Patents Examined by Bernard Nozick
  • Patent number: 5112374
    Abstract: An air filter for a hand held hair dryer employing a stretchable filter material which covers the air inlets of the hair dryer. A circular seal is fixed to one end of the filter material and stretches around the air outlet nozzle of the hair dryer. A second circular seal is fixed to the other end of the filter material at 90 degrees to the other seal and stretches around the handle of the hair dryer. The filter material conforms to the shape of the portion of the hair dryer it covers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1992
    Inventor: Timothy T. Ackerman
  • Patent number: 5110332
    Abstract: A filter for filtration of particles from a hot gas flow. The filter has a filter chamber, in which a plurality of tubular filter elements and at least one support plate (provided with apertures for receipt of the filter elements) are disposed. A slot between the support plate and each filter element is sealed by disposing at least two seals which have the same diameter as the slot, and engage both the support plate and tubular filter. The seals preferably are flexible in the same way as a piston ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1992
    Assignee: A. Ahlstrom Corporation
    Inventor: Juhani Isaksson
  • Patent number: 5110325
    Abstract: This invention relates to a novel gas-liquid contacting apparatus and method utilizing recycle spray contact trays disposed within a substantially vertical vessel. Each contact tray contains one or more housings defined by upstanding vertical wall members, said housings being open to gas flow at top and bottom. Within the housings, liquid spray is continuously generated by means of gas flowing upward past a first array of horizontally spaced-apart gas venturi-generating liquid conductors. Liquid flows from the tray floor outside the housing through the liquid conductors, is distributed into the gas, and is entrained upward as spray by the gas venturi action. Horizontally-disposed foraminous or perforated flow-restrictive elements, vertically spaced apart, mounted on top of the housings, cause the liquid spray to coalesce and regenerate at the first flow-restrictive barrier element which occupies the cross-sectional area of the vertical housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1992
    Inventor: Bernard J. Lerner
  • Patent number: 5110331
    Abstract: A dust collector for removing particles entrained and transported in a flow of transport air which comprises a housing having a generally cylindrical chamber with a tangential inlet for introducing the transport air and causing it to assume a helical flow path within the chamber. A plurality of vertically extending cylindrical filter elements are disposed within the chamber, and conventional reverse pulse-jets are provided for periodically cleaning the filter elements by creating a reverse flow of air outwardly therethrough. A wall arrangements is provided adjacent each filter element to create a flow channel that directs the outward flow cleaning air and particles removed from the filter elements thereby in a direction toward the main helical flow path of the transport air to substantially reduce re-entrainment of the removed particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1992
    Assignee: Pneumafil Corporation
    Inventor: Roger D. Williams
  • Patent number: 5110324
    Abstract: An apparatus for removing gaseous hydrocarbon fraction from a heated gas comprises a cooled air inlet to condense the hydrocarbon to viscous liquid particles. An electrostatic field established between a points array and a plate propels the particles to a moving non-conductive collector belt, from which the liquid condensate is removed by a doctor blade and deposited into a heated receiver trough. The liquid condensate is discharged from the receiver trough into a container. A method comprises passing a heated gaseous, liquid droplet-containing stream through an electrostatic field which propels the droplets to a liquid collector, and removing the liquid from the collector, and discharging the liquid into a container for disposal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1992
    Assignee: Louisiana Pacific Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony Q. Testone, Waldyn J. Benbenek
  • Patent number: 5109713
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for treating gas samples containing sulfur comprises dehydrating the gas sample so as to obtain a dried gas sample having a water content of less than 100 ppm and thereafter storing the dried gas sample in a container which is non-reactive to sulfur in the gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1992
    Assignee: Intevep, S.A.
    Inventors: Irene Romero, Rui Rodrigues
  • Patent number: 5108473
    Abstract: A dust collector based on filtration of dirty air in which the periodic backflushing of filtration elements is done by admitting atmospheric air at the filtration element exit port. The air is sucked backwards through the filtration element by the dust collector exit blower. Switching between normal usage and backflush is done by inserting a diverter valve containing a valve chamber between the filtration element discharge part and the clean air chamber. The porting of this valve chamber may be to either the atmosphere or to the clean air chamber, which being determined by twisting a shaft slightly less than 90 degrees, said shaft having valve closure plates attached to it at slightly greater than 90.degree. to each other. Twisting force need not be applied during normal operation nor to close off the atmospheric air port. Further, dust shields are provided around each filtration element to prevent backflushed dust moving directly to an adjacent filtration element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1992
    Inventor: Robert E. Hayden, Sr.
  • Patent number: 5108470
    Abstract: A charging element having odor and gas adsorbing properties for use in electrostatic air filters of the charged media type is disclosed. The charging element improves the efficiency of such air filters and significantly broadens the range of pollutants removed from air filtered therethrough. The charging element comprises an electrically conductive, air pervious structure impregnated with an odor and gas absorbing agent, preferably activated charcoal. The charging element replaces any one or more of the traditional metallic charging elements in known electrostatic air filters of the charged media type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1992
    Inventor: William Pick
  • Patent number: 5108472
    Abstract: This invention relates to an improved gas-liquid separator for separating natural gas from naturally-occurring liquid constituents emitting from natural gas wells. The separator comprises a hollow pressure vessel having a tangential inlet line for the combined mixture located in a medial region of the vessel, and upper gas outlet and lower liquid outlet lines. A packing column located in an upper region comprised of a plurality of hollow cage-like non-interlocking plastic elements such as polypropylene contained between an apertured baffle plate and a mist-separator plate to obtain superior wetting of the liquid components of the mixture for their separation from the gas. The separator is capable of maintenance-free automatic operation over substantial periods of time measured in years.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1992
    Assignee: Pride of the Hills Mfg., Inc.
    Inventor: Curtis W. Murray, Sr.
  • Patent number: 5104542
    Abstract: A system for domestic sewage treatment in conjunction with a leaching field or pool is disclosed. The system comprises a substantially cylindrical tank that contains a cylindrical sleeve to form an inner and an outer chamber. The system is simple in design, portable and ideally suited for home use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1992
    Inventors: David B. Dixon, Jerome J. Fife
  • Patent number: 5104430
    Abstract: This invention relates to a mask with an air filtering device and in particular to one including a helmet adapted to a head of a user, a visor pivotally connected with a lower side of the helmet and having a soft pad for preventing air entering therein from outside, a filtering chamber having a blower driven by a dc motor and a filtering plate mounted between the blower and a cover of the filtering chamber, a pipe connected at one end with an outlet of the blower and extending at the other to space around mouth and nose of the user, a curved air guider for converging cleaned air into the space around the mouth and nose of the user and a check valve mounted on the soft pad for exhausting air exhaled by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1992
    Inventor: Lin Her-Mou
  • Patent number: 5102434
    Abstract: A method of inspecting an alternately sealed honeycomb structural body is provided which can quickly, efficiently and accurately inspect presence of defects of the honeycomb structural body. The method comprises, flowing particulates in axial direction of the throughholes from one end surface to the other end surface of the honeycomb structural body, catching the particulates on a gas-permeable screen intimately mounted on the other end surface to form a figure of the particulates, and checking the figure to inspect for defects at internal partition walls and sealing portions of the honeycomb structural body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1992
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Hijikata, Satoru Yamada, Ryouzi Horie
  • Patent number: 5102435
    Abstract: A vacuum motor and fan are mounted within a housing, the lower end of which receives a high efficiency particle filter. The bottom of the housing includes a series of projections adapted to be received in corresponding apertures on an upper flange of the filter to prevent replacing the filter with an improper one. The projection/apertures also promote proper seating of the seal between the filter canister and the housing. A separate projection on the filter engages and actuates a lock-out switch carried by the housing to permit the machine to operate only when the filter is of proper size and capacity and it is properly seated on the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1992
    Assignee: Hako Minuteman, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerome E. Rau, Gary E. Palmer, Rick McLeod, Margaret Karadimas
  • Patent number: 5100443
    Abstract: An air filter assembly for an engine such as a chain saw engine. The filter assembly includes a cage, a foam filter having a sidewall surrounding a sidewall of the cage, a retaining member pressing an endwall of the filter against an endwall of the cage and a nut. The nut receives a threaded end of an anchor bolt passing through axially aligned holes in the endwalls of the cage and the filter and a hole in the retaining member. The filter assembly provides high flow rates therethrough and substantially avoids penetration of dirt around the nut connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1992
    Inventor: Joseph J. Berto
  • Patent number: 5100439
    Abstract: A fastening means for an electronic air cleaner. The air cleaner containing an air cleaner collector section. The air cleaner collector section is a series of high voltage and low voltage plates which are held by cell expansion tubes. On either end of the air cleaner collector section, end plates are placed in order to hold the air cleaner collector section in place. Flare tubes are passed through the end plates and the cell expansion tubes and are flared in order to fasten the end plates in place, thereby fastening the air cleaner collector section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1992
    Assignee: Honeywell Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen J. Kemp
  • Patent number: 5099770
    Abstract: It is the object of the invention to present a construction for convective smoke filtering cleaners, especially for of the kind that mainly consists of a ceramic smoke filter, a drive fan, a smoke converting device, a water filter, a poison filtering device and a draw fan. Its major feature is that the ceramic smoke filter percolates the black smoke in the exhaust duct and turns it into white smoke, and then the drive fan makes white smoke quickly flow into the smoke converting device. The water supply system of the smoke converting device keeps water flowing around the wall of the exhaust duct and atomized water spraying incessantly in the duct. A rotating reservoir atomizes water and sprays over the inside wall of the duct. Consequently, when the white smoke arrives at the smoke converting device, atomized water drops can completely absorb and purify the smoke. The drifting dust and impurities in smoke along with water fluid are collected in the water filter installed under the smoke converting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1992
    Inventor: Shih C. Yang
  • Patent number: 5100440
    Abstract: The emission electrode (12) has a support section (16), which imparts mechanical strength, with emission tips (20) disposed in at least two rows and directed on both sides towards adjacent collecting electrodes. It is composed of a single-piece metal sheet symmetrically folded to form the support section (16) which metal sheet has emission arms (18) which are integrally formed outside the folded support section (16) and extend over its entire active length (1) along the central plane (E) between the collecting electrodes (10) and which have emission tips (20) extending in the plane (E) or directed on both sides towards the adjacent collecting electrodes. The metal sheet is bent through more than a right angle on the inside of the emission arms (18) to form a double loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1992
    Assignee: Elex AG
    Inventors: Walter Stahel, Werner Diener
  • Patent number: 5100632
    Abstract: A self-cleaning diesel exhaust particulate filter is disclosed wherein burn-off of collected particulate matter is accomplished at certain exhaust gas temperatures, the filter being provided with a catalyst mixture consisting essentially of a platinum group metal and an alkaline earth metal oxide. The platinum group metal may be one or both of platinum and rhodium and the alkaline earth metal oxide may be magnesium oxide. The presence of the catalyst mixture serves to lower the temperature at which ignition of the collected particulates is initiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1992
    Assignee: Engelhard Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph C. Dettling, Robert Skomoroski
  • Patent number: 5098453
    Abstract: A bed of activated carbon granules is maintained tightly packed within a fuel vapor storage canister housing by a specially designed compensator. A pair of spring loaded, nested trays move axially relative to one another and push continually into the lower face of the carbon bed to keep it packed. The trays also define a continuous, self maintaining gap that is smaller than the expected carbon granule size, preventing them from falling out in spite of the swelling of the canister housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1992
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth W. Turner, Patti S. Du Bois, Brian J. Dunham
  • Patent number: 5096472
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner uses a special self-cleaning filter arrangement including an initial fabric filter having a relatively large mesh size with a broad open mesh ratio of 5 to 11 flat filter threads 0.025 to 0.045 inches in width defining oblong filter openings 0.002 to 0.006 inches in width between longitudinal strands having substantially flat upstream surfaces and having a length between transverse strands not greater than will maintain the structural integrity of the filter openings and a total opening area of 5 to 45 times the cross section of the inlet, which inlet faces away from the filter. The initial filter is preferably backed up by secondary filters which filter particulates passing through the initial fabric filter especially during startup and while the filter cleans itself. Various elements for strengthening the longitudinal strands to maintain the structural integrity of the filter medium with relatively long or extended filter openings are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1992
    Assignee: Mello Manufacturing Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy J. Perry