Patents by Inventor Irwin A. Hicks

Irwin A. Hicks 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: 5529089
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a modular compressed natural gas fuel unit comprising generally a tank adapted to contain compressed natural gas and a fuel supply unit integrally attached to the main valve of the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1996
    Assignee: Williams Controls, Inc.
    Inventors: Irwin A. Hicks, Joseph P. Lofink, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4736657
    Abstract: An adjusting tool for use with an adjustable tangent assembly in a diaphragm gas meter includes a pair of coaxial tubes each having a face gear at one end, with operator manipulatable handles directly on the tubes so that an in-line configuration is attained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1988
    Assignee: American Meter Company
    Inventor: Irwin A. Hicks
  • Patent number: 4706496
    Abstract: A diaphragm gas meter wherein the movement of the diaphragms is in a side to side direction and the transfer valve assembly and connecting linkages are all substantially toward the rear of the meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1987
    Assignee: American Meter Company
    Inventor: Irwin A. Hicks
  • Patent number: 4645174
    Abstract: An axial flow valve has its cage bolt replaced by a sonic nozzle. This device may then be permanently installed in a pipeline in series with a meter to provide the facility for on site calibration of the meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1987
    Assignee: American Meter Company
    Inventor: Irwin A. Hicks
  • Patent number: 4600923
    Abstract: A remote meter display unit is connected to a meter index through a magnetically actuated single pole double throw switch cooperating with a magnet mounted on an index pointer shaft. The remote display unit is configured to increment a counter whenever the switch toggles. If the switch or any of the wires connected thereto are disconnected or shorted, the display is reset and maintained at zero. A portable reset/preset unit mates with the remote display unit and includes switches for resetting the remote unit and entering any desired number into the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1986
    Assignee: American Meter Company
    Inventors: Irwin A. Hicks, Joseph P. Schroeck
  • Patent number: 4590790
    Abstract: A meter in a high pressure gas pipeline is calibrating using a sonic nozzle in series with the meter. A bypass line is run where measurements are made to determine gas composition dependent factors for use in defining the flow through the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1986
    Assignee: American Meter Company
    Inventors: Irwin A. Hicks, Robert S. Jacobsen, David F. Kee, George W. Schneider, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4553433
    Abstract: A rotary meter with an integral instrument housing is arranged so that the rotating components of the meter rotate about vertical axes. The meter includes upper and lower housings which together form a pressure hull. A cover is provided to be connected to the upper housing and define therewith an instrument enclosure. All instruments are mounted on the upper housing within the enclosure. The cover and upper housing are constructed to provide a secure, tamper resistant, environment for the instruments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1985
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Irwin A. Hicks
  • Patent number: 4548863
    Abstract: A gas seal between two relatively moving parts is produced by coating one of the parts with epoxy resin which is then dusted with microspheres having widely varying diameters. The microspheres are concentrated near the surface of the resin and held in place by a wicking action of the resin on the surface of the microspheres. When the two parts are assembled and moved relative to each other, the microspheres near the surface are broken away to a level which provides a close tolerance gas seal between the two moving parts. The broken microspheres create pockets which aid in the sealing process because they provide a change from laminar flow to turbulent flow in the sealing area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1985
    Inventors: Irwin A. Hicks, Donald C. Ruddy
  • Patent number: 4520676
    Abstract: An adjustable tangent assembly for a positive displacement diaphragm gas meter is provided with a pair of concentric face gears coaxial with the axis of rotation of the crank shaft and accessible through a small plug hole in the meter cover. An adjusting tool inserted through the plug hole allows independent self locking adjustment of the timing and stroke with high resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1983
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1985
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: Irwin A. Hicks, Charles W. Albrecht
  • Patent number: 4488566
    Abstract: A thermally responsive slam shut valve assembly includes a generally tubular body member having an internal valve seat at one end, a spider member connected to the other end of the body member, a cup shaped valve inside the body member, a valve stem connected to the valve and extending through a central opening in the spider member, a coil spring surrounding the stem between the valve and the spider member, and fusible means surrounding the stem outside the body member for preventing the valve from moving into sealing contact with the valve seat until the temperature of the fusible means goes above a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Irwin A. Hicks
  • Patent number: 4487064
    Abstract: An internal gate rotary vane fluid meter which has markedly improved performance as a result of precise control over the geometry and dimensions of the rotating elements and the fluid flow path. In particular, the fluid meter has a gate with at least two pockets which rotates at the same velocity as a rotor having the same number of vanes and the inner diameter of the rotor vanes is controlled to provide a properly sized orifice between the vane inner diameter surface and the gate hub so as to provide a driving torque to the gate due to the passage of the vanes through the gate pocket, the gate driving torque being balanced to match gate retarding torques due to fluid dynamic losses, friction of the gate drive train and friction of the gate bearings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Irwin A. Hicks
  • Patent number: 4481812
    Abstract: An internal gate rotary vane fluid meter which has markedly improved performance as a result of precise control over the geometry and dimensions of the rotating elements and the fluid flow path. In particular, the vanes are dimensioned to each have a length no greater than 1.5 times their width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Irwin A. Hicks
  • Patent number: 4478079
    Abstract: An internal gate rotary vane fluid meter which has markedly improved performance as a result of precise control over the geometry and dimensions of the rotating elements and the fluid flow path. In particular, the outer diameter of the gate is maximized and the inlet and outlet passages of the meter are shaped to perpendicularly intersect the rotor vanes when the vanes are sealing against the respective ends of the meter crescent. Furthermore, the inlet and outlet passages each have a total cross-sectional area substantially equal to a vane area to provide substantially constant fluid velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: Irwin A. Hicks, David F. Kee
  • Patent number: 4478078
    Abstract: An internal gate rotary vane fluid meter is provided with a direct gearless drive between the rotor and the gate mounted on parallel displaced shafts inside a housing. A plurality of timing discs mounted on the rotor are utilized for drivingly coupling and synchronizing the gate to the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: Irwin A. Hicks, George W. Schneider, Jr.
  • Patent number: D279554
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1983
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1985
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Irwin A. Hicks
  • Patent number: D281404
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1985
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Irwin A. Hicks
  • Patent number: D285431
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1986
    Assignee: American Meter Company
    Inventor: Irwin A. Hicks
  • Patent number: D287947
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1987
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: Irwin A. Hicks, Joseph P. Schroeck