Patents Represented by Attorney James R. Hoatson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4387043
    Abstract: A catalyst regeneration process and apparatus for the oxidative removal of coke from a coke-contaminated fluid catalyst. The process utilizes a high temperature coke combustion zone and a catalyst disengagement zone. A mixture of coke-contaminated catalyst, and oxygen-containing gas are contacted in the combustion zone and from there, the regenerated catalyst and flue gas mixture passes to the catalyst disengagement zone. There are one or more diplegs through which regenerated catalyst flows from the disengagement zone to the combustion zone. The diplegs are sized so as to ensure a low maximum accumulation of catalyst in the disengagement zone. The temperature at a lower locus of the combustion zone may be controlled by control of the catalyst inventory in the reactor-regenerator system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony G. Vickers, Michael J. Humbach
  • Patent number: 4386002
    Abstract: N-Arylmethylideneaminodiphenyl ethers are effective antioxidants for high pressure applications. The corresponding 4'-methoxy analogs, such as 4-benzylideneamino-4'-methoxydiphenyl ether and 2- and 4-pyridylmethylideneamino-4'-methoxydiphenyl ether, have particularly desirable properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: John T. Roberts
  • Patent number: 4386225
    Abstract: A process for the separation of at least one cresol isomer from a feed mixture containing the cresol and xylenol which process employs a crystalline aluminosilicate adsorbent to selectively adsorb the cresol from the feed mixture. The process employs a desorbent material to recover the cresol. The process may employ a simulated moving bed flow scheme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Richard W. Neuzil
  • Patent number: 4386012
    Abstract: An improved adsorbent comprising a crystalline aluminosilicate, method of manufacture of the adsorbent and improved process for separating a component from a feed mixture comprising an aqueous solution of a mixture of different components, such as a mixture of saccharides. In the process the mixture is contacted with the adsorbent, which selectively adsorbs a component from the feed mixture. The adsorbed component is then recovered by contacting the adsorbent with a desorbent material such as water to effect the desorption of the adsorbed component from the adsorbent. There is an undesirable tendency for the silicon constituent of the crystalline aluminosilicate to dissolve in the aqueous system. The improvement to the adsorbent and process comprises the coating of the adsorbent with a water permeable organic polymer which substantially reduces the undesirable dissolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventors: Santi Kulprathipanja, Richard W. Neuzil
  • Patent number: 4384701
    Abstract: Fore and aft isolator assembly for a suspended vehicle seat permits the operator to rotate a single control lever in one direction to allow the seat to be moved to any desired fore and aft position and in the opposite direction to lock the seat in that position in either a fixed manner relative to the seat base or in an "isolate" mode where it is free to travel back and forth to a limited degree against resilient elements. The assembly permits the seat to have a very low profile limited only by the clearance required for the suspension structure. It includes an intermediate frame having a series of rack teeth which is positioned between top and bottom frames attached, respectively, to the seat upper and to the suspension. The bottom frame also incorporates a toothed rack. A rotatable adjusting shaft which is rotatably mounted to the top frame slidably supports the intermediate frame and also fixedly supports a first locking pawl which can engage a selected tooth in the rack on the bottom frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Geoffrey W. Barley
  • Patent number: 4384743
    Abstract: A contact surface on a toothed segment member which controls the recline position of a seat back is abutted by one or the other of a pair of contact surfaces on a stop element to limit the recline angle of the seat back. An off-center threaded opening in the stop element is adapted to receive a bolt passed through a selected one of a plurality of adjacent openings in a bracket on the seat frame. Thus, by turning the stop element over, it is possible to provide a number of discrete stop positions equal to double the number of adjacent openings in the bracket. Cooperating curved surfaces on the bracket and stop element having their center of curvature on the axis of the seat back support shaft assist in installation and ensure that the abutting contact surfaces can fully engage each other at any angle of adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Geoffrey W. Barley
  • Patent number: 4384793
    Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for determining the approximate temperature profile of a large curved surface such as the outer surface of a chemical or hydrocarbon conversion reactor. At least two arrays of wire having a temperature dependent electrical resistance are placed over the surface to be monitored, with the arrays being aligned in different directions to cover the surface with a grid of overlapping wires. By measuring the resistance of each wire and comparing this resistance to predetermine reference values, wires which pass through regions of elevated temperature compared to the remainder of the surface may be located. By attributing the elevated temperatures to the area covered by the intersecting wires which show an increased resistance the areas of high temperature on the surface may be located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Dennis E. O'Brien
  • Patent number: 4384744
    Abstract: Recliner mechanism for a vehicle seat has a combination cam and bearing member operated by a manual control member positioned at the end of a rotatable support shaft for lifting one toothed locking segment carried by the seatback frame out of contact with another carried by the seat base, thus permitting the seatback to be tilted to any desired angle. Release of the control member in any position of adjustment permits the cooperating toothed locking segments to move together into locking engagement. A seatback return spring biases the seatback forwardly, while a torsion spring biases the control member and cam member toward their locked position. Where desired, a recliner mechanism can be provided for each side of the seatback with the two mechanisms being mounted at the opposite ends of the rotatable support shaft and operated by a single control member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Geoffrey W. Barley
  • Patent number: 4385001
    Abstract: Edible oils may be selectively hydrogenated using a zerovalent, supported, catalytically active cobalt catalyst. Where the cobalt is supported on alumina, the selectivity of hydrogenation is virtually independent of the nature of the alumina. The process is sufficiently selective that continuous hydrogenation may be performed with about the same selectivity as that presently obtained in batch processes using presently conventional catalysts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Bruce I. Rosen
  • Patent number: 4384148
    Abstract: Alcohols may be obtained by the indirect hydration of olefinic hydrocarbons in which the olefinic hydrocarbon is esterified by treatment with an organic acid such as acetic acid. The organic esters may then be hydrolyzed by treatment with water to form hydrolysis products comprising alcohols and ethers which may be separated from the reconstituted organic acid. The alcohol products are then separated from the ether product, the latter which may then be further treated by thermal cracking, decomposition, or hydrolysis to form an additional amount of the desired alcohol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Robert J. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 4383983
    Abstract: A method for the removal of carbon or carbon compounds from a waste stream generated in an unsupported slurry catalyst process utilized for the hydroconversion of heavy hydrocarbonaceous black oil which stream comprises vanadium sulfide, nickel sulfide and carbon or carbon compounds is disclosed. The carbon or carbon compound is removed by contacting the waste stream with sulfur dioxide at oxidizing conditions to yield a solid residue which contains metal sulfides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Urban
  • Patent number: 4384157
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for the catalytic condensation of propylene to produce C.sub.6 -plus hydrocarbons. The process consumes all of the propylene present in a mixed propane-propylene feed stream and produces a high purity propane effluent stream. The effluent of the reaction zone is flashed with the resultant vapor being recycled to the reaction zone and the remaining liquid being passed into a fractionation column. A C.sub.3 sidecut is removed from the column and stripped to remove propylene, which is returned to the column. The overhead stream of the column is also recycled to the reaction zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Richard R. DeGraff
  • Patent number: 4382150
    Abstract: Zerovalent Group VIII metals dispersed on titanium dioxide reduced and calcined at a temperature less than about 300.degree. C. are hydrothermally stable hydrogenation catalysts which may be used advantageously in the reduction of aqueous solutions of carbohydrates. The use of nickel on titanium dioxide in the hydrogenation of glucose affords sorbitol in excellent yields with quite high selectivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Blaise J. Arena
  • Patent number: 4382015
    Abstract: A contaminating metal on a cracking catalyst used for the cracking of hydrocarbons is passivated by contacting the catalyst with a hydrocarbon gas or mixture of gases comprising molecules of three carbon atoms or less at passivation reaction conditions prior to the cycling of the catalyst to the cracking zone, which conditions include a temperature in excess of 1300.degree. F.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventors: Carmen Castillo, John C. Hayes
  • Patent number: 4382082
    Abstract: The recovery of metal values such as cobalt may be improved in a hydrometallurgical recovery of metal values from metal-bearing sources such as ores and the like. The hydrometallurgical recovery process involves subjecting a metal-bearing source to a reductive roast in a reducing atmosphere after having treated said source with at least one additive. Thereafter, the reduced metal-bearing source is cooled and extracted by a leaching operation such as treatment with an ammoniacal ammonium salt solution. The leaching step is followed by a separation of various metal values by adding a solid adsorbent to the leach solution whereby selective metal ions are adsorbed thereon. The improvement of the process involves subjecting the solid adsorbent to a stripping operation with a stripping agent such as steam or a gas at an elevated temperature prior to recovery of the adsorbed metal ions from the solid adsorbent by conventional means such as acid-stripping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventors: William C. Laughlin, William K. Tolley
  • Patent number: 4382121
    Abstract: Commercial glucose solutions used as feedstock for enzymatic conversion of glucose to fructose by glucose isomerase often contain materials which act as poisons toward the enzyme. It has been found that these poisons can be removed, or destroyed, by treatment of the feedstock with oxidizing agents, chief of which is hydrogen peroxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald P. Rohrbach, Mary J. Maliarik
  • Patent number: 4382001
    Abstract: An adsorptive separation process for separating ethanol from a feed mixture comprising ethanol and water, which process comprises contacting the feed mixture with an adsorbent comprising activated carbon, selectively adsorbing substantially all of the ethanol to be separated to the substantial exclusion of the water and thereafter recovering high purity ethanol. A desorption step is used to desorb the adsorbed ethanol with the desorbent selected being capable of direct blending into motor fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventors: Santi Kulprathipanja, Richard W. Neuzil
  • Patent number: 4382101
    Abstract: The peel strength of metal-clad polymers such as a polyimide polymer may be increased by treating said polymer with a gas plasma prior to the deposition of the metal thereon. The gas plasma is provided for by the introduction of a gas such as helium, argon, compositions of gases such as carbon tetrafluoride and oxygen over the surface of the polymer while said polymer is in an electrical field in which the power may range from about 3.8.times.10.sup.-3 watts/cm.sup.2 to about 100 watts/cm.sup.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Anthony J. Polak
  • Patent number: 4381820
    Abstract: Filament reinforced cylindrical plastic screens having open slots defined by their surface wires which are of substantially different widths can be produced on a single helically finned mandrel. The slot widths are varied in accordance with the amount of wire-forming material placed in the generally V-shaped grooves defined by the mandrel fins. The grooves have a double relief angle so that the lower support portions of the surface wires will be formed so as to have a slightly tapered, radially elongated cross-section and the upper portions of the wires will have their sides at a substantially greater relief angle. This relationship permits a relatively small change in the total height of the wires to have a substantial effect on the width of the top portion of the wires, and thus, on the width of the slot openings which can be formed between adjacent wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Walter R. Wagner
  • Patent number: 4381418
    Abstract: A process for the catalytic dehydrogenation of C.sub.2 + normally gaseous paraffinic hydrocarbons to produce the corresponding monoolefinic hydrocarbons is disclosed. The energy-efficient process is particularly directed to the separation of recycle hydrogen from the olefinic hydrocarbon products and unreacted paraffinic hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1983
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventors: Steve A. Gewartowski, Dennis E. O'Brien