Patents Examined by Joseph A Greenlund
  • Firefighting polymer gel preparation onboard aircraft
    Patent number: 10940343
    Abstract: A tank on a firefighting aircraft initially is loaded with water. A polymer gel emulsion vessel is provided on the aircraft, but is not activated and mixed with tank water until such polymer gel preparation is initiated by an operator. When initiated, a pump pulls water from the tank and doses it with gel emulsion. Double elbows and/or the pump impeller fully activates the polymer gel. The activated polymer gel is mixed within the tank by one of a variety of systems including mixing paddles or sparging with gas. In one embodiment, a hollow tower of telescoping form has a float to keep an upper end near a surface in the tank and a sparging gas entry is a controlled distance below the surface, such that gas of limited pressure, such as from a ram air inlet can sparge and mix the water and activated polymer gel emulsion effectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Inventor: Leonard E. Doten
  • Push on/pull off protective cap for fire protection sprinklers
    Patent number: 10940348
    Abstract: A protective cover for a fire protection sprinkler includes a pair of sidewalls and an orthogonal wall structure connected to an upper edge of each of the pair of sidewalls. The orthogonal wall structure including a slot therein that opens along an edge of the orthogonal wall structure in alignment with an opening between the pair of sidewalls. The slot including a pair of side edges including a pair of opposing arcuate regions adapted to engage a deflector mounting boss of a fire protection sprinkler. An arcuate sidewall extends from the orthogonal wall structure and an upper wall extending inward from an upper edge of the arcuate sidewall and opposing the orthogonal wall structure to define a cavity that is adapted for receiving a deflector of a fire protection sprinkler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignees: The Viking Corporation, Minimax GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Michael J. Oldham, Stefan Schnell, Shawn G. Orr, Frank Rönnfeldt
  • Firefighting polymer gel preparation onboard aircraft
    Patent number: 10940342
    Abstract: A tank on a firefighting aircraft initially is loaded with water. A polymer gel emulsion vessel is provided on the aircraft, but is not activated and mixed with tank water until such polymer gel preparation is initiated by an operator. When initiated, a pump pulls water from the tank and doses it with gel emulsion. Double elbows and/or the pump impeller fully activates the polymer gel. The activated polymer gel is mixed within the tank by one of a variety of systems including mixing paddles or sparging with gas. In one embodiment, a hollow tower of telescoping form has a float to keep an upper end near a surface in the tank and a sparging gas entry is a controlled distance below the surface, such that gas of limited pressure, such as from a ram air inlet can sparge and mix the water and activated polymer gel emulsion effectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Inventor: Leonard E. Doten
  • Concealed horizontal sidewall sprinkler
    Patent number: 10940347
    Abstract: A concealed sprinkler includes a sprinkler body having a flow passage therethrough with an inlet end and an outlet end. A closure device is secured at the outlet end of the flow passage by a heat responsive trigger. A deflector assembly includes a deflector plate and a button secured to an upstream side of the deflector plate. The deflector assembly is movably supported to the sprinkler body by at least one arm. The button defines an aperture that extends unobstructed all the way through the button from an upstream side to a downstream side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: The Viking Corporation
    Inventor: Michael J. Oldham
  • Airless spray gun with improved trigger assembly
    Patent number: 10940498
    Abstract: A spray gun is presented. The spray gun includes a fluid applicator configured to receive a pressurized liquid through an inlet and disperse the pressurize liquid through an outlet. The fluid applicator includes a body defining a fluid path. The fluid applicator includes a valve assembly with a first end portion opposite of a second end portion configured to be movable between a first position and a second position. The second end portion is configured to be in fluidic contact with the pressurized liquid at the first position. Both the first end portion and the second end portion are configured to be in fluidic contact with the pressurized liquid at the second position. The first end portion includes a portion of a blocking member configured to contact a seat within the body. The second end portion includes a distal portion of a guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Wager Spray Tech Corporation
    Inventor: Brian L. Fideler
  • Injector including swirl device
    Patent number: 10927739
    Abstract: An injector includes a needle and a body. The needle is configured to receive fluid from a fluid supply and operable between a first position, in which the fluid is not provided to a target, and a second position, in which the fluid is provided to the target. The needle includes a first needle bore, a second needle bore, and a first connector. The first needle bore is configured to receive fluid from the fluid supply. The second needle bore is aligned with the first needle bore and configured to provide fluid to the fluid supply. The first connector is in fluid communication with the second needle bore. The body includes an end, a first body bore, and a second body bore. The first body bore is configured to receive the needle. The second body bore is positioned to be contiguous with the end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Cummins Emission Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony A. Shaull, Bradlee J. Stroia, Stephen M. Holl, Richard Davis Thomas, Michael Hays
  • Double bell cup
    Patent number: 10919055
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a double bell cup installed on an end portion of a painting robot to centrifugally spray paint to an object to be painted, the double bell cup comprising: an outer body having a tapered structure that becomes gradually wider from the top to the bottom, wherein the outer body has an inlet passage formed on the top side thereof, a stagnation passage formed therein to communicate with the inlet passage, and a spray passage formed on the bottom side thereof to communicate with the stagnation passage, and paint is introduced through the inlet passage and retained in the stagnation passage; and an inner body having a tapered structure that becomes gradually wider from the top to the bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: SANG EUN PARK
    Inventor: Sang Eun Park
  • Coating nozzle head, and liquid-applying apparatus including the same
    Patent number: 10913088
    Abstract: A liquid-coating apparatus includes: (a) a nozzle hole from which a liquid material is to be discharged; (b) a supply flow channel configured to supply the liquid material to the nozzle hole; (c) a plunger configured to reciprocate in contact with the liquid material inside the supply flow channel; (d) a displacement-expansion mechanism configured to displace the plunger; and (e) an actuator configured to displace the displacement-expansion mechanism, wherein at least one of a contact part of the displacement-expansion mechanism and a contact part of the actuator has a curved surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Fukada, Tohru Nakagawa, Hidehiro Yoshida
  • Integral dripper with an elongated exit pool
    Patent number: 10897859
    Abstract: A discrete flat dripper of the non-pressure regulated type of drippers or of the pressure compensated—flow rate regulated type of drippers, suited for being integrally installed within a hose, that comprises a body component whose configuration is essentially rectangular, wherein on its one side that is suited to being affixed to an internal wall of the hose, formed with an exit pool that it is elongated in its dimensions and substantially extends along the entire length of the body component, and with a flow passage circumferentially surrounding a substantial part of the elongated exit pool, and an integral dripper line wherein there are integrated at least one of such discrete flat dripper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Rivulis Plastro Ltd.
    Inventor: Zvika Einav
  • High pressure hose nozzle test system with trailer hitch
    Patent number: 10870029
    Abstract: A hose nozzle test system having a housing with a plurality of hose nozzles therein. The housing has a first side for attachment of hoses to the hose nozzles and a second opposite side has openings which allow tips of the hose nozzles to extend out of the housing for the discharge of water. A diffuser may be attached rotatably to the second opposite side, allowing the diffuser to open and close to access the interior of the diffuser. A first portion of a trailer hitch is attached at a front end of the housing and a second portion of the trailer hitch is attached rotatably to the first portion so that the system can be rotated vertically for transportation by a vehicle or by an attachable wheel. The system is small, portable, stable, easy to use and maintain, and a user has control over where discharge water is flowing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: FlowHitch, LLC
    Inventor: Travis D. Walker
  • Apparatus for dispersing particles in a liquid
    Patent number: 10857507
    Abstract: In one example, a liquid mixture nozzle for flowing a liquid mixture therethrough includes a body having a flow inlet and a flow outlet. The flow inlet is configured to couple to a first piece of piping and the flow outlet is configured to couple to a second piece of piping. The liquid mixture nozzle also includes a converging section having a decreasing diameter positioned adjacent the flow inlet, an orifice positioned at a narrow end of the converging section, an intermediate section having a constant diameter positioned adjacent the orifice, a diverging section having an increasing diameter positioned adjacent the intermediate section and the flow outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: ALFA LAVAL CORPORATE AB
    Inventor: Ashok Vellaiah Retnaswamy
  • Sprinkler with radially limited nutating spool
    Patent number: 10857551
    Abstract: A sprinkler head having a spool assembly for nutating within the sprinkler head. The spool assembly has a spool attached by one or more arms to a distribution disc. The sprinkler head has a nozzle configured to spray a fluid stream through a central bore of the spool onto the distribution disc, causing nutation of the spool assembly within the sprinkler head. The spool assembly is configured with two friction bands that are each configured to radially roll in or on a respective race within the sprinkler body. The friction bands can be integrally formed with the spool assembly or positioned on the spool surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Inventors: Don Duffin, Roger Duffin, Casey Nutt
  • Liquid placement apparatus
    Patent number: 10849319
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of applying liquid product to a crop growing in a field. A plurality of drop assemblies are laterally spaced along the boom structure, each of the plurality of drop assemblies include a boom mounting bracket which supports a vertical support member and a spray assembly disposed at a lower end of the vertical support member, the boom mounting bracket having a first pivot axis oriented substantially perpendicular to the boom structure. The drop assemblies are movable from a working position to a transport position. In the transport position the vertical support member is pivoted about the first axis such that the vertical support member is oriented toward the boom structure. In the working position the vertical support is oriented substantially perpendicular to the boom structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: 360 Yield Center, LLC
    Inventors: Lee Dahlhauser, Lucas Helton
  • Foaming unit for producing foam from a mixture of gas and liquid and a sprayer for producing and dispensing foam
    Patent number: 10835906
    Abstract: A foaming unit for producing foam from a mixture of gas and liquid. The foaming unit comprising a housing, a slide, a foaming element, an inlet for the mixture of gas and liquid and an outlet, the slide and the housing being movable relative to each other, the foaming element being arranged hydraulically between the inlet and the outlet, wherein an active volume of the foaming element can be adjusted by changing the relative position of a control edge and an end face of the foaming element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: S O L O Kleinmotoren Gesellschaft mit beschraenkter Haftung
    Inventor: Samuel Schinkel
  • Sprayer systems with retractable drop apparatuses
    Patent number: 10820585
    Abstract: The sprayer system associated with a work vehicle having a boom and a fluid source may include a spray device configured to selectively apply a fluid from the fluid source on the work vehicle to an agricultural crop. The sprayer system may further include a drop apparatus having a linkage assembly with a top portion coupled to the boom and a bottom portion coupled to the spray device. The linkage assembly may be selectively repositionable between a retracted position and an extended position to raise and lower the spray device relative to the boom along an upright reference axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Mark E. Barker, Richard A. Humpal
  • Device and method for detecting blockages in an agricultural sprayer
    Patent number: 10813350
    Abstract: An agricultural sprayer arrangement includes a chassis, at least one ground engaging traction member carried by the chassis, a liquid tank carried by the chassis, a boom carried by the chassis, a fluid conduit associated with the boom that is fluidly connected to the liquid tank, a spray nozzle that is fluidly connected to the fluid conduit and includes a nozzle body, a differential pressure sensor with a first pressure sensor in the fluid conduit associated with the spray nozzle and a second pressure sensor in the nozzle body, and an electrical processing circuit coupled to the differential pressure sensor. The differential pressure sensor is configured to output a pressure difference signal and the electrical processing circuit is configured to report a blocked nozzle when the pressure difference signal is less than a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Bingcheng Ni
  • Spreader for spreading granular material and method of spreading granular material
    Patent number: 10745875
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a hopper spreader apparatus for spreading granular material is provided. The hopper spreader apparatus includes a hopper, a spreading unit, and a dispensing unit. The hopper has a storage cavity for storing the granular material to be spread. The spreading unit spreads the granular material. The dispensing system transports the granular material from the hopper to the spreading unit. The dispensing system includes a conveying unit and a rotating first roll. The conveying unit conveys the granular material toward the spreading unit. The rotating first roll controls a flow of granular material from the hopper to the conveying unit. The use of the rotating roll allows for control of high flow material (such as for example dry salt) while allowing for improved collapse and break-up of low flow material (such as for example wetted sand).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Sno-Way International, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert N. Gamble, II, Terry C. Wendorff
  • Remotely controlled material delivery system
    Patent number: 10746353
    Abstract: A remotely controlled material delivery system having at least one canister, for containing a material; a nozzle; a manifold to direct movement of the material from the canister to the nozzle; a valve mechanism to control the flow of material; a signal receiver; a power source; a mounting adapter; and a remote controller operable to generate a signal wherein the signal is transmitted from the remote controller to the signal receiver, wherein the receiver can open and close the valve in response to the remotely generated signal and wherein the signal can be transmitted through a wired connection, an optical connection, or wirelessly from the remote controller to the signal receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: First Power Group, LLC
    Inventors: Robert H. Kinner, John W. Harley
  • Controlled-release spreader
    Patent number: 10736263
    Abstract: A spreader includes a frame having wheels mounted on an axle. A gear assembly on the axle is coupled with a shaft. A hopper is mounted on the frame and holds particulate that empties through an opening within the bottom wall. An impeller is mounted on the shaft and receives the particulate emptied from the hopper. A controlled-release assembly is mounted about the shaft and includes a drive housing secured to the hopper. The drive housing has a funnel opening to dispense the particulate therethrough. A transfer wheel within the drive housing is rotatably coupled to the shaft. When the shaft is rotating, the transfer wheel rotates whereby the particulate is delivered to the funnel. When the shaft is stationary, the transfer wheel is stationary whereby particulate is not delivered to the funnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Chapin Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Ed Horeth, David Dubiel, William James Campbell
  • Mobile drip irrigation with precise and uniform water distribution
    Patent number: 10729078
    Abstract: Water is emitted directly onto the soil from drip lines pulled from a mobile drip irrigation device. The forward ends of the drip tubes are anchored and retained to establish relatively fixed intervals of spacing between the forward ends of the adjacent drip tubes to guide the drip tubes across the soil and through growing plants. A pressure-regulated constant-volume flow of water is emitted from ports in the drip tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Inventor: Monty J. Teeter