Patents by Inventor Daniel Birk

Daniel Birk 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: 20230091940
    Abstract: An adaptor configured for use with surgical retractors including a body defining an adaptor surface supporting a plurality of friction grips. The body defines a rear plate opposite the adaptor surface. A mating connecting window is defined in the body. The mating connecting window is configured to receive a surgical retractor head. A connecting element is positioned in the mating connecting window. The connecting element is configured to receive an upper surface of the surgical retractor head. The mating connecting window is configured to conceal the retractor head therein to prevent contact between the retractor head and surgical tissue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Daniel Birk, Vincent DeStefano, Nicole Hershkowitz
  • Patent number: 10280085
    Abstract: A process for preparing nitric acid may involve vaporizing ammonia in at least one first ammonia vaporizer to produce an ammonia gas, oxidizing this ammonia gas to nitrogen dioxide in a plant section of a nitric acid plant, and absorbing the nitrogen dioxide in water to produce nitric acid. A residual gas containing nitrous gases may be taken off from the plant section of the nitric acid plant and conveyed to a residual-gas cleaning apparatus. The residual gas containing nitrous gases may be reduced by means of ammonia in the residual-gas cleaning apparatus, wherein ammonia-containing wastewater obtained in the at least one first ammonia vaporizer may be conveyed to the residual-gas cleaning apparatus. Such a process may eliminate or at least substantially reduce ammonia-containing wastewater. Furthermore, a plant can be used in this process for preparing nitric acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignees: THYSSENKRUPP INDUSTRIAL SOLUTION AG, THYSSENKRUPP AG
    Inventor: Daniel Birke
  • Patent number: 10169564
    Abstract: Facilities are provided herein for authenticating a user to use a processing device. A user predefines authenticators of one or more types and associates these with graphical images. Upon on attempt to activate the processing device, a graphical image, of the graphical images, is selected for presentation to the user. The selected graphical image is presented to the user, who then provides input to authenticate with the device. A determination is made as to whether the user is authenticated to use the device. The determination is made based on input received from the user and based further on the authenticator associated with the selected graphical image. Varying the selection of image(s), each associated with a predefined authenticator and authentication type, enables variability in the authenticator that is suitable for unlocking a device at a given time, providing greater security to the authentication process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Peter Daniel Birk, Cesar Eduardo Gonzalez Borjon, Nader M. Nassar
  • Patent number: 9776867
    Abstract: An apparatus and a process are described for preparation of nitric acid from ammonia and oxygenous gas by the single pressure or dual pressure process, in which the oxidation of the ammonia used is accomplished by means of compressed process air which has been compressed in at least one compressor over a catalyst, and the nitrous gas formed by the oxidation is at least partly absorbed by water, forming nitric acid, and the unabsorbed residual gas is expanded for the purpose of recovering compressor work in at least one multistage residual gas turbine (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: THYSSENKRUPP INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS AG
    Inventor: Daniel Birke
  • Publication number: 20170227129
    Abstract: A sealing device for sealing a rotatable shaft of a gas compressor and/or a gas expander may include first and second sealing chambers and an extraction unit. The first sealing chamber may surround the rotatable shaft and include an inlet for the supply of a sealing medium. The second sealing chamber may be separated from the first sealing chamber by a seal and may surround the rotatable shaft. The second sealing chamber may include an outlet for the discharge of the sealing medium. The extraction device may extract the sealing medium out of the second sealing chamber. The present disclosure also concerns a corresponding method. Still further, the present disclosure concerns an installation for producing nitric acid with a NO compressor and a residual gas expander as well as a corresponding method. The NO compressor and/or the residual gas expander may have such a sealing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Applicants: ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions AG, ThyssenKrupp AG
    Inventor: Daniel Birke
  • Patent number: 9695044
    Abstract: An apparatus for starting up and/or shutting down a plant for preparing nitric acid from ammonia and oxygenous gas may include at least one air compressor, at least one process gas cooler, at least one feed water preheater, and at least one residual gas turbine. The at least one process gas cooler and the at least one feed water preheater may include pipe coils, at least one of which is connected to a source for a heating medium such that the at least one pipe coil in the process gas cooler and/or the feed water preheater can be charged during startup and/or shutdown of the apparatus with the heating medium for heating the process gas flowing through the process gas cooler and feed water preheater. The apparatus may further include a heat exchanger downstream of the process gas cooler and/or the feed water preheater for transferring thermal energy from the heated process gas to the residual gas supplied to the residual gas turbine. Corresponding methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: THYSSENKRUPP INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS AG
    Inventor: Daniel Birke
  • Publication number: 20160328553
    Abstract: Facilities are provided herein for authenticating a user to use a processing device. A user predefines authenticators of one or more types and associates these with graphical images. Upon on attempt to activate the processing device, a graphical image, of the graphical images, is selected for presentation to the user. The selected graphical image is presented to the user, who then provides input to authenticate with the device. A determination is made as to whether the user is authenticated to use the device. The determination is made based on input received from the user and based further on the authenticator associated with the selected graphical image. Varying the selection of image(s), each associated with a predefined authenticator and authentication type, enables variability in the authenticator that is suitable for unlocking a device at a given time, providing greater security to the authentication process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Inventors: Peter Daniel BIRK, Cesar Eduardo GONZALEZ BORJON, Nader M. NASSAR
  • Patent number: 9460279
    Abstract: Facilities are provided herein for authenticating a user to use a processing device. A user predefines authenticators of one or more types and associates these with graphical images. Upon on attempt to activate the processing device, a graphical image, of the graphical images, is selected for presentation to the user. The selected graphical image is presented to the user, who then provides input to authenticate with the device. A determination is made as to whether the user is authenticated to use the device. The determination is made based on input received from the user and based further on the authenticator associated with the selected graphical image. Varying the selection of image(s), each associated with a predefined authenticator and authentication type, enables variability in the authenticator that is suitable for unlocking a device at a given time, providing greater security to the authentication process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Peter Daniel Birk, Cesar Eduardo Gonzalez Borjon, Nader M. Nassar
  • Publication number: 20160132673
    Abstract: Facilities are provided herein for authenticating a user to use a processing device. A user predefines authenticators of one or more types and associates these with graphical images. Upon on attempt to activate the processing device, a graphical image, of the graphical images, is selected for presentation to the user. The selected graphical image is presented to the user, who then provides input to authenticate with the device. A determination is made as to whether the user is authenticated to use the device. The determination is made based on input received from the user and based further on the authenticator associated with the selected graphical image. Varying the selection of image(s), each associated with a predefined authenticator and authentication type, enables variability in the authenticator that is suitable for unlocking a device at a given time, providing greater security to the authentication process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventors: Peter Daniel BIRK, Cesar Eduardo GONZALEZ BORJON, Nader M. NASSAR
  • Patent number: 8925780
    Abstract: A nailer includes a power source including a piston reciprocating within a cylinder; a driver blade secured to the piston for common movement relative to a nosepiece; a magazine connected to the nosepiece for feeding fasteners sequentially for being driven into a workpiece by the driver blade; a fastener delay mechanism operatively associated with the magazine and configured for engaging a subsequent fastener and delaying advancement of the second fastener to the nosepiece until the driver blade returns to the pre-firing position after driving a leading fastener; and wherein the delay mechanism includes an electromagnetic solenoid with a reciprocating plunger connected to a pivoting cam member such that extension of the plunger causes the pivoting cam member to pivot into a blocking position between the fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Marc Largo, Hanxin Zhao, Christopher H. Porth, Daniel Birk
  • Publication number: 20150004091
    Abstract: An apparatus and a process are described for preparation of nitric acid from ammonia and oxygenous gas by the single pressure or dual pressure process, in which the oxidation of the ammonia used is accomplished by means of compressed process air which has been compressed in at least one compressor over a catalyst, and the nitrous gas formed by the oxidation is at least partly absorbed by water, forming nitric acid, and the unabsorbed residual gas is expanded for the purpose of recovering compressor work in at least one multistage residual gas turbine (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Applicant: THYSSENKRUPP INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS AG
    Inventor: Daniel Birke
  • Publication number: 20140377157
    Abstract: A process is described for startup and/or shutdown of a plant for preparation of nitric acid from ammonia and oxygenous gas by the single pressure or dual pressure process, in which the ammonia used is oxidized by means of compressed process air over a catalyst, said process air having been compressed in at least one compressor (6), the nitrous gas formed by the combustion is cooled in one or more process gas coolers (3) equipped with pipe coils for a cooling medium and in one or more feed water preheaters (2) equipped with pipe coils for a cooling medium, and the cooled nitrous gas is subsequently absorbed at least partly by water, forming nitric acid, and the unabsorbed residual gas is expanded in at least one residual gas turbine (11) for the purpose of recovering compressor work.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Applicant: THYSSENKRUPP INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS AG
    Inventor: Daniel Birke
  • Publication number: 20140278503
    Abstract: System and methods configured to permit a user such as a health care provider to organize and manage patient information quickly and efficiently from a simplified representation. Such simplified representations may include a patient representation and a context representation. The representations may be updated to represent real-time patient conditions through the input of information directly from treatment or monitoring devices or from user input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Daniel BIRK, Ugo Alessandro Buy, Kevin Samuel Paul, Christa Wellman, Fady Charbel, Sepideh Amin-Hanjani
  • Publication number: 20140110451
    Abstract: A nailer includes a power source including a piston reciprocating within a cylinder; a driver blade secured to the piston for common movement relative to a nosepiece; a magazine connected to the nosepiece for feeding fasteners sequentially for being driven into a workpiece by the driver blade; a fastener delay mechanism operatively associated with the magazine and configured for engaging a subsequent fastener and delaying advancement of the second fastener to the nosepiece until the driver blade returns to the pre-firing position after driving a leading fastener; and wherein the delay mechanism includes an electromagnetic solenoid with a reciprocating plunger connected to a pivoting cam member such that extension of the plunger causes the pivoting cam member to pivot into a blocking position between the fasteners.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Marc Largo, Hanxin Zhao, Christopher H. Porth, Daniel Birk
  • Patent number: 8636185
    Abstract: A nailer includes a power source including a piston reciprocating within a cylinder, a driver blade secured to the piston for common movement relative to a nosepiece, a magazine connected to the nosepiece for feeding fasteners sequentially for being driven into a workpiece by the driver blade, a delay mechanism operatively associated with the magazine and configured for engaging a second fastener and delaying advancement of the subsequent fastener to the nosepiece until the driver blade returns to the pre-firing position after driving a leading fastener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Marc Largo, Hanxin Zhao, Christopher H. Porth, Daniel Birk
  • Publication number: 20120118932
    Abstract: A nailer includes a power source including a piston reciprocating within a cylinder, a driver blade secured to the piston for common movement relative to a nosepiece, a magazine connected to the nosepiece for feeding fasteners sequentially for being driven into a workpiece by the driver blade, a delay mechanism operatively associated with the magazine and configured for engaging a second fastener and delaying advancement of the subsequent fastener to the nosepiece until the driver blade returns to the pre-firing position after driving a leading fastener.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Inventors: Marc Largo, Hanxin Zhao, Christopher H. Porth, Daniel Birk
  • Publication number: 20110165050
    Abstract: A process for sealing the NO compressor and the residual gas expander in a plant for the production of nitric acid by the dual-pressure process uses a low-pressure section, a NO compressor, a high-pressure section with oxidation and absorption, at least one heat exchanger, a residual gas expander, in which ammonia and compressed air are passed into the low-pressure section of the nitric acid plant, where ammonia is oxidised via a catalyst to yield NO and water. The obtained NO is partly oxidised to yield NO2. The NO- and NO2-saturated gas is passed into the NO compressor, the compressed NO- and NO2-saturated gas is passed into the high-pressure section of the nitric acid plant where the residual NO is oxidised to yield NO2, followed by absorption of nitrogen dioxide to nitric acid. The residual gas from the high-pressure section is routed to the residual gas expander via at least one heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Inventors: Rainer Maurer, Daniel Birke, Egon Joachmann
  • Patent number: 7925881
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for preventing rogue implementations of a security-sensitive class interface are provided. With the method and apparatus, a unique identifier (UID) is created by a server process when the server process is started. Anytime the server process, i.e. a server runtime environment, instantiates a new credential object following start-up of the server process, the encrypted UID is placed into a private field within the new credential object. In addition, the UID is encrypted and stored in a private class of the server runtime environment. A verification class is provided within the server runtime environment which includes one or more methods that receive the credential object as a parameter and return true or false as to the validity of the credential object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Daniel Birk, Ching-Yun Chao, Hyen Vui Chung
  • Patent number: 7810132
    Abstract: Objects on application servers are distributed to one or more application servers; a user is allowed to declare in a list which objects residing on each application server are to be protected; the list is read by an interceptor; responsive to exportation of a Common Object Request Broker Architecture (“CORBA”) compliant Interoperable Object Reference (“IOR”) for a listed object, the interceptor associates one or more application server security flags with interfaces to the listed objects by tagging components of the IOR with one or more security flags; and one or more security operations are performed by an application server according to the security flags tagged to the IOR when a client accesses an application server-stored object, the security operations including an operation besides establishing secure communications between the client process and the server-stored object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Daniel Birk, Ching-Yun Chao, Hyen Vui Chung, Carlton Keith Mason, Ajaykumar Karkala Reddy, Vishwanath Venkataramappa
  • Patent number: 7752452
    Abstract: A system and method for tracking user security credentials in a distributed computing environment. The security credentials of an authenticated user includes not just his unique user identifier, but also a set of security attributes such as the time of authentication, the location where the user is authenticated (i.e., intranet user v. internet user), the authentication strength, and so on. The security attributes are used in access control decisions. The same user can be given different authorization if he has a different security attribute value. Security credentials may be generated either by WebSphere security code or by third party security provider code. This invention stores the user credentials in a distributed cache and provides a system and method to compute the unique key based on the dynamic security credentials for cache lookup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Daniel Birk, Ching-Yun Chao, Hyen Vui Chung