Patents Examined by Thomas M. Lithgow
  • Patent number: 5879552
    Abstract: A self-purifying filter apparatus comprising (1) a filter having a first surface and a second surface; (2) flow control means, such as a vacuum pump, for causing a stream of fluid interspersed with solid particulates to pass from the first surface to the second surface through the filter, thereby removing some of the solid particulates from the first stream of fluid and depositing them on the first surface; and (3) a purging device, such as a small reservoir of water (potentially formed, in part, by water previously filtered by the filter), for causing a second stream of fluid to pass from the second surface to the first surface through the filter without substantially changing the position of the filter, thereby rinsing and removing from the first surface at least some of the solid particulates that were deposited there.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Inventor: Michael T. Bradfield
  • Patent number: 5876558
    Abstract: The present invention provides a froth flotation process for the separation of paper and wood fibers from printed and copying inks and other contaminants during the recycling of paper. A liquid solution containing a frothing agent is applied from the top of a froth flotation device, preferably in the form of a spray, to the upper surface or portion of an aqueous pulp slurry present in the device, or of a froth phase produced in the device, prior to or during the froth flotation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Institute of Paper Science and Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yulin Deng, Junyong Zhu
  • Patent number: 5876552
    Abstract: A screening screen assembly for a vibratory screening machine including an apertured plate or frame, and a bonded subassembly of an undulating support screen and fine screening screen and finer screening screen bonded to each other by a fused plastic grid and bonded to the apertured plate or frame. A method of fabricating a screening screen assembly for a vibratory screening machine including the steps of providing a support screen, superimposing a plastic grid onto the support screen, superimposing a finer screening screen onto the fine screening screen, applying heat and pressure to the superimposed screens to fuse the plastic grid and thereby form a flat bonded laminate subassembly by causing the fused plastic grid to permeate the fine screen and the finer screen and the support screen, forming the bonded laminate subassembly into an undulating shape, providing an apertured plate or frame, and bonding the undulating bonded subassembly to the apertured plate or frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Derrick Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: John J. Bakula
  • Patent number: 5868927
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system for processing relatively small volumes of waste water such as that found in residential home use. The system first comprises a chamber adapted to hold the waste water. The system further comprises a first filter adapted to remove course material from the waste water and a second filter adapted to remove fine materials from the waste water. The system further comprises a disinfectant chamber adapted to disinfect the waste water. The system comprises a pump adapted to pump the waste water from the chamber through the first and second filters, and the disinfectant chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: Smith & Mercer, Inc.
    Inventors: Carole M. Smith, Philip W. Mercer
  • Patent number: 5868929
    Abstract: A screen assembly for a vibratory screening machine including a frame in the nature of a plate having spaced apertures therein, spaced frame members on opposite sides of the apertures, a screen formed in an undulating shape having substantially parallel ridges with downwardly sloping sides, troughs formed between the downwardly sloping sides for conducting material which is being screened, undersides on the troughs, bonds for securing the undersides of the troughs to the spaced frame members which are located on opposite sides of the apertures, and channels at the sides of the plate for securing the frame to a vibratory screening machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: Derrick Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: William W. Derrick, John J. Bakula
  • Patent number: 5868931
    Abstract: A fuel filter assembly employs a hand primer and a disposable filter cartridge mounted to a filter base. The filter cartridge and filter base define a fuel flow path through the filter assembly. The filter base includes a sump for receiving fuel that has traversed the filter element. The hand primer includes a deformable member composed of an elastomeric material that cooperates with a base plate to define a cavity. The base plate is disposed intermediate the deformable member and the base sump to separate the cavity from the fuel flow path. The base plate has a plurality of orifices to selectively provide fluid communication between the cavity and the sump. A discharge passage in fluid communication with cavity provides means for discharging air from the fuel filter assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: Stanadyne Automotive Corp.
    Inventors: Leon P. Janik, Michael J. Williams
  • Patent number: 5865318
    Abstract: An improved reverse crago process for beneficiating siliceous phosphate includes the steps of subjecting a siliceous phosphate ore material to amine floatation so as to obtain a prefloat concentrate, and screening the prefloat concentrate so as to separate it into 1) a fine predominantly phosphate fraction without substantial amounts of silica, and 2) a coarse fatty acid floatation feed fraction containing phosphate and substantial silica. The coarse fraction is subjected to fatty acid flotation so as to recover phosphate as a fatty acid flotation concentrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Assignee: Florida Institute of Phosphate Research
    Inventors: Yingxue Yu, Jinrong Zhang
  • Patent number: 5863423
    Abstract: A filter for a washing machine is disclosed. The filter includes a waterfall discharging portion. The waterfall discharging portion has a penetrating hole formed at upper portion of a front panel of a pocket type filter and discharges the washing water introduced via a guide passage into the interior of a dehydrating tub. The waterfall discharging portion includes a first protrusion protruded from lower portion of the penetrating hole having a semi-spherical shape and a second protrusion extended from rear upper portion of the penetrating hole. Accordingly, a part of the washing water discharged from the pocket type filter is guided upwardly by the guide passage and discharged into the interior of the dehydrating tub to strike the laundry in the dehydrating tub after the flow speed of the washing water is increased by the first and second protrusions. The washing efficiency against the laundry is enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1999
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jung-soo Shin, Ki-pyo Ahn
  • Patent number: 5863430
    Abstract: A continuous-belt drilling mud separation unit is removably mounted in a box-like housing disposed in the flow path of drilling mud or drilling fluids and is operated by a motor on the housing. The separation unit includes a generally rectangular frame, a tensioning system, and a wide continuous belt in the form of a mesh screen, chain, self-cleaning chain link belt, or combination chain link belt and wire mesh screen which extends around rollers or sprockets and is driven in a continuous loop moving along the longitudinal axis of the frame. As drilling mud or drilling fluids are conducted onto the moving belt, liquids and particles smaller than the openings in the belt pass through the openings and liquids and particles larger than the openings are transported on the moving belt and are discharged off of one end as the belt completes its path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1999
    Inventor: J. Terrell Williams
  • Patent number: 5863441
    Abstract: A compact dissolved-air-flotation (DAF) clarifier and clarification process utilize three zones for clarification which operate in sequence in a single clarifier. Raw water with suspended solids enters a flocculator at the center of an annular tank where microscopic air bubbles introduced to the inflow float flocked contaminants to form a floating sludge layer. A first clarification, calming and degassing occur here. The water then flows radially outwardly into the tank where further quiet clarification occurs. A third level of clarification occurs in a lower portion of the tank, specifically, in a set of plate-like lamellae, radial and conical, which form inclined channels where a final clarification occurs. The bottom wall of the tank has a set of apertures which allow a gravity flow of clarified water through a layer of pressurized gas to an underlying collection compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1999
    Assignee: Lenox Institute of Water Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Milos Krofta
  • Patent number: 5863424
    Abstract: A filter element for use in a pan, such as a oil pan for a vehicle transmission or internal combustion engine, is configured for positioning in the opening of a sump in the pan. In order to position the filter element, an inwardly projecting shoulder is provided on the wall of the sump upon which a shoulder on the frame of the filtering elements rests. Between the two shoulders a resilient seal is positioned and held compressed by a latching arrangement on the filter element. A preferred latching arrangement comprises plurality of detents that project laterally from the filter element frame and seat within indentations in the wall of the sump. Preferably, the filter element has a pleated filter media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1999
    Assignee: Dana Corporation
    Inventor: Brian Thomas Lee
  • Patent number: 5861096
    Abstract: Wastewater lagoons are treated with chlorine oxygen compounds to react with odorous sulfides and mercaptans emanating from the lagoon. A fine spray of an aqueous solution of the chlorine oxygen compound (HOCl, NaClO.sub.2, or NaOCL) is applied over the lagoon. The chlorine oxygen compounds react with the sulfides in the vapor zone above the lagoon, converting the odorous compounds to non-odorous compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1999
    Assignee: Sabre Oxidation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John Y. Mason, Darrell L. Dechant
  • Patent number: 5861094
    Abstract: A biological particle filter has an upper body with an interior chamber for receiving a suspension to be filtered, the upper body having a central axis and a lower end with a bottom surface lying in a tilted plane forming an angle of between about 75.degree. and about 85.degree. with the central axis. A lower body has a chamber for receiving the lower end and bottom surface of the upper body with an upwardly facing annular support surface. The upwardly facing support surface lies in a plane parallel with said bottom surface. A passage extends downwardly below the screen for carrying away filtered suspension. An air inlet passage extends generally radially in at an upper end of the downwardly extending passage. A filter screen is between the bottom surface and the upwardly facing support surface and lies in a plane parallel with the tilted plane of the bottom surface, the tilted plane and the air passage promoting flow of filtered suspension through and away from the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1999
    Inventor: Wolfgang Goehde
  • Patent number: 5858214
    Abstract: The present invention relates a process for simultaneously preventing formation of slime stabilized foam and decreasing reagent consumption in a phosphate beneficiation flowsheet comprising adding an effective amount of a polymer to a rougher feed slurry and/or a cationic feed slurry wherein the polymer flocculates slime, adding an effective amount of a collector and removing the flocculated slime by flotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: ARR-MAZ Products, L.P.
    Inventor: Seng N. Yap
  • Patent number: 5858220
    Abstract: A filter for a washing machine is disclosed. The filter includes a pocket type filter which filters fluff intermingled in washing water and has a front panel. The front panel is provided with a mesh net abutted to an inner surface of reinforcement member of the front panel. In addition, a filter case receives the pocket type filter therein and is provided with a washing water accelerating part at lower rear side. The washing water accelerating part gradually decreases the sectional area of the space defined by the filter case and a dehydrating tub so that the washing water is accelerated and introduced into the interior of the pocket type filter. The fluff attached to the mesh net is prevented the washing water to be easily flew so that the efficiencies of the filter and a washing machine are enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jung-soo Shin
  • Patent number: 5855769
    Abstract: Hydrophobic material is selectively separated from an aqueous feed by forming gas bubbles in a flow of the feed, forming hydrophobic material/gas bubbles aggregates by motionless mixing and separating the aggregates as a froth by use of centrifugal action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Assignee: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
    Inventors: Bruce Andrew Firth, Philip Kwadwo Ofori
  • Patent number: 5855770
    Abstract: A process for recovering a secondary base metal mineral from a material containing it involving treatment of a pulp of the material with surface modifying reagent such as a water soluble sulphide. The pulp is subjected to deaeration by introduction of a non-oxidising gas to prevent oxidation of the reagent. The process is applicable to recovery of secondary minerals such as azurite, malachite, cerussite, anglesite and zinc ferrites from host materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Assignee: Boc Gases Australia Limited
    Inventors: David Clark, Andrew Newell
  • Patent number: 5855771
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for separating pyrite from sulfide ores and coal during flotation separation which comprises the depressing of pyrite with from about 0.05 to 0.75 kilograms per ton of concentrate solids, using a pyrite depressant compounds selected from the group consisting ofR1--S (CH.sub.2').sub.n PO (OH).sub.2 (I)wheren is between 2 and 4, andR1 is selected from a group consisting of hydrogen (H) and amidine, and ##STR1## where Ro is a lower alkyl having carbon atoms in a range of 3 to 8 with 3 to 6 being preferred and a final pH in a range of 4 to 9 depending on the ore being processed, and therafter recovering the flotation concentrate thus obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Inventors: Douglas W. Fuerstenau, Guy H. Harris
  • Patent number: 5853580
    Abstract: This filter for electric pumps of windscreen washers is of generally hollow cylindrical shape open at one of its ends, the rear (13) provided with structure (14) for the coupling of an electric pump (2) with a cleaning liquid reservoir (3), and is designed to house the tubular aspiration extension (9) of an electric pump (2). At its front end (21), the filter has, to the side, a plurality of through orifices (20) forming two reticula facing each other, and to the front a plurality of through orifices (22) forming a reticulum. To the interior the filter forms an intermediate chamber (23) in which is arranged the free end of the axial extension (9) and into which there emerge the side (20) and front (22) through orifices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1998
    Assignee: Fico Transpar, S.A.
    Inventors: Luis Boguna Rusinol, Miguel Mota Lopez
  • Patent number: 5853577
    Abstract: A fluid filter comprising a housing having first and second plastic cover members each having a peripheral flange and joined together to define a housing chamber having an inlet and an outlet. A filtration media is disposed in the housing chamber between the inlet and the outlet. The peripheral flange of the first cover member has a rib. The peripheral flange of the second cover member has a gutter opposed to the rib. The filtration media has an edge portion compressed between the rib and the gutter to form a marginal seal preventing fluid entering the inlet from reaching the outlet without passing through the filtration media. The edge portion of the filtration media is pierced and anchored by spikes which project from the rib and extend into the gutter. One of the cover members has a welding rib welded to the other cover member by a process of orbital frictional vibration welding to secure the cover members together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1998
    Assignee: SPX Corporation
    Inventors: John W. Gizowski, Glenn T. Gajda, Daniel J. Morrison, Louis P. Macino, Joseph A. Geisler