Patents by Inventor James A. Sprague

James A. Sprague 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: 11835329
    Abstract: An explosives delivery vehicle for delivering a booster for initiating an explosion of an explosive material in a hole in a floor of a mine pit to an operative depth in the hole. The vehicle comprises a storage assembly for storing a plurality of the boosters, a booster loading assembly for (i) supporting the booster in a delivery position above the hole and (ii) moving the booster downwardly into the hole and inserting the booster at an operative depth in the hole; and a delivery assembly for transporting the booster from the storage assembly to the loading assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Olitek Pty Ltd
    Inventors: James Thomas Oliver, Anthony James Sprague
  • Publication number: 20230250978
    Abstract: A system having an enclosure for containing a solution. An atomizer is in communication with an interior of the enclosure and the solution for generating an aerosolized particle mist within the interior of the enclosure. A positive pressure device is in communication with the interior of the enclosure for generating a positive pressure within the enclosure relative to an atmosphere outside of the enclosure. An ejection nozzle having a tortuous path is provided, wherein an entrance of the tortuous path is in communication with the interior of the atomizer and an exit of the tortuous path is in communication with the atmosphere outside of the enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2022
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Douglas James Sprague, Steven Seth Gareleck, Brian Christopher Domrese
  • Publication number: 20230204335
    Abstract: An explosives delivery vehicle for delivering a booster for initiating an explosion of an explosive material in a hole in a floor of a mine pit to an operative depth in the hole. The vehicle comprises a storage assembly for storing a plurality of the boosters, a booster loading assembly for (i) supporting the booster in a delivery position above the hole and (ii) moving the booster downwardly into the hole and inserting the booster at an operative depth in the hole; and a delivery assembly for transporting the booster from the storage assembly to the loading assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: James Thomas Oliver, Anthony James Sprague
  • Publication number: 20220282958
    Abstract: An assembly (7) for triggering an explosive in a hole (9) to produce an explosive blast in the hole includes (a) an explosion trigger (15, 19) for triggering the explosive in the hole, (b) a detonation unit body (21) that is configured to be located at or proximate an open end of the hole in an initial position of the assembly in the hole and (c) a trigger cord (31) that is connected to the detonation unit body and to the explosion trigger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: Anthony James SPRAGUE, James Thomas OLIVER, Stephen HANWRIGHT
  • Publication number: 20210270590
    Abstract: A booster assembly (60) for use in a drill and blast operation comprises in co-axial alignment: (a) a booster (65) for initiating an explosion of an explosives material in a hole (90) in a pit floor (91) as part of a drill and blast operation, (b) a spool (63) and a detonation cord (66) wrapped around the spool in a storage position outside the hole and connected to the spool and to the booster, and (b) a stake (61). The spool allows the detonation cord to be unwound from the spool as the booster is moved from the storage position to an operative depth in the hole and the spool remains in the storage position. The stake is provided for locating the spool in the pit floor proximate the hole after the booster is at the operative depth in the hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventors: James Thomas Oliver, Anthony James Sprague
  • Publication number: 20210223018
    Abstract: An explosives delivery vehicle for delivering a booster (65) for initiating an explosion of an explosive material in a hole (90) in a floor (91) of a mine pit to an operative depth in the hole. The vehicle comprises a storage assembly (10) for storing a plurality of the boosters, a booster loading assembly (30) for (i) supporting the booster in a delivery position above the hole and (ii) moving the booster downwardly into the hole and inserting the booster at an operative depth in the hole; and a delivery assembly (20) for transporting the booster from the storage assembly to the loading assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventors: James Thomas Oliver, Anthony James Sprague
  • Publication number: 20170341988
    Abstract: A system and method for disposing carbon dioxide is disclosed. The system includes a foam generator that generates a plurality of disposable foam vessels from a polymer based solution mixed with water and captured carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The plurality of disposable foam vessels contains an amount of carbon dioxide. The plurality of disposable foam vessels is mixed in a cementitious material with a set of mixers. In a preferred embodiment, the set of mixers is a concrete mixing plant. During the curing process of the cementitious material the plurality of disposable foam vessels dissipates allowing for a timely release of CO2 to chemically react with the surrounding cementitious material. This irreversible chemistry change permanently disposes of the carbon dioxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Applicant: MACH IV, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Charles David Welker, Douglas James Sprague
  • Publication number: 20140360922
    Abstract: A method is provided to produce a clean resid from a heavy hydrocarbon, the method including the steps of: feeding a heavy hydrocarbon to a conversion unit to convert at least a portion of the heavy hydrocarbon to lighter products and producing a resid, the resid comprising at least ten percent by weight components having true boiling points greater than 380° C. and further comprising at least some asphaltenes; contacting the resid with a naphtha to produce a mixed naphtha and resid, the naphtha comprising paraffin having from four to twelve carbons, the ratio of naphtha to resid high enough to result in precipitation of at least a portion of the asphaltenes in the resid; and separating a reject stream comprising asphaltenes and at least some solids from the resid to form a clean resid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Inventors: Haiyong CAI, Pattabhi Raman NARAYANAN, Michael James SPRAGUE
  • Patent number: 7937780
    Abstract: Body armor for ballistic protection of a user's extremities preferably comprising right and left arm protection units and/or right and left leg protection units. The units include a ballistic protection material which preferably covers most of the user's upper arm, elbow region, lower arm, shoulder, upper leg, knee region, and lower leg except for ventilation zones preferably located on the inner portion of the upper arm and the inner part of the upper leg. The back of the knee is preferably covered by a protective flap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Peter Matic, Graham K Hubler, James A Sprague, Nevin Rupert, Kirth E Simmonds, Richard Steven Bruno
  • Publication number: 20080295210
    Abstract: Body armor for ballistic protection of a user's extremities preferably comprising right and left arm protection units and/or right and left leg protection units. The units include a ballistic protection material which preferably covers most of the user's upper arm, elbow region, lower arm, shoulder, upper leg, knee region, and lower leg except for ventilation zones preferably located on the inner portion of the upper arm and the inner part of the upper leg. The back of the knee is preferably covered by a protective flap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicants: The Government of the US, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, The Government of the US, as represented by the secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Peter Matic, Graham K. Hubler, James A. Sprague, Nevin Rupert, Kirth E. Simmonds, Richard Steven Bruno
  • Publication number: 20080098500
    Abstract: Body armor for ballistic protection of a user's extremities preferably comprising right and left arm protection units and/or right and left leg protection units. The units include a ballistic protection material which preferably covers most of the user's upper arm, elbow region, lower arm, shoulder, upper leg, knee region, and lower leg except for ventilation zones preferably located on the inner portion of the upper arm and the inner part of the upper leg. The back of the knee is preferably covered by a protective flap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Inventors: Peter Matic, Graham Hubler, Kirth Simmonds, James Sprague, Nevin Rupert, John Joseph Frost, Donna Branson, Cheryl Farr, Semra Peksoz, Richard Steven Bruno
  • Publication number: 20070029177
    Abstract: A protective cover for an electrical box of a type having vertical side walls embedded within a wall surface and enclosing a light switch or outlet protruding through an opening of the electrical box and beyond the plane of the wall surface has a rectangular box portion defining a peripheral dimension substantially similar to a dimension of the opening of the electrical box and has a cavity sized to receive the protruding light switch. Flanges extend outward laterally from the rectangular box portion and configured to rest on the wall surface. Further, side extensions coupled to the rectangular box portion and adapted to slidably engage with the vertical side walls of the electrical box to secure the protective cover in place.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Inventor: James Sprague
  • Publication number: 20050273278
    Abstract: Program product to measure fluid flow characteristics in a pipeline is provided. A vortex-shedding body is positioned within the pipeline to form vortices. A vortex meter can include a vortex frequency sensor to measure the frequency of the vortices to determine the volumetric flow rate. A differential pressure meter positioned adjacent the vortex-shedding body can produce a differential pressure meter flow rate signal indicative of the density of fluid when flowing through the pipeline. A thermal flow meter positioned adjacent the vortex-shedding body can produce a mass flow rate signal indicative of the mass flow rate of fluid when flowing through the pipeline. The program product can include instructions for a fluid characteristic determiner to perform the operations of processing measured and sensed signals to produce an output of a volumetric flow rate, a flowing fluid density, and a mass flow rate to be displayed on a fluid characteristic display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2005
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Inventor: James Sprague
  • Publication number: 20050034535
    Abstract: A system to measure fluid flow characteristics in a pipeline, meter, and methods includes a pipeline having a passageway to transport flowing fluid therethrough, a process density meter including at least portions thereof positioned within the pipeline to provide flowing fluid characteristics including volumetric flow rate, fluid density, and mass flow rate of the flowing fluid, and a fluid characteristic display to display the fluid characteristics. The process density meter includes a vortex-shedding body positioned within the pipeline to form vortices and a vortex meter having a vortex frequency sensor to measure the frequency of the vortices and to determine the volumetric flow rate. The process density meter further includes a differential pressure meter positioned adjacent the vortex-shedding body to produce a differential pressure meter flow rate signal indicative of the density of fluid when flowing through the pipeline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Publication date: February 17, 2005
    Inventor: James Sprague
  • Patent number: 5790114
    Abstract: An electronic whiteboard is coupled to a computer which receives information from the whiteboard indicative of graphical user inputs entered via a writing region of the whiteboard and control inputs entered via a control region of the whiteboard. A driver executing on the computer receives the information transmitted by the whiteboard, performs certain actions on the received information and causes an application program to retrieve the information and store the information to a session file. The application provides a user interface which allows a user to view images generated on the whiteboard, store such images, view previously stored images and to manipulate the images in a variety of ways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Microtouch Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard O. Geaghan, Stephen P. Atwood, James Sprague
  • Patent number: 5242706
    Abstract: Biocompatible material is deposited onto a substrate by laser deposition, for example by pulsed laser beam deposition and ion-assisted pulsed laser beam deposition. The deposition can be done at room temperature, in a variety of different atmospheres, with control over the stoichiometry, adhesion and porosity of the deposited film. Apparatus for carrying out the deposition, and articles formed by such deposition, are also described. The articles so formed are particularly useful as medical prosthesis, for example, implants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1993
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Catherine M. Cotell, Douglas B. Chrisey, Kenneth S. Grabowski, James A. Sprague
  • Patent number: 4076524
    Abstract: Swelling of structural components of fast reactors is reduced by producing those components from an alloy consisting of iron and 0.3 at % V or P.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1973
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1978
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Fred A. Smidt, Jr., James A. Sprague