Patents Assigned to American Standard Inc.
  • Patent number: 5735686
    Abstract: A method of operating a pre-mix power burner assembly. The method comprises the steps of: using a fan to supply and control combustion; mixing fuel gas and primary air together; introducing the mixture into secondary air in a combustion zone; and relieving pressure on the exterior of the fan near the fan shaft to the interior of the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventor: Edward D. Hildreth, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5735312
    Abstract: A sanitary water valve having control elements consisting of at least two discs. The first disc is arranged immovably and constitutes the valve seat disc and the second disc, which constitutes the control disc, is arranged movably on the first disc and has a surface conduit for deflection functions which can simultaneously be made to overlap the inflow apertures and outflow aperture on the first disc. The second disc includes one or more depressions which substantially reduce the actuation forces required to open the water valve and as a result, operating efficiency is considerably enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventor: Hermann-Josef Schneider
  • Patent number: 5730173
    Abstract: A valve device is provided, the base of which includes a lower valve seat of a reflux and aerating valve, which is inserted into a hollow space located above the taps. The hollow space is sealed at the bottom and open at the top and/or side. If the valve device has any sealing flaws, the leaking water is collected, and air flows into the valve device via the hollow space if the pressure in the main water supply drops. If any water seeps out of the valve device due to sealing flaws in the valve, water flows from the lower valve seat to the hollow space of the separator wherein it collects and flows out through the opening in the separator. As a result, leakages in the fittings can be detected easily and quickly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: American Standard, Inc.
    Inventor: Jurgen Sponheimer
  • Patent number: 5720602
    Abstract: A high side co-rotational scroll compressor has lubricant sumps in both the discharge and suction pressure portions of its hermetic shell as well as a pressure biasing arrangement by which the scroll members are urged together in operation to minimize internal leakage. Lubrication of the bearing in which the driven scroll member rotates as well as to the bearing in which the idler scroll member rotates, both of which are located in the suction pressure portion of the shell, is provided for. Additionally, embodiments are taught by which the interface between the tips of the wraps of each scroll member and the end plate of the opposing scroll member are lubricated and by which the seal in the axial pressure biasing arrangement is lubricated and/or shielded from debris having the potential to damage it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1998
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Joe T. Hill, John R. Williams
  • Patent number: 5708991
    Abstract: An adjustable valve to control the amount of water flowing through the refill water hose to the overflow tube and into the water closet bowl. The valve is a dual component device including a housing structure and a lever component. Both the housing structure and lever component have a trunk section of similar shape, but of different size. The trunk section of the lever component fits snugly within the trunk section of the housing structure. The lever component is able to rotate within the housing structure. The trunk sections in both the housing structure and the lever component include openings which provide a passageway for water to flow therethrough. The openings in the housing structure are spherically shaped and the openings in the lever component are pear-shaped. The housing structure includes a pair of tabs disposed 90.degree. from one another for limiting the rotation of the lever component such that the openings in both the housing structure and lever component are always aligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1998
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventor: Peter V. DeMarco
  • Patent number: 5704343
    Abstract: A condensate trap assembly. The assembly comprises a housing having first and second condensate inlets where the first condensate inlet is sized to pass more condensate than the second condensate inlet. The housing has an ambient air inlet providing access to an ambient air chamber within the housing, a first condensate chamber open to the first condensate inlet, and a second condensate chamber open to the second condensate inlet. The first condensate chamber, the second condensate chamber, and the ambient air chamber are open to each other and the first condensate chamber includes airflow restrictors to retard the volume of airflow through the first chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Hongsik Ahn, Alex M. Hofman
  • Patent number: 5699587
    Abstract: The invention relates to a handle for a sanitary fitting, and particularly to a single-lever sanitary fitting, having a base and a cap, whereby the base of the handle has a handle section and an attachment section. The handle cap can be engaged with and disengaged from the handle base in an area to be covered on the top of the handle section and/or of the attachment section. In order to be able to repeatedly disengage the cap of the handle from the base without there being any risk of damage or without necessitating the use of a tool, there are corresponding locking devices on the base and cap of the handle, which act jointly to combine the base and cap of the handle in such a manner that the cap can placed in mounting direction A onto the area of the base which has to be covered. It is then slid perpendicular to mounting direction A in sliding direction B, establishing a clamping effect between the locking devices, whereby the cap is pushed inward until it covers the entire designated area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1997
    Assignee: American Standard, Inc.
    Inventor: Alfons Thul
  • Patent number: 5685027
    Abstract: A siphonic flush valve for a toilet having a toilet tank and toilet bowl. The valve includes a housing supportable in the toilet tank and defines a chamber, an upleg open to the chamber and a downleg open to the upleg. The chamber includes a manually actuatable piston system slideably supported therein for forcing water in the chamber into the upleg. The flush valve also includes an adjustable check valve and a vent and reseal tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventor: Robert M. Jensen
  • Patent number: 5675978
    Abstract: Oil management apparatus for a refrigeration chiller includes a housing mounted to the head wall of an oil supply tank. The housing defines a series of ports and internal flow passages in communication with a valve cavity. A valve spindle disposed in the cavity is configured and positionable such that a plurality of oil flow passages within the chiller are capable of being setup in order to accommodate various chiller lubrication needs including those as they relate to both chiller operation and maintenance. The combination of an integral housing and single valve eliminates a large number of individual valves and the need to connect those valves and various chiller lubrication components, such as an oil filter and oil pressure regulator, with individual sections of difficult to fabricate piping. As a result, the likelihood of error in the setup of a chiller lubrication system is significantly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Frederic B. Hamm, Jr., David H. Eber
  • Patent number: 5674125
    Abstract: A device for monitoring and modulating the admission of fresh air into a building. The device comprises a housing; a sensor associated with the housing and operable to measure airflow through the housing; and a damper including at least two damper blades. Each damper blade includes a shaft rotatably attached to the housing at least at a first shaft end. The shaft is located on the surface of the damper blade so as to divide the surface into first and second substantially equal areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Lunxi Peter Xia, Rolf M. Hanson, Nels R. Ebbesen, Michael G. Lunacek, Robert M. Swanson, Dennis R. Dorman, Jeffrey A. Moore
  • Patent number: D384678
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Peter A. Kotlarek, Larry R. Arentz, Dyck A. Shepherd, Scott J. Smerud
  • Patent number: D385014
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventor: Franco Bertoli
  • Patent number: D385336
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Paul P. Kolada, Donna A. Spano
  • Patent number: D389897
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: American Standard, Inc.
    Inventor: Wilfried A. Delker
  • Patent number: D389898
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: American Standard, Inc.
    Inventors: Wilfred Delker, Luan Nguyen
  • Patent number: D389899
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: American Standard, Inc.
    Inventors: Luan Nguyen, Tom Hart
  • Patent number: D389902
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: American Standard, Inc.
    Inventors: Sherry L. Jones, Sean Svendsen
  • Patent number: D389903
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: American Standard, Inc.
    Inventors: Sherry L. Jones, Sean Svendsen
  • Patent number: D390921
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: American Standard, Inc.
    Inventors: Rudolf Steffes, Paul P. Kolada
  • Patent number: D393056
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventor: Paul P. Kolada