Patents Assigned to Underground Systems, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11150291
    Abstract: The functional reliability of a cable shield system for a high voltage cable circuit is determined by electrically isolating a segment of the conductive shield from ground along the circuit length and supplying a test voltage of gradually increasing amplitude to the isolated shield segment. Current flows in the shield segment and a connected shield voltage limiter (SVL) in response to the supplied test voltage. The current through the SVL is monitored; and the operational integrity of the shield system is determined as a function of the voltage across and the monitored current through the SVL. Current flow is monitored by sensing the heat dissipated by the SVL included in the link box to which the shield segment is connected. Information representing the voltage across and monitored current through the SVL are transmitted to a remote location whereat the operational integrity of the SVL is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Underground Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert F. Smith, Charles J. Wills, Duncan C. Breese, Paul A. Alex
  • Patent number: 10607475
    Abstract: A remote monitoring system for monitoring parameters of an underground asset, such as an electric cable system, a pipeline serving as a conduit for water, gas, oil, sewage, or the like. Parameter detectors, such as sensors that measure temperature, voltage, current, moisture, etc., are distributed along the asset to provide electrical signals that represent respective monitored parameters of the asset. An underground hub disposed in an underground vault, or manhole, through which the asset passes is coupled to the parameter detectors to acquire the signals provided by the parameter detectors. The hub includes a controller to provide data derived from the acquired signals, the data being transmitted to a remote central location by a transceiver, or modem, via LP-WAN communication. Signals from the transceiver are transmitted directly from underground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Underground Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert F. Smith, Charles J. Wills, IV, Duncan C. Breese, Paul A. Alex
  • Patent number: 9638586
    Abstract: Techniques are described for generating earth sub-surface thermal characteristics over an area include collecting real-time weather data and earth data for a plurality of locations associated with an underground electrical cable and calculating earth thermal properties at the plurality of locations based on the real-time weather data and the measured earth data by an iterative process. The calculated earth thermal properties at two or more of the plurality of locations are interpolated to determine interpolated earth thermal properties at another location associated with the underground electrical cable and a wide-area thermal property map created from at least some of the calculated earth thermal properties and the interpolated earth thermal properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Underground Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: David W. Purnhagen, Chunchuan Xu, Paul A. Alex
  • Publication number: 20150253458
    Abstract: Techniques are described for generating earth sub-surface thermal characteristics over an area include collecting real-time weather data and earth data for a plurality of locations associated with an underground electrical cable and calculating earth thermal properties at the plurality of locations based on the real-time weather data and the measured earth data by an iterative process. The calculated earth thermal properties at two or more of the plurality of locations are interpolated to determine interpolated earth thermal properties at another location associated with the underground electrical cable and a wide-area thermal property map created from at least some of the calculated earth thermal properties and the interpolated earth thermal properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Applicant: Underground Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: David W. Purnhagen, Chunchuan Xu, Paul A. ALEX
  • Patent number: 8883868
    Abstract: A rock dusting composition composed of rock dust, e.g., limestone or other mineral dust, water, pumping aid, and polymer, e.g., acrylamide homopolymers, acrylamide copolymers, and combinations thereof, and a method for applying the composition to the surface of a mine. The composition has a water content and a polymer content sufficient to allow the polymer to (i) disperse water molecules within the composition and, upon drying of the composition, (ii) dissipate forming void spaces in the dried composition. The composition is useful for suppressing propagation of a flame and/or fire caused by ignition of coal dust and/or gas within a coal mine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: DSI Underground Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Peter Masloff, James Edward Pinkley, Billy J. Brown, Steven J. Thorogood, John C. Fodor
  • Patent number: 8801337
    Abstract: A method for attaching a plate to an interior of an underground excavation, the method comprising: placing a first surface of the plate adjacent to the interior of the excavation, the plate having at least one through a passageway disposed within the plate; forming a mounting hole within the excavation in alignment with the passageway; inserting a bolt from a second surface of the plate opposite the first surface through the passageway and into the mounting hole; the bolt having a dome portion being integrally attached to a washer portion, such that the dome portion extends in a convex manner away from the first side of the washer portion; and a driver connected to the dome portion; driving the bolt into through the passageway and the mounting hole by means of the driver; and securing the bolt to the mounting hole disposed within the excavation via an anchorage device, adhesive or grout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: DSI Underground Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew S. Slatter, Roland C. Walker
  • Patent number: 8584974
    Abstract: A rock dusting apparatus comprising: a housing; a tank mounted within the housing which comprises a removable top wall member, a sidewall member and a bottom wall member configured to form an internal tank compartment for holding and mixing a rock dust composition; a mixer positioned on the bottom wall member for mixing the rock dust composition; a tank discharge port positioned on the bottom wall member or a lower portion of the sidewall member through which the rock dust composition can be discharged from the tank; a conduit extending from the tank discharge port to a housing discharge port; the conduit comprising a pump for transporting the rock dust composition through the conduit and through a discharge line operatively connected to the housing discharge port; and one or more motors mounted within the housing for powering the mixer and the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: DSI Underground Systems, Inc
    Inventors: Brian Peter Masloff, James Edward Pinkley, Billy J. Brown, Steven J. Thorogood, John C. Fodor
  • Patent number: 8550751
    Abstract: A cable bolt and related methods are provided. In one aspect of the invention, the bolt includes a sleeve for connecting or securing to a cable. A plurality of facets along a peripheral portion of the sleeve create corners that prevent the cable from rotating within the borehole during installation. The sleeve may he secured to the cable using resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: DSI Underground Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: William G. Fox
  • Patent number: 8539992
    Abstract: A filling apparatus for a grouting system. The filling apparatus comprises a first fill tube and a second fill tube. The first fill tube is discrete from the second fill tube. The first fill tube is disposed for transporting resin mastic and the second fill tube is disposed for transporting initiator. A portion of the first fill tube has an inlet opening through which an injection quill extends interiorly and downwardly through the first fill tube. The injection quill is disposed for transporting inhibitor. This disclosure also relates to a method for adjusting gel time of a grouting system used for anchoring a reinforcing member in an opening, a grouting system for anchoring a reinforcing member in an opening, and a method for anchoring a reinforcing member in a mine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: DSI Underground Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Roy Carlton Jones, Phillip Edwin Gramlich, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8523494
    Abstract: An expansion shell assembly for mine roof bolts includes an expansion member threaded onto an associated mine roof bolt. A support device is annularly disposed around the associated roof bolt. An expansion shell is annularly disposed around the associated roof bolt between the expansion member and the support device. The expansion shell has a base ring for engaging the support device and fingers for engaging a peripheral edge of the tapered plug. The engagement between the base ring and the support device permits axial traverse movement of the support device relative to the expansion shell for tensioning the roof bolt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: DSI Underground Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: James D. Cook
  • Patent number: 8497781
    Abstract: A power supply extracts electrical power from the electro-magnetic field surrounding a high voltage power conductor and conditions the derived input power to provide a stable power source for instrumentation and communications equipment. The communications controller is a local network router that routes serial data traffic to selected communication devices such as an instrumentation processor, a power supply processor, or a maintenance port controller. The router forwards the data to other communications equipment and forwards data from the communicating equipment to an external network providing substantially simultaneous communications between the external network and the instrumentation processor, power supply processor and maintenance port controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Underground Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: John Engelhardt, Larry Fish
  • Patent number: 7733094
    Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring and measuring the electrical, thermal and mechanical operating parameters of high voltage power conductors. A toroidal shaped housing, which can be mounted onto an energized conductor, contains all of the necessary electrical instruments to monitor the parameters associated with the conductor. Moreover, the housing includes the processing capability to analyze disturbance and fault events based on these parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Underground Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: James Bright, Larry Fish, John Engelhardt, Paul Alex, Duncan Breese
  • Patent number: 7641387
    Abstract: The combination of a temperature sensor and an inclination sensor or the combination of a temperature sensor and a tension monitor properly positioned in conjunction with an energized electrical conductor produces outputs that are dependent on the conductor's average temperature in real time. A transmitter is used to communicate this information in real time to a central location such that up to optimal or maximum power transmission is feasible through the conductor while maintaining a safe clearance to the ground. This allows for close monitoring of thermal expansion resulting from increased load as well as varying environmental conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Underground Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: John Engelhardt, Larry Fish
  • Patent number: 7504819
    Abstract: Maximum transmission line or conductor loading of an overhead transmission line or conductor spanning two transmission line towers is determined by using a sensing device clamped to the overhead transmission line. The sensing device acquires real-time information that is used in an iterative process to determine sag, limiting temperature, maximum current load and minimum clearance of the transmission line or conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Underground Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: John Engelhardt
  • Patent number: 6037592
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuously monitoring and measuring the concentration of gases in a gas-containing liquid such as a transformer oil. The method and apparatus employ a passive gas extraction technique which comprises a high performance membrane material to extract dissolved gases from the oil, and an IR-based sensor to detect gases present. The passive gas extractor extracts dissolved gas from the gas-containing liquid, there being a known relationship between the concentration of a constituent gas in the extracted gas and the concentration of the constituent gas remaining dissolved in the gas-containing liquid. The gas sensor senses the concentration of a constituent gas in the extracted gas, in the presence of other constituent gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Underground Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven S. Sunshine, David C. Bliven, John Seymour Mattis
  • Patent number: D653680
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: DSI Underground Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: John M. Sheeler, Ed Rollandini
  • Patent number: RE44256
    Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring and measuring the electrical, thermal and mechanical operating parameters of high voltage power conductors. A toroidal shaped housing, which can be mounted onto an energized conductor, contains all of the necessary electrical instruments to monitor the parameters associated with the conductor. Moreover, the housing includes the processing capability to analyze disturbance and fault events based on these parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Underground Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Larry Fish, John Engelhardt, Paul Alex, Duncan Breese