Patents Examined by Todd J. Burns
  • Patent number: 5256255
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for treating cellulosic wood chips in a digestion process for the liberation of pulp in a caustic hydroxide solution at high pressures and temperatures by delivering preconditioned wood chips to a first chamber and circulating a low temperature black liquor through the chamber to preheat the chips, while continuously feeding the chips through the chamber to a second chamber at high temperature and pressure, circulating high temperature black liquor to the chips in the second chamber to advance them to cooking temperature, feeding white liquor and the chips to a digester for the digestion process over a predetermined period of time, and removing digested pulp and delivering the pulp to a washer with the black liquor for washing being utilized for the first chamber, and heating the white liquor through a heat exchange process with the high temperature black liquor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1993
    Assignee: Beloit Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Bertil K. E. Fagerlund
  • Patent number: 5250116
    Abstract: A resist film coating apparatus comprises a resist receiving plate secured to a rotatable support plate carrying a wafer so as to be disposed along the outer periphery of the wafer, an interference type film thickness meter for measuring the thickness of a resist film spun out to the resist receiving plate, and modifying means for changing the revolution number of the support plate on the basis of a result of measurement by the film thickness meter such that a desired resist film thickness can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1993
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keisuke Tanimoto
  • Patent number: 5248339
    Abstract: An electrostatographic toner fusing member having a support and a layer containing a crosslinked polyfluorophosphazene elastomer with thermally conductive filler particles. This fusing member is used in a device for fusing electrostatographic toner materials to a substrate which device employs both heat and pressure The fusing member exhibits an excellent combination of properties, including resistance to swelling by release liquids, resistance to thermal degradation and thermal conductivity that is superior to prior art fusing members employing crosslinked fluoroelastomers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1993
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: John J. Fitzgerald, Paul L. Nielsen, Wayne T. Ferrar
  • Patent number: 5248341
    Abstract: Disclosed is a robotic paint system for aircraft consisting of a robotic wash/rinse gantry, a robotic cart carrying a robotic painting system, and a control system.The paint system includes a robotically controlled wash/rinse gantry movable along the entire extent of the aircraft being maintained. A robotically controlled cart is provided which is carried by a plurality of wheel assemblies on a curved track. A robotically controlled platform is provided for carrying the robotic painting system, and a mechanism is also provided for adjusting the platform up and down as well as towards and away from the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1993
    Assignee: Engineering Incorporated
    Inventors: Henry K. Berry, Jr., Lester L. Knight, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5246863
    Abstract: An improved technique and apparatus for automatic titration for determining the water content of a sample by a Karl Fischer (K.F.) reaction. Rather than requiring titration from one endpoint to another identical endpoint, each determination is made using a calibration relative to the water equivalent of a known amount of titrant together with the change in sensor output that occurs when a sample is added to the K.F. reagent. Improved accuracy and speed of analysis results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1993
    Inventor: Harald Dahms
  • Patent number: 5246497
    Abstract: The invention relates to a coating device for coating, e.g. a size-press roll, paper or board or of an equivalent moving base. The coating device comprises a revolving coating bar which rests against a moving base. The coating bar extends across the machine width, and is supported in a cradle substantially over its entire length. The coating bar is fitted to spread and to smooth the coating agent onto the moving base which coating agent is introduced into the coating device in the direction of running of the moving base before the coating bar. The coating bar in accordance with the invention is a smooth bar of large diameter, which is fitted against the moving base so that the profile of coating quantity can be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1993
    Assignee: Valmet Paper Machinery Inc.
    Inventor: Rauno Rantanen
  • Patent number: 5242499
    Abstract: The invention disclosed herein provides for automatically controlling positioning of a moistening nozzle relative to an envelope flap being moved therepast at high speed. The invention has particular application as an envelope flap moistener in a high speed mailing machine. Envelopes are moved to and past the nozzle at a speed of at least about 65 inches per second along a given path with the flap extending from the envelope in an opened configuration thereof. A sensor attached to the nozzle senses the location of the edge of the flap within about 0.2 inch of the nozzle upstream thereof a plurality times as the flap moves to and past the nozzle. The nozzle is then positioned to track the flap edge in accordance with sensing of the envelope flap. The nozzle may be pre-positioned by a lower bandwidth servo system having an envelope sensor located further upstream of the tracking sensor. A higher bandwidth servo loop controls tracking of the nozzle in response to the tracking sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1993
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventor: Norman J. Bergman
  • Patent number: 5242497
    Abstract: An assembly for applying coating material to top edges of containers is provided with a porous applicator which may be saturated with the molten coating material. The applicator assembly is especially adapted to contact the top curl of paperboard containers so that an amount of the molten coating material which saturates the porous applicator may be transferred to the top curl and thereby increase the top curl's circumferential rigidity upon solidification. The applicator assembly is preferably positioned laterally parallel of a linear treatment path along which the containers are conveyed in an inverted manner. Each container is rotated during conveyance along the linear treatment path such that the entire circumference of the top curl is brought into contact with the elongate porous applicator saturated with molten coating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1993
    Assignee: Sweetheart Cup Company Inc.
    Inventors: Richard A. Miller, Onisim Krasnokutsky
  • Patent number: 5242495
    Abstract: A combined joint compound bucket and tape dispenser comprising a cylindrical container with a removable cover. A roll of dry-wall construction tape is suspended at the top of the container beneath the cover by a rod extending through the center of the tape and engaging slots in opposite sides of the container. The container includes two slotted apertures on one side of the container and a third slotted aperture on the other side of the container. The tape is reeled from the rod, out through a first aperture, guided down along the outside of the container, back into the container at the second aperture adjacent the bottom of the container. The tape passes through mud deposited in the container and exits the container on the opposite side through the third aperture. The tape is thus coated with the mud and may be torn from the container on a serrated edge at the desired lengths. A removable guide rail is also provided to guide the tape from the first to the second apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1993
    Inventors: Scott Hammond, Maggie Hammond
  • Patent number: 5238493
    Abstract: This invention provides a cost effective, simple and sanitary breading machine suitable for coating a variety of food products, such as poultry, with different types of breading materials. After coating of upper and lower surfaces of food products introduced into the breading machine, a significant dwell time within the breading machine is achieved in the construction to allow breading material to more effectively set up on the coated food products. The coating machine further includes structure to enable the food products introduced therein to be flipped a plurality of times, wherein additional coating material is continuously applied to alternate sides of the food products and desirable coating characteristics are achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1993
    Assignee: Stein, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael E. Miller
  • Patent number: 5238494
    Abstract: A coating machine with counter-flow and parallel-flow air conduction is used for coating tablets, granules, pellets, dragees and the like with one or more coating compositions. The cores to be coated are arranged in a rotatably driven, perforated drum which includes an air conducting channel surrounding the drum at its outer periphery, which air channel is provided with air from an air supply fixed to the housing, with air streams differently directed into the drum. In order to provide an operationally reliable, positively controlled and easy-to-clean air distributor, an annular distributor plate is mounted rotatably on an annular flange fixed to the housing, the distributor plate having slots therein which are connected to the air connections of the air supply, and the annular flange is in turn connected in an airtight manner to the air conducting channel of the drum by part-annular chambers separate from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1993
    Inventor: Rudolf Dunajtschik
  • Patent number: 5236507
    Abstract: An apparatus for selectively delivering fluids from first and second separate fluid supplies to an outlet. The apparatus consists of a valve casing with an internal chamber, a valve cartridge for placement within the internal valve casing chamber, cooperating structure on the valve and valve cartridge for defining separate first and second chambers for first and second fluids, and structure for selectively communicating the first and second chambers with the fluid outlet to thereby selectively cause the first and second fluids to be discharged from the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1993
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventor: Daniel P. Brown
  • Patent number: 5236502
    Abstract: An apparatus for coating a foodstuff with a particulate material has an endless meshed conveyor belt which is trained about a hollowed roller which has a longitudinally extending wall having apertures therethrough and about which the belt travels from a lower return run to an upper forward run. A baffle is positioned beneath at least a portion of the lower return run of the belt and is arced from the lower return belt run towards the upper forward belt run. A rotatable shaft from which radial wings protrude is positioned within the hollowed roller interior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1993
    Assignee: Nestec S.A.
    Inventor: Lars G. A. Wadell
  • Patent number: 5236553
    Abstract: In the continuous cooking of comminuted cellulosic fibrous material (e.g. wood chips) to produce paper pulp, the material passes upwardly in an impregnation vessel which is within and concentric with a continuous digester and open at the top to digester pressure. At the top of the impregnation vessel, a solids/liquid separator (a screw within a screen cylinder) is provided. Separated liquid is returned in a conduit adjacent the exterior of the impregnation vessel, and open at the top to digester pressure, and passes out the bottom of the digester. The impregnation vessel is welded to the bottom of the digester, and the bottom of the digester is generally hemi-spherical, and substantially devoid of packings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1993
    Assignee: Kamyr AB
    Inventor: Johan C. F. C. Richter
  • Patent number: 5234544
    Abstract: Secondary pulp is deinked and bleached by contacting the pulp simultaneously with oxygen, alkali, and a surfactant in a reaction zone followed by washing to recover a secondary fiber product. Simultaneous contacting with oxygen and surfactant yields higher pulp brightness than sequential contacting in oxygen bleaching and washing stages, and enhances bleachability in further bleaching stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1993
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald C. Naddeo
  • Patent number: 5232499
    Abstract: A liquid metering and coating device made of a liquid permeation control layer adhered to a porous support in which the support is an open-celled foam internally reinforced to obtain the strength, resilience, and heat resistance needed for high durability in use as a part of a hot toner image fixation mechanism in a plain paper copying machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1993
    Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kato, Hiroyasu Kikukawa
  • Patent number: 5232504
    Abstract: Pressure responsive glue dispensing nozzles are mounted on a pivotable glue distributing manifold. Rocker arms are attached to the glue distributing manifold and are actuated to pivot about a fixed pivot axis by solenoids. Adjustable stop means are used to limit and adjust the pivot stroke of the manifold so that the glue dispensing nozzles can dispense glue to one edge of a document that may have a varying thickness. Return means are provided to return the rocker arm assembly to a base position when the solenoids are de-energized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1993
    Assignee: Baumfolder Corporation
    Inventors: Carl J. Didier, Mark A. Walker, John S. Whittenberger
  • Patent number: 5232503
    Abstract: An evaporative coating apparatus in which a coating liquid drains under gravity from the bottom of a processing tank through a metering valve and a pipe into a supply tank. The apparatus includes a supply tank for providing a supply of coating liquid; a processing tank for receiving the object to be coated having (1) an outlet for the coating liquid positioned in the lower part of the processing tank, and (2) at least one wall shaped to provide a substantially parabolic relationship between the surface area of the coating liquid in the processing tank and the hydrostatic head between the coating liquid in the processing tank and the coating liquid in the supply tank, whereby the level of the coating liquid in the processing tank decreases at a substantially constant rate; and a means for passing the coating liquid from the outlet in the processing tank to the supply tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1993
    Assignee: San Jose Technology
    Inventor: Paul E. Lewis
  • Patent number: 5230926
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for applying a coating to a front face of an ink jet print head die or print head die comprise positioning a die in a cut out in a top surface of a block such that the die extends from the top surface of the block. An applicator such as a roller or flat blade is used to apply the coating to at least an upper surface of the die as the applicator rides along the upper surface of the die. When a roller is used as the applicator, the roller has a recess corresponding to the extension of the die from the top surface of the block. The roller recess contains a piece of elastomeric material which extends to an outer portion of the roller adjacent to said roller recess. The method and apparatus facilitate transfer of a thin, uniform film of coating to an ink jet printer print head die or a completed ink jet printer print head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1993
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Ram S. Narang, Stephen F. Pond, Robert A. Harold, Sr.
  • Patent number: 5230735
    Abstract: A method of coating powder particles includes the steps of circulating an air flow containing the powder particles in a dispersed state therein in a cylinder whose inner wall is wetted with a coating liquid to bring the powder particles into contact with the coating liquid on the inner wall, and drying the powder particles thus coated with the coating liquid. An apparatus for coating powder particles comprises a drying chamber including an inner space for drying powder particles on the surfaces of which a coating liquid is deposited while floating the powder particles by an air flow, a powder-particle feeding device connected to the top of the drying chamber for feeding an air flow containing dispersed powder particles into the inner space through a cylindrical path, and a coating-liquid supplying mechanism for wetting the inner wall of the cylindrical path of the powder-particle feeding means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1993
    Assignees: Nisshin Flour Milling Co., Ltd., Nisshin Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Murata, Kimio Miyagawa, Mutsuo Kokubu