Patents Examined by Charles E. Cooley
  • Patent number: 8770825
    Abstract: A kneading apparatus has a pair of rotary shafts mounted to undergo rotation in different directions of rotation and at different rotational speeds from one another. Stirring members are helically arranged on outer peripheries of the rotary shafts at predetermined helical and angular pitches for kneading an object during rotation of the rotary shafts. The helical pitch of the stirring members of one of the rotary shafts has an inverse helix from that of the stirring members of the other rotary shaft. The stirring members have surfaces with a first phase configured to move the kneaded object in a feed direction or a second phase symmetrical to the first phase and configured to move the kneaded object in a direction reverse to the feed direction. The stirring members are arranged so that the first and second phases cyclically repeat in a predetermined sequence in axial directions of the rotary shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Shin Nichinan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Takemoto, Keiichi Takahashi, Takahiro Shibuya
  • Patent number: 8764279
    Abstract: Static mixers and fluid systems incorporating one or more of the static mixers. The static mixers include a mixing structure formed within a body, wherein fluid flowing through the mixing structure defines a downstream direction through the mixing structure. The mixing structure includes a series of Y-shaped channels that cross to provide flowpaths that result in efficient mixing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: 3M Innovation Properties Company
    Inventors: Gustavo H. Castro, Christopher R. Kokaisel
  • Patent number: 8758209
    Abstract: A separator including a rotatable centrifugal drum having a vertical axis of rotation and an inflow line for a material to be processed by the separator. Also included is a drive spindle for the drum rotatably mounted via a mounting to a housing supported elastically on a machine stand section. A drive device includes an electric drive motor having a stator and a rotor which is aligned with the drive spindle. A lubricant system is configured to lubricate the mounting and the lubricant system includes a lubricant circuit to convey lubricant and has a lubricant collecting container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Mackel, Thomas Bathelt, Andreas Penkl, Andreas Schulz, Marie-Theres Sedler
  • Patent number: 8753253
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a separator for separating air and possibly present solids from a mixture of dental waste water, comprising an air-water separator, wherein a mixture supply tube opens into a centrifuge drum, an air discharge duct extends from the centrifuge drum to the mixture supply tube and the centrifuge drum includes an upper drain edge over which a water outlet is guided onto the outside of the centrifuge drum. In accordance with the invention, the separator is characterized in that the mixture supply tube opens onto a central turbine wheel arranged above the centrifuge drum bottom and an impeller of a waste water delivery pump, which communicates with the water outlet, is arranged on an outside of the centrifuge drum in the vicinity of the centrifuge drum bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Inventors: Bruno Pregenzer, Alfred Konzett
  • Patent number: 8753006
    Abstract: A method for the manufacture of a static mixer in an injection molding process includes the steps: injecting a polymer melt containing a foaming agent into a passage at an injection point at an injection pressure of less than 500 bar; filling the passage with the polymer melt containing a foaming agent; at least partial foaming of the melt containing a foaming agent in the passage, with the ratio of flow path length to height amounting to at least 10. The installation body is made up at least partly of foamed plastic and has a ratio of longitudinal dimension to diameter larger than 1 and a ratio of longitudinal dimension to wall thickness of at least 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Sulzer Mixpac AG
    Inventor: Sasan Habibi-Naimi
  • Patent number: 8753254
    Abstract: A centrifuge having a vertical axis of rotation. The centrifuge includes a rotatable drum configured to process an inflowing suspension, the rotatable drum including an assembly configured to supply a washing liquid into an interior of the drum. The centrifuge also includes a plurality of supply pipes arranged in the drum and configured to conduct the washing liquid into the interior of the drum. Each of the supply pipes have a section extending radially within the drum and a curved section adjoining thereon at a radially distal end of the supply pipes proximate an inner wall of the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Horbach, Rüdiger Göhmann
  • Patent number: 8740450
    Abstract: A static fluid mixer which can perform processing such as generation of ultrafine uniform bubbles and has small pressure loss. A static fluid mixer has mixing units having outflow openings for allowing fluid having passed through mixing flow paths to flow through the outflow openings. The mixing units are arranged in a tubular casing body at intervals in the axis direction of the casing body. Adjacent mixing units and the casing body form a flow path forming space. Each mixing unit has an annular outflow path communicating with the end of each mixing flow path. The annular outflow path is open in a ring-like form having a substantially constant width along the entire circumference. The opening at the end of the annular outflow path functions as an outflow opening connecting to the flow path forming space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignees: MG Grow Up Corp., Marufukusuisan Corp.
    Inventors: Kenichi Mogami, Hidehiro Kumazawa
  • Patent number: 8734004
    Abstract: A mixer nozzle assembly for mixing fluid introduced into a tank having a tank volume therein. The mixer nozzle assembly includes a stationary body and a rotatable body mounted on the stationary body for rotation about an axis in a predetermined direction. The fluid flows through the stationary body to the rotatable body and exits into the tank volume via one or more outlet apertures for causing the rotatable body to rotate in the predetermined direction about the axis. The mixer nozzle assembly also includes a governor subassembly for controlling a speed of rotation of the rotatable body in the predetermined direction about the axis and a hydraulic circuit for governing a flow rate of hydraulic fluid directed to the governor subassembly, to adjust the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid for adjusting the speed of rotation of the rotatable body to the preselected speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Mixer Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Shawn P. Steffler, Donna Savard
  • Patent number: 8734310
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a rotor chamber for a centrifuge, in particular an air-cooled laboratory centrifuge, having a chamber wall, comprising an inner side facing toward the chamber interior, the chamber interior being implemented to receive a centrifuge rotor, and an outer side facing away from the chamber interior, and having a sound barrier which is implemented to reduce the sound emitted from the rotor chamber, which comprises a multilayer damping lining. The first layer comprises a material having essentially sound-absorbing properties relative to the second laver, and the second layer comprises a material having essentially sound-reflecting properties relative to the first layer. The present invention also relates to a centrifuge having such a rotor chamber, and methods for reducing the sound emanating from the rotor chamber of a centrifuge, in particular an air-cooled laboratory centrifuge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Thermo Electron LED GmbH
    Inventor: Hans Janzen
  • Patent number: 8734311
    Abstract: A centrifuge includes a drum having a vertical rotational axis, a single or double conical inner jacket, an inlet pipe, a distributor into which the inlet pipe opens, the distributor having at least two distributor channels distributed about a circumference of the distributor, and a disk package including separator disks. Further included are tubular elements distributed on an outside circumference of the disk package, the tubular elements being fastened externally to the separator disk package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: GEA Westfalia Separator GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Mackel, Helga Tietz
  • Patent number: 8727605
    Abstract: A single-use mixer or homogenizer is provided that includes a container provided with a lid which is provided as a compression element (29) for substances (45) in the container (1). The compression element (29) is rotatably arranged in relation to the container (1). The substances (45) are pressed and ground through the sieve (13) into the collecting chamber (27) by the rotation of the compression element (29), and can be removed by a pipette (43) which passes through both the compression element (29) and the cover on the sieve (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Medic Tools AG
    Inventor: Franz Gregor Bucher
  • Patent number: 8727958
    Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter proposes an apparatus (42) and a method for transferring energy and/or a substance from a non-rotating component of an apparatus to a rotating device (43)—or vice versa—through an intermediary component (1, 1?). In one configuration, the intermediary component (1,1?) is a symmetrically arranged pair of tubes, useful in centrifugal separation, and which is subject to continuous rotation while tube ends are fixed in a lower, stationary range or stand still.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Miltenyi Biotech GmbH
    Inventors: Winfried Schimmelpfennig, Holger Lantow, Juergen Schulz, Elmar Niklas Neuschaefer
  • Patent number: 8721166
    Abstract: A method of evacuating a refinery tank containing waste with solid constituents is disclosed. The method includes inserting an agitator on a boom through a first opening on a side of the refinery tank and agitating waste in a first area of the refinery tank to cause the waste in the first area to have a first viscosity lower than a second viscosity of waste in a second area at a periphery of the first area. The method further includes removing agitated waste from the first area while maintaining the waste of the second viscosity in the second area, thereby forming a safe room in the refinery tank. The method also includes expanding the first opening toward the floor of the safe room to enable entry of a movable excavator into the safe room of the refinery tank and removing waste of the second viscosity from the second area of the refinery tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: The Maitland Company
    Inventor: Robert M. Rumph
  • Patent number: 8721161
    Abstract: A device comprising a substrate having a surface that comprises a conductive base layer. The device also comprises fluid-support-structures on the conductive base layer. Each of the fluid-support-structures has at least one dimension of about 1 millimeter or less. Each of the fluid-support-structures is coated with an electrical insulator. The device is configured to oscillate a fluid locatable between tops of the fluid-support-structures and the conductive base layer when a voltage is applied between the conductive base layer and the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventors: Joanna Aizenberg, Marc Scott Hodes, Paul Robert Kolodner, Thomas Nikita Krupenkin, Joseph Ashley Taylor
  • Patent number: 8721513
    Abstract: An electric motor is provided with a hollow rotating drive shaft extending along the central axis of the motor, a stationary liquid supply line and a rotating union which communicates with the liquid supply line and the hollow interior of the drive shaft for supplying liquid to the hollow interior of the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Sepro Mineral Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Steven A. McAlister
  • Patent number: 8714807
    Abstract: A beater attachable to a drive motor for rotatingly driving the beater. The beater comprises a drive shaft having a distal end adapted to be coupled to the drive motor, and a beater head. The beater further including a beater head that is releasingly coupled to the drive shaft, so as to couple the beater head to the drive shaft along different relative positions thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventor: Heimo Obersteiner
  • Patent number: 8714808
    Abstract: A container for mixing two liquids and the like includes: a container; a pouring cylinder that is provided extending upwards on a top portion of the container; an upward facing step portion that is formed on the container so as to be positioned below the pouring cylinder; a cap whose inner circumferential surface is screwed onto an outer circumferential surface of the pouring cylinder; a small container that is placed on an inner side of the cap; a cuttable first sheet that forms a bottom surface of the small container; a removable cylinder that is provided at a bottom end of the cap and is interposed between the cap and the upward facing step portion, and that is removed from the cap prior to the cap being screwed down onto the pouring cylinder; and a first cutter that is provided on the container so as to face a bottom surface of the small container that is placed on the inner side of the cap, wherein the small container is made to approach the first container as a result of the cap being screwed down onto
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Yoshino Kogyosho Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuo Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 8702577
    Abstract: A centrifuge comprising a zonal rotor, a centrifuge chamber having a side wall and a bottom wall to contain the zonal rotor, an upper shield to cover the top of the centrifuge chamber and enclose the zonal rotor, and an annulus in the centrifuge chamber that is laterally spaced apart from the zonal rotor. The annulus has a channel with a base and a lip, where the channel has an open end facing the direction of the upper shield to collect liquid sample leaked during loading or unloading the zonal rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Beckman Coulter, Inc.
    Inventor: Horst G. Krischer
  • Patent number: 8702300
    Abstract: A blending apparatus is provided which includes a container, a lid for covering the container, and an attachment within the container. The attachment includes a central shaft having a first end and a second end, the first end being configured to engage the lid, and the second end being configured to engage a drive member of the container. The attachment further includes blades extending outwardly from the central shaft, the blades being operable to engage food products in the container. The attachment rotates within the container body (i) while the attachment is captured between a bushing of the lid and the drive member of the container, the first end of the central shaft engaging the bushing and the second end of the central shaft engaging the drive member of the container and (ii) while the second end of the attachment receives torque from the drive member of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Euro-Pro Operating LLC
    Inventor: David M. Audette
  • Patent number: 8702576
    Abstract: Device for monitoring and adjusting, in particular for fixing and securing, the radial position of an interface layer in a nozzle centrifuge for separating a light phase having a relatively low density and a heavy phase having a relatively high density from a mixture containing these two liquids and a solid, the nozzle centrifuge including a rotor 1-3 which is rotatable around a rotational axis R and which forms an inlet 9 for said mixture, a separating chamber 7 communicating with said inlet 9 and having a radially inner part 7a and a radially outer part 7b, nozzles 12 at the separating chamber distributed around the rotational axis R for throwing out the heavy phase and the solid, an outlet 13a, 13b, 14 for discharging the light phase, an overflow outlet 19 being radially delimited by a cover or level ring 20 for discharging the heavy phase, and an inlet 9; 25, 26 for supplying additional heavy phase to the centrifuge, characterized in that a sensor 24 is arranged in the flow path of the heavy phase 23 leav
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Alfa Laval Corporate AB
    Inventor: Per Karlsson