Patents by Inventor James Cress

James Cress 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: 10641233
    Abstract: A device may determine a timing configuration for an ignition system. The device may pulse a driver to apply a set of resonant voltage pulses to the ignition system. The set of resonant voltage pulses may cause a set of increasing peak voltages. At least one peak voltage, of the set of increasing peak voltages, may satisfy a threshold to cause a spark in a spark plug of the ignition system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: James Cress, Andrew Neaville
  • Publication number: 20200109692
    Abstract: A device may determine a timing configuration for an ignition system. The device may pulse a driver to apply a set of resonant voltage pulses to the ignition system. The set of resonant voltage pulses may cause a set of increasing peak voltages. At least one peak voltage, of the set of increasing peak voltages, may satisfy a threshold to cause a spark in a spark plug of the ignition system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: James CRESS, Andrew NEAVILLE
  • Patent number: 10615576
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a spark plug for engines. The spark plug includes a center electrode and a ground electrode that includes a center void and a ground void respectively. An initial spark gap is formed between the center electrode and the ground electrode. A center electrode initial surface is disposed between the center void and the spark gap and a ground electrode initial surface is disposed between the ground void and the spark gap. The center void and ground void can become exposed through wear of the center electrode initial surface and ground electrode initial surface respectively. When the wear breaches center electrode initial surface and the ground electrode initial surface the wear creates a center first concentration edge and a ground first concentration edge that focus an electrical field and reduces the voltage required for fuel breakdown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: James Cress
  • Patent number: 10174667
    Abstract: A prechamber ignition device for a spark-ignited internal combustion engine has a prechamber in fluid communication with a main combustion chamber by way of a plurality of ports. An outer opening of each of the plurality of ports is formed in an exterior surface of a prechamber body and circumferentially offset from a corresponding inner opening formed in an interior surface of the prechamber body, the interior surface forming a prechamber wall having a taper that assists in maintaining velocity of a charge of air and fuel to displace a flame kernel from a spark gap in the prechamber such that quenching of the flame kernel is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: James Cress
  • Publication number: 20160363094
    Abstract: A spark plug assembly is disclosed for use with an engine having a cylinder head at feast partially defining a combustion chamber. The spark plug assembly may have a spark plug at least partially disposed in the cylinder head and configured to generate a spark Inside the combustion chamber to ignite an air and fuel mixture. The spark plug assembly may also have an insert configured to receive the spark plug and at least partially form a cooling passage surrounding the spark plug.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Aaron C. LUFT, James CRESS, Jeff Allen Howard, Joshua Andrew HYDE, Parthipan SUBRAMANIAN
  • Publication number: 20150192497
    Abstract: An on-board diagnostic system for detecting a fault in an ignition system of an engine system having a cylinder is provided. The system includes an indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) monitoring module for monitoring IMEP indicating average pressure in the cylinder during an operation cycle of the cylinder for an engine runtime. A misfire detection module detects misfire cycles associated with the cylinder based on the monitored IMEP. An ignition system diagnostic module communicatively coupled to the misfire detection module includes a statistical module and a control module. The statistical module determines a percentage of the misfire cycles during the engine runtime. The control module changes an operational parameter of the engine system when the percentage of the misfire cycles is less than a pre-defined threshold value or provides a warning message for required maintenance when the percentage of the misfire cycles is greater than the pre-defined threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Brandon Gregory, Francis L. Clark, III, James Cress
  • Publication number: 20070256636
    Abstract: A gas preheater (10) that includes an exit plate (20) having first and second sides (22, 24) and a plurality of through holes (26) and at least one body (34) mounted adjacent the first side (22), the at least one body (34) having a first end (36) and a second end (38), the second end (38) located between the body first end (36) and the exit plate first side (22), at least one sidewall (40) connecting the first and second ends (36, 38), a body opening (42) in the first end (36) extending into the body (34) and defining a body inner wall (44), and a plurality of passages (46) extending between the at least one sidewall (40) and the body inner wall (44).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2006
    Publication date: November 8, 2007
    Inventors: Brian Miller, Alan Arico, Akshay Waghray, Todd Menzie, James Cress