Patents by Inventor Gerald L. Smith

Gerald L. 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).

  • Patent number: 5250908
    Abstract: A device for testing multi-wire harnesses, printed wiring board assemblies and card cages for wiring faults. The device comprises power and logic circuits in a housing, a fault indicator panel, a resistance balance circuit and a low voltage wiring test array. The wire harness is connected with both ends of the wires to sets of terminals on the wiring test array. In testing a wire harness, the operator grasps two probes which are attached to the resistance balance circuit and wipes them on the terminals of the test array. For test of printed wiring board assemblies or card cages, only one probe is required to contact the terminals on the test array. This action causes the resistance balance circuit to combine with the wiring test array segment and a wiring harness wire to form a voltage divider circuit which outputs voltage signals related to the wiring status. The device logic processes these signals and causes any fault indication to illuminate on the indicator panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1993
    Assignee: Magl Power & Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Liemeng Liu, Gerald L. Smith
  • Patent number: 5205909
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed wherein a standpipe mounted in an accumulator outside the operating zone of a distillation column is used in conjunction with a liquid level controller to measure condensate collected in the accumulator and to change the amount of energy provided to the distillation column in response to changes in the level of condensate collected in the accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1993
    Assignee: Union Carbide Chemicals & Plastics Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Gerald L. Smith
  • Patent number: 5162151
    Abstract: A monofilament, and a fabric made, at least in part with that monofilament, is formed by a blend of two resins. The first resin is a melt extrudable polymer selected from the group consisting of copolymers of at least two halogenated monomers, for example, vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene. The second resin is polyphenylene sulfide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1992
    Assignee: Hoechst Celanese Corporation
    Inventors: Gerald L. Smith, Paul R. Cadmus
  • Patent number: 5149393
    Abstract: An edge sealer includes a heater anvil having a heater band disposed in a convex configuration and lying opposite a drive belt. Multi-ply business forms are conveyed along the edge sealer, with the edge of the form extending between the belt and the heater band. Application of heat by the heater band to the edge activates the heat-sensitive adhesive to adhesively seal the edges of the plies one to the other without applying heat to the body of the form. A conveyor system transfers forms from one conveyor to another without change of spatial orientation of the forms to pass the unsealed edges of the forms through an additional edge sealing unit downstream of the first edge sealing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1992
    Assignee: Moore Business Forms, Inc.
    Inventors: Wilbur P. Hutchinson, Gerald L. Smith
  • Patent number: 5051609
    Abstract: A simplified driver circuit for solid-state switches, comprising a main drive circuit and an adaptor circuit. The main drive circuit is powered only by the normal switch control signal input and by an external, regulated power supply commonly used by the equipment controls. No individual power supplies are used for the driver. The main circuit incorporates precise circuits for shaping and directing the input control signals, exceptionally high voltage isolation to avoid transmission of harmful noise and a circuit for delivering the required gate drive to a field-effect-transistor switch. The adaptor circuit connects to the output terminals of the main circuit, and modifies the drive signal to that required for a bi-polar transistor or a silicon controlled rectifier.The invention circuit is characterized by its use of few precise components, its high noise isolation and low power dissipation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1991
    Assignee: Teledyne Inet
    Inventor: Gerald L. Smith
  • Patent number: 4931715
    Abstract: A method is described for controlling synchronous motor torque, utilizing a three-phase switch connected in a circuit to the input of a polyphase synchronous motor, and a switch control circuit. The switch control circuit senses the AC voltages input to the synchronous motor and produces signals that open and close the three-phase switch in phase with the input motor voltage, producing positive motor torque during normal operation. If input AC power is lost, the switch control circuit acts to prevent a reverse flow of high current from the motor from entering the power source bus. When input power, after a short time, returns, the switch control circuit acts to close the three-phase switch in such a manner as to permit only real power applied to the synchronous motor and thus positive torque that accelerates the motor speed and quickly restores the motor to synchronism with the input power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1990
    Assignee: Teledyne Inet
    Inventors: Robert H. Lee, Alexander Levran, Chi Mak, Gerald L. Smith, Jacek J. Marcinkowski
  • Patent number: 4441805
    Abstract: A continuously variable magnification/reduction scanning optical system for a document copier machine where the lens and total conjugate length adjustment are made prior to the copy operation without use of a special optics positioning motor. Optical component adjustment is achieved through use of the scan drive motor by coupling the scan carriage to the lens carriage during the set-up period and uncoupling the carriages during normal operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1984
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Gerald L. Smith
  • Patent number: 4432631
    Abstract: In an electrophotographic copying device having charging, imaging, developing, transferring, precleaning and cleaning facilities, the arrangement being in the conventional sense, but incorporates a combined charging and precleaning unit that is operable to perform either a charging function or a precleaning function at the proper time during a copying/cleaning cycle. A combined precharging/transferring unit is also incorporated to facilitate precharging or transferring at a predetermined time during the copying process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1978
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1984
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James L. Bacon, Gerald L. Smith
  • Patent number: 4287461
    Abstract: A motor driving system which is particularly useful for driving scanning carriages in a continuously variable reducing electrophotographic copier. The motor driving system produces one of a number of different controlled and repeatable position acceleration and velocity profiles of the scanning carriage with respect to motion of the copier drum; a different position acceleration and velocity profile is produced for each reduction mode in a substantially continuous range of reduction modes. The motor driving arrangement includes a single control loop for driving a servo motor which provides the drive for the scanning carriage. A driving signal source produces a driving signal pulse train, each pulse representing a desired increment of motor travel, and a direction signal representative of the desired direction of travekl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1981
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: George G. Promis, Gerald L. Smith, John C. Wilson
  • Patent number: 4229669
    Abstract: A zero crossing detector provides an optically coupled output signal with a leading edge which occurs in the vicinity of the zero crossing point of an AC voltage waveform but no later than the zero crossing time. The circuit input includes a filter and rectifier. The filtered and rectified voltage is then applied to a complex impedance circuit with an input and an output, which provides an output lagging its input. A switching device, which may be a light emitting diode, is coupled between the output of the impedance circuit and the rectifier. Thus, when the lagging output voltage of the impedance circuit exceeds the output of the rectifier, the switching device conducts, producing the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1980
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Gerald L. Smith
  • Patent number: 4210858
    Abstract: A compact and lightweight power supply particularly suited for use as a high voltage supply capable of switching voltage values in short time. The high voltage output is compared against a desired reference value to produce a difference voltage which is integrated. The integrated difference voltage is converted to recurrent pulses having a corresponding width. The pulses are applied alternately to the opposite ends of a centertapped primary winding of a specially wound transformer characterized by a specially wound secondary winding and an air-gapped E-shaped core linking the primary and secondary windings. The secondary voltage is applied to a voltage multiplier circuit to produce the high voltage output of the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1978
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1980
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Leland W. Ford, Alberto M. Ramirez, Gerald L. Smith
  • Patent number: 4189642
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for enabling measurement of corona drum current in an electrostatic copier as a maintenance aid. A rotatable drum supports a photoconductor with a conductive backing connected to a ground current return path including a slip ring. In the maintenance mode, the ground path is opened allowing drum current to flow through a current measuring circuit including a pair of jacks to which a measurement device may be connected. The current measuring circuit also develops a potential which is representative of whether or not the current return path is grounded. This potential is coupled to a monitoring device where it may be used to drive a display. A method of aligning a corona generator employing the corona current measuring apparatus of the invention is applicable for aligning corona generators in situ in an electrostatic copier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1978
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1980
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dennis J. Justus, Gerald L. Smith
  • Patent number: 4141648
    Abstract: A two cycle process electrophotographic copying device having charging, imaging, developing, transferring, and cleaning facilities, the arrangement being in the conventional sense, incorporates a combined charge and preclean corona unit that is operable to perform either a charging function or a precleaning function at the proper time during a copying/cleaning cycle and a combined precharge/transfer corona unit. The combined charge and preclean corona unit includes a dual bay corona which emits negative and positive ions and a common control grid for controlling the ion flow from each bay of the dual bay corona.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1979
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald E. Gaitten, Gerald L. Smith