Patents by Inventor Herbert J. Houston

Herbert J. Houston 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: 4391125
    Abstract: A pendulum type vibration absorber tester/adjuster, which enables vibration absorbers to be set to a desired damping in the factory. The test/adjustment is effected by mathematically determining the pendulum weight and arm length, setting the pendulum into motion and recording the motion on a chart recorder, and adjusting the damping of the absorber until a predetermined decrement is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1983
    Assignee: Slater Steel Industries Limited
    Inventors: Olaf Nigol, Herbert J. Houston
  • Patent number: 4385201
    Abstract: A vibration absorber for attachment to a single conductor suspended transmission line to suppress vertical aeolian vibrations. A clamp arm has one end attached to a suspended cable and another end rotatably coupled to a housing having a weight extending therefrom through two frictionally-engaged elements which provide coulomb friction when the clamp arm is caused to rotate relative to the housing as a result of said vibrations. A separate resilient member couples the clamp arm to the housing to restore the initial orientation of the clamp arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1983
    Assignee: Slater Steel Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Olaf Nigol, Herbert J. Houston
  • Patent number: 4384166
    Abstract: A vibration absorber for attachment to suspended cables such as electrical transmission lines, to suppress vertical aeolian vibrations as well as horizontal subconductor oscillations. A clamp arm has one end attached to a suspended cable and another end rotatably coupled to a frame through two frictionally-engaged elements which provide coulomb friction when the clamp arm is caused to rotate relative to the frame as a result of said vibrations or oscillations. A separate resilient member couples the clamp arm to the frame to restore the initial orientation of the clamp arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1983
    Assignee: Slater Steel Industries Limited
    Inventors: Olaf Nigol, Herbert J. Houston
  • Patent number: 4365410
    Abstract: A device enabling movement of an electrical conductor through a string of insulators coupled between a supporting tower and a yoke plate. An upper frame having clamping jaws for engaging one of the insulators is pivotally mounted to a lower frame connectable to the yoke plate. A hydraulic cylinder causes the frames to rotate relative to each other, to relieve stress on the lower portion of the insulator string, so that it can be uncoupled to permit movement of the conductor through it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1982
    Assignee: Slater Steel Industries Limited
    Inventors: Herbert J. Houston, Edward S. Dinsmore
  • Patent number: 4362900
    Abstract: A vibration absorber for attachment to suspended cables such as electrical transmission lines, to suppress vertical aeolian vibrations as well as horizontal sub-conductor oscillations. A clamp arm has one end attached to a suspended cable and a fulcrum adjacent the other end. The fulcrum is rotatably coupled to a frame, and the end of the clamp arm adjacent the fulcrum is coupled to the frame through the air cylinder damping element which forces air through a small orifice to provide viscous damping when the clamp arm is caused to rotate relative to the frame as a result of said vibrations or oscillations. A pair of torsion springs or non-rotatably mounted resilient washers acts to restore the initial orientation of the clamp arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1982
    Assignee: Slater Steel Industries Limited
    Inventors: Olaf Nigol, Herbert J. Houston
  • Patent number: 4362901
    Abstract: A vibration absorber for attachment to suspended cables such as electrical transmission lines, to suppress vertical aeolian vibrations as well as horizontal subconductor oscillations. A clamp arm has one end attached to a suspended cable and a fulcrum adjacent the other end. The fulcrum is rotatably coupled to a frame, and the end of the clamp arm adjacent the fulcrum is coupled to the frame through two bellows elements which force air through small orifices to provide viscous friction when the clamp arm is caused to rotate relative to the frame as a result of said vibrations or oscillations. Each bellows includes a resilient pleated portion which acts to restore the initial orientation of the clamp arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1982
    Assignee: Slater Steel Industries Limited
    Inventors: Olaf Nigol, Herbert J. Houston
  • Patent number: 4291194
    Abstract: A conductor support member includes an external surface having a first portion thereon. The first portion is shaped to generate a localized increase in voltage gradient. Shielding means including surfaces intersecting to define a sharp edge are provided to promote a negative corona discharge adjacent the first portion. The said negative corona discharge produces a positive space charge to reduce the voltage gradient at the first portion. This inhibits the generation of positive corona discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1981
    Assignee: Slater Steel Industries Limited
    Inventors: Olaf Nigol, Herbert J. Houston, Adolf Gretzinger
  • Patent number: 4053706
    Abstract: A suspension bracket and apparatus for a bundle conductor has a yoke plate suspended at opposite sides thereof by respective insulator strings. To reduce high voltage gradients across the lowermost insulators of the strings, one or more of the sub-conductors is clamped to the upper side of the yoke plate between the strings. To facilitate "clipping in" of this sub-conductor by providing a temporary suspension connection between one of the strings and the yoke plate in order to allow that string to be uncoupled and thereby to allow the sub-conductor to be raised past the uncoupled string, the yoke plate is provided with a cylindrical opening extending transversely of the axis of that string by which the temporary connector can be connected to the yoke plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1976
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1977
    Assignee: Slater Steel Industries Limited
    Inventors: Herbert J. Houston, Kenneth D. Bolt
  • Patent number: 4022431
    Abstract: A method of stringing a bundle of cables from a suspension bracket suspended from a tower cross arm by insulator strings includes securing a temporary connection along at least a part of one of the strings to provide a temporary suspension connection which enables the string to be uncoupled, so that one of the cables can be passed through the uncoupled string. The string is then recoupled and the temporary connection is removed to allow the conductor to be secured to the suspension bracket. This method enables one or more cables to be secured above the suspension bracket for reducing the voltage gradient across the lowermost insulators of the strings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1977
    Assignees: Slater Steel Industries Limited, Sherman & Reilly, Inc.
    Inventors: Herbert J. Houston, Kenneth D. Bolt, William H. Chadwick, Jr., Tracy R. Hall