Patents Examined by Jacob Thomas Minskey
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Patent number: 8758555Abstract: A method of defibring lignocellulose-bearing raw material with a polysulphide-bearing cooking liquor in a continuous digester. The cooking liquor is mixed into the raw material which is to be defibred before the cooking, and the cooking liquor is allowed to absorb into the raw material at a temperature which is at maximum approximately 130° C. The cooking liquor is then separated from the treated raw material, heated to a temperature of approximately 140-170° C., and mixed back into the treated raw material, possibly together with a fresh feed of cooking liquor, whereby the raw material is defibred to generate pulp which has a desired kappa number.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2012Date of Patent: June 24, 2014Assignee: Metsa Fibre OyInventors: Esko Turunen, Kari Kovasin
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Patent number: 8758571Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing pulp is disclosed including opposed endless wires conveyed in the same direction and defining a web-forming space therebetween for dewatering the web, a pair of perforated dewatering tables supporting the endless wires for pressing the wires towards the web, the first perforated dewatering table ending upstream of the second perforated dewatering table, and a press roll downstream of the back end of the first perforated dewatering table and opposed to the back end of the second perforated dewatering table to form a nip between the press roll and the back end of the second perforated dewatering table, which has a profiled surface that interacts with the press roll to prolong the nip between the press roll and the back end of the second perforated dewatering table.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2011Date of Patent: June 24, 2014Assignee: Valmet ABInventors: Hans Lövgren, Leif Öd-mark
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Patent number: 8753482Abstract: A sheet formation section of a paper machine includes a sensor that measures a first characteristic of a sheet of paper being formed. The sensor may measure a characteristic such as streaking, rises, depressions, or smoothness. The sheet formation section also includes an apparatus that applies a magnetic field to the sheet of paper being formed. The machine also includes a controller that causes the apparatus to apply the magnetic field in response to a signal from the sensor representative of the first characteristic. The magnetic field transforms a second characteristic of the sheet of paper. The apparatus may transform a characteristic such as water content or fiber orientation.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2008Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventor: Christopher Thomas Byrd
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Patent number: 8714955Abstract: A configuration for molding of a blend of metal powder around a core, which includes a mold delimiting a cavity, and which includes an elastically deformable portion on which the core is pressed, so as to adapt dimensions of the cavity to dimensions of the core. The elastically deformable portion includes an elastically deformable metal blade on one face of which the core is pressed directly.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2011Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignee: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternativesInventors: Denis Vincent, Mathilde Carriquiry, Simmon Maldera
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Patent number: 8715463Abstract: A particle or particles of cellulosic wood pulp fibers having a top and bottom face and a hexagonal perimeter, and methods of using it.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2012Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignee: Weyerhaeuser NR CompanyInventors: Christopher A Mann, David G Marsh, Robert T Hamilton, Charles E Miller, Harshadkumar Shah
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Patent number: 8709213Abstract: A macroscale, self-supporting, composite laminate sheet includes individual, layered graphene oxide sheets and a polymer in spaces between the sheets. This composite product can be fabricated by combining a suspension of individual graphene oxide sheets and a solution of polymer, passing the resulting fluid through a fluid-permeable support, and assembling the graphene oxide sheets and polymer as a laminate sheet by flow-directed assembly. The laminate is dried and released from the membrane filter as a self-supporting thin films.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2011Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Northwestern UniversityInventors: Owen C. Compton, Karl W. Putz, L. Catherine Brinson, SonBinh T. Nguyen
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Patent number: 8709768Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems are described that can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2012Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.Inventor: Marshall Medoff
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Patent number: 8709203Abstract: During nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) production, a considerable amount of sulphuric acid is used. After the separation of the NCC, the remaining solution contains sugars and residual sulphuric acid. The sugars are in the monomeric and oligomeric forms. To reduce the cost of NCC production and to produce other added-value products, the spent acid stream can be fractionated into sugar oligomers, sugar monomers, and acid. The acid can be recycled to the NCC manufacturing process after concentration. The sugar monomers and sugar oligomers can be used for the manufacturing of other valuable chemicals. Membrane nanofiltration can be used to achieve this objective. A polymeric membrane with a molecular weight cut-off in the range of 200 Dalton was employed. Using this approach, the majority of the acid was recovered in the permeate while the sugars were concentrated in a smaller stream. The sugar level in the separated acid/permeate stream was only about 3% of the original concentration.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2010Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: FpinnovationsInventors: Naceur Jemaa, Michael Paleologou, Xiao Zhang
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Patent number: 8696961Abstract: A method for forming an absorbent core. The method includes the steps of forming and compressing an absorbent core, followed by passing the absorbent core through a subsequent nip between two rolls. At least one of the rolls has a surface including an elastic material, such that the hard-spot number of the absorbent core is reduced. Also, a device for forming absorbent cores as well as absorbent cores produced using the method.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2008Date of Patent: April 15, 2014Assignee: SCA Hygiene Products ABInventors: Gunnar Edvardsson, Ted Guidotti
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Patent number: 8691049Abstract: The method is for the production of cellulose pulp in a continuous digester system. Chips are impregnated in an impregnation vessel. The chips are then fed to a subsequent digester vessel in a transfer fluid. A black liquor withdrawal is taken from the digester, which withdrawal is led to the bottom to heat the chips before the chips are fed out from the impregnation vessel. A transfer fluid is withdrawn from the digester and led to the impregnation vessel to act as an impregnation fluid. At least a portion of the transfer fluid that was withdrawn from the top of the digester passes an indirect heat exchanger, in which the transfer fluid withdrawn from the top of the digester at a temperature of at least 125° C. exchanges heat indirectly with a first fluid for the production of steam from the first fluid.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2007Date of Patent: April 8, 2014Assignee: Valmet ABInventor: Vidar Snekkenes
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Patent number: 8673188Abstract: A carbon/carbon part and a process for making carbon/carbon parts is provided. The process involves forming steps, carbonization steps and densification steps. The forming steps may include needling fibrous layers to form fibers that extend in three directions. The carbonization steps may include applying pressure to increase the fiber volume ratio of the fibrous preform. The densification steps may include filling the voids of the fibrous preform with a carbon matrix.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2006Date of Patent: March 18, 2014Assignee: Goodrich CorporationInventors: John S. Linck, Chris T. Kirkpatrick
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Patent number: 8652634Abstract: Fibrous structures that exhibit a Geometric Mean Elongation of greater than 15.8% as measured according to the Elongation Test Method are provided.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2012Date of Patent: February 18, 2014Assignee: The Procter & Gamble CompanyInventors: John Allen Manifold, Charles Chidozie Ekenga, Douglas Jay Barkey, Kathleen Diane Sands, Thorsten Knobloch, Robert Lenord Powers, Christopher Gerald Donner
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Patent number: 8641865Abstract: A method to cook thin chips in a continuous digester vessel including: introducing thin chips having a thickness of no more than 6 mm, into a chip bin; adding white (cooking) liquor to the chip bin or to a chip transport passage extending from the chip bin to an upper inlet of the continuous digester vessel; injecting medium pressure steam or another heated fluid to an upper region of the digester vessel to elevate a cooking temperature of the chips in the vessel to at least 130 degrees Celsius; cooking the chips in the vessel as the chips flow downward through the vessel without substantial extraction or introduction of liquor in the cooking section of the vessel; injecting wash liquid to a lower region of the vessel; extracting at least wash liquid through a wash liquid extraction screen in the lower region of the vessel and above the injection of the wash liquid, and discharging the cooked thin chips from the lower region of the vessel.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2010Date of Patent: February 4, 2014Assignee: Andritz Technology and Asset Management GmbHInventors: Johan Engstrom, Jussi Piira, Janne Vehmaa, Veli-Pekka Tervola, Aaron Leavitt
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Patent number: 8641866Abstract: A screen structure which is unusually effective at removing stickies from recyclable fiber but is tolerant of substantial swings in throughput which result in variations in the flow velocity through the screen—slot velocity. One example of the screen structure is created by forming a very large number of similarly shaped vanes then locking them into a ring structure to form a cylindrical screen basket but equivalent surface configurations can also be formed into sheet stock.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2013Date of Patent: February 4, 2014Assignee: Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products LPInventors: Wayne F. Winkler, Bradley E. Lucas
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Patent number: 8641864Abstract: Irradiated lignocellulosic or cellulosic materials are provided which contain carboxylic acid groups and/or other functional groups not present in a naturally occurring cellulosic or lignocellulosic material from which the irradiated material was obtained.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2012Date of Patent: February 4, 2014Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.Inventor: Marshall Medoff
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Patent number: 8636938Abstract: The present invention relates to an article fabrication system having a plurality of material deposition tools containing one or more materials useful in fabricating the article, and a material deposition device having a tool interface for receiving one of the material deposition tools. A system controller is operably connected to the material deposition device to control operation of the material deposition device. Also disclosed is a method of fabricating an article using the system of the invention and a method of fabricating a living three-dimensional structure.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2011Date of Patent: January 28, 2014Assignee: Cornell Research Foundation, Inc.Inventors: Lawrence Bonassar, Hod Lipson, Daniel L. Cohen, Evan Malone
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Patent number: 8636043Abstract: A pneumatic tire exhibiting high traction performance. A center circumferential groove (14) is provided on the equator (CL) of the tread (12), and between shoulder circumferential grooves (18) on both sides of the center circumferential groove (14) are arranged first lateral grooves (20) formed at a smaller angle relative to the axial direction of the tire than the first lateral groove (20). One end of each first lateral groove (20) and one end of each second lateral groove (22) are made to merge at a shoulder circumferential groove (18), and shoulder lateral grooves (23) are arranged on the outer side of each shoulder circumferential groove (18). Each shoulder lateral groove (23) extends from the merging portion toward a tread end (12E) and is formed at a smaller angle relative to the axial direction of the tire than that of the first lateral groove (20). Because the angle of the shoulder lateral grooves (23) relative to the axial direction of the tire is less, traction performance of the tire increases.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2007Date of Patent: January 28, 2014Assignee: Bridgestone CorporationInventor: Ryoichi Watabe
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Patent number: 8632662Abstract: A sheet of material is received at a sensor assembly, which includes a sensor operable to measure a property of the sheet. An air flow is generated that is substantially tangential to the sheet in order to at least partially control a position of the sheet relative to the sensor assembly. For example, the sheet may be associated with an upstream boundary layer of air and a downstream boundary layer of air. At least part of the air from the upstream boundary layer could be removed and used to provide an air flow forming at least part of the downstream boundary layer. Also, the air flow could be provided between a surface of the sensor assembly and the sheet to at least partially control a distance of the sheet from the surface of the sensor assembly and/or an angle at which the sheet passes the surface of the sensor assembly.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2012Date of Patent: January 21, 2014Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventor: John K. Shakespeare
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Patent number: 8622095Abstract: A structured fabric for use with a papermaking machine for the production of a fibrous web. The structured fabric includes a plurality of weft yarns and a plurality of warp yarns. The plurality of warp yarns interact with the weft yarns to produce a weave pattern. The plurality of warp yarns include a first set of warp yarns and a second set of warp yarns. The first set of warp yarns are woven as a plain weave. The second set of warp yarns form an impression layer. The first set of warp yarns are in a first plane, the second set of warp yarns have a surface in a second plane. The second plane is positioned farther from the machine facing side of the fabric than the first plan to form the impression layer. The first set of warp yarns have a first cross-sectional area and the second set of warp yarns have a second cross-sectional area. The first cross-sectional area is less than the second cross-sectional area.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2011Date of Patent: January 7, 2014Assignee: Voith Patent GmbHInventor: Scott Quigley
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Patent number: 8609384Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems are described that can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2012Date of Patent: December 17, 2013Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.Inventor: Marshall Medoff