Patents Examined by Craig Price
  • Patent number: 7584766
    Abstract: An overfill prevention valve for mounting on the filling inlet of a liquid storage tank has an elongated, tubular valve body provided with an inlet at one end and one or more outlets in the sidewall thereof. A pressure-actuated piston is moveable between an open position spaced below an annular valve seat between the inlet and outlets and a closed position engaging the valve seat to close the outlet. An orifice in the top of the piston communicates with an actuating chamber on the opposite side of the piston so that a measure of piloting liquid flows into the chamber and out a pilot hole at the bottom of the valve body during normal filling operations. A buoyant float is slidable along a hollow guide tube attached to the bottom of valve body and communicates with the pilot port for closing a discharge hole in the guide tube when the float rises to an upwardly buoyed position due to the liquid in the tank reaching a predetermined maximum level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Clay and Bailey Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Donald R. David, Ronald W. Borst
  • Patent number: 7578312
    Abstract: A female hydraulic coupling member is equipped with an internal displaced water compensation system comprising a spring-biased piston in a generally axial cylinder bored into the coupling body and that is offset from the central axial bore. The cylinder is in fluid communication with an interior portion of the receiving chamber such that seawater within the receiving chamber that is displaced by the probe of a male coupling member inserted in the receiving chamber may move into the cylinder of the displaced water compensation system. During coupling separation, the process is reversed and seawater retained in the displaced water compensation system moves into the receiving chamber under the influence of the spring-biased piston thereby preventing a vacuum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: National Coupling Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Smith, III
  • Patent number: 7575023
    Abstract: A disposable breakaway hose connector for a fuel line prevents untimely decoupling, and avoids unnecessary leakage. The breakaway connector includes a pair of fittings, for connecting to the fuel line, an inner sleeve provided for limited sliding movement upon one of the fittings, with each fitting incorporating a poppet valve, to provide for closure when decoupling occurs, or other unseating, from within the respect fittings, during normal aggregate and usage. Detents are provided within one of the fittings for interconnecting to normally retain the connector as assembled, but various O-rings arranged within an inner sleeve and upon one of the fittings, provide for limited movement when tensioning force is exerted and clearance for disconnection. A fluid chamber is provided intermediate of the O-rings, to equalize and counterbalance fluid pressures that occasionally spike within the connector and hose line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Husky Corporation
    Inventor: Craig J. Fraser
  • Patent number: 7568502
    Abstract: A coupling (110) comprising a pair of female couplers (116) each independently movable within a respective housing bore (114) among an operating position, a release position, and a coupling position. When a female coupler (116) is moved to the coupling position, a stop member (136) moves the plunger of a pressure relief valve (124) to an open position to allow fluid to be released from the female coupler (116) prior to coupling a male coupler thereto. A cam member (126), which is used to move the respective female coupler (116) from the operating position to the release position, can move away from the plunger when the female coupler (116) is in the coupling position as the pressure relief valve (124) is held open by the stop member (136).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Parker-Hannifin Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy T. Marquis
  • Patent number: 7568500
    Abstract: A pressure relief device for an air inflator includes a pipe connector, a seal member, a check valve mounting ring, a check valve, an air cell connector, and a pressure relief control ring. Thus, the pressure relief control ring is tightened to perform the air inflating action and loosened to perform the pressure relief action, so that the air inflating action and the pressure relief action are performed along the same axis, and the pressure relief device has a co-axial operation function, thereby facilitating the user inflating and deflating the inflatable body. In addition, the air inlet hole is not mounted in the air cell to facilitate the user compressing the air cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Inventor: Daniel Huang
  • Patent number: 7562671
    Abstract: A valve connector of an air pump includes a case with a channel and a guiding room therein. The channel is communicated with the guiding room. Two valve connector assemblies are provided in the case, each of which has a tunnel communicated with the guiding room, wherein the tunnels form apertures on a sidewall of the guiding room. A switching device is received in the guiding room and pivoted on the sidewall of the guiding room. The switching device has two arms on opposite sides of a pivot axle thereof. The arms are moved toward or away from the apertures respectively when the switching device is swung to close or open the apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Inventor: Lo-Pin Wang
  • Patent number: 7559337
    Abstract: A collapsible floating apparatus for controlling a valve includes a floating device and a collapsible lever. The collapsible lever includes a first member rotatably coupled to the valve, and a second member attached to the floating device at one end and rotatably coupled to the first member adjacent another end. The apparatus has a retracted position for shipping and storage, and operational positions. In the position, the second member, or the first and second members together, are brought adjacent to the valve. In operational positions, the first and second members act as a single lever to relay the buoyancy of the floating device drives to the valve. An adjusting member is provided for adjusting a relative position or angle between the first and second members, which in turn adjusts a water level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Fluidmaster, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Han
  • Patent number: 7556062
    Abstract: A solenoid valve and method has a simplified structure that integrates the fluid metering functions of the spool in the armature, thereby eliminating the need for a separate spool, bearings, and pin in the valve. The armature has a aperture that communicates with at least one port in a valve body. The position of the differential in the armature with respect to the ports in the valve body controls the pressure of fluid exiting the outputs of the valve body. In one embodiment, the same overall valve structure can be modified to form both inversely proportional valves and directly proportional valves. By integrating the fluid metering functions of the spool into a single ported armature, the inventive valve assembly reduces the number of parts in the valve, simplifying construction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: William John Arnold, Robert Andrew Dayton
  • Patent number: 7543597
    Abstract: A vent valve assembly utilizes a lever arrangement that opens a vapor discharge opening such as during normal operation of a motor vehicle to permit fuel vapor venting and that seals the vapor discharge opening such as when the motor vehicle is inclined to prevent liquid fuel from discharging through the vapor discharge opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Alfmeier Corporation
    Inventor: Ralf Leonhardt
  • Patent number: 7527064
    Abstract: The fuel cutoff valve comprises a valve support on the upper part of the float, and the seat member is mounted on the valve support. The valve support has the bending space that has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the seal part. The seat member is formed from a rubber material, has a side wall formed in a cylindrical shape from the outer periphery of the seat part and a stopper on the side wall, forming the mounting space by being formed in an almost a rectangle shape cross section, and being supported on the valve support by fitting the valve support on the mounting space. The seat part is elastically deformed in the bending space direction when set on the seal part and closes the connection path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kito, Hiroshi Nishi
  • Patent number: 7523761
    Abstract: The device for controlling fluid flow from a rain retention chamber or the like includes an inlet communicating with the chamber, an outlet permitting fluid to flow out of the device, and a shutter disposed between the inlet and the outlet, and supported in the device for linear shifting between a raised position and lowered position. A control element is rotatably mounted in a device for rotation about a central axis and includes a curved controller surface which is non-concentric with the central axis of the central element, such that rotation of the control element varies the radial distance between the central axis and the controller surface. A coupler member operably connects the shutter with the controller surface, such that rotation of the control element shifts the shutter between the raised and lowered positions to achieve a predetermined flow rate of fluid from the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Steinhardt GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Stiehl, Thomas Heep, Jörg-Michael Steinhardt
  • Patent number: 7520296
    Abstract: The device to adjust and control water levels is an apparatus that functions to secure a float valve at the bottom of an outdoor fountain without permanent installation involving screws, nuts, bolts and the like. The device includes a solid body, a bracket and a decorative float. The bracket is easily assembled to the solid body and retains the body of the float valve submerged in the fountain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Inventors: James R. Scribner, Gail Ryan
  • Patent number: 7520291
    Abstract: A backpressure-protected valve suitable for subsea well treatment chemical injection applications includes an improved gate valve, a check valve and a pressure compensator responsive to ambient hydrostatic pressure. The check valve may comprise a poppet valve in a detachable outlet body. The pressure compensator comprises a free piston in a cylinder. The portion of the cylinder on one side of the piston is exposed to seawater whereas the portion of the cylinder on the opposing side of the piston is filled with a selected hydraulic fluid. In this way the valve actuator is not exposed to the corrosive and/or contaminating effects of seawater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: National Coupling Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard R. Watson
  • Patent number: 7509969
    Abstract: A two-way check valve includes a sleeve, a connection head, a valve stem eject-rod, a first valve body, a second valve body, a first pressure adjustment module, a second pressure adjustment module and an intake connector. The sleeve is threaded over the valve stem eject-rod and the intake connector at opposite ends thereof, respectively. The connection head is disposed at the valve stem eject-rod. The sleeve has a first sleeve portion and a second sleeve portion. A first receiving chamber and a second receiving chamber are respectively defined in the first sleeve portion and the second sleeve portion. The first receiving chamber receives the second valve body therein. The second valve body is defined with a receiving room therein for receiving the first valve body and the first pressure adjustment module. The second receiving chamber receives the second pressure adjustment module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Inventor: Teng-Wen Huang
  • Patent number: 7506659
    Abstract: A system operating in an environment under a vacuum draw in which liquid accumulates utilizes the weight of the liquid to discharge the liquid from the system. The system includes a first holding tank and a second holding tank interconnected by a liquid passageway and a pressure equalization passageway. A number of valves are provided for controlling flow into and out of the second holding tank. The valves are operated in a sequence to use gravity to bring accumulating liquid from the first holding tank to the second holding tank in the vacuum environment, and then to discharge the liquid from the second holding tank to the environment outside of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Tamko Roofing Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven L. Russell, Matthew J. Burinskas
  • Patent number: 7503346
    Abstract: A solenoid actuated pilot valve includes a pilot valve housing defining a pilot valve chamber and a solenoid. The solenoid includes and end cap connected to the pilot valve housing, a reciprocable plunger, and a piston having a shaft with a first end connected to and end of the plunger and a second end connected to a piston head. The end cap has a bore through which the shaft of the piston reciprocates and a first port separate from the bore. A first seal on a first side of the piston head is provided for sealing a first end of the first port. A second seal on a second side of the piston head is provided for sealing a first end of a second port in the pilot valve housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Hunter Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael L. Clark
  • Patent number: 7497231
    Abstract: A female coupling member is provided which includes locking members (32) for securing the female coupling member to a male coupling member (12) inserted into a receiving portion (22) thereof. The receiving portion has an inner surface (35-2) that slidingly engages a forward end outer surface (12-2) of the male member (12) when the male member is inserted into the receiving portion (22) and before it reaches a position where the male and female members are secured to one another by the locking members (32). The receiving portion further has a forward end inner surface (20-1(2)) that slidingly engages an outer surface (12-3) of the male member that is more rearward of the forward end outer surface (12-2) than the engaging portion (12-1) of the male member when the inward inner surface slidingly engages the forward end outer surface (12-2) of the male coupling member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Nitto Kohki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeya Sasa
  • Patent number: 7497228
    Abstract: A water flushing system for a pressurized subterranean water distribution system includes an inlet conduit for receiving pressurized water from the subterranean water distribution system; an outlet fluidly connected to the inlet conduit for discharging pressurized water in the inlet conduit downwardly towards a drain; and a control valve for controlling the flow of pressurized water in the inlet conduit. The water flushing system further includes one or more of the following features: a freeze protection assembly, a detachable coupling system, a dechlorination system, and a backflow prevention system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Inventors: Thomas M. Taylor, David Goslin
  • Patent number: 7484528
    Abstract: A valve is provided with a valve housing encompassing a pressure chamber and possessing at least two valve ports which open into the pressure chamber, whereby, in the pressure chamber at least one axially slidable valve stem exists, which controls at least one of the valve ports and which the at least one valve stem is movable between a closed position and an open position. The valve further encompasses at least one wire or band shaped SMA element, the element having an SMA, as well as possessing a resetting element for the movement of the valve stems into the closure direction. The valve seat carries on its first end a port closing closure disk, whereby its second end is axially guided within the pressure chamber on a base plate which the plate extends itself transversely to the valve stems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Alfmeier Prazision AG Baugruppen und Systemlosungen
    Inventors: Wolfgang Beyerlein, Markus Köpfer
  • Patent number: 7484527
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a switching valve device used for vacuum suction of a member such as a semiconductor chip, and the object thereof is to break a vacuum rapidly and smoothly. The switching valve device includes a vacuum suction switching valve function for vacuum suction, a vacuum break switching valve function for vacuum break, and an open-to-atmosphere switching valve function which in conjunction with an operation of the vacuum suction switching valve function, opens a passage to the atmosphere side when the vacuum suction switching valve function is off and closes the passage to the atmosphere side when the vacuum suction switching valve function is on. The vacuum suction switching valve function, the vacuum break switching valve function, and the open-to-atmosphere switching valve function are integrally incorporated into a body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Kuroda Pneumatics Limited
    Inventors: Shigeo Tamaki, Kosuke Umeda