Patents by Inventor Ralph V. Brown

Ralph V. Brown 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: 4860158
    Abstract: A low pressure metering pump having a hollow piston reciprocated in a cylindrical guide by a solenoid coil. A pair of check valves provide for unidirectional fluid flow through the cylindrical guide in response to the reciprocation of the piston. A seal attached to the piston prohibits a fluid backflow between the external surface of the piston and the internal surface of the cylindrical guide. A bumper seal at the output end of the piston prevents fluid flow through the cylindrical guide when the solenoid coil is de-energized. A control circuit periodically energizes the solenoid coil at a frequency determined by a variable resistance responsive to predetermined operational parameters. In a preferred embodiment, the metering pump is a fuel control element for a heater and the variable resistance is a thermistor or similar type of temperature sensitive resistance, which controls the rate at which fuel is delivered to the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1989
    Assignee: Facet Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph V. Brown
  • Patent number: 4832583
    Abstract: A low pressure metering pump having a hollow piston reciprocated in a cylindrical guide by a solenoid coil. A pair of check valves provide for unidirectional fluid flow through the cylindrical guide in response to the reciprocation of the piston. A seal attached to the piston prohibits a fluid backflow between the external surface of the piston and the internal surface of the cylindrical guide. A bumper seal at the output end of the piston prevents fluid flow through the cylindrical guide when the solenoid coil is de-energized. A control circuit periodically energizes the solenoid coil at a frequency determined by a variable resistance responsive to predetermined operational parameters. In a preferred embodiment, the metering pump is a fuel control element for a heater and the variable resistance is a thermistor or similar type of temperature sensitive resistance, which controls the rate at which fuel is delivered to the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1989
    Assignee: Facet Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph V. Brown
  • Patent number: 4827968
    Abstract: A check valve having a dual valve seat, a valve member, a retainer, and a valve spring. The dual valve seat has a cylindrical body having an axial bore therethrough. A conical valve seat is provided at one end of the axial bore and a flat valve seat is provided at the other end of the axial bore. A recess is provided in the face of the cylindrical body at the end having the conical valve seat to form a first retainer seat and an annular recess is provided about the flat valve seat to form a second retainer seat by inverting the valve seat, the check valve may accept either a stem valve member having a conical sealing surface or a flat valve member having a flat sealing surface. The embodiment of this check valve in an electromagnetic fluid pump permits it to have different operating characteristics depending on which valve member is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1989
    Assignee: Facet Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph V. Brown
  • Patent number: 4749343
    Abstract: A high pressure fluid pump having a telescoping cylinder assembly disposed in a cylindrical sleeve. The telescoping cylinder assembly has a stationary member rigidly attached to the cylindrical sleeve and a telescoping member biased towards an outlet port. The telescoping member is reciprocated relative to the stationary member by the displacement of an armature in response to the intermittent energizing of a solenoid coil. An inlet valve connected to the telescoping member and an outlet valve connected to the stationary member provide a unidirectional fluid flow through the telescoping cylinder assembly with the reciprocation of the telescoping member. The outlet valve has a flat valve member which is biased against a valve seat provided at the end of the stationary member adjacent to the outlet port. The flat valve member is preferably made from a resilient elastomer which increases the efficiency of the pump and eliminates forward and back syphoning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1988
    Assignee: Facet Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph V. Brown
  • Patent number: 4725208
    Abstract: A positive shut-off electromagnetic fluid pump of the type having a piston electromagnetically reciprocated in a cylindrical guide by a solenoid coil and a pair of valves for providing a unidirectional fluid flow from an inlet port to an outlet port in response to the reciprocation of the piston. An elastomer bumper attached to the piston occludes the outlet port when the piston is biased to its extreme position adjacent to the outlet port when the solenoid coil is de-energized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1988
    Assignee: Facet Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph V. Brown
  • Patent number: 4464613
    Abstract: A blocking oscillator for a reciprocating electromagnetic actuator having a solenoid coil, a detection coil for generating a control signal in response to a charge in the magnetic field generated by the solenoid coil, a silicon Darlington amplifier responsive to the control signal to control the current through said solenoid coil, and a diode connected in series with the collector of the Darlington amplifier rendering the Darlington amplifier immune to reverse voltage and transient signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1984
    Assignee: Facet Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph V. Brown
  • Patent number: 4428105
    Abstract: A C-shaped member having a threaded aperture formed through one end and a smooth surface aperture formed through the other end. A threaded rod extends through the threaded aperture with the threads of the rod mating relationship with the threads in the threaded aperture. The rod has a swivel member at its end located between the two ends of the C-shaped member. A roller staker comprising staking rollers at one end and a spindle at an opposite end is provided. The spindle is adapted to be located in the smooth surface aperture with the staking rollers located between the two ends of the C-shaped member and facing the swivel member. The spindle when located in the smooth surface aperture has an end portion extending through the aperture whereby it may be gripped by a portable drill and rotated for rotating the staking rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1984
    Assignee: General Dynamics Corporation
    Inventors: Johnnie G. Abbott, Ralph V. Brown
  • Patent number: 4343597
    Abstract: An electromagnetic fluid pump having a magnetic circuit responsive to a predetermined position of a reciprocating magnetically permeable piston is disclosed. The reciprocating piston closes the magnetic circuit at the end of its pumping stroke increasing the value of the signal produced by a hall effect switch. The increased value of the generated signal energizes a solenoid coil returning the piston to a cocked position against the force of a resilient member which urges the piston forward on its pumping stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1980
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1982
    Assignee: Facet Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph V. Brown
  • Patent number: 4286200
    Abstract: A universal intermittent windshield wiper circuit adaptable to the windshield wiper mechanism of automotive vehicles is disclosed herein. The intermittent wiper circuit comprises an R-C timer circuit periodically energizing a three pole double throw relay. The internal interconnections of the relay switch contacts permit the intermittent windshield wiper circuit to be connected to the wiper mechanism of almost all domestically manufactured automotive vehicle as well as many vehicles manufactured overseas using only external connections. The circuit is equally adaptable to external and concealed wiper mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1979
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1981
    Assignee: Facet Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph V. Brown
  • Patent number: 4169696
    Abstract: A high pressure electromagnetic reciprocating fluid pump is disclosed herein. The pump has a pair of telescoping cylinders axially disposed inside a generally cylindrical cavity of a pump housing. Unidirectional valves disposed at the opposing ends of the telescoping cylinders cause a unidirectional fluid flow through the pump as the telescoping cylinders are reciprocated relative to each other by a solenoid driven armature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1977
    Date of Patent: October 2, 1979
    Assignee: Facet Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph V. Brown
  • Patent number: 4122378
    Abstract: A solid state switching circuit for an electromagnetic pump is disclosed herein. The circuit comprises a Darlington amplifier controlling the current flow through the pump's solenoid in response to the state of a piston position sensitive electrical switch, a Zener diode and capacitance in the base circuit of the Darlington amplifier in parallel with the electrical switch and an inductive clamp circuit in parallel with the pump's solenoid coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1976
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1978
    Assignee: Facet Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph V. Brown
  • Patent number: 4101950
    Abstract: A portable fluid transfer pump is disclosed herein. The pump comprises a small electromagnetically activated fluid pump embodying a highly reliable blocking oscillator cyclically activating a solenoid coil in the fluid pump, and an electrical power cord assembly including an electrical connector adapted to be received in a convenient source of electrical power. In the preferred embodiment, the electrical connector is a male connector adapted to be received in the cigarette lighter receptacle of a vehicle such as an automobile, recreational vehicle, truck, or boat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1978
    Assignee: Facet Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald L. Hager, Ralph V. Brown, James A. Thomas
  • Patent number: 4080552
    Abstract: A hybrid blocking oscillator for an electromagnetic fuel pump is disclosed herein. The blocking oscillator embodies a temperature regulated bias control and two current dissipators for controlled dissipation of the currents induced in the solenoid and detection coils when the oscillator is in a blocked state. The disclosed hybrid circuit is capable of 5,000 hours of operation with a 99 percent reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1976
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1978
    Assignee: Facet Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph V. Brown
  • Patent number: 4079436
    Abstract: An electromagnetic fuel pump embodying a blocking oscillator relatively insensitive to breakdown under overvoltage conditions is disclosed. The blocking oscillator embodies an overvoltage protection circuit which renders the amplifier in the blocking oscillator portion of the circuit nonconductive during any overvoltage conditions. As a result, the Darlington amplifier only has to withstand the overvoltage and the probability of current mode failure is significantly reduced. A filter circuit surpresses the generated RFI to levels below industrial and military standards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1976
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1978
    Assignee: Facet Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph V. Brown