Patents by Inventor Benno Lebkuchner
Benno Lebkuchner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9328736Abstract: A bearing that is used in a motor pump in which a liquid is, not only pumped by means of an impeller driven by the pump, but also is used to lubricate components of the motor pump including the motor pump shaft. The bearing is for supporting the shaft at at least one location of the shaft. The bearing is constructed of a bronze material having added thereto a small amount of graphite, preferably around 2.5%.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2013Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: AquaMotion, Inc.Inventors: Benno Lebkuchner, Hans L. Kuster
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Publication number: 20140060660Abstract: A water circulating system is for distributing instant hot water at a fixture that has respective hot and cold water inlets. The system includes hot and cold water piping, a pump constructed and arranged to pump water through said hot water piping. A by-pass device is provided at the sink area and connected directly between the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet. The by-pass device includes a pump for drawing hot water, a thermal switch, and a check valve. The pump, thermal switch, and check valve are constructed and arranged in series. A controller is connected to the pump so as to control the duty cycle of the pump so as to establish at least one of a selectable pump cycle time, and a selectable pump running time.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2013Publication date: March 6, 2014Applicant: AQUAMOTION, INC.Inventors: Benno Lebkuchner, Hans L. Kuster
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Publication number: 20140023529Abstract: A bearing that is used in a motor pump in which a liquid is, not only pumped by means of an impeller driven by the pump, but also is used to lubricate components of the motor pump including the motor pump shaft. The bearing is for supporting the shaft at at least one location of the shaft. The bearing is constructed of a bronze material having added thereto a small amount of graphite, preferably around 2.5%.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2013Publication date: January 23, 2014Applicant: AquaMotion, Inc.Inventors: Benno Lebkuchner, Hans L. Kuster
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Publication number: 20120328461Abstract: A bearing that is used in a motor pump in which a liquid is, not only pumped by means of an impeller driven by the pump, but also is used to lubricate components of the motor pump including the motor pump shaft. The bearing is for supporting the shaft at at least one location of the shaft. The bearing is constructed of a bronze material having added thereto a small amount of graphite, preferably around 2.5%.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2012Publication date: December 27, 2012Applicant: AQUAMOTION, INC.Inventors: Benno Lebkuchner, Hans L. Kuster
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Patent number: 8303184Abstract: A bearing that is used in a motor pump in which a liquid is, not only pumped by means of an impeller driven by the pump, but also is used to lubricate components of the motor pump including the motor pump shaft. The bearing is for supporting the shaft at at least one location of the shaft. The bearing is constructed of a bronze material having added thereto a small amount of graphite, preferably around 2.5%.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2008Date of Patent: November 6, 2012Assignee: AquaMotion, Inc.Inventors: Benno Lebkuchner, Hans L. Kuster
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Patent number: 8083500Abstract: An improved motor pump that enables the serviceability thereof, as well as improved clearance between components of the motor pump, the motor pump including a stator assembly, a rotor assembly having a front bearing for supporting a motor shaft and a bearing support member for receiving the front bearing, and a sleeve assembly including a sleeve. Both the bearing support member and the sleeve have respective pilot sections. An interface surface is defined between the bearing support member and the sleeve that includes an undulating surface with separate but multiple contact locations therebetween. The bearing support member is inserted into the sleeve so that the respective pilot sections engage to thus provide essentially a clearance-less fit therebetween.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2008Date of Patent: December 27, 2011Assignee: AquaMotion, Inc.Inventors: Benno Lebkuchner, Hans L. Kuster
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Patent number: 6095485Abstract: A valve actuating device is provided for opening and closing a valve of the type having a valve housing, a valve member sealingly engageable with a valve seat formed in the valve housing, and a valve stem attached to the valve member for moving the valve member between a closed position and an open position. The valve actuating device includes a housing which is attachable to the valve housing of the valve, a motor mounted on the housing, a pinion gear which is coupled to the motor by a shaft, the pinion gear being drivable by the motor via the shaft. The device further has a rack including a body having an end portion which is engageable with the valve stem of the valve and a longitudinal cutout along a side of the rack. The rack is moveable between a first position in which the valve is in its open position and a second position in which the end portion of the rack engages the valve stem for maintaining the valve stem in its closed position.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 1999Date of Patent: August 1, 2000Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.Inventors: Benno Lebkuchner, Robert W. Castle
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Patent number: 6079625Abstract: A mixing valve receives fluid from a first source and fluid from a second source and outputs a mixture of the fluids. The mixing valve includes a valve body including a first fluid inlet, a first fluid chamber, a second fluid inlet, a second fluid chamber, and a fluid outlet. The mixing valve further comprises a fluid flow regulator mounted within the housing, wherein a lower surface of the fluid flow regulator is disposed within the first fluid chamber and an upper surface of the fluid flow regulator is disposed within the second fluid chamber. The fluid flow regulator is mounted within the valve body in such a way as to permit movement of the fluid flow regulator along a longitudinal axis of the valve body. The fluid flow regulator includes a central hub which extends below the lower surface into the mixing chambr.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 1999Date of Patent: June 27, 2000Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.Inventor: Benno Lebkuchner
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Patent number: 5988201Abstract: An automatic vent has a cup including a bottom wall, a side wall, an open top, and an inlet for introducing fluid into a compartment defined by the bottom and side walls. A valve assembly of the automatic vent includes a cap disposed over the open top of the cup. The cap has a body with an upwardly facing surface, a downwardly facing surface, a bore formed within the body for enabling fluid communication between the compartment and atmosphere, and an annular rim provided around the bore on the downwardly facing surface. A lever arm is hingedly connected at one end thereof to the body of the cap adjacent the annular rim.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 1998Date of Patent: November 23, 1999Assignee: Sparco, Inc.Inventors: Benno Lebkuchner, Kenneth Sundberg
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Patent number: 5941500Abstract: A valve actuating device is provided for opening and closing a valve of the type having a valve housing, a valve member sealingly engageable with a valve seat formed in the valve housing, and a valve stem attached to the valve member for moving the valve member between a closed position and an open position. The valve actuating device includes a housing threadably attached to the valve housing of the valve, and a motor, mounted on the housing, for driving a shaft having a pinion gear upon activating the motor. The device further includes a rack having a body with an end portion thereof engageable with the valve stem of the valve, and a rack segment, disposed between the rack and the pinion gear, for moving the rack between a first position in which the end portion of the rack engages the valve stem for maintaining the valve stem in its closed position, to a second position in which the rack is moved by the rack segment upon activation of the motor via the pinion gear of the motor for opening the valve.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 1998Date of Patent: August 24, 1999Assignee: Sparco Inc.Inventor: Benno Lebkuchner
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Patent number: 5529282Abstract: A valve actuating device of a heating and/or cooling system controls the opening and closing of a valve of the system. The device includes a housing having a fitting which is threadably received by a fitting receiving formation of the valve for securing the housing to the valve. The device further includes an electric motor mounted on the housing. The motor drives a shaft having a pinion gear mounted thereon, and, upon its activation, opens the valve. A rack has teeth engagable with the pinion gear of the electric motor and an end portion engagable with a valve stem of the valve. The arrangement is such that the rack is movable upon activation of the motor from a first position in which the end portion of the rack engages the valve stem for maintaining a valve member of the valve in a closed position, to a second position in which the rack is moved via the pinion gear of the motor away from the valve stem for opening the valve.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 1995Date of Patent: June 25, 1996Assignee: Sparco Inc.Inventor: Benno Lebkuchner
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Patent number: 5490874Abstract: A de-aerator apparatus for removing gas from fluid flowing through a pipe includes a housing having a chamber, an inlet connected to an inlet pipe for allowing the passage of fluid into the chamber, an outlet connected to an outlet pipe for discharging fluid from the chamber, and a vent for venting gas from the top of the chamber. The arrangement is such that as fluid flows into the chamber through the inlet and out of the chamber through the outlet, relatively large gas pockets present in the fluid in the chamber rise to the surface of the fluid and exit the chamber through the vent. A device disposed within the chamber has bristles facing the flow of fluid into the chamber through the inlet. The bristles vibrate for merging micro gas pockets present in the fluid with one another to produce large gas pockets which rise to the surface of the fluid within the chamber and exit the chamber through the vent.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 1995Date of Patent: February 13, 1996Assignee: Sparco, Inc.Inventors: Hans L. Kuster, Benno Lebkuchner
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Patent number: 4404483Abstract: A wet-rotor circulator in accordance with the present invention includes a drive motor coupled to the impeller of a fluid pump. The drive motor includes a rotor assembly enclosed within a fluid impermeable jacket and a stator assembly for driving the rotor. The rotor is coaxially supported within the jacket by bearings which are permanently secured in place by circumferentially crimping sections of the jacket radially inwardly to shape-lock the bearings to the jacket. The crimping takes place during an assembly step in which an applied magnetic field causes substantially instantaneous deformation of the jacket without disturbing the coaxial relationship between the rotor shaft and its support bearings.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 1981Date of Patent: September 13, 1983Assignee: Taco, Inc.Inventor: Benno Lebkuchner
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Patent number: D369650Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 1995Date of Patent: May 7, 1996Assignee: Sparco, Inc.Inventor: Benno Lebkuchner