Patents Assigned to Hill Engineering
  • Patent number: 9713289
    Abstract: A modular pod may include two or more walls, a roof, and a base, an air plenum, an air inlet, and an air economizer. The two or more walls, the roof, and the base may define a substantially enclosed interior space. The return air plenum may be positioned within the interior space. The air inlet may be positioned proximate one of the walls. The air economizer may be positioned within the interior space. The air economizer may include a mixing zone and two or more air shafts. The mixing zone may be in communication with the air inlet. The two or more air shafts may be in communication with the air plenum and in communication with the mixing zone. Each air shaft may taper down from the top end to the bottom end of the air shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: CH2M Hill Engineers, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin D. Rasmussen, Robert Kirkendall, Michael R. Monis, Aubrey A. Berliner, III, Judson W. Moore, Dale W. Heberling, Keith L. Kibbee, David W. Seger, Timothy G. Meier
  • Patent number: 8863640
    Abstract: A control system for extending and retracting a ram of a hydraulic coupler for coupling an attachment to an arm of an excavator or back hoe, said control system being adapted to provide an audible and/or visual alert to an operator to indicate a leak of fluid or loss of fluid pressure from said ram and/or from a hydraulic circuit supplying said fluid to the ram. Preferably the control system further comprises a flow sensor for sensing the flow of fluid in a feed line for supplying pressurized fluid to the ram and/or a pressure sensor for sensing the pressure of fluid in said feed line, said control system including at least one indication device for providing said audible and/or visual alert to an operator to indicate a leak of fluid or loss of fluid pressure in response to, or as a function of, the output of the flow sensor and/or the pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Hill Engineering Limited
    Inventors: Ian Hill, Nick Elwell
  • Patent number: 8178059
    Abstract: A system for supplying chlorine to and recovering chlorine from a polysilicon plant may include a brine treatment system, at least one membrane cell, a chlorine drying system, a chlorine compression system, a hydrogen drying system, a hydrogen compression system, a hydrogen chloride synthesis/desorption system, a hydrogen chloride liquefaction system, a liquefied hydrogen chloride storage system, a hydrogen chloride vaporizer, and a waste conversion and filtration system. These systems may be operatively joined to generate hydrogen chloride gas for delivery to the polysilicon plant. A method for supplying chlorine to the polysilicon plant may include generating hydrogen gas and chlorine gas from recovered and raw salt, converting at least a portion of the hydrogen gas and at least a portion of the chlorine gas to hydrogen chloride, passing the hydrogen chloride through a cryogenic column, vaporizing the hydrogen chloride, and providing the vaporized hydrogen chloride to the polysilicon plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: CH2M HILL Engineers, Inc.
    Inventor: James T. Sims
  • Patent number: 7700047
    Abstract: Systems and methods for treating hazardous materials are disclosed. One exemplary implementation provides a system for rendering chemical weapons materiel less hazardous. This system includes a detonation chamber, an expansion chamber, and an emission treater adapted to treat gas from detonation of the chemical weapons materiel. The emission treater yields a substantially dry residual waste stream and a treated gas suitable for venting to atmosphere. The emission treater may treat the gas with an alkaline powder that interacts with the gas, producing the residual waste stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignees: CH2M Hill Constructors, Inc., CH2M Demilitarization, Inc., CH2M Hill Engineers, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay M. Quimby, Richard A. Johnson, Alan T. Edwards, John L. Donovan, McRea B. Willmert
  • Publication number: 20090145770
    Abstract: A system for supplying chlorine to and recovering chlorine from a polysilicon plant may include a brine treatment system, at least one membrane cell, a chlorine drying system, a chlorine compression system, a hydrogen drying system, a hydrogen compression system, a hydrogen chloride synthesis/desorption system, a hydrogen chloride liquefaction system, a liquefied hydrogen chloride storage system, a hydrogen chloride vaporizer, and a waste conversion and filtration system. These systems may be operatively joined to generate hydrogen chloride gas for delivery to the polysilicon plant. A method for supplying chlorine to the polysilicon plant may include generating hydrogen gas and chlorine gas from recovered and raw salt, converting at least a portion of the hydrogen gas and at least a portion of the chlorine gas to hydrogen chloride, passing the hydrogen chloride through a cryogenic column, vaporizing the hydrogen chloride, and providing the vaporized hydrogen chloride to the polysilicon plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: CH2M Hill Engineers, Inc.
    Inventor: James T. Sims
  • Patent number: 7455504
    Abstract: Fluid movers produce at least predominantly laminar flow internally in an axial or a radial direction in a rotor. A fluid mover rotor comprises a matrix of passages of appropriate size to produce at least predominantly laminar flow spaced circumferentially around the rotor. The passages may provide axial, radial or mixed flow. “Appropriate” dimensions may be selected for a specified volume flow rate. In a radial embodiment, a matrix of radially extending passages could comprise walls having an axial height projecting from an annular disk. The passages may be offset with respect to the radial direction to provide an angle of attack that minimizes incidence losses. The matrix structure allows the use of thin-walled passages to minimize blockage of entering air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Hill Engineering
    Inventors: Charles C. Hill, Theodore B. Hill
  • Patent number: 6671911
    Abstract: Multiple foam-filled cells form a cushioned support surface of a seat or mattress. Individual cells may be collapsed by connection through a manifold and valve to a vacuum source. The collapsed cell essentially removes contact pressure in a localized area of the person supported on the surface and restores localized blood flow. After a pre-determined time interval, atmospheric pressure is readmitted to the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Hill Engineering
    Inventors: Charles C. Hill, Theodore B. Hill, Carly A. Anderson
  • Patent number: 6450752
    Abstract: A feeder system for incrementally feeding a tube along a linear tube path to a point of use. The feeder system includes a frame, and first and second belts on the frame. The first and second belts are capable of moving incrementally in respective first and second belt paths and thereby incrementally moving a tube engaged by the first and second belts in the linear tube path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Hill Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald Hill
  • Patent number: 6354180
    Abstract: A system for cutting sheet material. The system has a first roller with at least one cutting element thereon with the first roller rotatable around a first axis and the second roller having at least one receptacle thereon and rotatable around a second axis. The first and second rollers are relatively positioned so that as the first and second rollers rotate around the first and second axes, the one cutting element aligns with and projects into the one receptacle to thereby cause cutting out of a discrete portion of a sheet material between the first and second rollers. A servo drive is provided for at least one of a) rotating the first roller around the first axis and b) rotating the second roller around the second axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Hill Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald Hill
  • Patent number: 5890402
    Abstract: A method of forming tool dies, comprising the steps of (a) forming a plurality of unitary tool blank plates by mechanically securing a low carbon steel plate portion to a tool steel plate portion with a thin layer of brazing material therebetween, and heating the secured low carbon steel plate portion, tool steel plate portion, and brazing material layer to simultaneously (1) melt the brazing material to braze the low carbon steel plate portion to the tool steel plate portion and form the unitary blank plate, and (2) harden the tool steel plate portion, (b) maintaining an inventory of the tool blank plates, (c) retrieving one of the unitary blank plates from inventory in response to a tool die order from a customer, (d) operating on the retrieved blank plate to selectively shape the blank plate into a tool die as ordered by the customer, including (1) operating on the low carbon steel plate portion wherein at least a part of the operations on the low carbon steel plate portion do not include use of carbide to
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1999
    Assignee: Hill Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas F. Nedbal
  • Patent number: 4814550
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for isolating electric power lines includes an insulator assembly to which is pivotally connected two line clamps. After the clamps clamp to the wire, the wire is cut so that the insulator isolates the line. In one form the clamping surfaces are curved in the longitudinal direction to make up for the loss of line length due to the elongation of the assembly under line tension. Cut-out assemblies for fuse and disconnect purposes are readily applied to the assembly by a lineman standing on the ground below.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1989
    Assignee: Black Hills Engineering & Development Corp.
    Inventor: James C. Newberg
  • Patent number: 4719782
    Abstract: A machine for controlling the width of workpieces rolled between horizontal rolls includes a pair of vertical edger rolls which are mounted on respective pivotable arms. The pivots for the arms include an eccentric whereby the rolls can be moved closer together or further apart to accommodate workpieces of different width. A cam mechanism is provided to increase and decrease the separation between the rolls. This mechanism bears against the arms on the opposite sides of the pivots to the edger rolls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1988
    Assignee: Hille Engineering Limited
    Inventor: Dennis Stubbs
  • Patent number: 4471642
    Abstract: A rod, bar or section mill has a train of rolling mill stands, each of which is attached to a bed plate with which the stand is introduced into, and withdrawn from, the mill. The bed plate carries pedestals on which are secured guides; those guides can be properly located on the bed plate prior to entry of the stand into the mill; on the stand being positioned in the mill, the guides are then automatically located relative to the pass-line and the down-time of the mill on stand replacement is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1982
    Date of Patent: September 18, 1984
    Assignee: Hille Engineering Company Limited
    Inventor: Alexander I. Wilson
  • Patent number: 4280351
    Abstract: A taper-rolling machine comprises a four-high rolling mill having driven work rolls and means for adjusting one work roll and its back-up roll relative to the other work roll; a drawbar reciprocable relative to the rolling mill for drawing a blank through the mill; a mechanism for adjusting the adjustable work roll and back-up roll according to the position of the drawbar to effect taper rolling; and edger rolls acting on the blank to control the widthwise spread of the blank during rolling by the rolling mill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1979
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1981
    Assignee: Hille Engineering Company Limited
    Inventor: Alexander I. Wilson
  • Patent number: 4193282
    Abstract: A rolling machine for reducing the cross-sectional dimensions of an elongate workpiece, such as a steel billet, has two pairs of alternately operating rolls, each of which is journalled in an individual roll carrier. Each carrier is rotated about a carrier axis which is inclined at an angle of about 45.degree. to the axis of rotation of the roll journalled in the carrier. The carrier axes form the sides of a square around the passline which is normal to the plane in which the carrier axes are located. As the carriers rotate the two pairs of rolls alternately sweep over the workpiece and intermittently contact and reduce the workpiece in directions which are mutually at right angles. To avoid the formation of sharp edges to the rolled workpiece, either each roll is collared to enclose a workpiece edge, or each carrier additionally carries an edger roll which rounds that edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1978
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1980
    Assignee: Hill Engineering Company Limited
    Inventor: Alexander I. Wilson
  • Patent number: 4182149
    Abstract: A rolling mill stand, particularly for rolling rod, has two roll shafts each carrying a roll. Each roll shaft is carried by an eccentric shaft which also carries a drive shaft aligned with the roll shaft and coupled to it through a drive coupling permitting limited misalignment between the roll and drive shafts. An adjustment drive mechanism acts on the two eccentric shafts to turn them equally and oppositely and to cause the separation between the roll shafts and between the drive shafts to be altered. Each drive shaft has a gear drive consisting of a gear on the drive shaft meshing with a gear on an auxiliary drive shaft and the gears on the two auxiliary drive shafts mesh with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 8, 1980
    Assignee: Hille Engineering Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Alexander I. Wilson
  • Patent number: 4136545
    Abstract: A rolling mill stand, particularly for a rod or bar mill, has, at each side of the pass line, a rotary roll housing which includes a number of fitments each for detachably carrying a roll assembly. By rotating the roll housings, one of the roll assemblies of each roll housing can be brought into a rolling position, in which it is coupled to drive means. In order to change the rolls at the rolling positions, each of the roll housings is rotated to bring a fresh roll assembly into position. The stand has a roll change rig enabling one or more of the roll assemblies of each roll housing to be quickly run out of the stand and replaced by substitute roll assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 30, 1979
    Assignee: Hille Engineering Company Limited
    Inventor: Alexander I. Wilson
  • Patent number: 4031764
    Abstract: A device for rotating a plurality of articles is formed with a substantially cylindrical passage, two helical paths being defined along the internal surface thereof; the helical paths are located diametrically opposite one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1977
    Assignee: Thomas Hill Engineering Co. (Hull) Ltd.
    Inventor: Sidney Curtis
  • Patent number: 4015496
    Abstract: A tube cutoff apparatus arranged to provide an improved cutoff of a tube avoiding dimpling of the tube. The apparatus includes an improved blade configuration and mechanism for moving the blade in different directions to effect a multistep tube cutoff. In a first step, the tube is chordally notched, and in a second step, the tube is diametrically sliced to provide a dimpleless cutoff.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1976
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1977
    Assignee: Hill Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald R. Hill
  • Patent number: 3955391
    Abstract: A rod or bar mill stand has two work-roll carrying mountings which are pivoted together on one side of the plane containing the roll axes and which are individually connected to synchronously driven eccentrices. The eccentric drives for the roll mountings, together with the pivotal connection, cause each of the roll axes to follow an eliptical or oval path, such that each roll approaches the pass line to reduce the work, over a part only of the path. The work rolls are driven about their own axes to induce forward movement of the work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1975
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1976
    Assignee: Hille Engineering Company Limited
    Inventor: Alexander Ian Wilson