Patents by Inventor Jay R. Katchka
Jay R. Katchka 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: 5620016Abstract: A fuel control device, parts therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the control device comprising a housing having a shank portion for interconnecting with a spud carried by a hot water tank construction, the shank portion comprising a flange fastened to the housing and a tubular part secured to the flange and having structure for interconnecting with the spud, the tubular part having an end thereof swedged to the flange to secure the tubular part and the flange together.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 1994Date of Patent: April 15, 1997Assignee: Robertshaw Controls CompanyInventor: Jay R. Katchka
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Patent number: 5586719Abstract: A control system for a hot water tank construction, control device therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the control system comprising a switch unit that has a portion thereof disposed remote from a housing of a control device and in a position to sense the temperature of an adverse heat roll out from the combustion chamber of the hot water tank construction and thereby be in an operating condition thereof that prevents an electromagnetic unit carried by the housing of the control device from being in an open condition thereof if the sensed temperature of the heat roll out is above a certain temperature.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 1994Date of Patent: December 24, 1996Inventor: Jay R. Katchka
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Patent number: 5437548Abstract: A fuel ignition system and method of making the same are provided, the system having a unit for detecting when an igniter has been heated to ignition temperature, the detecting unit comprising a receiving member for receiving at least some of the electrons emitted from the heated igniter and an electrical circuit for determining from the received electrons an emission rate of the electrons and for operating a fuel feeding device to feed fuel to a burner only when the determined emission rate is at a certain level that proves that the igniter is at ignition temperature.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 1994Date of Patent: August 1, 1995Assignee: Robertshaw Controls CompanyInventor: Jay R. Katchka
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Patent number: 5419356Abstract: A hot water tank construction, parts therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the hot water tank construction comprising a hot water tank having a wall provided with an opening therethrough and a spud carried by the wall and having an opening therethrough that is disposed in aligned relation with the opening in the wall, and a fuel control valve unit having a shank provided with a portion thereof disposed in the opening of the spud and being interconnected to the opening of the spud so as to be carried by the wall, the opening of the spud having axial securing structure therein, the portion of the shank having axial securing structure thereon, the portion of the shank having been axially pushed into the opening of the spud until the portion is in a predetermined position thereof whereby the axial securing structures cooperate together to interconnect the fuel control valve unit to the spud.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 1994Date of Patent: May 30, 1995Assignee: Robertshaw Controls CompanyInventor: Jay R. Katchka
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Patent number: 5396213Abstract: A control device, parts therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the control device having a temperature sensing unit comprising a rod and tube means utilizing a heat expandable and contractible polymeric member disposed between one end of the rod and an abutment of the tube to tend to cause an outer end of the rod to move toward an actuator of the control device upon the unit sensing decreasing temperature and to tend to cause that end of the rod to move away from the actuator upon the unit sensing increasing temperature, a biasing member being operatively interconnected to the unit to continuously place the tube under compression between an open end thereof and the abutment thereof and to continuously place the rod under tension between the opposite ends thereof to tend to reduce the temperature differential of the control device.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 1993Date of Patent: March 7, 1995Assignee: Robertshaw Controls CompanyInventor: Jay R. Katchka
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Patent number: 5348037Abstract: A hot water tank construction, parts therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the hot water tank construction comprising a hot water tank having a wall provided with an opening therethrough and a spud carried by the wall and having an opening therethrough that is disposed in aligned relation with the opening in the wall, and a fuel control valve unit having a shank provided with a portion thereof disposed in the opening of the spud and being interconnected to the opening of the spud so as to be carried by the wall, the opening of the spud having axial securing structure therein, the portion of the shank having axial securing structure thereon, the portion of the shank having been axially pushed into the opening of the spud until the portion is in a predetermined position thereof whereby the axial securing structures cooperate together to interconnect the fuel control valve unit to the spud.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 1993Date of Patent: September 20, 1994Assignee: Robertshaw Controls CompanyInventor: Jay R. Katchka
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Patent number: 5335646Abstract: A water heater, a burner unit therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the water heater comprising a tank for containing water therein and a burner unit for receiving fuel from a source thereof and issuing the fuel therefrom so as to burn and heat the tank and thus the water therein by conduction, the burner unit comprising a top burner plate having a top wall provided with an opening therethrough for draining away water that has accumulated thereon and that comprises condensate that has dripped from the flue of the tank onto the top wall, the opening to be so constructed and arranged that the water that drains therethrough is adapted to pass out through a central opening of the bottom burner plate of the burner unit and through which fuel is directed to the burner unit.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 1993Date of Patent: August 9, 1994Assignee: Robertshaw Controls CompanyInventor: Jay R. Katchka
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Patent number: 5314328Abstract: A fuel ignition system and method of making the same are provided, the system having a unit for detecting when an igniter has been heated to ignition temperature, the detecting unit comprising a receiving member for receiving at least some of the electrons emitted from the heated igniter and an electrical circuit for determining from the received electrons an emission rate of the electrons and for operating a fuel feeding device to feed fuel to a burner only when the determined emission rate is at a certain level that proves that the igniter is at ignition temperature.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 1993Date of Patent: May 24, 1994Assignee: Robertshaw Controls CompanyInventor: Jay R. Katchka
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Patent number: 5294907Abstract: A control device, parts therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the control device having a temperature sensing unit comprising a rod and tube means utilizing a heat expandable and contractible polymeric member disposed between one end of the rod and an abutment of the tube to tend to cause an outer end of the rod to move toward an actuator of the control device upon the unit sensing decreasing temperature and to tend to cause that end of the rod to move away from the actuator upon the unit sensing increasing temperature, a biasing member being operatively interconnected to the unit to continuously place the tube under compression between an open end thereof and the abutment thereof and to continuously place the rod under tension between the opposite ends thereof to tend to reduce the temperature differential of the control device.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 1993Date of Patent: March 15, 1994Assignee: Robertshaw Controls CompanyInventor: Jay R. Katchka
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Patent number: 5261438Abstract: A hot water tank construction, parts therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the hot water tank construction comprising a hot water tank having a wall provided with an opening therethrough and a spud carried by the wall and having an opening therethrough that is disposed in aligned relation with the opening in the wall, and a fuel control valve unit having a shank provided with a portion thereof disposed in the opening of the spud and being interconnected to the opening of the spud so as to be carried by the wall, the opening of the spud having axial securing structure therein, the portion of the shank having axial securing structure thereon, the portion of the shank having been axially pushed into the opening of the spud until the portion is in a predetermined position thereof whereby the axial securing structures cooperate together to interconnect the fuel control valve unit to the spud.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 1993Date of Patent: November 16, 1993Assignee: Robertshaw Controls CompanyInventor: Jay R. Katchka
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Patent number: 5190452Abstract: A heat exchanger control system, an electrically operated control valve device therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the heat exchanger control system comprising an electrically operated control valve device having a housing and a differential pressure operated electrical switch unit being operatively interconnected to structure of the system for supplying combustion air to a burner unit of the system and being adapted to be operated thereby to permit the electrically operated control valve device to be operating only when the pressure value of the air being supplied to the burner unit is at or above a predetermined value so that sufficient combustion air will be supplied to the burner unit before the electrically operated control valve device causes fuel to issue from the burner unit, the differential pressure operated switch unit being carried by the housing so as to be self-contained with the electrically operated control valve device.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 1992Date of Patent: March 2, 1993Assignee: Robertshaw Controls CompanyInventors: Jay R. Katchka, Nabil M. Haddad
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Patent number: 5104093Abstract: A fuel control device, valve member therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the valve member comprising a rigid tubular part carrying a resilient polymeric part and having opposed ends one of which has an opening therethrough for receiving part of a guide stem therein for guiding purposes, the polymeric part having opposed sides one of which has an opening therein that snap-fittingly receives the other end of said opposed ends of the tubular part therein to interconnect the polymeric part and the tubular part together.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 1991Date of Patent: April 14, 1992Assignee: RobertShaw Controls CompanyInventors: Jay R. Katchka, Samuel T. Kelly
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Patent number: 5044390Abstract: A fuel control valve is provided between a fuel source and a burner. The main valve is supported in a housing on a lever in a biased open position and is operated by a manual actuator through a cam and cam follower. The housing includes a thermostatically controlled solenoid to hold the main valve closed under certain conditions.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 1990Date of Patent: September 3, 1991Assignee: Robertshaw Controls CompanyInventors: Samuel T. Kelly, Jay R. Katchka
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Patent number: 4975043Abstract: A control device for supplying fuel to a burner means, a system therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the device comprising a housing having an inlet for being interconnected to a source of fuel and having an outlet for being interconnected to the burner, first and second control valves carried by the housing and being in series to connect the inlet to the outlet only when both of the control valves are in an open condition thereof, each control valve comprising a movable valve member resiliently biased closed and an independent electromagnetic valve member latching unit energizable to hold its respective valve member open and deenergizable to allow its respective valve member to close, each control valve having a movable member to open its respective valve member to a latching position so as to be held open by its respective latching unit when its respective latching unit is energized, and a single manually movable actuator carried by the housing and having structure operatively interconnectiType: GrantFiled: August 11, 1989Date of Patent: December 4, 1990Assignee: Robertshaw Controls CompanyInventors: Jay R. Katchka, George A. Yeaman, Richard W. McKinney
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Patent number: 4971095Abstract: A fuel control valve construction, parts therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the construction comprising a housing having an inlet adapted to be interconnected to a fuel source and an outlet adapted to be interconnected to a main burner, the housing having a pilot outlet adapted to be interconnected to a pilot burner for the main burner, the housing having a pilot valve seat and a main valve seat for interconnecting the inlet respectively with the pilot outlet and the main outlet, the housing having a movable pilot valve member for opening and closing the pilot valve seat and a movable main valve member for opening and closing the main valve seat, the housing having a movable lever carrying the pilot valve member and the main valve member and having a manually operable actuator for controlling the operating positions of the lever.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 1990Date of Patent: November 20, 1990Assignee: Robertshaw Controls CompanyInventors: Samuel T. Kelly, Jay R. Katchka
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Patent number: 4928721Abstract: A fuel control valve construction, parts therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the construction comprising a housing having an inlet adapted to be interconnected to a fuel source and an outlet adapted to be interconnected to a main burner, the housing having a pilot outlet adapted to be interconnected to a pilot burner for the main burner, the housing having a pilot valve seat and a main valve seat for interconnecting the inlet respectively with the pilot outlet and the main outlet, the housing having a movable pilot valve member for opening and closing the pilot valve seat and a movable main valve member for opening and closing the main valve seat, the housing having a movable lever carrying the pilot valve member and the main valve member and having a manually operable actuator for controlling the operating positions of the lever.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 1989Date of Patent: May 29, 1990Inventors: Samuel T. Kelly, Jay R. Katchka
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Patent number: 4921011Abstract: A fuel control valve construction, parts therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the construction comprising a housing having an inlet adapted to be interconnected to a fuel source and an outlet adapted to be interconnected to a main burner, the housing having a pilot outlet adapted to be interconnected to a pilot burner for the main burner, the housing having a pilot valve seat and a main valve seat for interconnecting the inlet respectively with the pilot outlet and the main outlet, the housing having a movable pilot valve member for opening and closing the pilot valve seat and a movable main valve member for opening and closing the main valve seat, the housing having a movable lever carrying the pilot valve member and the main valve member and having a manually operable actuator for controlling the operating positions of the lever.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 1988Date of Patent: May 1, 1990Assignee: Robertshaw Controls CompanyInventors: Samuel T. Kelly, Jay R. Katchka
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Patent number: 4872830Abstract: A control device for supplying fuel to a burner means, a system therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the device comprising a housing having an inlet for being interconnected to a source of fuel and having an outlet for being interconnected to the burner, first and second control valves carried by the housing and being in series to connect the inlet to the outlet only when both of the control valves are in an open condition thereof, each control valve comprising a movable valve member resiliently biased closed and an independent electromagnetic valve member latching unit energizable to hold its respective valve member open and deenergizable to allow its respective valve member to close, each control valve having a movable member to open its respective valve member to a latching position so as to be held open by its respective latching unit when its respective lathing unit is energized, and a single manually movable actuator carried by the housing and having structure operatively interconnectinType: GrantFiled: December 14, 1987Date of Patent: October 10, 1989Assignee: Robertshaw Controls CompanyInventors: Jay R. Katchka, George A. Yeaman, Richard W. McKinney
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Patent number: 4830039Abstract: A fuel control valve construction, parts therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the construction comprising a housing having an inlet adapted to be interconnected to a fuel source and an outlet adapted to be interconnected to a main burner, the housing having a pilot outlet adapted to be interconnected to a pilot burner for the main burner, the housing having a pilot valve seat and a main valve seat for interconnecting the inlet respectively with the pilot outlet and the main outlet, the housing having a movable pilot valve member for opening and closing the pilot valve seat and a movable main valve member for opening and closing the main valve seat, the housing having a movable lever carrying the pilot valve member and the main valve member and having a manually operable actuator for controlling the operating positions of the lever.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 1987Date of Patent: May 16, 1989Assignee: Robertshaw Controls CompanyInventors: Samuel T. Kelly, Jay R. Katchka
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Patent number: 4787414Abstract: A fuel control valve construction, parts therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the construction comprising a housing having an inlet adapted to be interconnected to a fuel source and an outlet adapted to be interconnected to a main burner, the housing having a pilot outlet adapted to be interconnected to a pilot burner for the main burner, the housing having a pilot valve seat and a main valve seat for interconnecting the inlet respectively with the pilot outlet and the main outlet, the housing having a movable pilot valve member for opening and closing the pilot valve seat and a movable main valve member for opening and closing the main valve seat, the housing having a movable lever carrying the pilot valve member and the main valve member and having a manually operable actuator for controlling the operating positions of the lever.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 1987Date of Patent: November 29, 1988Assignee: Robertshaw Controls CompanyInventors: Kelly, Samuel T., Jay R. Katchka