Patents Examined by James F Hook
  • Patent number: 11649918
    Abstract: There is provided a flow pipe including: a pipe body including a side wall having an opening portion; and a heat insulator arranged at an inner peripheral side of the pipe body and having a flow path through which a fluid flows. The heat insulator has an outer peripheral surface facing with the side wall, and the outer peripheral surface has a flow path structure configured to form a flow path that guides a water droplet generated between the heat insulator and the pipe body to the opening portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichi Ryugo, Toshiyuki Saito, Motoo Nakai, Yoshiaki Ando
  • Patent number: 11644128
    Abstract: A device internally insulating a welded pipeline joint between pipes having an internal protective coating, in a first variant, includes a power actuator having a cylindrical elastic working member for radial expansion when excess pressure occurs inside its cavity. A cylindrical casing of elastic anti-adhesive material arranged coaxially on the member exterior can have channels for exhausting air and supplying a compound. In a second variant, the device sleevelessly insulates an annular space. A casing made of an anti-adhesive material is centrally reinforced by an elastic cord. Using a cylindrical elastic anti-adhesive casing coaxially arranged on the exterior of a power actuator elastic working member forms an annular space in the weld zone either using a protective sleeve, or by a reinforced casing portion. A vacuum in the space is filled by a compound. The elastic anti-adhesive material allows easy removal of the casing from the hardened compound surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Inventor: Aleksandr Georgievich Chuiko
  • Patent number: 11629797
    Abstract: Pipeline apparatus comprising a housing including a riser and a pipeline connector and a device configured to interact with fluid flowing through the pipeline connector, a mounting structure for releasably mounting the device in the riser and seal situated between an inner surface of the riser and an outer surface of the mounting structure, the seal configured to seal against egress of fluid from the apparatus, the mounting structure and the riser each including a part of a locking structure for releasably locking the device in the riser, the device situated in the pipeline connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Pipe Transformation Ltd
    Inventor: Robert Peter Enston
  • Patent number: 11624381
    Abstract: Material flow modifiers as disclosed herein overcome drawbacks associated with known adverse flow conditions (e.g., surface erosion, head losses, particulate drop-out, and the like) that arise from flow of certain types of materials (e.g., fluids, slurries, particulates, flowable aggregate, and the like) through a material flow conduit. Such material flow modifiers provide for flow of flowable material within a flow passage of a material flow conduit (e.g., a portion of a pipeline, tubing or the like) to have a rotational flow profile. Advantageously, the rotational flow profile centralizes flow toward the central portion of the flow passage, thereby reducing magnitude of laminar flow to overcome the aforementioned adverse flow conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Vortex Pipe Systems LLC
    Inventors: Paul Wayne Schmidt, Avijit Ghosh
  • Patent number: 11619322
    Abstract: The clean-out cap locator forms a cap that encloses a clean-out plug. The clean-out cap locator comprises a threaded cap, a control circuit, a remote control, and a personal data device. The control circuit determines the GPS coordinates of the control circuit. The control circuit transmits the GPS coordinates of the control circuit to the personal data device. The control circuit generates an audible alarm indicating the location of the clean-out cap locator. The control circuit senses the flow of fluid around near the clean-out cap locator. The control circuit transmits an alarm to the personal data device when the control circuit senses a back-up in the clean-out plug. The control circuit generates an audible alarm when the control circuit detects a back-up in the clean-out plug. The remote control sends a signal to the control circuit that causes the control circuit to generate an audible alarm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Inventor: Jason Russell
  • Patent number: 11614106
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for reducing drag includes forming a smooth surface on a first portion of a physical object. The method also includes forming periodic riblets on a second portion of the physical object. The method further includes generating a flow over the periodic riblets of the second portion of the physical object and over the smooth surface of the first portion of the physical object. The second portion of the physical object is adjacent to the first portion of the physical object. Each peak of each riblet of the periodic riblets of the second portion of the physical object is located above a plane of the smooth surface of the first portion of the physical object. Each valley between adjacent riblets of the periodic riblets of the second portion of the physical object is located below the plane of the smooth surface of the first portion of the physical object. A length of each riblet of the periodic riblets runs parallel to a direction of the flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Brian R. Smith, Patrick J. Yagle, Paul Douglas McClure
  • Patent number: 11613978
    Abstract: A system for transporting corrosive or erosive fluids having a conduit or flow equipment with a flow bore, comprising; a flexible pipe, an adapter, an end connector, a clamp connector, insert(s), and a metal spacer. Insert(s) comprise an erosion resistant coating disposed around the internal structure that is a spring or helical structure. The insert(s) is/are disposed inside the flow bore and provide erosion and/or corrosion resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: FMC Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel R. Fink, Julian Keihany
  • Patent number: 11614254
    Abstract: A panel clip formed from a clip pre-form and configured for use with insulated, reinforced duct is provided. The panel clip includes a first plurality of gripping teeth formed in a first panel section. A second plurality of gripping teeth is formed adjacent the first plurality of gripping teeth. A first bending zone is positioned adjacent the second plurality of gripping teeth and opposite the first plurality of gripping teeth. A second bending zone is positioned spaced apart from the first bending zone and opposite the second plurality of gripping teeth. A third bending zone positioned spaced apart from the second bending zone and opposite the first bending zone. A distance formed from the first bending zone to the second bending zone is defined by a thickness of a layer of rigid insulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Inventor: Fran Lanciaux
  • Patent number: 11598471
    Abstract: A seal assembly for a pipeline plug may include a pressure head including a forcing face. The seal assembly may include a primary tapered ring including an expansion face. The expansion face may abut the forcing face. The seal assembly may include primary seal ring. The seal assembly may include a squeezer assembly, the squeezer assembly including at least one seal face, the seal face abutting the primary seal ring. The seal assembly may include a secondary tapered ring, the secondary tapered ring including a wedge squeezer face, the wedge squeezer face abutting a wedge face of the squeezer assembly. The seal assembly may include a bowl, the bowl including a wedge face, the wedge face in abutment with an expansion face of the secondary tapered ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: SAFE ISOLATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Paul Giles, Humon Glenn Fardsalehi
  • Patent number: 11585480
    Abstract: A system for use in maintaining a pipe having a sidewall is provided. The system includes a motorized apparatus sized to fit within the pipe and configured to travel along the pipe through an interior cavity. The motorized apparatus includes a plurality of leg assemblies each including a first leg portion, a second leg portion, and a joint rotatably coupling the first leg portion to the second leg portion. A drive mechanism coupled to the joint is configured to interact with the sidewall. The system also includes an actuator assembly configured to independently position each leg assembly relative to a body assembly to adjust a radial position of the joint of the associated leg assembly relative to the body assembly. The system also includes a controller configured to send instructions to the actuator assembly based at least in part on at least one of a dimension of the interior cavity and a desired force on the sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alexander Kyle Duncan, Todd William Danko, Justin Foehner, Yakov Polishchuk, Douglas R. Forman
  • Patent number: 11585542
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for maintaining the temperature of fluid media in pipes even in the event of an interruption of the fluid media flow. In a first step, a heat reservoir layer (1) is produced comprising a latent heat reservoir material (2) and a matrix material (3). In a second step, the heat reservoir layer (1) is either arranged around a pipe (4) and subsequently encased with a heat damping material (5) or the heat reservoir layer (1) is brought into contact with heat damping material (5), whereby a heat reservoir damper composite (51) is obtained, and the pipe (4) is then encased with the heat reservoir damper composite (51) such that the heat reservoir layer (1) of the heat reservoir damper composite (51) lies between the pipe (4) and the heat damping material (5) of the heat reservoir damping composite (51).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Swisspor Management AG
    Inventor: Ludger Fischer
  • Patent number: 11585479
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for repairing a partially collapsed pipe. The method comprises fitting a mesh stent around the outside of an actuation assembly of a pipe repair apparatus, and positioning the pipe repair apparatus within a portion of the pipe, at least a part of the portion of the pipe being partially collapsed. The method also comprises causing actuation between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration such that the partially collapsed part of the pipe changes from a partially collapsed form towards a non-collapsed form. The method also comprises removing the pipe repair apparatus from the pipe and leaving the mesh stent in the portion of the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: TURNBULL INFRASTRUCTURE & UTILITIES LIMITED
    Inventor: Julian Britton
  • Patent number: 11585468
    Abstract: The invention relates to a thermoplastic elastomeric bellow duct (10) having a corrugated duct segment (12) interposed between two elbowed segments (14, 18), wherein at least one of the elbowed segments (18) is made of thermoplastic elastomeric and connected to an end section (22) of the corrugated duct segment (12) by overmolding the elbowed segment (18) over the end section (22) of the corrugated duct segment (12), and wherein the end section (22) of the corrugated duct segment (12) includes a guiding and sealing arrangement (50) pointing away from the corrugated duct segment (12) in a radial direction (32). The invention further relates to an air duct (80) having such a thermoplastic elastomeric bellow duct (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: MANN+HUMMEL GmbH
    Inventors: Sonia Lorente, Jaime Gracia Heras, Leopoldo Marzal Lopez, Samuel Palau Fumanal
  • Patent number: 11578823
    Abstract: A casing spacer that fits around a carrier pipe at various intervals along the length of the carrier pipe for the purpose of positioning the carrier pipe within a casing pipe. The casing spacer is equipped with roller assemblies on the outside surface of the casing spacer. The roller assemblies are protected by guards to help the roller assemblies avoid obstacles that may exist on the inner surface of the casing pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Inventors: Damian Daigle, Miguel Regato, W. Thomas Forlander
  • Patent number: 11578738
    Abstract: A vortex water flow accelerator comprises a joint pipe with a water inlet and a water outlet, a water outlet barrel connected to one end of the joint pipe, and a plurality of spiral blades arranged in the water outlet barrel and connected with the joint pipe, wherein the size of the water outlet is smaller than that of the water inlet, and the inner wall of the joint pipe sequentially forms an annular surface and a first conical surface along a direction from the water inlet to the water outlet, and the outer wall of the joint pipe is formed with a second conical surface, on which a plurality of splitter plates uniformly distributed at the circumference are formed; the splitter plate protrudes from the water outlet end face of the joint pipe, the water outlet barrel has a small diameter end and a large diameter end, and the small diameter end is connected to the splitter plate, so that a secondary water inlet is formed between the second conical surface, the water outlet barrel and two adjacent splitter plate
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Inventor: Yongzhen Du
  • Patent number: 11572966
    Abstract: A highly extendable and retractable dual elastic hose comprises a tubular inner fluid conduit made of an elastomeric material and an elastic tubular outer sleeve of interwoven webbing made out of braided strands of textile yarns wherein embedded a plurality of evenly distributed highly elastic rubber strings extending horizontally along its longitudinal length. The inner tube is secured to the tubular outer sleeve only at an inlet coupler and an outlet coupler. Both the inner tube member and the outer tube sleeve can automatically expand longitudinally up to five times its unexpanded or contracted length resulting from pressurized fluid within the hose. To provide a linearly extendable and retractable dual elastic hose constructed with elastic materials both in the inner tube and the outer sleeve, it shows advantages of an improvement in expandable ratio of the outer sleeve and a reduction of strain forces required for the inner elastic tube to elongate the outer sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Inventor: Feibiao Zhang
  • Patent number: 11565071
    Abstract: A mask system and an air delivery conduit for use in the treatment of respiratory disorders. The air delivery conduit may comprise a textile having an airtight arrangement. A support structure may be provided to the conduit to provide form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: ResMed Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Gerard Michael Rummery, James Morrison, Robert John King, Justin John Formica
  • Patent number: 11560977
    Abstract: A motorized apparatus for use in maintaining a pipe having a sidewall is provided. The motorized apparatus includes a body assembly sized to fit within and to travel along an interior cavity of the pipe. The body assembly includes a first end and a second end and extending along a longitudinal axis. The body assembly also includes a plurality of leg assemblies coupled circumferentially around the body assembly. Each leg assembly includes a telescoping portion, a bias member coupled to the telescoping portion, and a drive mechanism configured to interact with the sidewall as the body assembly travels along the pipe. The body assembly also includes at least one sensor configured to collect data associated with a force between the sidewall and the drive mechanism, and an actuator assembly coupled to each leg assembly and configured to independently actuate each the leg assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Alexander Kyle Duncan, Todd William Danko, Justin Foehner, Yakov Polishchuk, Douglas R. Forman
  • Patent number: 11560975
    Abstract: Systems and methods for pipe lining systems and methods of use are described. Systems and methods may include a CIPP lateral liner that is inserted into a bladder forming a CIPP liner assembly that can be inserted into a pipe line for a pipe repair. CIPP liner assembly can include a membrane that produces superior results compared to the prior art. A backing ring may be used with these systems and methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: BLD Services, LLC
    Inventors: Jacob Trapani, Charles Leroy Bolton, Jimmy Dale Ladner, Timothy Michael Matheson
  • Patent number: 11555358
    Abstract: A protective member at least partially surrounds a desired length of pipe (such as a conventional landing string) and protects “umbilical” control line(s) or bundles, including pipe and umbilical line(s) installed within risers of subsea installations. At least one robust protective shell member is installed around at least a portion of a pipe string and forms at least one elongated channel. At least one umbilical control line is disposed within the elongated channel and is shielded against damage from inadvertent or unwanted abrasion, impact or other forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: PROFESSIONAL RENTAL TOOLS, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Mason, Kyle Hollier