Patents Examined by Roland G. McAndrews, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5522709
    Abstract: Fluid transfer apparatus comprising a fluid reservoir and a pump connected to the reservoir by a supply line, wherein the apparatus is configured so that vapor generated in the pump during periods of inoperation may escape from the pump cavity through the pump inlet, rather than being trapped in the pump cavity, and liquid may flow into the pump cavity from the supply line through the pump inlet to replace escaping vapor, thereby providing reliable pump start-up during intermittent operation. The apparatus may be employed to pump LNG for fueling of vehicles. Where LNG or another cryogenic fluid is being pumped, the pump is preferably driven by a motor located above the pump and connected thereto by an elongated shaft. Shaft seals may be provided to prevent the fluid being pumped from contacting the motor or the bearings supporting the motor shaft. A vapor trap may be provided beneath the shaft seals to prevent contact between liquid being pumped and the shaft seals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Assignee: Liquid Carbonic Corporation
    Inventor: George D. Rhoades
  • Patent number: 5520519
    Abstract: A base attachment for use with an air compressor having a motor enclosed within a housing, a compressor unit operatively connected to the motor and emitting compressed air from an air outlet, the base attachment including a tubular segment having a first end portion for receiving the compressed air emitted by the air outlet, and a second end portion for emitting the air to a pneumatically powered tool, wherein the tubular segment is constructed and arranged to provide a temperature and pressure regulating sink for emitting compressed air which is cooler and at more uniform pressure than air emitted directly from the air outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas A. Birkeland
  • Patent number: 5520518
    Abstract: A method of transferring fluent material transfers the material from a first pressure tank to a fluent material transfer destination by supplying compressed gas to the first tank through a compressor. The compressed gas is retained in the first tank for reuse. Additional fluent material is drawn into a second pressure tank and is transferred therefrom to the fluent material transfer destination by supplying the compressed gas from the first pressure tank to the second pressure tank through the compressor. The compressed gas is further retained in the second pressure tank transferring fluent material from the first pressure tank. As the compressed gas is emptied from each tank to the other tank, additional fluent material is drawn into that tank. The cycle can be repeated on a continuous basis to transfer large quantities of fluent material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Mori-Gumi Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Taguchi
  • Patent number: 5520522
    Abstract: A micro pump which employs magnetostrictive or electrostrictive elements as solid drive elements and is capable of self-priming even though its flow rate is increased. In the pump, disk-shaped valve elements respectively having tapered protrusions on one side are used as check valves to reduce weight and made to follow the motion of liquids so as to smoothly open and close. Retainers for regulating the gap h between the valve seats and the valve elements are respectively provided with tapered recesses for guiding the protrusions of the valve elements, whereby the valves are prevented from contacting the retainers, thus undergoing less friction therewith, to ensure smooth opening and closure of the valves. Moreover, ringlike or sheetlike elastic materials are provided on the bottoms of the recesses to improve responsivity in the direction in which the valves are closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Amer R. Rathore, Shigeo Okamoto, Teruo Mori
  • Patent number: 5520517
    Abstract: The invention is a constant flow pump control system that compensates for a change in gas flow rate that is caused by a change in the load resistance, by making the speed change inversely with the change in load resistance, desirably by sensing the change in pressure and changing speed by an amount related to the pump performance characteristic that is required to restore the flow rate to its selected value. In a preferred embodiment the system includes a closed loop pump speed control in which a selected flow rate reference is combined with a pressure feedback to provide an inverse change in the pump speed reference function or a direct change in the motor speed feedback function to compensate for the change in flow rate caused by a change in flow resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Inventor: Anatole J. Sipin
  • Patent number: 5518377
    Abstract: A miniature metering pump of the type possessing a body provided with an inlet opening out into a metering chamber, associated with an inlet valve having a valve member, and with a piston having a plunger provided with an axial nozzle and flared at its bottom end to form a hood receiving a sealing gasket, its internal channel being associated with an outlet valve having a valve member, wherein said outlet valve member forms a portion of a single elastically deformable part that constitutes said gasket, shaped to have a bottom U-shaped ring assembled round the hood of the plunger, and connected at the top on the outside to a substantially cylindrical skirt for sealing and for returning the piston to its rest position, which skirt runs on from an annular flange for providing sealed connection with the body; and on the inside by a folded valve member that is generally conical or mitral-valve shaped, with a narrow top end carrying a cutout surrounded by a lip that opens to provide an outlet orifice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignee: Sofab
    Inventors: Jean-Louis Bougamont, Pierre Dumont, Herve Lompech
  • Patent number: 5518374
    Abstract: A variable capacity refrigerant compressor, particularly a single headed piston type variable capacity refrigerant compressor having a framework unit including at least a cylinder block and defining a pulsation suppressing chamber therein fluidly communicating with a discharge chamber of a rear housing and connected to an external refrigerating system, the pulsation suppressing chamber suppressing pulsation in the discharge pressure of the compressed refrigerant before the refrigerant flows toward the refrigerating system, the pulsation suppressing chamber also fluidly communicating with a crank chamber defined by a front housing and the cylinder block so as to supply the crank chamber with the refrigerant at a high pressure an amount of which is regulated by a capacity control valve integrally accommodated in the pulsation suppressing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Masaki Ota, Soukichi Hibino, Hisakazu Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 5513966
    Abstract: A liquid manifold for connecting to adjacent pumps, wherein the manifold has two sections. Each section is independently connected to a liquid pump and threadably secured to the pump at a position which provides the most precise alignment of the respective manifold sections. The manifold sections are then affixed together by fasteners through openings in one manifold section which are larger than threaded openings in the other manifold section. The larger openings permit a predetermined amount of misalignment to be present while still permitting a tight sealable connection to be made by the two manifold sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1996
    Inventor: Duane Krohn
  • Patent number: 5509792
    Abstract: A reciprocal type of pump structure wherein a piston has a linear function actuated by a pair of coils energized alternately and includes a plurality of tapered flutes. A check valve in an outlet of the structure which stretches to open said outlet under the impact of expelled fluids and of its own volition retracts to the closed position immediately upon the cessation of fluids being expelled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1996
    Assignee: Pumpworks, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul J. Sullivan, Vernon R. Scott, Robert Smith
  • Patent number: 5509789
    Abstract: Single-stage liquid ring gas pump which can be flanged to a drive unit. The suction and delivery connections are disposed on a connection casing (3) which is to be connected to the drive unit. On the side of the connection casing remote from the drive are disposed a plate cam (4) and a working chamber casing (5) together with the impeller (14) rotating in the latter. The impeller sealingly cooperates on its open end face with the plate cam and on its largely closed end face (19) with an end wall (7) of the working chamber casing (5). The working chamber casing is in the form of a deep-drawn sheet metal part and has no medium connections. For the purpose of connection to the connection casing or the plate cam, it is provided with a radial connection flange (6). The transition from the cylindrical part to the connection flange (6) of the working chamber casing (5) is rounded on the inside such that the gap remaining between this rounding and the plate cam remains below a particular size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1996
    Assignee: Sihi GmbH & Co KG
    Inventors: Udo Segebrecht, Klaus Domagalla
  • Patent number: 5507630
    Abstract: A dual inline double acting plunger arrangement is particularly adapted for pumping thick slurries and includes a hollow cylinder divided into two closed chambers by a partition. A first plunger is disposed in a first chamber and a second plunger is disposed in a second chamber with the two plungers coupled together by appropriate linkage outside of the cylinder. A drive mechanism connected to the coupling linkage simultaneously displaces the two plungers in a reciprocating manner within the two chambers. Inlet and outlet ports in each of the chambers coupled to inlet and outlet valve assemblies allow for the pumping of a slurry from the chambers by the two plungers in an alternating manner. Each valve assembly includes a housing having a pair of ball valves which are both employed either as inlet valves or outlet valves, as the valve assembly may be configured to perform both functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1996
    Assignee: Chemgrout, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald C. Hegebarth
  • Patent number: 5507625
    Abstract: To decrease gas leakage across the cantilevered axial end of the hub of a liquid ring pump rotor which has a central recess in that end of the hub, the adjacent port structure is provided with a protrusion which extends axially part way into the recess in the rotor hub. A relatively small clearance is provided between the radially outer surface of the protrusion and the radially adjacent inner surface of the recess. This clearance is filled with liquid and thereby increases the area of the seal at the adjacent axial end of the rotor hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1996
    Assignee: The Nash Engineering Company
    Inventor: Carl G. Dudeck
  • Patent number: 5505591
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing materials, such as mixing or homogenizing fluids or dispersing a fluid in a viscous material, comprises a housing having bores and at least one inlet port and an outlet port disposed in the housing and in fluid communication with the bores. A pressure mechanism is disposed outside the housing and is in communication with the inlet port for introducing the materials under pressure to the bore and for forcing the materials through the bores to the outlet port. A rotor is disposed in each bore. The rotors do not contact each other. Each rotor has teeth, and the teeth of one rotor mesh with the teeth of an adjacent rotor so that the materials are squeezed in the space between two adjacent teeth of one rotor and the meshing tooth of the other rotor to impart stretching flow to the materials and to expel the materials from the interstices between the teeth of the one rotor and the other rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1996
    Inventor: Daniel G. Tynan
  • Patent number: 5501578
    Abstract: A hydrostatic pump of the axial piston type having a significantly reduced overall length due to a special three point bearing arrangement for the main shaft (1) of the pump and the charge pump shaft (12). The improvement comprises a bearing assembly which consists of just three bearings (6, 14, 23) at separate locations for simultaneously supporting the coupled main shaft (1) and charge pump shaft (12). A first bearing 6 is located at the end of the main shaft (1) which is opposite that coupled to the charge pump shaft (12), a second bearing (14) is located at the end of the charge pump shaft (12) which is opposite to that coupled to the main shaft (1), and a third bearing (23) is located at the junction of the coupled shafts (1,12) to provide for their common support. The third bearing (23) can be a needle bearing or of the plain bushing type. The shafts (1,12) can be coupled by mating splines (17,22) and engage each other in a clearance fit (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1996
    Assignee: Sauer Inc.
    Inventor: Eckhard Skirde
  • Patent number: 5498138
    Abstract: An improved sampling pump has utility for withdrawing fluid from a pressurized source and outputting fluid to a sampling container. The fluid pump assembly of the present invention includes an operator unit for reciprocating a plunger, and a side body port positioned within the pump body for receiving a removable filter. A pressure regulator has an inlet positioned within a side body port of the pump body and regulator outlet port in fluid communication with the operator unit. A collar rotatable with respect to a regulator housing is provided for reducing installation costs and for optionally removing condensate from the regulator. An adjustable discharge valve is pressure balanced for increasing the reliability of the pump. An improved seal is utilized for dynamic seal engagement between the pump body and the pump plunger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1996
    Assignee: PGI International, Ltd.
    Inventors: Spencer M. Nimberger, Robert L. Ward
  • Patent number: 5494414
    Abstract: An apparatus for coupling a vertically oriented internal combustion engine to an axial piston pump for use with pressure washers. Attached to the lower surface of the engine is a circular flange with inwardly extending ribs which supports a pump attachment unit. The pump attachment unit is comprised of a series of concentric annular rings for an oil seal and thrust bearing and for pump attachment. The pump drive shaft slides over and is keyed to the engine drive shaft and has an annular lip for mating with the thrust bearing. The pump wobble plate is bolted to the lower end of the pump drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignee: Mi-T-M Corporation
    Inventors: Eric E. Steinhart, Daniel C. Ertl
  • Patent number: 5494411
    Abstract: A portable hand air pump includes a pump body having a foot support pivotally coupled to the bottom portion and having a hook secured to the upper portion. A hose has one end coupled to the pump body and has an attachment member secured to the other end for for engaging with a tire valve and for engaging with the hook so as to be secured to the pump body. An operating rod is slidably engaged in the pump body and has a hand grip pivotally coupled to the upper end. The foot support, the hose and the hand grip may be folded to a rather compact structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Inventor: Louis Chuang
  • Patent number: 5494419
    Abstract: A portable flexible air pump comprises a connection head, a main body and a flexible body located between the connection head and the main body. The connection head is provided therein with an air duct and is engageable with the air valve of a bicycle tire. The main body is provided therein with an air channel in communication with the air duct of the connection head. The air channel is intended to transmit the compressed air. The flexible body is provided axially with a passageway and is connected at both ends thereof with the connection head and the main body by two pivoting members. The air duct of the connection head is in communication with the air channel of the main body via the passageway of the flexible body. The connecting portion between the flexible body and the connection head and the connecting portion between the flexible body and the main body are made airtight by two leakproof portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignee: Shu-Mu Wu
    Inventor: Chi-So Lin
  • Patent number: 5492456
    Abstract: A centrifugal air blower has a housing with an inlet side wall through which a circular air inlet is formed. A cylindrical electric drive motor coaxially extends through the inlet opening and is drivingly coupled to a centrifugal impeller rotatably disposed within the housing. The motor is supported on the inlet side wall by a mounting system including a plurality of metal mounting rods each having an inner end, an outer end, and an elongated intermediate portion. The inner rod ends are welded to circumferentially spaced locations of a belly band structure coaxially clamped to the drive motor, and the outer rod ends are connected to resilient support assemblies arranged in a circumferentially spaced array on the outer side of the housing inlet side wall around the blower inlet opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1996
    Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: John T. Knight, Jeffrey L. Lyons, Diane M. Jakobs
  • Patent number: 5492459
    Abstract: A swash plate compressor with single ended pistons improves piston stability by providing the ends of the pistons with open, conical rims, the outer surfaces of the which match, and thereby enlarge, the outer surface area of the pistons. The pistons therefore have increased sliding support within the cylinder bores, but without significant added mass. The pistons work in cooperation with matching conical protrusions on the discharge valve plate, which substantially fill the interior of the rims at piston full stroke. The piston compression ratio is therefore kept substantially the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1996
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Burkett, Nikolaos A. Adonakis