Patents Examined by Jay H. Woo
  • Patent number: 5888387
    Abstract: A fish filter is provided including a mounting assembly mounted on a fish tank. Also included is a filter situated within the mounting assembly. The filter has filtering material situated therein. At least one vertical pipe extends from the filter on a first side of the filtering material. Further, an output is positioned on a second side of the filtering material. Situated within the fish tank is a pump which is connected to the filter for suctioning water through the vertical pipe and the filtering material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Inventor: David M. Bradley
  • Patent number: 5888403
    Abstract: Water to be treated is introduced into a first ozone mixer (5) and subjected to a magnetic force, and ozone supplied from a first ozonizer (4) is injected into the water for oxidation and coagulation of substances to be oxidized. Then, coagulated substances are removed by a first filter (6). The resulting water is introduced into a second ozone mixer (8) and subjected to a magnetic force, and ozone supplied from a second ozonizer (7) is injected into the water. Thereafter, the water is passed through a reaction vessel (9) filled with activated carbon, and then coagulated substances are removed from the water by a second filter (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Inventor: Yukiko Hayashi
  • Patent number: 5888389
    Abstract: A hydrothermal process (10) is integrated into a wastewater treatment facility (12) to fully oxidize an undigested wastewater sludge produced by the treatment facility. A thickened and conditioned feed mixture comprising sludge from the treatment facility is first pressurized to a critical pressure and then heated to a reaction initiating temperature below the critical temperature. An oxidant is injected into the feed mixture at the reaction initiating temperature to initiate an oxidation reaction in low light-off temperature constituents of the feed mixture to produce a partially reacted mixture and raise the temperature of the partially reacted mixture to at least the critical temperature for water in a supercritical water oxidation reactor (52). Heat from the supercritical water oxidation reaction is used to heat the feed mixture and also, to condition the sludge from the wastewater treatment plant preferably by thickening and heating the sludge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: HydroProcessing, L.L.C.
    Inventors: James Walton Griffith, William Tracy Wofford, III, James Randolph Griffith
  • Patent number: 5888556
    Abstract: A thermal translator device providing improved performance and faster expansion response, is described. Also described is an extrusion apparatus including a plurality of thermal translator devices operatively arranged for thermally actuated, localized action upon the lip. The thermal translator device includes a thermal energy source disposed within a structural member. The thermal energy source and the structural member are an integral unit. Also described is an extrusion apparatus including tie rods for a support assembly otherwise without support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: The Cloeren Company
    Inventors: Peter F. Cloeren, Richard L. Linam
  • Patent number: 5888388
    Abstract: A filtration unit e.g. for ponds comprises a housing divided into a radiation chamber (18) with a water inlet (20) and a filtration chamber (19) with water outlets (21,22). A weir (23) in the partition wall (17) between the chambers controls the water level in the radiation chamber (18). One or more UV tubes (25,26) are mounted in the radiation chamber (18) above the water level therein controlled by the weir (23). Preferably the housing has a cover which is in two parts a first (33) of which extends over the radiation chamber (18) and is secured by screws or the like so that it cannot be removed inadvertently, and the second (34) of which extends over the filtration chamber (19) and is hinged to give ready access to the filtration chamber (19).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Pet Mate Limited
    Inventor: Christopher Peter Kirk
  • Patent number: 5888260
    Abstract: A high performance air intake for an automotive engine has an oiled gauze filter of inverted conical form, including an inverted, shaped inner apex, the filter fitting within an in-line filter body that forms a part of a slender intake line. The in-line form of the filter enables the pick-up of intake air from a cool zone below the engine, with little subsequent heating of the air, resulting in enhanced breathing of the engine, with observable performance enhancement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Inventor: Gerardo Sica
  • Patent number: 5885314
    Abstract: A filter cartridge according to the present invention is provided having a unitary structure with a pleat pack formed securely about an interior screen. Opposite ends of the pleat pack and interior screen are integrally formed within a bottom end cap and an upper sleeve. The bottom end cap is constructed to follow the contour of the pleat pack to minimize the collection of dust about the bottom perimeter thereof. The upper sleeve is formed of a flexible material which may be manually deformed to pass through an opening in a tube sheet which retains the filter cartridge. The upper sleeve includes a lower lip extending along the interior of the inner screen to securely engage the inner screen. The lower lip is formed integrally with a radially extending ledge which is formed with an upwardly projecting funnel shaped side wall. The side wall includes an inner groove at its upper end which extends about a perimeter of the top sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: BHA Group Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Reinout G. Oussoren, Jack T. Clements
  • Patent number: 5882526
    Abstract: Methods for treating regulated waters with low levels of oxidizing halogens and hydrogen peroxide are disclosed, wherein the halogen-containing compound is provided with an erosion control agent such as glycoluril, and the hydrogen peroxide is provided with a hydrogen peroxide stabilizer such as a polyquaternary ammonium compound. Additional stabilizers to chelate metals and increase the half life of peroxide in aqueous solutions may also be added.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Great Lakes Chemical Corporation
    Inventors: Geoffrey A. Brown, E. LeRoy Lines, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5882690
    Abstract: A resin forming nozzle device is disclosed. This resin forming nozzle device is one in which a surface lubricant having mold release properties is continuously introduced to a nozzle face having the discharge openings of resin extrusion orifices, and comprises a feed section for supplying a surface lubricant from the outside, and one or more grooves formed in positions adjacent to the discharge openings of the nozzle face so that they have a width of 10 to 3,000 .mu.m and a depth of 10 .mu.m or greater and at least one end thereof communicates with the surface lubricant feed section. When a resin is formed by using this nozzle device while supplying thereto a surface lubricant having a viscosity of 0.1 to 1,000 cP during use and a surface tension of 40 dyn/cm or less, neither oligomers of the resin nor degradation products of the surface lubricant accumulate on the nozzle surface. Consequently, stable resin forming can be performed for a long period of time without causing breakage of the filaments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zenpei Fukuda, Masashi Okamoto
  • Patent number: 5882367
    Abstract: An improved outlet tube (60) is provided for an air filter (10) of the type including a housing (12) having distally opposite axial ends (14 and 16), and a cylindrical filter element (34) in the housing (12), the cylindrical filter element (34) having an annular sidewall (40) with a hollow interior (58) and extending between distally opposite axial ends (48 and 50), wherein air flows radially inwardly through the annular sidewall (40) into the hollow interior (58) and then axially through the hollow interior (58). The outlet tube (60) is mounted to the axial end (14) of the housing (12) in snap-in relation and is rotatable relative thereto about the axis (62) of the cylindrical filter element (34) and communicates with the hollow interior (58) of the cylindrical filter element (34) for exhausting clean filtered air therefrom (64, 66).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Nelson Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. Morgan, Mark V. Holzmann, Kent J. Kallsen
  • Patent number: 5882692
    Abstract: A gate portion constituting a gate of a resin molding die is made of a hard alloy having a hardness greater than the predetermined hardness in the iron-based hard alloy used to from a cavity block and a center block. Opposing surfaces of the cavity block halves include a silicone rubber layer at least at the portions thereof which contact portions of the lead frame in a semiconductor encapsulation molding apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Kojima, Tsuneyuki Hayashi, Hiroyuki Fukasawa, Takashi Saito
  • Patent number: 5882512
    Abstract: Systems and apparatus for cleaning swimming pools or other vessels are disclosed. Exemplary systems may include an automatic swimming pool cleaner adapted not only to filter debris from water mechanically, but to dispense water sanitizing chemicals as well. Fluid drawn into the cleaner in operation contacts or otherwise passes through media containing the chemicals, purifying the fluid at least partially within the cleaner itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Baracuda International Corporation
    Inventors: Raymond P. Denkewicz, Jr., Roger H. Gagnon, Chris A. Rice
  • Patent number: 5879548
    Abstract: An apparatus for collecting a substance has a fluid source providing pressurized fluid, a heating device, a heat transferring device and a vacuum producing device. The heating device is coupled to the fluid source and is adapted to cause a first pressurized fluid from the fluid source to become heated. The heat transferring device is coupled to the heating device for receiving the heated first pressurized fluid, and is adapted for transferring heat from the first pressurized fluid to a heatable substance. The vacuum producing device has first and second inlet openings, the first inlet opening is fluidly coupled to the fluid source for receiving a second pressurized fluid from the fluid source and the second inlet opening is adapted for receiving the heatable substance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Inventor: Amier Al-Ali
  • Patent number: 5879422
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a cyclone, mainly for separating liquid from gas/vapor, which is formed upon pressure reduction of spent cooking liquid in connection with pulp production. The cyclone includes an inlet arrangement connected to a supply line and a valve and the inlet arrangement includes an insertion pipe, the length of which preferably exceeds one meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Kamyr AB
    Inventors: Goran Brottg.ang.rdh, Ulf Jansson
  • Patent number: 5879723
    Abstract: A tube reforming apparatus provides efficient mass production of reformed tube end portions. In a preferred embodiment, a tube reforming apparatus has a loading station, two heating stations, a forming station, and an unloading station. The loading station permits rapid loading of a series of laterally spaced apart tubes into clamping fixtures, and accurately meters a downwardly extending end portion of each tube. The heating stations permit accurate and evenly distributed heat to be applied to the end portions to make them pliable. The forming station reforms the end portions between a mating die pair, while compensating for any volume variation in the end portions. The unloading station automatically unloads the tubes from the clamping fixtures. Automation features of the apparatus permit these operations to be efficiently accomplished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: United States Brass Corporation
    Inventor: Robert S. Stachowiak
  • Patent number: 5879547
    Abstract: Apparatus for filtering swimming pool water that includes a housing having a front wall that forms an integral part of the pool's side wall. The housing has a front compartment that is filled with pool water and a water filter and rear compartment containing a pump. The compartments are separated by a water-tight partition. The pump is arranged to draw inlet water through the filter and discharge it back into the pool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Piscines Desjoyaux S.A.
    Inventors: Jean Louis Desjoyaux, Pierre Louis Desjoyaux, Catherine Jandros
  • Patent number: 5879721
    Abstract: A movable pouring basin including a funnel-type sprue for use with a casting machine is aligned between a source of molten casting material and the downsprues of molds on an assembly line moving beneath the source of molten casting material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: EBAA Iron, Inc.
    Inventor: Earl T. Bradley
  • Patent number: 5879423
    Abstract: A filter, especially for the interior ventilation of vehicles, including at least one filter body configured as a plate-like element and a frame surrounding the plate-like element, the frame being made from at least two frame parts joined together in the plane of the plate-like element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Filterwerk Mann & Hummel GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Luka, Bruno Sommer
  • Patent number: 5876487
    Abstract: An adsorbent filter including compression molded particulate adsorbent construction is provided. The compression molded particulate adsorbent construction contains a particulate adsorbent and a sufficient amount of binder to retain the particulate adsorbent in a non-free flowing form. The adsorbent filter preferably includes a compression molded particulate adsorbent construction as described, positioned within an outer, porous cover. Preferably the outer, porous cover includes expanded porous polytetrafluoroethylene. In certain preferred applications, the adsorbent filter is positioned within a housing defining an internal volume and including therein electronic component(s), such that the adsorbent filter protects the internal volume of the housing, and components therein, from damage. The typical application is as a disk drive adsorbent filter. A preferred method for preparing an adsorbent filter according to the present invention is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Donaldson Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Christian Dahlgren, Robert Murray Rogers
  • Patent number: 5876598
    Abstract: An improved modular system of solids separation is described. In the invention, a settling tank is provided which consists of one or more hoppers having sloped sides downwardly to a drain. Liquids with entrained solids are permitted to accumulate within the hopper as the solids settle until the settling has been completed; whereupon a pump lowered into the liquid is used to decant the liquid. The pump is suspended from a flexible conduit and is lowered as the liquid level lowers so that it remains submerged until the pump reaches a predetermined level above the level of the suspended solids. The sludge is removed from the hopper by gravity flow by opening a drain valve in the bottom therein and an anti-vortexing cap is provided over the drain. The cap has sides which conform to the hopper vessels but slope in the opposite direction so that the lower edge of the cap side is a predetermined distance from the hopper side adjacent the drain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Environmental Treatment Facility, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas D. Baxter