Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Marvin Snyder
  • Reduced energy cleaning appliance
    Patent number: 6001190
    Abstract: The appliance comprises a container for receiving the soiled articles, a circulation pump for distributing a hot liquid to the container, a drain positioned in the container and connected to the pump for emptying the liquid from the container upon completion of a cycle and a hydroclone connected to the drain and the pump, for removing soil from the liquid such that about ninety percent (90%) of the liquid distributed to the container during one cycle can be utilized during at least one subsequent cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Youssef El-Shoubary, Bang Mo Kim, Dwight William Jacobus, Andrew Joseph Spanyer, Joseph Duane Tobbe, Mark Edward Dausch
  • Cooling for double-wall structures
    Patent number: 6000908
    Abstract: A coolable double walled structure, for use and exposure in a hot gas flow environment, includes a jet issuing wall, a target wall spaced from the jet issuing wall defining at least one cavity therebetween. The jet issuing wall includes at least one impingement rail having a greater thickness than the jet issuing wall such that a bottom portion of the impingement rail extends within the cavity formed between the jet issuing wall and the target wall. A number of impingement ports are disposed within each impingement rail to provide flow communication through the jet issuing wall to the target wall. Due to the relatively thick dimensions of the impingement rail, the impingement ports disposed within respective impingement rails can be directionalized so as to provide for local cooling needs. In one embodiment, the entry areas of the impingement ports are bell shaped so as to lower inlet pressure loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Method for welding with a vacuum
    Patent number: 6000600
    Abstract: An exemplary method for welding a circular disk coaxially atop a tubular body comprises the steps of rotating the body and disk thereon, drawing a vacuum inside the body for vacuum holding the disk thereon, and welding the disk along a rim thereof to the body to sealingly join the disk thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Carl Edward Erikson, Angel Luis Ortiz, Jr.
  • Refrigeration system
    Patent number: 5996361
    Abstract: A control circuit for a refrigeration system disposed within an outer cabinet having a freezer compartment, a fresh food compartment, a compressor, a condenser fan, an evaporator fan, an evaporator and a freezer thermostat disposed within the freezer compartment to sense temperature therein. Additionally, a fresh food thermostat is disposed within the fresh food compartment to sense temperature therein. A freezer thermostat switch is switched between an open state and a closed state in response to temperature signals generated from the freezer thermostat. A fresh food thermostat switch is switched between an open state and a closed state in response to temperature signals generated from the fresh food thermostat. An energy saver switch is disposed between the fresh food thermostat switch and a power source, which energy saver switch is switched between an open state and a closed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Warren Frank Bessler, Frank Joseph Bowden
  • Arterial MRI with chemical-shift nulling
    Patent number: 5999839
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance (MR) imaging method uses chemical shift and/or slice selective inversion pulse to create angiograms of coronary arteries. In one embodiment blood is doped with a contrast enhancement agent and a sequence of slice selective and chemical shift selective inversion pulses are applied. Detection RF pulses then generate an image signal. In another embodiment two sequential chemical shift inversion pulses are applied followed by detection RF pulses for imaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christopher Judson Hardy, Charles Lucian Dumoulin, Erika Schneider
  • Rapid-quench axially staged combustor
    Patent number: 5996351
    Abstract: A combustor cooperating with a compressor in driving a gas turbine includes a cylindrical outer combustor casing. A combustion liner, having an upstream rich section, a quench section and a downstream lean section, is disposed within the outer combustor casing defining a combustion chamber having at least a core quench region and an outer quench region. A first plurality of quench holes are disposed within the liner at the quench section having a first diameter to provide cooling jet penetration to the core region of the quench section of the combustion chamber. A second plurality of quench holes are disposed within the liner at the quench section having a second diameter to provide cooling jet penetration to the outer region of the quench section of the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alan S. Feitelberg, Mark Christopher Schmidt, Steven George Goebel
  • Open magnet with shielding
    Patent number: 5999075
    Abstract: An open magnet useful in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications. The magnet has two spaced-apart assemblies. Each assembly has a shielding coil located longitudinally outward from a main coil and a magnetizable pole piece spaced apart from and proximate the main and shielding coils. The method of the invention generates a magnetic field in a first area between the two assemblies while shielding a second area not between the two assemblies from a stray magnetic field by creating the previously-described open magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Evangelos Trifon Laskaris, Michael Anthony Palmo, Jr.
  • Open magnet having shielding
    Patent number: 5994991
    Abstract: An open magnet useful in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications. The magnet has two spaced-apart assemblies. Each assembly has a shielding coil located longitudinally outward from a main coil, a magnetizable member not carrying an electric current and spaced apart from and proximate the main and shielding coils, and a magnetizable pole piece spaced apart from the magnetizable member: The method of the invention generates a magnetic field in a first area between the two assemblies while shielding a second area not between the two assemblies from a stray magnetic field by creating the previously-described open magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Evangelos Trifon Laskaris, Michael Anthony Palmo, Bu-Xin Xu, Michele Dollar Ogle, Bruce Campbell Amm
  • X-ray tube having electron collector
    Patent number: 5995585
    Abstract: An X-ray tube assembly having a cathode, an anode, and an electron collector surrounded by a vacuum-enclosing frame. Electrons from the cathode strike a focal point on the target surface of the anode. Some electrons produce X-rays which exit an X-ray-transparent window portion of the frame. Other electrons are backscattered and go on to strike and heat the frame. The electron collector preferably is positioned to intercept backscattered electrons which have the highest energy density trajectory of any electrons backscattered directly from the focal point that would otherwise strike the frame creating a thermal hot spot in the absence of the electron collector. Reducing or eliminating the thermal hot spot reduces or eliminates the heat that would otherwise be conducted to the window thereby minimizing tube failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Lembit Salasoo
  • Controlled stop function for locomotives
    Patent number: 5992950
    Abstract: A controlled stop system for an AC electric locomotive includes a braking effort control circuit responsive to a braking command regulating braking effort produced by AC traction motors coupled in driving relationship to wheels of the locomotive. The control circuit is responsive to a vehicle speed signal for adjusting motor operation to maintain braking effort to about zero speed. A filter processes the speed signal before application to the braking effort control circuit such that the control circuit operates as a speed regulator at zero speed to maintain the vehicle in a stopped condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ajith Kuttannair Kumar, Bret Dwayne Worden
  • X-ray tube having high-speed bearings
    Patent number: 5995584
    Abstract: An X-ray tube assembly including a cathode having an electron emitting surface, a rotatable anode having an X-ray target surface, and a vacuum-enclosing rotatable frame surrounding, and spaced apart from, the electron emitting surface and the X-ray target surface. The frame is hermetically attached to the anode, and the frame includes a totally-annular and X-ray-transparent window ring. Load-carrying bearings are located outside the vacuum of the frame and rotatably support the frame and the anode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Vivek Bhatt
  • Bearing assembly for X-ray tube
    Patent number: 5991361
    Abstract: An X-ray tube bearing assembly has a first X-ray tube shaft with first and second ball-bearing raceway surfaces which are integral with (i.e., either monolithic portions of or fixedly attached to) the first shaft and has a second X-ray tube shaft with a third ball-bearing raceway surface which is integral with the second shaft. A ball-bearing race, which is non-integral with (i.e., neither a monolithic portion of nor fixedly attached to) the two shafts, has a fourth ball-bearing raceway surface. A first set of ball bearings is located between the first and third raceway surfaces, and a second set of ball bearings is located between the second and fourth raceway surfaces. Preferably, an anode target surface is attached to the first shaft, and a mechanism is provided to preload the ball-bearing race.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Vivek Bhatt
  • Method and apparatus for shaping a laser pulse
    Patent number: 5987042
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for shaping a laser pulse. The method comprises the steps of generating a laser pulse with a laser, opening an optical switch to allow the laser pulse to pass through the optical switch, determining a first reference time point with respect to the laser pulse, determining a second reference time point with respect to the opening of the optical switch, and adjusting an opening time of the optical switch based on the first and second reference time points to shape the laser pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Phillip Randall Staver, Josef Robert Unternahrer
  • Method for Doppler-replica harmonic avoidance
    Patent number: 5987059
    Abstract: A direct sequence spread spectrum receiver receives an input signal on a signal carrier frequency. The receiver generates a local oscillator signal which is offset from the carrier frequency. The input signal and the local oscillator signal are mixed producing an IF signal which is converted to a digital sample and stored in memory. A corresponding replica signal is generated and correlated with the digital sample. The offset of the local oscillator frequency from the carrier frequency is sufficiently large to cause the harmonics of the replica signal to fall above the highest frequency of the IF signal. Such a receiver is useful in global positioning satellite (GPS) signal processing where a replica generator must be used to acquire the incoming satellite transmissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel David Harrison, Jerome Johnson Tiemann
  • X-ray tube having reduced window heating
    Patent number: 5987097
    Abstract: An X-ray tube assembly having a cathode, an anode, and an electrode surrounded by a vacuum-enclosing frame. Electrons from the cathode strike a target surface on the anode. Some electrons produce X-rays which exit an X-ray transparent window portion of the frame. Other electrons are backscattered and go on to strike and heat the frame including the window region. The non-electron-emifting electrode typically has a negative electrical potential and is positioned to deflect the backscattered electrons away from the window region which reduces heating thereto and hence minimizes tube failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Lembit Salasoo
  • Method and apparatus for ultrasonic beamforming using golay-coded excitation
    Patent number: 5984869
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving the SNR in medical ultrasound imaging utilize Golay-coded excitation of the transducer array. A Golay pair is a pair of binary (+1,-1) sequences with the property that the sum of the autocorrelations of the two sequences is a Kronecker delta function. This translates into two important advantages over codes in general: (1) Golay codes have no range sidelobes, and (2) Golay codes can be transmitted using only a bipolar pulser versus a more expensive digital-to-analog converter. Degradation of the Golay code is avoided by employing multiple focal zones, where the Golay code is used only in the deepest focal zones in order to minimize dynamic focusing effects, and by employing two consecutive transmits on each beam to minimize tissue motion between the two code sequences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Richard Yung Chiao, Lewis Jones Thomas, III
  • Method and apparatus for measuring laser pulse energy
    Patent number: 5980101
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for accurately measuring the energy of a laser pulse. The method according to one embodiment comprises directing a first laser pulse to an energy sensor which produces a first signal responsive to the first laser pulse, determining a time constant of the energy sensor based on the first signal, directing a second laser pulse to the energy sensor which produces a second signal responsive to the second laser pulse, and determining the pulse energy of the second laser pulse based on the second signal and the time constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Josef Robert Unternahrer, Phillip Randall Staver
  • Method for efficient sampling in a correlator
    Patent number: 5982811
    Abstract: A direct sequence spread spectrum receiver samples an incoming signal at a low non-integer sample rate relative to the input data rate. The sample rate is an integer rate relative to a defined data segment. As multiple segments are sampled, the non-integer sample rate causes bit/chip samples to process relative to the incoming data. Because the sample rate is an integer relative to a data segment, the samples are substantially stationary relative to each segment. Such a method is useful in global positioning satellite (GPS) signal processing wherein the time to first fix is minimized by having to correlate fewer sample points in the acquisition process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel David Harrison, Jerome Johnson Tiemann
  • Ultrasound imaging using coded excitation on transmit and selective filtering of fundamental and (sub)harmonic signals on receive
    Patent number: 5980459
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for selectively performing contrast harmonic imaging, tissue harmonic imaging and B-mode flow imaging with an ultrasound imaging system utilizes phase-coded excitation on transmit and selective firing-to-firing, i.e., "slow-time", filtering on receive. "Slow-time" filtering in combination with transmit phases which change over the set of transmit firings results in different effective "slow-time" filters corresponding to the different harmonic modes within the reflected signal. The transmit phases and the "slow-time" filter weightings are designed to selectively enhance the desired modes while substantially suppressing other modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Richard Yung Chiao, Ann Lindsay Hall, Kai Erik Thomenius
  • Real-time image-guided placement of anchor devices
    Patent number: 5978696
    Abstract: A real-time positioning system monitors and displays a real-time position and orientation (pose) of a surgical device relative to reference device and internal structures of a subject during a medical procedure. Tracking targets are affixed to a surgical device and a reference device. The reference device is fixed to a target site of a subject. The tracked targets are interactively monitored by a tracking device and their raw positions are converted to a position and orientation (pose) of the surgical device and the reference device. A medical imaging device acquires images of internal structures of the subject which is converted into computer models by a modeling engine. The models of internal structures are correctly registered with models of the surgical instrument and the reference device into a single interactive representation assisting a surgeon in a medical procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Christian VomLehn, Allen Lawrence Carl, Harpal Singh Khanuja