Patents Examined by Wanda L. Millard
  • Patent number: 4906367
    Abstract: A lint strainer for removing the lint from the exit hose of a washing machine before the lint can enter the drain of the residence or other structure in which the washing machine is located. The lint strainer has a flexible fabric mesh strainer tube having an open end and a closed end. A polymeric ring is affixed to the open end, and the polymeric ring is larger than the opening of the drain pipe which conducts the waste away from the washing machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1990
    Inventor: Timothy A. Villagomez
  • Patent number: 4906368
    Abstract: An apparatus for use in conjunction with a pressure vessel, having a tubular conduit extending into the interior of the pressure vessel. The outer end of the conduit is rigidly fixed to one end of the pressure vessel in a pressure-tight connection. The inner end of the conduit is attached to a saddle at the other end of the pressure vessel, where the saddle is adapted to slidably receive the conduit such that upon expansion of the pressure vessel due to pressurization, the conduit will move independently relative to the saddle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1990
    Inventors: Robert G. Stark, Sr., Robert G. Stark, Jr., Janet S. Ellis, Tom Stark
  • Patent number: 4904382
    Abstract: A filtering system for water treatment incorporating one or more filter assemblies each including a head member having fluid inlet and outlet ports, a replaceable filter cartridge closed at one and the other end being insertable into said head member, said head member including a manifold member and a filter cartridge supporting member operatively associated with the head member and movable relative to the manifold member between a load-unload position and an operating or running position, means for securing the filter cartridge against rotation in the filter cartridge supporting member, and seal means between the manifold member and filter cartridge supporting member for sealing off both the influent and effluent when the filter cartridge supporting member is in the load/unload position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1990
    Assignee: Everpure, Inc.
    Inventor: Jack W. Thomsen
  • Patent number: 4904380
    Abstract: A precoat filter element for a precoat filter unit comprises a flow distributor and flow straightener. The flow distributor surrounds a filter septum and has openings through which liquid may flow. The proportion between the area of openings and the area of a wall of the flow distributor may vary along the length of the septum to distribute flow over the length of the filter septum in a predetermined manner. A flow straightener is provided at the base of the septum to reduce turbulence during precoat and filtration operations, and to reduce the occurrence of large flocs in precoat slurries during coating operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1990
    Assignee: Pall Corporation
    Inventors: Ashok K. Bhanot, John D. Miller
  • Patent number: 4902433
    Abstract: A backwashable filter element consists essentially of a fabric of polyacrylonitrile fibres wherein the diameter of the fibres is in the range 10 to 50 microns and the density of the element is in the range 0.05 to 0.50 g/cc. The element is suitable for use in filtering sea water, particularly for sea water injected into petroleum reservoirs to assist in the recovery of crude oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1990
    Assignee: The British Petroleum Company p.l.c.
    Inventors: David E. Graham, Malcolm T. McKechnie, David G. Thompson
  • Patent number: 4902417
    Abstract: Disclosed are spiral-wound membrane cartridge constructions for use in ultrafiltration and reverse-osmosis separation equipment, each of which include a feed layer, a membrane layer and a permeate carrier layer. By using a feed layer in the form of a channel material having a plurality of parallel ribs extending in an axial direction, interconnected by a matrix of smaller filaments which may be generally perpendicular thereto, this construction advantageously reduces resistance to liquid frlow axially through the cartridge, registering only very low pressure drops. Such cartridges of 40 to 70 inches in length and 8 inches in diameter may be employed in series, even within a single outer casing or pressure vessel. Such constructions are especially useful in separating liquids having high levels of particulate contamination using ultrafiltration membranes where clogging of the cartridge is a common problem and also in concentrating solutions of fairly viscous water-soluble polymers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1990
    Assignee: Desalination Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Larry A. Lien
  • Patent number: 4902420
    Abstract: A filter segment disc of a segment filter comprises a support and drainage plate with slots radiating from the filter hub toward the filter edge. The slots are preferably of arcuate plan form and configured to provide a substantially uniform fluid flow over the filtering medium of the filter segment, reduce residence time of filtrate in the filter, eliminate dead spots in the flow, and facilitate cleaning of permanent filters. A filter support spacer may be provided adjacent the filtering surface to aid in support and positive spacing of the disc in a filter stack of which the disc may be an element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1990
    Assignee: Pall Corporation
    Inventors: David B. Pall, John D. Miller
  • Patent number: 4897191
    Abstract: A tubular membrane module for use in ultrafiltration or microfiltration has a bundle of membrane tubes that extend between inlet and return headers. The inlet header is fixed to one end of a tubular housing having a permeate outlet while the return header is free to float longitudinally of the housing to accomodate dimensional changes in the tubes with respect to the housing. The tubes are sealed at their ends in sockets in respective potting collars but are mechanically secured and sealed to the headers. The sockets are undercut to protect the membranes from stripping due to fluid shear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 30, 1990
    Assignee: Zenon Environmental Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Langerak, Paul B. Koehler, Fernando A. Tonelli, Radu Apostolache
  • Patent number: 4895656
    Abstract: A coffee filter for a coffee making apparatus, comprising a funnel or holder (1) for receiving a filter element containing ground coffee, said funnel having at least at its lower end an inclined wall section (2), an outflow opening (4) in said wall (2) for draining coffee brew into a container positioned under said funnel (1), a disc valve (18) for selectively closing said outflow opening (4), said valve (18) being controlled by control means comprising a slide (6) guided in a slit (5) provided in a vertical wall section (3) arranged opposite to said inclined wall section (2), said slide (6) having a grip (6') at the outer side and a cam (7) with an undulated surface (8), at the inner side of said vertical wall section (3), said disc valve (18) being connected to one end (17) of a lever (14), the other lever end (16) being designed as a cam follower cooperating with said undulating cam surface (8), a leaf spring (10) extending transversely across the space between the inclined wall section (2) and the vertica
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1990
    Assignee: Smitdesign B.V.
    Inventor: Gerard C. Smit
  • Patent number: 4894149
    Abstract: A filtration device is disclosed comprising an assembly of three concentric tubular members in longitudinal upright position, having a closure wall at each end, the inner and middle tubular members being perforated over substantially their entire length to permit water flow therethrough, and the outer tubular member being substantially solid over its entire length. An inlet is connected to the inner tubular member at each end, and an outlet is connected to the outer tubular member. The space between the inner tubular member and the middle tubular member is a filtration chamber containing a filtration medium. A dividing device is laterally positioned in the inner tubular member dividing it into upper and lower non-communicating portions, and a dividing device is also laterally positioned in the filtration chamber dividing it into upper and lower non-communicating filtration chambers. The filtration medium is adapted to not pass through the perforations of the inner and middle tubular members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1990
    Inventor: Steven J. Block
  • Patent number: 4894155
    Abstract: A filter assembly having a filter chamber. Filter means is disposed in the filter chamber which comprises at least one disc shaped filter assembly. The disc assembly has an upper support disc and a lower aligning support disc. A filter membrane is disposed on the top side of the support disc which has a plurality of primary grooves for receiving a liquid filter through the filter membrane. The aligning support disc fits substantially centrally on the bottom surface of the support disc and is provided with radially extending ribs which form radially extending grooves between. A second filter membrane is placed on the bottom surface of the support disc and overlaps a portion of the aligning disc. The bottom surface of the support disc is also provided with grooves for collection of a filtrate. Axial extending grooves are provided in the support disc for connecting the collection on the top surface with the bottom surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1990
    Assignee: Nalge Cmpany
    Inventors: Richard A. Leoncavallo, Gregory R. Phillips
  • Patent number: 4894158
    Abstract: A porous filter element for filtering a liquid, the filter element having a plurality of seamless filter element units that are made of stainless steel or titanium powder wherein ranges of particle diameters, sintering densities, and nominal pore sizes define a final shape which is formed with undulations to provide bed surfaces for an auxiliary filtering agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1990
    Assignee: Kirin Beer Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadashi Morita, Kazuhiro Nomura, Yoshiyuki Matsushima
  • Patent number: 4892656
    Abstract: A vacuum filter for the separation of solids from liquids, comprising an endlessly circulating array of troughs which constitute a common horizontal filter surface, on which an endless filter cloth is laid, in which each trough has an elastic sealing strip on that rimless edge which extends along the trough bottom transversely to the direction of movement. A good vacuum seal between two successive troughs with easy replaceability of the sealing strip is provided wherein the sealing strip is releasably clamped by a spring-loaded movable clamping bracket against the leading and/or rear edge of one of the adjacent troughs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1990
    Assignee: Dorr-Oliver Incorporated
    Inventor: Kurt E. Pietzsch
  • Patent number: 4889629
    Abstract: A filter panel comprises a plurality of substantially coplanar openings. It incorporates a two-dimensional array of parallel elongate passages. Each passage delimits a respective one of the openings. The array is substantially coplanar with the openings and the passages are substantially perpendicular to the array. Each opening is convergent from an interior profile both from the inlet and outlet side of the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1989
    Assignee: E. Beaudrey & Cie
    Inventor: Philip Jackson
  • Patent number: 4886599
    Abstract: A filter cartridge for cleaning oil of an oil sealed vacuum pump which comprises a cartridge housing, the cartridge housing being releasably mounted to the vacuum pump; filter materials including at least two types of filters having different characteristics, the filter materials including the filters being disposed in the cartridge housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1989
    Assignee: Leybold AG
    Inventors: Paul Bachmann, Hanns-Peter Berges, Wolfgang Leier
  • Patent number: 4885089
    Abstract: The invention relates to a filter cartridge for a liquid filter, in particular for use for tanks for the filtration of water for the production of drinking water, with a generally cylindrical vessel, which contains the filtering material and with a sealing screen mounted on this vessel like a cover. In order to improve the functioning of a filter cartridge, and in particular to make such a filter cartridge, which with comparatively fast liquid throughput has a good filtration action with optimum utilization of the filtering material, it is proposed in conformity with the invention that the sealing screen be covered by a distributor cap 3 essentially closed at the top and open at the side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1989
    Assignee: Brita Wasser-Filter-Systeme GmbH
    Inventor: Heinz Hankammer
  • Patent number: 4882051
    Abstract: This invention has an object to provide a cartridge filter which can prevent the interior of a filter housing from being contaminated when paint or ink is filtered. In this invention, a cartridge filter element is contained in a bag-like body or a cylindrical body made of an aqueous non-osmotic film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1989
    Assignee: Nippon Roki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mikio Itoh
  • Patent number: 4882064
    Abstract: A method for removing suspended impurities and colored substances from water which is hard and/or has a pH in excess of 5 which comprises contacting the water at its natural pH with a coagulant/adsorbent which comprises a finely divided particulate mineral material, the individual particles of which have a thin hydroxylated surface layer having a positive zeta potential at the adsorption pH, and separating the thus treated water from the coagulant/adsorbent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1989
    Assignee: Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization
    Inventors: David R. Dixon, Nevil J. Anderson
  • Patent number: 4881313
    Abstract: A cell-type filter cartridge is disclosed having netting thereon, as well as a method for producing same. Briefly stated, the surface area of filter material exposed to unfiltered fluid has disposed thereon a netting thereby preventing flaking, cracking and the like of filter media during backflow or cleaning operations. The netting is secured to the cell by a molded circumferential retainer and a circumferential centrally disposed ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1989
    Assignee: Cuno, Incorporated
    Inventors: Arto Artinyan, John Krzyston
  • Patent number: 4882052
    Abstract: A filter structure including inlet and outlet members between which is sandwiched a suitable filtration media, such as activated carbon and mechanical filters, either being taken alone or in combination with one another. The upper inlet member is provided with substantially circular arrays of openings being arranged at spaced intervals about imaginary circles of different diameters and having a common center. The openings further removed from the common center of the imaginary circles are of greater diameter. The surface in which the openings are provided tapers downwardly and outwardly from the aforementioned common center causing liquid deposited thereon to seek passage through the openings furthest removed from the aforesaid common center. The second, lower member is provided with three (3) sets of arrays similar to that provided in the upper inlet member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1989
    Assignee: Purewater Sciences International, Inc.
    Inventor: Anthony Peranio