Patents Examined by Andrew J. Rost
  • Patent number: 11867159
    Abstract: Osmotic energy transfer systems utilize cyclic electro-chemical stimuli to induce an osmotic gradient and corresponding fluid flows across a semi-permeable membrane. The fluid transfers and osmotic flows are converted into mechanical displacements. By cycling or pulsing the electro-chemical stimuli, fluid transfers across the semi-permeable membrane repeatedly alternatingly change direction over time and correspondingly realizing a cycle of reciprocating mechanical displacements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Inventor: Larry D. Howlett
  • Patent number: 11850636
    Abstract: A pipe cleaning assembly has a connection fixture having a body defining a cavity. A first aperture, opposing second aperture coaxially aligned with the first aperture, first auxiliary aperture, and opposing second auxiliary aperture coaxially aligned with the first auxiliary aperture are in fluid communication with the cavity. A first connection flange extends from and surrounding the first aperture and a second connection flange extends from and surrounding the second aperture. A rotatable bonnet inserted through the second auxiliary aperture and includes a cylindrical wall having an open first end, an end wall at a second end, and a plurality of openings through the wall. An actuator is mounted to the bonnet with an actuator shaft extending through an opening in the end wall. A valve plug is secured to the actuator shaft and positioned within the bonnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: FISHER CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventor: Michel K. Lovell
  • Patent number: 11835154
    Abstract: A closure assembly including a retaining cover, a first catch plate sitting partially within the retaining cover, a second catch plate sitting partially within the retaining cover opposite the first catch plate and spaced apart from the first catch plate, and a closure pressing against the first catch plate and pressing against the second catch plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Francis P. Marocchini, Robert DeFelice, Lukasz Burek
  • Patent number: 11802459
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system that includes a ram configured to mount in a blowout preventer. The ram includes a packer assembly configured to form a seal between the ram and a bore formed through the blowout preventer and an insert of the packer assembly, where the insert is coupled to a surface of the ram via a key-slot interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Micah Threadgill
  • Patent number: 11796081
    Abstract: A valve assembly having a bolt with a through hole for a security wire includes at least one valve of the valve assembly mechanically coupled to a pipe or to a section of another component of the valve assembly by a coupling or by a pair of mating flanges. At least one hollow bolt is bolted through a closing bolt hole of the coupling or a joining bolt hole of the pair of mating flanges. The at least one hollow bolt accepts a safety wire run completely through the hollow bolt in a longitudinal direction of the hollow bolt and extending completely through the closing bolt hole of the coupling or the joining bolt hole of the pair of mating flanges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Watts Regulator Co.
    Inventors: Peter J. Bertagna, Ian D. Baynes
  • Patent number: 11796027
    Abstract: A damping adjuster is disclosed herein. The damping adjuster includes an adjuster housing and an adjuster shaft. The adjuster shaft rotatable within the adjuster housing, the adjuster shaft comprising a variable flow area feature, the variable flow area feature formed annularly about a portion of the adjuster shaft, the variable flow area feature comprising a plurality of different flow area values therealong. The damping adjuster also includes a fluid flow path through the adjuster housing, wherein the fluid flow path includes the variable flow area feature of the adjuster shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventor: Andrew Laird
  • Patent number: 11788631
    Abstract: A barrel valve assembly for a fluid distribution manifold. A barrel valve body has an off-axis passage with substantially linear walls therethrough, allowing for a substantially linear relationship between fluid flow through the body and angular rotation of the barrel valve within the manifold. The barrel valve thus requires a smaller working environment for the valve assembly, providing benefits in terms of assembly size and weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: COLUMBIA INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventors: Adam Drew Tankersley, Jesse Andrew Guzowski
  • Patent number: 11781664
    Abstract: An improved unloader valve assembly for a high-speed reciprocating compressor includes improved poppets and valve seat designs. The improved poppets and valve seats are useful for reducing or eliminating poppet leakage and high impact stresses on the sealing surfaces of the poppets, and are especially intended for use with high-speed reciprocating compressors operating at 1000 rpm and higher. A control chamber spacer plate for creating a control pressure chamber within the unloader valve assembly, and a valve seat cushioning plate for reducing stress on the head ends of the poppets are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: ACI SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: W. Norman Shade, David W. Legg
  • Patent number: 11781450
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a valve assembly including one or more poppet valves. In general, the valve assembly can have one or more poppet assemblies selectively actuatable between a first end position and a second end position. According to some aspects, a crankshaft assembly can be coupled to the one or more poppet assemblies and the crankshaft assembly can selectively actuate the one or more poppet assemblies between the first end position and the second end position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: HUSCO Automotive Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Jessica Siefker, Anthony Barr, Debora Manther, Austin Schmitt, Alexander Schlarmann, Michael Kujak
  • Patent number: 11754057
    Abstract: A fluidic valve having a first zone and a second zone separated by an aperture that is sealed by a deformable element, where: in the first zone, there is a shape memory alloy (SMA) wire secured to a stationary surface and the SMA acts on a first surface of the deformable element either directly or through a piston; in the second zone, there are at least two ports and a plunger connected to a second surface of the deformable element, opposite to the first surface, and suitable to close one of the ports; and there is a bypass channel that permanently connects the first zone to the second zone through a first end aperture positioned in the first zone and a second end aperture positioned in the second zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: SAES GETTERS S.P.A.
    Inventors: Marco Citro, Stefano Alacqua, Stefano Franceschinis
  • Patent number: 11754199
    Abstract: A valve assembly includes a body having spaced apart ports defining a flow passageway therebetween and a top surface. A valve is disposed in the flow passageway. A bonnet is coupled to the top surface of the body. A rising stem is supported by the bonnet and is operably coupled to the valve. A cap includes a bottom sealingly coupled to at least one of the body or the bonnet and an opening. The cap is disposed over the bonnet with the stem extending through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Crane ChemPharma & Energy Corp.
    Inventors: Alejandro Fratini, Samson Kay, Ranjit Bhalkar, Anubhay Sinha, Vivek Katkar
  • Patent number: 11749540
    Abstract: Disclosed is a wafer processing system, a dual gate system, and methods for operating these systems. The dual gate system may have a shaft, a first gate and a second gate coupled to the shaft at opposite sides thereof, and an actuator coupled to the shaft. The actuator is configured to tilt together the shaft, the first gate, and the second gate to a first sealed gate position or to a second sealed gate position. The actuator can be operated using a pneumatic mechanism, an electro-magnetic mechanism, or a cam follower mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Nir Merry, Jeff Hudgens
  • Patent number: 11719348
    Abstract: An encapsulated valve system includes a first housing portion having a first facing surface, the first facing surface comprising a plurality of branch pathways formed as a recess within the first facing surface. The valve system further includes a second housing portion having a second facing surface, the second facing surface comprising a plurality of branch pathways formed as a recess within the second facing surface. A disposable conduit is configured to be interposed between the first and second housing portions and disposed within the recess of the first facing surface and the recess of the second facing surface. The disposable conduit is thus sandwiched between the first and second facing surfaces. A plurality of pinch valve actuators are mounted on one or both of the first housing portion and the second housing portion, the plurality of pinch valve actuators configured to pinch the disposable conduit at selective branch pathways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Repligen Corporation
    Inventors: Michael C. Gagne, Steven V. Cates
  • Patent number: 11713829
    Abstract: A device for shutting off a pipe, the pipe allowing fluidic circulation of at least one fluid, the shut-off device having an in-line shut-off means for shutting off the pipe in a sealed manner and, conversely, for opening the pipe, an upstream valve arranged upstream of the in-line shut-off means, and a downstream valve arranged downstream of the in-line shut-off means. The shut-off device has an interlocking system for interlocking a member for tightly closing the in-line shut-off means with, for the one part, an upstream control member of the upstream valve and, for the other part, a downstream control member of the downstream valve, the interlocking system being movable in translation in a direction OX between a first end position and a second end position, the interlocking system having at least three separate parts assembled together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: ONIS
    Inventors: Yann Fumanal, Adrien Flumiani
  • Patent number: 11712834
    Abstract: A valve unit includes a valve housing having an input line and an output line or the process pressure as well as a process guide shaft, an operating piston for closing and opening a connection between the two lines, two control lines and two control chambers for controlling the operating piston. The operating piston has a closing ring which in the closed state of the connection sealingly abuts a valve seat of the valve housing and it has a diameter which corresponds to a guide diameter of a dynamic process seal. The valve seat includes a softer and more elastic material than the sealing edge. The valve unit has low axial forces, due to low sealing forces, thus makes a long service life with a high number of cycles of operation possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Eugen Seitz AG
    Inventors: Marcel Ramsperger, Joachim Schmidt, Christian Elbs
  • Patent number: 11713814
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a valve seat assembly for a fluid end of a hydraulic fracturing pump. The valve seat assembly includes a valve seat having a substantially cylindrical body defined along an axis. The valve seat has a first seat end and a second seat end with a through bore extending between the first and second seat ends. The cylindrical body has an inner cylinder surface and an exterior cylinder surface with an annular flange formed along the exterior cylinder surface adjacent the first seat end. The through bore expands from a first diameter to a second diameter adjacent the first seat end. The valve seat assembly further includes a leak detection notch formed in the exterior cylinder surface between the annular flange and the second seat end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: ST9 GAS AND OIL, LLC
    Inventor: Chris Paul Buckley
  • Patent number: 11701465
    Abstract: A sensor system for a volumetric pump operating according to the linear peristalsis principle includes at least one sensor unit; at least one sensor transmitter unit; and a sensor output signal processing unit. The sensor transmitter unit is arranged to apply a detection variable varying as a function of a travel position to the sensor unit along a predetermined travel along which a fixedly arranged sensor unit and a movably arranged sensor transmitter unit or a movably arranged sensor unit and a fixedly arranged sensor transmitter unit are moving relative to each other. The sensor unit is configured to output a detection signal corresponding to a travel position on the basis of the varying detection variable. The sensor output signal processing unit is arranged to receive the detection signal output by the sensor unit and discriminate at least three travel positions on the basis of the received detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: B. Braun Melsungen AG
    Inventor: Christoph Erlen
  • Patent number: 11703258
    Abstract: An electronic expansion valve includes a valve component and a stator component; the valve component includes a valve body assembly, a valve core, a threaded transmission assembly and a rotor; the valve body assembly is provided with a valve port, and the valve core is driven by the threaded transmission assembly to control an opening of the valve port; a wear-resistant coating is arranged on a contact surface of at least one of components having relative movement of the electronic expansion valve, the wear-resistant coating is applied by spraying, and the wear-resistant coating has a thickness of 5 to 8 microns; and the material of the wear-resistant coating includes a molybdenum disulfide material and a polytetrafluoroethylene material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Zhejiang Sanhua Intelligent Controls Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lei Zhou, Jiangnan Cai, Yingchong Lu
  • Patent number: 11698147
    Abstract: A valve packing having independently loaded packing rings is disclosed. A packing assembly for a fluid valve includes a first packing ring, a first follower to be disposed at least partially within a bore of a bonnet of the fluid valve to apply a first load to the first packing ring, a second packing ring sized to fit within a bore of the first follower, and a second follower to be disposed at least partially within the bore of the first follower to apply a second load to the second packing ring within the bore of the first follower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC
    Inventor: Brett Allen Hofman
  • Patent number: 11686406
    Abstract: Example aspects of a method of using a bonnet and stuffing box assembly and a method of manufacturing a bonnet and stuffing box assembly are disclosed. The method of using a bonnet and stuffing box assembly can comprise providing a stuffing box, a bonnet, a bushing assembly, and a stem, the stuffing box and the bonnet defining an assembly bore, the bushing assembly received in the assembly bore, the bushing assembly defining a bushing bore, and the stem received through the bushing bore; sealing the stem relative to the bushing assembly to prohibit fluid flow through the bushing bore; sealing the bushing assembly relative to the bonnet to prohibit fluid flow through the assembly bore; and turning the stem relative to the bushing assembly, bonnet, and stuffing box to actuate a valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Mueller International, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Thomas Sutterfield, Ian Matthew Gilliam