Patents by Inventor Christopher J. Dixon

Christopher J. Dixon 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: 9157685
    Abstract: A heat exchanger is cleaned, inspected and/or plugged while the heat exchanger is in operation. In some embodiments, the heat exchanger includes a channel cover having valve-seal assemblies allowing isolation tools to be inserted through the channel cover into sealing engagement with the ends of tubes to provide a flow path separate from the normal flow paths through the heat exchanger. Cleaning and/or inspecting can be done through the isolation tools and tubes that are leaking can be plugged through the valve-seal assemblies. In some embodiments, brushes are located inside the heat exchanger and can be independently advanced into cleaning relation with a large majority of the tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Inventors: Christopher J. Dixon, Ronald G. Reeves, Ryan E. Parker
  • Publication number: 20110247786
    Abstract: A heat exchanger is cleaned, inspected and/or plugged while the heat exchange is in operation. In some embodiments, the heat exchanger comprises a channel cover having valve-seal assemblies allowing isolation tools to be inserted through the channel cover into sealing engagement with the ends of tubes to provide a flow path separate from the normal flow paths through the heat exchanger. Cleaning and/or inspecting can be done through the isolation tools and tubes that are leaking can be plugged through the valve-seal assemblies. In some embodiments, brushes are located inside the heat exchanger and can be independently advanced into cleaning relation with a large majority of the tubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Inventors: Christopher J. Dixon, Ronald G. Reeves, Ryan E. Parker
  • Patent number: 4968015
    Abstract: Sheet feeding apparatus for example for use as a banknote counter comprises a stripper system having a pair of rollers; and a banknote detection system including two pairs of rollers defining respective nips into which single notes are fed by the stripper system. The relative deflection of the sheet detection system rollers due to the passage of a sheet through the nips is monitored in use. The stripper system rollers and the rollers of the sheet detection system are substantially coaxially mounted on a shaft and are driven by a common drive motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1990
    Assignee: De la Rue Systems Ltd.
    Inventors: Simon G. Calverley, Trevor J. Conner, Christopher J. Dixon, Martin Lane, Roy E. Winchester
  • Patent number: 4560155
    Abstract: This invention relates to sheet feeding apparatus including a cassette for holding a stack of sheets. It is known to provide in the cassette a lip or spring extending into the space in front of the stack, so that when a suction feeder acts on the front sheet to swing it through an arc and introduces it leading end into the nip of a pair of rollers, the leading end is momentarily retarded by the lip of spring. This has the effect of reducing the number of double feeds. In the present invention, the degree to which the lip or spring extends into the space in front of the stack of sheets is adjusted as the cassette is inserted into the apparatus by a control device which is set in accordance with the required rate of feed of the sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1985
    Assignee: De La Rue Systems Limited
    Inventors: Steven M. Hosking, Christopher J. Dixon
  • Patent number: 4506880
    Abstract: A machine for detecting the passage of two or more superimposed banknotes comprises: first (101) and second (102) parallel rotatable shafts mounted between fixed side frame members (103, 104); two pairs of resilient plastics rollers (105 to 108) on each rotatable shaft, the rollers mating to form nips for engaging a banknote; a first plate (112) mounted by means of a bearing (115) on the first shaft (101) for conveying the movement of the shaft to the body (113) of a linear variable differential transformer; a second plate (117) similarly mounted on the second shaft (102) for conveying the movement of the second shaft to an armature (118) of the transformer; and a control circuit responsive to a signal from the transformer (114) for determining the relative deflection of the shafts at their mid points due to the passage of a banknote through one group (105, 107) of cooperating pairs of rollers. The control circuit indicates the presence or absence of single or multiple banknotes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1985
    Assignee: De La Rue Systems Limited
    Inventors: Christopher J. Dixon, Stuart M. Jenkins