Patents by Inventor Clifford L. Johns

Clifford L. Johns 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).

  • Universal tube marker for identifying chemical reactor tubes accurately and efficiently
    Patent number: 11833501
    Abstract: A sector marker for placement over a tubesheet and defining an opening for performing maintenance on an open tube located below the sector marker, the sector marker positioned over the tubesheet by at least two pins extending below the sector marker and respectively received in tube openings below the sector marker. A device and a method for easily and accurately marking and identifying the location of the tubes in a reactor vessel and for keeping track, in real-time, of the tasks performed on the tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Tubemaster, Inc.
    Inventor: Clifford L. Johns
  • Air lance for removing pellets from tubes
    Patent number: 11660579
    Abstract: An air lance for removing pellets from tubes includes a conduit body having an inlet end and a bottommost discharge opening, and a poker fixed relative to the conduit body and projecting beyond the bottommost discharge opening to serve as a spacer and poker; wherein a rigid member extends along said conduit body, such that that a hammering force applied to said rigid member where it extends outside of the tube will be transmitted through said rigid member to said poker for dislodging and breaking pellets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Tubemaster, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D Gossen, Dennis Patrick McAndrews, Clifford L Johns
  • DEVICE FOR LOADING PELLETS INTO REACTOR TUBES
    Publication number: 20230112170
    Abstract: A loading device for loading pellets into reactor tubes has a modular design, which can be taken apart, moved through a manway, and then reassembled simply by stacking one part on top of another. A reciprocating slide plate and a vibrator work together to meter pellets through the loading device and into the reactor tubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Applicant: Tubemaster, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford L. Johns, Dennis Patrick McAndrews, Paul D. Gossen, Christopher G. Johns
  • Device and method for loading pellets into reactor tubes
    Patent number: 11590471
    Abstract: A device for loading pellets into reactor tubes includes a portable loading box with a bottom wall defining an opening, a loading tube projecting downwardly from the opening, and a movable dam for dividing said loading box into separate chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Tubemaster, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford L Johns, Dennis Patrick McAndrews, Douglas Keith Cornett
  • Universal Tube Marker for Identifying Chemical Reactor Tubes Accurately and Efficiently
    Publication number: 20220387953
    Abstract: A sector marker for placement over a tubesheet and defining an opening for performing maintenance on an open tube located below the sector marker, the sector marker positioned over the tubesheet by at least two pins extending below the sector marker and respectively received in tube openings below the sector marker. A device and a method for easily and accurately marking and identifying the location of the tubes in a reactor vessel and for keeping track, in real-time, of the tasks performed on the tubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Applicant: Tubemaster, Inc.
    Inventor: Clifford L. Johns
  • Air lance for removing pellets from a tube
    Patent number: 11406955
    Abstract: An air lance for removing pellets from tubes may include a nozzle with an inner surface having converging and diverging portions adjacent the downstream end of the nozzle to improve air flow. The air lance may include a projection fixed relative to the nozzle and extending beyond the downstream end of the nozzle to serve as a feeler, a poker, and a spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Tubemaster, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford L Johns, Dennis Patrick McAndrews
  • Smart Ladder
    Publication number: 20220065043
    Abstract: A ladder including sensors, a controller, and output signals to alert the user to operating conditions and to aid the user in the safe operation of the ladder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Applicant: USS Veteran Services Company LLC
    Inventors: Clifford L. Johns, Steven W. Brewer, David Dingman
  • Air Lance for Removing Pellets from Tubes
    Publication number: 20220008883
    Abstract: An air lance for removing pellets from tubes includes a conduit body having an inlet end and a bottommost discharge opening, and a poker fixed relative to the conduit body and projecting beyond the bottommost discharge opening to serve as a spacer and poker; wherein a rigid member extends along said conduit body, such that that a hammering force applied to said rigid member where it extends outside of the tube will be transmitted through said rigid member to said poker for dislodging and breaking pellets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Applicant: Tubemaster, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Gossen, Dennis Patrick McAndrews, Clifford L. Johns
  • Device for Cleaning Inner Surface of Heat Exchanger Tubes
    Publication number: 20210310756
    Abstract: A grit blasting arrangement for cleaning chemical reactor tubes includes means for ensuring the grit blast nozzle is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the tube to be cleaned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Applicant: Tubemaster, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford L Johns, Dennis Patrick McAndrews, Stephen W Brewer
  • Device and method for loading pellets
    Patent number: 11103842
    Abstract: A device and method for loading pellets. A funnel includes a means for loading pellets into a reactor tube, and a means for quickly and easily measuring the elevation of pellets in the reactor tube while the reactor tube is being loaded. A vacuum-assist device may be used to pick up and transfer a desired volume of porous pellets while removing dust from the porous pellets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Tubemaster, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas K Cornett, Clifford L Johns
  • Device and Method for Loading Pellets Into Reactor Tubes
    Publication number: 20210220787
    Abstract: A device for loading pellets into reactor tubes includes a portable loading box with a bottom wall defining an opening, a loading tube projecting downwardly from the opening, and a movable dam for dividing said loading box into separate chambers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Applicant: Tubemaster, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford L Johns, Dennis Patrick McAndrews, Douglas Keith Cornett
  • Device and Method for Loading Pellets
    Publication number: 20200353433
    Abstract: A device and method for loading pellets. A funnel includes a means for loading pellets into a reactor tube, and a means for quickly and easily measuring the elevation of pellets in the reactor tube while the reactor tube is being loaded. A vacuum-assist device may be used to pick up and transfer a desired volume of porous pellets while removing dust from the porous pellets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2020
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Applicant: Tubemaster, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas K Cornett, Clifford L Johns
  • Air Lance for Removing Pellets from a Tube
    Publication number: 20200338513
    Abstract: An air lance for removing pellets from tubes may include a nozzle with an inner surface having converging and diverging portions adjacent the downstream end of the nozzle to improve air flow. The air lance may include a projection fixed relative to the nozzle and extending beyond the downstream end of the nozzle to serve as a feeler, a poker, and a spacer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Applicant: Tubemaster, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford L. Johns, Dennis Patrick McAndrews
  • Device and method for loading pellets
    Patent number: 10710039
    Abstract: A device and method for loading pellets. A funnel includes a means for loading pellets into a reactor tube, and a means for quickly and easily measuring the elevation of pellets in the reactor tube while the reactor tube is being loaded. A vacuum-assist device may be used to pick up and transfer a desired volume of porous pellets while removing dust from the porous pellets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Tubemaster, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas K Cornett, Clifford L Johns
  • Method for loading pellets
    Patent number: 10493417
    Abstract: A method for loading pellets into receptacles having an open top end and a bottom end uses a pressurized fluid injected through injector tubing to form virtual blankets at a plurality of elevations inside the receptacle to reduce the acceleration of the falling pellets in order to provide gentle loading of the pellets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Tubemaster, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Keith Cornett, Clifford L Johns, Dennis Patrick McAndrews
  • Lighting and communication system for confined space
    Patent number: 10267968
    Abstract: A communications arrangement includes incoming and outgoing fiber optics cables, each having one end inside a confined space and another end outside of the confined space, with the incoming fiber optics cable transmitting light from outside of the confined space, to inside the confined space, through a gap and through a movable filter to the outgoing fiber optics cable, such that a user inside the confined space can transmit signals from inside the confined space to outside of the confined space by moving the movable filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Tubemaster, Inc.
    Inventor: Clifford L Johns
  • Method for Loading Pellets
    Publication number: 20180304219
    Abstract: A method for loading pellets into receptacles uses a pressurized fluid to form virtual blankets at a plurality of elevations inside the receptacle to reduce the acceleration of the falling pellets in order to provide gentle loading of the pellets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Applicant: Tubemaster, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Keith Cornett, Clifford L. Johns, Dennis Patrick McAndrews
  • LIGHTING AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR CONFINED SPACE
    Publication number: 20180172892
    Abstract: A communications arrangement includes incoming and outgoing fiber optics cables, each having one end inside a confined space and another end outside of the confined space, with the incoming fiber optics cable transmitting light from outside of the confined space, to inside the confined space, through a gap and through a movable filter to the outgoing fiber optics cable, such that a user inside the confined space can transmit signals from inside the confined space to outside of the confined space by moving the movable filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: Tubemaster, Inc.
    Inventor: Clifford L. Johns
  • Device and Method for Loading Pellets
    Publication number: 20180141016
    Abstract: A device and method for loading pellets. A funnel includes a means for loading pellets into a reactor tube, and a means for quickly and easily measuring the elevation of pellets in the reactor tube while the reactor tube is being loaded. A vacuum-assist device may be used to pick up and transfer a desired volume of porous pellets while removing dust from the porous pellets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Applicant: Tubemaster, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas K. Cornett, Clifford L. Johns
  • Arrangement for Loading Particles
    Publication number: 20170296994
    Abstract: An arrangement for loading particles through an opening using an upwardly-facing, flexible sheet so that, when particles rest on the flexible sheet and the sheet flexes, the flexing of the sheet breaks up bridges formed by the particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: Tubemaster, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford L Johns, Stephen W. Brewer