Patents by Inventor Patrice L. Cummings

Patrice L. Cummings 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).

  • Air venting arrangement
    Patent number: 8443767
    Abstract: An air venting arrangement for a liquid cooling system associated with an internal combustion engine has a shunt vessel, and a transfer conduit connecting a flange portion of the shunt vessel to the liquid cooling system, and configured to pass coolant between the shunt vessel and the liquid cooling system. A venting conduit is disposed in a bore of the flange portion, and positioned to vent entrained air in the transfer conduit, developed during a filling of the cooling system, to a portion of the shunt vessel, and reduce the time required in filling of the liquid cooling system. A compression limiter and fastener connected to the compression limiter maintains and positions a first and a second end of the venting conduit at predetermined locations to provide venting of the transfer conduit to the reservoir portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Adam P. Murphy, Patrice L. Cummings, Kyle C. Hummel, Mark D. Ross
  • Air Venting Arrangement
    Publication number: 20100242867
    Abstract: An air venting arrangement for a liquid cooling system associated with an internal combustion engine has a shunt vessel, and a transfer conduit connecting a flange portion of the shunt vessel to the liquid cooling system, and configured to pass coolant between the shunt vessel and the liquid cooling system. A venting conduit is disposed in a bore of the flange portion, and positioned to vent entrained air in the transfer conduit, developed during a filling of the cooling system, to a portion of the shunt vessel, and reduce the time required in filling of the liquid cooling system. A compression limiter and fastener connected to the compression limiter maintains and positions a first and a second end of the venting conduit at predetermined locations to provide venting of the transfer conduit to the reservoir portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Adam P. Murphy, Patrice L. Cummings, Kyle C. Hummel, Mark D. Ross