Patents Examined by Steven E. Warner
  • Patent number: 4630553
    Abstract: A dual stage combustion furnace has primary and secondary combustion chambers. The primary combustion chamber contains a solid fuel, such as wood or coal. The secondary combustion chamber is formed adjacent to and in communication with the primary combustion chamber for containing and igniting volatile combustion gases produced in the primary chamber. A plurality of hollow members, which provide a grate, extend through the primary chamber, and into the secondary chamber. Volatile gases given off in the primary combustion chamber are then ignited and burned in the secondary combustion chamber upon combination with heated air passing through the hollow grate members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1986
    Inventor: Robert G. Goetzman
  • Patent number: 4628836
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for inhibiting corrosion of metal surfaces and deposition of particulates in an air preheater system. In the process, a composition (preferably aqueous) comprising a corrosion inhibiting amine and a surfactant having an HLB value of from about 8 to about 20, preferably from about 10 to about 14, is supplied to the combustion gas-in side and/or to the air-in side of the air preheater for protection of the metal surfaces and minimizing such deposits. In a preferred embodiment, the process of the invention can employ an amine salt of a C.sub.12 to C.sub.24 tertiary alkyl amine an amine oxide, or an amine oxide salt, either alone or with a surfactant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1986
    Assignee: Waterscience, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert J. Littmann
  • Patent number: 4628837
    Abstract: In a method of processing radioactive spent ion exchange resin, the spent ion exchange resin is pyrolyzed in an inert atmosphere and harmful decomposition gas such as sulfur and nitrogen compounds generated during pyrolysis is separated. Next, the spent ion exchange resin is pyrolyzed in oxidizing atmosphere and harmless gases such as carbon dioxide and water vapor gases are separated. It is preferred that a transition metal as a catalyst be adsorbed through ion exchange into spent cation exchange resin, and an anionic atom group containing a transition metal as a catalyst be adsorbed through ion exchange into spent anion exchange, before both of the pyrolysis steps. The pyrolysis is carried out at two atmosphere stages, and the harmful and harmless gases are decomposed separately. The pyrolysis in both of pyrolysis steps is effected at a temperature in the range of from 240.degree. to 420.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1986
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhide Mori, Shin Tamata, Makoto Kikuchi, Masami Matsuda, Yoshiyuki Aoyama
  • Patent number: 4628833
    Abstract: A fluidized bed process and apparatus for uniformly drying particulized wet wood material or waste, commonly called hog fuel, from in excess of 50% moisture content to a 30% level suitable for burning as boiler fuel without generating "blue haze" air pollution typical of conventional rotary dryers. The fluidized bed of this invention is divided into treatment zones by a baffle arrangement. The hog fuel flows substantially horizontally along a circuitous path through the treatment zones. Hot flue gases fluidize the bed of hog fuel and provide necessary drying heat. Fines portions from each zone are entrained by the drying gases and blown out of the vessel just as they achieve the desired level of dryness and before significant blue haze is generated. A cyclone recovers these fines as product. Gas pressure to each treatment zone is adjusted so that only the desired amount of hog fuel is blown from the bed with the balance proceeding to subsequent zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1986
    Assignee: The Garrett Corporation
    Inventors: Michael A. O'Hagan, Richard D. Smith
  • Patent number: 4628832
    Abstract: A dual fuel burner for a furnace having a tubular housing with upstream and downstream ends and a coaxially disposed ignition chamber terminating in a discharge opening at the downstream end of the housing. A high volatility fuel is ignited within the ignition chamber and the resulting flame passes through the discharge opening. A plurality of pulverized solid fuel conduits surround the ignition chamber and extend from the upstream end to the downstream end of the housing where they discharge the fuel in close proximity to the discharge opening of the ignition chamber. An air intake supplies air to the downstream end of the housing, and a bulkhead is disposed between the air intake and the upstream end of the housing preventing air from flowing towards the upstream end. The air flowing through the downstream end flows out of the housing in a generally annular pattern between the flame issuing from the discharge opening and the solid fuel discharged from the conduits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1986
    Assignee: Coen Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph R. Vosper
  • Patent number: 4628834
    Abstract: A vibratory fluidized bed reactor vibrates a solid particle bed to fluidize the bed, and air or other gaseous stream is injected into the bed. The reactor can employ a rotationally-vibrated bowl or a linearly-vibrated pan. The vibratory motion keeps the particles evenly distributed and prevents blowholes from developing, leading to improved reaction. The vibratory motion also marches particles up a spiral groove in the circumferential wall of the bowl, e.g., to facilitate ash removal from the fuel bed, to recycle reactants or catalysts, to sequence reactants to subsequent stages, etc. In the case of the pan, vibratory motion marches the particles up an inclined plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1986
    Inventor: Alastair H. McKelvie
  • Patent number: 4628870
    Abstract: A model steam generator including a system for facilitating the inspection of the sample tubes within the boiler vessel of the model generator is disclosed herein. The system includes means for detachably connecting the tubesheet from the primary and secondary sides of the boiler vessel. In the preferred embodiment, both end of the tubesheet and the abutting ends of the primary and secondary sides of the boiler vessel are circumscribed by tapered flanges. The tubesheet is detachably connected from the primary and secondary sides of the boiler vessel by means of Grayloc.RTM.-type annular clamps which are circumscribed by grooves for receiving the abutting flanges at the tubesheet joints. Additionally, the system includes a frame for suspending the secondary side of the boiler vessel, a wheeled cart having a jack for both laterally and vertically moving the primary side of the boiler vessel and the tubesheet into a clamping position onto the secondary side of the boiler vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1986
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Robert Draper, Donald G. Lorentz
  • Patent number: 4627305
    Abstract: A bicycle speed change lever comprising: a stationary support spindle having an internally threaded axial hole and fixed at its one end to a bicycle frame tube, a lever handle rotatably mounted at its hole end portion on the support spindle, a plurality of washers supported on the spindle, a clipping holder which has a pair of axially spaced, holed disk-like portions resiliently connected to a cross arm and which is non-rotatably mounted on the spindle, with the washers and the holed end portion of the lever handle sandwiched between the pair of disk-like portions, to hold them together by pressure, and a lock bolt having its threaded shank engaged with the threaded axial hole of the spindle for applying adjusted frictional force to the holed end portion of the lever handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1986
    Assignee: Maeda Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Mikio Hosokawa
  • Patent number: 4627173
    Abstract: A fluidized bed process and apparatus for uniformly drying particulized wet wood material or waste, commonly called hog fuel, from in excess of 50% moisture content to a 30% level suitable for burning as boiler fuel without generating "blue haze" air pollution typical of conventional rotary dryers. The fluidized bed of this invention is divided into treatment zones by a baffle arrangement. The hog fuel flows substantially horizontally along a circuitous path through the treatment zones. Hot flue gases fluidize the bed of hog fuel and provide necessary drying heat. Fines portions from each zone are entrained by the drying gases and blown out of the vessel just as they achieve the desired level of dryness and before significant blue haze is generated. A cyclone recovers these fines as product. Gas pressure to each treatment zone is adjusted so that only the desired amount of hog fuel is blown from the bed with the balance proceeding to subsequent zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1986
    Assignee: The Garrett Corporation
    Inventors: Michael A. O'Hagan, Richard D. Smith
  • Patent number: 4627365
    Abstract: A mobile garbage incinerator having an incinerator body unit. The incinerator body unit includes a hanging drum for lifting and dumping garbage into a collecting tank. Garbage is then moved into a main incinerating room for a first stage incineration process. The resulting ashes are collected and compressed. The resulting waste gases are passed into a sphere-shaped secondary incinerating room. The resulting quasi-purified air is passed into an air-circulating tank for separating dust particles. The resulting further purified air is passed through a water curtain and then passed into the atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1986
    Inventor: Kuo-yuan Tseng
  • Patent number: 4624152
    Abstract: An activating device, in particular a clutch activating device for vehicles equipped with a clutch pedal mounted on a stationary pivot. The clutch pedal is connected to a drive mechanism controlling the activating force of the pedal. The drive mechanism includes a control lever on which an intermediate lever connected to the clutch pedal is held. The drive mechanism includes a first lever joint with the control lever, which is acted upon by a compression spring and which is swivel mounted on a stationary pivot, as well as the attached intermediate lever. This forms a second lever joint with an activating lever of the pedal. The assembly forms an increasing effective lever arm when the pedal is depressed such that the activating force of the clutch pedal is maintained at a substantially constant level for at least a portion of the clutch disengaging process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1986
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c.F., Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Erich Stotz, Reinhard Horn
  • Patent number: 4624219
    Abstract: An instantaneous demand gas fired hot water heater apparatus having the water temperature sensing thermostat disposed in the upper hot water outlet header with the inlet flow of unheated water directed to flow in a preferred flow path across the temperature sensing element. The temperature sensing element location in the upper header of the heater provides an extremely sensitive and efficient burner control. Upon initial output demand of hot water the lower temperature of the unheated water is immediately sensed by the temperature sensing element to immediately commence burner operation. Upon termination of heater water demand, the heated water temperature is rapidly sensed by the temperature sensing element to promptly terminate the supply of the gas to the burner and minimize unnecessary heating of the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1986
    Inventor: Alan B. McCorquodale
  • Patent number: 4622904
    Abstract: A fluidized bed calciner cooperating with a pulverized coal boiler includes a two tier fluidized lime cooling bed arrangement. Control of the combustion air flow through the fluidized bed calciner by means of a bypass achieves flexible operation and economy. The cooling beds transfer heat from the hot lime to the combustion air, and a bypass controls the temperature of the air flowing to the combustion chamber. The two tier arrangement is compact and adaptable to the retrofitting of a standardized pulverized coal boiler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1986
    Assignee: The Babcock & Wilcox Company
    Inventors: Melvin E. Murphy, Wadie F. Gohara
  • Patent number: 4621538
    Abstract: The application relates to a lockable and releasable pedal mounting arrangement for a foot-operated parking brake of a motor vehicle, which mounting is fastened to a cowl column in the driver's foot space in the junction region of a dashboard cowl and pivotable out of the foot space about a pedal pivot under the effect of a rearward deformation of the cowl as the result of an accident so that there is little adverse effect on the inner safety of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1986
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Ernst Senft, Hans Hirth, Herbert Klemmer
  • Patent number: 4621505
    Abstract: A flow-through surge receiver for a refrigeration system having compressor, condenser and evaporator means, in which a surge-type receiver forms a reservoir for liquid refrigerant and has a flow-through conduit receiving refrigerant from the condenser means and an outlet for passing such refrigerant directly to the evaporator means in by-pass relation with the receiver reservoir, and a passageway for establishing fluid communication between said conduit and reservoir below the normal liquid refrigerant level in the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1986
    Assignee: Hussmann Corporation
    Inventors: Roland A. Ares, James M. Cromer, Wayne G. Schaeffer, William C. Wehmeier
  • Patent number: 4621592
    Abstract: A flash boiler or steam generator includes a shell defining a combustion chamber. A coil bank is mounted adjacent to the combustion chamber and includes an inner coil defining a heat absorption chamber. An intermediate coil is positioned in the chamber surrounding the inner coil. An outer coil surrounds the intermediate coil. The outer coil is in serial communication with a source of fluid and with the inner coil. The inner coil is in serial communication with the intermediate coil and the intermediate coil communicates with an outlet. To limit pressure drop through and increase heat transfer by the coils, the diameter of the inner coil is larger than the diameter of the outer coil and the diameter of the intermediate coil is larger than the diameter of the inner coil. To further increase the heat absorption efficiency of the coil bank, an extended surface is defined on at least a portion of the outer coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1986
    Assignee: Vapor Corporation
    Inventor: Michael J. McInerney
  • Patent number: 4620820
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is presented for anchoring a tension leg platform to the ocean floor using an anchor having an upper and lower assembly. The anchor's upper assembly is operatively connected to the lower ends of the tethers forming the tension legs of the tension leg platform, and acts to space and align each tether in a vertical manner when the anchor's upper assembly is connected to the anchor's lower assembly, which has previously been secured to the ocean floor by anchor piles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1986
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventor: Bruce G. Collipp
  • Patent number: 4617877
    Abstract: A steam generator in which a plurality of vertically spaced fluidized beds are provided in a single enclosure, with one boundary wall of the enclosure having openings therein for permitting the discharge of effluent gases from the fluidized beds. A heat recovery enclosure is defined adjacent the beds for receiving their effluent gases and a fluidized bed is disposed in the heat recovery enclosure. A separator system is disposed adjacent the heat recovery enclosure and receives the effluent gases from the heat recovery enclosure and separates the entrained solid particles therefrom. The separated particles are reinjected into the fluidized bed in the heat recovery enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1986
    Assignee: Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation
    Inventor: Robert L. Gamble
  • Patent number: 4617878
    Abstract: In a steam generating system, steam condensate extracted from steam used to reheat boiler water in heaters (H1, . . . , H4) is revaporized in the recuperators-vaporizers (RV1, . . . , RV3) by heat exchange contact with the flue gas from boiler (B). The steam thus formed is recycled to contribute to the reheating of the water fed to the boiler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1986
    Assignee: Engetra S.A.
    Inventor: Andre J. Paquet
  • Patent number: 4616575
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for the heat treatment of fine-grained material wherein the degree of efficiency of the last cyclone of a multi-cyclone preheater preceding a filter is reduced in the finest grain size range and at least a proportion of the filter dust deposited in the filter is passed directly to the calciner. In this way material is prevented from caking and flowing in batches in the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1986
    Assignee: Krupp Polysius AG
    Inventor: Hans-Gerd Schulte