Patents Examined by Denise Gromada
  • Patent number: 5341577
    Abstract: Carbon black is introduced into a granulating machine 3 through an inlet 1 and water is introduced into the same through an inlet 2 to prepare granulated carbon black, which is fed to a cylindrical rotary type dryer 5 through a line 4 and is dried. A product of carbon black is discharged through a line 6. Temperature in the dryer 5 is measured by a plurality of thermometers 10. A combustion control device performs the arithmetical processing of temperature data to obtain the initial point at which the state of the carbon black is changed from the constant rate of drying to the falling rate of drying. The control device controls each flow rate of fuel supplied from each line 7 or 8 to burners 9 for the front and rear half portions of the dryer by using the critical point and the temperature of the carbon black at the outlet of the dryer, whereby a temperature profile for the carbon black in the dryer 5 can be made stable for a long time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1994
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Kasei Corporation
    Inventors: Iori Hashimoto, Motoki Numata, Jun Nishizawa, Tomiyuki Kamada
  • Patent number: 5341576
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and an apparatus for drying granular materials by submitting them to dielectric heating by means of electromagnetic waves such as microwave, high frequency, etc. The granular materials to be dried are heated to the prescribed temperature with electromagnetic waves under a reduced pressure of a range not producing any glow discharge and then dried to the prescribed moisture percentage while passing through a pressure reducing process of a vacuum of higher degree. An apparatus for it is provided with a reduced pressure drying tank (1) having an electromagnetic wave generator (2), a main drying tank (30) communicated with said reduced pressure drying tank (1), and suction air sources (20), (20') which are provided respectively in the reduced pressure drying tank (1) and the main drying tank (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1994
    Assignee: Matsui Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ono Tsutomu, Nosaka Masaaki
  • Patent number: 5339538
    Abstract: A fluidized bed apparatus comprising a pair of separated fluid bed enclosures, each enclosing a fluid bed carried on an air distributor plate supplied with fluidizing air from below the plate. At least one equalizing duct extending through sidewalls of both fluid bed enclosures and flexibly engaged therewith to communicate the fluid beds with each other. The equalizing duct being surrounded by insulation which is in turn encased by an outer duct having expansion means and being fixed between the sidewalls of the fluid bed enclosures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1994
    Assignee: The Babcock & Wilcox Company
    Inventor: Edward E. Pinske, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5339537
    Abstract: A continuous drier for flat piece material, especially for liquid-coated printed circuit boards, and the like, comprises a heatable drier housing and a transport path that ascends in the housing and, after passing an upper turning point descends again. Secured to an endless chain that extends substantially vertically are carriers for the piece material to be transported, which carriers project outwards from the endless chain. The drier also comprises a supply duct for drying air for the piece material to be dried. The supply duct is so arranged that an airstream supplied by it flows over the piece material transversely to the direction in which the carriers project from the chain links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1994
    Assignee: Ciba-Geigy Corporation
    Inventor: Kaspar Kuster
  • Patent number: 5339540
    Abstract: An accessory device which is releasably mountable on a hair dryer and which contains at least one reservoir for a sprayable material, such as water, hair conditioner, lacquer and the like, and which is actuable by the same hand which holds the hair dryer to apply the sprayable material as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1994
    Inventor: Syd Edwards
  • Patent number: 5337498
    Abstract: Apparatus for drying utensils comprises a chamber 1 and a gas-fired burner 20, such as a fully premixed burner, for firing into the chamber. Fans 30 blow air into the chamber and deflectors 31 direct air from the fans 30, via openings 43, to mix with the hot gaseous combustion products produced by the burner 20 to provide a hot mixture. A duct portion 7 directs the hot gaseous mixture from the chamber into a drying region 9 and over the utensils which pass through the drying region to be dried. The hot mixture is used to dry the utensils by direct contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1994
    Assignee: British Gas plc
    Inventor: Colin Smith
  • Patent number: 5337500
    Abstract: A dishwasher includes a washing chamber where a heater is located. The air within the chamber is circulated by a first fan through a circulation duct. An inlet and an outlet for the outside air is located on the front surface of the dishwasher. The inlet and the outlet are connected by the outside air duct. A heat exchanger is located between the outside air duct and the circulation duct. The outside air is circulated by a second fan from the inlet to the outlet to exchange the heat between the outside air and the inside air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1994
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Tomoki Enokizono
  • Patent number: 5337497
    Abstract: In order to provide a vacuum degreasing-drying method by which extremely small, precision metal products can be degreased and dried quickly and completely without using organic solvents, according to the present invention, an object 112 to be rinsed is put in a vacuum drier 110 after being rinsed with a hydrocarbon cleaning agent and then the air in the vacuum drier 110 is evacuated so as to degrease and dry the object thus rinsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1994
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Chuichi Sato, Akira Kikuchi, Hiroshi Saito, Shinichi Takaira
  • Patent number: 5335426
    Abstract: Water contamination is purged from molecular sieve material used in oxygen concentrators by heating the molecular sieve material to a temperature in the range of approximately 450.degree. to 950.degree. F., and subjecting the molecular sieve material to a stream of dry sweep gas having a dew point in the range of approximately -80.degree. to -100.degree. F. In the preferred embodiment, the molecular sieve material is contained in a vessel and heated by means of a number of heating elements. In addition, a flow of dry sweep gas is produced by at least two drying chambers containing a desiccating material. A first valve assembly alternately cycles the sweep gas through the first drying chamber and then through said second drying chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1994
    Assignee: Foothills Medical Equipment, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard W. Settlemyer, William A. Johnson, Robert L. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5335428
    Abstract: A roll up and drying device to be incorporated in a rust cleaning machine includes a main shaft on which a pair of spaced, identical circular plates are concentrically and fixedly mounted on the main shaft and a plurality of connecting ribs screw connecting the spaced plates adjacent to the peripheries of the plates. The connecting ribs are in the shape of truncated cones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1994
    Inventor: Shunn-Gone Wang
  • Patent number: 5335427
    Abstract: An elevation part (10) added under the nozzle (11) of a condensate pick-up shoe in a steam cylinder (4), by which part a desired liquid level can be produced in the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1994
    Inventor: Martti E. O. Partio
  • Patent number: 5333396
    Abstract: A drying apparatus for removing moisture content from a substance to be dried, comprises a peripheral wall defining a working space for drying the substance, the peripheral wall defines at least an inlet for charging the substance to be dried, an outlet for taking the dried substance therefrom and a drain. A rotary spiral blade assembly is disposed within the working space and has a lower end, at which the substance accumulated on the bottom of the working space rides on a transporting surface of the rotary spiral blade assembly. The rotary spiral blade assembly is rotatable at a predetermined rotation speed sufficient for forcing the substance on the transporting surface to climb up toward the upper end of the rotary spiral blade assembly. The rotary spiral blade assembly defines a path for the substance reaching at upper end thereof to fall down to the bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1994
    Inventor: Masao Kanai
  • Patent number: 5333393
    Abstract: An apparatus (12) for retaining a shoe (18) within a clothes dryer (10) having a rotatable chamber (16), the apparatus (12) having a shoe tree (28) with a toe support member (38) and a heel support member (36) for maintaining the inner shape of the shoe (18), a bracket (26) interconnecting the shoe tree (28) and a clamp (20) which is releasably secured to the rotatable chamber (16) of the dryer (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1994
    Inventors: Tyrone Hill, Larry D. Franklin
  • Patent number: 5333392
    Abstract: An apparatus known per se for the thermal treatment of a mixture of solids and gases, comprising a vessel having an axially symmetrical interior, which vessel has in the lower part and in the upper part in each case at least one tangentially arranged opening, in the interior of the vessel at least one annular baffle tightly sealing to the vessel wall being arranged between the two openings, and the lower part of the vessel having a smaller diameter, is operated or is designed so that in the lower part a high radial velocity and short residence time prevail and in the upper part a low radial velocity and long residence time prevail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1994
    Assignee: Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Christoph Heinze
  • Patent number: 5325603
    Abstract: The invention provides an improved method and apparatus for feeding solids to a fluidized bed reactor. A back pressure control valve regulates the pressure drop between the pressure above a solids column in a standpipe and the pressure in the reactor. Solids are fed from the standpipe via a conduit without valve means, the conduit contains a bend of an angle greater than the angle of repose of the solids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1994
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Donald H. Eastham, James W. Reeves
  • Patent number: 5325604
    Abstract: System for kiln-drying hardwood wherein the weight of a representative sample positioned remote from the batch of wood to be dried is monitored. The moisture content of the representative sample is calculated from the measured weight continuously and operational parameters with the kiln are automatically adjusted in response to the moisture content of the sample to provide desired drying conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1994
    Assignee: The University of Tennessee Research Corporation
    Inventor: Robert L. Little
  • Patent number: 5325601
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for drying and curing a coating which as been applied in liquid form to a metal substrate. The process and apparatus include a precuring or drying of the coating by rapidly heating the sheet in an electromagnetic induction coil to volatilize solvents in the coating. The precured sheets are then immediately conveyed to a conventional convection oven for further heating the sheets by baking the sheets at a temperature and for a duration in accordance with the drying and curing specifications of the coating manufacturer. The induction coil is designed to heat the sheet metal in a narrow transverse band as the sheet moves through the induction coil. The power supply to the induction circuit is designed to permit the induction coil to be turned on under varying load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1994
    Assignee: Alltrista Corporation
    Inventors: Donald L. Brownewell, Louis S. Comadena, Dwight B. Raddatz
  • Patent number: 5325600
    Abstract: The present invention features a UV tube detector for sensing a resonant arcing condition in a microwave environment. Where clothing or fabric is being dried in a magnetron-powered, microwave chamber, the UV tube detector is placed in proximity to the fabric. The UV tube detector senses a possible resonant arcing condition related to small metal objects hidden in the material. Upon the sensing of arcing, tile UV tube provides a signal for shutting down the magnetron power. In conjunction with UV detection, the moisture condition can be monitored during the drying cycle. At a point in the microwave heating cycle consistent with an "end of microwave heating cycle" or "near dryness", the power output of the magnetrons is reduced or terminated. The moist fabric can then be dried via reduced microwave heating and/or by normal heating methods, including, but not limited to, electrical radiant heating and convection techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1994
    Assignee: Micro Dry, Inc.
    Inventor: Philip J. Gentile
  • Patent number: 5325602
    Abstract: A carton is provided for holding wet books and like materials during transport to and processing at a freezing and freeze drying or vacuum drying facility. The carton is fabricated as a laminated corrugated carton from a high density polymer that may be stored in a flat condition, assembled to hold the books or like and after their processing collapsed for storage. The carton have openings throughout to facilitate extraction of fluids. The cartons are reusable as many as 20 times or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1994
    Assignee: Protext, Inc.
    Inventors: Linda Nainis, Robert J. Milevski
  • Patent number: 5325606
    Abstract: Damp sodium bicarbonate filter cake is pre-dried and calcined to produce light soda as in a process comprising a carbon dioxide ebullated fluid bed pre-dryer working in connected series relationship with a plurality of carbon dioxide ebullated fluid bed/bag filter calcination systems such that bicarbonate decomposition during pre-drying is minimized and the thermal treatment of small particles during calcination is optimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1994
    Assignee: Niro A/S
    Inventor: Erik Liborius