: Motor vehicle wheel alignment measuring apparatus, which enables measurement of toe-in, lateral offset and out of square conditions with respect to any given set of tires, comprises pairs of frames adapted to be hung by hooks against the side walls of the exposed tires of a set of tires. A combination of spring and elastic members are provided for engaging the frames with tire sidewalls. Methods include measuring the toe-in of a set of tires, the alignment of all the tires, and vehicle bearing wear, all while the tires are supporting the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1985
    Assignee: Macaster Controls, Inc.
    Inventor: William A. Boyce
  • Patent number: 4506588
    Abstract: An ammunition handling system includes a plurality of generally flat ammunition holding strips, each having clips thereon for holding a plurality of ammunition rounds and coupling apparatus disposed on each end thereof for releasably coupling the ammunition holding strips to one another for feeding the ammunition holding strips and the ammunition disposed thereon into an ammunition stripper and loader assembly. The ammunition stripper and loader assembly includes a chute for supporting at least one ammunition holding strip and apparatus for separating the ammunition rounds from the holding strips and feeding the separated ammunition rounds into an ammunition transfer unit of an automatic weapon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1985
    Assignee: Western Design Corp.
    Inventor: Robert P. Kazanjy
  • Patent number: 4502953
    Abstract: Water purifying apparatus comprises a purified water storage vessel and a filter, preferably a reverse osmosis filter, for purifying water. An inlet side of the filter is adapted for connecting to a pressurized source of water to be treated and an outlet side of the filter is connected to an inlet of the storage vessel. A purified discharge line is also connected to the vessel inlet. The vessel is configured for being pressurized by a gas, such as air, in a manner that the pressurizing gas is in direct contact with purified water in the tank. A gas check valve is installed at the vessel combination inlet and outlet, the check valve comprising a spherical valve which floats in water and a valve seat against which the valve seals when most of the water has been withdrawn from the vessel, so as to prevent escape of pressurizing gas from the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1985
    Assignee: Plasworld, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Marsh, Michael H. Colburn
  • Patent number: 4484643
    Abstract: A gas-liquid-solids separation system for use with a drilling device includes a surge tank for holding drilling efflux comprising gas, liquid and solids, and adapted for mounting on a drilling device in a position for having a drill shaft extending therethrough. A stuffing box attached to a back side of the surge tank means and configured for enabling passage of the drill shaft therethrough prevents the drilling efflux from escaping the surge tank. A flange attached to the front side of the surge tank and aligned with the stuffing box for allowing passage of the drill shaft therethrough provides a seal between the surge tank and a borehole casing to enable the drilling efflux to flow into the surge tank means. An agitator disposed within the surge tank maintains suspension of the solids within the liquid, and a gas cyclone in fluid communication with the surge tank withdraws gas from the surge tank and separates any entrained liquid therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1984
    Assignee: Methane Drainage Ventures
    Inventors: Anil Mahyera, Carel J. H. Brest Van Kempen, Robert M. Sweet, Amber C. Davidson
  • Patent number: 4457208
    Abstract: A drum-type ammunition magazine includes a plurality of concentric ammunition bays therein with each bay having disposed therein a plurality of fixed tiered partitions for supporting linkless ammunition and a rotatably mounted ammunition carrier for moving the linkless ammunition within the bays and between the fixed tiered partitions and toward a port communicating with each ammunition bay. The ammunition carriers may be operated independent of each other, enabling storage of a different type of ammunition in each of the ammunition bays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1982
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1984
    Assignee: Western Design Corporation
    Inventor: Michael D. Golden
  • Patent number: 4457206
    Abstract: Microwave projectile communication apparatus comprises a microwave probe fixed to a gun barrel at its muzzle end. A microwave oscillator, having a reference frequency selected for exciting the single fundamental electromagnetic mode in the barrel, is connected to the probe, for example, through a hybrid mixer configured for extracting, from moving projectile-reflected microwaves, a true Doppler signal for projectile velocity measurements. Connected between the oscillator and the probe is a signal modulator for modulating the reference oscillator signal to the probe. Connected to the signal modulator is a driver signal generator which controls the modulator in a manner enabling information, such as fuse delay time or target range, to be communicated to the projectile fuse. A conventional fire control computer may be used to provide to the modulator the data to be transmitted to the projectile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1984
    Assignee: Ares, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter P. Toulios, Kenneth D. Hartman
  • Patent number: 4452489
    Abstract: A method for collecting methane gas from subterranean formations having a plurality of spaced-apart coal seams containing methane gas includes the steps of drilling at least one shaft from the earth's surface to a depth sufficient to intersect a plurality of seams containing gas to be collected, excavating a working area at selected seams with each of the working areas communicating with the shaft, and drilling a plurality of boreholes from each of the working areas into the seams and collecting methane gas from the boreholes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1984
    Assignee: Methane Drainage Ventures
    Inventor: Walter L. Richards
  • Patent number: 4450750
    Abstract: Dual shell feeding apparatus for a dual shell supply automatic gun and the like includes a shell rotor mounted in rotational shell transferring relationship between the two supplies and a shell pick up position of the gun. The rotor is stepped in one rotational direction to feed from one shell supply and the opposite direction to feed from the other supply, shells being fed into the rotor from the supplies according to rotor rotational direction. Selecting apparatus enables prefiring selection of rotor stepping direction and hence shell supply selection for a next firing. A shell accumulator is provided for temporarily holding shells left in the rotor when a firing sequence stops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1984
    Assignee: Ares, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard R. Gillum
  • Patent number: 4433489
    Abstract: Motor vehicle wheel alignment measuring apparatus, which enables measurement of toe-in, lateral offset and out of square conditions with respect to any given set of tires, comprises pairs of frames adapted to be hung by hooks against the side walls of the exposed tires of a set of tires. Each frame includes a cross bar and a pair of upward and inward extending, short stub members. Each pair of frames includes clamps to secure the free ends of a pair of tape measures, and slots to secure the ends of a pair of elastic bands, so that the tape measures and the elastic bands may be disposed across the width of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1982
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1984
    Assignee: Macaster Controls, Inc.
    Inventor: William A. Boyce
  • Patent number: 4424735
    Abstract: A lightweight ammunition magazine capable of storing a plurality of "tiers" of ammunition within a semi-monocoque shell without the use of separation partitions between the tiers includes a top and a bottom panel separated by a plurality of partitions to form a plurality of ammunition storage and guiding channels between the top and bottom panels. An endless chain ladder is disposed within the storage and guiding channels for transporting the stored ammunition within the storage and guiding channels to a magazine exit port. The endless chain ladder is configured for holding at least two tiers of ammunition rounds between the top and bottom panels with a longitudinal axis of each ammunition round being approximately perpendicular to the top and bottom panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1984
    Assignee: Western Design Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Bacon, Michael D. Golden
  • Patent number: D275304
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1982
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1984
    Assignee: Western Design Corporation
    Inventor: Lawrence D. Bacon