Patents Examined by Paul L. Ratcliffe
  • Patent number: 6109894
    Abstract: A device consisting of two piston pumps for supplying two separate liquid systems, particularly a fuel injection system and an oil system in an internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Inventor: Michel Chatelain
  • Patent number: 6050788
    Abstract: A pump for pumping fluids in a filtration system is disclosed. The pump has a thrust balancing means to reduce axial loads on motor bearings of the pump during operation of the pump. A drive system of the pump includes an elongate flexible shaft interconnecting a drive shaft and an impeller shaft. The elongate flexible shaft bends and twists to accommodate misalignment during assembly of the drive system. A seal assembly is provided for sealing about a drive shaft. The seal assembly is evacuated to prevent pumped fluid from contaminating fluids in the motor. A concentric coupling and method for making the same are taught which include a cylindrical block which is concentrically bored and cut into an annular L-shaped segment having an L-shaped notch and a semi-cylindrical mating segment which is received into the notch. The coupling concentrically joins a pair of shafts together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Henry Filters, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen N. McEwen, Richard A. Hallett, Robert F. Benschoter, Scott M. McEwen, Anthony J. Palumbo
  • Patent number: 6015269
    Abstract: A variable type compressor has a housing that houses a crank chamber and rotatably supports a drive shaft. Part of the housing is constituted by a cylinder block. Cylinder bores extend through the housing about the drive shaft. A piston is accommodated in each cylinder bore. A discharge chamber is defined in the housing and connected to the crank chamber by a pressurizing passage. An inclinable cam plate is supported on the drive shaft. The reciprocation of each piston draws refrigerant gas into the associated cylinder bore from a suction chamber and discharges the refrigerant gas into the discharge chamber through a discharge port. The displacement and the discharge of refrigerant gas is controlled by altering the inclination of the cam plate. A collection compartment is provided to receive the refrigerant gas discharged from the cylinder bores. Oil is separated from the refrigerant gas in the collection compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Masaki Ota, Masaru Hamasaki, Masayoshi Hori, Hisakazu Kobayashi, Satoshi Koumura, Yasunori Makino
  • Patent number: 6012907
    Abstract: A flow-regulating arrangement for a hydraulic transport device such as a vane-cell pump includes partial-transport flow throttles which operate independently of one another and which are arranged in parallel to deliver output of the hydraulic transporting device to a hydraulic load. One of the partial transport flow throttles responds to the pressure difference between working pressure of the hydraulic transporting device and pressure within a pressure chamber internal to the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Luk Fahrzeug-Hydraulik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Van Doan Nguyen, Peter Breuer
  • Patent number: 5964579
    Abstract: An elastomeric compressor mount has a hollow convex cylindrical head portion which is passed upwardly through a corresponding opening in a support foot portion of the compressor to place an annular portion of the foot in an annular mount groove which is disposed between its head portion and a larger cylindrical base portion of the mount. When a securement bolt is passed axially through a fastening opening in the mount and tightened into an underlying base pan opening, the convex mount head portion is downwardly and radially outwardly deformed to cause the annular foot portion to be resiliently squeezed between the head portion and the underlying base portion of the mount. In a second embodiment of the mount its convex cylindrical head portion is of a solid configuration, and is joined to the mount base portion by an annular flange section coaxially disposed therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Punan Tang, Diane M. Jakobs, Ronald J. Rasmussen
  • Patent number: 5957663
    Abstract: A cooling system for an automotive vehicle of the type having a radiator through which a coolant fluid flows includes a fan motor for driving a fan which moves air through the radiator; an alternator for supplying an output voltage to the fan motor; and a voltage regulator which selectively excites the alternator's field winding in response to a control signal, determined on the basis of at least one operational parameter of the vehicle indicative of the cooling requirements of the engine which powers the vehicle to control the output voltage of the alternator, thereby controlling the speed of the fan motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Bosch Automotive Motor Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Robert J. Van Houten, Steven W. Day
  • Patent number: 5957670
    Abstract: A pump having a center section including an actuator housing and an air valve is arranged with air chambers to either side of the actuator housing. Diaphragms are associated with the air chambers to create enclosed cavities for alternately pressurizing and venting the air chambers. Pumping chambers are positioned outwardly of the diaphragms and assembled with intake and exhaust manifolds and one-way valves to pump materials with operation of the diaphragms. The actuator uses a pilot shifting shaft which is shuttled by movement of the diaphragms. An air valve is controlled by the pilot shifting shaft to control flow to and from the air chambers. Diffusers include outwardly tapered oblong holes with ports from the air valves. An expansion chamber surrounds the diffusers and a exit to a standard muffler provides a smaller cross-sectional area than the diffuser outlet cross-sectional area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Wilden Pump & Engineering Co.
    Inventors: Gregory S. Duncan, Eric L. Forman
  • Patent number: 5954484
    Abstract: A sewage lifting station having at least two solid waste collection chambers for receiving pumped solid waste-contaminated sewage. The station has a collection tank for receiving pre-treated waste water flowing from the solid waste collection chambers via connection pipes. Each solid waste collection chamber is connected to a pump to empty the collection tank via one of the connection pipes and solid waste collection chambers to pump the current of sewage into a pressure pipeline. There is a closing device connected to each connection pipe to selectively close an exit orifice in the connection pipe and open a connection to an operating pump to drain the collection tank. A control device alternately closes and opens the exit orifices with the closing devices so that an exit orifice allocated to an operating pump is closed and an exit orifice allocated to a non-operating pump is simultaneously and automatically opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: STRATE Technologie fur Abwasser GmbH
    Inventor: Wilfried Strate
  • Patent number: 5951263
    Abstract: An axial-flow blood pump has a rotor suspended in ball-and-cup bearings which are blood-cooled but not actively blood-lubricated. The ball-and-cup structures are made of highly heat-conductive material and are in heat-transferring contact with heat-conductive stator blades that serve as heat sinks for the bearings. The ball-and-cup structures are radially much smaller than the stator blades. The ball-to-cup interface has so small a gap that the ball-to-cup structures present an essentially continuous surface to the blood flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Nimbus, Inc.
    Inventors: Lynn P. Taylor, Pieter W. J. C. le Blanc, Kenneth C. Butler, Timothy R. Maher
  • Patent number: 5947705
    Abstract: A molten metal pump for transferring molten metal from a first vessel to a second vessel. The pump is constructed of a base member including a pumping chamber, a motor supported by at least one post, a rotatable shaft secured at a first end to said motor and at a second end to an impeller disposed within said pumping chamber. The pumping chamber includes an outlet to a first end of an elongated refractory tube having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the shaft. The tube has a second end passing through an opening in the platform. The tube includes a metallic cladding attached to an outer wall adjacent it's second end. A releasable fastening member is used to secure to the portion of the tube having the metallic cladding to the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: Metaullics Systems Co., L.P.
    Inventors: George S. Mordue, Chris T. Vild, Herbert L. Ritchie, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5947703
    Abstract: A centrifugal blood pump assembly according to one aspect of the invention includes a housing, an impeller adapted to rotate within the housing for feeding blood, an impeller position control device, and an impeller rotation torque generating device. The impeller rotates without contacting the inner surface of the housing when the position control device and torque generating device are operative. Even when the position control device is inoperative, operation of the torque generating device enables rotation of the impeller while a blood flowpath is defined between the surface of the impeller facing the torque generating device and the inner surface of the housing. A centrifugal blood pump assembly according to another aspect of the invention involves a pump including a housing having blood inlet and outlet ports and an impeller adapted to rotate within the housing for feeding blood.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiko Nojiri, Tsugito Nakazeki, Teruaki Akamatsu
  • Patent number: 5944492
    Abstract: A hydraulic pump control system is shown that can control the absorbing torque of a hydraulic pump with respect to the engine power for driving the hydraulic pump in a well-balanced manner, and reduce a deviation of an actual revolution number from a target revolution number of the engine. A torque of hydraulic pumps during operation is estimated from a pump pressure and first and second line pressures. Based on the estimated torque, an output torque of the hydraulic pumps is controlled so that an error between a target revolution number and an actual revolution number of the engine becomes null.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Konishi, Makoto Samejima
  • Patent number: 5938413
    Abstract: A plurality of finger members disposed adjacent each other are moved by a driving mechanism in a reciprocal, sequential manner. Infusion is carried out when the finger members engage an infusion tube in a peristaltic sequence. The finger members contact each other by projections formed integrally on the upper and lower surfaces of the finger members to reduce the contact surface area. A fluid diversion guiding hole is contained in a tube-pressing portion of each finger member. The guide holes of adjacent finger members are aligned to form a continuous channel for discharging leaking infusion fluid. Bevels surround the guiding holes and are inclined toward the center of the hole. Each finger member also includes a rib that is integral with and protrudes upward from the upper surface of the finger member for blocking infusion fluid from the finger members and drive mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Alaris Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Hideo Makino, Kenji Katayama, Yoshitaka Takeda
  • Patent number: 5938410
    Abstract: A dust sucking/blowing device including a housing including a fan chamber for receiving a fan therein, a dust collecting sleeve fitted around the fan chamber and formed with a first and a second inlets communicating with a dust collecting room which is formed with at least one perforation for communicating with the incoming compartment of the chamber. The sleeve is further formed with an outlet for communicating with the outgoing compartment of the fan chamber. A control guide cartridge includes a hollow cartridge body formed with an inlet section fitted with the outlet of the sleeve for guiding air flow into the cartridge body, and an outlet for outward guiding the air flow from the cartridge body. When the outlet of the cartridge body is aligned with the fitting hole of the second casing, the outlet of the cartridge body permits the air flow from the fan to be outward blown from the passage of the dust sucking/blowing tube fitted with the fitting hole for blowing away dusts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Inventor: Jeen-Ju Lee
  • Patent number: 5931642
    Abstract: A vacuum sewage handling assembly particularly for boats and recreational vehicles or caravans has a minimum of components because the conventional vacuum and holding tanks have been combined into a single substantially unreinforced, non-cylindrical, all plastic tank. The tank has a contoured, convoluted, discontinuous surface (e.g. formed by grooves, channels, and other discontinuities) so that it has no continuous flat surface area of more than about 80 square inches. The combined vacuum and holding tank may mount a vacuum pump, and optionally mounts a sewage discharge pump. The tank preferably has a generally parallelepiped configuration, and an interior volume of between about 45-65 liters, has a maximum vacuum level of about 26 cm of mercury, and is connected to other conventional portions of a vehicle toilet system, including outlets penetrating the exterior of the vehicle. The tank may have wheels and a handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Sealand Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Friedman, James A. Sigler, Edward McKiernan
  • Patent number: 5915930
    Abstract: An oscillating pump (10) includes a housing (11) which carries the components thereof. These components include an electromagnetic coil (24) surrounding an armature (23) carried by an impeller (12) which is positioned longitudinally between an inlet area (16) and an outlet area (17) of the pump (10). The armature (23) moves longitudinally upon activation of the coil (24) to the point of the greatest magnetic force generated by the coil (24). The impeller (12) includes a pair of bellows (19, 20) and carries a valve (13). The bellows (19, 20) define an inlet chamber (21) and a discharge chamber (22). Another valve (15) is carried by the housing adjacent to the discharge chamber (16). Upon activation of the coil (24) the valve (13) forces fluid in the discharge chamber (22) through the valve (15) and allows fluid to pass from the inlet chamber (21) to the discharge chamber (22) upon deactivation of the coil (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: The Gorman-Rupp Company
    Inventor: Michael H. McNaull
  • Patent number: 5906477
    Abstract: An improved suction noise muffler mounting apparatus for a hermetic compressor which is capable of more simply mounting a suction noise muffler to a cylinder head, for thus reducing the number of fabrication processes and increasing the productivity of a hermetic compressor, which includes a suction noise muffler head having a protrusion having a predetermined height and formed on the upper surface thereof and integrally engaged to an upper end of the suction noise muffler, and a fixing member provided for mounting the suction noise muffler to a portion of the cylinder head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Tae Min Kim, Jae Seok Oh
  • Patent number: 5904473
    Abstract: A vacuum pump contains two rotary displacement rotor (8) that engage each other, in particular in a convoluted manner, inside in expansion chamber through which flows a stream in the axial direction. The rotors are mounted in cantilever at the delivery side and are linked each to a driving motor (35, 36). Each rotor (8) forms together with its shaft (20), a stationary bearing body (7) and a bearing (21, 22) delimited by the shaft (20) and the bearing body (7) a module that may be removed as a single unit from the housing (3). The rotor (35) of the driving motor is preferably also part of said module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1999
    Assignee: SIHI Industry Consult GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Dahmlos, Dietmar Rook, Ralf Steffens
  • Patent number: 5902095
    Abstract: A fan speed indicator is provided including a conventional fan with a pull cord adapted to change a speed at which the fan is running upon being pulled. Further provided is mechanical mechanism for mechanically indicating the speed at which the fan is currently running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Inventors: Anthony B. Cason, Welton Fields, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5899667
    Abstract: A fluid compressor including a compression module driven by a prime over, a separator tank having a separation chamber, a scavenge flow connector having a T-shaped housing that is adapted to produce scavenge vacuum pressure to drain lubricant from a scavenge cavity when the fluid compressor is continuously running loaded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company
    Inventor: Mark R. Greer