Patents Represented by Attorney Fred Jacob
  • Patent number: 4982169
    Abstract: The invention relates to a monolithically integrated RC oscillator in which the frequency is of reduced dependency upon process variations, supply voltage variations or temperature. The circuit employs two RC circuits, typically not integrated, each capacitor of which is alternately charged via a transistor switch to the supply potential. The discharge of each capacitor takes place through the shunting resistance to a potential set by the switching voltages of two buffer amplifiers in the forward gain path of the oscillator. If the switching voltages are set midway between the supply voltages, and identical buffer amplifiers are employed, the temperature, voltage and other process variables tend to produce compensatory changes in frequency. The circuit is also optimized to minimize transient delays and thereby further decrease the dependence of oscillator frequency upon voltage, temperature, or process variations affecting the integrated active circuitry. The circuit is carried out in the (CMOS) process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Theodore J. Wyman
  • Patent number: 4982173
    Abstract: A rotatable trip test assembly unit for molded case circuit breakers consists of a unitary plastic part that cooperates with the internal structure of the circuit breaker cover to provide return spring bias to the trip test button. The trip test assembly unit rotates about a pivot and strikes the circuit breaker trip bar to thereby articulate the circuit breaker operating mechanism and separate the circuit breaker contacts. The interaction between a cam-follower on the assembly unit and a cam-shaped piece within the circuit breaker cover automatically returns the trip test button to its initial position upon release.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David J. Meiners, Roger N. Castonguay, David Arnold
  • Patent number: 4980809
    Abstract: This luminaire comprises a reflector for receiving a lamp, an opening in the reflector through which light from the lamp is reflected, and a closure removably secured over the opening. Within the luminaire is an energizing circuit for the lamp, and connected within this circuit is a pair of disconnect contacts that are separable to preclude energization of the lamp via the energizing circuit. Actuating means for the disconnect contacts is operable to effect separation of the contacts in response to removal of the closure from its normal position covering the opening. This actuating means includes a plunger of electrical insulating material disposed between the light-transmitting material of the closure and one of said disconnect contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Samuel L. Baldwin, Mitchell M. Osteen
  • Patent number: 4978816
    Abstract: A handle interlock arrangement is attached to the top surface of a manually operable circuit breaker operating handle to prevent the handle from being locked in its "OFF" position when the circuit breaker contacts are actually in their closed condition. A handle cover is hingeably attached to the circuit breaker cover and includes a pair of apertures arranged through the opposite sidewalls of the cover. The location of the apertures relative to the circuit breaker operating handle prevents the insertion of a padlock through the apertures when the circuit breaker operating handle is in its "ON" position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Roger N. Castonguay, Robert A. Morris
  • Patent number: 4977935
    Abstract: An interlock system acts in conjunction with an arrangement in which selected ones of first and second pluralities of equipment for conveying chemicals are interconnected in accordance with a chosen operation of a process or apparatus. A separate information carrier corresponds to each piece of equipment of the first plurality and a control unit corresponds to each piece of the second plurality. The interlock system establishes an appropriate set of operating parameters for the chosen operation when the information carrier which corresponds to the interconnected first piece of equipment engages the control unit corresponding to the interconnected second piece of equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William D. Durkee, Jr., Philip J. Muller
  • Patent number: 4974920
    Abstract: The invention relates to holography and more particularly to an electronic holographic apparatus whose electrical output represents the magnitude and phase of coherent light reflected from a three-dimensional object and distributed over the aperture of the apparatus. The apparatus provides a coherent beam which illuminates the object to create a speckle pattern in an aperture bounding an optical sensing arrangement. A reference beam derived from the same source as the illuminating beam illuminates the sensing aperture directly and creates fringes in the speckle pattern. The optical sensing arrangement consists of a charge injection device (CID) camera with plural optical detectors arranged in relation to the speckle pattern to sense the magnitude and spatial phase of each speckle (on the average).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joseph Chovan, William A. Penn, Jerome J. Tiemann, William E. Engeler
  • Patent number: 4975667
    Abstract: An electric circuit breaker enclosure includes a pultruded glass-filled plastic inset for added strength to the line and load terminal straps. The line and load terminal straps are fastened to the inset on the side and receive the corresponding line and load terminal cables on an opposite side thereof. The inset allows connection within a high-rated electrical power distribution circuit without damage to the circuit breaker case upon short circuit interruption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Roger J. Morgan, Thomas F. Papallo, Jr., Irenaeus S. Panus, Ronald G. Pekrul
  • Patent number: 4975624
    Abstract: A spark gap device is disclosed that is particularly suited for a rapid restrike or starting circuit which is employed in sport stadium lighting applications to start or restrike metal halide lamps that have been subjected to a momentary loss of power. The spark gap device comprises two electrodes that are arranged in a parallel side-by-side relationship and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined amount. The spark gap device operates that when a high voltage potential is applied across the electrodes, the generated and reoccuring spark is distributed along the parallel arranged electrodes. The parallel arrangement of electrodes provides for improved life and cooler electrode temperatures as compared to prior art spark gap devices in which the generated and reoccuring spark jumps between the end regions of separated electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Trasimond A. Soileau, Lawrence W. Speaker
  • Patent number: 4970481
    Abstract: A compact circuit breaker utilizing an electronic trip unit for overcurrent determination contains a compact slot motor and a compact arc chute to minimize and control the arc that occurs when the circuit breaker fixed and movable contacts become separated upon intense overcurrent conditions. The fixed contact is arranged on a fixed contact arm that includes an arc runner for rapidly directing the arc into the arc chute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Arnold, Yuet-Ying Yu
  • Patent number: 4970482
    Abstract: A compact circuit breaker utilizing an electronic trip unit for overcurrent determination contains a compact slot motor and a compact arc chute to minimize and control the arc that occurs when the circuit breaker fixed and movable contacts become separated upon intense overcurrent conditions. The fixed contact is arranged on a fixed contact arm that includes an arc runner for rapidly directing the arc into the arc chute. The arc chute includes a keying arrangement which cooperates with slots formed within the circuit breaker case interior sidewalls to orient the arc plates relative to the arc runner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Linda Y. Jacobs, Karen B. Kowalczyk, Joseph M. Palmieri
  • Patent number: 4968916
    Abstract: A xenon metal halide lamp having an improved electrode structure that is particularly suited for automotive applications is disclosed. The electrode is comprises of a tip portion that is located at one end of a shank with the shank having a filament coiled therearound. The tip and shank portions are designed to allow for high initial current during starting and low current during operation. The coil filament is situated in opposite neck portions of an envelope forming the light source so as to; (1) cause the electrodes to be axially aligned within the light source; (2) keep the shank of the electrode from intimate contact with the envelope thereby preventing the condensation of the mercury and allowing for substantial vaporization of the metal halide ingredients at the neck portion; and (3) prevent the thermal expansion of the electrode from cracking the envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John M. Davenport, Rocco T. Giordano, Richard L. Hansler, Robert H. Springer
  • Patent number: 4967304
    Abstract: A digital circuit interrupter includes a microprocessor programmed for tailored overcurrent protection to industrial power systems containing a plurality of electric motors as well as motor protective relays. A communication link permits the overcurrent set points to be selectively set within the microprocessor memory from a remote location. The tailored overcurrent motor trip parameters are then derived by means of a logarithmic interpolation algorithm which resides in the microprocessor memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: John J. Dougherty
  • Patent number: 4965418
    Abstract: A molded case circuit breaker enclosure cooperates with the current-limiting line strap to prevent the egress of ionized gases. The gases are generated by a high temperature arc which occurs when the contacts are separated under short circuit conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Arnold, Karen B. Kowalczyk
  • Patent number: 4965544
    Abstract: A combination panelboard-switchboard housing accepts plug-on connection with a plurality of modular electric switch-circuit breaker enclosures. The modular enclosure accepts circuit breakers or electric switches which can be field-installed with minor alteration to the enclosure. The modular switch enclosure further accepts a wide range of ampere ratings within a standard enclosure size. A mechanical latch arrangement on the bottom of the modular enclosure prevents the modular enclosure from being removed from the panelboard-switchboard housing. Controlled temperatures are achieved within the housing by optimized circulating air flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joseph B. Kelaita, Jr., David Arnold, James I. Smith
  • Patent number: 4963849
    Abstract: A compact circuit breaker utilizing an electronic trip unit for overcurrent determination contains a compact slot motor and a compact arc chute to minimize and control the arc that occurs when the circuit breaker contacts become separated upon intense overcurrent conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 16, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Karen B. Kowalczyk, David Arnold, Roger N. Castonguay, Yuet-Ying Yu
  • Patent number: 4963414
    Abstract: The heat sinking substrate herein disclosed is comprised of a core consisting of a rigid graphitic solid in which hexagonal graphite crystallites are bond together by coal tar pitch, the core being enclosed by two metallic face sheets having a coefficient of thermal expansion suited to the electronic packages it supports. The substrate is designed to be installed into a module with a printed wiring board on either side, the module being installed in parallel with other like modules into a chassis. The heat generated by the electronics is input over the face of the substrate and withdrawn by cooling in the walls of the chassis with which the substrates are in good thermal contact. The grain of the core is aligned for maximum thermal conduction along the path to the chassis walls. The substrate is of low weight, has a CTE matched to the supported electronic packages, high thermal conductance, and uses low cost materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 16, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert D. LeVasseur, Stephen A. McKeown
  • Patent number: 4961020
    Abstract: An improved high pressure sodium vapor lamp construction is provided for operation on sonic frequency pulses without excessive acoustic noise. The novel jacketed lamp construction employs non-magnetostrictive metal for the frame employed to suspend a ceramic arc tube within the outer jacket in combination with a particular orientation or placement for ring getter elements located within said outer envelope. Various lamp constructions embodying such improvement are disclosed to enable relatively noise free lamp operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 2, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jack M. Strok
  • Patent number: 4959762
    Abstract: Containment means for a luminaire that captures hot particles created by the unlikely event of a pressurized lamp rupture is disclosed. In one embodiment, the containment means comprises a mesh interposed between the lamp and a refractor of the luminaire typically formed of an acrylic material. The mesh captures hot particles having a sufficient heat capacity and temperature to create excess heat damage to the refractor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 25, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Trasimond A. Soileau
  • Patent number: D310822
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 25, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Robert J. Danek
  • Patent number: D313395
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald J. Orchard, Dale E. Simonson, Donald H. Stoll