Patents by Inventor Douglas T. Carson

Douglas T. Carson 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: 5557536
    Abstract: To determine the average velocity of a fluid stream, an ultrasonic signal is transmitted into the fluid and reflected ultrasonic signal received. The signals are mixed with a frequency of the transmitted ultrasonic signals. A Fourier transform is performed on the signals, the largest coefficient used to normalize the signal and certain of the weighted signals are averaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Assignee: Isco, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Nabity, Larry L. Fritz, Douglas T. Carson
  • Patent number: 5425390
    Abstract: To measure flow rates, the cross-sectional shape of the flow path is changed by inserting a multiple position gate into the flow path and altering the position of the gate to maintain the head of liquid constant with a reduced flow cross section. The position of the multiple position gate is correlated with the depth as measured with a bubbler to provide an indication of flow rate. To purge the bubbler line, a purge tank is located near the bubbler line. At timed periods or as manually initiated the controller causes an increase in pressure in accumulator portion of the purge tank. When a predetermined pressure is reached, a purge valve in the purge tank opens, rapidly allowing a burst of air at a substantial pressure and velocity to flow through the bubbler line to remove any material adhering to the bubbler outlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1995
    Assignee: Isco, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas T. Carson
  • Patent number: 5401139
    Abstract: To draw samples from a source of liquid, a pumping system measures the amount of liquid being pumped by detecting pump cycles and calculating the pumped liquid from this measurement and stored data including conduit size, pressure head and statistical data to correlate detected pump cycles with volume of liquid pumped. Pressure pulses caused by a peristaltic pump are sensed by a piezoelectric film positioned on an inlet conduit connecting the pump to the source of water and, when the liquid reaches a predetermined point determined by the nature of the pulses, the pulses are counted to determine the number of pump cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: Isco, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Nabity, Paul G. Wright, Raymond Hulinsky, Douglas T. Carson
  • Patent number: 5371686
    Abstract: To determine the average velocity of a fluid stream, an ultrasonic signal is transmitted into the fluid and reflected ultrasonic signal received. The signals are mixed with a frequency of the transmitted ultrasonic signals. A Fourier transform is performed on the signals, the largest coefficient used to normalize the signal and certain of the weighted signals are averaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1994
    Assignee: Isco, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Nabity, Larry L. Fritz, Douglas T. Carson
  • Patent number: 5280721
    Abstract: To measure flow rates, the cross-sectional shape of the flow path is changed by inserting a multiple position gate into the flow path and altering the position of the gate to maintain the head of liquid constant with a reduced flow cross section. The position of the multiple position gate is correlated with the depth as measured with a bubbler to provide an indication of flow rate. To purge the bubbler line, a purge tank is located near the bubbler line. At timed periods or as manually initiated the controller causes an increase in pressure in accumulator portion of the purge tank. When a predetermined pressure is reached, a purge valve in the purge tank opens, rapidly allowing a burst of air at a substantial pressure and velocity to flow through the bubbler line to remove any material adhering to the bubbler outlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 25, 1994
    Assignee: Isco, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas T. Carson
  • Patent number: 5275042
    Abstract: To measure flow rates, the cross-sectional shape of the flow path is changed by inserting a multiple position gate into the flow path and altering the position of the gate to maintain the head of liquid constant with a reduced flow cross section. To maintain the head at a desirable range, the depth is measured and controls the position of the gate as a feedback signal. The position of the multiple position gate is correlated with the depth to provide an indication of flow rate. For this purpose, a flow path housing is clamped to a pipe and a multiple position gate is moved by pneumatic pressure into the flow stream to change the flow cross section. The depth of the head upstream of the gate is measured and the position of the gate is measured. Flow rate is determined from these two measurements. Sampling may be performed at an increased depth caused by the gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 4, 1994
    Assignee: Isco, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas T. Carson, Larry L. Fritz, Lowell R. Nickolaus, Louis F. Lederer
  • Patent number: 5125801
    Abstract: To draw samples from a source of liquid, a pumping system measures the amount of liquid being pumped by detecting pump cycles and calculating the pumped liquid from this measurement and stored data including conduit size, pressure head and statistical data to correlate detected pump cycles with volume of liquid pumped. Pressure pulses caused by a peristaltic pump are sensed by a piezoelectric film positioned on an inlet conduit connecting the pump to the source of water and, when the liquid reaches a predetermined point determined by the nature of the pulses, the pulses are counted to determine the number of pump cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1992
    Assignee: Isco, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Nabity, Paul G. Wright, Raymond Hulinsky, Douglas T. Carson
  • Patent number: 4932373
    Abstract: To reduce space requirements, vibrations and certain stresses in a motion converting mechanism, a rod is constrained to reciprocate within a housing where the rod is attached to the crankshaft by a cylindrical shaped connector that orbits around the crankpin in a direction opposite that of the crankshaft while rotating inside the rod. Through the center portion of each stroke, the connector also interfaces directly with the housing by such means as a cam cam-follower or gearing to eliminate a second degree of freedom at midstroke. The resulting motion defined for the center of the connector and the rod is sinusoidal being twice that of the motion of the crankpin in the axis of reciprocation. The resulting stroke is four times the crankpin offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1990
    Inventor: Douglas T. Carson
  • Patent number: 4658768
    Abstract: To reduce space requirements, vibrations and certain stresses in an engine, a different one of two pistons is mounted on each end of a single piston rod to which the crankshaft is attached by a cylindrical shaped connector that orbits around the crankpin while rotating inside the piston rod. The crank interfaces directly with the piston rod through gear portions or a cam-cam follower through the center of each stroke. To reduce vibrations and certain stresses in an engine, a different one of two pistons is mounted on each end of a single piston rod to which the crankshaft is attached by two arms extending orthogonally from its central portion, each arm being mounted to a different one of two different connecting rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1987
    Inventor: Douglas T. Carson
  • Patent number: 4543919
    Abstract: To reduce space requirements, vibrations and certain stresses in an engine, a different one of two pistons is mounted on each end of a single piston rod to which the crankshaft is attached by a cylindrical shaped connector that orbits around the crankpin while rotating inside the piston rod. The crank interfaces directly with the piston rod through gear portions or a cam-cam follower through the center of each stroke. To reduce vibrations and certain stresses in an engine, a different one of two pistons is mounted on each end of a single piston rod to which the crankshaft is attached by two arms extending orthogonally from its central portion, each arm being mounted to a different one of two different connecting rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1985
    Inventor: Douglas T. Carson
  • Patent number: 4485769
    Abstract: To reduce space requirements, vibrations and certain stresses in an engine, a different one of two pistons is mounted on each end of a single piston rod to which the crankshaft is attached by a cylindrical shaped connector that rotates inside the piston rod or by two arms extending orthogonally from its central portion, each arm being mounted to a different one of two different connecting rods. To balance inertia forces, two oppositely rotating crankshafts are counterweighted to balance the inertia forces of the assembly in its axis of oscillation and to balance each other outside that axis of motion, or two piston assemblies oscillate opposingly in the same axis eliminating the need for the crankshafts to balance their inertia forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1984
    Inventor: Douglas T. Carson