Patents Represented by Law Firm Wood, Herron & Evans
  • Patent number: 8347501
    Abstract: Within the field of wind turbine generators (WTG), to provide a consistent way of manufacturing a WT blade there is disclosed a blade mould and a blade spar fixture to support the spar in the mould so as to provide a fixed predetermined relative position, and preferably also orientation, between at least a root end, such as a bushing in the root end of the blade spar, and a root end of the mould. Overall consistency is also obtained in that hereby a blade with anticipated aerodynamic and strength characteristics is provided, among others in that at least adjacent to the root of the spar there is substantially the same distance for a cured adhesive between an innermost surface of each of blade shells and an outermost surface of the spar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Leif Kappel Petersen, Olav Davis
  • Patent number: 8348455
    Abstract: An overhead reading lamp for a passenger seat, in particular in an aircraft cabin, includes a first plurality of light sources, each of which emits light along a center line. The lamp also includes, a holding device which immovably secures the first plurality of light sources so as to be disposed in a first row in such a way that the center lines of the light sources of the first plurality of light sources lie in one plane and are inclined relative to one another. The lamp further includes an, and an activation device, which is connected to the first plurality of light sources and devised to selectively activate in each case one of the light sources of the first plurality of light sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventor: Jens Kessler
  • Patent number: 8347810
    Abstract: A protective member (14) and a nozzle assembly (11) incorporating the protective member (14) are provided. The protective member (14) is for use with a nozzle (12) having a strand guide passageway (18) for receiving a strand (16) of material. Protective member (14) comprises a body (60) configured to be received in the strand guide passageway (18) of the nozzle (12). The body (60) of the protective member (14) has a passageway (63) for the strand (16) and is disposed between the strand guide passageway (18) and the moving strand (16). The body (60) of the protective member (14) is composed, at least in part, of a material having a wear resistance sufficient to resist wear caused by the strand (16) being guided thereby. Alternatively, a portion of the body (60) may be coated with a material having a wear resistance sufficient to resist wear caused by the strand (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Nordson Corporation
    Inventors: Joel E. Saine, Paul Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8348664
    Abstract: A dental apparatus for use with a connecting member coupled to a jaw in a patient's mouth. The apparatus includes an orthodontic device and a connecting device carried by the orthodontic device. The connecting device includes a receptacle adapted to partially receive the connecting member and a blocking member. The blocking member is moveable relative to the receptacle between an opened position in which the connecting member may be disengaged from the receptacle and a closed position in which the connecting member is captured within the receptacle for pivotally engaging the orthodontic device with the connecting member. The orthodontic device may further include a biasing member selectively activated to provide a spring-biased force to the jaw. A method of using the dental apparatus includes moving the blocking member to capture/release the connecting member in the receptacle and activating/deactivating the biasing member to operate the apparatus in a different mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Ormco Corporation
    Inventors: Hamid Sheikh, Dwight Damon, Kevin Corcoran
  • Patent number: 8349099
    Abstract: Metal seeds for forming single-crystal shape-memory alloys (SMAs) may be fabricated with high reliability and control by alloying thin films of material together. In particular, described herein are methods of forming AlCuNi SMAs by first producing high-quality seeds (ingots) of copper, aluminum, and nickel to produce for pulling single crystal shape memory alloys, in particular superelastic or hyperelastic alloys. The method is applicable to a wide range of alloys in which one or more of the components are reactive. The method is an improvement upon traditional methods such as mixing and melting pellets. In this improved method, a reactive layer (e.g., aluminum) is provided in thin flat layers between layers of other materials (e.g., copper and layers of nickel).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Ormco Corporation
    Inventors: Alfred David Johnson, Walter A. Bachmann
  • Patent number: 8348609
    Abstract: A method for de-icing a blade of a wind turbine after the wind turbine has been idle for a period of time. The method includes the steps of creating a controlled acceleration condition of the blade, and subsequently creating a controlled deceleration condition of the blade, whereby ice is shaken off the blade. A wind turbine including a rotor including at least one blade, and deicing means for de-icing the blade wherein the de-icing means includes actuating means of the wind turbine and wherein the de-icing means further includes control means for performing a method for de-icing a blade. Furthermore, the invention relates to use of a wind turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Yoshiki Haraguchi
  • Patent number: 8348611
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sensor system and method for detecting deformation in a wind turbine rotor blade, and particularly to a temperature compensated system and method. A first optic fiber 22b is attached to the rotor blade such that deformation of the component acts on the first optical fiber and causes the optical path length of the fiber to change. A second optic fiber 27 is mounted loosely in the wind turbine component in such a way that it is not subject to deformation. A light source 10, a light detector 11, and a controller 12 input light into the two optical fibers and receive signals from them. Based on the detected light, the controller can determine the optical path length based on the light signals. In different embodiments, the light source varies the input wavelength over a range of wavelengths, provides a multi wavelength light signal, such as a white light source, or inputs a pulsed light signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Ib Olesen
  • Patent number: 8348451
    Abstract: Emergency cabin illumination for an aircraft, including: at least one cabin component of an aircraft and at least one emergency lighting device, the at least one emergency lighting device being arranged in the cabin component so that the emergency lighting device in its switched-off state has no contrast to its environment, and in the switched-on state of the emergency lighting device, the light emitted emerges from the cabin component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Carsten Kohlmeier-Beckmann, Anja Niemeyer
  • Patent number: 8348622
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wind turbine blade comprising at least two wind turbine blade sections that include one or more strengthening structures, the ends of the strengthening structures being connected in a connection joint. The ends include corresponding connection surfaces, the one or more relevant dimensions of the surfaces being larger than the dimensions of the transverse surfaces of the strengthening structures at the ends. The one or more relevant dimensions of the connection joint are larger than that of the adjacent strengthening structure. The invention also relates to a wind turbine blade in which the at least two wind turbine blade sections include a number of substantially oblong carbon fiber strips and strips of one or further materials such as wood or glass fiber. The invention further relates to a wind turbine blade section, an assembly plant for assembling wind turbine blade sections and to a method and use of such wind turbine blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Anton Bech
  • Patent number: 8347809
    Abstract: A slot nozzle assembly for extruding a foamable melted material in a wide band including a plurality of foamable melted material passages, lateral distribution flow routes communicating with the plurality of foamable melted material passages, a restriction member disposed inside the lateral distribution flow routes, a slot for discharging foamable melted material, and a converging portion which communicates with the lateral distribution flow routes and the slot, and whose cross-section area gradually becomes smaller toward the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Nordson Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Takahashi, Hitoshi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8352634
    Abstract: An apparatus, program product and method utilize on-demand propagation of routing information to reduce the overhead associated with distributing routing information throughout a distributed computing system. The staleness of the routing information utilized in routing client requests for a particular client is gauged based upon the number and/or frequency of client requests issued for that client that require rerouting, e.g., as indicated in responses returned in response to the client requests. Once the reroutes of client requests meet a desired propagation criterion, updated routing information is then requested for the client.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jinmei Shen, Hao Wang
  • Patent number: 8349046
    Abstract: Syngas is formed by combining a carbon source with steam at an elevated temperature in a generally horizontal reactor. The heat for the reaction is provided by a stoichiometric combustion nozzle at a first end of the horizontal reaction chamber. The carbon source is deposited downwardly into the reaction chamber where it combines with a flowing stream of hot gas formed from the stoichiometric combustion in combination with steam and additional oxygen, if necessary. This flowing stream of gas reacts with the deposited carbon feed source and is directed to a cyclone separator where the formed syngas is recovered from an upper portion of the separator and any formed ash is directed into a collection tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Enerjetik LLC
    Inventor: James Klepper
  • Patent number: 8348100
    Abstract: A device and a method for delivering a fluid, in particular hot-melt adhesive. The device includes a base member having an inlet opening for receiving the fluid from a fluid source and an outlet opening for delivering the fluid to a nozzle arrangement. The nozzle arrangement has a discharge passage with a discharge opening for delivery of the fluid. A heat transfer member heats or cools the fluid and includes a heat transfer passage through which the fluid can flow. The heat transfer passage is of a flow cross-section which changes in the flow direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Nordson Corporation
    Inventors: Hubert Kufner, Thomas Burmester
  • Patent number: 8351851
    Abstract: An apparatus for repeating signals includes a receive antenna for receiving input signals, processing circuitry for processing the input signals to form repeated signals, and a transmit antenna for transmitting the repeated signals. The processing circuitry includes an adaptive digital filter configured to generate cancellation signals that are added to the input signals to cancel unwanted feedback signals from the input signals. A frequency shifting circuit adds a frequency shift to the input signals, after the addition of the cancellation signals, to form repeated signals that are frequency shifted from the input signals. A digital signal processor is coupled to the adaptive digital filter for digitally adapting the filter. The digital signal processor utilizes the frequency shift of the transmission signals to adapt the adaptive digital filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Andrew LLC
    Inventors: Chris Ranson, Van Hanson, Thomas Kummetz
  • Patent number: 8346160
    Abstract: A signal repeating system for a wireless network includes an antenna configured for transceiving signals between a base station and a user equipment device. Repeating circuitry is coupled to the antenna and defines an uplink path for signals from the user equipment device to the base station and a downlink path for signals from the base station to the user equipment device. The repeating circuitry includes gain circuitry and gain control circuitry that is coupled to the gain circuitry. The gain control circuitry is operable for varying the gain of the repeating circuitry according to a waveform. Measurement circuitry measures the receive power in the uplink path over time from the user equipment device. Processing circuitry cross-correlates the inverted gain variation waveform with the measured receive power for determining the existence of traffic from user equipment devices in the uplink path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Andrew LLC
    Inventor: Thomas Kummetz
  • Patent number: 8342318
    Abstract: Suspension devices for suspending strings of sausages in loops. The suspension device may include hooks configured for carrying a loop of the string of sausages and a guide and drive device coupled with the hooks. The guide and drive device is configured for guiding and driving the hooks along a path of movement. The guide and drive device has a drivable circulating drive element for spaced receiving of the hooks and for driving the hooks. The suspension device may include a height-altering device that alters the height of the hooks during the movement of the hooks along the path of movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: VEMAG Maschinenbau GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Knodel
  • Patent number: D673884
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Huffy Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy A. Seay
  • Patent number: D673885
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Huffy Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy A. Seay
  • Patent number: D673895
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Inventors: Christopher W. Smith, Rodney A. McMichen
  • Patent number: D674158
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joo-Hyung Kim, Yu-Na Park