Patents Examined by Daniel Myer
  • Patent number: 4710756
    Abstract: A combination smoke detector and one or more bags for containing air including a housing having a plurality of compartments, a smoke detector unit being mounted in one compartment and an air-bag member being stored in each of the remaining two contiguous compartments. The storage compartments are covered by a hinged panel that opens to release the bags which drop and hang freely from their respective compartments when the smoke detector is activated. Each air bag is arranged to receive and cover a wearer's head so as to provide breathable air during an escape to safety from a smoke-filled room or building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1987
    Inventors: Dennis D. Thornburg, Richard R. Parenteau
  • Patent number: 4691198
    Abstract: A control system for diverting/equalizing electrical potentials between two objects, for example the shell (1) of a storage tank installation and the body (10) of a tank truck/vessel, when loading flammable/explosive fluids, wherein an electrical equalizer connection (5,6,14) connects the body (10) of the tank truck via a terminal (10a) to the storage tank (1) via a terminal (1a). The terminals (1a and 10a) are part of respective control circuits comprising a low voltage source (U.sub.1 ; U.sub.2), a resistor (4; 13) and an indicator (8,9) for registering current flow and thereby controlling/blocking the connection/disconnection of a fluid pump. To check that electrical connection has in fact been established at the terminals (1a,10a), each of these is connected to a respective control circuit via separate terminals, namely a terminal (1b; 10b) on the respective bodies (1; 10) and a terminal (6a; 6b) on a busbar (6) in the equalizer connection ( 5,6,14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1987
    Inventor: Alf Mortensen
  • Patent number: 4686518
    Abstract: A fault indicator includes a status indicator for indicating normal and fault conditions on a monitored conductor. Trip circuitry within the fault indicator conditions the status indicator from a normal-indicating to a fault-indicating state upon the occurrence of a fault current in the conductor. Trip inhibit circuitry, including a loss of voltage sensor, inhibits the trip circuitry following a power failure whereby the fault indicator is rendered insensitive to inrush current during a period immediately following restoration of power to the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1987
    Inventor: Edmund O. Schweitzer, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4684917
    Abstract: An ignition powered indicator system for detecting and audibly alerting an operator of a low oil condition associated with an internal combustion engine for apparatus such as a lawn mower, pump, generator, tractor and the like. The indicator system includes a low oil switch mounted on the engine crankcase housing and connected in circuit with a buzzer, diode, and capacitor with the ignition primary. When the oil level is too low, the switch closes shorting the ignition primary to shut off the engine and produce an intermittent beeping sound, namely, one beep per ignition pulse, alerting the operator of the low oil condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1987
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton Corporation
    Inventor: Paul A. Tharman
  • Patent number: 4682156
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for detecting solvents, including hydrocarbons. The apparatus includes a hydrocarbon-soluble plastic rod which interconnects a mass or weight and a weighing assembly. The weighing assembly is operatively joined to an alarm indicator, which is utilized to inform the user as to whether hydrocarbons are present. In a preferred arrangement, the weighing assembly is connected to a housing, which is joined to the top of a well casing provided in the ground. The plastic rod may be of any desired length, depending upon the depth of the well casing and where it is desired to check for hydrocarbons. When hydrocarbons are detected the plastic rod dissolves or separates causing movement of the weighing assembly and the alarm indicator so that a visual indication is provided that hydrocarbons are present. The apparatus further includes a mass catch assembly for maintaining connection between the mass and the housing after the plastic rod separates due to the presence of hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1987
    Assignee: In-Situ, Inc.
    Inventor: H. Kent Wainwright
  • Patent number: 4680576
    Abstract: An improved photoelectric smoke detector and alarm system which may be incorporated in a single station, completely self-contained unitary structure, or which may be incorporated in a multi-station detector system that is capable of self-contained operation but which can also be interconnected with other detectors whereby when any one detector's alarm sounds, all of the other alarms automatically sound in the other interconnected structures, the improved smoke detector and alarm system including a piezoceramic electrically activatable alarm, an illuminating circuit including a gallium aluminum arsenide light emitting diode, and a smoke sensing circuit including a pair of identical photoelectric cells formed on the same substrate with the photoelectric cells mounted in proximity to the light emitting diode whereby light emanating from the light emitting diode impinges upon one of the dual photoelectric cells at all times and impinges upon the other of the dual photoelectric cells to change the conductivity of
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1982
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1987
    Assignee: Gentex Corporation
    Inventor: Frederick T. Bauer
  • Patent number: 4675660
    Abstract: Procedure to measure the level (14) of a liquid (13) by means of elastic waves, such liquid (13) being contained within an axially moving tube (11) and cooperating with a filler tube (12), the filler tube (12) being used as an element in the transmission of elastic waves to the liquid (13), such elastic waves being picked up (16) outside the axially moving tube (11).Device (10) to carry out the above procedure, which device (10) cooperates with a filler tube (12) and comprises:at least one transducer (15) to transmit energization of the vibration of the filler tube (12), andat least one receiver transducer (16) located outside the axially moving tube (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1987
    Assignee: TETRA DEV-CO Consorzio di Studio e Ricerca Industriale
    Inventor: Antonio Boscolo
  • Patent number: 4675662
    Abstract: A machine oil deterioration detection apparatus having a copper thin film resistor formed on an electrically insulating holding member and immersed in a machine oil. The copper thin film resistor is corroded by acid produced in accordance with deterioration of the machine oil, thus changing the resistance of the resistor. The change in resistance is detected by a detection circuit, connected to the thin film resistor, for detecting the resistance of the thin film resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1987
    Assignee: Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenji Kondo, Tadashi Hattori, Kinya Atsumi, Minoru Nishida
  • Patent number: 4675574
    Abstract: A monitoring device for use with a loop circuit including a plurality of lights, which includes a monitoring current transformer having a magnetic core with a primary circuit connected in series with the loop and a secondary circuit coupled to the primary circuit, the primary circuit being arranged such that the loop current saturates the transformer core and the secondary circuit being in open-circuit condition, the monitoring current transformer generating a monitoring voltage signal in response to each inversion of the loop current. The monitoring voltage signal is used to generate a window signal during the time interval when the monitoring voltage signal has a significant value and the window signal is then used to control the integration of a signal representative of the loop voltage with a view to producing a detecting signal which is indicative of the number of defective lights. The integration time interval is thereby determined whatever the loop current waveform may be.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1987
    Assignee: n.v. ADB s.a.
    Inventor: Robert J. Delflache
  • Patent number: 4675661
    Abstract: A light-attenuation type fire detector assembly of the present invention comprises a light emission drive section including a light emitter for radiating light having an intensity corresponding to an input signal level; a smoke detecting section including a light receiver which directly receives the light radiated from the light emission drive section and is adapted to output a detection signal corresponding to the received light amount of the light receiver; a smoke amount computing section for computing the amount of smoke based on the detection signal from the smoke detecting section; a delay circuit for retarding input of the detection signal from the smoke detecting section to the light emission drive section for a predetermined time; and a control section for repeating the operations of the light emission drive section, the smoke detecting section and the delay circuit and generating a control signal after a predetermined period of time has been passed or a predetermined times of operation has been done
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1987
    Assignee: Hochiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiromitsu Ishii
  • Patent number: 4673924
    Abstract: A system is provided for detecting wind shifts on a floating vessel which is anchored. The system has particular applicability to commercial gill net fishing where a net is set for the night and a fishing boat is tied to the downwind end of the net. The system employs a modified compass which has a compass rose freely rotatable relative to and in electrical isolation from a housing. An electrical contact is mounted on the compass rose and is electrically connected to a power supply and to an alarm. The power supply is also connected to limit contacts on the housing. The limit contacts are initially oriented to locations on opposite sides of the electrical contact on the compact rose when the vessel is anchored to the downwind end of the net to define allowable variations in wind direction. A significant wind shift will reorient the vessel relative to the net to maintain the vessel at a location downwind from its anchoring point on the net.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1987
    Inventor: Ritchie S. Taylor
  • Patent number: 4673927
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting and controlling the presence of a gaseous fluid in relation to a predetermined level of liquid in a vessel, being of the ultrasonic type and comprising a pair of piezoelectric transducers, namely a transmitter and a receiver, capable of being disposed on opposite walls of the vessel. An oscillator provides an electric ultrasonic frequency signal to the transmitter transducer and a comparator compares the electric signal supplied by the receiver transducer with a reference signal for triggering an alarm signal when the disparity between the signals being compared exceeds a predetermined value.The apparatus moreover comprises processing means which periodically interrupt the electric signal sent to the transmitter transducer and which check the presence of an alarm at the output of the above mentioned comparator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1987
    Assignee: Hospal A.G.
    Inventors: Domenico Cianciavicchia, Stefano Franceschini
  • Patent number: 4670741
    Abstract: In a smoke detection system, smoke density in a sampling chamber is measured by flashing a strobe light through the chamber and sensing light flux emitted from the chamber and comparing it with light flux from the strobe light itself. The measurements are performed by peak detectors which load sample-and-hold circuits to provide steady signals. The two signals are combined in mathematical manner to compensate for zero-offset and rate error between the two signals. The combined and corrected output is used to actuate a visual alarm signal, such as a segmented bargraph display to indicate air pollution. The bargraph has programming pins for tapping off each individual bargraph segment to achieve plural preset alarm thresholds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1987
    Inventor: Martin T. Cole
  • Patent number: 4670742
    Abstract: Monitoring of trigger circuits of power switches of electrical power supply devices which can experience faults due to breakage of conductors, oxidation of contacts, loosened terminal contacts, short circuits in trigger coils, etc. In order to improve fault monitoring, oscillator oscillations are applied to the trigger circuit of a power switch and are monitored. A fault- or alarm signal is generated in response to a detuning of an oscillator when the detuning persists for a predetermined time. The inductance of the circuit-breaking coil of the power switch serves as a frequency-determining element of the oscillator. A lag element with a delay of 500 ms is inserted after the oscillator. If the oscillator stays detuned for more than 500 ms, a Schmitt trigger is triggered by the lag element, whereby an alarm relay is actuated which switches on an alarm device via an alarm relay contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1987
    Assignee: BBC Brown, Boveri & Company, Limited
    Inventor: Gerhard Wacha
  • Patent number: 4668946
    Abstract: A filament lamp outage indicator system in which the actuation of an on/off switch to its on position is sensed to enable a logic circuit in the event a current flow increase is not inductively detected in a conductor in series with the switch and a corresponding filament lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1987
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Jack R. Volk, Philip Piatkowski, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4668943
    Abstract: An excessive gas flow detector has a probe in which an electrode and immediately surrounding part of an insulating sleeve are protected by a shielding ring surrounding the electrode from direct impingement of spray carried by gas sweeping down into a well under excessive gas flow conditions. A test unit for plugging into a socket of the detector gives an indication on light emitting diodes of whether there is an excessive or normal gas flow through the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1987
    Assignee: Bestobell (UK) Limited
    Inventors: Peter F. Bunker, Michael J. Scott
  • Patent number: 4668944
    Abstract: A fail safe circuit is provided in a salinity monitor having a salinity indicating panel for visually presenting salinity levels and a salinity cell for sensing salinity levels. The salinity cell is electrically connected to the salinity indicating panel by a plurality of salinity cell leads which supply electrical signals to the salinity indicating panel for indication of salinity levels. The fail safe circuit enables an alarm when a salinity cell lead becomes disconnected from the salinity indicating panel. Also, a back-up circuit is provided for enabling an alarm should the fail safe circuit become inoperative.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1987
    Inventor: Horace A. Teass, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4668945
    Abstract: A device for detecting the presence of a gaseous fluid in relation to a predetermined level of liquid in an elastically deformable vessel comprises a U-shaped body capable of accommodating within it a portion of the vessel at a predetermined liquid level. A pair of piezoelectric transducers in the body, used as transmitter and receiver, is fixed face-to-face on opposite arms of the U-shaped body. The device moreover comprises a cover capable of confining the portion of the vessel inside the U-shaped body, and an elastic device disposed between the cover and the U-shaped body and capable of producing an elastic deformation of the vessel and causing the contact surfaces of transducers to contact intimately the said portion of the vessel without entrapment of air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1987
    Assignee: Hospal A.G.
    Inventors: Mauro Aldrovandi, Mauro Facchini
  • Patent number: 4667187
    Abstract: A microprocessor circuit employed to control the on/off switching of a filament lamp in series with a power switching device and a single conductor is programmed to periodically cycle the filament lamp between its deenergized and energized state at a rate above that which would be humanly perceptible. A toroidal ferrite core surrounds the conductor between the lamp filament and the switch and picks up current changes which occur due to the cycling. The absence of current changes during cycling are perceived by the microprocessor as a lamp failure and appropriate signaling is made to indicate the lamp failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1987
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Jack R. Volk, Philip Piatkowski, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4667186
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for monitoring a self-regulating heater comprising a PTC conductive polymer while it is being powered by a power supply signal. The apparatus is connected to a power supply and to the heater, the heater then producing a heater signal which is fed to a comparator. The comparator deterines the phasal relationship between the power supply signal and the heater signal and indicates when the signals are out of phase by a predetermined magnitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1987
    Assignee: Raychem Corporation
    Inventor: David C. Bliven