Patents Assigned to Physical Systems, Inc.
  • Patent number: 4842912
    Abstract: Improved adhesive attachments and related mounting fixtures and methods are provided for secure mounting of an adhesive attachment to a substrate. In one preferred form, the adhesive attachment comprises an enlarged attachment base locked in sandwiched relation between multiple laminations of prebonded composite material to define an enlarged composite footplate with an extended composite material surface for secure bonding onto a substrate of composite material. The attachment is pressed against the substrate with an appropriate bonding agent at the attachment/substrate interface by a mounting fixture which is connected at least temporarily to the substrate and includes a spring member applying a positive force pressing the attachment toward the substrate. Alternative adhesive attachments formed from multiple components are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1989
    Assignee: Physical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles G. Hutter, III
  • Patent number: 4822656
    Abstract: An improved attachment fixture is provided for securely mounting an adhesive attachment such as a threaded screw, patch, or the like onto a substrate. The improved fixture, which is adapted for construction as a one-piece plastic molding, is temporarily secured to the substrate in a first position with the attachment substantially out of bearing engagement with the substrate and then switched to a second position applying a positive force urging the attachment into bearing engagement with the substrate. The fixture is allowed to remain in the second position for a period of time sufficient for curing of an adhesive material applied to the attachment/substrate interface, after which the fixture may be removed. In some forms, the improved fixture maintains the orientation of the attachment during movement into bearing engagement with the substrate thereby preventing uneven distribution of or uneven application of forces to the adhesive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1989
    Assignee: Physical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles G. Hutter, III
  • Patent number: 4813368
    Abstract: A musical tea kettle is provided for playing a selected tune or the like when water within the kettle is heated to a boiling condition. The tea kettle includes a kettle body having an upper opening within which is mounted a steam driven whistle unit having a steam powered shuttle valve assembly for supplying steam to a plurality of steam whistles. When water within the kettle is boiled, the shuttle valve assembly drives a rotatable valve plate having valve ports therein for discharging steam to the plurality of steam whistles mounted on the shuttle valve assembly, wherein the valve ports are arranged in position and size to operate the steam whistles in a timed pattern to play the selected tune.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1989
    Assignee: Physical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles G. Hutter, III, Raymond R. Hill
  • Patent number: 4778702
    Abstract: Improved adhesive attachments and related mounting fixtures and methods are provided for secure mounting of an adhesive attachment to a substrate. In one preferred form, the adhesive attachment comprises an enlarged attachment base locked in sandwiched relation between multiple laminations of prebonded composite material to define an enlarged composite footplate with an extended composite material surface for secure bonding onto a substrate of composite material. The attachment is pressed against the substrate with an appropriate bonding agent at the attachment/substrate interface by a mounting fixture which is connected at least temporarily to the substrate and includes a spring member applying a positive force pressing the attachment toward the substrate. Alternative adhesive attachments formed from multiple components are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: Physical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles G. Hutter, III
  • Patent number: 4668546
    Abstract: An improved attachment fixture is provided for securely mounting an adhesive attachment such as a thread screw, patch, or the like onto a substrate. The improved fixture, which is adapted for construction as a one-piece plastic molding, is temporarily secured to the substrate in a first position with the attachment substantially out of bearing engagement with the substrate and then switched to a second position applying a positive force urging the attachment into bearing engagement with the substrate. The fixture is allowed to remain in the second position for a period of time sufficient for curing of an adhesive material applied to the attachment/substrate interface, after which the fixture may be removed. In some forms, the improved fixture maintains the orientation of the attachment during movement into bearing engagement with the substrate thereby preventing uneven distribution of or uneven application of forces to the adhesive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1987
    Assignee: Physical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles G. Hutter, III
  • Patent number: 4520836
    Abstract: An improved freezeproof valve assembly is provided for a water hydrant, such as an outdoor drinking fountain or the like. The valve assembly comprises a sump housing for installation below the ground frost line and for connection between a water supply pipe and a standpipe, the latter being coupled in turn to a fountain bubbler head or the like. A control valve within the sump housing is opened pneumatically upon depression of an actuator button on the fountain to permit water flow from the supply pipe through a main jet pump which draws an induced water flow from within the sump housing through an induction port thereby providing a combined water flow through the standpipe to the bubbler head. This combined water flow is maintained substantially constant by a float-activated refill valve which permits a refill water flow from the supply pipe into the sump housing sufficient to maintain the housing water level above the main jet pump induction port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1983
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1985
    Assignee: Physical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles G. Hutter, III
  • Patent number: 4466764
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided for separating and lifting units, such as insulated glass window or door units, one at a time from a stack of units. The apparatus comprises a frame which supports a movably mounted suction platen for vacuum engagement with an upwardly presented surface of the uppermost unit in the stack and a push block for bearing engagement with a peripheral edge of the unit immediately below the uppermost unit. A pneumatic cylinder assembly reacts between the frame and the suction platen to displace the platen and the engaged uppermost unit with respect to the push block and the underlying units in the stack whereby the uppermost unit is separated from the underlying units. The suction platen remains in vacuum engagement with the separated unit to permit lifting and carrying thereof to an alternative location. Controls facilitating operation of the apparatus are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1982
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1984
    Assignee: Physical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles G. Hutter, III
  • Patent number: 4443269
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for cleaning radioactively contaminated articles, including tools and like items of hardware. The system includes a cleaning chamber for receiving and sealing therein the contaminated articles, a high pressure spray gun disposed within the cleaning chamber for spraying the contaminated articles with a clean solvent to dislodge and dissolve the contaminants, and a system for decontaminating the solvent for reuse. The cleaning chamber includes a drain having the capacity to remove contaminated solvent at a rate at least as great as that at which the solvent is sprayed into the chamber, such that substantially no contaminated solvent collects in the cleaning chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1984
    Assignee: Health Physics Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph A. Capella, David E. Fowler
  • Patent number: 4390576
    Abstract: A method and apparatus making use of that method for applying pressure to an element to be adhesively or comparably secured to a substrate. An example of such an apparatus is found in an adhesive patch and means for applying the patch to a surface which may have been ruptured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1983
    Assignee: Physical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles G. Hutter, III
  • Patent number: 4338151
    Abstract: A method and apparatus making use of that method for applying pressure to an element to be adhesively or comparably secured to a substrate. An example of such an apparatus is found in an adhesive patch and means for applying the patch to a surface which may have been ruptured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1982
    Assignee: Physical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles G. Hutter, III
  • Patent number: 4235600
    Abstract: Garments are deposited in a cleaning drum and the drum is agitated during a wash cycle. A dry cleaning solvent is continuously added to the drum during the wash cycle and continuously removed from the drum during the wash cycle to flush the radioactive particulate material separated from the garments into a sump. The solvent is pumped from the sump for addition to the drum during the wash cycle and the pumped solvent is filtered to remove substantially all of the radioactive particulate material suspended in the solvent.The apparatus for decontaminating the radioactive garments comprises a sump for supporting a dry cleaning solvent. A drum for supporting the radioactively contaminated garments during a wash cycle which separates the radioactive particulate material from the garments means are provided for continuously pumping the dry cleaning solvent from the sump to the drum and for continuously removing the solvent and separated particulate material from the drum into the sump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1980
    Assignee: Health Physics Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph A. Capella, Dennis R. Morrison
  • Patent number: 4072333
    Abstract: A removable, portable door-locking device engages a recess in the door frame conventionally provided to receive a latch built into the door. A hook that engages this recess extends into the room from between the door and door frame and coacts with wedges that press against the door and frame to hold the door tightly closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1978
    Assignee: Physical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles G. Hutter, III
  • Patent number: 4071338
    Abstract: Means for exhausting the fumes arising from material being mixed in a mixing bowl, the fumes being drawn off and passed through a filter that removes the noxious materials and returns the air to the room in which the bowl is located. The device is particularly adapted for use in surgical operating rooms where the utmost precautions must be taken to prevent the inhalation of any fumes by the patient and where sterility must be maintained at all times during the operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1978
    Assignee: Physical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles G. Hutter, III, Peter S. Hutter
  • Patent number: 4019721
    Abstract: A combination of substantially unmixed fluid materials which are flowing under conditions which normally result in laminar (non-turbulent) flow are mixed by passing the fluids upwardly into a chamber containing a heavy ball which is levitated above the chamber inlet by the flow of the fluids, resulting in an intimate mixing of the fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1975
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1977
    Assignee: Bio/Physics Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Rene J. Langner
  • Patent number: 3984307
    Abstract: Small particles to be sorted are entrained in a stream of fluid and particle differences are detected to control a sorter located downstream. The sorter is effective to switch the particle carrying fluid to one of two different paths determined by the particle differences to thereby accomplish the sort. A particle detector is positioned to detect the passage of particles through one of said paths in order to verify that the sorting operation has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1974
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1976
    Assignee: Bio/Physics Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Louis A. Kamentsky, Isaac Klinger
  • Patent number: 3964106
    Abstract: A prosthesis that replaces the articulating surfaces of the knee joint with mechanical devices which are designed to reproduce its function. A portion of the lower end of the femur is removed and replaced by a cap while the upper tibia is cut off and replaced by a tibial plateau. The articulating surface of the patella is modified to permit fixation of a third component which articulates with a groove in the anterior part of the femoral cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1976
    Assignee: Physical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles G. Hutter, Jr., Luigi Gentile
  • Patent number: 3955570
    Abstract: Mask includes support member with head band arranged horizontally to fit head of wearer. Conduit sections are secured to each side of support member, and flexible ventilation conduit is connected to exhaust means. Transparent face plate is held to support member in spaced relation to wearer's head. Aperture means in conduit allow ingress of air, and exhaust means connected to conduit sections exhaust air from ventilation conduit and interior of mask. In one form, means in upper portion of face plate admit airflow and direct it down over inner surface of face plate to prevent fogging. Hood of air-impermeable material fits over head and shoulders. Gown of similar material over body and lower part of hood and tied at neck completes assembly. Any leakage is that of sterile air from exterior to interior of mask because of continuously operating exhaust system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1974
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1976
    Assignee: Physical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles G. Hutter, III
  • Patent number: D311839
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1990
    Assignee: Physical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles G. Hutter, III, Raymond R. Hill