Patents Examined by Richard J. Scanlan, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4657288
    Abstract: A clamping ring for use in pipe joints has an inside surface which is formed with generally peripherally extending indentations for axially fixing a pipe. In order to prevent an occurrence of dangerous stress concentrations in pipes in contact with such clamping rings and to permit such rings to be manufactured economically, the clamping ring is formed on its inside surface with a multiplicity of generally peripherally extending indentations, each of which extends only along part of the periphery of said inside surface, and said indentations are offset from each other in said peripheral directions and adjoin or overlap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1987
    Assignee: E. Hawle & Co.
    Inventor: Erwin Hawle
  • Patent number: 4655483
    Abstract: A connector device to provide a primary pressure boundary between a flanged nozzle (18) and a column (20) concentrically disposed therein, including a closure member (26) for compressing a seal ring (22) against the nozzle flange (18). The closure member (26) includes a hub portion (34) defining an annular space (36) between the closure member and the column. Graphite gasket rings (40) are inserted into the annular space (36), and drive unit including a sleeve (42) actuator nut (50), and collar (54) is attached to the column at the collar location. Actuation of the nut (50) against the collar (54) draws the column (20) into rigid engagement with the closure member (26), and then advances the drive sleeve (42) along the annular space (36) to compress the gasket ring (40), thereby completing the fluid-tight connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1987
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth V. Margotta
  • Patent number: 4655482
    Abstract: A first annular ring (44) has a keyed opening (64) sized to fit around the nut region (40) of a male coupling (14), and a second annular ring (42) has a keyed opening (52) sized to fit around the nut (26) of a female coupling (12). Each ring (42, 44) has mating ratchet teeth (56, 62), and these rings (42, 44) are biased together, thereby engaging these teeth (56, 62) and preventing rotation of these rings. This in turn prevents the rotation of the male nut region (40) with respect to the female nut (26). For tube-to-bulkhead locking, one facet (70) of one ring (44) is notched, and a pin (88) is pressed into an opening (84, 86) in the bulkhead (80). This pin (88) is sized to fit within one of the notches (74) in the ring (44), thereby preventing rotation of this ring (44) with respect to the bulkhead (80 ).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1987
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: William N. Myers, Leopold A. Hein, deceased, Birgit G. Hein, executor
  • Patent number: 4655434
    Abstract: An energy absorbing guardrail terminal having a plurality of horizontally extending parallel guardrails on opposite sides of breakaway posts in which the guardrails have overlapping ends and the upstream ends are secured to the posts. Splice bolts connect the overlapping ends of adjacent rails and a plurality of spaced openings are provided in each rail horizontally aligned with each of the splice bolts whereby the impact of a vehicle on the upstream end of the rails will shred out the rail material between the spaced openings to absorb the kinetic energy of the impacting vehicle. Preferably the openings are slots elongated in the horizontal direction and the rails are staged to allow the upstream rails to telescope over the downstream rails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1987
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventor: Maurice E. Bronstad
  • Patent number: 4655098
    Abstract: A drive mechanism for a circuit breaker has a spring which is to be tensioned by means of a shaft. On said spring sits a clamp-roll freewheel as a directional lock, whose outer part is connected via a flexible strip traction member to one or more eccentric members. The clamp rollers can be pressed out of their operating position by means of cage disks, which occurs upon reaching the end position of the spring-tensioning shaft by means of a release lever in connection with toggle levers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1987
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Ulrich Marquardt, Ralf Seebold
  • Patent number: 4655097
    Abstract: This invention relates to a device for varying feed stroke of feed bars for use in a transfer press. According to the device of the invention, the feed stroke of feed bars is varied by the action of a substantially parallel four-node linkage connected through a connecting rod to the feed bars and actuated by a rotary cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1987
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
    Inventor: Masami Suzuki
  • Patent number: 4655486
    Abstract: A water faucet inlet line connector for providing a quick and reliable attachment of an inlet water line to the shank of a water faucet is disclosed. The connector is comprised of an assembly of two body members entrapping a conical spring washer therebetween. The upper body member has a tapered outer surface for cooperating with the conical inner surface of the connection end of the faucet shank, and preferably includes on its inner cylindrical diameter a ring-like inward protrusion to provide a ring-like region of increased pressure against the inlet tube when the connector and tube are finally locked in position. The lower body member also has a cylindrical inner surface, and cooperates with the upper body member to retain the conical spring therebetween, to align the water line and to provide a stress relief to help isolate inlet line motion from the region of the conical spring and the upper body member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1987
    Assignee: Price Pfister, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Tarnay, Robert Szemeredi
  • Patent number: 4655637
    Abstract: A method and related revetment system for preventing shoreline slope erosion due to wave and hydrostatic forces. The revetment system includes an elongate, grid-like frame structure of predetermined shape which is set into an excavation in the slope of substantially complementary shape. A filter fabric liner is disposed to overlie the surface of the slope excavation so as to line the excavation beneath the frame structure. The filter fabric liner is sufficiently porous to allow water to pass therethrough while preventing the movement of the soil material of the slope therethrough. The method further includes setting the frame structure into the slope excavation and over the filter fabric liner such that an upper surface portion of the frame structure is substantially continuous with the natural contour of the slope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1987
    Inventor: Harry J. Vignocchi
  • Patent number: 4653779
    Abstract: A hose coupling, method of making the same, and the hose coupling in combination with a tubular hose are provided, the coupling comprising a tubular insert portion to be inserted into one end of the tubular hose and a tubular ferrule portion disposed in substantially concentric and spaced relation about the insert portion to define an annular recess therebetween and being adpated to be radially inwardly deformed toward the longitudinal axis of the coupling to clamp the end of the hose between the ferrule portion and the insert portion, the ferrule portion having a plurality of inwardly directed and axially spaced apart annular ridges for deforming into the one end of the hose with each ridge having opposed annular side faces and an inner annular free end face therebetween, each side face having a substantially straight axial cross-sectional configuration that forms an acute angle with a radially disposed centerline of its respective ridge and each free end face having a substantially straight axial cross-sect
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1987
    Assignee: Dayco Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Randy C. Foster
  • Patent number: 4653780
    Abstract: An end fitting provides a coupling for a pair of parts which may be misaligned. One of the possibly misaligned parts is a nut having a bore therein. The other part is a ferrule fitting in the bore and, preferably having a lip seal thereon. A pair of confronting annular U-shaped slots are formed in the two parts, with a pin wire ring resting in the slots in order to join the two parts. The cross-sections of the two U-shaped slots are skewed with respect to a perpendicular to the bore, by an angle in the range of 6-degrees to 45-degrees, with the preferred angle being 15-degrees. The pin wire ring rides up and down the resulting tapered walls of the slots to compensate for any misalignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1987
    Assignee: Titeflex Corporation
    Inventor: James M. Lalikos
  • Patent number: 4653776
    Abstract: A safety joint for a control umbilical which separates the umbilical and severs internal control hoses when a predetermined tension is exceeded. The control hoses are severed by opposing cutting edges on mating slots formed by an inner cutting tube and an outer cutting tube which separate when the sfety joint separates. The safety joint can be installed at any point along the control umbilical without cutting the control hoses during installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1987
    Assignee: Multiflex International, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey E. Borg
  • Patent number: 4653650
    Abstract: A rack for supporting wafers has a pair of parallel struts with kerfs therealong for supporting the wafers. A dummy wafer is attached to the struts near each end of the struts to connect the struts structurally as the rack and serve as rack-handling handles. The dummy wafers are parallel to the adjacent kerfs and thus the wafers therein and dimensioned similarly to the wafers for providing favorable gas and heat distribution when a wafer loaded rack is placed in a furnace. This adapts the rack for diffusion treatment of semiconductor wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1987
    Assignee: Heraeus Quarzschmelze GmbH
    Inventor: Karl A. Schulke
  • Patent number: 4653782
    Abstract: A pipe repair clamp comprises a two-piece type split-collar, the collar being formed by joining the two pieces together about the surface of the pipe to be repaired. The pieces are shaped to form scarf-type joints and are provided with, affixed to their internal surfaces, portions of a gasket for sealing the surface of the pipe to be repaired from the external surface of the collar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1987
    Assignee: British Gas Corporation
    Inventor: Keith Munday
  • Patent number: 4653951
    Abstract: A hinged butt joint for connecting struts to multijoint fittings used in space structures is disclosed as two end fittings pivoted together, one of which is bifurcated and the other having a cammed butt end extending between the bifurcation with a pivot pin through aligned openings so that the fittings are rotatable to a desired angular position. Nominal manufacturing tolerances are used throughout. A wedge is forcibly fitted into the base of the bifurcation when the fittings are colinear, and bonded to the base in that position during manufacture or assembly, to preclude freeplay in the joint under alternating compression and tension leads and to create a solid mechanical path though which load is transmitted and heat and electricity conducted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1987
    Assignee: General Dynamics Corp./Convair Division
    Inventors: John G. Bodle, Charles C. Lungerhausen
  • Patent number: 4653958
    Abstract: A kit for forming a secondary confinement installation for protecting earth from contamination due to leakage and spills from pipelines in small installations, such as service stations. The kit includes long trough sections and short connector sections with joints therebetween which maintain a level floor. The connector sections may have various shapes, such as right angle sections, half-right angle sections, T-sections, as well as a few special purpose sections. The special purpose sections include a sump section located at the low point of the installation, a dispenser unit section intended to provide catch basis for fluid dispensers and box sections which protect pipe egress zones at storage tanks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1987
    Inventors: Andrew A. Anderson, Garey L. Kirkland
  • Patent number: 4651587
    Abstract: A design for a series of ring gear and pinion gear right angle gear-sets (100) utilizing a single common ring gear (114) and a plurality of pinion gears (112A-D), each having different numbers of teeth, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1987
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Craig B. Anderson, George W. Vollmer
  • Patent number: 4652178
    Abstract: The plate has the plate material in-turned, about the central, roof bolt or friction rock stabilizer aperture, to form a tubular wall thereat. Accordingly, the rim of the aperture is made stronger and the plate, therefore, is capable of supporting a considerable loading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1987
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company
    Inventors: Richard Kates, Mario Chyb
  • Patent number: 4652016
    Abstract: The union is made up of two parts normally locked together by at least one radial screw with sized cross section. Under severe pulling stress applied to the union from the outside the locking screw breaks and frees the two parts of the union, which separate together with the pipes to which they are attached. Under normal working conditions elastically stressed sealing devices ensure maintenance of watertightness between the union parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1987
    Inventor: Giorgio Bormioli
  • Patent number: 4652022
    Abstract: A suspension nut for use in a wellhead assembly of an oil and/or gas well is provided. The nut includes a lower body portion threaded for connection to the wellhead assembly. It also includes an upper body portion adapted to support equipment in the well. The upper body portion is spaced from a surface of the wellhead assembly in the absence of force applied thereto when the lower body portion is connected to the wellhead assembly. The upper body portion is adapted to be forced into abutment with the surface in reaction to the weight of equipment supported by the upper body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1987
    Assignee: Cactus Wellhead Equipment Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Randy P. Nichols
  • Patent number: 4650225
    Abstract: A holddown screw assembly 10 which features a shaft 33, an energizer screw 39 and a detachable contact nose 20 adapted to be assembled in coaxial alignment in a radial bore in a wellhead structure. The shaft is provided with a passage 40 extending from its outer end as the holddown screw is normally used in a wellhead installation to a cross passage 41 at the other end of the shaft. Also, at its outer end, a fitting 32 is attached to facilitate connection to a hydraulic supply line 28. An annular bearing flange 35 is provided on the shaft near its outer end. A packing nut 31 and a set of packing rings 34 are sleeved about the shaft 33 with the nut disposed in abutting relation to the bearing flange 35 where it is held fixed but rotatable thereagainst by means 36. The packing nut is threaded into a threaded section of a bore 11 such as may be provided in the flange 12 of a casing spool 13. By turning the packing nut, the packing ring set may be compressed against a shoulder 37 in the bore 11.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1987
    Assignee: Joy Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Tri C. Le, F. Harold Hollister