Patents Represented by Attorney James T. FitzGibbon
  • Patent number: 6391198
    Abstract: An oil-water and oil emulsion separation system using a plurality of transport vessels as the separation tanks. The containers or tanks are arranged in series with sludge or oil removed first and thereafter remaining oil is removed and finally a relatively pure aqueous solution is returned to the system. The unit is useful with parts washers or any apparatus with which water is contaminated by free oil or sludge. A floating skimmer is placed in the user's sump and a vacuum draws this into a series of containers in which it is processed and in which sludge and oil are successively separated. A positive displacement pump is used. A manifold having vacuum relief valves for at least one container is also provided. In one embodiment, flow restrictors are placed in at least one manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian E. Porter, William J. Shortreed
  • Patent number: 6354598
    Abstract: A wear sleeve for use with the active face of an associated seal unit. The wear sleeve includes a radial flange and an axial flange having a plurality of grooves therein. The grooves are formed on an inner margin of the blank while the blank is in a flat condition. Thereafter, the axial flange is drawn in a skirt forming die so as to create an outer surface on the axial flange having a hydrodynamic pattern thereon. The grooves are formed in a sinusoidal pattern, and the inner surface of the skirt forming die is free from formations creating interference with the skirt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: SKF USA Inc.
    Inventor: Kuang-Yu Huang
  • Patent number: 6254166
    Abstract: A windshield assembly for a motorcycle. The shield includes a fixed portion and a movable portion. The movable portion moves within slots in the frame and the movable portion. A compressive force is releasably applied to hold the movable part in place, and to allow it to be moved. The assembly is held in place by mounting brackets which cooperate with locking brackets, and these attach to docking points on the cycle. The brackets or parts thereof may be frangible, wholly or in part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Inventor: Barry A. Willey
  • Patent number: 6234554
    Abstract: A windshield mounting system for a cycle comprising a plurality of rod members, a windshield, ball and socket units, a pair of windshield engaging flanges parallel to each other and spaced apart so as to accommodate the thickness of said windshield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Inventor: Barry A. Willey
  • Patent number: 5913708
    Abstract: A method making a toy, doll, or mannequin wherein a relatively rigid core is covered with an elastic skin. The skin is bonded to the core in some areas but not others. This creates an expansible, variable volume pressurizable space between the core and the skin so that the skin may expand relative to the core to simulate weight gain or change of muscle tone. The method comprises selecting and/or treating the core so that only certain parts adhere to the skin-forming material, covering the core with a curable, skin-forming coating and allowing the material to form the skin that, after inflation, assumes a different size and/or shape than the core and thus simulates weight gain, change of muscle tone or other significant change of shape and appearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1999
    Inventor: Flora Geane Gross
  • Patent number: 5845955
    Abstract: A motorcycle windshield and mounting system. The shield includes upper and lower portions, and the attachment includes a pair of lower, rearwardly extending brackets connected to each other by a transverse element. The front of the windshield is covered by two vertically extending clamping elements and one horizontally extending element. The transverse front element includes a pair of slots, and the vertically extending elements include a tongue for the slots and an arcuate relief, whereby the vertical elements partially overlie the transverse elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1998
    Inventor: Barry A. Willey
  • Patent number: 5834932
    Abstract: An electrical energy consumption measuring system is disclosed which includes a watthour meter, a meter socket, a set of voltage transformers and two plugs. The meter is energized when it is received within the meter socket. Selected socket terminals of the meter socket are electrically connected to one of the two plugs. The set of voltage transformers is electrically connected to the other of the two plugs. The system is constructed and arranged so that, when the plugs are matingly engaged, the set of voltage transformers electrically isolates the windings internal to the watthour meter from the service voltage of the power system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Inventor: Gregory R. May
  • Patent number: 5819629
    Abstract: A combination food article positioning device and slicing guide, primarily intended to assist in slicing buns or bagels. The bun or bagel is entrapped between the guide and a table or other horizontal surface and held in position by contact between an inner end face of a pocket formed in the body of the apparatus and a table or the like. The body also includes sidewall surfaces, some of which are circular portions and others of which taper toward an apex, such that the entire pocket has a "teardrop" configuration. The sidewalls are slotted to receive a knife, and the tapered sidewall segments preferably include serrations or teeth. the noncircular shape opposite the knife-receiving slot and the serrations prevent the food product from turning within the guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Inventor: Richard T. Sarich
  • Patent number: 5794940
    Abstract: An end face seal especially adapted for use in severe service environments such as for sealing track pins or track rollers of crawler type tractors. The seal includes a primary annular seal ring, having a radially extending flange with a portion for contacting a mating surface on a machine part in face sealing engagement and an axially extending flange portion, as well as a secondary annular sealing ring positioned in use about the axial flange portion. The secondary seal ring includes an abradable auxiliary excluder lip that contacts a portion of the machine part with the mating surface so as to initially exclude grit from the seal band area of contact between the seal ring and the machine part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: SKF USA Inc.
    Inventor: Gerd Ludwig Brueggmann
  • Patent number: 5788313
    Abstract: A windshield assembly for a motorcycle allows attachment to fork tubes of diverse spacing by using links with an offset intermediate portion. The links may be reversed end to end to alter the spacing between ends attached to fork tube clamps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Inventor: Barry A. Willey
  • Patent number: 5782527
    Abstract: A hold-down assembly for a sunroof air deflector. The assembly includes a housing, a lever positioned within the housing, and a hook, preferably with an extensible shank, carried by a part of the lever. The lever includes a first leg with an outer surface movable by the finger of a user, and at least one offset leg. The offset leg includes a hook carrier and a pivot portion, and the housing has a feature, preferably a T-slot, for guiding the hook carrier through a substantially vertical path, and for guiding the pivot portion through a substantially horizontal path, including portions lying to either side of the vertical path, to provide an over-center locking action to hold the deflector in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Inventor: Barry A. Willey
  • Patent number: 5776881
    Abstract: A treated solvent composition for washing mechanical parts or the like. The solvent contains not more than about 25% aromatic solvents with the balance being aliphatic and other non-aromatic solvents having a flashpoint of at least 100.degree. F. The solvent is treated with up to 10 parts of an additive composition selected from the group consisting of C.sub.14 and lower alcohols, diols, polyols, lower glycols, and lower glycol ethers and mixtures thereof. In use, finely dispersed contaminant particles settle from the body of the solvent more rapidly than in untreated solvent and the resulting clarified appearance enables the solvent to be used longer and more effectively in a cleaning operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: Safety-Kleen Corp.
    Inventor: Esfandiar Kiany
  • Patent number: 5775205
    Abstract: A disposable infuser for brewing beverages within an associated container. The infuser includes a well portion for receiving a charge of flavoring material positioning it below the upper rim but above the bottom wall of the container. A flexible is skirt dimensioned and contoured for removably gripping the container in liquid-tight relation, and an annular top panel extends between the gripping portion of the skirt and the well for offsetting the well from the outer wall of the container. The well portion is defined by downwardly extending, water permeable walls, and the drinking opening is formed in the top panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Inventor: Bruce W. Melton
  • Patent number: 5772217
    Abstract: A liquid seal unit having a seal ring with an annular end face cooperating with a seal mating ring on an associated component to form a liquid-tight dynamic seal. A composite multi-functional member with a flexible finger spring embedded in a unitary elastomeric body urges the seal ring and the mating ring together. The spring has an annular continuous outer body portion and a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart, radially inwardly extending flexible spring fingers. The unitary elastomeric body includes radially spaced, first and second annular load bearing formations that extend in axially opposite directions. The elastomeric body still further includes an axially extending sealing ring positioning collar lying radially between the load bearing formations and having an inner surface that engages a seating surface in the seal ring to provide a secondary seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Assignee: SKF USA Inc.
    Inventor: Gerhard W. Poll
  • Patent number: 5740968
    Abstract: A high pressure industrial washdown gun. The gun comprises a body having a hand grip portion, a trigger, a flow control valving system and a conduit for directing the water to the interior of the gun body. The valving system includes a containment sleeve, a connector, a nozzle assembly, a valving rod, and a central water flow passage extending therethrough. A tapered seat surrounds the flow passage. The valving rod includes a nose portion, an enlarged diameter head, and an elongated stem. The valving rod slides within a guide which positions it relative to the containment sleeve. A return spring is provided for the valving rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1998
    Inventor: Theodore H. Mueller
  • Patent number: 5732965
    Abstract: A demountable positioning system for a windshield or other motorcycle accessory. The system includes a pair of anchors fixed to one of a motorcycle and the accessory, and a releasable latching mechanism carried by the other of the motorcycle and the accessory. The latching mechanism includes a first recess having an open end and a closed end with portions snugly engageable with and pivotable about one of said anchors. At least one latch element has a second recess including an open end and a closed end defined by surfaces for snugly engaging said other anchor. A pawl, a release lever, and a latching mechanism which includes a resilient member urging said latch and said pawl in predetermined directions are included. The latch element is movable about a pivot axis between a closed position and an open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Inventor: Barry A. Willey
  • Patent number: 5730444
    Abstract: A fluid seal including a casing unit and an elastomeric lip body portion. Frustoconical air and oil side surfaces of the lip body meet at an inner diameter portion to form a fluid seal band contacting an associated shaft in use. A continuous, circumferentially extending garter spring is embedded in the seal lip body. An axially inner surface of the lip body is defined in part by plural spaced apart ribs and the remainder is defined by pockets having portions lying closely adjacent the radially and axially innermost portions of the garter spring. In the free state of said seal, the garter spring exerts a radially inwardly directed preload force so as to resist radial expansion of said seal. The spring also resists dimensional shrinkage of the seal band and the remainder of the seal body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: SKF USA Inc.
    Inventor: David A. Notter
  • Patent number: 5720308
    Abstract: A drain flow control assembly for liquids draining from a sink or the like to a reservoir having a given liquid level. The flow control assembly includes a downtube with its inlet opening above the level of the liquid and its outlet below the liquid level, a divider plate surrounding the outlet opening and extending radially outwardly of the opening a distance equal to at least twice the diameter of the downtube opening. The assembly also includes a radially smaller, imperforate deflector plate positioned beneath and spaced closely apart from the divider plate, so as to form a radially extending transfer space between the two plates. When the assembly is positioned in a liquid-containing reservoir with the downtube outlet below the upper surface of the liquid, liquid flows vertically through the downtube outlet opening and then horizontally through the radial transfer space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1998
    Assignee: Safety Kleen Corp.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Danowski, Michael R. Dvorak
  • Patent number: 5710373
    Abstract: A visual comparator for use in evaluating the nature and extent of contamination in a solvent used for cleaning mechanical parts. The comparator comprises an opaque frame, and an array of viewing apertures is formed in the frame. Each of said apertures is covered by a translucent viewing panel, with certain of the viewing panels comprising a first array having a graduated sequence of predetermined colors and optical densities, each indicative of a given level of soluble liquid contamination. The remainder of the viewing panels comprises a second array having a graduated sequence of graduated optical densities, each indicative of a given level of contamination by suspended particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1998
    Assignee: Safety-Kleen Corporation
    Inventor: Frank A. Osmanski
  • Patent number: 5704189
    Abstract: A method of identifying and installing a plurality of electrical or other signal carriers, pipes, tubes or the like within a building structure. The method includes the steps of determining the paths along which the various carriers are to be laid out within the structure, formulating a retrievable record of such paths, storing and retaining the retrievable record of such location information in an accessible computer memory or the like, and assigning a unique identifying expression to each of the carriers. The unique identifying expression is reproduced on spaced apart portions of each of the carriers, and the carriers are then installed according to plan. By using the unique identifying expression to access the computer memory, the location of all points along each carrier can be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Inventor: William R. Collier