Patents by Inventor Lee Alexander

Lee Alexander 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: 10876685
    Abstract: A lubricator pump adjuster for use with a lubricator pump having a piston housed in a pump body and a rocker connected to the piston. The lubricator pump adjuster comprises a mounting fitting attachable to the pump body and a housing disposed on the mounting fitting. An actuator is disposed in the housing and connectable to the rocker, whereby activation of the actuator causes the rocker to move, thereby adjusting the stroke of the piston. The actuator is a rotary actuator with an output shaft. The lubricator pump adjuster includes a cam faced member attached to the output shaft, and a plunger in contact with the cam faced member that is connectable to the rocker. The cam faced member may include a spiral-ramped surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Compressor Products International, LLC
    Inventor: Lee Alexander
  • Publication number: 20180195667
    Abstract: A lubricator pump adjuster for use with a lubricator pump having a piston housed in a pump body and a rocker connected to the piston. The lubricator pump adjuster comprises a mounting fitting attachable to the pump body and a housing disposed on the mounting fitting. An actuator is disposed in the housing and connectable to the rocker, whereby activation of the actuator causes the rocker to move, thereby adjusting the stroke of the piston. The actuator is a rotary actuator with an output shaft. The lubricator pump adjuster includes a cam faced member attached to the output shaft, and a plunger in contact with the cam faced member that is connectable to the rocker. The cam faced member may include a spiral-ramped surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Inventor: Lee Alexander
  • Patent number: 9506602
    Abstract: A lubricator pump adjuster for use with a lubricator pump having a piston housed in a pump body and a rocker connected to the piston. The lubricator pump adjuster comprises a mounting fitting attachable to the pump body and a housing disposed on the mounting fitting. An actuator is disposed in the housing and connectable to the rocker, whereby activation of the actuator causes the rocker to move, thereby adjusting the stroke of the piston. The actuator is a rotary actuator with an output shaft. The lubricator pump adjuster includes a cam faced member attached to the output shaft, and a plunger in contact with the cam faced member that is connectable to the rocker. The cam faced member may include a spiral-ramped surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: COMPRESSOR PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventor: Lee Alexander
  • Publication number: 20130161130
    Abstract: A lubricator pump adjuster for use with a lubricator pump having a piston housed in a pump body and a rocker connected to the piston. The lubricator pump adjuster comprises a mounting fitting attachable to the pump body and a housing disposed on the mounting fitting. An actuator is disposed in the housing and connectable to the rocker, whereby activation of the actuator causes the rocker to move, thereby adjusting the stroke of the piston. The actuator is a rotary actuator with an output shaft. The lubricator pump adjuster includes a cam faced member attached to the output shaft, and a plunger in contact with the cam faced member that is connectable to the rocker. The cam faced member may include a spiral-ramped surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventor: Lee Alexander
  • Patent number: 7990286
    Abstract: Vehicles driving on a roadway interrogate passive tags in or on lanes of the roadway. Codes in the tags represent locations along the highway and which lane the vehicle is traveling in. Units in the vehicles communicate longitudinal and lane positions derived from the codes among each other or with infrastructure units for purposes such as traffic management, alerts concerning other vehicles, alerts concerning external conditions, or traffic control. The units may also communicate vehicle lengths or other parameters or characteristics. Vehicle units may communicate with sensors and actuators in the vehicles for purposes such as updating the vehicles' positions between adjacent tags. Specific applications for intelligent transportation systems are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
  • Publication number: 20090115638
    Abstract: Vehicles driving on a roadway interrogate passive tags in or on lanes of the roadway. Codes in the tags represent locations along the highway and which lane the vehicle is traveling in. Units in the vehicles communicate longitudinal and lane positions derived from the codes among each other or with infrastructure units for purposes such as traffic management, alerts concerning other vehicles, alerts concerning external conditions, or traffic control. The units may also communicate vehicle lengths or other parameters or characteristics. Vehicle units may communicate with sensors and actuators in the vehicles for purposes such as updating the vehicles' positions between adjacent tags. Specific applications for intelligent transportation systems are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
  • Patent number: 7209051
    Abstract: An intersection assistance system includes at least one vehicle sensor and a gap estimator. The vehicle sensor is configured to obtain vehicle information on vehicles approaching the intersection along a main roadway. The gap estimator is configured to estimate gap information relating to a gap between the vehicles based on the vehicle information. The gap information includes a length of the gap, a location of the gap, and a velocity of the gap. In a method of obtaining information for use in assisting a driver of an entering vehicle to safely enter an intersection, vehicle information is obtained on vehicles traveling toward the intersection on a main roadway. Next, gap information is estimated relating to a gap between the vehicles based on the vehicle information. The gap information includes a length of the gap, a location of the gap, and a velocity of the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Craig R. Shankwitz, Lee Alexander, Pi-Ming Cheng, Max Donath, Alec Gorjestani, Arvind Menon, Bryan Newstrom, Nicholas J. Ward
  • Patent number: 7072764
    Abstract: A geospatial database management system is mounted on a host vehicle and manages geospatial data relating to a travel path for the host vehicle, the travel path having one or more lanes. A geospatial database stores data elements indicative of objects and a location of the objects in three-dimensional space. The objects have a lane-level resolution and the location is accurate to within an order of one decimeter or better. A database manager component is configured to maintain the data elements in the geospatial database and receive database queries from a driver assist subsystem configured to assist a driver of the host vehicle. A query processor is coupled to the database manager component and to the geospatial database and is configured to receive the database query from the database manager component. The query processor queries the geospatial database and returns query results to the database manager component. This can be done in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Max Donath, Bryan Newstrom, Craig R. Shankwitz, Alec Gorjestani, Heonmin Lim, Lee Alexander
  • Patent number: 6977630
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a visual mobility assist device which provides a conformal, augmented display to assist a moving body. When the moving body is a motor vehicle, for instance (although it can be substantially any other body), the present invention assists the driver in either lane keeping or collision avoidance, or both. The system can display objects such as lane boundaries, targets, other navigational and guidance elements or objects, or a variety of other indicators, in proper perspective, to assist the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Max Donath, Craig R. Shankwitz, Heon Min Lim, Bryan Newstrom, Alec Gorjestani, Sameer Pardy, Lee Alexander, Pi-Ming Cheng
  • Publication number: 20050174257
    Abstract: An intersection assistance system includes at least one vehicle sensor and a gap estimator. The vehicle sensor is configured to obtain vehicle information on vehicles approaching the intersection along a main roadway. The gap estimator is configured to estimate gap information relating to a gap between the vehicles based on the vehicle information. The gap information includes a length of the gap, a location of the gap, and a velocity of the gap. In a method of obtaining information for use in assisting a driver of an entering vehicle to safely enter an intersection, vehicle information is obtained on vehicles traveling toward the intersection on a main roadway. Next, gap information is estimated relating to a gap between the vehicles based on the vehicle information. The gap information includes a length of the gap, a location of the gap, and a velocity of the gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Publication date: August 11, 2005
    Applicant: The University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Craig Shankwitz, Lee Alexander, Pi-Ming Cheng, Max Donath, Alec Gorjestani, Arvind Menon, Bryan Newstrom, Nicholas Ward
  • Publication number: 20050149251
    Abstract: A geospatial database management system includes a geospatial database containing data elements that identify locations of a plurality of road features of a tangible road. The road features are displaced from each other in a widthwise direction that is transverse to the road.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2004
    Publication date: July 7, 2005
    Applicant: University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Max Donath, Bryan Newstrom, Craig Shankwitz, Alec Gorjestani, Heonmin Lim, Lee Alexander
  • Publication number: 20050000332
    Abstract: A process for forming and trimming a part comprises providing a continuous web of polymeric material, thermoforming the continuous web of polymeric material into the desired part, providing a cutter arrangement comprising a blade, providing a platen assembly comprising a closed groove that generally corresponds to the outer shape of the blade and a vacuum system, wherein at least one of the cutter arrangement and the platen assembly is moveable with respect to the at least one other assembly, trimming the part of the continuous web of polymeric material from the remainder of the continuous web of polymeric material via the blade, and removing undesirable trim material formed during the trimming of the part via the vacuum system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2004
    Publication date: January 6, 2005
    Inventors: Gary Ennis, Ming Ho, David Claudius, Lee Alexander
  • Publication number: 20040066376
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a visual mobility assist device which provides a conformal, augmented display to assist a moving body. When the moving body is a motor vehicle, for instance (although it can be substantially any other body), the present invention assists the driver in either lane keeping or collision avoidance, or both. The system can display objects such as lane boundaries, targets, other navigational and guidance elements or objects, or a variety of other indicators, in proper perspective, to assist the driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Publication date: April 8, 2004
    Inventors: Max Donath, Craig R. Shankwitz, Heon Min Lim, Bryan Newstrom, Alec Gorjestani, Sameer Pardhy, Lee Alexander, Pi-Ming Cheng
  • Patent number: 5030218
    Abstract: An electrosurgical blade to which eschar is less adherent, and which therefore requires less interruption during the operation for cleaning of the blade. The blade is of niobium covered by coating of niobium oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1991
    Inventor: Lee Alexander