Patents by Inventor Howard Ervin

Howard Ervin 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: 10557540
    Abstract: A sheave may include a body portion with a circular circumference and defining a center plane, a bore extending through the body portion and configured for receiving a shaft and allowing the body portion to rotate in the center plane, and a rope groove arranged on the circular circumference including a radiused bottom with a first end and a second end and a pair of opposing sidewalls each extending directly and tangentially from one of the first and second end and having a curved profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: National Oilwell Varco, L.P.
    Inventor: Howard Ervin
  • Publication number: 20150291403
    Abstract: A sheave may include a body portion with a circular circumference and defining a center plane, a bore extending through the body portion and configured for receiving a shaft and allowing the body portion to rotate in the center plane, and a rope groove arranged on the circular circumference including a radiused bottom with a first end and a second end and a pair of opposing sidewalls each extending directly and tangentially from one of the first and second end and having a curved profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: National Oilwell Varco, L.P.
    Inventor: Howard Ervin
  • Patent number: 8448320
    Abstract: A clamp for clamping to two tubulars, each of the two tubulars including a component of a top drive system, the two tubulars threadedly connected together, the clamp for inhibiting relative rotation of the two tubulars, each of the two tubulars having at least one tubular projection projecting therefrom, the clamp including a clamp body having an interior surface, a plurality of clamp projections projecting inwardly from the interior surface of the clamp body for holding the at least one tubular projection projecting from each of the two tubulars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Varco I/P, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald W. Yater, Lawrence E. Wells, Neil Edward West, Cliff Swiontek, Howard Ervin
  • Publication number: 20100283241
    Abstract: A clamp for clamping to two tubulars, each of the two tubulars including a component of a top drive system, the two tubulars threadedly connected together, the clamp for inhibiting relative rotation of the two tubulars, each of the two tubulars having at least one tubular projection projecting therefrom, the clamp including a clamp body having an interior surface, a plurality of clamp projections projecting inwardly from the interior surface of the clamp body for holding the at least one tubular projection projecting from each of the two tubulars.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Inventors: Ronald W. Yater, Lawrence E. Wells, Neil Edward West, Cliff Swiontek, Howard Ervin
  • Patent number: 7784834
    Abstract: A clamp for clamping to two threadedly-connected items, and, in one aspect, two threadedly-connected components of a top drive system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Varco I/P, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald W. Yater, Lawrence E. Wells, Neil Edward West, Cliff Swiontek, Howard Ervin
  • Patent number: 7487848
    Abstract: A multi-seal sealing assembly with multiple seals so that when one seal wears out another can be moved into sealing position; and a top drive system for wellbore operations with such a sealing assembly; the sealing assembly in one aspect having a seal carrier movable to move at least one secondary seal into sealing position when a primary seal has worn out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Varco I/P, Inc.
    Inventors: Larry Wells, Svein Stubstad, Howard Ervin, James D. Brugman, Paul Conover
  • Publication number: 20080238095
    Abstract: A clamp for clamping to two threadedly-connected items, and, in one aspect, two threadedly-connected components of a top drive system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Ronald W. Yater, Lawrence E. Wells, Neil Edward West, Cliff Swiontek, Howard Ervin
  • Publication number: 20070251705
    Abstract: A multi-seal sealing assembly with multiple seals so that when one seal wears out another can be moved into sealing position; and a top drive system for wellbore operations with such a sealing assembly; the sealing assembly in one aspect having a seal carrier movable to move at least one secondary seal into sealing position when a primary seal has worn out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Publication date: November 1, 2007
    Inventors: Lawrence Wells, Svein Stubstad, Howard Ervin, James Brugman, Paul Conover
  • Patent number: 4091237
    Abstract: A digital voice pitch extractor is disclosed that determines the pitch frequency of human speech in real-time or at the same rate as it is uttered. The invention does not need the full bandwidth of the speech signal in order to perform its function. It will accept band-limited signals lacking fundamental pitch energy such as those from telephone channels. The signal can be severely degraded by added noise and the pitch extractor will still reliably determine the pitch.The invention includes a bank of contiguous bandpass filters. The outputs of each of the filters are converted to pulse trains and are summed to form a bi-phase harmonic histogram. The fundamental period is derived from the histogram and is verified by an error correction circuit.The circuit stability and accuracy needed to perform this task is achieved through the use of digital, as opposed to analog, electrical circuits in the main portion of the voice pitch extractor and the use of noise minimizing techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1978
    Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard Ervin Wolnowsky, Erling Norris Belland, Harry Thomas Lee