Patents Examined by Jennifer Calcagni
  • Patent number: 6383562
    Abstract: In practice it is desirable to enrich feedstuff pellets with various additives in quite small amounts, e.g. only 100 g per ton, preferably that they are sprayed in a dissolved or suspended state on a flat stream of the pellets in cold condition. It is known to arrange this by using a falling stream of the pellets along an inclined chute. However, it is difficult hereby to achieve any particularly good dosing precision of the sprayed materials, some of which can be quite expensive. Moreover, the associated plants are difficult to install in normal premises. With the invention, a flat stream is produced by using an ejector wheel, whereby the chute can be quite short for reducing the construction height and, at the same time that this in itself improves the dosing accuracy, use is made of a continuous mass flow measurement which is used for the regulation of the dosing or the ejector capacity in achieving extra good liquid-dosing precision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Sprout-Matador A/S
    Inventor: Jan Meincke Iversen
  • Patent number: 6376014
    Abstract: A spinning cone is positioned directly below a mixing head outlet to dispense and distribute a sticky mixture of polyurethane foam liquid chemical components. The mixing head and cone are reciprocated together across a longitudinally advancing metal strip to substantially uniformly distribute the mixture thereon. The procedure is practised in connection with the fabrication of overhead door insulated panels. In the prior art, plugging of dispensers would commonly occur within minutes, due to a build-up of adhering mixture on a surface followed by foaming. The spinning cone has dispensed satisfactorily for hours at a time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Inventor: Arthur A. Mihalcheon
  • Patent number: 6368670
    Abstract: A method of providing a fire barrier that includes coating an opening in a structure with a composition that includes an elastomer. The composition is substantially free of volatile organic compounds and, when dry, exhibits a tensile strength of from about 300 psi to about 1500 psi, at least about 600% elongation, a modulus of from about 200 psi to about 600 psi, and a tensile toughness of greater than 10 in-lb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: George W. Frost, George F. Vesley, Biing-Huei Su, Brandon L. Cordts
  • Patent number: 6368659
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for consolidating and hydrophobicizing soil materials of clay type or of siliceous type, using alkali metal silicates and alkali metal siliconates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Wacker-Chemie GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Weber, Ulrike Egger
  • Patent number: 6365228
    Abstract: A process for spin-on coating with an organic material having a low dielectric constant, which is suitable for a substrate. A dielectric base layer capable of protecting metal is formed on the substrate, an adhesive promoter layer is formed on the dielectric base layer, and the adhesive promoter layer is baked. A solvent is then used to clean the substrate and simultaneously to dissolve a part of the adhesive promoter layer in order to flatten the adhesive promoter layer. Afterwards, a layer of an organic material with a low dielectric constant is spin-on coated on the adhesive promoter layer, and the layer of an organic material with a low dielectric constant is baked and cured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Cheng-Yuan Tsai, Ming-Sheng Yang, Chin-Hsiang Lin
  • Patent number: 6361830
    Abstract: In a process for manufacturing metal sheet gaskets coated with elastomer, as are often used as cylinder head gaskets or as compressor gaskets in refrigerant circuits, it is proposed that the elastomeric coating be applied to the individual metal sheet in a spray coating process in order to be able to carry out the coating with elastomer in a more cost-efficient manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: ElringKlinger AG
    Inventors: Peter Schenk, Reinhold Buck
  • Patent number: 6358561
    Abstract: Apparatus and process for coating a continuously advancing web with a dry or wet coating material on a conveyor belt. The apparatus having a hopper which contains an agitator, a brush and a knurled roll to accurately dispense the coating material to an applicator which is positioned on a carousel. By rotating the carousel, the coating in the form of stripes, bars or a uniform layer can be varied at angles 0° to 90° on the continuously advancing web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Building Materials Corporation of America
    Inventors: James P. Mentone, William R. Millard, David C. De Palma
  • Patent number: 6358567
    Abstract: A dense or porous coating of material is deposited onto a substrate by forcing a colloidal suspension through an ultrasonic nebulizer and spraying a fine mist of particles in a carrier medium onto a sufficiently heated substrate. The spraying rate is essentially matched to the evaporation rate of the carrier liquid from the substrate to produce a coating that is uniformly distributed over the surface of the substrate. Following deposition to a sufficient coating thickness, a single sintering step may be used to produce a dense ceramic coating. Using this method, coatings ranging in thickness from about one to several hundred microns can be obtained. By using a plurality of compounds in the colloidal suspension, coatings of mixed composition can be obtained. By using a plurality of solutions and separate pumps and a single or multiple ultrasonic nebulizer(s), and varying the individual pumping rates and/or the concentrations of the solutions, a coating of mixed and discontinuously graded (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Ai-Quoc Pham, Robert S. Glass, Tae H. Lee
  • Patent number: 6358562
    Abstract: A method for producing coated particles includes the steps of converting particles consisting of a compound of one of (a) a metal with a non-metal or (b) a semi-metal with a non-metal to an aerosol form; contacting the particles in aerosol form with a gas including at least one aromatic compound; and guiding the particles in aerosol form together with the gas through a plasma zone of a microwave plasma. The at least one aromatic compound is preferably selected from the group consisting of benzol, benzol derivatives, naphthalene, and naphthalene derivatives. The gas preferable further includes at least one metallocene which is preferably selected from the group consisting of ferrocene or magnesocene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Vollath, Vinga Szabo, Bernd Seith
  • Patent number: 6358564
    Abstract: A process for preparing an old porcelain or ceramic substrate and refinishing with an epoxy coating top coat, where the old substrate is treated with an aqueous solution of citric acid prior to the step of coating with epoxy. In preferred aspects, the old substrate is treated with aqueous calcium carbonate solution prior to treating with the citric acid solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: The Glidden Company
    Inventor: John R. Kordosh
  • Patent number: 6352747
    Abstract: Described is an process for producing uniform coatings on circular substrates that reduces the amount of coating required. The improved process includes the steps of applying the liquid coating material through a single opening of a dispenser having certain characteristics, in a pattern onto the center of a spinning substrate, and then radially moving the dispenser opening near to the edge of the substrate while maintaining the dispenser opening at a predetermined distance from the substrate surface for substantially the entire radius of the substrate providing uniform coverage. Also described are products produced by the process that are substantially free of cosmetic defects and may be photochromic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.
    Inventors: William P. Blackburn, Robert J. Bowles, III, Michael B. Levesque, Ernesto Maldonado
  • Patent number: 6350494
    Abstract: A solder jet apparatus is disclosed The solder jet apparatus is a continuous mode solder jet that includes a blanking system and raster scan system. The use of the raster scan and blanking systems allows for a continuous stream of solder to be placed anywhere on the surface in any desired X-Y plane. This allows for greater accuracy as well as greater product throughput. Additionally, with the raster scan system, repairs to existing soldered surfaces can be quickly and easily performed using a map of the defects for directing the solder to the defects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Warren M. Farnworth
  • Patent number: 6350493
    Abstract: A method of dispersing fibers in an electromagnetic-attenuating coating and applying the coating to a substrate. The method includes mixing a coating material of fibers and resin in a container such that the fibers are uniformly dispersed in the resin without breaking the fibers. The method also includes feeding the coating material from the container while maintaining the fibers uniformly dispersed in the resin and without breaking the fibers. In addition, the method includes applying the coating material to a substrate. The mixing is carried out by subjecting the container to an oscillatory shaking action, the feeding step is carried out by pressurizing the container and ejecting the coating material through a bottom opening in the container and the applying step is carried out by spraying the coating material on the substrate with an air-nozzle spray gun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Stanley Podlaseck, Gene P. Shumaker, Paul D. Rimer, Roger A. Purcell
  • Patent number: 6348234
    Abstract: In a paste applying method for applying paste in an application area set on the surface of the object to be applied, the application efficiency is enhanced and the application quality is improved by applying the paste in an undulation pattern of convex and concave shape that defines the interior of the surface of the object on which no paste is deposited, where the interior area is substantially enclosed by the undulation pattern of the paste. A discharge port of an application nozzle is moved with one continuous line from an application start point to an application end point along the moving route by a plurality of passing points. The plurality of passing points are set at each comer of the application area and include a plurality of first passing points and a plurality of second passing points, where the first passing points are set at each corner of the application area and the second passing points are set at the central side of the application area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Ozono, Hitoshi Mukojima, Seiichi Sato, Nobuyuki Iwashita, Nobuyuki Suefuji
  • Patent number: 6342271
    Abstract: The invention relates to a resin composition based on a urea-modified phenol-formaldehyde resole which has a formaldehyde/phenol molar ratio of 2 to 5, exhibiting a free formaldehyde content lower than or equal to 3 percent (by weight relative to the total weight of the composition), a free phenol content lower than or equal to 0.5 percent and a dilutability measured at 20° C., of at least 1000 percent and to a process for the preparation of this composition. This composition is characterized in that it contains an overcondensed resole obtained by the condensation of phenol, of formaldehyde, and optionally of urea in basic medium, until the product has a water dilutability at pH 9 that is lower than or equal to 2000 percent, or the product of neutralization of such as resole. The modification of an overcondensed phenolic resole by neutralization with boric acid according to the invention permits the dilutability of the resole to be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2002
    Assignee: Isover Saint-Gobain
    Inventors: Bernard Lericque, Serge Tetart, Claire Labbe, Philippe Espiard
  • Patent number: 6340498
    Abstract: A mixture of a binder and a particle material, the mixture having 50 to 90 volume percent of the particle material. The binder is curable in a temperature range of 50° F. to 90° F. The volume percent of the present composition provides an inherent permeability in any conventional application method. It can be sprayed or applied by hand and yet it still maintains an intrinsic permeability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2002
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: John Stephen Kirby, John Miles Watcher
  • Patent number: 6335053
    Abstract: A process for the continuous production of coated metallic bands obtained by physical phase vapor deposition includes the following steps carried out on a band, eventually coated with zinc or its alloys, in motion and maintained in a vacuum environment: heating the band to be coated; activating the band surface; heat stabilizing the band; depositing a zinc layer on the metallic band; secondary heat stabilizing the band; and depositing one or more elements or compounds on the zinc layer, these elements being able to synergistically interact with the zinc layer to obtain high corrosion resistance, weldability, ductility, and adhesion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Assignee: Centro Sviluppo Materiali S.p.A.
    Inventors: Franco Arezzo, Pietro Gimondo, Gianni Speranza
  • Patent number: 6333068
    Abstract: This invention relates to a drying time accelerator for a water-based paint comprising mineral particles, a polymer binder with water-based dispersion and an emulsion polymerization agent, as well as the corresponding paint. The accelerator has a polymeric structure, is water-soluble, comprises cationic charges, and is selected from metallic polychlorides, metallic polyoxychlorides, or synthesis polyacrylamide polymer. The invention also relates to a method for applying a water-based paint according to the invention onto a support, according to which the paint is sprayed onto the support, light-reflecting balls are distributed in the paint, and a drying time accelerator is incorporated into the paint, preferably after distribution of the balls. The application of the invention is to road markings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Colas
    Inventors: Graziella Durand, Jean-Eric Poirier, Pierre Calvin
  • Patent number: 6329017
    Abstract: The present invention is a mesoporous silica film having a low dielectric constant and method of making having the steps of combining a surfactant in a silica precursor solution, spin-coating a film from this solution mixture, forming a partially hydroxylated mesoporous film, and dehydroxylating the hydroxylated film to obtain the mesoporous film. It is advantageous that the small polyoxyethylene ether surfactants used in spin-coated films as described in the present invention will result in fine pores smaller on average than about 20 nm. The resulting mesoporous film has a dielectric constant less than 3, which is stable in moist air with a specific humidity. The present invention provides a method for superior control of film thickness and thickness uniformity over a coated wafer, and films with low dielectric constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
    Inventors: Jun Liu, Karel Domansky, Xiaohong Li, Glen E. Fryxell, Suresh Baskaran, Nathan J. Kohler, Suntharampillai Thevuthasan, Christopher A. Coyle, Jerome C. Birnbaum
  • Patent number: 6329013
    Abstract: A method for substantially dynamic flow control when dispensing a substantially viscous material by means of a dosing system, including at least one dosing unit controlled by means of a computer unit, which dosing unit consists of at least one pressure part, a material container for containing the material to be applied, a nozzle and a pressure member displaceable in the material container. A test sequence is run before the dispensing operation and during the test sequence data is collected mainly about the dosing unit including the pressure within at least one pressure part, the position of the pressure member of the dosing unit, and a material feed pressure by the computer unit, a set value is determined for a material feed pressure and a material flow substantially with regard to the collected data and the material is dispensed with regard to the set value for flow controlled by means of a regulator, as a direct value of the set flow value and at the same time the application flow is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: Scranex Automation AB
    Inventor: Ain Pütt