Patents Examined by Richard E. Schafer
  • Patent number: 4473529
    Abstract: A self-contained and movable device for collecting purge liquids and gases in an installation containing radioactive substances, comprising a detachable and transportable vessel (5) of small dimensions, a closure of the purge outlet (2) which can be operated from outside the vessel (5), a movable unit (7) for drawing off and collecting the purged liquids and gases, and a flexible tube (6) connecting the vessel (5) and the movable drawing-off and collecting unit (7). The invention applies particularly to the purging of the cooling circuit under shut-down conditions of a pressurized water nuclear reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 25, 1984
    Assignee: Framatome
    Inventor: Henry Boccon-Gibod
  • Patent number: 4471551
    Abstract: The safety device intended for firearms, particularly rifles, consists of two slides, arranged within the trigger device of the weapon, adjacently to each other, perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the bolt and displaceable in guides, with the slides being connected with each other by means of a two arm lever, so that a downward motion of one slide effects an upward movement of the other slide and vice versa, and whereby the lower part of at least one of the slides is projecting into the inner space of the trigger guard. One of the slides is designed so that it locks in the safety position the trigger body associated with the trigger and with its upper end extends through a bore in the bolt wall into a recess of the firing pin. The other slide has a configuration such that it represents in the release position a stop for a stop ring located adjacently to the front end of the bolt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1982
    Date of Patent: September 18, 1984
    Assignee: SIG Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft
    Inventor: Ennio Mattarelli
  • Patent number: 4472348
    Abstract: A device for providing translatory movement of the control rods inside the closed vessel of a nuclear reactor. The rotor of the drive motor for a screw/nut assembly has fixed to it two pivoting arms formed in the poles of the rotor, and these serve as latching members which keep the screw in its raised position. A tubular casing locks these arms in the opened position while the screw is being raised after the control rod has been allowed to fall into the core of the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 18, 1984
    Assignee: Framatome
    Inventor: Guy Desfontaines
  • Patent number: 4470951
    Abstract: A method of applying a descaling reagent comprising a one-electron reducing agent which is a low oxidation state transition metal ion in combination with a complexing agent to a surface to be treated to descale the surface which method comprises:(i) maintaining a low oxidation state transition metal ion either in solution under an inert atmosphere in a container made of or lined with an inert material or as a solid salt under an inert atmosphere;(ii) preparing a solution of the complexing agent and removing oxygen therefrom; and(iii) mixing the ingredients from steps (i) and (ii) either in situ in contact with the surface to be treated, or mixing the ingredients from steps (i) and (ii) prior to application to the surface to be treated under conditions whereby no substantial decomposition of the so-formed reagent occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 11, 1984
    Assignee: Central Electricity Generating Board
    Inventors: David Bradbury, Timothy Swan, Michael G. Segal
  • Patent number: 4470952
    Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for decontaminating a nuclear reactor pressure vessel. It comprises a buoyant annular frame which descends into the vessel as the water level within it is lowered. Spray nozzles move around the frame on trolleys in a reciprocating fashion and spray water under high pressure on the inner surface of the vessel wall, resulting in automatic washdown of the reactor vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1982
    Date of Patent: September 11, 1984
    Assignee: Automation Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Vassalotti
  • Patent number: 4471410
    Abstract: A headlight apparatus for a motorcar including a headlight and a mechanism for protruding and retracting the same above and below, respectively, the upper front portion of the car body. The mechanism includes a pair of parallel links on each side of the headlight pivotally attached at one end to the car body and at the other to the headlight, a crank having a pin and being driven by an electric motor and a connector connecting the pin to one of the pair of parallel links intermediate the ends thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1982
    Date of Patent: September 11, 1984
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahito Nakano
  • Patent number: 4468875
    Abstract: A removable cartridge magazine for firearms adapted to engage the firing chamber of a firearm comprising an elongated housing, a first gear rotatably mounted in one end of the housing adjacent the portion of the housing that engages the firing chamber of the firearm, a second gear mounted at the other end of the housing, an endless belt encircling the gears and engagable therewith whereby rotation of said gears rotates said belt, the belt being spaced inwardly from the inner wall of the housing, a plurality of spaced shell receiving compartments mounted along the outer periphery of said belt adjacent the inner wall of the housing, each compartment being an elongated groove extending longitudinally across the outer surface of the belt adjacent the inner wall of the housing in a direction traverse to the direction of movement of the belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1982
    Date of Patent: September 4, 1984
    Assignee: Creative Metal Forming, Inc.
    Inventors: Edwin L. Harrison, Ronald D. Retzlaff
  • Patent number: 4464705
    Abstract: An apparatus for illuminating small animate or inanimate objects which employs at least one fiber optic bundle disposed on a selected area of a diffusion dome illuminated by a dual light source comprising, for example, an annular shaped light source having disposed along its central axis a linear-shaped source or a point light source relative to the size of the annular light source. The invention also relates to a method for accurately illuminating small animate or inanimate objects for observation or to be photographed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1984
    Inventor: Ross M. Horowitz
  • Patent number: 4462956
    Abstract: Apparatus for partitioning off the core of a nuclear reactor constituted by a set of boxes (8, 9, 10, 11) each comprising at least two plates (12-13, 14-15, 27-29, 28-30) rigidly assembled at right angles and disposed in the longitudinal direction of the assemblies, and a plurality of transverse plates (32) perpendicular to the longitudinal plates. The boxes are removably disposed side by side inside the core casing (1), and bearing thereon. The faces of the longitudinal plates directed towards the reactor core serve as bearing faces for the assemblies. Each of the boxes is fixed to at least one of the upper or lower plates of the core by a flexible coupling allowing longitudinal displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 31, 1984
    Assignee: Framatome
    Inventors: Pierre Boiron, Pierre Poitrenaud
  • Patent number: 4460137
    Abstract: A ballistic artillery projectile that is initially spin stabilized and is provided with fins that are extended after the projectile has covered a part of its trajectory. The fins are attached to the body of the projectile by means of bars that are non-rotatably engaged with the fins and the projectile, and that have portions between the fins and the projectile that are designed to be deformed by torsion when the fins are being extended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 17, 1984
    Inventors: Kurt G. Andersson, Gunnar E. Axelsson, Stig H. Bondesson, Arne H. Bryngelsson, Gunnar R. Flodin, Nils E. Bartelson
  • Patent number: 4449313
    Abstract: A trigger assembly for a trigger operated device including two trigger members movable between an aligned and and out of alignment condition in response to a predetermined condition of the device being monitored, a releasable catch holding the trigger members in their aligned condition, and a tripping mechanism operable to release the catch when the predetermined condition being monitored occurs. The trigger assembly may also include a reset mechanism for restoring the trigger members to their aligned condition when the condition being monitored is restored to some desired condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1984
    Inventor: John G. Hackett
  • Patent number: 4439054
    Abstract: The latching mechanism comprises a pivotable member that cooperates with a contact member for coupling the contact member to the pivotable member. A drive mechanism moves the contact member into contact with the pivotable member thereby pivoting the pivotable member and allowing the contact member to seat in the pivotable member. A biasing mechanism urges the pivotable member into its initial position. The drive mechanism can be also utilized to release the contact member from the pivotable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1980
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1984
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Luciano Veronesi
  • Patent number: 4434703
    Abstract: A gun mount e.g. for a machine gun supported by a fork comprises two mutually hinged swivel arms (2 and 3) in staggered position the one at a higher level than the other and designed to rotate around vertical axes (30, 31). The lower swivel arm (2) has a vertical pivot journal at its free end to be mounted in a pivot bearing (1). The upper swivel arm (3) is formed as a parallelogram connection for vertical adjustment of the fork (22) designed to support the weapon at the free end of the parallelogram connection.The forced vertical adjustment of the parallelogram connection is provided by means of at least one rod mechanism (15, 16, 17), which is mounted between two of the parallelogram sides and has a length adjustable in a controllable way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1984
    Assignee: Disa A/S (Dansk Industri Syndifat A/S)
    Inventors: Jorgen L. Fog, Jorgen Nielsen
  • Patent number: 4431147
    Abstract: A steerable artillery projectile utilizing electro-optical circuitry to home on a laser designated target where the rear end of the projectile is displaceably coupled to the front end thereof which contains the electro-optical circuitry and munitions is disclosed. The displaceably coupled rear end of the projectile has a plurality of compartments equispaced around its longitudinal axis and each compartment has a gas cartridge which can be activated by the electro-optical circuitry. In flight, a selected gas cartridge may be discharged by the electro-optical circuitry causing the longitudinal axis of the rear end of the projectile to momentarily move out of line with the longitudinal axis of the front end of the projectile resulting in a modification of the flight path of the projectile to home on the laser designated target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1984
    Assignee: The Bendix Corporation
    Inventor: Isadore R. Paley
  • Patent number: 4429632
    Abstract: Improved uniformity of timing, and particularly reduced sensitivity of timing to minor variations in delay charge size, are achieved in delay detonators by placing a loose load of a flame-sensitive ignition composition between a pressed delay charge and an ignition assembly, e.g., a percussion primer, at the actuation end of the detonator. The loose ignition charge has a free surface and is adapted to be ignited in response to direct contact with flame emitted from the ignition of a charge in the ignition assembly. Preferably, the delay charge is pressed into a plastic carrier which, in a non-electric detonator, has an open end terminating between the walls of the detonator shell and a primer shell that closes the actuation end of the detonator, and the ignition charge is loosely loaded into a metal capsule seated against the delay charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1984
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours & Co.
    Inventor: Malak E. Yunan
  • Patent number: 4427167
    Abstract: Apparatus for stabilizing a weapon launched from an aircraft. The weapon is rovided with a plurality of concentric rings mounted on the nose of the weapon for reducing nose lift. The tail of the weapon is provided with a plurality of wedge shaped fins positioned on a decreasing tail diameter which increases the tail stability while minimizing tail lift. The outer faces of the fins are of a multi-tiered construction with angled portions connecting the tiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1984
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Peter Daniels
  • Patent number: 4426350
    Abstract: A modularly constructable support arrangement is provided for pressurizer safety and relief valves in a nuclear power plant. A common header is supported by four sets of columnar legs which are secured to pressurizer vessel side wall lugs. The safety and relief valves are securely disposed and connected through short pipe runs to discharge steam into the header.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1984
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Martin J. Zegar, Nicholas W. Kish, Edward J. Rusnica, Howard S. Jenkins, Stephen J. Sarver
  • Patent number: 4425963
    Abstract: Heat insulation for domeshaped bottom and/or cover regions of a pressure vessel, the heat insulation being penetrated by a multiplicity of pressure vessel unions extending parallel to the axis of the pressure vessel, including an integral dome formed of heat insulation having a passage formed therein for each of the pressure vessel unions, guide elements extending parallel to the axis of the pressure vessel for centering the heat-insulation dome with respect to the pressure vessel and for axially movably mounting the heat-insulation dome so that it can be lowered from a largely convection-proof operating position thereof to a storage position thereof onto an assembly platform, whereby the union passages of the pressure vessel are exposed for in-service testing, and can be raised back to the operating position thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1984
    Assignees: Kraftwerk Union Aktiengesellschaft, Grunzweig & Hartmann Montage GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Scholz, Wolfgang-Peter Fricker, Bernd Gollasch
  • Patent number: 4426355
    Abstract: A nuclear fuel assembly grid (12) having four substantially solid perimeter plates (28) forming a rigid quadrangle (20) surrounding the fuel elements (36) and having stop surfaces (32) formed on the internal surfaces thereof for contacting each adjacent fuel element. A plurality of interlaced strips (24) are attached to and extend from each plate to the oppositely facing plate, forming a lattice of regularly spaced openings (16) through which the fuel elements traverse the grid. These strips are of two types, the first consisting of two perpendicular center strips (44,44') that divide the grid into four symmetric quadrants, each center strip having a spring tab (48') projecting into each opening (16') contiguous to the center strip. The second type of interlaced strip consists of the remainder of the strips (52), half of which are oriented parallel to one center strip and the other half are oriented parallel to other center strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1984
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph M. Burger
  • Patent number: 4425603
    Abstract: An indirect light-distributing ceiling structure having a plurality of light reflector members disposed in spaced horizontal relation near a light-reflective ceiling. The light reflector members have a triangular cross-sectional configuration, with alternate reflector members being oriented to provide a horizontal surface facing the ceiling, and with the intervening reflector members being inverted. A source of light is mounted on the horizontal surface of at least one of the alternate reflector members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1984
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Iber C. Courson