Patents Represented by Attorney Randall Heald
  • Patent number: 8336849
    Abstract: A valve includes a housing defining a bore having an inlet and extending along a longitudinal axis. A head is attached to the housing and defines a head passage having an outlet. A piston is disposed within the bore and includes a piston passage extending through the piston along the longitudinal axis. The piston is moveable between a closed position in which a sealing end of the piston abuts a seat of the head to close fluid communication through the piston passage and an open position in which the sealing end of the piston is axially spaced along the longitudinal axis from the seat of the head to permit fluid communication through the piston passage between the inlet and the outlet. The housing defines an equalizing chamber in fluid communication with the head passage for damping movement of the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Bruce R. Farner
  • Patent number: 8288307
    Abstract: A hydrogenation catalyst including a base material coated with a catalytic metal is made using mechanical milling techniques. The hydrogenation catalysts are used as an excellent catalyst for the dehalogenation of contaminated compounds and the remediation of other industrial compounds. Preferably, the hydrogenation catalyst is a bimetallic particle including zero-valent metal particles coated with a catalytic material. The mechanical milling technique is simpler and cheaper than previously used methods for producing hydrogenation catalysts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Jacqueline W. Quinn, Christian A. Clausen, Cherie L. Geiger, Brian S. Aitken