Patents Examined by Timothy M. McMahon
  • Patent number: 5449496
    Abstract: The invention relates to a downflow fluid cracking process and apparatus, particularly suitable for use in the catalytic cracking of heavy hydrocarbon charges. More specifically, removal of at least partly regenerated catalyst, which must be recycled to the reactor 1 from a dense phase 17a contained in a regenerator 17, and the introduction of the catalyst into the upper part 3 of the reactor 1 takes place under conditions such that the density of the thus formed gas-solid suspension is between 80 and 500 kg/m.sup.3 prior to its contacting with the charge, which is introduced by the injectors 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 12, 1995
    Assignee: Institut Francais Du Petrole
    Inventors: Renaud Pontier, Frederic Hoffmann, Pierre Galtier
  • Patent number: 5449499
    Abstract: An apparatus for deflecting a flow of a fluid from an inflow conduit, through a deflection zone and into at least one outlet conduit having an axis and being bent by a deflection angle relative to the inflow conduit, includes components being disposed in the deflection zone and largely avoiding a flow through an adjacent two of the components. Each of the components has a main axis forming an acute angle with the axis of the outflow conduit, is elongated along the main axis, has a first end facing toward the outflow conduit and a second end opposite to the first end, along the main axis, and protrudes into the deflection zone with the first end. The fluid may be a gas, such as flue gas and a deNO.sub.x catalytic converter may be disposed downstream of the outflow conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 12, 1995
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Heinrich Bauer, Gerhard Berner
  • Patent number: 5447694
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for converting exhaust gas which comprises NO.sub.x, CO, and hydrocarbons, to innocuous products. Exhaust gas is contacted in undiverted flow with a zeolite suitable for adsorption of hydrocarbons, and with a main catalyst suitable for conversion of NO.sub.x, CO, and hydrocarbons to innocuous products. Adsorption occurs when the temperature of the zeolite is suitable therefor. Conversion occurs when the temperature of the main catalyst is suitable therefor. The zeolite and main catalyst are connected directly to one another, that is, in-line, without by-pass valving. The zeolite can be Y zeolite, Beta, ZSM-5, and combinations thereof, and has a SiO.sub.2 to Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 mole ratio of no greater than about 200, and is ion exchanged with a metal which can be rare earth, chromium, and combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1995
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Srinivas H. Swaroop, Raja R. Wusirika
  • Patent number: 5447684
    Abstract: Compositions, devices, and methods are disclosed for achieving rapid sterilization. A device for reducing surface tension in liquids is also disclosed. Both cationic and anionic surfactants are simultaneously present and used with a germicide to accelerate sterilization at room temperatures. One device includes a tablet, absorbent body, or other carrier which carries both an anionic surfactant and a cationic surfactant. Another device includes a hermetically sealable envelope which contains an anionic surfactant and a cationic surfactant, preferably with a germicide which impregnates an absorbent liner. The composition includes a germicide, an anionic surfactant, and a cationic surfactant. Glutaraldehyde solutions are the preferred germicides; sulfosuccinic acid, ester with ethoxylated lauryl alcohol, disodium salt is a preferred anionic surfactant; and, a quaternary ammonium salt is the preferred cationic surfactant. A sterilization method is performed by exposing an object to the disclosed compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1995
    Inventor: Robert M. Williams
  • Patent number: 5447869
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method of detecting bitter or odor odorous substances, which method comprises adsorbing the bitter or odorous substances onto an immobilized bilayer film and directly, quantitatively, separately, and selectively detecting the adsorbed bitter or odorous substances, and an apparatus therefor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1995
    Assignee: Sogo Pharmaceutical Company Limited
    Inventor: Yoshio Okahata
  • Patent number: 5443796
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming and dispensing a liquid coating material formulation or solution containing a nitrocellulose liquid coating composition and a supercritical fluid as a fluid diluent includes structure for combining the two components within a circuitous flow path or loop to form the coating material solution or formulation, while ensuring that the dissolved solids within the liquid coating composition do not precipitate and clog the supply of fluid diluent into the loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1995
    Assignee: Nordson Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Coeling, Laurence B. Saidman, James C. Smith, James W. Messerly, Stanley E. Mayer
  • Patent number: 5441705
    Abstract: The reaction canister for a passenger side airbag restraint system comprises a trough-like main body and a substantially cylindrical inflator housing which are extruded in one piece. The generant charge and igniter strips within the inflator housing are also extruded. The generant charge may be divided into active and inert segments to control the volume of gas produced upon ignition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1995
    Assignee: Morton International, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald R. Lauritzen, David J. Green, Larry D. Rose
  • Patent number: 5439641
    Abstract: Malodorous/foul smelling paper mill effluents are deodorized by treating same with an effective deodorizing amount, e.g., from 0.01% to 5% by weight thereof, of an alkyl or polyoxyalkylene ester of undecylenic acid, for example methyl undecylenate or a polyoxyethylene undecylenate having 8 or 10 ethylene oxide recurring structural units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignees: Elf Atochem S.A., Delta Agro Industries
    Inventors: Henri-Jean Caupin, Aim Menassa
  • Patent number: 5439522
    Abstract: In a device for locking a flat, discoid substrate 9 provided with a central opening 38 onto a substrate plate 22 provided with a centering post 35 projecting above the substrate bearing surface 42 of a vacuum coating apparatus for transporting the substrate from one to the other treatment station and/or for putting the substrate into or taking it out of the treatment chamber or transport chamber 13, 14 through an airlock, the centering post 35 has a cross-sectional area enabling the centering post 35 to pass through the central opening 38 and it is provided with an annular groove which runs approximately at the level of the upper surface of the substrate remote from the plane of the substrate bearing surface 42, while an endless slantingly wound coil spring 37 is placed into the annular groove 40, and upon the action of a force (P) directed radially toward the spring flattens the outer torus surface enveloping the spring 39, and thus locks the substrate pushed over the spring 37 at the upper edge of the openi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignee: Leybold Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Jaroslay Zejda
  • Patent number: 5437845
    Abstract: The apparatus for activating carbon-containing material has an inlet for feeding carbon-containing material into a drum-shaped reactor, which is arranged so that its axis is substantially horizontal and has a cylindrical helix for moving the material about and along its axis. Heating burners are arranged outside the drum-shaped reactor and ducts are provided for introducing a stream of superheated steam inside the drum-shaped reactor. There are also discharge ports for discharging the activated carbon-containing material outside the drum-shaped reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1995
    Assignee: O.E.T. Calusco S.r.l.
    Inventors: Osvaldo Brioni, Dario Buizza
  • Patent number: 5435975
    Abstract: This invention refers to a process for generation of an inert gas utilized for backsurging and artificial lift in oil wells, in which the flue gas, after the discharge of the diesel engine (1), is initially cooled and submitted to a state of separation of water and eventual solid particles, being thereafter admitted into the (reciprocating) compressors (8, 10) (amounting to 4 stages), in which it shall be compressed up to the working pressure (2,500 psi-nearly 172 atm), being thereafter cooled down to the working temperature (100.degree. F.-nearly 38.degree. C.), being then available for utilization. The skid-mounted system for inert gas generation of this invention includes, as well, a diesel engine (1) for discharge of the flue gas as from the Turbine of the Turbocompressor (3), cooling means (4, 7, 8, 11 and 12) for temperature reduction of the flue gas, means (5, 9) for separation of water and eventual solid particles from the flue gas, and means (6, 10) for compressing the flue gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1995
    Assignee: Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - PETROBRAS
    Inventor: Braulio Luis C. X. Bastos
  • Patent number: 5433925
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for removing SO.sub.2 from low-volume gas streams containing high concentrations of SO.sub.2 includes a tank scrubber containing an aqueous SO.sub.2 absorbent and an impeller. The tank scrubber has an unpartitioned vessel. The impeller includes a vertical rotating shaft having an upper and lower impeller. The lower impeller serves to agitate the SO.sub.2 absorbent. The upper impeller includes a shroud thereby directing the absorbent and gas outwardly toward the wall of the scrubber. The gas is injected into the absorbent at a point below the shrouded impeller. The shroud prevents gas bypass and thereby promotes gas-liquid mixing and, consequently, markedly improves SO.sub.2 removal efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1995
    Assignee: Freeport-McMoRan Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas H. McCord, Jay C. Smith, Robin W. Strickland
  • Patent number: 5433921
    Abstract: Process and installation for supplying at least one pure active gas to at least one utilization station (P.sub.i) in a first building (A) at a utilization site. It comprises the steps of providing, at the utilization site, a second safety building (B) at a distance from the first building (A), providing at least one source (2; 7; 10) of said gas in the second building (B), and transferring, by at least one safety conduit (C) of high cleanliness, the gas, at a low pressure, to the utilization station (P.sub.i). There is also taught the step of purifying (4; 11) the gas in the second building (B) before transfer to the conduit (C). The pure gas is prepared in situ (2, 4; 10, 11) in the second building (B). There can alternatively be provided, adjacent to the second building (B), at least one source of vector gas (1), with mixing in controlled fashion (6; 9), in the second building (B), the pure active gas with the vector gas before transfer of the mixture to the conduit (C).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1995
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventor: Yasuo Sato
  • Patent number: 5431880
    Abstract: A light transmittance type analytical system for the rapid quantitation of minute amounts of an analyte in a fluid sample and an optical component and test device useful therein are; disclosed. The analytical system employs an assay in which the presence of the analyte in the assayed sample is productive of an insoluble substantially opaque, light absorptive colored end product. In the preferred use of the analytical system, the end product is formed in contact with a light and fluid permeable optical component in the form of a matrix of compacted substantially water insoluble granules of reflective material which has a light scattering coefficient of at least about 80 and is substantially nonabsorptive of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Inventor: Donald L. Kramer
  • Patent number: 5431885
    Abstract: A cartridge including a cylindrical annulus of a porous material adapted to be impregnated with vaporizable deodorizing, disinfecting or humidifying material, having a plurality of openings encircling its central opening, a container having at one end a base having a plurality of openings therein open at the opposite end with this opening bounded by a seat for the annulus, and a battery extending between the base and the open end encircled and partially supported by the boundary of the central opening in the annulus. The cartridge does not have a battery where used for apparatus which already has a power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Inventors: Clifford B. Zlotnik, Arnold H. Zlotnik
  • Patent number: 5431887
    Abstract: In a catalytic assembly having an oxidation catalytic unit disposed above the broiling area of a fat-food broiler for enabling the catalytic oxidation of volatile broiling smoke organic contaminants, a low pressure drop open-pore metallic flame-arresting filter screen disposed between the broiling area and the catalytic unit and substantially completely overlying the broiling area and containing upon the screen an adherent coating comprising a high surface area inorganic oxide adsorbent and an inorganic binder therefor, the coating serving to adhere salt, phosphorous and other catalyst-poisoning compounds in the broiling emissions. Preferred methods of coating and broiler flame-arresting use are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Assignee: Prototech Company
    Inventor: Amiram Bar-Ilan
  • Patent number: 5429681
    Abstract: An electronic condiment dispenser may dispense a plurality of condiments. The condiment dispenser may include a bag support module for holding a plurality of condiment supply bags. A pump regulator module may be connected to each condiment bag and may pump a condiment from the bag to a manifold diffuser module. The pump regulator module may include a multi-chambered pump having separate chambers for isolating the pump working fluid from the condiment, so the pump working fluid does not contaminate or react with the condiment. A main case may house at least one manifold diffuser module and may be configured to support a tray carrying a large number of food targets, i.e., 6 or 12 food targets, such as hamburger buns or taco shells. A programmable control module may be connected to the pump regulator module for controlling and selectively dispensing a predetermined amount of condiment and/or number of condiments to a predetermined number of food targets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: Condiment Master, Inc.
    Inventor: John M. Mesenbring
  • Patent number: 5427744
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the analysis of unknown oligosaccharides and more particularly the form of analysis in which an unknown oligosaccharide is sequentially brought together with different agents which cause monosaccharides to be cleaved from (or chemically bound to) the oligosaccharide. If cleavage occurs the monosaccharide will subsequentially be detected in the products of the experiment thus confirming that the monosaccharide was attached to the unknown oligosaccharide and providing a means of determining the structure of the unknown oligosaccharide. The invention proposes an analytical technique for determining the best agent to be used in performing such an experiment so that a maximum amount of information is obtained from the experiment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Assignee: Oxford Glycosystems Ltd.
    Inventors: Rajesh B. Parekh, Sally B. Prime
  • Patent number: 5427740
    Abstract: Tin oxide sensors are made by mixing antimony bearing material with tin oxide powder and formation of the sensor by deposition of a slurry of the mixture onto a substrate and drying and sintering the slurry, the antimony bearing material being present in an amount sufficient to render the sensitivity of the sensor to one or more of the gases H.sub.2, CO, or CH.sub.4 , relatively independent of the concentration of oxygen in the range P.sub.O2 10.sup.-1 -1 atm. A further type of a tin oxide gas sensor is disclosed having a resistivity that at a measuring temperature increases with concentration of at least one gas to be measured, the sensor is made by calcining the tin oxide in air at a temperature in excess of 1400.degree. C., or otherwise treating the tin oxide so that it has a state of physical aggregation consistent with being formed in such manner. At a second measuring temperature the resistivity of the sensor to said one gas decreases with increasing gas concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Assignee: British Gas PLC
    Inventors: Gary S. V. Coles, Geraint Williams, Brian M. Smith
  • Patent number: 5425923
    Abstract: A system for remediating soil containing contaminants. The system comprises a rotary volatilizer, a thermal dust conductor, a soil cooler, a separator and an afterburner. The rotary volatilizer includes a rotatable, counterflow volatilizer drum with a drying zone, a heating zone and a burn zone. The burn zone of the volatilizer has an outer shell and a stainless steel inner liner supported by spring brackets within the outer shell. A separator is provided to receive exhaust gases from the volatilizer and the soil cooler and to remove dust from the exhaust gases. Dust from the separator and hot soil from the volatilizer is introduced into the thermal dust conductor. Hot gases from the thermal dust conductor are returned to the volatilizer to preheat combustion air for the volatilizer and to incinerate contaminants in the returned gases. Soil is transferred from the thermal dust conductor to the soil cooler, where water injection cools the remediated soil and adds moisture to the soil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1995
    Assignee: CMI Corporation
    Inventors: George W. Swisher, Jr., Jerry R. Collette