Patents by Inventor Lucas Menke

Lucas Menke 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).

  • Publication number: 20060226984
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system and a method for the detection of the wear state of machine parts which are subject to mechanical wear, by means of an electronic transmitting/receiving device (38) and at least one transponder device (36), which is embedded in the machine part (16) and sends back an acknowledgement signal in response to a transmitted signal which is transmitted by the transmitting/receiving device (38), in which case the reaching of a predetermined wear value can be indicated by the destruction of the transponder device (36) and by the lack of the acknowledgement signal associated with this. The invention is based on the discovery that the arrangement of a transponder device at a specific position which is a measure of a predetermined wear state means that the operational readiness of the transponder device, on the one hand, is indicated in advance by its signal return, and the reaching of the predetermined wear value is indicated by its destruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2005
    Publication date: October 12, 2006
    Inventor: Lucas Menke
  • Publication number: 20060138054
    Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a wastewater processing apparatus and method comprising a rotating filter thickener (20) receiving and filtering a wastewater mixture and producing a first filtrate output and a first sludge output, a screw press thickener (24) receiving the first sludge output and forming a final sludge output and a second filtrate output, a dissolved air floatator (46) receiving the first filtrate output from the rotating filter thickener (20) and producing a first solid output and a third filtrate output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Publication date: June 29, 2006
    Applicant: Meri Entsorgungstechnik fur die Papierindustrie GmbH
    Inventors: Lucas Menke, George Troubounis, Brad Leitner, Bob Knoll, Carl Theunis
  • Publication number: 20060138053
    Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a wastewater processing apparatus and method comprising a rotating filter thickener (20) receiving and filtering a wastewater mixture and producing a first filtrate output and a first sludge output, a screw press thickener (24) receiving the first sludge output and forming a final sludge output and a second filtrate output, a dissolved air floatator (46) receiving the first filtrate output from the rotating filter thickener (20) and producing a first solid output and a third filtrate output, a first conductor (10, 12, 29) for mixing incoming raw manure wastewater and the second filtrate output from the screw press thickener (24) to produce the wastewater mixture for input to the rotating filter thickener (20), and a second conductor (34) for branching off a part of the first filtrate output to a spray cleaner (38) for spraying the part of the first filtrate output onto the filtration disks (70) for their cleaning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Publication date: June 29, 2006
    Inventors: Lucas Menke, George Troubounis, Brad Leitner, Bob Knoll, Carl Theunis
  • Patent number: 7056441
    Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a wastewater processing apparatus and method comprising a rotating filter thickener (20) receiving and filtering a wastewater mixture and producing a first filtrate output and a first sludge output, a screw press thickener (24) receiving the first sludge output and forming a final sludge output and a second filtrate output, a dissolved air flotator (46) receiving the first filtrate output from the rotating filter thickener (20) and producing a first solid output and a third filtrate output, a first conductor (10, 12, 29) for mixing incoming raw manure wastewater and the second filtrate output from the screw press thickener (24) to produce the wastewater mixture for input to the rotating filter thickener (20), and a second conductor (34) for branching off a part of the first filtrate output to a spray cleaner (38) for spraying the part of the first filtrate output onto the filtration disks (70) for their cleaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Meri Entsorgungstechnik fur die Papierindustrie GmbH
    Inventors: Lucas Menke, George Troubounis, Brad Leitner, Bob Knoll, Carl Theunis
  • Patent number: 6773585
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid separating device for separating fluids and solids from a composite liquid. Said separating device comprises a channel (12) which is arranged transversely upwards with a closed lower end and an outlet (19). Said channel is provided with an axial screw conveyor (14) which is arranged in the interior. A filter tank (22) communicating with said conveyor is located above the channel (12). An inlet (32) for the composite liquid to be separated is located at the upper edge approximately in the middle of the filter tank (22). A rotation filtering device (34, 70, 92) is arranged at the free end of the filter tank (22). Said device partially dips into the fluid contained in the filter tank (22). The invention provides a means for effectively separating a composite fluid into three different fractions, the clear liquid, a sludge fraction and a particle fraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Meri Entsorgungstenchnik fur die Papierindustrie GmbH
    Inventors: George Troubounis, Lucas Menke, Gisbert Wünsche
  • Patent number: 6773586
    Abstract: A flotation device for separating materials or mixtures of materials from suspensions includes a reaction and mixing space (18) with eccentric inlet (16) for the mixture of suspension particles with gas bubbles and for further transport into at least one centrally arranged vertical suspension distribution tube (26), wherein the suspension distribution tube (26) and the clarified fluid collecting tube (48) are arranged adjacently, the plates (30) surround the suspension distribution tube (26) and the clarified fluid collecting tube (48) in an annular manner; and every second annular plate space (31) between adjacent plates (30) is connected to the suspension distribution tube (26) and every other space (31) between plates is connected to the clarified fluid collecting tube (48), so that the flow takes place out of one space (31) between plates from the inside towards the outside to the separating space (32), and subsequently into an adjacent space (31) between plates from the outside towards the inside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Meri Entsorgungstechnik für die Papierindustrie GmbH
    Inventors: Lucas Menke, George Troubounis
  • Patent number: 6641724
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for chemically and physically separating solid materials from a suspension using flotation. A rotationally symmetrical flocculation/flow reactor is provided with outlets in the lower part thereof and is arranged in a separating tank. At least one suspension inlet extends eccentrically into said reactor. The supplied suspension is guided into said reactor. The supplied suspension is guided into the upper area of the flocculation reactor via the suspension inlet. A circular flow is thus created which drains off from the flocculation reactor downwards in a tangential and radial manner over the outer circumference into circularly arranged distribution cells which reinforce the tangential component of the suspension flow when said flow is delivered into the separating tank. In prior art, the flow of the mixture consisting of the suspension and air-sacs extends radially outwards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Meri Entsorgungstechnik fur die Papierindustrie GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Niemczyk, Robert Heinz, Lucas Menke, George Troubounis
  • Publication number: 20020096475
    Abstract: A flotation device for separating materials or mixtures of materials from suspensions includes a reaction and mixing space (18) with eccentric inlet (16) for the mixture of suspension particles with gas bubbles and for further transport into at least one centrally arranged vertical suspension distribution tube (26), wherein the suspension distribution tube (26) and the clarified fluid collecting tube (48) are arranged adjacently, the plates (30) surround the suspension distribution tube (26) and the clarified fluid collecting tube (48) in an annular manner; and every second annular plate space (31) between adjacent plates (30) is connected to the suspension distribution tube (26) and every other space (31) between plates is connected to the clarified fluid collecting tube (48), so that the flow takes place out of one space (31) between plates from the inside towards the outside to the separating space (32), and subsequently into an adjacent space (31) between plates from the outside towards the inside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2001
    Publication date: July 25, 2002
    Applicant: Meri Entsorgungstechnik fur die Papierindustrie GmbH
    Inventors: Lucas Menke, George Troubounis
  • Patent number: 5525238
    Abstract: An apparatus and a process for separating substances from an influent fluid by means of dissolved-gas flotation, in which a flotation tank has at least one fixed fluid inlet for the influent fluid and at least one mixture inlet for a fluid-gas mixture. Associated with the mixture inlet is a depressurization element for at least partial decompression of the fluid-gas mixture directly into the flotation tank, with the depressurization element being arranged essentially below the influent liquid inlet. The essential advantages of the invention are that, owing to the direct decompression directly below the flow of the influent liquid, a more efficient flotation process is effected. The losses after decompression can be kept low, and the gas bubbles formed can be immediately employed for flotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1996
    Inventor: Lucas Menke
  • Patent number: 5520806
    Abstract: An apparatus for gas bubble flotation comprises an angular flotation tank (1a, 1b), at least one liquid inlet (2a, 2b) for a liquid containing suspended matter and a liquid admixed with gas bubbles, in which apparatus at least one liquid inlet (2a, 2b) is arranged in the vicinity of at least one flotation tank corner. Preferably, the flotation tank has a square cross section. This permits optimal utilization of the available space, and results in a continuously decreasing flow velocity and thus an improved flotation effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Inventor: Lucas Menke