Patents by Inventor James A. Cummings

James A. Cummings 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).

  • Publication number: 20040140259
    Abstract: The water flux of UF and MF membranes is dramatically increased by treatment with an aqueous solution of an organic linear polymer without detrimental decrease in other characteristics of the membrane, e.g. solute-rejection. Particular candidates for such treatment include UF and MF membranes made of PS, PES, PAN, and PVDF. The dramatic effectiveness of treatment with aqueous solutions of PEG having molecular weights between about 2000 and 6000 Daltons is shown.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2003
    Publication date: July 22, 2004
    Inventor: James A. Cummings
  • Publication number: 20020032870
    Abstract: A web browser system has a network that connects a user computer having a local database with local database entries therein with a central database having central database entries therein. A web browser has a domain name entry area for entering a domain name corresponding to the website. A controller compares the domain name to a plurality of database entries within a local database. When the domain name is not in the local database, the domain name is compared to a plurality of central database entries in a central database through the network. When the domain name is in the local database or central database, access to the website is enabled. In addition to the system, parsing is performed to determine the final destination and domain name. The website may also include sponsorship information in an educational format.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2001
    Publication date: March 14, 2002
    Inventors: Martin Spusta, James Cummings, Gerald L. Howe
  • Patent number: 6117381
    Abstract: A gapless order change in a continuous running corrugated web is provided by utilizing a partial web sever extending transversely across the web upstream of a web selector device. The partial web sever allows the output web selector device to be readjusted downstream of the slitter-scorer to redirect the output webs between upper and lower cut-off knives as required. The partial web sever allows the order change to be effected with a continuous unbroken web containing the outs for the cut-off knife level handling the output web portions opposite the partial sever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Marquip, Inc.
    Inventor: James A. Cummings
  • Patent number: 6103171
    Abstract: A gapless order change in a continuous running corrugated paperboard web, created by using a partial transverse web sever upstream of the web selector device, utilizes selector fork orientation and operation that allows a redirected web portion to be diverted from one slider table to the other with no gap at the transverse slit. The improved apparatus is particularly effective in providing web transition at order change from the lower slider table to the upper slider table where the total width of the output web portions going to the upper level is increased and requires an upward diversion of a redirected web portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: Marquip, Inc.
    Inventor: James A. Cummings
  • Patent number: 6076257
    Abstract: A cutting apparatus wherein a blade holder includes two blades which are each designed for cutting web material (e.g., dry film photoresist) in a reverse manner prior to application of the material to a substrate (e.g., dielectric-conductor structure) designed for eventual usage as a printed circuit board or as part thereof (e.g., if laminated up with other, similarly formed substrate members).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James Ralph Case, Michael James Cummings, John Michael Griffin, Michael Vito Longo
  • Patent number: 6070322
    Abstract: A method for reverse cutting with material wherein a blade holder includes two blades which are each designed for cutting web material (e.g., dry film photoresist) in a reverse manner prior to application of the material to a substrate (e.g., dielectric-conductor structure) designed for eventual usage as a printed circuit board or as part thereof (e.g., if laminated up with other, similarly formed substrate members).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James Ralph Case, Michael James Cummings, John Michael Griffin, Michael Vito Longo
  • Patent number: 6048429
    Abstract: A synchronized flute double wall corrugated paperboard web is produced in a corrugating apparatus utilizing cooperatively operated single facers to provide an intermediate single face web with corrugated media on both faces, and then combining outer liners to both corrugated media immediately prior to on entry into the double backer utilizing a glue applicator that precludes glue line disturbance. The system may also be operated to produce conventional double wall board or single wall board utilizing either of the single facers. A synchronized flute double wall board provides enhanced strength and may be run on this corrugator at the same speed as single wall board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: Marquip, Inc.
    Inventors: James A. Cummings, Carl R. Marschke
  • Patent number: 6022017
    Abstract: Certain parameters in a high speed order change in a corrugator, including a small gap between orders and the relative lengths of the old and new order sheets, require altered order change and discharge routines on the downstacker conveyor system in order to prevent edge butt between the last sheet of the old order and the first sheet of the new order. Alternate order change and order discharge routines, which are automatically implemented by the downstacker system controller, include accelerated movement of the old order shingle out of the downstacker vacuum conveyor to outrun the incoming first sheet of the new order or, alternately, allowing the first sheet of the new order to overrun the tail end of the old order and utilizing, if necessary, a device to divert the lead edge of the first new order sheet upwardly to allow the shingle to be reestablished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Marquip, Inc.
    Inventors: James A. Cummings, Erik D. Langfoss
  • Patent number: 5992897
    Abstract: Steel pipe items such as pipes (10) are each joined by a girth weld (14) to tubular steel fittings (12) and the pipes (10) are each lined by pulling a polyethylene liner (30) through the pipe (10) and through the fitting (12). A ring (32) is forced into each fitting (12) to compress the liner (30) and force it into grooves (20) in the internal surface of the fitting (12). The grooves (20) are separated by castellations (22). The grooves (20) are in a corrosion-resistant cladding (18) deposited on the interior of each fitting (12). Alternatively, the whole of each fitting (12) is made of corrosion-resistant Duplex steel. The ends of the liners (30) are cut short of the ends of the fittings (12) and an annulus 940) of liner material is inserted in the gap. The annulus (40) has an external groove (42) accommodating a body (44) of heat insulation material. The ends of the fitting (12) are joined by a girth weld (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: BG plc
    Inventors: Tom Hill, Robert James Cummings
  • Patent number: 5853527
    Abstract: A double backer for curing the web bonding adhesive and drying the corrugated paperboard web utilizes a web holddown apparatus for maintaining the web in intimate drying contact with the lower heating units which does not require the use of a driven holddown belt. The holddown is provided instead by a series of parallel, flexible, closely spaced strips suspended above the web in the heating section and extending in the direction of web travel. Supplemental holddown force may be provided by banks of spring fingers supported above and in contact with the holddown strips on a transverse support rod which may be rotated to vary the amount of supplemental holddown force. Alternately, the holddown strips may comprise continuous cables in which one run of the cables rests upon the moving web to provide the web holddown and a second run includes high friction cable portions which are movable into driving contact with the upper surface of the web to pull it through the heating section, as for initial web thread up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1998
    Assignee: Marquip, Inc.
    Inventors: Carl R. Marschke, Harold D. Welch, James A. Cummings
  • Patent number: 5746010
    Abstract: A double backer for curing the web bonding adhesive and drying the corrugated paperboard web utilizes a web holddown apparatus for maintaining the web in intimate drying contact with the lower heating units which does not require the use of a driven holddown belt. The holddown is provided instead by a series of parallel, flexible, closely spaced strips suspended above the web in the heating section and extending in the direction of web travel. Supplemental holddown force may be provided by banks of spring fingers supported above and in contact with the holddown strips on a transverse support rod which may be rotated to vary the amount of supplemental holddown force. Alternately, the holddown strips may comprise continuous cables in which one run of the cables rests upon the moving web to provide the web holddown and a second run includes high friction cable portions which are movable into driving contact with the upper surface of the web to pull it through the heating section, as for initial web thread up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Marquip, Inc.
    Inventors: Carl R. Marschke, Harold D. Welch, James A. Cummings
  • Patent number: 5733454
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for the treatment of flowable waste in a waste treatment reactor and in particular the treatment of waste water in a bioreactor containing a bed of support particles having an attached biofilm and entrapped microorganisms are described. The process includes the steps of intermittently introducing waste water through a discharge port adjacent a bottom surface of the bed to form a series of plugs of waste water integrated with the microorganisms in the immediate vicinity of the discharge port; and maintaining a quiescent period following each introduction of waste water to promote biological degradation of contaminants in the waste water of each plug by the microorganisms and production of treated waste water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Assignee: EHH Holding Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Robert James Cummings
  • Patent number: 5690601
    Abstract: Corrugated paperboard box blanks are formed with corner fold lines defined by a colinear slit and score. The score deflects one slit edge of the liner out of the plane of the blank such that, when a subsequent lateral fold is made on the line, one slit edge tucks consistently under the other along the full length of the fold line. The resultant box blanks fold more squarely than prior art folded boxes with no significant loss in the compressive strength of the box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1997
    Assignee: Marquip, Inc.
    Inventors: James A. Cummings, Arthur P. Burkart
  • Patent number: 5656005
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for constructing block-shaped units of corrugated sheet material that are easily banded because of the absence of any irregularities in the units, and the units are as close to being cube-shaped as is possible for a given set of parameters. The automated stacking system comprises a computer programmed to determine a set of solutions to optimize a unit by determining an optimal number of corrugated sheets per bundle, and an optimal number of bundles per tier, and an optimal number of tiers per unit based upon customer order parameters. The system is initially set up with machine parameters defining machine constraints and a set of algorithm parameters which comprise desirability weighting factors. The desirability weighting factors allow a customer to customize the system according to preferred operating criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Marquip, Inc.
    Inventors: James A. Cummings, David W. Hess, Marajo Reis, Michael C. Chao
  • Patent number: 5628868
    Abstract: An adhesive or other viscous liquid applicator apparatus utilizes a cylindrical glue roll and a reverse acting notched metering or doctor blade which forms, from an initial liquid layer on the roll, a series of laterally spaced liquid beads of metered size. The beads are subsequently spread to form a liquid layer for transfer to a web or other surface moved into generally tangential contact with the roll. The beads are preferably spread by a flexible spreader blade, but may also be spread by operating the peripheral surface of the roll and the web or surface in contact therewith at different speeds. The notched doctor blade provides accurate metering with a mechanically simple apparatus and the formation of beads helps prevent premature drying of the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Assignee: Marquip, Inc.
    Inventors: Carl R. Marschke, James A. Cummings
  • Patent number: 5165314
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for longitudinally slitting a continuously moving shingle of sheets of corrugated paperboard includes a thin, circular rotary slitting blade cooperating with a lower roller assembly which supports the underside of the moving shingle and provides a firm surface to support the shingle against the upper rotating slitting blade. The roller assembly includes an annular circumferential slot in its outer surface through which an edge portion of the upper cutting blade travels with the shingle firmly supported by the roller surfaces on each side of the slot. In an embodiment of the invention for slitting a shingle of preformed knocked down boxes, the lateral edges of the advancing shingle are aligned and the shingle is held for movement into the slitting blade, resulting in extremely good registration and slit quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1992
    Assignee: Marquip, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard F. Paulson, James A. Cummings
  • Patent number: 5158522
    Abstract: Knocked down boxes made of corrugated paperboard are slit longitudinally in an on-line process directly downstream from the folder/gluer in which the boxes are formed. The boxes are first reoriented 90.degree. in a horizontal plane from the positions in which they are formed in the folder/gluer to a reoriented position for movement in a direction transverse to the box fold lines, the boxes are formed into a shingle in the direction of movement, and the shingle is conveyed in that direction into an alignment station. In the alignment station, the lateral edges of the boxes in the shingle are aligned vertically, while the shingle moves through the alignment station, by shifting the boxes transversely to the direction of movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1992
    Assignee: Marquip, Inc.
    Inventors: James A. Cummings, Richard F. Paulson
  • Patent number: 4055151
    Abstract: The invention is a valve especially a divertor valve for diverting hot gas to a boiler or to a duct by-passing the boiler and for controlling the amount of gas flowing through the boiler. The valve enables changeover from one flow path to another by rotary movement. The valve member is of plate construction having scraping action on the wall of the valve chamber and allowing 45.degree. angle of flow between inlet and outlet ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1976
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1977
    Assignee: Clarke Chapman, Ltd.
    Inventor: Robert James Cummings