Patents Examined by Scott J. Haughland
  • Patent number: 5044266
    Abstract: My present invention relates to a barbeque grill and more specifically to a two-tiered barbeque grill system which uses water troughs strategically placed below the cooking surface so as to catch all of the melted fats thus preventing the grease from coming into direct contact with the hot coals below and causing undesirable flare-ups. Meats barbequed on conventional grills over charcoal have always resulted in troublesome flare-ups which burn and char the meat. These flare-ups have always proved difficult to contain, control, or eliminate. It is the primary object of my invention to provide a barbeque grill system that is capable of eliminating these undesirable flare-ups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Inventor: Robert S. Geogaris
  • Patent number: 5025528
    Abstract: An apparatus for brushing and/or cleaning shoes and other footwear which includes a number of sequential stations. The apparatus includes a machine having a plurality of upstanding brushes mounted for rotation about respective generally vertical axes. The vertical axes of the upstanding brushes are sequentially spaced apart and each of the brushing stations is defined by a sequential pair of the upstanding brushes. Between sequential pairs of the upstanding brushes, a respective flat circular brush is mounted. Each of the brushes is driven by a single motor. Further, a casing is provided for housing the brushes and at least a portion of the driving transmission from the motor. The casing has a lateral opening at each of the brushing stations for introducing a shoe or boot for brushing or cleaning. A cleaning fluid for the brushing and/or cleaning stations can be merely water or water with an additive such as a detergent or disinfectant. In addition, heated air can be provided for drying the cleaned shoes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1991
    Inventors: Bernard P. Burey, Jean-Paul Barcon
  • Patent number: 4982911
    Abstract: A drive system for capstan driven magnetic tape rolls in which a power belt is trained around a drive wheel and a pair of belt guides. The belt guides are closely spaced relative to the capstan so that the back side of the belt transfers power to the capstan roller while the inner surface of the belt contacts the drive wheel and belt guides. The angular spacing of the belt guides relative to the capstan roller is such that the angle between the axial centers of the belt guides with respect to the axial center of the capstan roller is as large as practical, thereby increasing the frictional surface transferring power from the drive wheel to the capstan roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 8, 1991
    Assignee: Newell Research Corporation
    Inventor: Chester W. Newell
  • Patent number: 4929227
    Abstract: A centrifuge drum for separating mixtures of liquids, especially for separating refrigerated milk into cream and skim milk, with an intake pipe secured to a stationary housing to supply refrigerated milk to a separation space in the centrifuge drum and a pealing disk for diverting the separated skim milk. The pealing disk is positioned in a pealing chamber that communicates through channels with the periphery of the separation space. A diversion chamber is disposed between the separation space and the pealing chamber that communicates with the center of the separation space and has a diversion channel for diverting the cream into a stationary interception chamber. The pealing chamber is positioned axially between the diversion chamber and the interception chamber and the diversion channel is positioned concentric with the axis of rotation of the drum, whereby the diversion channel extends radially outward from the diversion chamber, through the center of the pealing disk, and into the interception chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1990
    Assignee: Westfalia Separator AG
    Inventor: Karl-Heinz Zettier
  • Patent number: 4925313
    Abstract: A plasticating screw having a mixing section comprised of two flow channels separated by barrier flights having axially spaced undercut sections and areas of compression and decompression in each channel. Inhomogeneities in the material being plasticated are distributed in both the forward and back directions by means of pressure driven cross-flows caused when the material encounters a section of a channel having a decreasing depth adjacent an undercut section of the barrier flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1990
    Assignee: HPM Corporation
    Inventor: Robert E. Nunn
  • Patent number: 4917502
    Abstract: The invention relates to a nozzle for mixing at least two flowable (and in particular foam-forming) reaction components comprising a housing; component supply pipes leading into the housing; a housing bore arranged in the housing having a coaxial outlet channel in its end face; at least one needle casing arranged coaxially in the housing bore; an injection needle guided coaxially in the needle casing; a first chamber arranged between the wall of the housing bore and the needle casing with one of the component supply pipes opening into said first chamber; a second chamber arranged between the needle casing and the injection needle, with another component supply pipe opening into said second chamber; wherein in the closed state, said injection needle forms a tight fit with the internal end face of the needle casing, and the external end face of said needle casing forms a tight fit with the internal end face of the housing bore; and wherein in the open state, said injection needle frees a coaxial nozzle opening
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Hennecke GmbH
    Inventors: Ferdinand Proksa, Hans-Michael Sulzbach, Reiner Raffel, Ferinand Althausen
  • Patent number: 4913556
    Abstract: A rotor and stator mixing system has mixing-chamber recesses in the outer periphery of the rotor and inner periphery of the stator which are generally similar, arrayed in peripheral and axial rows and are mutually axially offset. The guide radius R of the semicircular ends of each elongated recess is also the trough radius thereof and the trough depth is less than this guide radius. The length L of the mixing chambers is three to four times the guide radius, the web width between the recesses of each circumferential row is less than half the guide radius and the shear gap width W is so selected that the shear velocity which is realized is sufficient for effective mixing by a shear action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1990
    Assignee: Reifenhauser GmbH & Co. Maschinenfabrik
    Inventors: Bernd Schroter, Wilfried Schwarz, Richard Fellmann, Hans-Joachim Bartels
  • Patent number: 4913330
    Abstract: A web feeding apparatus according to the present invention feeds in one direction a thermal transfer ribbon as a web with low transverse rigidity clamped between a platen roller and a recording head having a predetermined printing range. The web feeding apparatus comprises support members disposed on the lower-course side of the platen roller with respect to one direction and adapted to increase tension on the thermal transfer ribbon at each side edge portion thereof along one direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1990
    Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomohiko Takahashi
  • Patent number: 4901895
    Abstract: A novel vehicle bumper-storage compartment wherein the presence of the storage facility is totally hidden so as to provide the sole appearance of a bumper, but with added capability of storing and dispensing sheet material from within the storage compartment for such uses as covering a truck bed or providing adjacent emergency shelter or tenting and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1990
    Inventor: Norman M. Gancarz
  • Patent number: 4893940
    Abstract: There is provided a beverage pitcher in which is mounted a stirrer device for stirring or agitating the contents of the pitcher. The stirrer device includes a plurality of axially spaced vane lobes which are substantially equiangularly spaced about a longitudinal axis. The maximum radial extent of the vane lobes from the lognitudinal axis decreases in the direction from the lower end to the upper end of the plurality of vane lobes, so that during operative rotation of the vane lobes the stirring or agitating effect is at a minimum at the maximum upper level of the contents of the pitcher where only a minimum stirring or agitating effect is required and where substantial stirring or agitation is undesirable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1990
    Inventor: Stephen L. Waisberg
  • Patent number: 4884502
    Abstract: A metal container crushing device comprising a base member and an arm which are each pivotable attached to one another at one end. The arm fixedly supports a compact member adjacent the pivoted end of the arm and a dent member. The compact member includes a lip which, along with the compact surface, captively engages with one end of the container. The metal container crushing device is lightweight and manually operated so that metal containers and the like can be conveniently crushed in a three step operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1989
    Inventor: William S. Stacey, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4859071
    Abstract: A fraction of a fluid mixture of two non miscible phases carried in a pipe (2) is tapped by a conduit (4), pressurized by a pump (6) and reinjected by nozzles (22, 24) to form jets which spray the drops of the discontinuous phase. For this purpose, these jets are installed like bars on a grid barring the pipe (2) with opposed jets of the discontinuous phase striking each other to ensure droplet formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1989
    Assignee: Societe Anonyme dite: Alsthom
    Inventors: Jacques Woilles, Pierre Hayward
  • Patent number: 4854711
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of mixing concrete include a horizontally cylindrical mixing drum being loaded with concrete ingredients, agitating the ingredients by way of mixing elements rotating about a horizontal axis centrally located with respect to the mixing drum, rotating the mixing drum about the axis, such that an opening in the mixing drum is revolved to a horizontal elevation below the axis, and discharging the mixing drum by rotating the mixing element such that the mixing elements urge the contents thereof in the direction of and through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1989
    Assignee: The Vince Hagan Company
    Inventor: Vincent de P. Hagan
  • Patent number: 4842177
    Abstract: A tape support which provides several different functions in a reel-to-reel tape drive is disclosed. The tape support provides means for sensing tension in the tape, buffers or decouples the tape at the magnetic head from any perturbations arising at the take-up reel, and reliably guides the tape along the tape path. The tape travels along an arcuate surface of the tape support on an air bearing. A port in the arcuate surface senses pressure between the tape and the arcuate surface. This pressure is communicated to a transducer which provides an output representing the tension on the tape. Flanges on the ends of the tape support provide guiding of the tape over the air bearing and also provide venting of the air bearing to prevent tape vibration. A purge line expels a gaseous medium out of the sense port thereby keeping the sense port clear of contaminants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1989
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bernard L. Callender, William W. Chow, Thomas G. Osterday, William J. Rueger
  • Patent number: 4811875
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a portable bench which finds particular application in the automotive field. The bench is comprised of a main body for supporting a pair of opposed drawers in sliding relationship to one another. When the drawers are in a closed position, they are concealed within the main body. A support assembly is removably attached to the front of each of the drawers. In use, the bench is oriented at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The drawers are slid outward from the main body to permit the support assemblies to engage the respective opposite fenders of the vehicle. Tools, parts and related materials may be rested upon the main body which can be slid from one extremity of the bench to the other. Items placed in the drawers during use of the bench may be temporarily stored therein when the bench is removed from the vehicle and the drawers closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1989
    Inventor: Robert P. DiSimone
  • Patent number: 4572417
    Abstract: Apparatus for controlling the alignment, in a lateral (cross-track) direction, of a web moving along a path to minimize lateral deviation between successive discrete areas of such web. The apparatus includes a steering roller for supporting the web for movement along such path. The steering roller is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the span of the web approaching the steering roller. As the web moves along the path, the lateral position of a marginal edge of the web relative to a reference plane is sensed. When such lateral edge position is at either of two spaced predetermined locations relative to such reference plane, signals indicative of the presence of such edge at such locations are produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1986
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Brian J. Joseph, Stephen C. Rumsey
  • Patent number: 4456200
    Abstract: A pneumatic monitoring system for a magnetic tape drive includes a single sensor which includes a differential pressure transducer. Points in the tape drive to which vacuum is applied are coupled to one side of the sensor and points in the tape drive to which pressure is applied are coupled to the other side of the detector. The sensor produces an analog voltage representing the state of the pneumatic system. It is digitized and applied to a microprocessor which compares the sensor voltage to present ranges for calibrated conditions of the tape drive. If the sensed voltage is outside of these ranges, error conditions are indicated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1984
    Assignee: Storage Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Robert M. Ariniello