Patents by Inventor Craig Ian Walker

Craig Ian Walker 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).

  • Publication number: 20220268293
    Abstract: A rotary part being an impeller or expeller for a pump which can be rotated in a forward direction about a rotation axis X-X. The rotary part comprises a shroud having an outer peripheral edge portion and opposed first, and second faces, a plurality of expelling vanes projecting from one or more of the second faces of the shroud, each expelling vane having an inner side and an outer side which is at or near the outer peripheral edge portion of the shroud, the expelling vanes extending in a direction between the rotation axis X-X towards the outer peripheral edge portion of the shroud, each expelling vane further including a leading side facing in the forward direction and having an inner edge and an outer edge, a trailing side facing in a rearward direction and an up per side spaced from the outer face of the shroud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Pavol Loderer, Craig Ian Walker
  • Patent number: 11268533
    Abstract: A rotary part for a pump and related systems and methods are provided. The rotary part can be rotated in a forward direction about a rotation axis X-X and may include shroud(s) and expelling vane(s). The expelling vane(s) may have a leading side facing in the forward direction characterised in that the leading side includes a forwardly inclined section which is inclined forwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Inventors: Pavol Loderer, Craig Ian Walker
  • Patent number: 10436210
    Abstract: An impeller which can be rotated about a rotation axis X-X, the impeller comprising a shroud having opposed inner and outer faces and an outer peripheral edge portion remote from the rotation axis, a plurality of pumping vanes projecting from the inner face of the shroud, a plurality of auxiliary vanes projecting from the outer face of the shroud, one or more of the auxiliary vanes having an inner edge which is closer to the rotation axis and an outer edge which is closer to the peripheral edge portion of the shroud, the auxiliary vanes extending in a direction between the rotation axis towards the outer peripheral edge portion of the shroud, one or more of the auxiliary vanes having a leading side and a trailing side each of which extends from the inner edge to the outer edge with an upper side spaced from the outer face of the shroud, and at least one projection extending from the trailing side of one or more of the said auxiliary vanes, and preferably each auxiliary vane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: WEIR MINERALS AUSTRALIA LTD.
    Inventor: Craig Ian Walker
  • Patent number: 10323652
    Abstract: A pump intake device comprising a main body which includes a side wall section having an inner side and an outer side, an intake section extending from the outer side of the side wall section and an intake passage extending through the intake section, the intake passage having an inner surface and an entry end and an exit end with a central axis extending between the entry and exit ends, a first portion of the inner surface having one or more first guides thereon for directing fluid passing through the intake passage so that in use said fluid leaves the exit end at the first portion with an exit angle which is inclined relative to the central axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Weir Minerals Australia Ltd.
    Inventor: Craig Ian Walker
  • Publication number: 20180172017
    Abstract: A rotary part for a pump and related systems and methods are provided. The rotary part can be rotated in a forward direction about a rotation axis X-X and may include shroud(s) and expelling vane(s). The expelling vane(s) may have a leading side facing in the forward direction characterised in that the leading side includes a forwardly inclined section which is inclined forwardly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Pavol Loderer, Craig Ian Walker
  • Publication number: 20170260993
    Abstract: An impeller which can be rotated about a rotation axis X-X, the impeller comprising a shroud having opposed inner and outer faces and an outer peripheral edge portion remote from the rotation axis, a plurality of pumping vanes projecting from the inner face of the shroud, a plurality of auxiliary vanes projecting from the outer face of the shroud, one or more of the auxiliary vanes having an inner edge which is closer to the rotation axis and an outer edge which is closer to the peripheral edge portion of the shroud, the auxiliary vanes extending in a direction between the rotation axis towards the outer peripheral edge portion of the shroud, one or more of the auxiliary vanes having a leading side and a trailing side each of which extends from the inner edge to the outer edge with an upper side spaced from the outer face of the shroud, and at least one projection extending from the trailing side of one or more of the said auxiliary vanes, and preferably each auxiliary vane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Applicant: Weir Minerals Australia Ltd.
    Inventor: Craig Ian Walker
  • Publication number: 20170045057
    Abstract: A pump intake device comprising a main body which includes a side wall section having an inner side and an outer side, an intake section extending from the outer side of the side wall section and an intake passage extending through the intake section, the intake passage having an inner surface and an entry end and an exit end with a central axis extending between the entry and exit ends, a first portion of the inner surface having one or more first guides thereon for directing fluid passing through the intake passage so that in use said fluid leaves the exit end at the first portion with an exit angle which is inclined relative to the central axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Inventor: Craig Ian Walker
  • Patent number: 9422829
    Abstract: A pump intake device comprises a main body which includes a side wall section having an inner side and an outer side, an intake section extending from the outer side of the side wall section and an intake passage extending through the intake section, the intake passage having an inner surface and an entry end and an exit end with a central axis extending between the entry and exit ends, where a first portion of the inner surface has one or more first guides thereon for directing fluid passing through the intake passage so that, in use, the fluid leaves the exit end at the first portion with an exit angle which is inclined relative to the central axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Weir Minerals Australia Ltd.
    Inventor: Craig Ian Walker
  • Publication number: 20160040682
    Abstract: A pump impeller which includes: a back shroud having an inner main face with an outer peripheral edge and a central axis, the impeller in use being rotatable about the central axis in a direction of rotation, a plurality of pumping vanes extending from the inner main face of the back shroud, the pumping vanes being disposed in spaced apart relation, and each pumping vane including: opposed first and second side faces, a leading edge in the region of the central axis and a trailing edge in the region of the outer peripheral edge of the back shroud, and with a passageway between adjacent pumping vanes, wherein the first side face at the leading edge is in a plane which is at an acute angle with respect to a plane of the inner main face of the back shroud, and the first side face at the trailing edge is in a plane which is at an obtuse angle with respect to the plane of the inner main face of the back shroud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventor: Craig Ian Walker
  • Publication number: 20130202426
    Abstract: A pump intake device comprising a main body which includes a side wall section having an inner side and an outer side, an intake section extending from the outer side of the side wall section and an intake passage extending through the intake section, the intake passage having an inner surface and an entry end and an exit end with a central axis extending between the entry and exit ends, a first portion of the inner surface having one or more first guides thereon for directing fluid passing through the intake passage so that in use said fluid leaves the exit end at the first portion with an exit angle which is inclined relative to the central axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: WEIR MINERALS AUSTRALIA, LTD.
    Inventor: Craig Ian Walker
  • Patent number: 7329085
    Abstract: An impeller for use in a centrifugal pump, the impeller including a shroud having opposed faces, an outer peripheral edge portion and a rotation axis, a plurality of pumping vanes on one of the faces of the shroud and extending away from the rotation axis, each pumping vane having an outer peripheral edge portion, and a plurality of auxiliary vanes on the other face of the shroud, the auxiliary vanes of each having an outer edge portion wherein the dimension Da from the rotation axis to the outer peripheral edge portion of the shroud is greater than the dimension Db from the rotation axis to the outer edge portion of the auxiliary vanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Weir Minerals Australia Ltd.
    Inventors: Craig Ian Walker, Anton Watermann
  • Patent number: 5803152
    Abstract: The present invention relates to eutectic alloy systems, such as white irons, in which a primary phase grows out of the melt when the melt is cooled below the liquidus temperature and comprises pouring the molten metal alloy at a temperature at or above the liquidus in a stream into a casting mould to form a casting and introducing a particulate material into the stream of molten metal to extract heat from the molten metal alloy to undercool the molten metal alloy from the pour temperature into the primary phase solidification range between the liquidus and the solidus temperatures of the alloy and thereby initiate primary phase nucleation and restrict primary phase growth. The primary function of the particulate material is to act as a heat sink but the particulate material may at least partially dissolve in the melt and may act as a seeding agent for the primary phase. The invention is described with particular reference to high chromium hypereutectic white irons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Warman International Limited
    Inventors: Kevin Francis Dolman, Craig Ian Walker, Charles Philip Harris, Andrew William Thomson