Patents by Inventor Donald A. Smith

Donald A. Smith 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: 20040244543
    Abstract: A pass through socket (12) and wrench (10) combination is disclosed wherein a first drive member (22a, 22b) is provided on the socket's exterior surface and a second drive member (24) is provided on the front side of the ratchet wrench's wheel (26) for engaging the socket's first drive member (22a, 22b) to enable the socket (12) to be driven with the wrench (10). The wrench's wheel (26) defines an axially aligned through hole (30) extending through the wheel (26) for receiving an insertable end of the socket (12) through the front side of the wheel (26). Socket retention means, preferably a snap ring mounted on the front side of the ratchet wheel (26), is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Inventors: Franklin Earl Barnett, Brian Donald Smith
  • Patent number: 6826799
    Abstract: This invention is a compressed air vaccum that attaches to an air hose and forces air down the handle. The air is then is forced through a venture, which causes vacuum to occur. It has a baffle deflection piece that stops the liquid and debris from coming up into the venture thus allowing the debris and liquid material to be dropped back into the canister of the vaccum. The handle, venture, and baffle are all one piece. The canister with the pick up tube for sucking is a separate piece and then they snap together. The canister is removable from the handle piece for easy clean up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Inventor: Donald A Smith
  • Publication number: 20040200191
    Abstract: The present description discusses apparatus and methods for applying straps around a bundle of objects by applying a variable force to tension the strap around the bundle of objects and then actuating a series of cams to control the sealing of the strap around the bundle of objects. The strap is bonded together by the insertion of a heating element between the strap ends to activate the adhesive thereon. The strapping machine for accomplishing the above method is configured with a feed and tension unit configured to provide a simplified “V-shaped” strap path that reduces bending of the strap, reduces friction on the strap, and minimizes other strap feeding difficulties. The machine is further comprised of a track assembly configured with a track channel having a plurality of biased covers. The covers are biased in a closed position until tension is applied to the strap, which forces the covers to pivot open and release the strap around the bundle of objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Applicant: Enterprises International, Inc.
    Inventors: Ross Armstrong, Yee Chak, Donald A. Smith
  • Publication number: 20040076252
    Abstract: The subject apparatus provides a means to identify the presence of fissionable material or other nuclear material contained within an item to be tested. The system employs a portable accelerator to accelerate and direct protons to a fluorine-compound target. The interaction of the protons with the fluorine-compound target produces gamma rays which are directed at the item to be tested. If the item to be tested contains either a fissionable material or other nuclear material the interaction of the gamma rays with the material contained within the test item with result in the production of neutrons. A system of neutron detectors is positioned to intercept any neutrons generated by the test item. The results from the neutron detectors are analyzed to determine the presence of a fissionable material or other nuclear material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2001
    Publication date: April 22, 2004
    Inventors: Donald Smith, Bradley J. Micklich, Andreas Fessler
  • Patent number: 6724852
    Abstract: The subject apparatus provides a means to identify the presence of fissionable material or other nuclear material contained within an item to be tested. The system employs a portable accelerator to accelerate and direct protons to a fluorine-compound target. The interaction of the protons with the fluorine-compound target produces gamma rays which are directed at the item to be tested. If the item to be tested contains either a fissionable material or other nuclear material the interaction of the gamma rays with the material contained within the test item with result in the production of neutrons. A system of neutron detectors is positioned to intercept any neutrons generated by the test item. The results from the neutron detectors are analyzed to determine the presence of a fissionable material or other nuclear material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Donald Smith, Bradley J. Micklich, Andreas Fessler
  • Patent number: 6697842
    Abstract: A dynamic context filter for communication and information management filters information using dynamic parameters corresponding to a particular user. Dynamic context filters may represent user location, current time, or past preferences. Filtered information may be prioritized based on proximity, time, or past preferences. The importance of dynamic context filter parameters may be weighted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Northern Telecom
    Inventors: Colin Donald Smith, Brian Finlay Beaton
  • Publication number: 20040021697
    Abstract: A telecommunications device permits a user to perform several communication related tasks concurrently. The telecommunications device includes a user input device, a display having a tools portion and a windows portion, and a processing element. The processing element includes an element configured to represent the communication related tasks as objects in the tools portion, an element configured to launch different ones of the communication related tasks based upon selection of corresponding ones of the communication related task objects by the user via the user input device, and an element configured to change the window portion based on the user selection without changing the tools portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Applicant: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Brian Finlay Beaton, Colin Donald Smith
  • Publication number: 20030163890
    Abstract: This invention is a compressed air vaccum that attaches to an air hose and forces air down the handle. The air is then is forced through a venture, which causes vacuum to occur. It has a baffle deflection piece that stops the liquid and debris from coming up into the venture thus allowing the debris and liquid material to be dropped back into the canister of the vacuum. The handle, venture, and baffle are all one piece. The canister with the pick up tube for sucking is a separate piece and then they snap together. The canister is removable from the handle peice for easy clean up.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Inventor: Donald A. Smith
  • Patent number: 6608637
    Abstract: A telecommunications device permits a user to perform several communication related tasks concurrently. The telecommunications device includes a user input device, a display having a tools portion and a windows portion, and a processing element. The processing element includes an element configured to represent the communication related tasks as objects in the tools portion, an element configured to launch different ones of the communication related tasks based upon selection of corresponding ones of the communication related task objects by the user via the user input device, and an element configured to change the window portion based on the user selection without changing the tools portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Brian Finlay Beaton, Colin Donald Smith
  • Publication number: 20030121424
    Abstract: Systems and methods for threading and feeding a length of wire into a wire-tying track, for withdrawing at least some of the wire from the wire-tying track to tension the wire around one or more objects, and for extracting waste wire from the system. The object of the invention herein being a feed and tension mechanism comprising a feed and tension wheel, an accumulator disk, a primary nip mechanism for frictionally engaging the wire at the contact region between the primary nip and the feed and tension wheel, a drive system having two independently operable motors, and wire guiding devices for directing and routing the wire through the feed and tension mechanism. The present invention may further comprise a supplementary nip mechanism to facilitate the threading of the wire into the mechanism, a wire stripping mechanism for extracting any waste wire from the mechanism, and a series of wire sensing devices in communication with a control system to sequence and control the operational cycles of the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2002
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventors: David R. Doyle, Andrew D. Hall, Darrell D. Robinson, Scott E. McNeal, Donald A. Smith
  • Patent number: 6584891
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for wire-tying one or more objects. A wire accumulating and feeding mechanism feeds the wire axially through the hollow axle of an accumulator drum and then out to a drive wheel. The wire is wrapped around the periphery of the drum to accumulate the wire during tensioning. A wire gripping mechanism is a simple, economical device including a gripper block having a wire receptacle formed therein, an opposing wall positioned proximate the wire receptacle, and in one embodiment a tapered gap formed in the gripper block proximate the wire receptacle and opposite from the opposing wall, and a gripper disc mounts in a gripper release lever constrained to move within the tapered gap and frictionally engageable with the length of wire disposed within the wire receptacle, the gripper disc being driven into the tapered gap by frictional engagement with the length of wire and pinching the length of wire against the opposing wall when the drive motor is operated in the tension direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: Enterprises International, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald Smith, Scott McNeal, Darrell Robinson, David Doyle, Michael Kindsvogel
  • Patent number: 6584778
    Abstract: A cooling air cooling system is selectively operable to reduce fuel gum deposits within the cooling system during gas turbine engine operations. The cooling system includes a recirculating loop that includes at least three heat exchangers in fluid communication with the recirculating loop. A first heat exchanger cools cooling air supplied to the gas turbine engine. A second heat exchanger cools fluid exiting the first of the heat exchangers with fan discharge air prior to the fluid entering the third heat exchanger. A third heat exchanger uses combustor main fuel flow to cool the fluid circulating in the recirculating loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: James Alan Griffiths, Mitchell Donald Smith, James William Bartos
  • Patent number: 6584762
    Abstract: A fuel control system for an aircraft gas turbine engine that includes a thrust augmentation system. An augmentor fuel pump is arranged to provide pressurized fuel to an exhaust nozzle throat area actuation system to eliminate the need for a separate hydraulic pump to provide pressurized fluid for exhaust nozzle actuation. An augmentor fuel bypass arrangement is provided to enable the augmentor fuel pump to provide pressurized fuel to the main fuel pressurizing valve and to components operated by the main fuel system in the event of failure of the main fuel pump. The augmentor fuel pump pressure and output flow are controlled as a function of thrust augmentation demand and main fuel system operation. The system provides redundancy by enabling either the main fuel system or the augmentor fuel system to maintain engine operation if one of the fuel systems fails or provides inadequate fuel flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Barton Hunter Snow, Mitchell Donald Smith
  • Patent number: 6556339
    Abstract: A noncollinear pumped solid state Raman laser or amplifier has a pump laser that transversely or noncollinearly pumps a solid state Raman gain material, with an intensity sufficient to produce a stimulated Raman laser output beam. The pump beam and the Raman beam are noncollinear when the Raman beam travels completely across the pump beam within the Raman gain material, or where the Raman beam completely separates physically, at some location in the pumped Raman gain material, from a virtual beam, which is collinear to the pump beam axis, and which has the same entrance spot size and beam divergence as the Raman beam. The device enhances the pump laser beam spatial homogenization to improve the wavefront smoothness and propagation performance from the pump beam to the Raman beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Coherent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Duane Donald Smith, Glenn Taylor Bennett, AnnMarie Louise Oien, Timothy William Monarski
  • Publication number: 20030074884
    Abstract: A fuel control system for an aircraft gas turbine engine that includes a thrust augmentation system. An augmentor fuel pump is arranged to provide pressurized fuel to an exhaust nozzle throat area actuation system to eliminate the need for a separate hydraulic pump to provide pressurized fluid for exhaust nozzle actuation. An augmentor fuel bypass arrangement is provided to enable the augmentor fuel pump to provide pressurized fuel to the main fuel pressurizing valve and to components operated by the main fuel system in the event of failure of the main fuel pump. The augmentor fuel pump pressure and output flow are controlled as a function of thrust augmentation demand and main fuel system operation. The system provides redundancy by enabling either the main fuel system or the augmentor fuel system to maintain engine operation if one of the fuel systems fails or provides inadequate fuel flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Inventors: Barton Hunter Snow, Mitchell Donald Smith
  • Publication number: 20030043453
    Abstract: A noncollinear pumped solid state Raman laser or amplifier has a pump laser that transversely or noncollinearly pumps a solid state Raman gain material, with an intensity sufficient to produce a stimulated Raman laser output beam. The pump beam and the Raman beam are noncollinear when the Raman beam travels completely across the pump beam within the Raman gain material, or where the Raman beam completely separates physically, at some location in the pumped Raman gain material, from a virtual beam, which is collinear to the pump beam axis, and which has the same entrance spot size and beam divergence as the Raman beam. The device enhances the pump laser beam spatial homogenization to improve the wavefront smoothness and propagation performance from the pump beam to the Raman beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Inventors: Duane Donald Smith, Glenn Taylor Bennett, AnnMarie Louise Oien, Timothy William Monarski
  • Patent number: 6487847
    Abstract: A fuel control system for an aircraft gas turbine engine that includes a thrust augmentation system. An augmentor fuel pump is arranged to provide pressurized fuel to an exhaust nozzle throat area actuation system to eliminate the need for a separate hydraulic pump to provide pressurized fluid for exhaust nozzle actuation. An augmentor fuel bypass arrangement is provided to enable the augmentor fuel pump to provide pressurized fuel to the main fuel pressurizing valve and to components operated by the main fuel system in the event of failure of the main fuel pump. The augmentor fuel pump pressure and output flow are controlled as a function of thrust augmentation demand and main fuel system operation. The system provides redundancy by enabling either the main fuel system or the augmentor fuel system to maintain engine operation if one of the fuel systems fails or provides inadequate fuel flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Barton Hunter Snow, Mitchell Donald Smith
  • Patent number: 6453950
    Abstract: A round circular hose has a tendency to kink when extended. Also, a round circular hose can be difficult to form into a coil. With this background I have developed a hose with rigid sides to prevent kinking and for ease for forming into a coil provided with thicker wall sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Inventor: Donald Smith
  • Patent number: 6442263
    Abstract: The system and method consistent with the present invention provides improved electronic business cards for a communication device. Electronic business cards may be created using CLID information, transferred among users of a telephone network, and used to initiate a call automatically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Brian Finlay Beaton, Colin Donald Smith
  • Patent number: 6430954
    Abstract: An adjustable protective cover for use with an outdoor air conditioning unit comprises a framework of vertical supports and upper and lower struts forming a generally cubicle configuration. The protective cover further includes a screen having a top portion and a plurality of side portions. The top portion spans between the upper struts for shielding the top of the air conditioning unit from the sun and debris. The side portions of the screen span between respective vertical supports and upper and lower struts for shielding the sides of the air conditioning unit from the sun and debris. A plurality of slider bars are fixedly attached along free edges of the side portions of the screen adjacent respective lower struts. Each vertical support defines a slot extending longitudinally therealong. The cover further includes a plurality of knob fasteners that are slidable within the slots and which are threadably connected to respective slider bars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Inventor: Donald A. Smith