Patents Examined by C. Cooley
  • Patent number: 8192343
    Abstract: A continuous flow centrifuge system is provided. The system includes a rotor, a stator, a stator housing, upper and lower bearing plates, upper and lower bearings, first and second snap rings, and lip seal. The upper bearing rotatably secures a shaft of the rotor in the upper bearing plate. The first snap ring secures the upper bearing to the rotor shaft. The lip seal is over the upper bearing and forms a rotatable seal with the upper bearing plate. The second snap ring secures the lip seal to an inner diameter of the upper bearing plate. The upper and lower bearing plates are secured to the stator housing so that the rotor is operatively aligned with the stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Alfa Wassermann, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt Spiegel, Sorin Weissman, Bill Lepse, Blaine J. Marsh
  • Patent number: 5348187
    Abstract: The invention is drawn to a double-walled cooking pot having an outer pot, and an inner pot arranged in said outer pot and having a side wall defining a continuous inner surface to receive the product to be cooked. The side walls of the outer pot and inner pot are connected to one another at their bottom portions by a bottom plate made of thermally conductive material and at their upper portions in a manner which forms a discharge rim. To provide a double-walled cooking pot in which it is possible to fasten rapidly and reliably the handle(s) to the side wall of the outer pot, it is provided in essence that the outer pot has a portion that is spaced from the inner pot; and, between the upper and bottom portions at which the inner and outer pots are connected, the side walls of the inner pot and the outer pot make only point or line contact with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1994
    Assignee: ALFA Institut fur hauswirtschaftliche Produkt- and Verfahrens- Entwicklung GmbH
    Inventor: Horst Schultz
  • Patent number: 5247717
    Abstract: An apparatus for collecting litter from the ground includes a frame adapted for movement along the ground, a hopper mounted at one end of the frame; and a collector assembly supported on the frame. The collector assembly includes a pair of rollers having a plurality of flexible fingers disposed radially on the periphery thereof, the rollers being substantially parallel to each other and disposed in a plane that is substantially parallel to the ground. The rollers are arranged so that the fingers on one of the pair of rollers intermesh with the fingers of the other of the pair of rollers so as to be able to lift litter between them. The apparatus further includes a device for conveying litter lifted by the pair of rollers to the hopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1993
    Inventor: Owen Smith
  • Patent number: 5207247
    Abstract: Resilient stoppers are temporarily compressed and are inserted into tubular conduits and then released to expand therein to stop fluid leakage therefrom. Tapered stoppers larger across than tubes to be plugged are inserted by a tapered hollow tool having a large end to receive a stopper and a smaller end inserted within a tubular conduit to be plugged. Application of pressure to the base of the stopper to force it through the tapered tool also compresses it to a temporarily lesser size. Upon leaving the tool end inside the tube, the stopper expands into non-slipping contact with the surrounding wall. Continued pressure, rather than sliding the stopper in the tube, backs the tool end away and out therefrom, leaving the stopper plugging the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1993
    Inventor: Joy S. Hood
  • Patent number: 5182982
    Abstract: A continuous vacuum frier feeds material along a path of conveyance within a vacuum frying chamber while maintaining the chamber vacuum. A frier comprises material conveying means for conveying the material through frying oil. The material conveying means includes endless belt means having a plurality of openings formed therein and a plurality of partitioning members extending downwardly from the endless belt means and each having a plurality of apertures formed therein. The partitioning members defines a plurality of compartments which receive the material and in which the material are fried and conveyed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1993
    Assignee: House Food Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuichi Hattori, Nobuhide Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 5177829
    Abstract: A personal hygiene device for cleaning the hands or feet has an outer enclosure of generally donut-like shape which forms an open ended cavity for receiving a user's hand or foot. The innermost surfaces of the enclosure which face inwardly into the cavity are covered with bristles. The enclosure has an internal reservoir within its walls for containing a suitable detergent or soap solution, and one or more outlet openings in the innermost surfaces of the enclosure are connected to the reservoir. A pump mechanism allows the user to pump fluid from the reservoir to the outlet openings, so that the user can move their hand or foot back and forth over the bristles to work up a cleansing lather.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1993
    Inventor: Sean D. Simpson
  • Patent number: 5175902
    Abstract: A squeegee device including a mount carried pivotally from a handle for mounting a squeegee blade in a normal position for sweeping the majority of the distance across a window pane recessed in a window opening defined by abutment walls of, for instance, a high rise building. The mount is biased to the normal position by a bias spring and a kicker arm is carried on such mount. The kicker arm is constructed to, when the apparatus approaches completion of the stroke, engage the abutment wall forming the window opening to orbit the mount and consequently such blade through an arc relative to the handle thereby accelerating movement of such wiper blade to complete the wiping stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1993
    Inventor: Soren Samuelsson
  • Patent number: 5176068
    Abstract: Apparatus for broiling whole chickens which have been severed along the breast bone for opening into a generally flat condition includes a housing having opposing laterally spaced sets of upright gas-fueled infrared heaters defining therebetween a cooking chamber and an endless chain conveyor for transporting chickens suspended by their legs through the chamber. Plural pairs of support forks are spaced along the conveyor for suspending one chicken carcass by its legs from each fork pair with the legs sufficiently spread from each other to maintain the chicken in the opened generally flat condition. A spaced pair of deflector plates are provided along the conveyor following the cooking chamber for discharging both legs of each chicken simultaneously from the pair of support forks suspending the chicken.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1993
    Inventors: Robert M. Stuck, Samuel H. Maw, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5171121
    Abstract: A portable concrete batch plant which may be pulled from one location to another and which may be used either as a transit mix batch plant or a central mix batch plant. The batch plant is mounted on a wheeled frame comprised of a rear frame section and a front frame section removeably secured thereto. The batch plant is transported from one location to another with the rear and front frame sections connected together. If the batch plant is desired to be used as a transit mix plant, the front and rear frame sections remain connected together. If it is desired to use the concrete batch plant as a central mix batch plant, the front and rear frame sections are separated with the front frame section being spaced horizontally and vertically from the rear frame section with an extension conveyor being positioned there between.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1992
    Assignee: Concrete Equipment Company
    Inventors: Neil C. Smith, Donald L. Hansen, Gary Tuma
  • Patent number: 5171205
    Abstract: A solid-bowl centrifuge with an intake pipe and a peeling disk that conveys the peeled-off material out through its hub and comprises a stationary eccentric and a rotating lid that allows the disk to rotate on a carrier positioned in a radial slot. The hub comprises two concentric components, wherein the inner component is secured to the stationary eccentric and the outer component is secured to the rotating peeling-disk lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1992
    Assignee: Westfalia Separator AG
    Inventor: Alfons Monkenbusch
  • Patent number: 5167609
    Abstract: The peeling chamber in a head of a centrifuge has an upstream barrier chamber that seals it off from the atmosphere. A barrier disk secured to a peeler extends into the barrier chamber. Compressed gas is supplied to between barrier disk and peeler through a channel to prevent gas from escaping from the solvent. Another channel supplies liquid to the barrier chamber. Solvent from the periphery is supplied to the barrier chamber through a channel and simultaneously by the peeler through the barrier-liquid channel. An area of separation becomes established between the two liquids in the barrier chamber. If any solid particles enter the barrier chamber as the result of gas leaving the solvent, they will dissolve again in the solvent in the periphery of the barrier chamber and will be prevented from making the chamber malfunction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1992
    Assignee: Westfalia Separator AG
    Inventors: Georg Graw, Werner Kohlstette, Herbert Hohmann, Detlef Grabbe
  • Patent number: 5167449
    Abstract: A paddle shaft assembly having adjustable-pitch paddles for use in a magnetic stirring apparatus. The paddle assembly is particularly useful for magnetic stirring apparatus used for suspending cell, or tissue, cultures in a growing medium. The paddle shaft assembly includes an upper support shaft lockable to a lower support shaft for allowing the assembly to be mounted within a magnetic stirring vessel closure. The lower shaft includes a bore for accommodating removable stirring magnets. The paddle shaft assembly further includes removable paddle members having a hollow body sized and configured to be positionable within a 360 degree arc upon end portions of stirring magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1992
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventor: Bruce A. Killough
  • Patent number: 5165330
    Abstract: Fryer having a closeable container which is provided, in an upward position, with a closeable opening for introducing a product to be fried. The container furthermore has a fume suction duct and, proximate to the bottom, a plurality of armored electric resistors. A perforated separating partition which has a spiral-shaped configuration is arranged inside the container; the separating partition extends between two walls, starting from a first lateral wall of a conveyor which is suitable for pushing the fried product outside the container up to the open top of a second lateral wall of the conveyor which is opposite to the first one. The fryer furthermore has a sealed and motorized shaft which is connected to a support to which one or more articulated bars are radially associated; the bars are connected to blades adapted for pushing the product along the separating partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1992
    Assignee: RTM S.p.A.
    Inventor: Cristano Giacomini
  • Patent number: 5163200
    Abstract: A foot scrubbing apparatus is arranged as a compressible housing formed with a rigid floor, including a matrix of suction cups thereon. The housing includes a first top wall oriented at an obtuse angle relative to a second top wall. The first top wall includes a matrix of bristles and the second top wall includes a replaceable sponge member directed therethrough, with the second top wall including a lid member hingedly mounted relative to the second top wall formed with an opening to secure a flange portion of the sponge head to the second top wall. Compression of the housing projects cleaning fluid and/or a lotion compound through communicating apertures in the first and second top walls relative to an interior portion or cavity of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1992
    Inventors: Kevin S. Carlin, John J. Marhoefer
  • Patent number: 5163202
    Abstract: A dust detector in a vacuum cleaner includes a light-emitting element exposed into a dust suction passage for emitting a light beam into the dust passage, and a light-detecting element exposed into the dust suction passage for detecting the light beam emitted from the light-emitting element. A detector unit detects the amount of dust flowing through the dust suction passage based on the intensity of the light beam transmitted from the light-emitting element across the dust suction passage to the light-detecting element. The light-emitting element and the light-detecting element are covered respectively by a pair of light-transmissive covers having respective end faces exposed into the dust suction passage and lying flush with an inner wall surface of the dust suction passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1992
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kawakami, Shuji Asada, Sadahiro Shimada, Mitsuo Ishii
  • Patent number: 5160310
    Abstract: In a centrifuge rotor there is formed a separation chamber (4) having an inlet (24) for a mixture of components to be separated and two outlets (21,23) for the respective separated components. A partition (7) is arranged to divide the separation chamber (4) in two elongated compartments (29, 30) situated at different distances form the rotor axis. A displacement member is arranged to displace the separated heavy component in the circumferential direction of the rotor through the radially outer one of said compartments to and out through the outlet (23) for heavy component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1992
    Assignee: Centritech AB
    Inventor: Carl Yhland
  • Patent number: 5160198
    Abstract: Each of the modules comprises a base or case with cells been mounted thereon. Each of the cells comprises two vertical panels connected by a plate containing a mechanism for driving coupling members which are complementary to coupling members comprised by the can stirrers. One of the cells at least is provided with a motor reducing unit simultaneously connected to horizontal and vertical movement transmitting units provided for connecting together the motor reducing unit and the various coupling members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1992
    Assignee: Fillon-Pichon S.A.
    Inventor: Roger Fillon
  • Patent number: 5160311
    Abstract: Centrifugal separator having a discharge device for the transformation of kinetic energy of a liquid rotating in a chamber around a rotational axis to pressure energy. The device comprises an element for the discharge of liquid out of the chamber, which element has a surface (20) surrounding the rotational axis arranged to be so located in the rotating liquid body that liquid flows in a predetermined direction along and in contact with the surface (20). The discharge element forms at least one outlet channel (21), which has an inlet opening (22) located in said surface (20) and which from this inlet opening (22) extends in the flow direction. Seen in the flow direction the inlet opening (22) is delimited by two opposite side edges (23, 24) and a cross edge (25) located downstream of the side edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1992
    Assignee: Alfa-Laval Separation AB
    Inventors: Claes Inge, Peter Franzen, Torgny Lagerstedt, Leonard Borgstrom, Claes-Goran Carlsson, Hans Moberg, Olle Nabo
  • Patent number: 5156586
    Abstract: An orbital separator for separating the components of a mixture by introducing a flow of the mixture into a container which has therein an axial mounted member for directing the flow of the mixture to the periphery of the container and which allows removal of the separated components of the mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1992
    Assignee: Bardyne
    Inventors: Ernest C. Fitch, Jr., Ing T. Hong
  • Patent number: 5155875
    Abstract: A brush roller (1) includes a cylinder section (2) and brush elements (4) attached to it. In each element (4) the bristles (6) are attached in essentially a radial direction. The cylinder (2) of the brush roller (1) includes longitudinal rails (3), and each element (4) includes an indentation (7), which attaches the element (4) to the rail (3), and one or more elements (4) are sequentially arranged to be pushed onto each rail (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1992
    Assignee: Oy C. E. Lindgren AB
    Inventors: Mauno Kirkkala, Reijo Kuivikko