Patents Examined by Robert Z. Evora
  • Patent number: 6145318
    Abstract: Compressor discharge air flows through a heat exchanger in heat exchange relation with cooling water and is supplied at reduced temperature in atomizing air and purge modes to combustors in a dual-fuel gas turbine. The heat exchanger has a pair of bypass passages in parallel with a temperature regulating valve controlling flow of water through the heat exchanger in response to the temperature of the compressor discharge air exiting the heat exchanger. Should the flow control valve close in response to low temperature of the compressor discharge air, in the air atomizing mode, the bypass passages with orifices therein provide a minimum protective flow of cooling water to the heat exchanger. In the purge mode where only half the air flow and heat rejection is required in the heat exchanger and the flow control valve closes, a bypass valve in one of the bypass passages closes to enable reduced flow of cooling water through the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: Howard Jay Kaplan, Joel Thomas Stimpson
  • Patent number: 6142746
    Abstract: A pump device is disclosed, comprising a supply tube 1, for a liquid with a relatively low head, an accumulator 3 connected to supply tube 1 via a one-way valve 2, an outlet tube 4 from the accumulator for liquid with a relatively high head, and an outlet valve, provided at the supply tube 1 after the accumulator, which outlet valve opens and shuts an outlet 5 at the supply tube 1. The pump device is primarily characterized in that the outlet valve comprises a damper 6 movable between a position, in which the opening 5 is left open, and a position, in which the opening 5 is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Inventor: Lars-Olof Lundgren
  • Patent number: 6142748
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating entrained gases from a pumped fluid. A degas pipe having an increased inner dimension relative to surrounding process piping is provided to generate a stratified two-phase gas/liquid flow. A controlled release mechanism permits selective removal of gas from the degas pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: Eastman Chemical Company
    Inventors: Robert T. Harris, Brent A. Tennant, William M. Lambert
  • Patent number: 6135726
    Abstract: An electro-hydraulic gear pump power pack (10), including a hydraulic pump disposed in a pump reservoir (12) and an electric motor disposed in a motor housing (14), are secured together to form a single assembly. The pump reservoir (12) and the motor housing (14) are secured together by a pair of mounting brackets (18) that also serve to attach the power pack (10) to a vehicle structure (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: James Richard Robertson, Timothy Matthew Staton, William L. Fisher
  • Patent number: 6135733
    Abstract: A manual air pump includes a cylinder having a first chamber and a head provided to the second end of the cylinder. The head includes an outlet passage communicated with the first chamber for supplying air to an object to be inflated. A first piston rod has a first end with a first piston slidably received in the first chamber. The first piston separates the first chamber into a first chamber section adjacent to the head and a second chamber section distal to the head. The first piston rod defines a second chamber therein. A second piston rod has a first end with a second piston slidably received in the second chamber. The second piston separates the second chamber into a third chamber section adjacent to the first piston and a fourth chamber section distal to the first piston. A handle is secured to the second end of the second piston rod to move therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Inventor: Scott Wu
  • Patent number: 6132189
    Abstract: A pump includes a first cylinder with a first valve member connected to a first end of the first cylinder and a first handle disengagably connected to a second end of the first cylinder. A first piston is movably received in the first cylinder and a second cylinder fixedly connected between the first handle and the first piston. A second piston is movably received in the second cylinder and a rod is connected to the second piston. The rod extends through the first handle and connected to second handle which is disengagably connected to the first handle. The movement of the first piston is used to pump tires and the movement of the second piston is used to pump a cylinder of air suspension device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: A-Pro Cycles, Inc.
    Inventor: Adrian Roger Ward
  • Patent number: 6129528
    Abstract: An axial flow fan comprising a printed circuit board which mounts the circuitry for operating the motor which is a bipolar winding motor. A voltage regulator IC and a driving IC for a bipolar winding motor are mounted on the printed circuit board. The fan housing is employed as a heat sink for the voltage regulator. Large circuit elements are eliminated. The axial flow fan further comprises a plurality of blades for cooling electronic components wherein the blades comprise of a plurality of specially designed airfoil sections, each section having along substantially the entire length thereof, a cross-sectional shape characterized by a maximum thickness located substantially constantly between about 19% chord to about 20% chord and a maximum camber located substantially constantly between about 45% chord to about 46% chord. The circuitry, housing, and blades are designed so that the axial width of the axial fan is decreased while maintaining performance parameters and design constraints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignee: NMB USA Inc.
    Inventors: Phillip James Bradbury, Phep Xuan Nguyen, Chalmers R. Jenkins, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6129526
    Abstract: A metering pump includes a motor compartment with a drive compartment defining a drive chamber. The drive chamber has an inlet and an outlet for a main liquid. A drive piston is moveably arranged in reciprocating translational motion in the drive chamber. A controller for controlling the movement of the drive piston under the action of the main liquid. A metering compartment defines a metering chamber. The metering chamber has an inlet and an outlet for an auxiliary liquid. The outlet for the metering chamber is separated from the outlet of the driving chamber. A metering piston is arranged in the metering chamber. The metering piston is driven by the drive piston. A frustoconical sealing member is arranged with its small base facing the drive compartment. An extension of the metering piston has a diameter smaller than a body of the metering piston. The extension and the frustoconical sealing member form a suction valve. A suction-delivery portion is arranged on the metering piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignee: Societe DSA
    Inventor: Eddy Kelly
  • Patent number: 6126417
    Abstract: A conveying device for liquid and gaseous media has a drive unit with a drive shaft. At least one rotating component is connected to the drive shaft. At least one stationary component is coordinated with the at least one rotating component. A separating member for separating the at least one rotating component from the at least one stationary component is provided. The separating member consists of an electrically non-conducting material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: PROAIR GmbH Geratebau
    Inventor: Paul Roth
  • Patent number: 6123508
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided for indicating when the water level rises to a predetermined height, of the type that includes a float assembly (44) with a float that rises along a guide of a fixed housing assembly (40) until an activator (74) on the float assembly activates a switch (70) on the housing assembly. The guide is in the form of a downwardly-extending post (42), and the float assembly includes a hollow shaft (52) that extends upwardly from the float and that surrounds the post. As a result, the sliding surfaces (60, 62) along which the float assembly slides upwardly along the post, is isolated from the environment to ensure reliable sliding despite a hostile environment that could damage any exposed sliding surfaces and prevent reliable sliding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Barksdale, Inc.
    Inventor: Angel Ching
  • Patent number: 6123511
    Abstract: An apparatus for drawing off fuel for a motor vehicle tank, the apparatus being of the type comprising a secondary reserve (20) suitable for being placed in a main tank (10), main pump (30) suitable for drawing fuel from the reserve (20), and auxiliary pump (40) of the jet pump type suitable for drawing fuel from the main tank and for transferring it to the secondary reserve (20). The body (41) of the jet pump (40) is angularly positioned to be vertical, with its outlet facing upwards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Marwal Systems
    Inventor: Bruno Sertier
  • Patent number: 6123517
    Abstract: A scroll-type refrigeration compressor is disclosed which incorporates an efficient, reliable, low cost modulation system employing a single actuator to effect switching between full and reduced capacity operation. The modulation system of the present invention includes an annular valving ring rotationally supported on the non-orbiting scroll or main bearing housing which operates to ensure simultaneous opening and closing of one or more unloading passages thus avoiding the possibility of even transient pressure imbalances between opposed compression pockets during operation of the compressor or in one of the alternative embodiments, providing a controlled imbalance to provide a noise reducing torsional loading on the Oldham coupling. Further, the modulation system of the present invention provides for reduced capacity at both start up and shut down thus enabling the use of more efficient lower starting torque motors and reducing the potential for noise generating reverse rotation on shut down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Copeland Corporation
    Inventors: Richard D. Brooke, Robert C. Stover, Jean-Luc M. Caillat
  • Patent number: 6123519
    Abstract: A delivery blood storing member-equipped blood reservoir tank has a blood reservoir tank portion, and a delivery blood storing member that communicates with a blood outlet formed in the blood reservoir tank portion. The delivery blood storing member allows blood to flow out of an interior thereof when pressed from outside. The delivery blood storing member reserves amounts of blood in accordance with the height of liquid surface in the blood reservoir tank portion if the amount of blood in the blood reservoir tank portion becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value. The delivery blood storing member includes a body part that is formed from a hard material, and a flexible diaphragm whose peripheral end is fixed to the delivery blood storing member body part. The diaphragm produces substantially no self-restoring force against deformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukitoshi Kato, Mitsuaki Ogihara, Shinji Maruyama, Kazuhiko Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 6123516
    Abstract: A vacuum pump, comprising at least one pump chamber (7, 8, 23 to 26) and at least one chamber (3, 5, 27) adjoining the pump chamber. The vacuum pump is fitted with a gas ballast device to avoid damage being caused in the adjoining chambers by the gases being pumped, the ballast gas being delivered via the chamber adjoining the pump chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Leybold Vakuum GmbH
    Inventors: Hans Josef Burghard, Wolfgang Giebmanns, Rudolf Bahnen
  • Patent number: 6120254
    Abstract: The invention pertains to the field of fluidics and jet technology. The essence of the invention: is a vacuum-producing device composed of a liquid-gas jet apparatus, a separator and a pump, is furnished with a jet pump, so that the gas inlet of the liquid-gas jet apparatus is connected to a pipeline for discharge of vapors from a rectification column, the liquid inlet of the liquid-gas jet apparatus is connected to the discharge side of the pump, the outlet of the liquid-gas jet apparatus is connected to the separator, the passive medium inlet of the jet pump is connected to the separator, the outlet of the jet pump is connected to the suction side of the pump, the active nozzle of the jet pump is connected to a pipeline for export of a liquid fraction from the rectification column. This vacuum system results in increased efficiency and productivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Inventor: Serguei A. Popov
  • Patent number: 6120264
    Abstract: An air pump includes a first sheet, a second sheet, an inflation valve and a check valve. The second sheet is directly connected to the first sheet so as to form a chamber. The inflation valve is provided on the chamber to lead air into the chamber when the chamber is extended. The check valve is also provided on the chamber to discharge the air in the chamber when the chamber is compressed. The air pump can be built in an inflatable product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Team Worldwide Corp.
    Inventor: Kenneth Wang
  • Patent number: 6116865
    Abstract: The invention relates to a piston pump for thick matter such as concrete, sewage sludge, excavated tunnel material and similar. The inventive piston pump has at least one hydraulically operated pump cylinder (10, 12). The pump piston (30) of said pump cylinder (10, 12) is connected to the piston (38) of a hydraulic drive cylinder (26, 28) by a common piston rod (34). A water box (42) is situated between the pump cylinders (10, 12) and the drive cylinders (26, 28), the piston rod (34) passing through said water box (42) for cleaning purposes. Said water box (42) has an assembly opening (44) at the top end, said opening being accessible from above, and a closeable water outlet nozzle (66) located at the bottom end. The water box also has an assembly opening located at the bottom end for easier assembly. Said bottom-end assembly opening (54) can be closed in such a way that it is liquid-tight by means of a removable base plate (52).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Putzmeister Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gerald Fischer, Gotthardt Unger
  • Patent number: 6113357
    Abstract: A hydraulic turbine mounted in-line between a gas production facility and the inlet of the sales lines for boosting pressure sufficiently to insert natural gas from the production facility into the sales line when the sale line pressure is at a high level. The turbine includes a compact turbine pump having several stages of compression with each compression stage including a 15-horse power motor that drives a hydraulic pump. A variable speed control is attached to the motor to allow the user to control the speed of the pump. Each pump stage has its own hydraulic motor that drives a turbine blade inside an enclosure. Pressure at each stage is controlled by means of an adjustable vane that has a stationary plate with a succession of fixed openings. The stationary plate is in face to face contact with a moving plate of similar design. The moving plate rotates at the center and may be adjusted by means of an elongated bolt assembly which adjusts the moving plate clockwise or counterclockwise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Inventor: Rocky Dobbs
  • Patent number: 6113367
    Abstract: A cylinder is divided into two chambers by a wall to receive a pair of pistons. This reduces the stroke length and correspondingly reduces the linear speed of the piston. This leads to a reduced PV factor associated with degradation and wear of the piston rings. Moreover, the multi-cylinder arrangement provides the same performance in an oil-free compressor assembly without appreciably expanding dimensional constraints relative to known systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: AlliedSignal Truck Brake Systems Company
    Inventors: Valery Dunaevsky, Gene Gilbert
  • Patent number: 6113358
    Abstract: A method of improving the efficiency of a pair of first and second scroll refrigeration compressors, at least the second of which includes an intermediate port is characterized in that the delivery of the first scroll compressor is fed into the intermediate port of the second compressor at a pressure corresponding to the intermediate port in the compression process occurring in the second scroll compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: AAF - McQuay Inc.
    Inventors: Terence William Thomas Young, John Michael Roll