Patents Examined by Dinnatia Doster
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Patent number: 5671547Abstract: An accessory (9) integral with the blowing extremity (8) of a hair dryer (1). The accessory is traversed by the air blown out of the hair dryer to dry the hair. The accessory includes elements intended to be in contact with the hair, such as rigid bristles (11) or fingers (12). The accessory is composed of vibrating means (13, 14) which cause the elements (11, 12) to vibrate during hair drying.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 1995Date of Patent: September 30, 1997Assignee: SEB S.A.Inventors: Paul Truchet, Daniel Bontoux
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Patent number: 5669156Abstract: An article separating and drying system which receives container ends from an infeed station, separates and dries the container ends and the compound applied thereto in a separating and drying station, and passes the articles to an outfeed station. The article separating and drying system includes a magnetic separating assembly which imposes a magnetic field on the container ends passing thereby for similarly magnetizing the container ends causing neighboring ends to repel one another. The magnetic repulsion of neighboring ends produces gaps between the neighboring ends as they move through the separating and drying station. A conveying device is provided to controllably move the container ends through the separating and drying station. An air distribution assembly is provided to deliver air to said separating and drying station and drive the air through the gap between neighboring container ends thereby contacting the liner compound applied to the container ends and removing moisture therefrom.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 1996Date of Patent: September 23, 1997Assignee: Fleetwood Systems, Inc.Inventor: Miroslav W. Vejchoda
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Patent number: 5666743Abstract: The apparel conditioner system of this invention includes an apparel conditioning device that can be used to dry and deodorize apparel. The apparel conditioning device can be supported inside an outer enclosure to comprise an apparel conditioner system used to improve the deodorizing of apparel along with drying the apparel. The apparel conditioning device includes a fan to force ambient air through an air passage defined within a housing of the apparel conditioning device. An adjustable apparel rack is positioned within the air flow passage using an adjustable rack mount. The position of the apparel rack is selected for supporting and holding the apparel such that a flow of ambient air can circulate to the inside surfaces of apparel having an inside surfaces and envelop the outside surfaces of the apparel at the same time. The fan has a speed adjustment to obtain a velocity of the flow of the ambient air to improve the circulation in and envelopment around the apparel.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 1996Date of Patent: September 16, 1997Inventor: Bonnie D. Dawson
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Patent number: 5666740Abstract: A hood for a wire part and/or a press section in a paper/board machine including walls and a ceiling which form a closed hood around the wire part and/or press section, air-conditioning or another air-control system being arranged in connection with the hood. The hood walls have outer and inner walls which define an air duct therebetween for passing a replacement air flow into the interior of the hood, preferably toward a middle area of the paper machine, through openings in the inner wall, the replacement air keeping the interior of the hood substantially dry and clean. The walls of the hood include a vertical side wall at the driving side, which wall is preferably fixed, and a tending-side vertical side wall and a ceiling formed as a single wall which is preferably L-shaped and displaceable. The displaceable hood wall at the tending side has two parts so that the first hood wall is placed by the wire section and the second hood wall is placed by the press section.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 1996Date of Patent: September 16, 1997Assignee: Valmet CorporationInventors: Antti Leinonen, Henrik Pettersson, Risto Salminen, Hannu Niemikko, Juha Kivimaa, Pertti Heikkila, Tapio Lento, Erkki Kiilavuori
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Patent number: 5664337Abstract: A semiconductor processing system for wafers or other semiconductor articles. The system uses an interface section at an end of the machine accessible from the clean room. A plurality of processing stations are arranged away from the clean room interface. A transfer subsystem removes wafers from supporting carriers, and positions both the wafers and carriers onto a carrousel which is used as an inventory storage. Wafers are shuttled between the inventory and processing stations by a robotic conveyor which is oriented to move toward and away from the interface end. The system processes the wafers without wafer carriers.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 1996Date of Patent: September 9, 1997Assignee: Semitool, Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey A. Davis, Gary L. Curtis
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Patent number: 5661910Abstract: A hand held blow dryer includes a barrel with a plurality of holes. A deflecting mechanism can be positioned within or substantially within the barrel, and an actuating mechanism can be operationally associated with the deflecting mechanism. The hand-held blow dryer can be utilized in at least a first mode in which air flow is directed through the barrel opening of the barrel, and a second mode in which the actuating mechanism is actuated to move the deflecting mechanism from at least a position in which the barrel opening is opened, to a position in which the barrel opening is substantially closed by the deflecting mechanism. Thus, in the second mode most of the air is deflected by the deflecting mechanism and forced through the holes of the barrel.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 1996Date of Patent: September 2, 1997Assignee: Vital Hair Tools, LLCInventor: Natale Schepisi
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Patent number: 5661912Abstract: Booth-type drier for a painting plant, in particular, for vehicle bodies, comprising a booth interior for receiving painted articles to be dried and at least one heating element arranged in the drier for heating the articles, the heating element being, for its part, heatable using waste air from the painting plant which has undergone thermal cleaning and has thereby been heated up and which is conducted through at least one pure gas pipeline, wherein to minimize the investment and operating costs, the pure gas pipeline is laid in the drier and designed to give off heat to the booth interior.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 1995Date of Patent: September 2, 1997Assignee: Durr GmbHInventors: Satpal Bhatnagar, Gunther Kuchenthal, Dietmar Wieland
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Patent number: 5660541Abstract: A system and method for supporting a superconductor tape during a heat treating process includes a cylindrical spool which is longitudinally split into a first half and a second half. Clamps are provided to hold the halves of the spool together in a first configuration. Additionally, shims are provided which can be positioned between the halves and which, in cooperation with the clamps, hold the halves of the spool in a second configuration. Before the heating process, the superconductor tape is wound onto the spool while it is being held by the clamps in its first configuration. The clamps are then released and the superconductor tape is subjected to the heating process. After the heating process, the shims are positioned between the halves, and the clamps are reengaged to form the spool in its second configuration. The superconductor tape can then be removed from the spool.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 1994Date of Patent: August 26, 1997Assignee: General AtomicsInventors: Lawrence D. Woolf, Robert A. Olstad
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Patent number: 5659976Abstract: Method and equipment for the manufacture of corrugated paper products includes separate heaters for preparing liner and medium components. Data regarding these components is collected and an optimum conditioning for the components is determined. High voltage sensors, associated electronic circuitry and computer controls are used to determine surface moisture values.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 1995Date of Patent: August 26, 1997Assignee: Inland Paperboard and Packaging, Inc.Inventors: Jerome J. Klockenkemper, Dennis M. Judge, Charles Douglas Moore
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Patent number: 5659972Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) assisted flotation air bar dryer apparatus and method for drying and/or curing a traveling web includes RF generating means for delivering RF through field and RF stray field to the web to heat the web, air bars to direct air flow to the web for cooling to facilitate emission of moisture therefrom and to avoid blistering due to overheating, an RF field reflector to reflect RF energy to the web, and a control system to monitor and to control air temperature and/or flow, RF field strength, and/or web temperature to maintain a balance between heating and cooling to obtain efficient high speed drying while avoid damage to the web.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 1995Date of Patent: August 26, 1997Assignee: Avery Dennison CorporationInventors: Kyung Min, John E. Johansen
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Patent number: 5657553Abstract: A substrate drying apparatus comprises a treatment vessel for containing IPA in the form of liquid, an IPA source for supplying IPA into the treatment vessel, a first heat exchanger which is equipped with a heat exchanger tube dipped in IPA and allowing steam to pass therein, the first heat exchanger allowing the steam and IPA to perform heat exchange therebetween to thereby evaporate IPA, and a second heat exchanger provided on or above an upper portion of the treatment vessel and equipped with a heat exchanger tube for allowing a coolant to pass therein, the second heat exchanger allowing the coolant and the evaporated IPA to perform heat exchange therebetween to thereby condense the evaporated IPA.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 1995Date of Patent: August 19, 1997Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Kimmon Quartz Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tetsuya Tarui, Hiromitsu Asano, Hajime Onoda
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Patent number: 5653043Abstract: Apparatus of the present invention for batch drying crop in the shell comprises a bin having a generally cylindric bin wall, a conical upper drying floor carded by the bin wall, means floor for forming a substantially uniform layer of the crop to be dried on the upper surface of the upper drying floor, and selectively operable means for effecting the gravity discharge of the batch of crop from the upper drying floor. An inverted conical lower drying floor is carded by the bin below the upper drying floor for receiving the crop discharged from the upper drying floor. The lower drying floor has a hopper shaped crop supporting surface. Means is associated with the lower drying floor for forming a substantially uniform layer of crop on the lower drying floor upon the crop being gravity discharged from the upper drying floor. The lower drying floor further has a bottom outlet for the gravity discharge of the crop supported thereon.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 1996Date of Patent: August 5, 1997Assignee: The GSI Group, Inc.Inventors: Ronald Bestwick, Jeffrey D. Decker
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Patent number: 5653041Abstract: A method and device for drying a paper web wherein the paper web is supported on a drying wire without long open draws of the web. The paper web is contact-dried by pressing it with the drying wire onto a face of a contact-drying cylinder whose diameter is greater than about 1.5 m on a sector b whose magnitude is greater than about 180.degree.. The web is evaporation-dried as blowing-on drying and/or as through-drying by means of high-velocity drying-gas jets applied to the web on the drying wire on the face of the following large-diameter cylinder whose diameter is greater than about 2 m on a sector a having a magnitude greater than about 180.degree. while the web is on the side of the outside curve. The web to be dried is passed over a sector c of the suction roll which is subjected to negative pressure while the web is supported on the drying wire at the side of the outside curve. The magnitude of the sector of the suction roll has a magnitude greater than about 160.degree.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 1994Date of Patent: August 5, 1997Assignee: Valmet CorporationInventors: Antti Ilmarinen, Antti Kuhasalo, Pertti Heikkila, Heikki Ilvespaa, Jouko Yli-Kauppila, Ilkka Jokioinen, Matti Korpela, Mikko Karvinen, Pekka Taskinen, Henrik Petterson, Vaino Sailas, Dick Parker
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Patent number: 5653631Abstract: An extensible-contractible duct connector of slidingly interfittable, elongated, partial duct elements, the partial duct elements having an open end telescopically interfit with an open end of the other partial duct element to cooperatively form a duct connector, each having an outer closed end, each partial duct element having a side air flow opening directly adjacent the respective one of the closed ends to prevent significant dead air space between the opening and the adjacent closed end, the partial duct elements having slidably interfitting lateral edges with each other enabling sliding telescopic interfit that is incrementally variably adjustable between an extended condition with the side air flow openings offset maximally from each other, and a contracted condition with the side air flow openings having zero offset from each other.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 1996Date of Patent: August 5, 1997Assignee: Builder's Best Inc.Inventors: John L. Andersen, Charles R. Kenrick
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Patent number: 5651194Abstract: A dryer and a method for controlling a dryer for drying items in a rotating drum by supplying hot air therein. In the rotating drum, electrodes are provided in a position at which the items in the rotating drum enable to come into contact with the items. A degree of dryness of the items is detected in accordance with the current passing through the electrodes. When the detected degree of dryness reaches a predetermined level, an untangling operation is carried out. In the untangling operation, a rotation of the rotating drum is controlled in order to untangle a tangled or wrapped state of the items. The drying operation of the dryer is ended in accordance with the detected degree of dryness. The untangling operation can include a forward rotation of the drum followed by stopping the drum. It can also include rotating the drum in a forward direction, then rotating it in a reverse direction and then stopping the drum.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 1995Date of Patent: July 29, 1997Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventor: Kinya Hayashi
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Patent number: 5649372Abstract: A drying cycle controller for a garment dryer. The drying cycle is controlled to have a decreasing temperature and humidity profile which avoids the removal of moisture at a rate which will cause shrinkage and wrinkling of the garment. The drying cycle temperature profile is controlled by continuously sensing the humidity within the drying chamber, and decreasing the drying temperature each time the relative humidity drops to one of a plurality of set points. Once the humidity has reached the final set point, the dryer enters a cool down cycle for a predetermined cool down time.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 1996Date of Patent: July 22, 1997Assignee: American Dryer CorporationInventor: William J. Souza
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Patent number: 5647140Abstract: An apparatus for drying vegetables, fruits, and other produce having a support including a base and at least two upstanding posts. A housing element is secured to the support. A roller conveyor for transferring a container from outside of the housing element to a position within the housing element and for transferring the container from within the housing element to outside of the housing element is secured to the housing element. A hold-down lid for securing and positioning the container within the housing element is secured by a hold-down lid shaft and may be manually or electronically controlled. A plate for supporting and for rotating the container is secured to the plate shafts. The plate is mounted within the housing element and includes a plurality of spaced centrifugal pins being positioned so as to secure the container on the plate. The plate also has a centrifugal pin activation mechanism for activating and positioning the plurality of spaced centrifugal pins as the plate is rotated.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 1996Date of Patent: July 15, 1997Inventor: Emmit Hudspeth
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Patent number: 5647141Abstract: An apparatus for drying a wet sheet material such as a paper web is presented. The apparatus is provided with a suitable number of dryer cylinders operating in conjunction with a plurality of steam blast ports disposed adjacent to the dryer cylinders. A vertically movable canopy hood and a middle hood having sheet entry/exit opening and a door opening device are provided. The wet sheet material is held between two endless fabric belts, and passed through the dryer cylinders alternatively via suction fabric rolls, fabric rolls and fabric tension rolls. The drying process is carried out in an atmosphere of superheated steam of over 100.degree. C. inside the canopy hood and the middle hood, and the steam generated from the wet sheets is recirculated through an exhaust screen, a super heated steam circulating fan, an adiabatic compressor and a supply duct. Another atmosphere of heated moist air having a dew point of at least 80.degree. C. is also employed.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 1996Date of Patent: July 15, 1997Assignee: Tokushu Paper Mfg. Co., Ltd.Inventor: Morimasa Hanaya
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Patent number: 5645482Abstract: A telescopically extensible-contractible air duct connector comprising an elongated outer duct element having an open end, a closed end, and a lateral opening adjacent the closed end, an inner duct element telescopically interfitting within the outer duct element, having an open end within the outer duct element, a closed end located outside the outer duct element, a lateral opening adjacent the closed end, and a laterally projecting sleeve around the lateral opening, the outer duct element having an elongated slot extending from the open end and of a width slightly greater than that of the laterally projecting sleeve of the inner duct element to receive the sleeve upon telescopic contraction of the connector, and the inner duct element having an extended panel within the outer duct element, adjacent the slot, and of a width greater than the width of the slot to cover the slot when the connector is at least partially extended.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 1996Date of Patent: July 8, 1997Assignee: Builder's Best Inc.Inventors: William R. Moss, John L. Andersen
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Patent number: 5642572Abstract: The present invention pertains to a portable garment dryer that has a planar base member with a centrally located opening. A light but durable, air permeable garment bag is secured about the opening on one side of the planar base. An elastic grommet-like member circumscribes the opening on the other side of the planar base member and snugly receives a barrel of a hair dryer in an air tight relationship. A pair of adjustable straps are secured to the opposite side of the planar member and supports the planar base so that the garment bag hangs freely beneath planar member. A damp garment can be hung in the interior of the bag and the hair dryer unit turned on. Foldable flaps extend from the planar base member to enclose the garment bag folded tightly against the base member when the garment dryer is not in use.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 1996Date of Patent: July 1, 1997Assignee: Synergist LLCInventor: Roberta J. Manning