Patents Examined by Joye L. Woodard
  • Patent number: 7943014
    Abstract: An integrated combustion chamber and fluidized bed pyrolysis reactor. In one embodiment, the combustion chamber is cylindrical and the pyrolysis reactor is provided annularly about the combustion chamber with an annular wall that provides a common surface for heat transfer. A lift tube in fluid communication with the pyrolysis reactor is provided within the combustion chamber for circulating biomass and an inert fluidizable media upwardly through the lift tube; this advantageously increases heat transfer and leads to more rapid pyrolysis. The media and biomass exit the lift tube into either a freeboard area of the pyrolysis reactor or into a low density region of the fluidized bed. A condensable gaseous product is produced during pyrolysis that has economic value. The apparatus and process are especially well suited to the pyrolysis of low density agricultural biomass. The apparatus is compact and particularly well suited to mobile operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Agri-Therm Inc.
    Inventors: Franco Berruti, Cedric Briens, Ronald Golden
  • Patent number: 7931736
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon adsorbent that includes a zeolite with either a H-FER structure or a MOR structure in which the pore diameter has been adjusted by ion exchange. A propane adsorbent that includes a zeolite with a MFI structure. A hydrocarbon removal unit that includes a TSA pre-purification unit having a column packed with sequential layers of activated alumina, a NaX zeolite, and the hydrocarbon adsorbent. A method of reducing the hydrocarbon content within liquid oxygen inside a cryogenic air separation unit that includes purifying feed air with the above pre-purification unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Hidano, Morimitsu Nakamura, Masato Kawai
  • Patent number: 7919052
    Abstract: A catalytic converter has a housing. The housing defines a conduit and has a support wall defining an opening in the conduit. A removable catalyst element covers the opening for treating an exhaust gas passing through the conduit. A removable bar abuts the catalyst element. A first end of the bar is anchored to the wall and a second end of the bar is bolted to the wall thus clamping the catalyst element between the wall and the bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Silex Innovations Inc.
    Inventor: Mehmood Ahmed
  • Patent number: 7897117
    Abstract: A catalytic converter having a housing holding upstream and downstream catalytic material carrying substrates or bricks includes a ring located between the substrates, the ring having a gap therein for receipt of a mid-bed oxygen sensor. The ring traps a layer of insulating material between the ring and the converter housing or shell surface surrounding the inter-substrate gap. The ring is coupled to the housing at a plurality of embossments either by welding or mechanical couplings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy S. Balk, Pernilla S. Sullivan, Thomas A. Cothron, Bradley B. Walworth
  • Patent number: 5464503
    Abstract: A discharge system is used with a tire liquefaction process using a reactor. The system includes a receiver receiving unreacted components, including oil coated metal, from the reactor. The unreacted components are moved through a pyrolysis reactor where they are heated to a temperature sufficient to convert the unreacted hydrocarbon components to a liquid and to gas by way of pyrolysis. The liquid and the majority of gas are drawn off from the pyrolysis reactor. Discharge apparatus connected to the pyrolysis reactor converts the remaining gas to a condensate and discharges the metal. The condensate is also removed for further use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1995
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Vahan Avetisian, Craig J. Castagnoli, Suk B. Cha
  • Patent number: 5453164
    Abstract: A pyrolytic converter utilizing a rotatable drum surrounded by an outer drum support structure and disposed in an oven chamber pyrolyzes materials including plastic waste, tires, materials from automobile shredding operations, containers and trays of plastic material, rubber, leather, garbage, sewage sludge, coal, oil shale, broken asphalt and the like. These materials are formed into cartridges by a compactor using a reciprocating ram which forms cartridges in an injection tube wherein another ram injects the cartridges into the converter drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1995
    Assignee: Wayne Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Fred A. Breu
  • Patent number: 5447606
    Abstract: Individual coke ovens in a nonrecovery coke oven battery are charged through an open door at the pushing end of the ovens, and emissions escaping through the open door of the respective ovens during charging are captured by a hood mounted on the pushing and charging machine for movement therewith along the pushing side of the battery and for movement thereon from a retracted position spaced outwardly from the ovens and a capturing position above the open oven door. Air and emissions captured by the hood are withdrawn and passed through an air cleaner mounted on the pushing and charging machine to remove smoke and particulates before being discharged to the atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1995
    Assignee: Sun Coal Company
    Inventor: Charles W. Pruitt
  • Patent number: 5423951
    Abstract: Pieces of coke of high density and strength are made continuously from fine particles of bituminous or subbituminous or lignite coals or of mixtures thereof. The particles are generally oxygenated, mixed with water, compressed to squeeze out some of the water to obtain single bodies which are heat processed lying on a traveling grate on which they undergo drying, pyrolyzing, carbonizing and cooling.Modifications include mixing in with the coal material(s) listed above, coke fines or char or anthracite coal; or limestone; or carbon-reducible oxides such as oxidic ores of Fe, Mn, Cr and quartzite in recited important proportions. Such formed coke bodies are useable in a submerged arc furnace or in a blast furnace or in an open hearth to produce desired intermediate or end metallic products. The pieces of coke with incorporated fine limestone burn without developing SO.sub.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1995
    Inventor: Fritz O. Wienert
  • Patent number: 5423950
    Abstract: The reactor forms a chamber which contains the reaction process. There are accesses to the chamber for receiving shredded tires and oil. There are egresses from the chamber for discharging the tire oil and for discharging unreacted elements. Apparatus is located within the chamber which separates the unreacted components of the shredded tires from the tire oil. The apparatus also provides for the removal of the unreacted elements from the chamber means. The reactor also includes a heater which heats the inside of the chamber to a temperature sufficient to cause a reaction between the shredded tires and the oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1995
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Vahan Avetisian, Constantin Bugescu, Robert S. Burton, III, Craig J. Castagnoli, Suk-Bae Cha, Kenneth S. Lee, Allen M. Robin
  • Patent number: 5421963
    Abstract: Coke feed device with housing (6) for a coke dry cooling installation which is allocated to a cooling shaft (41) and consists of a stationary hopper (1) with an extraction line (9), a movable hopper (2), a movable, liftable and lowerable cooling shaft closure (8) and the housing (6) containing the movable hopper (2) and the cooling shaft closure (8) which are arranged on a joint chassis (22) running on rails (49). The movable hopper (2, 200, 201) is fitted with a distribution bell (3, 4) and a liftable and lowerable sealing ring (11) and the movable cooling shaft closure (8) fitted with a sealing ring (55) is integrated into a lifting and lowering device (15) and the housing (6, 600, 601) takes the form of a hood clear of the floor or with apertures in the walls (45, 450, 451, 46, 460, 461) for a limited secondary air supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1995
    Assignees: Ruhrkohle Aktiengesellschaft, Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Wilhelm Stewen, Heinz Opdenwinkel, Norbert Dunker, Naoto Yasukouchi, Kazushi Kishigami
  • Patent number: 5417811
    Abstract: A closure device adapted for attachment onto the upper head of a coking drum to prevent hot vapors escaping during drum decoking operations. The closure device includes a cylindrical-shaped housing having a rotatable ball valve and horizontal elongated stem provided in its lower portion, and a cover unit including a packing gland provided at the housing upper end. A rotatable cutting tool provided within the housing above the ball valve has a drive rod extending upwardly through the cover unit packing gland. During operations, the ball valve is opened and the drive rod and its attached cutting tool can be extended downwardly through the ball valve cylindrical-shaped opening into the coking drum and rotated, so as to cut and dislodge coke deposited in the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: Foster Wheeler USA Corporation
    Inventor: Allen S. Malsbury
  • Patent number: 5411563
    Abstract: A method for preparing strengthened ceramic/glass substrates by laminating and sintering multiple layers of ceramic/glass precursory substrates having different thermal expansion coefficients, with the inner layer having higher thermal expansion coefficient and the outer layers having lower thermal expansion coefficient. After the sintered substrates are cooled, a compressive stress will be permanently imparted in the sintered substrates which will be exerted onto the surface layer thereof. Such a compressive stress has the effect of impeding the growth of any defects and thus provides the strengthening effect. The method disclosed in the present invention can be used to strengthen ceramic/glass substrates that contain electronic parts or conductor circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Tsung-Shou Yeh, Jane-Chyi Lin, Shiang-Po Hwang
  • Patent number: 5409577
    Abstract: A carbonization apparatus for carbonizing material which includes metal parts, as for instance waste material with elongated metal parts, such as metal wires and metal bands. A residue discharge pipe has a discharge port formed in an end face thereof. Carbonization residue is discharged through the discharge port. The residue discharge pipe rotates about its longitudinal axis. The metal parts are entrained with a device which is disposed in a region of the discharge port and which rotates with the residue discharge pipe. In the alternative, the entrainment device or devices are disposed inside a carbonization drum. A stationary bar-shaped member cooperates with the entraining device to tear the metal parts discharging from the discharge opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Herbert Tratz, Karl May
  • Patent number: 5403398
    Abstract: An electronic mail tracking system having automatic zip code break marking capability. A series of optical sensors along the mail piece transport path of the tracking system track the progress of the mail pieces. A felt tip marker removably mounted to a solenoid is selectively extended and retracted to mark zip code breaks and the mail pieces are then transported to a stacker. The system provides high speed, reliable and low cost zip break marking and tracking of mail piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Inventors: Robert Riess, John Harisiadis, Kasimir G. Rudak, Fred Lieder, Elmer Nelson
  • Patent number: 5403369
    Abstract: Apparatus (10) for positioning a heated glass sheet G includes a longitudinally extending air flotation conveyor (12) for receiving and floating the heated glass sheet, a glass sheet vacuum mold (14) movably mounted above the air floatation conveyor for receiving the heated glass sheet, a glass sheet positioner (16) mounted relative to the mold for peripherally engaging and laterally and longitudinally positioning the glass sheet with respect to the mold and an array of lift jets (18) interspersed amongst the air flotation conveyor and located beneath the mold for lifting the glass sheet onto the vacuum mold through the application of lifting air on the bottom surface of the glass sheet. A glass sheet processing ring (26) transversely movable relative to the air flotation conveyor (12) subsequently receives the glass sheet from the mold (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Assignee: Glasstech, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald A. McMaster
  • Patent number: 5401364
    Abstract: According to this invention there is provided a process for the heat treatment of noncaking, noncoking coal with a process derived gaseous fuel having a variably controllable calorific heating value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: SGI International, Inc.
    Inventor: Franklin G. Rinker
  • Patent number: 5401286
    Abstract: A flexible ring mold for shaping heat softened glass sheets is provided with an inner ring having a plurality of posts which help support the ring mold and maintain the mold's generally planar configuration during the initial lifting and shaping of a supported glass sheet. Prior to the entire glass sheet being pressed against an upper mold surface, the ring mold is separated from the support posts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: PPG Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Dennis M. Goolsbay, Larry W. Deffendoll, Patrick L. Singleton
  • Patent number: 5399181
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for preheating material in a glass melting furnace is provided. An indirect heat exchanger is utilized in which exhaust gases from the glass melting furnace are directed, in a counter flow relation, to raw materials and glass cullet being fed into a glass melting furnace. A first conduit is connected to the heat exchanger to withdraw gases formed from the decomposition of organic matter present in the materials being preheated and the gases are directed by the conduit into the glass melting furnace where they are combusted. A second conduit may also be provided for extracting water vapor released from the preheated materials prior to decomposition of the organic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1995
    Assignee: Beteiligungen Sorg GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Helmut Sorg
  • Patent number: 5395415
    Abstract: A method of and apparatus for precisely shaping heated glass sheets as the sheets advance along a bed of conveyor rolls. The conveyor rolls comprise a core member having axially aligned opposite sections and an arcuately curved central portion, with a flexible sleeve surrounding the core member. The sleeves are rotated in unison about the core members to convey the sheets. The core members are pivotable in unison between a first position where the curved control portions lie in a common plane for conveying the flat sheets and a second, lowered position whereat the curved portions define the shape to which the sheets are to be deformed. Vertically reciprocable top surface press units are mounted above the path of the glass sheets. The press units include curved stationary mandrels having freely rotatable flexible sleeves thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1995
    Assignee: Libbey-Owens-Ford Co.
    Inventors: Jody H. Akens, Robert J. Boisselle
  • Patent number: 5395485
    Abstract: A large-scale coking reactor including a housing provided with a chamber and with outer and inner chamber frames, a displaceable outer door elastically compressed against the outer frame and formed with a respective elastic peripheral seal compressible against the frame and with an outer high temperature membrane interposed between the door and the seal and elastically pressed thereagainst to seal the door opening, a displaceable inner door spaced from the outer door and formed with an inner high temperature membrane interposed between the inner door and the inner frame to fit elastically the inner frame, the inner and outer doors being releasably interconnected upon displacing the outer door, so that the doors are mounted in the housing to be operatable either selectively or in combination with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1995
    Assignee: Bergwerksverband GmbH
    Inventors: Gerd Nashan, Klaus Wessiepe, Heribert Bertling, Werner Abendroth, Helmut Dohle, Manfred Friedrichs, Gerd Klinkenberg, Manfred Blase, Heinz Durselen, Gunter Meyer, Wolfgang Rohde