Patents Represented by Attorney John H. Gallagher
  • Patent number: 4554933
    Abstract: Apparatus for opening and pre-conditioning a case or hogshead of tobacco in which the tobacco is a laminated body, comprises a chamber for receiving the laminated tobacco body and device for emitting an air/moisture jet stream in said chamber capable of being reciprocated in a plane parallel to and in close proximity to the tobacco laminae or of being rotated in the plane about an axis normal to the plane to lift one lamina or more progressively from the tobacco body.Additional structure may be provided whereby water may be added to the jet stream and the separated tobacco fed directly to a silo to await cutting without further treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1985
    Assignee: AMF Incorporated
    Inventor: Richard E. Neville
  • Patent number: 4552061
    Abstract: A trash compactor system which includes a trash compactor unit, a compaction receptacle and a trash deposit door disposed above the receptacle to enable trash to be desposited in the system. The door is automatically opened when a person approaches the compactor to deposit waste material therein by pressure being applied to a mat switch positioned on the floor adjacent the compactor. The compactor member compacts waste in the receptacle by passing through a compaction cycle. When pressure is removed from the switch, a predetermined time period has elapsed and the waste deposit door is closed, the compaction cycle is initiated. At this time, mechanical locks within the compactor are forced against the door, preventing the door from being opened during the compaction cycle. The mechanical locks are released after the compaction cycle is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1985
    Assignee: AMF Incorporated
    Inventor: James W. Brutsman
  • Patent number: 4550605
    Abstract: The invention relates to nondestructive inspection apparatus for automatically inspecting the end region of a tubular member and a coupling member secured to that end region. An inspection probe is yieldingly received within a housing that is pivotally supported on an arm that moves helically around the tubular member. The probe is extended outwardly from an air chamber in the housing to contact the surface of the tubular member. When the probe encounters the obstructing shoulder of the coupling on the end of the tubular member, the housing is caused to pivot to activate an air escape mechanism to reduce the air pressure in the chamber and cause the probe to be withdrawn radially to hop over the obstructing shoulder on the coupling. The housing then returns to its original position to terminate the air escape from the chamber. Air pressure builds up again to force the probe outwardly onto the surface of the coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1985
    Assignee: AMF Inc.
    Inventor: Elizabeth M. Bains
  • Patent number: 4551824
    Abstract: A telemetry system adapter for connecting a recording station to a telemetry system having a plurality of data acquisition array terminals serially connected together by cables. The adapter may be used to connect the recording station to any array terminal in the telemetry system. At the array terminal to which it is desired to connect the recording station, the cable is disconnected from the array terminal and connected to one connector of the adapter. Another connector of the adapter is connected to the array terminal, and a third connector of the adapter is connected to the recording station. The connectors on the adapter will fit only a respective one of the array terminal connectors, the cable connector or the recording station connector, and therefore cannot be attached incorrectly. The adapter may include an attenuator for balancing data levels and reducing cross-talk interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1985
    Assignee: AMF Incorporated
    Inventors: William Fehrenkamp, Arnold R. Pater, Arthur D. Brummel
  • Patent number: 4545040
    Abstract: A modular telemetry cable system having first and second array terminals spaced apart a distance of D. A cable extends between the terminals having X number of analog signal transmission means which is connected to 2X transducer sets for gathering 2X analog signals. The analog signals are processed and transmitted as digital signals over a digital transmission means connected between the terminals. At the location in the cable of the two interior transducer sets, the cable is penetrated to connect the interior transducer sets to the same analog transmission means. The portion of the same analog transmissions means between the two interior sets is disconnected from the two interior sets. At the penetrations in the cable of the two interior sets, the other analog transmission means are cut. One transducer set on opposite sides of the cuts in the other transmission means are connected to each of the other analog transmission means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1985
    Assignee: AMF Incorporated
    Inventors: William Fehrenkamp, Joe P. Jameson
  • Patent number: 4527261
    Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for substantially eliminating from a seismic signal channel an interfering hiline signal in a differential mode. Differential mode and common mode components of the interfering signal are coupled from the seismic signal channel, and are correlated with each other to obtain a correlation signal. The correlation signal and the common mode signal are multiplied to obtain a correction signal that is applied to the seismic signal channel to substantially eliminate the differential mode component of the hiline interference signal. The correlation between the differential mode and common mode signals is accomplished with both in-phase and quadrature phase components of one of them so that two correlation signals actually are produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1985
    Assignee: AMF Incorporated
    Inventor: Miles A. Smither
  • Patent number: 4476792
    Abstract: A folder for making Z-type folds in material as the material is fed therethrough, having a tongue creating slack in the material and a pair of folder blades cooperating to urge the slack material between the blades to form the fold as the material leaves the folder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 16, 1984
    Assignee: AMF Inc.
    Inventors: George P. Diacont, Jr., James D. Grisham
  • Patent number: 4462469
    Abstract: A motor for driving a rotary drilling bit within a well through which mud is circulated during a drilling operation, with the motor being driven by a secondary fluid which is isolated from the circulating mud but derives energy therefrom to power the motor. A pressure drop in the circulating mud across a choke in the drill string is utilized to cause motion of the secondary fluid through the motor. An instrument which is within the well and develops data to be transmitted to the surface of the earth controls actuation of the motor between different operating conditions in correspondence with data signals produced by the instrument, and the resulting variations in torque in the drill string and/or the variations in circulating fluid pressure are sensed at the surface of the earth to control and produce a readout representative of the down hole data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 31, 1984
    Assignee: AMF Inc.
    Inventor: Robert L. Brown
  • Patent number: 4451797
    Abstract: This invention relates to automatic gain control (agc) circuitry and more particularly to circuitry for supplying respective automatic gain control signals to an amplifier that repeatedly receives a given sequence of signals. Each one of the signals in each sequence is sampled and compared with a reference voltage in a respective feedback loop. The respective agc loops are coupled to the amplifier in a predetermined sequence to control the gain of the amplifier in a desired manner. The steps in this predetermined sequence are initiated by an external trigger and by the receipt of the signals to be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1984
    Assignee: AMF Inc.
    Inventor: James A. Bains, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4440219
    Abstract: A well instrument is isolated from the high temperatures of a surrounding earth formation by enclosing the instrument within a heat insulative jacket structure, preferably a dewar having spaced walls with a vacuum therebetween, with a heat sink contained in the jacket above the instrument assembly, and with a heat pipe extending upwardly from the instrument assembly to the heat sink and containing a fluid which by evaporation at a lower point and condensation at a higher point will conduct heat upwardly from the instrument assembly to the heat sink but not downwardly therebetween. The heat pipe preferably projects upwardly beyond a top portion of the insulating jacket to the location of a convector element which is exposed to the temperature of fluid or air at the outside of the insulating jacket to transmit heat from within the jacket to its exterior but not in a reverse direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1984
    Assignee: AMF Inc.
    Inventor: Paul D. Engelder
  • Patent number: 4439730
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for nondestructively testing each incremental area of a ferromagnetic sample by first passing a steady magnetic flux field through an area in a first direction and producing an inspection signal in response thereto, and then passing a steady magnetic flux field through the same area in an orthogonal direction and producing a second inspection signal in response thereto. The magnitudes of the two inspection signals corresponding to a given incremental area are added to produce a composite signal whose magnitude is the sum of the two signals. The composite signal associated with a given incremental region is displayed on a visual presentation means at a location corresponding to the location of the incremental region on the ferromagnetic sample and with an indicia, such as color, that is a function of the magnitude of the respective composite signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1984
    Assignee: AMF Inc.
    Inventor: Glenn A. Kauffman
  • Patent number: 4437243
    Abstract: An instrument including a gyroscopic rotor mounted to precess about a predetermined axis in response to pivotal movement of the rotor about a sensing axis, with the rate of precession being measured and being utilized to determine the amount of said pivotal movement above the sensing axis. Two or more such rotors precessing about different axes can respond to different components of the earth's rotational movement, or to other component movements or torques. Differences in the rates of precession of the two rotors indicate the relative strengths of the corresponding components of the earth's movement, and afford a basis for deriving an indication of azimuth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1984
    Assignee: AMF Incorporated
    Inventor: Robert L. Brown
  • Patent number: 4398781
    Abstract: A sealing assembly for use in a geophysical cable connector having two interconnecting bodies each having a plurality of coacting electrical connectors and a cover connected to each body by a plurality of screws. A bladder gasket is positioned between each body and each cover with a plurality of openings around the outer periphery for receiving the screws. The gasket includes a sealing ridge extending outwardly from one side of the gasket entirely around the gasket and spaced inside the opening. Each body includes a recess inside of the screws for receiving the sealing ridge. The gasket is enclosed inside of the ridge for sealing the interior of the body from the environment. The sealing ridge may be semi-circular shaped or trapezoidal shaped in cross section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1983
    Assignee: AMF Incorporated
    Inventor: Petre F. Dan
  • Patent number: 4302010
    Abstract: An automatic bowling scoring system is disclosed including a central manager's console unit linked in parallel over a plurality of communication buses with a plurality of lane score processors having printing and CRT display monitor units. The manager's console sends commands to the score processors, and thereby gains control over the execution sequences followed by this score processor and modifies its functional sequence. In particular, the manager's console is capable of selectivity controlling the display at any lane pair processor, to cause display of locally generated game score information, or supplementary information developed at the manager's console. The manager's console can also cause the transfer of the locally generated game score information appearing on any monitor to be routed over the buses to the manager's console display monitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1981
    Assignee: AMF Incorporated
    Inventor: Reginald A. Kaenel
  • Patent number: 4288186
    Abstract: Apparatus for accurately cutting pits or anomalies in steel pipe or plate stock to be used as a standard for calibrating magnetic flux leakage detection equipment used for testing for anomalies in such stock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1981
    Assignee: AMF Incorporated
    Inventors: Rodney O. Dockal, Harold A. Lindsey
  • Patent number: 4268884
    Abstract: A current sensing circuit that controls a contactor that connects a load to power lines. The circuit provides an initial momentary delay period after energization of the circuit and before operation of the contactor to permit transients and other short duration anomalies to die out. An immediately succeeding second momentary delay period during which the contactor operation cannot be changed, assures that an initial inrush of current to the load will not cause a fault signal to erroneously operate the contactor. When a fault signal does cause the contactor to be operated, the circuit cannot be set back to its intended operation condition until energization of the sensing circuit is manually interrupted and reestablished. During normal operation of the circuit when current on the power lines is within acceptable limits, the circuit is latched in its proper operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1979
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1981
    Assignee: AMF Incorporated
    Inventors: John R. Ford, Jr., Harold D. Leipold
  • Patent number: 4251988
    Abstract: An automatic defrost system in which the actual defrost time of an evaporator coil, for example, is the controlling parameter for establishing a defrost cycle. The system automatically adjusts itself so that a predetermined amount of frost builds up in the frost accumulating period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1978
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1981
    Assignee: AMF Incorporated
    Inventors: John J. Allard, Robert A. Heinzen
  • Patent number: 4228475
    Abstract: A ground monitoring circuit for detecting the existence and proper connection of the ground wires in an electrical power cable of a type commonly used at a surface mining site. A complete conductive loop is established between the ground conductor, or conductors, and the ground check, or pilot, wire of the cable. A sensing signal at a frequency higher than the power frequency is coupled onto the ground monitoring loop. The voltage and current in the loop are separately sampled. Various comparisons of the voltage and current samples are made to detect any deviation in the resistance and/or reactance characteristics of the loop. Any deviation from desired conditions in the loop produce one or more output signals that change the condition of a trip relay. The trip relay initiates action that ultimately opens circuit breakers to remove power from the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1980
    Assignee: AMF Incorporated
    Inventor: John R. Sherwood
  • Patent number: 4177367
    Abstract: A momentary pushbutton switch has a circular actuating button with a downwardly extending center post. The post is in continuous contact with a center cantilevered leg of a spring contact member. The spring contact member also has side arms that are joined at opposite ends to respective end portions. One end portion is fixed to one terminal on a base member and the opposite end portion is free and spring biased above a stationary contact on the base. Depression of the actuaing button forces the cantilevered leg and free end downwardly toward a stop on the base. The free end then engages the stationary contact, closing the switch contacts. The base and contacts are specially formed to make assembly simple and error free.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1979
    Assignee: AMF Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephen A. Tirone, Ronald H. Arthur
  • Patent number: 4176785
    Abstract: An automatic temperature control system for a building that includes a night setback feature and a morning pickup feature that operates as a function of outside air temperature and wind velocity. A seven day time scheduler and a short cycle auxiliary timer control the system operation. System automatically resumes proper scheduled operation following power failure that does not exceed mechanical carry-over time of seven day time scheduler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1979
    Assignee: AMF Incorporated
    Inventors: John J. Allard, James R. Montz