Patents Examined by Marian C. Knode
  • Patent number: 6066237
    Abstract: In a coke drum an outlet arrangement is provided which allows removal of the coke from the drum without endangering the health or safety of workers heading or unheading the coke drum. Instead of using a manually removable bottom flange for the drum, a semiautomatic bottom flange removal system is provided. A spool is attached to the conventional, pre-existing, about 6 feet in diameter drum stationary bottom flange. The spool includes a tapered clamping surface. A new style removable bottom flange also includes a tapered clamping surface. The tapered clamping surfaces cooperate with clamp ring sectors movable by externally mounted hydraulic cylinders into contact with the spool and the flange, and other hydraulic cylinders mounted directly on the ring sectors move male locking surfaces into locking engagement with cooperating female locking surfaces formed on adjacent clamp ring sectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Inventor: Peter Kindersley
  • Patent number: 6066187
    Abstract: The red shift of the absorption spectrum of CO.sub.2 with increasing temperature permits the use of sunlight to photolyze CO.sub.2 to CO. The process of the present invention includes: preheating CO.sub.2 to near 1800 K; exposing the preheated CO.sub.2 to sunlight, whereby CO, O.sub.2 and O are produced; and cooling the hot product mix by rapid admixture with room temperature CO.sub.2. The excess thermal energy may be used to produce electricity and to heat additional CO.sub.2 for subsequent process steps. The product CO may be used to generate H.sub.2 by the shift reaction or to synthesize methanol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Assignee: Reed J. Jensen
    Inventors: Reed J. Jensen, John L. Lyman, Joe D. King, Robert D. Guettler
  • Patent number: 6066236
    Abstract: A coke oven wall (4) comprising a plurality of bricks (38, 42, 46, 120) laid so as to define first and second wall faces (40, 44), and plurality of flue cavities (14) extending therein characterized in that at least part of the wall is made first, second and third bricks (38, 42, 120) which are laid together and define in part the first and second faces and the flue cavities wherein the first brick comprises a first body portion (48) and an inwardly projecting first leg (50), the second brick comprises a second body portion (64) and an inwardly projecting second leg (66) the third brick comprises a flue wall brick (46, 120) which is located between and aligned with the first and second legs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Assignee: BHP Refractories Pty. Ltd.
    Inventor: David John Gilroy
  • Patent number: 6063975
    Abstract: A catalyst composition, a process for producing the composition, and a hydrotreating process for converting a hydrocarbon stream such as, for example, gasoline, to olefins and C.sub.6 to C.sub.8 aromatic hydrocarbons such as toluene and xylenes are disclosed. The catalyst composition comprises a zeolite, a clay, and a promoter. The process for producing the composition comprises the steps: (1) combining a zeolite with a clay and a promoter under a condition sufficient to bind the clay to the zeolite to produce a clay-bound zeolite; and (2) heating the clay-bound zeolite to produce a modified zeolite. The hydrotreating process comprises contacting a hydrocarbon stream with the catalyst composition under a condition sufficient to effect the conversion of a hydrocarbon to an olefin and a C.sub.6 to C.sub.8 aromatic hydrocarbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company
    Inventors: Charles A. Drake, An-hsiang Wu
  • Patent number: 6059932
    Abstract: A coal compaction system and method for a non-recovery coke oven having refractory roof, floor, side walls and end doors for coal charging and coke discharge provides an improved coal charging machine carrying a coal conveyor supported intermediate the ends of the conveyor to avoid conveyor sagging and non-uniform depth of a deposited coal bed, a number of pressurized fluid-driven vibratory compactors mounted on an end of the charging machine and spaced-apart across the width of the coal bed and serving to compact the coal bed on a retraction stroke of the charging machine, a pivoted lifting frame mounted on the charging machine above the compactors and from which the compactors individually are suspended and are provided with individual supply of pressurized fluid, and a coke pusher head mounted on the charging machine behind the compactors and serving, when the lifting frame and associated compactors are raised, to push finished coke from the coke oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Pennsylvania Coke Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Raymond M. Sturgulewski
  • Patent number: 6054103
    Abstract: A mixing vessel for a process using supercritical process media, the vessel including an agitator for mixing a batch of materials and a process media in a supercritical state in the vessel to produce a reaction mixture based on a selectable reaction process; and heat transfer system for controlling temperature of the reaction mixture, the heat transfer system comprising a liner that generally conforms to an interior surface geometry of the vessel, with the liner comprising a high thermal conductivity material; the liner comprising an interior heat transfer surface in thermal exchange with the reaction mixture, and a plurality of fluid channels; heat transfer fluid that circulates through the channels and in thermal exchange with the heat transfer surface; and a heat transfer fluid supply exterior the pressure vessel for circulating the heat transfer fluid through the channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: Ferro Corporation
    Inventor: Frederick S. Mandel
  • Patent number: 6054442
    Abstract: It was found that normal human stem cells produce a regulated non-processive telomerase activity, while cancer cells produce a processive telomerase activity. Nucleotide analogs, such as 7-deaza-2'-deoxyquanosine-5'-triphosphate (7-deaza-dGTP) were found to be substrates for processive telomerase and incorporated into telomeric sequence. The incorporation of this nucleotide subsequently affected the processivity of telomerase, converting processive telomerase to non-processive telomerase. The incorporation of this nucleotide analogs was also found to inhibit formation of G-quartets by telomeric sequence. Other methods for converting cancer processive telomerase to the more benign non-processive telomerase include partially cleaving the telomerase RNA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignees: Board of Regents, University of Texas System, CTRC Research Foundation
    Inventors: Shih-Fong Chen, Ira Maine, Sean M. Kerwin, Terace M. Fletcher, Miguel Salazar, Blain Mamiya, Bradford E. Windle, Makoto Wajima
  • Patent number: 6051195
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to a synthesis gas heat exchanger unit with one synthesis gas radiant cooler (1), two synthesis gas convection coolers (23), one crude gas-clean gas heat exchanger (4), one crude gas-inert gas heat exchanger (5), and one dust separator (11). These devices are preferably arranged vertically or slopingly. The crude gas heat exchangers (4, 5, 23) are designed as single-flue, double-flue or multiple-flue heat exchangers. They are elastically supported via claws (10) and are equipped with an electric heater (9). A soot blower system (13) is associated with each flue (4.1, 4.2) as well as (5.1, 5.2) and right hand flue and left hand flue (23.1, 23.2) at the crude gas inlet. Soot blowers (31) are likewise provided on the connection lines (2, 6), and mass flow controllers (7) are provided in the lower connection lines (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Man Gutehoffnungshutte Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Wolfgang Deeke, Wolfram Gruhlke, Jurgen Heering, Klaus Kohnen
  • Patent number: 6051110
    Abstract: In apparatus for thermolytic distillation of lump carbonaceous material, an enclosure contains a degassing bath, a reactor bath and a quenching bath. A closed loop continuous chain conveyor drives a plurality of baskets carrying carbonaceous material through the three baths of the enclosure. The carbonaceous material is degassed in hot distillate, then immersed in molten lead in the absence of oxygen to produce char and vapor by thermolytic distillation. The char is quenched with water in the absence of oxygen. At least a portion of the vapor is condensed to produce combustible distillate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Inventors: William Dell'Orfano, Andrea Rossi
  • Patent number: 6036927
    Abstract: An integrated micro-ceramic chemical plant having a unitary ceramic body formed from multiple ceramic layers in the green state which are sintered together includes a reaction chamber and a first passage for providing communication with the reaction chamber so that two or more fluids may be delivered to such reaction chamber for reaction, and the unitary ceramic body defining a catalytic bed in the reaction chamber, such catalytic bed being formed of micro-porous ceramic impregnated with at least one catalyst for promoting the reaction in the reaction chamber to produce reaction products; and the unitary ceramic body defining a filtration channel connected to the reaction chamber including filters disposed in such filtration channel for separating the reaction products so as to retrieve desired reaction products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Dilip K. Chatterjee, Syamal K. Ghosh, Edward P. Furlani
  • Patent number: 6037455
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to novel propoxyphene derivatives which are synthesized for the covalent attachment to antigens (proteins or polypeptides) for the preparation of antibodies or receptors to propoxyphene and propoxyphene metabolites. The resulting novel antigens may be used for the production of antibodies or receptors using standard methods. Once generated, the antibodies or receptors and the novel derivatives which are covalently attached to proteins, polypeptides or labels may be used in the immunoassay process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Biosite Diagnostics Incorporated
    Inventor: Kenneth F. Buechler
  • Patent number: 6033633
    Abstract: In a boiling point reactor wherein reactants react exothermically to vaporize a portion of the reaction mixture in a fixed catalyst bed, a cooling coil is provided within the bed which condenses a portion of the vaporized reaction mixture. The condensing heat transfer coefficient within the bed is thus increased dramatically and efficient heat removal is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventor: John R. Adams
  • Patent number: 6033634
    Abstract: A hydrogen manufacturing apparatus is equipped with a plate type high-temperature shift converter (II) which has a shift reaction chamber (7) which is filled with a high-temperature shift catalyst (8) and into which a reformed gas is introduced, a cooling chamber (9) which is filled with a filler (10) for promoting heat transfer and into which a cooling gas is introduced, and a partition (6) for separating the shift reaction chamber and the cooling chamber. The shift reaction chamber has a hydrogen gas chamber (11) separated by a plate type partition (12), and the partition is composed of a porous plate (14) and a hydrogen permeable film (13) which is coated or plated thereon and which lets only hydrogen gas permeate therethrough. Thus only hydrogen generated in the shift reaction chamber permeates the hydrogen permeable film into the hydrogen gas chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Minoru Koga
  • Patent number: 6031086
    Abstract: Replacement of the natural nucleotides with unnatural zwitterionic nucleotides having a cationic moiety tethered to the base (or analog thereof) results in oligodeoxynucleotides with diminished charge but undiminished ability to complex with DNA at low ionic strengths. We have now discovered that DNA can be made fully zwitterionic by introducing tethered cationic moieties to the bases without affecting duplex formation. The resulting oligonucleotides have the further advantages of being nuclease resistant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventor: Christopher Switzer
  • Patent number: 6030587
    Abstract: The invention relates to an improved apparatus and method for initiating and sustaining an oxidation reaction. A hazardous waste, is introduced into a reaction zone within a pressurized containment vessel. An oxidizer, preferably hydrogen peroxide, is mixed with a carrier fluid, preferably water, and the mixture is heated until the fluid achieves supercritical conditions of temperature and pressure. The heating means comprise cartridge heaters placed in closed-end tubes extending into the center region of the pressure vessel along the reactor longitudinal axis. A cooling jacket surrounds the pressure vessel to remove excess heat at the walls.Heating and cooling the fluid mixture in this manner creates a limited reaction zone near the center of the pressure vessel by establishing a steady state density gradient in the fluid mixture which gradually forces the fluid to circulate internally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Inventors: Brent Lowell Haroldsen, Benjamin Chiau-pin Wu
  • Patent number: 6028061
    Abstract: The present invention is based on the unexpected discovery that a molecule having as its major repeating units N-acetylglucosamine alternating in sequence with 2-O-sulfated uronic acid, inhibits FGF mitogenicity, and thus is useful in inhibiting angiogenesis. Additionally, the molecule has low toxicity and inhibits FGF mitogenicity without affecting anticoagulant activity. One preferred molecule is a glycosaminoglycan such as archaran sulfate. The molecules are in pharmaceutical compositions that can be used in the treatment of diseases which are angiogenesis-dependent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignees: Children's Medical Center Corp, The University of Iowa Research Foundation
    Inventors: Merton Bernfield, Yeong Shik Kim, Robert J. Linhardt
  • Patent number: 6027918
    Abstract: Disclosed is a recombinant thermostable enzyme which has a molecular weight of about 54,000-64,000 daltons and a pI of about 5.6-6.6, and releases trehalose from non-reducing saccharides having a trehalose structure as an end unit and a degree of glucose polymerization of at least 3. The enzyme has a satisfactorily-high thermostability, i.e. it is not substantially inactivated even when incubated in an aqueous solution (pH 7.0) at 85.degree. C. for 60 min, and this facilitates the production of trehalose on an industrial scale and in a satisfactorily-high yield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Hayashibara Seibutsu Kagaku Kenkyujo
    Inventors: Hitoshi Mitsuzumi, Michio Kubota, Toshiyuki Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 6025141
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of insoluble forms of recombinant proteins in a flow cytometric immunofluorescence assay for the detection of given antibodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: The Canadian Red Cross Society
    Inventor: Yu-Wen Hu
  • Patent number: 6025477
    Abstract: This invention provides purified antigens which are indicative of the presence of atherosclerotic plaque. Different concentrations of these antigens have been found to coincide with the progression of atherosclerosis. The subject invention also provides different hybridoma cell lines which produce monoclonal antibodies directed to antigens associated with atherosclerosis and a hybridoma cell line which produces monoclonal antibodies directed to antigen associated with normal artery and not with plaque. The atherosclerotic plaque antigen, and monoclonal antibodies made thereto, are used in various methods for detecting in a biological sample an antigen present in, and indicative of the presence of, atherosclerotic plaque. The monoclonal antibodies are also used in methods of imaging atherosclerotic plaque, and treating atherosclerosis. The methods of treating atherosclerosis include a method of digesting atherosclerotic plaque with enzymes, and a method of ablating atherosclerotic plaque using radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Inventor: Emanuel Calenoff
  • Patent number: 6023005
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for selectively converting oxygenates to light olefins, preferably ethylene and propylene, in which desirable carbonaceous deposits are maintained on a total reaction volume of catalyst by totally regenerating only a portion of the total reaction volume of catalyst and mixing the regenerated portion with the unregenerated total reaction volume of catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Exxon Chemicals Patents Inc.
    Inventors: James Richardson Lattner, Hsiang-ning Sun, Stephen Neil Vaughn, Keith H. Kuechler, David C. Skouby