Patents by Inventor James H. Ball
James H. Ball 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).
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Patent number: 5879085Abstract: A tilting pad bearing for a rotatable surface includes a plurality of circumferentially-arranged tilting pads, each of the tilting pads having a working surface and a trailing surface. A lubrication device for lubricating fluid is detachably affixed to the tilt pad leading surface or is formed integral with the tilting pad. The lubrication device has a fluid conduit and a cavity that provide the cool lubricating fluid to those portions of the rotating collar which need the most cooling. The conduit has a ninety degree turn so that the cooling fluid has a velocity vector normal to the boundary layer of the hot carryover fluid. The outlet of the conduit is positioned, and the cavity is designed, to provide the greatest amount of cooling fluid where the rotating surface is the hottest. The lubrication device also has a wiper to wipe hot carryover fluid off of the rotating surface. The amount of lubricating fluid and bearing power losses are substantially reduced.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 1997Date of Patent: March 9, 1999Assignee: Orion CorporationInventors: James H. Ball, Thomas R. Byrne
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Patent number: 5795076Abstract: A tilting pad bearing for a rotatable surface includes a plurality of circumferentially-arranged tilting pads, each of the tilting pads having a working surface, a leading surface and a trailing surface. A lubrication device for lubricating fluid is detachably affixed to the tilt pad leading surface. The lubrication device may have an integrally-formed lubricant flow director with a radial or herringbone shape. The lubrication device has a pair of spaced ridges extending from the base of the device, the ridges being disposed at less than 180.degree. to each other. The ridges may also be parallel to the adjacent pad trailing surface. The ridges have wiper surfaces that wipe hot carryover lubricating fluid from the rotating surface. The hot lubricating fluid is directed by the ridges into an exit annulus or outlet apertures on opposite sides of the lubrication device.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 1997Date of Patent: August 18, 1998Assignee: Orion CorporationInventors: James H. Ball, Thomas R. Byrne
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Patent number: 5625939Abstract: A method of assembling a leadless type ballast transformer having a connector at one end of the housing for accepting a mating connector which supplies voltage to the ballast and provides the operating voltage to the lamps controlled by the ballast. Uninsulated connection leads extending inwardly of the housing from the connector terminals to contact the lugs of a terminal board adjacent a transformer coil with the magnet wires of the transformer coils also being in contact with the terminal board lugs. The connection leads and magnet wires are permanently electrically connected to the terminal board lugs by ultrasonic welding.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 1995Date of Patent: May 6, 1997Assignee: MagneTek, Inc.Inventors: Steve M. Carey, James H. Ball, Raymond H. VanWagener
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Patent number: 5510762Abstract: A leadless type ballast transformer having a connector at one end of the housing for accepting a mating connector which supplies voltage to the ballast and provides the operating voltage to the lamps controlled by the ballast. Uninsulated connection leads extending inwardly of the housing from the connector terminals to contact the lugs of a terminal board adjacent a transformer coil with the magnet wires of the transformer coils also being in contact with the terminal board lugs. The connection leads and magnet wires are permanently electrically connected to the terminal board lugs by ultrasonic welding.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 1994Date of Patent: April 23, 1996Assignee: Magnetek, Inc.Inventors: Steve M. Carey, James H. Ball, Raymond H. VanWagener
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Patent number: 5068965Abstract: The bearing pads of a hydrodynamic tilting pad thrust bearing are cut from a ring and arranged in a circle within a retainer for bearing the load of a collar fastened to a rotating shaft. The leading and trailing edges of respective adjacent pads contain open edge grooves which together form a pocket for receiving and dispensing lubricating and cooling oil under controlled conditions. Semicircular grooves in the edges of the adjacent pads together form generally circular ducts through which the oil is conducted to the pockets.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 1990Date of Patent: December 3, 1991Assignee: Delaware Capital Formation, Inc.Inventors: James H. Ball, Willis W. Gardner
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Patent number: 5007745Abstract: The bearing pads of a hydrodynamic tilting pad thrust bearing are cut from a ring and arranged in a circle within a retainer for bearing the load of a collar fastened to a rotating shaft. The leading and trailing edges of respective adjacent pads contain open edge grooves which together form a pocket for receiving and dispensing lubricating and cooling oil under controlled conditions. Semicircular grooves in the edges of the adjacent pads together form generally circular ducts through which the oil is conducted to the pockets.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 1989Date of Patent: April 16, 1991Assignee: Delaware Capital Formation, Inc.Inventors: James H. Ball, Willis W. Gardner
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Patent number: 4909707Abstract: A centrifugal pump has a floating casing ring which is deflectable in response to contact by an impeller of the pump.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 1989Date of Patent: March 20, 1990Assignee: ITT CorporationInventors: Kenneth R. Wauligman, Reinhold B. Erickson, James H. Ball
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Patent number: 4767893Abstract: A cable closing method and the resultant cable closing constructed by enclosing the cable area to be closed with a flexible waterproof enclosure, wrapping the cable with a water-activatable urethane resin impregnated cloth to span the area enclosed by the flexible waterproof enclosure, wetting the water-activatable urethane resin impregnated cloth to activate the resin and permitting the urethane resin to cure.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 1984Date of Patent: August 30, 1988Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing CompanyInventors: James H. Ball, William J. Seim
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Patent number: 4594755Abstract: A cable branch-off sealing member for use with a heat shrinkable material that is wrapped around two closely spaced parallel cables and pinched together between the cables to one side of the cables to create a loop of heat shrink material between the cables. The cable sealing member has an elongate tongue smoothly tapered at its leading end for insertion into the loop of heat shrinkable sheet material, which tongue has a width greater than the spacing between the cables to bridge between the peripheries of the cables and is bowed centrally of its width along its length to cause the two layers of heat shrink material to bow outward midway between the cables.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 1985Date of Patent: June 17, 1986Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing CompanyInventors: James H. Ball, Mark D. Sorlien
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Patent number: 4583912Abstract: A pump is disclosed having a damped dynamic vibration absorber for attenuating pump vibration in response to a periodic disturbing force generated when the pump is in operation. The vibration absorber comprises elastic means, an annular mass and an energy dissipative means. The elastic means are arranged around the pump in a plane generally normal to the axis of rotation having one end secured to the pump and one end free to vibrate relative to the pump. The annular mass is secured to the free end and the energy dissipative means comprising a squeeze film damper is secured to the annular mass. The annular mass has a predetermined mass, and the elastic means have a predetermined stiffness and the squeeze film damper has a predetermined damping ratio such that the absorber generates a compensating force acting on the pump out of phase with a periodic disturbing force which acts on the pump and is generated while the pump is operated.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 1984Date of Patent: April 22, 1986Assignee: Allis-Chalmers CorporationInventors: James H. Ball, Pradip N. Sheth, Keith E. Rouch
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Patent number: 4554401Abstract: A buried cable splice closure comprising a rigid plastic outer shell having an opening at least at one end through which cables may extend into the closure has a lower chamber adjacent each end opening for support of portions of cables extending into the closure with the cable jacket and any cable shield terminating in the lower chamber. An upper chamber is spaced longitudinally of the closure from each end opening so as to have a lower chamber between each end opening and the upper chamber and the upper chamber has a cable splice support area spaced a distance above each lower chamber when the splice closure is in an upright position. A cable passageway within the outer shell communicates between each lower chamber and the cable splice support area in the upper chamber and means are provided for permitting introduction of an encapsulant into at least each lower chamber.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 1984Date of Patent: November 19, 1985Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing CompanyInventor: James H. Ball
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Patent number: 4486620Abstract: An aerial communications cable splice closure comprising a hollow body, electrically conductive hanger brackets and end caps which are each adapted to receive at least one cable end. The body comprises separate longitudinal top and bottom sections which are adapted to mate with one another, the top section having the electrically conductive hanger means therein and the bottom section having vent means therein. The hanger means is adjustable to accept a variety of messenger wires. The end caps each have a pair of external, parallel, longitudinal walls which define a narrow channel therebetween, a cable receiving portion containing at least one conical cable-receiving port and a base portion having a plurality of deformable external, longitudinal ribs disposed therearound, a first end adapted to fit over the end of said body, and a second end attached to said cable-receiving portion.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 1983Date of Patent: December 4, 1984Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing CompanyInventors: James H. Ball, Ronald C. Houts, Phillip R. Schaetzel