Patents Examined by Stephen Gravini
  • Patent number: 6230419
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for drying small lots of product, for example ear corn. The method includes simultaneously directing air flow through the product while weighing the product from time to time to derive moisture content to the product. Air temperature and flow can be adjusted to desired levels for controlling the drying process. The apparatus includes an air permeable product bin and a docking station for receiving the bin. A scale is associated with the docking station to obtain weight measurements during the drying process. An air plenum supplies controlled air flow to the docking station. The structure allows monitoring of moisture content during drying and control of air flow. The temperature can also be controlled through control of an air gate from a main hot and cold air plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.
    Inventors: James L. Hinter, Charles G. McBee
  • Patent number: 6226892
    Abstract: A dryer module for drying filter supports in DNA preparation comprises a receiving member for receiving the filter support and at least one blower member, the blower member being arranged below the receiving member for receiving the filter support so that the filter support is blown on an dried from below. The dryer module also has a heating system for warming the air blown from below against the filter support, the heating system being arranged above the blower member, of which there is at least one. The dryer module is electronically controlled by a control means as a function of the measured temperature of the drying air. The dryer module can be used as a stand-along apparatus or in an automated environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: Gesellschaft fuer Biotechnologische Forschung mbH (GBF)
    Inventors: Helmut Bloecker, Gerhard Kauer
  • Patent number: 6226890
    Abstract: A method of desiccating an environment surrounding a moisture-sensitive electronic device sealed within an enclosure, includes selecting a desiccant comprised of solid particles having a particle size range 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Michael L. Boroson, Jeffrey P. Serbicki, Peter G. Bessey
  • Patent number: 6227127
    Abstract: A sintered material includes a polycrystalline substance of MgAl2O4 and/or Al2O3; and 3 to 90 weight percent of Cr2O3 and/or CeO2. Furnace material, furnace wall block, high temperature protection tube, and high temperature protecting member are made of such sintered material, and have higher heat resistance and corrosion resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Yamaguchi, Yasuhiro Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6223455
    Abstract: Improved spray drying apparati, and methods of use thereof, have been developed. The spray drying equipment includes a primary drying chamber and a secondary drying apparatus which includes tubing having a length sufficient to increase the contact time between the drying gas and the droplets/particles to dry the particles to the extent desired, at a drying rate and temperature which would be too low to provide adequate drying without the secondary drying apparatus. The secondary drying apparatus increases the drying efficiency of the spray dryer system without increasing the drying rate, while minimizing loss in yield The ratio of the length of tubing to the length of the primary drying chamber is at least 2:1. The tubing diameter is substantially smaller than the diameter of the primary drying chamber, such that the particles move at higher velocity through the tubing to minimize product losses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Acusphere, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald E. Chickering, III, Howard Bernstein, Mark Keegan, Greg Randall, Julie Straub
  • Patent number: 6223451
    Abstract: An apparatus for drying granular objects comprises, from the top of the apparatus, a holding section; a heating section for heating the granular objects flowing down from the holding section, the heating section being provided beneath the holding section and having a plurality of air ducts to which heated air is introduced; a drying air producing section connected to the air ducts, in which the heated air from the air ducts is mixed with air taken-in from the outside of the apparatus to produce a drying air; and a drying section for drying the granular objects by directly exposing the granular objects to the drying air. The dried granular objects are taken out from a taking-out section and returned to the holding section through a bucket elevator. The apparatus further comprises a detector for detecting the temperature of the drying air. Based on the detected temperature, a control device controls the temperature of the heated air so as to keep the temperature of the drying air to a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Satake Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Satake, Hou Qing Liu, Makoto Kuninobu, Keisuke Orihashi
  • Patent number: 6223450
    Abstract: A continuous process for the dewatering of a wide variety of solid-liquid matrices, including primary and secondary sludge, involves the simultaneous application of pressure and heat to solid-liquid matrices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Institute of Paper Science and Technology
    Inventor: Sujit Banerjee
  • Patent number: 6223452
    Abstract: An improved clothes dryer has a rotatable drum with an emissive coating on the drum to reflect energy from a heat source, such as a radiant infrared lamp, inside the dryer. By reflecting the energy inside the rotatable drum, the rate of heat transfer is increased, thus increasing drying rate and increasing the energy efficiency of the dryer. Convection air can be used in combination with the infrared heat to further enhance drying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventor: Michael A. Hamand
  • Patent number: 6223454
    Abstract: A method for drying a moist organic material which is continuously supplied in a stream includes passing hot air through the moist organic material in a part of the stream to absorb an amount of moisture, whereby the moist organic material cools the hot air into warm air. The warm air is reheated after it exits the moist organic material to form reheated air with increased capability of absorbing moisture, and the reheated air is passed through the moist organic material further upstream, which has a greater moisture content. The drying can preferably be performed in five minutes or less. A method for drying moist organic material using hot air includes providing the moist organic material in a continuous material stream, and providing the hot air in a continuous air stream. The air stream flows in a direction generally opposite to that of the material stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Heartland Forage, Inc.
    Inventors: Conrad F. Fingerson, Donald W. Eickhoff
  • Patent number: 6223448
    Abstract: In a device for conditioning a preferably freshly printed paper web (2) with a dryer (1) and a remoistening device, wherein the dryer (1) exhibits a heating zone (3), a temperature maintenance zone (4) and a cooling zone (5) and the remoistening device exhibits spray jets (10), arrayed above and below the transport surface of the said paper web (2), through which moisturizing agents can be admitted, and spray chambers (9) containing the same, a particularly compact form of construction is achieved, in that the cooling zone (5) of the dryer (1) contains a moisturizing device (8) for the purpose of remoistening and cooling the said paper web (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Baldwin Grafotec GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Motzke, Bruno Brischler
  • Patent number: 6219936
    Abstract: Nitrogen gas is jetted into a space on the liquid level of pure water in a drying chamber in which wafers are immersed. Simultaneously therewith, liquid-phase isopropyl alcohol is jetted at a temperature higher than the temperature of the wafers and in the vicinity of jetting openings for the nitrogen gas. When the wafers are exposed above the liquid level in the drying chamber, the pure water held on both front and rear surfaces of the wafers is replaced by the isopropyl alcohol of mist-form. The isopropyl alcohol is then evaporated, whereby the wafers are dried.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Toho Kasei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Kedo, Yoshio Takemura, Susumu Matsuda
  • Patent number: 6219935
    Abstract: A hair drying method that includes the steps of providing and installing a face shield including shielding elements for shielding the eye and ear canal areas prior to blowing hot air onto the hair to be dried.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Inventor: Maybell B. Daunoy
  • Patent number: 6219937
    Abstract: Elliptically shaped reheater conduits extend downward into a portion of a flow path that extends through a lower chamber interior space of a kiln chamber. Each of the reheater conduits has opposite ends, defines a length that extends between the opposite ends and is perpendicular to the portion of the flow path that extends through the lower chamber interior space, defines a first cross-dimension that is perpendicular to the length and parallel to the portion of the flow path, and defines a second cross-dimension that is perpendicular to both the length and the portion of the flow path. The second cross-dimension is less than the first cross-dimension. Each of the reheater conduits defines outlets positioned along the length of the reheater conduit. Each reheater conduit defines a pair of vertices between which its second cross-dimension is defined, and the outlets are proximate the vertices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Inventors: George R. Culp, Robert T. Nagel
  • Patent number: 6219934
    Abstract: A device for transferring a web of paper in the drying section of a paper making machine from one dryer to the next without any open draw. The device is a stationary vacuum bridge that is defined by a pair of walls, and includes rollers on one of the walls for the felt of the drying section to roll thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Inventor: Max Moskowitz
  • Patent number: 6216362
    Abstract: The disclosure provides an apparatus for controlling the rate of heat transfer from as-cast railroad wheels after their removal from the mold utilizing a plurality of vertically adjustable caps with a cap positioned over each wheel to control the rate of heat transfer therefrom as it is transported to a successive operation, each cap having a generally symmetrical shape to inhibit or reduce deflection of radiant energy from the wheel, and the disclosure also provides a method for controlling the rate of heat transfer including a control system to provide the requisite displacement of each cap from the associated wheel to control cooling of the wheel prior to its subsequent operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: AMSTED Industries Incorporated
    Inventor: Louis Sandor
  • Patent number: 6216360
    Abstract: A device that utilizes a method to heat dyes to color plastic lenses. The device is an electrically heated outer tank containing a heat transfer medium. An inner tank containing a dye solution is placed in side the outer tank. Lenses are placed in the dye solution along with sensor probes and microprocessor control to maximize dye diffusion into the lenses and minimize boil over of the tanks. Spill containment and agitation stirring are also features which enhance diffusion of dye into the lenses while minimizing boil over.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Inventor: Herbert A. Wertheim
  • Patent number: 6216363
    Abstract: A new method for treating the diapered area of a child's skin to prevent diaper dermatitis. The method features the use of a portable drying apparatus having a housing with an air admitting inlet and an air discharging outlet, a rotary impeller mechanism in the housing for creating a flow of air through the air outlet, and a handle mounted to the housing. The method employs the use of an air stream which is at or near air ambient temperature. Exposing the child's skin to air at such temperatures minimizes the risk of skin burn as a safe method for treating the diapered area. The present invention also includes an improved apparatus as referred to above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Inventors: Sara Swansen, Matt Allison
  • Patent number: 6216361
    Abstract: There is provided an improved method for removing water from oil based drilling fluids used in the drilling of boreholes through the ground wherein MgSO4 (magnesium sulfate) is added to the drilling fluid to scavenge the water therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Newpark Canada Inc.
    Inventors: Richard J. Smith, David Roger Jeanson
  • Patent number: 6212789
    Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor device manufacturing system capable of carrying out resist stripping or surface pre-treatment of a substrate by use of a gas such as chlorosulfuric acid with high reactivity The manufacturing system comprises a process vessel 101 formed integrally of a process chamber 1 for treating respective surfaces of substrates 202 with a chemical vapor and a chemical storage chamber 2 for storing chemical for generating the chemical vapor, and a chemical heating means 5 for heating the chemicals stored in the chemical storage chamber 2 to evaporation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignees: Canon Sales Co., Inc., Semiconductor Process Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Kato, Noboru Tokumasu, Takayoshi Azumi
  • Patent number: 6212790
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a protective resilient cover for hand held hairdryers serve to protect the shell or housing and motor and other components therein from damage in the event the hairdryer is dropped or otherwise suffers an impact. One embodiment of the present invention comprises a pair of resilient bands which are joined at their ends and which extend about the surface of the body of the hairdryer generally opposite the hand grip. The joined ends of the bands include elastic straps connecting them together, for securing the cover about the hairdryer. In another embodiment, the bands are formed integrally of a single piece of material, rather than being sewn or otherwise secured together from two separate pieces. Yet another embodiment utilizes separably fastenable connecting material (e.g., Velcro™, snap fasteners, etc.) for securing the protective device about the body of the hairdryer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Inventor: Delia Stetson