Patents by Inventor Donald Gary Eichler

Donald Gary Eichler 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: 8047224
    Abstract: The present invention is for a cartridge insert valve to limit excess flow through a pipe which is part of a piping system. The cartridge insert valve includes a cylindrical housing and an inlet cap with an inlet opening defined therein. The inlet cap is positioned on a cylindrical housing first end. The cartridge insert valve also includes a seat cap with an orifice defined therein. The seat cap is positioned on a cylindrical housing second end opposite the cylindrical housing first end. The cartridge insert valve is located in the pipe such that a fluid flowing through the pipe normally enters the inlet cap, flows through the cylindrical housing and exits the seat cap. The cartridge insert valve also includes a piston assembly that shuts off flow through the valve in response to an excess flow through the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Inventor: Donald Gary Eichler
  • Publication number: 20100108160
    Abstract: The invention is directed to an excess flow valve having a feather gasket positioned near a valve seat. The excess flow valve also has a piston assembly with a first disc-shaped piston and a second disc-shaped piston. Each piston also has at least one orifice defined therein and has an upstream face and a downstream face. In one embodiment, the excess flow valve has a spring positioned in the housing against the downstream face of the second piston such that the spring exerts a force on the second piston in a direction opposite the general fluid flow direction. When flow forces acting on the piston assembly sufficiently exceed the spring force acting on the second piston, the piston assembly moves in the flow direction until a stop engages a valve seat to shut off fluid flow through the valve. The feather gasket reduces a bypass flow past the valve seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Inventor: DONALD GARY EICHLER
  • Publication number: 20090107563
    Abstract: The present invention is for a safety valve having a modified orifice in a piston. The orifice is positioned on an outer radial periphery of the piston. The orifice is a void which has only a partial circumferential boundary. With this design for a piston and orifices the piston may be formed in a mold in a single manufacturing operation. For other designs for a piston having orifices with a complete circumferential boundary, the piston is formed in one operation and the orifice defined in another operation, such as by drilling into the piston to form the orifice. Thus, by positioning the orifice on the outer radial periphery of the piston, the efficiency of the overall safety valve manufacturing process may be improved and the cost of the safety valve may be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2008
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventor: Donald Gary Eichler
  • Publication number: 20080185047
    Abstract: The present invention is for a cartridge insert valve to limit excess flow through a pipe which is part of a piping system. The cartridge insert valve includes a cylindrical housing and an inlet cap with an inlet opening defined therein. The inlet cap is positioned on a cylindrical housing first end. The cartridge inset valve also includes a seat cap with an orifice defined therein. The seat cap is positioned on a cylindrical housing second end opposite the cylindrical housing first end. The cartridge insert valve is located in the pipe such that a fluid flowing through the pipe normally enters the inlet cap, flows through the cylindrical housing and exits the seat cap. The cartridge insert valve also includes a piston assembly that shuts off flow through the valve in response to an excess flow through the valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Inventor: Donald Gary Eichler
  • Patent number: 7258131
    Abstract: The invention is for a safety valve for a piping system. The safety valve has a cylindrical housing, a piston assembly with two disc-shaped pistons, each piston having at least one orifice defined therein, a shaft connecting the pistons, a valve stem, and a stop attached to one end of the valve stem. The safety valve has a valve seat with an opening shaped and sized to receive the stop. The safety valve has a spring positioned in the housing against the piston assembly so that the spring exerts a spring force on the second piston in a direction opposite the direction of fluid flow. When fluid forces acting on the piston assembly exceed a spring force acting on the piston assembly, the piston assembly moves in the direction of flow until the stop engages the valve seat and shuts off flow through the safety valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Inventor: Donald Gary Eichler