Patents Examined by M. Kocharov
  • Patent number: 5477442
    Abstract: A lighting fixture for use in hazardous locations and adverse environments, includes a mounting plate and a first ballast housing. A second non-interchangeable ballast housing may be alternately employed by use of an adapter ring removably securable intermediate the mounting plate and the second ballast housing. The adapter ring comprises a top portion specially adapted to engage the mounting plate, with first fastening means associated therewith, and a bottom portion specially adapted to engage the second ballast housing, with second fastening means being associated therewith. The adapter ring allows the replacement of the first ballast housing with the second, wherein the first and second ballast housings are not identical and are produced by different manufacturers. The adaptor ring effectively seals the interfaces with the mounting plate and second ballast housing, thereby maintaining the integrity of the lighting fixture for its intended purpose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1995
    Assignee: Thomas & Betts Corporation
    Inventor: Margaret A. Self
  • Patent number: 5419112
    Abstract: A double ender powerplant including a first engine having a compressor for producing a downstream axial flow, a combustor, a turbine coupled to the compressor through a shaft, and means for attaching a load coupled to the shaft adjacent and downstream from the turbine; a second engine having a compressor for producing a downstream axial flow, a combustor, a turbine coupled to the compressor through a shaft, and means for attaching a load coupled to the shaft adjacent and upstream from the compressor; and, a generator coupled to each of the attachment means of the first and second engines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: William M. Farrell
  • Patent number: 5420763
    Abstract: A lighting fixture disclosed is designed for installation in a cove of a public transit vehicle providing ready access to a space behind it, without requiring a variety of specially designed fixtures for special access requirements. The fixture comprises a pair of battens extending generally vertically to support the fixture, a longitudinally extending card panel supported in movable relationship by the battens and having a groove adapted to mount an advertisement card, a socket connected to each of the battens cooperating to mount a fluorescent lamp, and a bezel supported by the battens and supporting a lens covering the mounted lamp. Access to the space is obtained by releasing a lower edge of the card panel and rotating it about pivot pins to an open position. Similarly, the bezel is pivoted to provide access to the mounted lamp. An advertisement car card placed on the card panel is retained at a lower edge by the card panel throughout the pivotal displacement of the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1995
    Assignee: Gulton Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Troy I. Vanderhoof
  • Patent number: 5417054
    Abstract: A self-purging fuel injector for a combustor of a gas turbine engine wherein the fuel injector comprises an injector body having first and second air discharge orifices for discharging air to the combustor and first and second fuel passage means having respective first and second fuel discharge orifices for discharging fuel to the combustor. The first and second fuel passages are in communication upstream of the fuel discharge orifices. The first air and fuel discharge orifices have a relationship to establish a pneumatic pressure at the first fuel discharge orifice and the second air and fuel discharge orifices have a relationship to establish a different pneumatic pressure at the second fuel discharge orifice such that, in the event the supply of fuel to the first and second fuel discharge orifices is interrupted, the fuel residing in the fuel passages between the first and second fuel discharge orifices is subjected to a pressure differential effective to purge the resident fuel into the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: Fuel Systems Textron, Inc.
    Inventors: Fei P. Lee, Theodore R. Koblish, Jerome R. Bradley
  • Patent number: 5415533
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel injection pump for internal combustion engines, having a pump piston guided in a cylinder bore of a pump body, which pump piston defines a pump work chamber in the cylinder bore and which is axially driven by a cam drive counter to the force of a restoring spring. Each individual cylinder of the engine to be fed is assigned a fuel injection pump, which is inserted into a bore in the engine housing; at the same time, the engine housing serves as the pump housing. In order to limit frictional wear, which is caused by the back-and-forth motion of the roller tappet of the cam drive guided in the engine housing and to easily replace pump parts, a thin-walled slide bush is disposed between the roller tappet and the housing bore. The slide bush is fastened with radial play on the pump body and additionally prevents the roller tappet from slipping out and prevents the preassembled fuel injection pump from falling apart when it is not installed in the housing bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Egger, Kurt Oberklammer, Heinz Popp, Peter Baumgartner, Heinz Rathmayr
  • Patent number: 5403164
    Abstract: A passive compressor is disclosed which includes a free piston or a flexible membrane whose movement is controlled by pressure variations in a main chamber. The pressure in the main chamber changes according to the pressure in the motor crankcase, as the main chamber is coupled to the crankcase by a crankcase transfer passage duct.As the free piston or flexible membrane moves towards the main chamber, it causes a pressure decrease in the air chamber which subsequently admits external air through an inlet valve. When the free piston or the flexible membrane moves in the direction of the air chamber, the increased pressure on the piston or membrane forces the external air into the motor cylinder, through an air transfer passage duct, and towards a port on the cylinder that is opened due to the position of the motor piston. The inlet valve prevents the loss of pressure in the air chamber. Alternatively, the main chamber may be directly attached to the motor crankcase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Inventor: Luciano N. Gama
  • Patent number: 5403168
    Abstract: A double acting pump having inlet and outlet poppet valves clamped to the pump housing in proximity to an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold. The end portion of each cylinder in the double acting pump is provided with a sloped wall to prevent debris in the pumped fluid from becoming stuck in the pump cylinder. Each poppet includes a valve housing having a spring biased valve head slidably mounted therein and engageable with a removable valve seat. A stem is connected to the valve head and extends through an end wall of the valve housing to the exterior thereof to function as an external indicator rod to indicate the position of the valve head within the valve body. A handle is connected to the stem so that the stem can be manually pulled to lift the valve head from the seat to check the operation of the poppet valve, and a disc is mounted on the stem a predetermined distance from the end wall when the valve is in the closed position so that the wear between the valve seat and head can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Assignee: Bayou City Pump Works, Inc.
    Inventor: W. Randall Evenson
  • Patent number: 5402631
    Abstract: A method and system for supplying compressed air to a process plant using a combustor-turbine unit directly coupled to a bull gear meshing with pinions on which are mounted gas compression stages and expansion stages. Some stages compress a stream of air supplied to the combustor-turbine unit for combustion and to the process plant. Other stages expand or compress other gas streams directed to the combustor-turbine unit or to external applications. Direct energy transfers and intercooling and aftercooling after compression stages enhance the efficiency of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: James B. Wulf
  • Patent number: 5402633
    Abstract: A premix gas nozzle has longitudinal tangential entrance slots to a cylindrical chamber. There is an axially increasing flow area toward the chamber outlet, with pilot fuel centrally introduced near the outlet. A lean mix low NOx fuel nozzle is thereby stabilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Aaron S. Hu
  • Patent number: 5401147
    Abstract: A fuel pump has a motor which rotates a shaft with an impeller fitted thereon for pumping fuel within a pumping chamber comprised of a cover channel and a bottom channel formed in a pump cover and a pump bottom, respectively, which encase the impeller. The cover channel begins at a fuel inlet and runs circumferentially to a transition section near the opposite end where it gradually becomes narrower and shallower until becoming flush with the inner cover face. The fuel outlet in the bottom channel is positioned circumferentially 0.degree.-5.degree. beyond the end of and in partial fluid communication with the cover channel so that fuel is expelled smoothly from the cover channel through the fuel outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventor: Dequan Yu
  • Patent number: 5400586
    Abstract: The gas turbine includes a combustor 10 having a transition piece 18 with its exit end spaced from a first-stage nozzle 22. A brush seal 26 seals about the space between the transition piece and first-stage nozzle. The brush seal includes a sealing cap 28 supported by one of the transition piece and the first-stage nozzle and having a portion 38 overlying the other of the transition piece and first-stage nozzle. A seal ring 30 is secured to the other of the transition piece and the first-stage nozzle and carries bristles 32 projecting therefrom for engagement with the overlying portion 38 of the sealing cap 28 to seal the gap between the transition piece and the first-stage nozzle. In one form, the side face portions of the bristles of the bristle pack form the seal by engaging against a planar sealing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: Bharat S. Bagepalli, Osman S. Dinc, John Barnes, Robert Cromer, Imdad Imam
  • Patent number: 5400224
    Abstract: A lighting panel having a polished major surface and a shaped major surface opposite the first major surface. The shaped major surface has a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves shaped to define, with the first major surface and sides, a plurality of light guides extending from the light receiving end. The light guides have polished hill portions for internally reflecting light striking the polished hill portions and transmitting light along the guides and the grooves having roughened valley portions for causing a portion of the light transmitted along the guides to project outwardly from the major surfaces with the light emitted from the roughened valley portions of the grooves having a uniform distribution across the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1995
    Assignee: Precision Lamp, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard E. DuNah, William F. Redmond
  • Patent number: 5397219
    Abstract: An integral liquid pump and drainback valve for use in pumping popcorn popping oil. A two-part housing is formed with one part having cavities forming inlet and outlet passages extending from an impeller cavity. A second part is formed with inlet and outlet ports and shuttle valve cavity connecting those ports. The inlet and outlet passages and the inlet and outlet ports respectively are in fluid communication with each other when the two parts are secured to each other. A resilient biasing means in the shuttle valve cavity moves the shuttle to a position wherein a fluid path is provided between the inlet and outlet ports when the pump impeller is not driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: C. Cretors & Company
    Inventor: Charles D. Cretors
  • Patent number: 5395216
    Abstract: Disclosed is a portable car-used oil extracting and tire inflation apparatus with separately disposed oil and air pumps. A first embodiment of the apparatus mainly includes a motor with a rotary shaft on upper and lower ends thereof. The upper rotary shaft is connected by an eccentric pin to a rocker arm of an oil pump assembly disposed at an upper front portion of the apparatus. The lower rotary shaft is similarly connected to a rocker arm of an air pump assembly disposed at a lower front portion of the apparatus. When the motor is turned on the rocker arms reciprocate in linear movement, and the oil and the air pump assemblies extract and drain oil from a sump of a vehicle and inflate tires of the vehicle, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1995
    Inventor: Yi-Hsien Lin
  • Patent number: 5395218
    Abstract: A fluid pump apparatus includes an elongated chamber within which a pair of pistons are movable. The chamber includes an intermediate inlet and outlets at the ends thereof. The pistons are formed of para-magnetic material and include passageways for providing fluid communication between the inlet and the outlets. An external magnetic drive system oscillates the pistons back and forth within the chamber, and includes two pairs of electrically conductive windings, wherein each pair surrounds the chamber at a position between the inlet and one of the outlets. The windings are energized in such a way that they cause the pistons to oscillate in unison with one another. Valves are provided for permitting fluid flow through the passageways in a direction from the inlet toward the outlets, and for permitting fluid flow from the chamber through the outlets. These valves also prevent fluid flow in the reverse direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1995
    Inventor: Lee H. Thompson
  • Patent number: 5396407
    Abstract: A headlight exclusively for irradiating a light beam for a vehicle passing by in the opposite direction includes a light source and a reflective mirror as essential components. The reflective mirror has a first reflective surface having a contour of revolving parabolic plane on an upper half of the reflective mirror, a second reflective surface having a contour of revolving parabolic plane arranged at the central part of a lower half of the reflective mirror, and two reflective surfaces each having a contour of a cylindrical parabolic plane arranged on the opposite side of the second reflective surface on the lower half of the reflective mirror. The last-mentioned reflective surfaces comprise a first surface and a second surface. The first surface serves to allow the light beam to be converged in the shape of substantially parallel light beam as seen in one direction, and the second surface serves in the same manner as the first surface in another direction at a right angle relative to the former.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1995
    Assignee: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hitoshi Taniuchi
  • Patent number: 5393205
    Abstract: A compressor includes first and second cylinder blocks having cylinder bores and surrounding a drive shaft, and the bores of the first block are aligned and registered with the bores of the second block, respectively, the blocks being arranged to define a suction chamber therebetween. First and second housings are associated with the first and second blocks to define first and second discharge chambers therebetween, which are in communication with each other through a central passage of the drive shaft. Double-headed pistons are slidably received in the pairs of aligned bores, respectively, and a conversion mechanism is disposed within the suction chamber for converting a rotation of the shaft into a reciprocation of each piston in the corresponding aligned cylinder bores such that suction and compression strokes are alternately executed. A rotary valve introduces fluid into the bores just after the suction stroke is initiated, and the introduction of fluid is continued until the suction stroke is finished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1995
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Toshiro Fujii, Hiromi Kitayama, Kazuaki Iwama
  • Patent number: 5393204
    Abstract: A wobble plate type compressor includes a cylinder housing having a cylinder block and a front end plate. The interior of the housing defines a crank chamber between the cylinder block and the front end plate. Pistons are respectively slidably fitted within each of a plurality of cylinders within the cylinder block and are reciprocated by a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism includes a drive shaft, a rotor fixed to the drive shaft and a wobble plate disposed on an inclined surface of the rotor. The drive shaft is supported in the center of the front end plate through a radial needle bearing. The radial needle bearing comprises a plurality of cylindrical rollers annularly arranged around the drive shaft and a cylindrical outer race covering the rollers. At least one hole is formed on the circumference of the outer race. An oil passageway is formed within the front end plate and extends between the interior of the crank chamber outside of the rotor and the hole in the race.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1995
    Assignee: Sanden Corporation
    Inventor: Takayuki Kawahara
  • Patent number: 5391059
    Abstract: A motor or pump assembly (1) comprises a cylinder block (4) with a plurality of radially positioned cylinders (3), a piston (2) arranged slidably reciprocable in each of the cylinders, a cam ring (7) cooperating with the pistons and being rotatably journalled on the cylinder block, and a distributor valve (9) arranged centrally in the cylinder block to control a flow of fluid to and from the cylinders in operation. The cam ring (7) is journalled on the cylinder block (4) with at least one ball bearing with balls (25) arranged on each side of the cylinder block. These balls run in grooves which are positioned close to the sides and periphery of the disc-shaped cylinder block. This provides a structure which has a very small axial length and which is simultaneously capable of absorbing great loads both radially and laterally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1995
    Assignee: H T C A/S
    Inventor: Jorgen Hallund
  • Patent number: 5388969
    Abstract: A fluid compressor has a piston, the axis of which is vertical. The dimensions of the parts of the compressor are determined such that an upward thrust force acting on the piston is substantially equal to or slightly greater than the total weight of rotational parts including the piston and a cylinder. Specifically, a groove formed in the piston has a pitch decreasing gradually from a lower part to an upper part of the piston, and a diameter (.PHI.D1) of a lower shaft portion of the piston, a diameter (.PHI.D2) of a upper shaft portion of the piston, and an inside diameter (.PHI.Dc) of the cylinder have a relationship, (D1.sup.2 +D2.sup.2)>Dc.sup.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1995
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takayoshi Fujiwara, Masayuki Okuda, Yoshinori Sone, Takashi Honjo