Patents by Inventor Charles R. Bruce

Charles R. Bruce 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: 6104602
    Abstract: A motor control compartment provides an air flow chamber at the rear thereof and mounts the solid state switches on heat sinks that are positioned in the air flow. An apertured support plate separates the interior of the compartment from the air flow chamber and allows additional space for supplemental control equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert A. Morris, Charles S. Pitzen, Charles R. Bruce, Michael C. von Kannewurff
  • Patent number: 4899820
    Abstract: A column of high density well treatment composition in liquid or solid form is stored in the bottom portion of the well bore of a producing fluid well and is subjected to fluid pressure from the well fluid. The flow of production fluid is used to create a pressure differential between the treatment composition and a treatment fluid injection outlet, thereby causing the treatment fluid to flow through the injection outlet. By locating the outlet in the flow of production fluid, the resulting flowing pressure drop creates the necessary differential pressure. The rate of flow of treatment fluid is metered by a capillary tube at the outlet or by a flow-actuated positive displacement pump. In all but one of the embodiments, the inlet of the conduit is at the bottom of a column of treatment liquid and at the top of a column of treatment solids. In another embodiment formation, fluid percolates up through a bed of solid treatment particles and into the well bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 13, 1990
    Assignee: Marathon Oil Company
    Inventor: Charles R. Bruce
  • Patent number: 4846279
    Abstract: Treatment fluid is injected into the production fluid of a well from a bladder contained in a canister at the bottom portion of the well bore. The flow rate is predetermined through use of a capillary tube connecting the bladder and an injection outlet. Differential pressure between the bladder and the outlet to actuate the flow of treatment fluid is created either by restricting the flow of production fluid adjacent the outlet or by compressing the bladder through the use of water-expansible material in contact with the bladder in the canister. An aperture in the bottom of the canister is provided to expose the bladder to the well fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1989
    Assignee: Marathon Oil Company
    Inventor: Charles R. Bruce
  • Patent number: 4790386
    Abstract: Treatment composition is released into a well by lowering a container filled with the composition to the bottom of the well. The corrosive well fluid dissolves the composition through the open upper end of the container and corrodes away the walls of the container from the inside out. The outer surface of the container walls is coated with a material, such as tetrafluoroethylene, which acts as a barrier to the well fluid to prevent it from directly contacting the outer wall surface. In this manner treatment composition is gradually released from the top end of the ever-diminishing length of container and the container is degraded in the well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1988
    Assignee: Marathon Oil Company
    Inventors: Irvin D. Johnson, Charles R. Bruce
  • Patent number: 4430728
    Abstract: The invention provides a system for securing the access of a remote computer terminal (130) to a centrally located host computer (300). The system includes a first security circuit (200) interconnected with a calling telephone (100), a calling modem (110), and the remote computer terminal (130) at the remote location for automatically dialing the number of the called telephone (310) at the location of the central host computer (300). A second security circuit (350) is located at the central host computer (300) and is interconnected with the called telephone (130), the called modem (330), and the central host computer (300). Upon receipt of the user identification code, the second security circuit (350) compares the user identification code with a stored code and, if verified, sends an acknowledgment signal back to the first security circuit (200).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1984
    Assignee: Marathon Oil Company
    Inventors: James E. Beitel, Charles R. Bruce, Gary R. Cook, Charles F. Mosier, Jr., Edward L. Sartore
  • Patent number: 4390836
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for detecting and locating holidays in an insulating coating of a subterranean pipeline. An alternating current is induced in the portion of the pipeline being surveyed. The pipeline is tracked by sensing the normal electromagnetic field generated by the current flowing in the pipeline. Leakage current indicative of the location and magnitude of a holiday in the pipeline coating is sensed by a pair of coil members adapted to be located above the ground on opposite sides of a vertical plane including the longitudinal axis of the pipeline with the central axes of the coil members being oriented generally parallel to the central axis of the pipeline, whereby an electrical current signal is induced in the pair of coil members by an electromagnetic field generated by the leakage current. The electrical current signal is displayed to provide an indication of the location and magnitude of the holiday.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1983
    Assignee: Marathon Oil Company
    Inventors: Charles R. Bruce, Irvin D. Johnson
  • Patent number: 4373815
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting and measuring leaks in liquid storage vessels, such as underground gasoline storage tanks. A laser source beam is divided into second and third beams which are reflected normally off of a reference surface and the liquid surface, respectively, in the storage vessel. The reflected beams are recombined and the recombined beam is analyzed over time to detect fringes and thereby measure changes in the liquid surface level in the storage vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 15, 1983
    Assignee: Marathon Oil Company
    Inventor: Charles R. Bruce
  • Patent number: 4176052
    Abstract: A coking drum system is provided in combination with a process control unit wherein the rate of material delivered to a coking drum during a coking process timing cycle is monitored and the quantity of material received by the coking drum is continuously derived therefrom. Based on this derived quantity of delivered material, the quantity of feed material required to fill the drum to a preestablished level with coke, at the completion of the timing cycle, can be predicted. The flow rate of feed material to the coking drum is accordingly adjusted so that the amount of coke produced in the drum during one timing cycle is optimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1979
    Assignee: Marathon Oil Company
    Inventors: Charles R. Bruce, Irvin D. Johnson, Lawrence H. McGrievy