Patents Examined by Scott R Kastler
  • Patent number: 11654481
    Abstract: Plate condition tool for the measurement of condition data of slide gate valve plates coupled to the slide gate valve of a metallurgic vessel, said slide gate valve comprising a collector nozzle, said plate condition tool comprising: a) a main body comprising an obturator for obturating at least partially the collector nozzle; b) a gas injecting device comprising a pressure regulator for injecting a gas in the collector nozzle through the obturator; c) a gas flow measuring device for measuring the flow of the gas injected by the gas injecting device d) a controller being communicatively connected to the gas flow measuring device and being configured to receive input data relating to the relative position of the slide gate valve plates; and wherein the obturator comprises a seal holder for holding a collector nozzle seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Vesuvius Group S.A.
    Inventors: Corentin Picard, Antonio Favia, Denis Juan
  • Patent number: 11654478
    Abstract: The invention provides a casting equipment (1) for casting melt (15) into a cast product (80) comprising a supply reservoir (10) for supplying the melt (15), a distribution reservoir (20), a casting apparatus (25) having a melt inlet connected to the distribution reservoir (20) for producing the cast product (80), a supply conduit (30) fluidly connecting the supply reservoir (10) and the distribution reservoir (20), an electromagnetic pump (35) provided on the supply conduit (30) and operable to generate a force in the melt (15) in the supply conduit (30), a level sensor (40) for measuring a level of the melt (15) in the distribution reservoir (20) and/or in the supply reservoir (10), a controller operably connected to the pump (35) and the level sensor (40), wherein the supply conduit (30) is sealed or sealable from a pressure of the atmosphere, wherein the controller is configured to control an operation of the pump (35) based on a level signal from the level sensor (40), and wherein, at least during a stea
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: NORSK HYDRO ASA
    Inventors: Arild Håkonsen, Rune Ledal
  • Patent number: 11654480
    Abstract: Slide closure for a metallurgical vessel, with two compensation units I and II for equalizing overloads, which may result from the thermal extension and spreading of the fire-proof closure plate thicknesses conditional on manufacturing, and/or from the upper inner shell, wherein the inner shell can also be reduced during operation. The compensation unit I consists of a spring arrangement with fastening screws which can be moved away between the housing and a cover of the housing. The compensation unit II consists, for its part, of a spring arrangement with an insertion frame pressing against the lower closure plate, which insertion frame is fixed to the bottom of the housing with fastening screws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Refractory Intellectual Property GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Beat Heinrich, Thomas Amstutz
  • Patent number: 11656028
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for a spray-cooled roof of a tilting metallurgical furnace having a drain pump. The spray-cooled roof has a hollow metal roof section. The hollow metal roof section has an outer metal covering member, an inner metal base member spaced from and opposite the outer metal covering member, an enclosed space disposed between the outer metal covering member and the inner metal base member, and a spray-cooled system disposed in the enclosed space. An evacuation drain is fluidly coupled to the enclosed space and a pump is integrated into the spray-cooled roof and coupled to the evacuation drain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Systems Spray-Cooled, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott A. Ferguson, Troy D. Ward
  • Patent number: 11650013
    Abstract: A conveying system (1) for conveying a material along a conveying path. The system (1) includes a system housing (3) having a conveying chamber (5), in which the conveying path is arranged, and having at least one secondary chamber (6 to 8), which is connected to the conveying chamber (5) by at least one passage opening and has a fluid atmosphere that is physically and/or chemically different from the fluid atmosphere in the conveying chamber (5). The at least one passage opening (9, 10) and the fluid atmospheres in the conveying chamber (5) and the at least one secondary chamber (6 to 8) set a defined fluid flow in the system housing (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Inventor: Gerald Rosenfellner
  • Patent number: 11644239
    Abstract: An arrangement for heat treating component parts. The arrangement has a first temperature control station for heat treating component parts and a second temperature control station for heat treating component parts, wherein the first temperature control station and the second temperature control station each have a temperature control device, on each of which a functional device is placeable. The functional device is a charging device for carrying component parts to be temperature-controlled or a device of the temperature control device. The arrangement further has a charging station, on which the functional device is placeable, and a handling system for handling the functional device, wherein the handling system is configured to convey the functional device between the charging station, the first temperature control station and the second temperature control station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Ebner Industrieofenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Ebner, Günter Grillberger, Peter Ladner, Martin Lauber
  • Patent number: 11644240
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a temperature-control unit for a furnace device for heat treating a plate, in particular a metal plate. The temperature-control unit has a temperature-control body, which is arrangeable in a furnace chamber of the furnace device. The temperature-control body has a plurality of receiving bores. Furthermore, the temperature-control unit has a plurality of temperature-control pins, wherein the temperature-control pins are mounted in the receiving bores movably relative to the temperature-control body. The temperature-control pins are controllable in such a way that a temperature-control group of the temperature-control pins is extendable from the temperature-control body in the direction towards the plate, so that a thermal contact between the temperature-control group of the temperature-control pins and a predetermined temperature-control zone of the plate is generatable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Ebner Industrieofenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Ebner, Andreas Sauschlager, Anton Oppermann, Daniel Schatz, Günter Kirschner, Lukas Heitzmann, Harald Humer, Mustafa Music
  • Patent number: 11638954
    Abstract: A gate for metallurgic vessels is provided with a collector nozzle coupled to a bottom plate assembly of the gate. The bottom plate assembly allows a collector nozzle to be coupled to a bottom gate plate without need of a separate bayonet ring. A bayonet ring is integrated to the bottom plate assembly, allowing a collector nozzle to be mounted by a single robot, or by a single operator more easily than existing systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: VESUVIUS GROUP, S.A.
    Inventor: Fabrice Sibiet
  • Patent number: 11634802
    Abstract: The cold-rolled steel sheet having a high bake hardening amount and excellent bendability after bake hardening according to the present invention has a predetermined composition, and contains 20% or more and 70% or less of ferrite and 30% or more of tempered martensite in terms of area ratio, in which a sum of ferrite and tempered martensite is 90% or more, and in a case where a microstructure image of 30 ?m×30 ?m obtained by photographing a structure at a magnification of 2,000-fold is disposed in an xy coordinate system having a sheet thickness direction as an x-axis and a rolling direction as a y-axis, the microstructure image is divided into 1024 pieces in an x-axis direction and 1024 pieces in a y-axis direction to form 1024×1024 divided regions, and a two-dimensional image is created by performing double gradation by assuming a value of “1” in each of the divided regions in one case where the structure is ferrite and assuming a value of “0” in the other cases, a heterogeneity ? when two-dimensional disc
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kaido, Mai Nagano, Koutarou Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11635258
    Abstract: An overflow system for a doorway exhaust hood on a metal melt furnace having an eductor gas circulator. The system includes a manifold with an inlet near the hood's lower lip, and a conduit between the manifold and eductor. A blower draws gas into the manifold and urges that gas through the conduit, into the eductor, and into the furnace. Sensors detect when the door is open and the volatiles level under the hood. An electronic controller instructs the blower to draw exhaust gases through the manifold when the door is open and the volatiles level exceeds a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: GPRE IP, LLC
    Inventors: John M. Peterman, Mark A. Roberts
  • Patent number: 11634241
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the inventive technology may be described as apparatus for melting and reshaping metal from a first shape into a second shape in a microgravity or zero gravity environment, such as a space foundry, where such apparatus includes feedstock input componentry (5) configured to accept conductive metal feedstock (7) having the first shape, a furnace and a furnace pre-stage (22) established upflow of the furnace, a plurality of electromagnetic field generators (10), each of which is configured to generate an electromagnetic field, to, e.g., steer, melt and/or move the metal, whether melt or otherwise, and casting componentry (15) configured to reshape molten metal to the second shape. Certain embodiments may achieve a high degree of control over electromagnetic fields by offering individual adjustment of one or more electrical parameters of the electromagnetic field generators (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: CisLunar Industries USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph W. Pawelski, Toby Joseph Daniel Mould, Jan Walter Schroeder, Gary Douglas Calnan
  • Patent number: 11636976
    Abstract: Disclosed are a device and method for continuously performing grain boundary diffusion and heat treatment, characterized in that the alloy workpiece or the metal workpiece are arranged in a relatively independent processing box together with a diffusion source; the device comprises, in successive arrangement, a grain boundary diffusion chamber, a first cooling chamber, a heat treatment chamber, and a second cooling chamber, and a transfer system provided between various chambers for delivering the processing box; each of the first cooling chamber and the second cooling chamber uses an air cooling system, and the cooling air temperature of the first cooling chamber is above 25° C. and at least differs by 550° C. from the grain boundary diffusion temperature of the grain boundary diffusion chamber; the cooling air temperature of the second cooling chamber is above 25° C. and at least differs by 300° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Fujian Changting Golden Dragon Rare-Earth Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Qingjiang Wang, Zongbo Liao, Yulin Lin, Changgeng Huang
  • Patent number: 11635257
    Abstract: A smelting apparatus for smelting metallic ore comprising a furnace having a continuous curved wall and end walls defining a longitudinal volume having a longitudinal axis in a horizontal direction. The continuous curved wall has a lowermost area. The longitudinal volume is divided in at least three longitudinal layers comprising a top layer within which gasified fuel is combusted for creating a hot gas composition to release, from the metallic ore, at least molten metal and slag, a lowermost layer at the lowermost area for holding molten metal, and a mid-layer above the lowermost layer in which the slag accumulates. The present document also describes processes using the smelting apparatus for producing ferrous and non-ferrous minerals from a metallic ore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: NSGI Steel Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Cox, Enrico Di Cesare
  • Patent number: 11619448
    Abstract: A molten metal scrap submergence system comprising a furnace and a vortexing scrap submergence well. The vortexing scrap submergence well includes a diverter suspended above the well and oriented for immersion in a bath of molten metal circulating within the well. The system, or an alternative scrap submergence system, can include a hood element disposed in an overlapping position with regard to a top opening of the scrap submergence well. The hood at least substantially seals the top opening. The hood element includes a scrap piece feed chute and a burner allowing carbon containing vapor evaporated from the surface of the molten scrap pieces to combust and form predominantly water. The system, or an alternative scrap submergence system can include internal side walls of the well with a first diameter portion adjacent and above said ramp and a second, larger diameter portion above said first portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Pyrotek, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard S. Henderson, Chris T. Vild, Jason Tetkoskie
  • Patent number: 11614283
    Abstract: A slag door for a melting furnace for the production of steel is suitable to be associated with an aperture provided in a lateral wall of the melting furnace and to cooperate with a slag channel provided inside the melting furnace itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: DANIELI & C. OFFICINE MECCANICHE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Paulo Da Costa, Franco Scotti, Paolo Burin
  • Patent number: 11612922
    Abstract: A cooling device for cooling a metallic item and a method for operating the cooling device. Such cooling devices having a plurality of cooling bars arranged in parallel in groups for applying a coolant to the metallic item are known in the prior art. In order to be able to set a desired distribution function of the coolant over the width of the metallic item as precisely as possible, the cooling device provides that similar application regions in at least two cooling bars within a group are each formed differently with respect to their contour and/or with respect to their surface area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: SMS GROUP GMBH
    Inventors: August Sprock, Christoph Hassel, Ulrich Cramer
  • Patent number: 11607744
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to weldability of steel alloys that provide weld joints which retain hardness values in a heat affected zone adjacent to a fusion zone and which also have improved resistance to liquid metal embrittlement due to the presence of zinc coatings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: United States Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel James Branagan, Alla V. Sergueeva, Brian E. Meacham, Andrew E. Frerichs, Sheng Cheng, Scott T. Larish, Grant G. Justice, Andrew T. Ball, Craig S. Parsons, Logan J. Tew, Scott T. Anderson, Kurtis R. Clark, Taylor L. Giddens, Tad V. Machrowicz, Jonathan M. Cischke
  • Patent number: 11607731
    Abstract: A caster assembly configured to process and store a material includes a reaction chamber, a storage assembly configured to store material processed in the reaction chamber, and a blower configured to process and store the material. The reaction chamber includes a vessel configured to hold the material in a melted state prior to processing and a powder generating assembly configured to receive the material from the melting vessel. The powder generating assembly includes a feeding chamber and a feeding device disposed at least partially within the feeding chamber. The feeding device includes at least one nozzle configured to inject inert fluid, where the fluid is a gas, liquid, or combination of the two into the feeding chamber and a material inlet through which the material is configured to flow into the feeding chamber to be exposed to the inert fluid, where the fluid is a gas, liquid, or combination of the two.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Noveon Magnetics Inc.
    Inventors: Miha Zakotnik, Davide Prosperi, Gojmir Furlan, Catalina O. Tudor, Alex Ivor Bevan
  • Patent number: 11608544
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for recovering precious metals from electronic waste utilising biometallurgical techniques. In one aspect, a method of recovering one or more target metals from electronic waste, includes (a) removing at least a portion of non-target material from the electronic waste or grinding to a preselected size particle to give pre-processed electronic waste; (b) contacting the pre-processed electronic waste with a lixiviant such that at least a portion of the target metal(s) dissolve into the lixiviant to produce a pregnant solution; (c) contacting a microorganism with the pregnant solution such that at least a portion of the target metal(s) ions biosorb to the microorganism wherein the microorganism becomes metal laden and the pregnant solution becomes barren; (d) substantially separating the metal laden microorganism from the barren solution; and (e) recovery of the target metal(s) from the metal laden microorganism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: MINT INNOVATION LIMITED
    Inventors: Oliver Crush, Reece Whitby, Ryan Smith
  • Patent number: 11603306
    Abstract: Methods and systems for the production and delivery of lithium metal of high purity are provided herein. In one or more embodiments, a liquid lithium delivery system contains a liquid lithium delivery module fluidly coupled to a lithium refill container. The liquid lithium delivery module contains a lithium storage region operable to store liquid lithium and containing a fluid supply line fluidly coupling an outlet port of a liquid lithium storage tank, and a flow meter positioned downstream from the lithium storage region along the fluid supply line and operable to monitor the flow of the liquid lithium through the fluid supply line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Jean Delmas, Bernard Frey