Patents Examined by Peter Chin
  • Speaker diaphragm and method of manufacturing same
    Patent number: 6740202
    Abstract: A speaker diaphragm is formed from a material combining a fiber-type material and a ceramic-type-coating agent including metal alkoxide, metal hydroxide, and a colloidal or fine-particulate inorganic substance. The combining process for the ceramic-type-coating agent is performed before or after the fiber-type material is formed into a shape of the diaphragm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignees: Pioneer Corporation, Tohoku Pioneer Corporation, Nippan Kenkyujo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Ishigaki, Hideo Sekikawa, Koji Maekawa, Tomoyuki Shimada
  • Method of applying a protective organic coating to an optical glass fibre
    Patent number: 6739157
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of applying a protective organic coating to an optical glass fiber, said glass fiber is drawn from a preform and passed through a liquid which contains the material for forming said organic coating, once the amount of liquid coating material to be applied to the fiber has been adjusted, said coating matrial is hardened, while a gas is passed along the liquid wherein nitrous oxide (an N2O-containing gas) is used as said gas. The invention also relates to the coated optical glass fiber, produced by that method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Plasma Optical Fibre B.V.
    Inventors: Antonius Henricus Elisabeth Breuls, Marinus Jacob De Fouw
  • Coating color
    Patent number: 6736936
    Abstract: A coating color composition comprising an aqueous dispersion of (a) a pigment, (b) a binder, (c) a fluorescent whitener and (d) a water-soluble polymer formed from a water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer or monomer blend, characterised in that the water-soluble polymer consists essentially of, (i) 90 to 100 mole % hydrophilic essentially nonionic repeating units and, (ii) 0 to 10 mole % anionic repeating units and has an average molecular weight of between 50,000 and 500,000.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Ciba Specialty Chemicals Water Treatments Ltd.
    Inventors: Philip Mark Weston, Robert Cockcroft
  • Drying process having a profile leveling intermediate and final drying stages
    Patent number: 6736935
    Abstract: The energy efficiency of a primary drying papermaking process is improved by the use of auxiliary dryers to dry the wet tissue webs to a final moisture of about 5% or less and adjust the CD moisture profiles of the wet and partially-dried tissue webs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Charlcie Christie Kay Leitner, Michael Joseph Garvey
  • Method and apparatus for controlling the operation of the short circulation of a paper, paperboard or the like production machine
    Patent number: 6736937
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for controlling the operation of the short circulation of a paper, paper board or the like production machine. The method and apparatus according to the invention are especially preferably suitable for use in the approach system, i.e. so-called short circulation, of said production machines for regulating the headbox feed pressure. A characteristic feature of the method and apparatus according to the invention is that at a suitable location in the approach system of said production machine there is arranged a controllable parallel flow, by means of which at least one flow in the approach system is regulated so that the pressure in the headbox remains essentially constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Andritz Oy
    Inventors: Lasse Björkstedt, Jouni Matula
  • Shoe press belt
    Patent number: 6736939
    Abstract: In a shoe press belt, in which the nip zone is narrower than the shoe width, the shearing force which normally acts on the belt at the outer boundary of the nip zone is made either weak or non-existent by forming the outer portions of the belt of less hardness than the inner, or central, portion of the belt, so that the less hard portions can be positioned directly opposite the outer boundaries of the nip zone. Alternatively, the outer portions of the belt can be made thinner than the central portion of the belt and the thinner portions positioned directly opposite to the nip zone boundaries. The shearing force applied to the belt at the nip ends of the roll is reduced or eliminated, cracking resulting from the shear force is reduced or avoided, and a belt having improved durability results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Ichikawa Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazumasa Watanabe
  • Method for manufacturing paper having variable characteristics
    Patent number: 6733627
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing paper having a variable characteristic in a crossmachine direction including the steps of feeding a slurry to a distributor and delivering the slurry from the distributor to a headbox through a plurality of delivery lines. The delivery lines are coupled to the headhox at a plurality of locations spaced across the headbox in a crossmachine direction. The method includes selectively introducing a property altering agent in at least two of the delivery lines at the distributor to selectively alter the properties of the slurry passing through the at least two delivery lines. The method also includes the step of depositing the slurry received by the headbox on a papermaking wire to form paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: MeadWestvaco Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth A. Krukonis, Charles E. Nelson, Mark R. Kleman
  • Using centrifugal pumps in the foam process of producing non-woven webs
    Patent number: 6733631
    Abstract: A non-woven web of fibrous material is produced using a moving foraminous element in the practice of the foam process. A first foam slurry of air, water, fibers and a surfactant is generated and centrifugally pumped into contact with the moving foraminous element. Substantially fiber-free foam is withdrawn from the foraminous element while forming a non-woven web of fibrous material on the foraminous element, and at least a part of the substantially fiber-free foam is used in the generation of the first foam slurry. Recycling is also typically practiced using a centrifugal pump, and the centrifugal pumps are preferably degassing pumps which remove some of the gas from the foam. By practicing the invention it is possible to produce fibrous webs using the foam process that are more than two meters wide, and at a forming speed of more than about 100 m/min (e.g. about 200-500 m/min).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Ahlstrom Glassfibre Oy
    Inventors: Jorma Elonen, Kay Rokman, Arto Koso, Juhani Jansson
  • Apparatus and method for degrading a web in the machine direction while preserving cross-machine direction strength
    Patent number: 6733626
    Abstract: An embossing system for embossing and perforating at least a portion of a web is provided comprising a first embossing roll having embossing elements and at least a second embossing roll having embossing elements, wherein the elements of the first and second embossing rolls define perforate nips for embossing and perforating the web and wherein at least a predominate number of the perforate nips are substantially oriented in the cross-machine direction. Moreover, substantially all of the nips defined by the embossing elements of the first and second embossing rolls can be substantially oriented in the cross-machine direction. Further, the cross-machine embossing elements are at an angle of about 85° to 95° from the machine direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Georgia Pacific Corporation
    Inventors: Paul J. Ruthven, Dale T. Gracyalny, Galyn A. Schulz
  • Method and apparatus for treating pulp
    Patent number: 6733625
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of treating chemical pulp in order to optimize the consumption of bleaching chemicals and to improve the quality of the pulp. Especially the invention relates to a method according to which filtrate obtained from a suitable stage of the washing of brown stock preferably cooked by an alkaline cooking method is treated with an oxidizing chemical prior to the oxygen stage following the brown stock washing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Andritz Oy
    Inventors: Kaj Henricson, Eero Kontturi, Olavi Pikka, Janne Vehmaa
  • Method for determination of the charging state for filtrates of masses in paper and board machines
    Patent number: 6726808
    Abstract: The invention is concerned with a method for the determination of the charging state of filtrates of fiber masses used in the manufacturing of paper and cardboard. In the method, a sample is filtrated from fibers through a filter, and indicator color is added to the filtrate. The absorbance of the filtrate is measured and the charging state of the solution is read from an earlier made calibration curve that corresponds to the measured absorbance. In the first embodiment of the invention, the calibration curve is made by taking a sufficient amount of samples from the same anionic sample and such different known amounts of cationic agent are added to these samples, that at least a part of the samples are cationic and at least a part of the samples are anionic. The charging states of the filtrated samples are determined in a previously known way, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Inventor: Erkki Pietilainen
  • Industrial process fabric
    Patent number: 6726809
    Abstract: An industrial process fabrics having embossed surfaces to facilitate water removal from the product such as paper and paper products being carried thereon by creating voids through embossing to assist in fluid management.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventors: Michael J. Joyce, Maryann C. Kenney
  • Multi-phase calcium silicate hydrates, methods for their preparation, and improved paper and pigment products produced therewith
    Patent number: 6726807
    Abstract: A method for the hydrothermal preparation of calcium silicate hydrates. Multi-phase calcium silicate hydrates, having unique physical and chemical properties, are prepared by hydrothermal reaction of specified ratios of CaO and SiO2, normally starting from slurries of slaked lime and from fluxed calcined diatomaceous earth, each of which is at about the atmospheric boiling point before being mixed and charged to a reactor, and pressurized. The hydrothermal reaction is carried out while maintaining the initial dilution for a preselected reaction time at a preselected reaction temperature. The calcium silicate hydrates produced have high water absorption and light scattering power, and have optical and physical properties making them highly desirable as a filler substitute in papermaking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: G.R. International, Inc. (A Washington Corporation)
    Inventor: Vijay K. Mathur
  • Method for producing spiral wound paper machine clothing
    Patent number: 6723208
    Abstract: A papermaker's fabric is manufactured by spirally winding a laminated structure in a plurality of turns. The laminated structure has a bottom layer and a top layer, both of which are strips having a common width. The bottom layer and the top layer are laminated to one another in a transversely offset manner, so that an unlaminated portion of the bottom layer is along one lateral edge of the laminated structure and an unlaminated portion of the top layer is along the other lateral edge. When the laminated structure is spirally wound, the unlaminated portion of the top layer in one turn overlies the unlaminated portion of the bottom layer in an adjacent turn. These are joined to one another to form the papermaker's fabric from the spirally wound structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventor: Robert A Hansen
  • Degassing centrifugal apparatus with energy recovery, process for degassing a fluid and process for producing paper or board
    Patent number: 6723205
    Abstract: The invention relates to a degassing centrifugal apparatus such as a pump having energy recovery means and to a process for degassing a fluid. The apparatus has a rotatable hollow rotor connected to a fluid inlet at one end and a liquid outlet at the opposite end. A gas exhaust is connected to the center of the apparatus. The apparatus has at its inlet end means for bringing a fluid to rotate on the inner wall of said rotor. The apparatus comprises a turbine at its outlet end recovering excess dynamic energy from the rotating fluid. The apparatus is especially useful for centrifugal degassing of backwater in the production of paper or board machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: FOM Technology Oy AB
    Inventor: Paul Meinander
  • Cellulosic fiber composites using protein hydrolysates and methods of making same
    Patent number: 6719882
    Abstract: Cellulosic fiber composites and methods for preparing cellulosic fiber composites are provided. The cellulosic fiber composites comprise cellulosic material and a resin binder. The resin binder comprises protein hydrolysates and a synthetic resin. The synthetic resin can be phenolic resin, isocyanate resin, or combinations thereof. The protein hydrolysates provide a composite with a reduced amount of petrochemicals. The composite contains an amount of resin binder sufficient to bind the cellulosic material. The composite can also contain a silicone, silane, or combination thereof. The method employs a low moisture-content mat that does not require drying prior to pressing. Additional methods can be employed to produce finished cellulosic fiber composite articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
    Inventors: Bhima Rao Vijayendran, Jan Moon
  • Manufacture of depressed index optical fibers
    Patent number: 6715322
    Abstract: The process time required for fluorine doping of porous silica bodies to produce fluorine doped preforms for the manufacture of depressed index optical fibers is reduced by separating the doping step into a predeposit step, where “excess” fluorine is deposited on the silica particles, and a drive-in step where atomic fluorine is distributed into the silica particles. The drive-in step is conveniently combined with the sintering or consolidation step to further enhance the efficiency of the doping process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Yoram De Hazan, John Burnette MacChesney, Thomas Edward Stockert, Christopher Alan White
  • Fibrous sheet binders
    Patent number: 6716312
    Abstract: A method and composition are disclosed for providing a two-part polymer binder additive for a fibrous sheet for improving both its strength and durability. The two-part polymer binder may be added to augment organic binders to increase board strength and durability or to reduce the amount of organic binder required. The polymers may also be added in place of conventional organic binders or added in addition to organic binders to improve sag resistance and fibrous sheet performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth P. Kehrer, Sheldon M. Atlas, Victor A. Kabanov, Alexander Zezin, Valentine Rogachova
  • Modified cationic polymers, their preparation and their use in papermaking
    Patent number: 6716311
    Abstract: The invention relates to modified cationic polymers which can be obtained by reacting (a) water-soluble, polymeric compounds containing NH groups with (b) compounds which are at least bifunctional with regard to NH groups, which contain at least one alkyl radical or alkenyl radical having at least 8 C atoms, and which contain, as a functional group, a halohydrin, epoxide, carboxyl, chloroformate or isocyanate group or a halogen atom. The invention also relates to a method for producing the polymers by reacting the compounds of groups (a) and (b), and to the use of the modified cationic polymers during the production of paper as fixing agents for papermaking stock containing interfering substances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jürgen Decker, Norbert Mahr, Anton Esser, Hubert Meixner, Rainer Dyllick-Brenzinger, Martin aus dem Kahmen, Martin Gercke
  • Method for calendering an uncreped throughdried tissue sheet
    Patent number: 6716308
    Abstract: A method of compressively modifying, such as by calendering, an uncreped throughdried tissue sheet is disclosed. The dried tissue sheet, initially supported by the throughdrying fabric, is removed from the throughdrying fabric and compressively modified. Thereafter, the compressively modified sheet is recombined with a papermaking fabric and carried to a reel section while supported by the fabric. The sheet is always, or substantially always, supported by a fabric or a roll surface to minimize opportunities for sheet breaks or otherwise adversely affecting sheet properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: James Leo Baggot, Tony Deadman, Ronald Frederick Gropp, Frank Stephen Hada, Robert James Seymour