Patents Represented by Law Firm Melville, Strasser, Foster & Hoffman
  • Patent number: 4156885
    Abstract: An automatic current overload protection circuit for electrostatic precipitator power supplies of the type utilizing a ferroresonant transformer. A low voltage tertiary winding in association with the transformer provides an output voltage to a sensing circuit for inhibiting current flow into the primary of the transformer when the tertiary voltage falls below a predetermined threshold. Another output voltage developed in association with the high voltage secondary winding of the transformer is also utilized to independently inhibit current flow into the primary of the transformer when the secondary voltage falls below a predetermined threshold. A time delay may be provided to permit operation of the overload protection circuit only in the event of a sustained overload current condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1979
    Assignee: United Air Specialists Inc.
    Inventors: Forester C. Baker, Wendell P. Spurgin
  • Patent number: 4155235
    Abstract: A method, and an apparatus for practicing the method, for producing heavy pure aluminum coatings on small diameter steel tubing are disclosed. The coating has an average thickness of 0.004 inch to 0.008 inch (100-200 .mu.m), to provide outstanding resistance to corrosion, and to maintain integrity in the face of abrasive action, and with coating ductility and adherence sufficient to permit double flaring. The method and apparatus are highly useful in the manufacture of Bundyweld tubing for automotive brake lines, and single wall tubing for refrigeration or air conditioner heat exchangers. Various surface preparations are disclosed; and after surface preparation the tube is uniformly heated to a carefully regulated peak temperature in a non-oxidizing high intensity direct fired furnace, followed by passing the tube vertically upward through a shallow pool of molten aluminum, whereby to cast on a thick coating, followed by "free exit" finishing, air quenching, and, if desired, redrawing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1979
    Assignee: Armco Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Marvin B. Pierson, Charles Flinchum
  • Patent number: 4153006
    Abstract: Apparatus for finishing a molten metallic coating on metallic strip and sheet comprising means for removing excess molten coating metal by impinging an elongated jet of gas under pressure on opposite sides of the strip and sheet substantially normal thereto. An improved nozzle of high efficiency is disclosed having an elongated plenum chamber communicating directly with a pair of elongated converging lips defining an orifice of about 0.03 to about 0.20 inch, the interior surface of the plenum chamber merging smoothly into each lip with a radius of curvature substantially equal to the orifice opening. The near-field region of the nozzle is about 8-10 times the orifice opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1979
    Assignee: Armco Steel Corporation
    Inventors: John A. Thornton, Thomas A. Compton
  • Patent number: 4153874
    Abstract: A calculator for computing the estimated time of arrival of a vehicle or the like at a desired destination. The calculator, under control of a microprocessor and related interfacing devices, computes and periodically updates the estimated time of arrival at the destination from information reflecting present chronological time, the total estimated distance and the desired average speed to be travelled to the destination, and the actual distance travelled by the vehicle. The information resulting from the microprocessor's computations is visually displayed together with the present chronological time. The calculator may also be provided with warning sensors to provide an indication when a predetermined maximum speed has been exceeded. In an alternate mode, the calculator may be caused to function as a standard four function calculator, without affecting data previously stored in the estimated time of arrival mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1979
    Inventor: Erwin A. Kaestner
  • Patent number: 4152471
    Abstract: Method and means for continuously contact-coating one side only of a ferrous base metal strip with a molten coating metal. One or more roll means are provided to conduct the strip surface to be coated above the surface of a bath of the molten coating metal. The strip surface to be coated is caused to travel sufficiently close to the molten coating metal bath surface that the surface tension and wetting characteristics of the coating metal will permit the formation of a meniscus which will continuously contact and coat the strip surface. The coating is subjected to jet finishing. The strip is maintained in a protective non-oxidizing atmosphere at least until the one side thereof is coated. Alternatively, at least that side of the strip to be coated with the molten coating metal is coated with a flux which remains on the strip until contacted by the coating metal meniscus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1979
    Assignee: Armco Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Paul E. Schnedler, Marvin B. Pierson, Hart F. Graff, Thomas A. Compton, William R. Leasure
  • Patent number: 4149571
    Abstract: Improved paper forming and tissue transfer fabrics having enhanced stability and stretch resistance as well as improved bicrimp configuration, the fabrics being characterized by the alternate use of very high modulus and very low modulus yarns in the machine direction of the fabrics, the alternate very high and very low modulus yarns being woven using either pick and pick or two picks in a shed weaving techniques, the very high modulus yarns having an initial (1%) modulus greater than 2.0 gpd and the very low modulus yarns having an initial (1%) modulus of 0.2 to 0.8 gpd.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1979
    Assignee: Huyck Corporation
    Inventor: Ralph H. Burroughs
  • Patent number: 4149282
    Abstract: A bathtub support grip for use in combination with a bath drain assembly of the type having a face plate secured adjacent a wall of the tub by means cooperatively associated with the drain overflow head. The support grip comprises a structure directly associated with the face plate and is configured for grasping by a bather's hand to at least partially support and facilitate the bather in raising and lowering himself in the tub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1979
    Inventor: Ernest C. Browning
  • Patent number: 4149803
    Abstract: A slide for use in microscopic studies is comprised of a plurality of coded samples arranged in rows and columns and sandwiched between two glass slides. The samples and the slides are bonded with a clear epoxy cement having an index of refraction equal to 1.54, the index of refraction of quartz.The method of making the slides includes the steps of compacting grain samples in a vial, along with a color-coded epoxy resin, stacking and laminating wafers cut from a number of color-coded samples, cutting the stacked wafers to expose a face of each, bonding the exposed wafer faces to a slide, grinding the bonded wafer to obtain thin samples, covering the thin samples with glass bonded with clear cement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1979
    Inventor: Per-Erik Litz
  • Patent number: 4148946
    Abstract: In a line for coating a ferrous base metal strip with a molten coating metal, the line being of the type having a preparation furnace for the strip comprising a direct fired furnace, a controlled atmosphere heating furnace, one or more cooling chambers and a snout leading beneath the surface of the molten coating metal bath, all in sealed relationship to each other, the improvement comprising a method and means for maintaining a non-oxidizing atmosphere at positive pressure within the entire preparation furnace during line stop. To this end, a retractable, refractory lined door means is provided in the conduit between the direct fired furnace and its exhaust fan to seal off the direct fired furnace from its exhaust fan and an air dilution opening in that conduit. Additionally, means are provided to add excess nitrogen flow to the preparation furnace to maintain a positive pressure therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1979
    Assignee: Armco Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Fred Byrd, James A. Fisher
  • Patent number: 4147580
    Abstract: A method of bonding a fluid-porous, fibrous, woven or non-woven web to a substrate and products made thereby. The porous web is overall or pattern coated with an extremely low level of hot-melt adhesive by causing the hot-melt adhesive to be wiped from a controlled thickness hot-melt adhesive source by the individual projecting surface fibers and fiber junctions of the porous web. Hot-melt adhesive globules are formed on the individual projecting surface fibers and fiber junctions which, when the porous web and substrate are passed through a preset clearance nip roll assembly, provide a product wherein the porous web is bonded to the substrate with excellent bond strength, the porous web remaining flexible and completely transparent to fluid transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1979
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Kenneth B. Buell
  • Patent number: 4147167
    Abstract: An ophthalmic prosthesis implant to be used as a replacement and cosmetic correction for the loss of an eye due to injury or illness and to replace the orbital cavity formally occupied by the natural eye. The implant includes a generally hemispherical cartridge member having pins protruding therefrom for affixing and permanently attaching the member to the skeletal skull, and an eye prosthesis removably secured to the cartridge member.A pliers like instrument is disclosed for applying the cartridge member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1979
    Assignee: Horst R. Hickmann
    Inventors: Horst R. Hickmann, Roosevelt A. Albert
  • Patent number: 4146209
    Abstract: A through conduit gate valve having a carrier frame shiftable vertically in a valve chamber with gates mounted in the carrier frame as to be shiftable vertically in the carrier frame and as to be shiftable away from each other in the carrier frame. Means are provided on the carrier frame and on the gates to shift the gates toward valve seats and away from each other when the carrier frame is in the open and closed positions and to permit the gates to shift toward each other when the carrier frame is being shifted between its open and closed positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1979
    Assignee: Armco Steel Corporation
    Inventor: Larry D. Leva
  • Patent number: 4146412
    Abstract: An austenitic stainless steel which in wrought or cast, and annealed, condition exhibits excellent galling resistance, excellent stress corrosion resistance in chloride-containing environments, good resistance against intergranular corrosion, good high temperature oxidation resistance, and a high work hardening rate. The broad composition range is, in weight percent, about 13% to about 19% chromium, about 13% to about 19% nickel, 0.5% to about 4% manganese, 3.5% to about 7% silicon, up to about 0.15% carbon, less than 0.04% nitrogen, about 0.05% maximum phosphorus, about 0.05% maximum sulfur, and balance essentially iron except for incidental impurities. The steel can be readily worked with conventional equipment and has particular utility for applications in which moving metal-to-metal contact, corrosive attack and/or elevated temperature are encountered in combination. The steel can also be cast into articles of ultimate use, or utilized in power metallurgy techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1978
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1979
    Assignee: Armco Steel Corporation
    Inventors: William J. Schumacher, Harry Tanczyn
  • Patent number: 4146022
    Abstract: An orthopedic implant for use in the internal fixation of a bone fracture by wiring, a method of fracture fixation by wiring which avoids bone resorption, and means for embedding the implant in the cortex of a bone adjacent the fracture site. The implant comprises a cylindrical body portion, a plurality of pointed pins at one end of the body portion, a circular bore through the body portion through which a wire may be passed, and at least one groove on the surface of the body portion in which a wire may be accommodated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1979
    Assignee: Ronald A. Johnson
    Inventors: Ronald A. Johnson, Horst R. Hickmann
  • Patent number: 4144832
    Abstract: A bird spook for frightening unwanted birds and other pests from a designated area such as a building, crop field, etc. The spook comprises a thin disc-like plate having at least one light reflecting surface suspended from a supporting arm by a swivel connection. The supporting arm may be attached to any surface of a building by an adjustable support bracket which enables the arm to assume any angle with respect to the building surface to insure freedom of movement of the reflecting plate. Alternatively, the supporting arm is made vertically adjustable for varying the height of the reflecting plate above the ground in crop field protecting installations. Air movements cause the plate to oscillate producing random light reflections annoying to birds and other pests.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1979
    Inventor: Forrest N. Dahl
  • Patent number: 4144435
    Abstract: A vessel, reflective to microwave electromagnetic energy, having at least one aperture to permit passage of said microwave energy to its contents and a shielding device, responsive to a preselected internal temperature of the vessel contents, to close said at least one aperture to prevent further passage of said microwave energy to the vessel contents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1979
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Clarence O. Clark, Robert L. DeAngelis, Kenneth F. Deffren, Thomas J. Flautt, Erwin A. Hofmann, Eugene Weinshenker
  • Patent number: 4143498
    Abstract: A concealed fastener clip for attaching a plurality of panels disposed in an edge-to-edge relationship to a support frame. The concealed fastener comprises a body portion of generally C-shaped cross section which generally follows the annular space between edges of adjacent panels. One edge of the body portion of the fastener comprises a standoff leg terminating in a lateral flange, and means are provided to secure the lateral flange to the support frame when the fastener is sandwiched between abutting panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1979
    Assignee: Armco Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Mulford Martin, Jr., Donald W. Richter
  • Patent number: 4142264
    Abstract: There is disclosed a comforter of conventional shape and size, provided along its edges with a particular arrangement of male and female fastening elements, whereby said comforter may be used in a conventional manner on a bed, and yet by folding and securing said fastening elements as taught hereinafter, the comforter may be converted into a bag-like structure to be worn as a garment, covering the body of the user while leaving the head and hands exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1978
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1979
    Assignee: Whiting Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard T. Whiting
  • Patent number: 4140629
    Abstract: A frusto-conical screen separator having its longitudinal axis inclined from the horizontal so that its undersurface lies in an essentially horizontal plane, the separator being divided internally into three zones, the first zone comprising a dewatering zone at its largest diameter end, the second zone comprising a washing zone, and the third zone comprising a final dewatering zone at its smallest diameter end, the separator having external shower means overlying the first and second zones, breaker bars in the first zone, internal baffle means in the second zone, and guide bars in the third zone, the materials to be separated passing through the separator from its larger to its smaller end, a recovery tank underlying the separator for recovering separated materials passing through the screen, the unscreened residual materials being discharged at the smaller end of the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1977
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1979
    Assignee: Martco, Inc.
    Inventor: James H. Martindale
  • Patent number: 4140552
    Abstract: A method of surface treatment of aluminum-killed and low alloy steel strip and sheet for fluxless hot dip metallic coating which comprises heating the steel in a furnace atmosphere containing the hot gaseous combustion products of air with a sulfur bearing gaseous fuel including 5 to 1600 grains of sulfur per 100 cubic feet of fuel wherein the atmosphere includes sulfur compounds and from about 6% free oxygen to about 7% by volume excess combustibles whereby to form a sulfur and oxygen rich film on the steel surfaces, passing the steel into a further heating section wherein it is brought to a maximum temperature of about 593.degree. to about 927.degree. C. in a reducing atmosphere containing at least 10% hydrogen by volume, passing the steel into a cooling section having an atmosphere containing at least 10% hydrogen and the balance nitrogen whereby to reduce the sulfur and oxygen rich film to a metallic iron surface, and cooling the steel approximately to the temperature of the molten coating metal bath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1979
    Assignee: Armco Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Jerry L. Arnold, Frank C. Dunbar