Patents by Inventor Hilario S. Costa

Hilario S. Costa 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: 5741034
    Abstract: A door holder assembly for use with an associated electromagnet and an associated door having a pneumatic or hydraulic door closer mechanism mounted thereon which includes an elongated body having first and second axial portions. The apparatus includes a threaded member coupled to the first axial portion and to the second axial portion, the threaded member is coupled to one of the axial portions by mating threaded surfaces whereby relative rotation of the first and second axial portions varies the combined axial extent of the elongated body. The assembly further including a plate at one end of the elongated body and a base at the other end of the elongated body, the base and the plate are each mounted on the elongated body by means that allows relative angular movement therebetween. In some forms of the invention the first and second axial portions are disposed in telescoping relationship and each of the axial portions are cylindrical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1998
    Assignee: General Signal Corporation
    Inventors: Gurdev S. Bains, Hilario S. Costa
  • Patent number: 5721530
    Abstract: There is provided an alarm system for detecting and warning of the presence of alarm and trouble conditions in a plurality of zones. The system comprises a loop controller having supply lines extending to the plurality of zones and a module connected to the supply lines within each zones. The module includes means for detecting whether communication between the module and the loop controller has been disrupted. If an alarm condition occurs in a particular zone, the module initiates communication of the alarm condition to the loop controller. During normal operation, when communication with the loop controller has not been disrupted, the module has shared operations with the loop controller to determine whether an alarm condition exists. When communication with said loop controller has been disrupted, temporarily or otherwise, the module continues to operate independently of the loop controller and determines whether an alarm condition exists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1998
    Assignee: General Signal Corporation
    Inventors: Robert W. Right, Hilario S. Costa, John P. Hewlin
  • Patent number: 5721672
    Abstract: A panel sub-system for a life safety system having a plurality of inter-connected panels, each panel including a local rail, and a plurality of modules, each comprising a module circuit board, inter-connected by the local rail. The first of the modules have a central processing unit, and the remainder I/O modules having a variety of functions, as well as at least two channel members containing respective rail circuit boards defining each local rail. Moreover, each board has spaced electrical connectors for connecting to the respective module circuit boards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1998
    Assignee: General Signal Corporation
    Inventors: Hilario S. Costa, Kenneth W. Patterson
  • Patent number: 5701115
    Abstract: There is provided an alarm system for detecting and warning of the presence of alarm and trouble conditions in a plurality of zones. The system comprises a loop controller having supply lines extending to the plurality of zones and a module connected to the supply lines within each zones. If an alarm condition occurs in a particular zone, the module initiates communication of the alarm condition to the loop controller. The system also includes means for variably controlling a specific personality of the module, such as a microcontroller, so that the module functions selectively in a variety of specific ways. The means for variably controlling includes means for selectively storing configuration data, such as an EEPROM, in the module to define the specific personality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1997
    Assignee: General Signal Corporation
    Inventors: Robert W. Right, Hilario S. Costa, John P. Hewlin
  • Patent number: 5670937
    Abstract: A line monitor uses two wire data transmission in a fire alarm and detection system. A line voltage monitoring mechanism is within each wiring/contact monitoring circuit such that the exact value at any time of varying source voltage is known. The monitoring current resultant from the monitoring arrangement is strictly a function of impedance and not a function of source voltage because a line-monitoring scaling factor is incorporated into the final calculation. The monitoring scheme also results in the alarm and trouble voltage thresholds being suitably altered to take account of changed line voltage conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1997
    Assignee: General Signal Corporation
    Inventors: Robert W. Right, Hilario S. Costa
  • Patent number: 5459955
    Abstract: In lighting fixture such as an exit sign, a light emitting diode lighting device is provided for mating engagement with an electrical socket of the lighting fixture. The light emitting diode lighting device has a plurality of light emitting diodes with a light directing member spaced therefrom for directing light into a desired illumination pattern. The light directing member can be wedge or parabola shaped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1995
    Assignee: General Signal Corporation
    Inventors: Charles R. Ruskouski, James J. Burnes, James R. Carson, Hilario S. Costa
  • Patent number: 4238679
    Abstract: A housing assembly of interlocking parts for a dual-chamber ionization smoke detector in which the assembly has a single universal smoke detector head that can be readily twist-locked in one of a plurality of selectable adapter bases appropriate for a particular power source. The smoke detector head includes an interlocking assembly of an ionization chamber module protectively housed between an adapter base cover and a smoke detector cover. The detector head may be removed as a single subassembly from a particular adapter base, and additionally the detector head may be readily disassembled to remove the ionization chamber module for repair or replacement. The smoke detector cover has a dish-like configuration formed with an integral frusto-conical section. The interior of this section is formed with smoke deflector ribs. The cover protectively covers both the ionization smoke chamber and the adapter base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1980
    Assignee: Conrac Corporation
    Inventors: John M. Macmillan, Hilario S. Costa
  • Patent number: D260498
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1981
    Assignee: Conrac Corporation
    Inventors: John M. Macmillan, Hilario S. Costa