Patents Examined by Steve Gravini
  • Patent number: 5815945
    Abstract: The present invention is intended to artificially break pit membranes in cell membranes of cells constituting wood and then to readily attain dryness of the wood. In view of the fact that one pit or the other pit of pits in the form of a pair is blocked with the torus 1 in felled wood to cause poor removal of water in cells, it is intended to prevent the blockage of the pit membrane, i.e., to break the pit membrane per se, thereby facilitating easy escapement of water in cells after the breaking. In the present invention, wood fuel is burned, and subject wood is allowed to stand in a treatment chamber filled with smoky wood gas generated by the combustion for a predetermined period of time, to expose the subject wood to far-infrared radiation and components contained in the wood gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignees: Chuou Mokuzai Kaihatsu Kabusiki Kaisha, Minoru Ando
    Inventor: Minoru Ando
  • Patent number: 5813133
    Abstract: Drying a coated substrate which includes magnetic particles includes a condensing surface spaced from the substrate. This creates a longitudinal gap between the substrate and the condensing surface. Liquid is evaporated from the substrate to create a vapor and the vapor is transported to the condensing surface without requiring applied convection. The vapor is condensed on the condensing surface to create a condensate which is removed from the condensing surface. Removal is performed, using more than gravity, without allowing non-uniformities of the condensate film to occur. The magnetic particles are oriented on the coated substrate by subjecting the coated substrate to a magnetic field created at a location outside of the dryer space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1998
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: John D. Munter, William B. Kolb, Gary L. Huelsman
  • Patent number: 5813136
    Abstract: A machine for producing a sheet of material, e.g., a paper or cardboard sheet, including a pressing part having at least one pressing device and a dryer part that includes a plurality of dryer cylinders. A first dryer cylinder of the plurality of dryer cylinders may be disposed immediately adjacent to the pressing part to form transfer region therebetween. The sheet of material being directly transferred from a press roll of the pressing part to the first dryer cylinder. The first dryer cylinder being heated independently of the other plurality of dryer cylinders at a temperature to form a vapor layer between the first dryer cylinder and the sheet of material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1998
    Assignee: Voith Sulzer Papiermaschinen GmbH
    Inventor: Andreas Meschenmoser
  • Patent number: 5813135
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a coaxial waveguide applicator for an electromagnetic wave-activated sorption system which comprises at least one sorber having a metallic tubular housing defining an outer conductor and first and second ends which are sealed to define an enclosure within the outer conductor; a sorbate/sorbent compound located within the enclosure; the sorber including a port through which a sorbate may be communicated into or out of the enclosure; a metallic inner conductor extending into the outer conductor and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sorber; an electromagnetic wave generator; and a waveguide for coupling electromagnetic waves generated by the electromagnetic wave generator to the inner and outer conductors; wherein electromagnetic waves transmitted by the electromagnetic wave generator are propagated through the enclosure by the inner and outer conductors to desorb the sorbate from the sorbate/sorbent compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1998
    Assignee: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
    Inventors: Neville A. Michie, David H. Tester
  • Patent number: 5813138
    Abstract: An aerated belt conveyor system for conveying hot expanded minerals including a longitudinal power driven belt conveyor surrounded by an envelope is described herein. An exhauster creates an air flow in the envelope to aerate expanded mineral material conveyed by the power driven belt conveyor and cool the mineral material to an adequate bagging temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1998
    Inventors: Richard Barabe, Yvan Boisvert
  • Patent number: 5809664
    Abstract: A spout-fluid bed drying system and process is comprised of a spout-fluid bed dryer having a conical shaped lower section provided with a packing of heat exchange particles. A cyclone separator is connected to the top of the dryer with separated particles collected by a receiver connected to the leg of the cyclone. A vapor fan compresses the air-vapor mixture before it goes to the heat recuperator and mixing chamber. A tube-shell type heat exchanger, wherein effluent gases from the vapor fan are preheated with heat exchange with the outcoming high temperature gases. A combustion and incineration chamber wherein a natural gas burner is installed at the top and the high temperature flame is used to incinerate the effluent gases introduced from the annulus channel of the chamber to have the odors and VOCs destroyed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Societe en Commandite Gaz Metropolitain
    Inventors: Robert Legros, Jamal Chaouki, Xiao Tao Bi, Arturo Macchi, Kebir Ratnani
  • Patent number: 5806204
    Abstract: A material drying apparatus having a sealable chamber for receipt of wet material, such as clothing. In this embodiment clothing placed into the chamber is dried upon the evacuation of air from the chamber wherein moisture drawn from the clothes is condensed on a condensate coil placed in the chamber. Heating coils placed around the chamber elevate the temperature to enhance condensate operation providing an energy efficient material dryer requiring no make-up air. Condensed water is purged after the drying process although provisions provide for an interim purge should excess liquid be drawn from the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: MMATS, Inc.
    Inventors: Karl H. Hoffman, Michael Pastore, Walter Glowacki
  • Patent number: 5806206
    Abstract: A rugged, adjustable gas distributor for vertical gas/solid fluidized bed reactors. The openings in the gas distributor containing axially positionable bolt assemblies which may be alternately loosened or tightened to regulate gas flow into the fluidizing chamber without having to empty the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventor: Joel B. Christian
  • Patent number: 5806203
    Abstract: A combination drying unit has a towel roll rotatably held within a housing. An air blower, powered by a motor, is also held within the housing. The motor provides a stream of air from the air blower through an opening in the housing. The motor also powers, via an appropriate transmission unit, a guide roller, which engages a towel stream and dispenses the stream through a second opening. A sensor detects a towel outage within the device and communicates, in appropriate fashion, the towel outage condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Inventor: Joe M. Robinson
  • Patent number: 5802734
    Abstract: A method and a facility for dehydrating plants, particularly for dehydrating forage. The method consists in introducing the forage to be dehydrated in a drier with a retention time and a temperature that are suitable to achieve the at least partial drying of the leaves of the forage. The forage, when it leaves the drier, is subjected to an operation for separating the leaves from the stalks, and the leaves and stalks thus separated are then subjected, separately from each other, to additional treatments that include at least one additional drying for at least one of the two components constituted by the leaves and the stalks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Marlegreen Holding S.A.
    Inventor: Giuseppe Imo Manzolli
  • Patent number: 5802735
    Abstract: A dryer for drying dental models includes a solid base member, a top member, a variable plurality of modular drying units, each of which includes a frame and a slidable, foraminous tray, an air blower and an articulated support arm. In use, the modular drying units are positioned in an over-and-under stacked relation, such that the slidable trays therein form a column of trays. Each slidable tray contains a central aperture and a duct extending upward from the perimeter of the central aperture. The aperture and duct in the center of each tray collectively form a channel running through the center of the column of trays. The base member is fixedly connected to the articulated support arm, which supports the dryer. The top member, which is positioned on top of the uppermost modular drying unit, includes a central aperture with an inlet tube inserted therein and exhaust vents around the perimeter of its top surface for the release of air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Inventor: John Schoonhoven
  • Patent number: 5802736
    Abstract: Method and equipment for the manufacture of corrugated paper products includes separate heaters for preparing liner and medium components. Data regarding these components is collected and an optimum conditioning for the components is determined. High voltage sensors, associated electronic circuitry and computer controls are used to determine surface moisture values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Inland Paperboard and Packaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerome J. Klockenkemper, Dennis M. Judge, Charles Douglas Moore
  • Patent number: 5799409
    Abstract: Device for producing a material web in a dryer part that includes at least one dryer section having a plurality of cylinders including heated cylinders and cooled cylinders. The device may also include a porous dryer screen and a metal belt that may be guided with the material web in a meandering path alternatingly around the heated and cooled cylinders. At least one of the metal belt and the dryer screen being highly prestressed and the device may also include at least one of a heating installation and a cooling installation assigned to act on an area of a circumference of the plurality of cylinders in which the material web may be supported by the dryer screen and the metal belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Voith Sulzer Papiermaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Tri Chau-Huu, Albrecht Meinecke, Markus Oechsle
  • Patent number: 5799411
    Abstract: A steam blast box for applying steam to a web of paper conducted over a roll of a paper machine. The box has a closed steam blast chamber which extends along the roll transverse to the direction of travel of the web and to which steam can be fed. The front wall of the box, which faces the roll, has a plurality of steam outlet openings. A steam propagation space is formed between the front wall of the steam blast box and the roll. For controlling the temperature and/or for regulating the amount of heat transferred to the web of paper in the steam propagation space, an air outlet channel, which extends transverse to the direction of travel of the web and is located at the web inlet end of the steam propagation space, is provided for the admixing of air in the steam. In this way, sensitive separate, zone-wise control of the heating of the paper web can be obtained. The steam propagation space can be cooled zone-wise by feeding air on the inlet side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Voith Sulzer Papermaschinen
    Inventor: Christian Schiel
  • Patent number: 5799410
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for separating volatile components from a base material. Specifically, the apparatus comprises a gas tight reactor, an induction heating vessel, a plate and evacuating means for evacuating volatile components from the reactor. The method comprises the steps of heating the material from which the volatile components are to be removed by induction heating in a gas tight vessel. More specifically, the area surrounding the object within the gas tight vessel is filled with metal filings which are then heated by induction heating. The metal filings thus inductively heat the object, causing any volatile components therein to be released. The volatile components are then evacuated from the gas tight vessel and the metal filings removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Umwelt-Technics-Nord GmbH
    Inventor: Claus Gronholz
  • Patent number: 5799412
    Abstract: Drying of a solid polymer is disclosed in which a solid polymer obtained by polymerization (or a product of modification of the solid polymer) is contacted with a drying gas so that any solvent and/or unreacted polymerization feed materials remaining in the solid polymer are removed to thereby dry the solid polymer, and in which a gaseous polymerization feed material is used as the drying gas and contacted with the solid polymer to thereby dry the solid polymer (step i), and the resultant solid polymer is contacted with a drying gas which contains an inert gas (step ii). The drying gas can be recovered from the step (i) and part thereof can be recycled through a polymerization step as it is or be recycled, after cooling the drying gas to thereby remove any condensed components, to the step (i). Not only can the solid polymer be efficiently dried but also the solvent and unreacted polymerization feed materials recovered from the solid polymer can efficiently be recycled by the disclosed method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Mitsui Petrochemical Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryoichi Yamamoto, Satoru Ohtani, Toshimi Hachimori, Teruhisa Kojima, Takahiro Mamyoda
  • Patent number: 5797196
    Abstract: A method for providing higher yielding seed corn comprising a single-pass, reversing, high air velocity process. Another aspect of the invention concerns a conversion panel for converting a dual-pass seed corn drying system into a single-pass system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Inventor: Zenas A. Stanfield
  • Patent number: 5794358
    Abstract: A cooler/dryer includes a housing for storing bulk product including a bulk product inlet at the top of the housing and a grid structure adjacent the bottom of the housing for discharging bulk product. The grid structure is movable between open and closed positions and, in both positions, primary air flows upwardly through the grid structure to cool and/or dry the bulk product. Auxiliary air inlet ducts are located above the grid structure for flowing auxiliary air into the product bed. The primary air and the auxiliary air combine in the product bed to increase the cooling and/or drying effect without substantially increasing the velocity of the primary air through the grid structure which would otherwise affect the discharge rate of the product through the grid structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Consolidated Process Machinery, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas W. Robertson
  • Patent number: 5791066
    Abstract: An improved cyclone dryer is disclosed, having an upper, a lower cylinder and a cone-shaped chamber that define a cavity. The improved dryer is adapted for a high-speed airstream to enter the cavity via a tangential airstream orifice. Wet material is fed into the improved dryer via an input assembly that is mounted proximate an exhaust assembly and feeds wet material into the cavity, at a point proximate a lower portion of the cylinder and proximate the cone-shaped chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Hydrofuser Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard S. Crews
  • Patent number: 5791064
    Abstract: Hanging bar for drying long lengths of pasta, having in cross-section a profile which narrows from the top down, and the surface of which has a raised pattern with a repeating motif such that the lengths of pasta rest on several successive asperities of the pattern along their bent-over part in contact with the bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Nestec S.A.
    Inventor: Pietro Russo