Patents Examined by John Rivell
  • Patent number: 8910658
    Abstract: An actuator for operating a linear valve, such as a gate valve, includes a swivel coupling for detachably connecting an indicator stem to a plate within the actuator. In embodiments, the coupling includes a body with a lock ring groove. The detachable stem includes a downward facing recess having a groove on an inner diameter surface. The stem is placed on the body, and a lock ring engages both grooves to prevent axial movement of the stem relative to the body. The lock ring does not, however, prevent rotational movement of the stem relative to the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Vetco Gray Inc.
    Inventors: Keith M. Adams, Lloyd R. Cheatham
  • Patent number: 8910655
    Abstract: Disclosed therein is a gas valve having automatically blocking means, which is mounted at an inlet side of a valve body having a ball valve so that the gas valve does not need additional blocking means for blocking a gas pipe at the time of a gas leak, and which returns a blocking member to its original position when the valve is opened after coping with the gas leak at the leaked portion, thereby making maintenance easy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Kofulso Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seung-il Oh
  • Patent number: 8910656
    Abstract: A fluid controller is disclosed, having a body unit, a fluid controlling valve, pressure sensors, and a casing. The fluid controlling valve is attached to a component part attachment face of the body unit. The pressure sensors are attached to the component part attachment face so that the pressure sensing surfaces thereof are positioned substantially perpendicular to the component part attachment face and substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction. On the lateral walls of the casing, the inner surfaces thereof are arranged to be uneven, so that such sections facing the fluid controlling valve and the pressure sensors are arranged to be thin sections, whereas at least a part of such a section that does not face the fluid controlling valve and the pressure sensors is arranged to be a thick section that is thicker than the thin sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: HORIBA STEC, Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadahiro Yasuda
  • Patent number: 8905076
    Abstract: A vehicular cooling system coolant-return manifold is provided that includes a plurality of ports reconfigurable by the user to open, such that coolant will flow into the manifold, or close, such that coolant will not flow into the manifold. The ports are opened and closed by rotating a valve spool in relation to the manifold body. The ports of the manifold are brought into alignment with holes in the valve spool to open a port such that coolant flows into the manifold. A plurality of positions of the valve spool in relation to the manifold body allow a user to select a position wherein the desired combination of ports are on and off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: PACCAR Inc
    Inventors: Iner M. Jorgensen, Stanley M. Desaki
  • Patent number: 8905072
    Abstract: A manual override device for controlling at least one valve in a power system includes a rod having a first end and a second end. An attachment is configured to attach to a spool of the at least one valve and includes a clearance with respect to the first end of the rod so as to allow the attachment to move with the spool, during ordinary operation of the power system, without contacting the rod. A lever is connected to the second end of the rod and is configured to activate the manual override device by moving the rod in a longitudinal direction such that the first end of the rod makes contact with the attachment to move the spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Eaton Limited
    Inventors: Michael Stanley Barnes, Evan Kyle Artis, Nachiket Pandurang Honkalse
  • Patent number: 8906127
    Abstract: A motor vehicle non-return valve (10) for protecting a filter from hot exhaust gases, comprises a valve body (65), a valve plate (76), an elastic element (70), and a guide pin (72). The valve plate (76) comprises a sleeve (68) that surrounds the guide pin (72) and the valve plate (76) is slideably guided along the guide pin (72) and prevents a fluid flow through the valve body (65) in a blocking direction (91) and otherwise releases the fluid flow through the valve body (65). The elastic element (70) loads the valve plate (76) with a force that is acting to effect closing, wherein the sleeve (68) in a first sleeve section (71) is movably guided on a guide surface (75) of the guide pin (72) and wherein a second sleeve section (69) surrounds the guide pin (72) and the elastic element (70) in radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Mann+Hummel GmbH
    Inventor: Reinhard Oelpke
  • Patent number: 8905078
    Abstract: Provided is a method of controlling water droplet movement including providing a substrate including a superhydrophobic surface on which a hydrophilic channel guiding water droplet movement is patterned, introducing a water droplet on the substrate, and modulating a slope of the superhydrophobic surface for the water droplet to move on the superhydrophobic surface along the hydrophilic channel. Here, a width of the hydrophilic channel is modulated for the water droplet to move on the superhydrophobic surface having a certain angle with respect to a ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Hae-Shin Lee, In-Seong You, Sung-Min Kang
  • Patent number: 8905069
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for fluid storage and pumping comprising a fluid storage tank incorporating a housing cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Inventor: Gary Ike
  • Patent number: 8905074
    Abstract: Apparatus for controlling gas distribution are provided. In some embodiments, apparatus for controlling gas distribution may include a first flow path from an inlet to a first outlet; a plurality of first orifices disposed within the first flow path; a plurality of first valves that control gas flow through the plurality of first orifices to control a total gas flow at the first outlet; a second flow path from the inlet to a second outlet; a plurality of second orifices disposed along the second flow path; a plurality of second valves that control gas flow through respective ones of the plurality of second orifices to control a total gas flow at the second outlet; and a mounting block having the plurality of first valves and second valves coupled thereto, wherein at least a portion of the first flow path and the second flow path is disposed within the mounting block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Corie Lynn Cobb, Ming Xu
  • Patent number: 8905070
    Abstract: A multivalve with a storage bag and a storage bag configured for temporarily accommodating a liquid gas fuel around a discharge for a liquid gas fuel store formed from a deformable memory material, wherein the storage bag has a temporary, size-reduced position, an outer diameter of the storage bag then being less than 48 mm, and a second, operative position, the storage bag having a sufficient volume. A multivalve with a storage bag includes a storage bag having a bottom with sides rising from the bottom, a one-way valve being placed in or close to the bottom and connected to an inlet in the storage bag, the one-way valve being welded to the plastic of the storage bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Vialle Alternative Fuel Systems B.V.
    Inventor: Bob Alexander Beem
  • Patent number: 8904783
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pressure medium container for a hydraulic motor vehicle brake system, having a housing, a filler opening, a closure element and at least one hydraulic connection to the hydraulic pressure medium supply of the motor vehicle brake system. The problem of the present invention consists in reliably managing a fluctuating pressure medium filling level while nevertheless providing a container of minimal overall size and simplifying motor vehicle maintenance. The proposed solution is to provide a structurally predetermined defined volume reservoir for receiving a pressure medium, which can be rendered hydraulically effective by arranging the closure element on the filler opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG
    Inventor: Stefan Drumm
  • Patent number: 8893741
    Abstract: A pressure relief valve comprising a tubular main body with a pressure relief perforation, a pressure adjustor with an anti-leakage rubber and an anti-reverse member; wherein the main body further comprises air inlet and outlet, a channel between the inlet and outlet and with a through-hole penetrating the main body. The pressure adjustor is mounted on the through-hole and the anti-reverse member is mounted on the outlet. As the inlet is connected to an air pump and the outlet is connected to a filling-article, a pressure value is preset with the pressure adjustor such that when the filling-article reaches the preset pressure value, the anti-reverse member engages the channel to move the anti-leakage rubber of the pressure adjustor upward and the air is released from the pressure release perforation in order to stably maintain the filling-article at an air-filling state within the preset pressure value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Inventors: Chen-Yuan Weng, Chin-Sheng Ho
  • Patent number: 8894910
    Abstract: A method and a device for recycling compressed gas where the compressed gas used in a compressed gas consumer, particularly a container blow-molding machine, is fed back into a compressed gas generator. In order to increase the recycling volume, the compressed gas from the compressed gas consumer is collected separately and fed back to at least a first and a second pressure range of the pressure generator separately according to pressure stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventors: Klaus Voth, Stefan Rossmann
  • Patent number: 8893745
    Abstract: A pressure relief valve 1 having small dimensions and generating a high flow rate comprises an annular channel 15 between the pressure medium inlet 7 and the pressure medium outlet 8, the channel acting on a sealing cone 17 made of a special plastic material at the upper end of the closing unit 17 in case of pressure peaks such that the same is lifted out of the sealing seat 12 against the force of the valve spring 6. An embodiment is also possible in which the corresponding sealing rings 76, 80 must be passed over. The inner bore 9 of the pressure relief valve 1 has a stepped wall 21, so that a differential pressure relieving the valve spring 6 is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Inventor: Wolfgang Voss
  • Patent number: 8887498
    Abstract: A system for providing pressurized hydraulic fluid includes a pump. A bypass valve assembly includes an inlet port in communication with the pump and an outlet port in communication with an accumulator. The pump and the accumulator are both in communication with a hydraulic control system that controls, lubricates, and cools a transmission of a motor vehicle. The bypass valve assembly has a valve moveable between at least a two positions. The bypass valve assembly is operable to bypass the accumulator when the vehicle is first started such that the pump charges the hydraulic control system before charging the accumulator. The accumulator provides pressurized hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic control system after vehicle start.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, LLC
    Inventors: Todd A. Frerichs, Brian W. Whitmarsh
  • Patent number: 8887761
    Abstract: A valve opening and closing mechanism includes: an input shaft 2 driven by a power source; two or more output shafts 5, 6 respectively including valves 3, 4; power transmission members that transmit power from the input shaft 2 to the respective output shafts 5, 6 with varying a phase of the power; and preload application members that apply preloads respectively to the output shafts 5, 6 and the power transmission member in opposite directions. The output shafts 5, 6 may be separated from the power transmission member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Yokoyama, Sotsuo Miyoshi, Satoru Hasegawa, Katsunori Takai
  • Patent number: 8887757
    Abstract: Provided is a wafer check valve assembly comprising a body having a mating side including first, second and third surfaces and a shaft groove, a tapered surface of the mating side extends from the third surface toward an inlet side of the body and from a first end to a second end of a port opening; a retainer having a mating side including fourth, fifth and sixth surfaces; and a disc with a shaft; wherein, when the body, retainer and disc are mated together: the shaft is housed between the body and the retainer and within the shaft groove, the first and fourth surfaces are proximal, the second and fifth surfaces are proximal, and the third and sixth surfaces proximal, so to define a pocket housing a gasketing material to form a seal between the body and retainer and to secure together the body, retainer, and disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Hayward Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary A. Moren, Joshua Lee Hoots, Jon Terence Stone, Paul M. Gutmann
  • Patent number: 8887745
    Abstract: An apparatus generates and/or maintains fluid flow synthesizing and maintaining an artificial tornado. The apparatus includes a generally cylindrical frame having two chambers coupled with two channels each of one half the entire length of the frame, and having reversed angular coordinates. Each chamber operates to generate and/or maintain a vortex and each channel operates to induce and/or reinforce the vortex along the length of the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Inventor: Robert Krause
  • Patent number: 8887753
    Abstract: An in-line water trap located in the line of the flow of waste through a generally straight line or bend is provided for. Typically, the water trap comprises a fluid conduit having a first end, a second end and a passage between the first and second ends; and a vessel having a closed end, an open end and a skirt between the closed and open ends, the lobed vessel further having an inner surface defining an inner volume and an outer surface, the inner surface attachingly engaging an outer wall of the fluid conduit in so doing defining a flow path between the passage, the inner volume of the lobed vessel and the outer surface of the lobed vessel, in use, a fluid level inside the inner volume of the lobed vessel being substantially in communication with the second end of the fluid conduit to form a fluid seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Amphicom Investments CC
    Inventor: Dion Grant Sutherland
  • Patent number: 8881762
    Abstract: An engine air shutoff valve system with an improved sensor that facilitates a position detection of the shutoff valve is disclosed. The air shutoff valve system may include a shutoff valve, an indicator, and at least one solid-state proximity sensor. The shutoff valve is moveable between an open and closed position. The indicator is operatively coupled to the shutoff valve. The indicator is movable between a normal state and a tripped state in respective correspondence with the open and closed positions of the shutoff valve. At least one solid-state proximity sensor can be configured to detect when the indicator is in the tripped state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Travis S. Johnson, Matthew J. Miller, Michael E. Kenning, Jason M. Brown, Dale E. Koekenberg