Patents by Inventor Bertrand St-Laurent

Bertrand St-Laurent 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).

  • Process and apparatus for positioning replacement anodes in electrolytic cells
    Patent number: 7001497
    Abstract: A spent anode is replaced with a new anode in an electrolysis cell having an anode bus bar and an anode rod contacting the bus bar. A desired distance (D4) from the bus bar to a reference point on or adjacent to an anode rod for the new anode is calculated, the spent anode is replaced with a new anode so that the reference point on the new anode rod is spaced from the bus bar by an actual distance (D5), and the actual distance (D5) is measured at least once by means of a vision system. The actual distance (D5) is preferably adjusted using a feedback control loop in a computer so that D5 approaches the desired distance (D4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Alcoa,Inc.
    Inventors: Jean Pierre Gagné, Gilles Dufour, Bertrand St-Laurent, Claude Gauthier, Jacques Denis, Robin Boulianne, Pierre Bouchard, Jacques Pelletier
  • Process and apparatus for positioning replacement anodes in electrolytic cells
    Publication number: 20040211663
    Abstract: A spent anode is replaced with a new anode in an electrolysis cell having an anode bus bar and an anode rod contacting the bus bar. A desired distance (D4) from the bus bar to a reference point on or adjacent to an anode rod for the new anode is calculated, the spent anode is replaced with a new anode so that the reference point on the new anode rod is spaced from the bus bar by an actual distance (D5), and the actual distance (D5) is measured at least once by means of a vision system. The actual distance (D5) is preferably adjusted using a feedback control loop in a computer so that D5 approaches the desired distance (D4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Inventors: Jean Pierre Gagne, Gilles Dufour, Bertrand St-Laurent, Claude Gauthier, Jacques Denis, Robin Boulianne, Pierre Bouchard, Jacques Pelletier