Patents by Inventor Charles J. Norton

Charles J. Norton 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).

  • Patent number: 4602499
    Abstract: The present invention relates to industrial systems, and more particularly to a flexible industrial system with quick change part holding means which can be used to perform many different operations on a wide variety of parts. The embodiment disclosed shows such a flexible industrial system adapted to test many different types of parts using a single piece of test equipment by virtue of having a series of identical pallets for each type of part to be tested which can be quickly on-loaded and offloaded from a means of providing movement between a plurality of stations, such as a rotary index table. By providing that each in a series of part holding means has means to connect the part holding means to the means of providing movement between stations, means to perform desired operations on parts on the part holding means, and means to quickly connect to said means to perform desired operations, a tremendously flexible test system is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 29, 1986
    Assignee: Scans Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles J. Norton, Andrew F. Schrom
  • Patent number: 4564070
    Abstract: A process for producing a silicate/polymer gel in situ by reacting an undried, water-soluble, partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide, a water-soluble silicate and a gelling agent in a porous earthen matrix, such as a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation, to improve hydrocarbon recovery from the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1986
    Assignee: Marathon Oil Company
    Inventor: Charles J. Norton
  • Patent number: 4561502
    Abstract: A polymer gel is formulated by adding a cross-linking agent containing a polyvalent metal cation to an aqueous solution of undried partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide. The resulting gel is dissolved or suspended in an aqueous medium and injected via a well into a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation to improve oil recovery from the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1985
    Assignee: Marathon Oil Company
    Inventors: Charles J. Norton, David O. Falk, Alfred D. Hill
  • Patent number: 4548272
    Abstract: A reducing agent is added to an aqueous medium containing a mixture of undried partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide and an oxidizing agent. The reducing agent and oxidizing agent act as a redox catalyst system to cross link the polymer and form a polymer gel. Gelation time is controlled by maintaining the components of the gel-forming mixture at predetermined concentrations, reaction ratios and pH. The gel-forming mixture is applied to a porous matrix such as a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation where the mixture gels in situ at a controlled rate to reduce the permeability of the porous matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1985
    Assignee: Marathon Oil Company
    Inventors: Charles J. Norton, David O. Falk, Alfred D. Hill
  • Patent number: 4503912
    Abstract: An aqueous solution containing a water soluble polymer and a nonalkaline aqueous solution containing a polyvalent cation are sequentially injected into the relatively highly permeable zones of a subterranean formation. The solutions preferentially enter the relatively highly permeable zones and form a flocculate in situ when the polymer and cation contact and mix in the connate water. Sequential injection may be repeated several times until the permeability of the relatively highly permeable zones is substantially reduced thereby improving conformance in the subterranean formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1985
    Assignee: Marathon Oil Company
    Inventor: Charles J. Norton
  • Patent number: 4343363
    Abstract: A process for selectively reducing the permeability of a subterranean formation penetrated by a well bore and having an injection surface plugged by crosslinked dry polymer. The process comprises the sequential injection of an aqueous solution containing an oxidizing agent, an aqueous spacer medium, and an aqueous solution having at least one dry polymer dissolved therein. Sequential injection of these aqueous solutions can be repeated to achieve the desired degree of injectivity and permeability reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1982
    Assignee: Marathon Oil Company
    Inventors: Charles J. Norton, David O. Falk
  • Patent number: 4016086
    Abstract: Hydrolyzed and neutralized acrylonitrile is polymerized in solution without isolation to produce a high molecular weight polyacrylamide useful for mobility control in supplemented recovery of petroleum. The polyacrylamide optionally may be hydrolyzed, and/or methylolated and/or sulfomethylated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1972
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1977
    Assignee: Marathon Oil Company
    Inventors: Charles J. Norton, David O. Falk
  • Patent number: 3946811
    Abstract: A preslug of polyalkene oxide, e.g., polyethylene oxide, is injected before injection of a displacement fluid, e.g., a micellar dispersion or thickened water, in order to prevent contact between the displacement fluid and polyvalent, e.g., divalent and trivalent ions in the formation water, which ions are detrimental to many displacement fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1974
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1976
    Assignee: Marathon Oil Company
    Inventors: Charles J. Norton, David O. Falk