Patents by Inventor David L. Hale

David L. Hale 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: 6021823
    Abstract: Devices and methods for preventing pull away or drive away incidents. The preferred devices can be retrofitted to critical gas pipes on fuel trucks or gas tanker trucks. A version of my device can be readily employed with conventional automobiles. Through my system a vehicle engine cannot start or continue to ram until a proper disconnection is made from a fueling or refueling source. The preferred protection device comprises a rigid, frame having a base portion connected to a gas pipe with spaced apart clamps. An elongated arm pivotally extending from the frame terminates in a blocking plate. The blocking plate can be user-deflected to either block access to the gas connection, or to expose it. When disposed in the blocking position, the arm activates a spark-proof ignition switch, which enables the ignition circuit in the vehicle being fueled or loaded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Inventor: David L. Hale
  • Patent number: 4747996
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for adjusting the level of nuclear fuel rods in a fuel assembly is disclosed, and which comprises a tool composed of an expander having a pair of parallel, laterally spaced apart and flexible arms which have first ends which are interconnected to each other, and opposite free ends. The tool further includes an actuator disposed between the free ends of the arms, and the free ends of the arms and the actuator mount cooperating wedge surface means, whereby relative longitudinal movement between the expander and actuator causes the arms to separate a predetermined maximum distance. In use, the tool is inserted into the fuel assembly with the free ends of the arms located between the end of a misaligned fuel rod and the nozzle, and the actuator is then longitudinally advanced to separate the arms to the predetermined maximum distance, which serves to move the misaligned rod to its proper level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1988
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: David L. Hale, Thomas F. Culbreth
  • Patent number: 4724594
    Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting the level of nuclear fuel rods in a fuel assembly is disclosed, and which comprises a tool composed of an expander having a pair of parallel, laterally spaced apart and flexible arms which have first ends which are interconnected to each other, and opposite free ends. The tool further includes an actuator disposed between the free ends of the arms, and the free ends of the arms and the actuator mount cooperating wedge surface means, whereby relative longitudinal movement between the expander and actuator causes the arms to separate a predetermined maximum distance. In use, the tool is inserted into the fuel assembly with the free ends of the arms located between the end of a misaligned fuel rod and the nozzle, and the actuator is then longitudinally advanced to separate the arms to the predetermined maximum distance, which serves to move the misaligned rod to its proper level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1988
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: David L. Hale, Thomas F. Culbreth
  • Patent number: 4584540
    Abstract: The present invention uses digital values of MSK-like waveshapes which can be stored in a storage media such as a ROM and then output in a prescribed fashion such as in phase quadrature through the use of an addressing technique to the ROM. The digital values, each of N bits, are then multiplied in quadrature times a data representative signal which is divided into phase quadrature components. These N+1 bit products are summed to produce a composite digital signal representing analog bipolar values. A digital-to-analog conversion provides the modulated analog output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1986
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventors: J. Timothy DuBose, David L. Hale, Robert K. Marston
  • Patent number: 4461230
    Abstract: An inflatable bladder assembly which is to be located within the hollow interior of a boat mast, which when inflated, is to be pressed against the wall of the interior chamber of the mast. Normally there are elongated wires or cables which are located within the interior chamber of the mast. With the inflatable bladder assembly inflated, these wires and cables will be tightly pressed against the wall of the interior chamber thereby not capable of movement relative thereto and therefore not capable of producing noise. The inflatable bladder assembly is to be composed of a plurality of separate bladder units mounted in a spaced-apart manner on a pressurized air conducting conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1982
    Date of Patent: July 24, 1984
    Inventors: M. Barrie Hartley, David L. Hale, Vincent Sefcik