Patents by Inventor Philip Thomas Rafter

Philip Thomas Rafter 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).

  • Method of reducing particle build-up on a surface located within a recess of a conduit carrying particulate material
    Patent number: 6817251
    Abstract: Method and housing (2) for reducing particulate build-up on a surface of a device (5) contained in a recess (4) defined by the housing (2) when attached to a conduit. The method includes introducing gas into the recess (4) at a high volume and low velocity so that the gas flows in a laminar manner across the surface of the device (5). The volume lies in a range from 80 to 300 liters/minute and the velocity lies in a range from 0.2 to 3.6 meters/second. The method and housing (2) are particularly useful for preventing the build up of coal dust on the face of an ultrasonic transducer (5) used to measure the mass flow rate of coal being pneumatically transferred in the conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organisation
    Inventors: Brian David Sowerby, Stephen Rainey, Michael James Millen, Philip Thomas Rafter