Patents Examined by William Wicker
  • Patent number: 6035626
    Abstract: An electronic control system for regulating the amount of torque applied by a starter/generator to a gas turbine engine during startup. The control system senses engine speed, compares the engine's actual acceleration with a predetermined acceleration, and adjusts the torque to the engine so that the engine accelerates along the predetermined schedule. The predetermined schedule is a function of the engine's speed or time, inlet conditions and oil temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Wahl, Richard F. Stokes
  • Patent number: 5683232
    Abstract: A reciprocating pump particularly useful in ventilator apparatus includes a piston reciprocatable axially within a cylinder and dividing its interior into an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, a wall fixed within the inlet chamber, and a drive housing fixed to the wall. The drive housing includes a motor, a rotor rotatable by the motor, a nut rotatable within the drive housing, and a screw threadedly coupled at one end to the nut and fixed at its opposite end to the piston. The piston is substantially unrestrained for axial and rotary movement such that forward and reverse rotation of the nut by the motor reciprocates the screw and the piston axially of the cylinder, and also permits the screw and the piston to rotate with respect to the cylinder to thereby even out wear between the piston and cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1997
    Inventor: Carmeli Adahan
  • Patent number: 5655849
    Abstract: A concentric coupling and method for making the same are taught which include a cylindrical block which is concentrically bored and cut into an annular L-shaped segment having an L-shaped notch and a semi-cylindrical mating segment which is received into the notch. The coupling concentrically joins a pair of shafts together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Henry Filters Corp.
    Inventors: Stephen N. McEwen, Richard A. Hallett, Robert F. Benschoter, Scott M. McEwen, Anthony J. Palumbo
  • Patent number: 5636972
    Abstract: A device for the extrusion of two component or two-part synthetic resins, in particular in underground mining and tunnel construction, which essentially consists of an extrusion pump in the form of an axial piston pump, exhibiting or having two pump stages or steps, located in a transportable frame, whereby each pump stage or step is connectable to reservoirs containing the synthetic resin components or parts via hose lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1997
    Assignee: Carbotech
    Inventors: Archibald Richter, Udo Nielbock, Heinrich Rutter
  • Patent number: 5634780
    Abstract: A drinking device for a diver includes a water container and a hand pump for pumping water to the diver's mouth. The hand pump includes a piston rod slidably engaged in a housing and two discs secured to the piston rod for separating the housing into an upper and a lower chambers. A passage is formed in the lower portion of the piston rod and has an aperture for communicating with a space formed between the discs. A sealing ring is slidably disposed in the space and may move upward to enclose the aperture for pumping the water in the lower chamber out of the housing. The sealing ring may also move downward to open the aperture for allowing the water in the upper chamber to flow into the lower chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Inventor: Jiunn L. Chen
  • Patent number: 5632603
    Abstract: An apparatus for the transfer or conveyance of a slurry and the simultaneous densification thereof through the intermediary of vacuum pumping. Specifically, disclosed is an apparatus for the vacuum pumping of a slurry, particularly a zinc-containing slurry utilized in the preparation of zinc anodes for alkaline batteries, which facilitates the transfer of the slurry and the concurrent densification thereof in conjunction with the elimination of any gas bubbles which are entrapped in the slurry. Also disclosed is a method of transferring and simultaneously densifying a slurry while eliminating entrapped gas bubbles therefrom through the intermediary of a vacuum pumping process utilizing the disclosed apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1997
    Assignee: Duracell Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Taylor, Chih-Chung Wang
  • Patent number: 5632605
    Abstract: A multistage vacuum pump is achieved by utilizing a single piston and cylinder assembly having opposite end portions with substantially equal diameters and an enlarged diameter central portion. One end of the cylinder is closed by a valve and a first stage pumping chamber is defined between the valve and the piston. The enlarged diameter portion of the piston has an axial extent less than the axial extent of the enlarged diameter portion of the cylinder to define second and third stage pumping chambers on opposite sides of the enlarged diameter portion of the piston. The three pumping chambers are interconnected by passage means to an inlet and outlet to provide a sequential reduction in pressure. A single drive unit may be connected to a plurality of pumping units for reciprocating the piston in each pumping unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1997
    Assignees: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Fuji Seiki Inc.
    Inventor: Eckhard Bez
  • Patent number: 5630707
    Abstract: A variable displacement mechanism for a swash plate hydraulic pump or motor, in which a swash plate, a swash plate guiding wall, a tilting control piston, and a swash plate tilting guiding and swash plate rotation preventing pin are included for varying the requiring flow rate (volumetric displacement) per revolution without the rotation of the swash plate even during the tilting of the swash plate angle and during the rotation of the hydraulic pump or motor. The periphery of the swash plate is spherical for smoothing the tilting of the swash plate, and a securing pin accommodating slot is formed on the lower portion of the swash plate. Further, there are provided a securing pin for preventing rotation of the swash plate, and a bore formed on the bottom of a front cover for installing the securing pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1997
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Machinery & Metals
    Inventors: Hyong-Eui Kim, Young-Bog Ham
  • Patent number: 5630708
    Abstract: A radial piston pump for low-viscosity fuel according to a first aspect of the invention comprises a pump housing, which is constituted of as few as two structural bodies (from among a drive-side housing member 2A, a fixed cylinder 81 and a cover 4), and a leaf valve member 82 which is formed with intake valves 87 for opening and closing intake side passages 27 and discharge valves 88 for opening and closing discharge side passages 28 and is sandwiched between two structural bodies (fixed cylinder 81 and cover 4). The first aspect of the invention reduces the number of components constituting the pump housing, enables highly precise overall axial alignment, prevents wobbling of a pump shaft 9 of the pump, increases performance and reliability and reduces cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1997
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Kushida, Fujio Aoki, Takayuki Ikeda, Koichiro Futamase, Tomoharu Sato, Hideya Kikuchi, Ken Sato, Nobuo Aoki, Katsuhiko Tsukazaki
  • Patent number: 5628494
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a fence panel assembly and fence that do not permit a line of vision from one side of the panels between the panels to the other side of the panels while still providing ventilation channels between the panels for resistance to high wind.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Inventor: James L. Arnold
  • Patent number: 5626463
    Abstract: An axial multi-piston compressor includes a drive shaft, a cylinder block having cylinder bores formed therein and surrounding the drive shaft, and a plurality of pistons slidably received in the respective cylinder bores, wherein the pistons are successively reciprocated in the cylinder bores by a rotation of the drive shaft so that a suction stroke and a discharge stroke are alternately executed in each of the cylinder bores. During the suction stroke, a fluid is introduced into the cylinder bore, and during the compression stroke, the introduced fluid is compressed and discharged from the cylinder bore such that a residual part of the compressed fluid is inevitably left in the cylinder bore when the compression stroke is finished. The compressor further includes a rotary valve for allowing the residual part of the compressed fluid to escape from the cylinder bore into another cylinder bore governed by the compression stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kazuya Kimura, Shigeyuki Hidaka, Hiroaki Kayukawa, Toru Takeichi, Chuichi Kawamura, Hideki Mizutani
  • Patent number: 5626072
    Abstract: An air pump for use with a chain-driven bicycle having a free wheel. The pump assembly comprises a pair of opposed cylinders and a double-ended piston rod mounted in a housing. The piston rod has a bearing slot, which engages a crank pin on a crankshaft driven by a sprocket. Rotation of the sprocket reciprocates the double-ended piston rod in the cylinders. The cylinders are each integrally formed with a manifold that uses an elastomeric band covering a passage from the cylinder interior to inside the manifold as a one-way valve. An enlarged diameter skirt on each cylinder allows air to enter the cylinder on each intake stroke. A cap defining the piston head is locked onto each piston and holds a seal in place on the piston. An integral clamp assembly allows the pump to be removably mounted on a bicycle chain stay. The lower run of the bicycle drive chain engages the drive sprocket of the pump assembly, and a chain retainer is used to maintain the engagement of the drive chain with the drive sprocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Assignee: Velo Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Mauricio Mirand, Robert Brown, Jeffrey C. Brown, Buford H. Hopper
  • Patent number: 5625925
    Abstract: A line connecting device includes first and second end portions adapted to be connected respectively to first and second line portions for interconnecting the line portions. The connecting device is formed of a rigid, generally planar body. The line connector second portion has an elongated slot of a length at least as great as twice the radius of the second line portion and has second and third slots opening in an opposite direction and extending along respective, mutually diverging axes. In use, the second line portion may be looped twice through the first and second slots and once through the third slot, the first and second slots preferably having substantially constant widths for aligning adjacent loops of line. In one embodiment, the first end portion is of S-shaped configuration having a tang portion which projects generally toward the second end portion of the connector. In one embodiment, the connector is free of line-receiving apertures or eyelets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Inventor: Frank J. Richards
  • Patent number: 5624243
    Abstract: A discharge passage 15 which communicates with a discharge outlet 16 of a compressing section 3 and discharges compressed gas into a chamber S1 opposite to the compressing section with respect to a motor 2 is provided axially through a drive shaft 4 of the motor 2. An outward discharge pipe 17 is opened at a middle chamber S2 provided between the compressing section 3 and the motor 2 inside a hermetic casing 1. An effect of cooling the motor 2 by discharge gas can be fully exerted, so that possible temperature increase of the motor 2 is prevented to improve reliability and efficiency of the motor 2, and oil mixed in the discharge gas is separated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1997
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masatoshi Omodaka, Hiroki Kamiishida, Yoshitaka Shibamoto, Hiroyuki Taniwa
  • Patent number: 5624239
    Abstract: A portable pneumatic vacuum source includes a source of pressurized fluid and a vacuum pump in fluid connection with the pressurized fluid source, the vacuum pump operative to generate a vacuum in response to pressurized fluid flow therethrough. A nozzle is included in vacuum connection with the vacuum pump. A pressure regulator and filter combination is interposed between and in fluid connection with the pressurized fluid source and vacuum pump for adjusting pressure of the pressurized fluid entering the vacuum pump and for filtering particulates and liquids from the pressurized fluid. A relief valve is also interposed between and in fluid connection with the pressurized fluid source and vacuum pump for limiting pressure of the pressurized fluid. Finally, a check valve is positioned intermediate and in fluid connection with the vacuum pump and nozzle for preventing loss of vacuum upon cessation of pressurized fluid flow through the vacuum pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1997
    Inventor: Thomas W. Osika
  • Patent number: 5624058
    Abstract: An apparatus for the transportation and slurrying of cuttings from an oil well or drilling rig is taught comprising a vessel and a vertical shaft type centrifugal pump located below the vessel. Paddles or similar blades are mounted on the shaft to agitate the slurry during pumping. Means for recirculating part of the exiting slurry through a control valve and into the top of the vessel are included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1997
    Assignee: Rig Technology Limited
    Inventor: Marshall G. Bailey
  • Patent number: 5622044
    Abstract: The power produced by a gas turbine system is augmented by a direct contact heat exchanger for contacting and cooling humid ambient air with cooler water for producing cooled ambient air and warmed water, and a precompressor device for compressing said cooled ambient air to produce pressurized air that is warmer than ambient air and has a lower relative humidity. An evaporative cooler, which is supplied with the warmed water, is provided for cooling said pressurized air to produce cooled pressurized air at about ambient air temperature and relative humidity, which is supplied to the main compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1997
    Assignee: Ormat Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Lucien Y. Bronicki, Yoel Gilon, Joseph Sinai, Uriyel Fisher, Shlomo Budagzad
  • Patent number: 5622478
    Abstract: A gas compressor with at least three hydraulic cylinders is connected to a source of natural gas by a gas line. The gas line can also be removably attached to a storage tank. A hydraulic system is also connected to the cylinders. The compressor additionally includes pressure controls which allow the pistons in the hydraulic cylinders to complete the compression stroke in a staged manner. The cylinders are thereby sequentially emptied of gas. Gas at a sufficient initial pressure, entering the cylinders at the completion of the compression cycle, drives the return stroke of the pistons. A pressure switch controls the pressure level of the compressed gas, and aborts the compression cycle when a predetermined pressure in the storage tank has been reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1997
    Inventors: Alvin B. Elliott, Angella D. Elliott
  • Patent number: 5620314
    Abstract: A hand-operated, portable, easily-manufactured liquid pump offering efficiency through advanced plunger design, ease of repairability, and enhanced versatility through use of a select group of inlet and outlet accessories. The pump preferably includes a cylindrical housing, a bottom end forming an inlet port, and a top end with an exhaust port located near the top end. A field-repairable plunger assembly having a plunger which is preferably a rubber diaphragm is located within the cylindrical housing and is connected to a rod and handle for reciprocating the plunger within the housing. A unidirectional flow device is operatively connected to the bottom end of the housing to allow fluids to flow in a direction from the inlet port toward the exhaust port while preventing fluid flow in the opposite direction. The pump may be constructed to allow disassembly from the bottom end or the top end to allow a user to service the pump in the field and to replace worn or failing components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1997
    Inventor: David M. Worton
  • Patent number: 5620309
    Abstract: An apparatus for priming a non self-priming fluid pump or siphon device includes three components: an outlet valve, priming pump and inlet check valve. All three components are integrated into the casting of the fluid pump or are attached separately to an already existing fluid pump or siphon device. Upon placement of the inlet check valve in a fluid, closing of the outlet valve and activation of the priming pump, positive air pressure and alternately negative air pressure are formed in the fluid pump. This action displaces air through the outlet valve and alternately draws fluid into the fluid pump from the inlet check valve. This action is repeated until the fluid pump is filled. The outlet valve is then opened and the fluid pump activated for use. The inlet check valve retains the fluid within the system regardless of whether the fluid source is depleted or the fluid pump deactivated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1997
    Inventors: Terry J. Todden, Richard A. Thornberry