Patents by Inventor Richard L. Wyke

Richard L. Wyke 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: 6316751
    Abstract: A system and apparatus for and method of fusing a wrap to a portion of a length of plastic-coated pipe are disclosed. The system comprises a thermoplastic piece shaped to conform to the portion of pipe, the piece including a heat-generating trace and the heat-generating trace including a plurality of trace leads thereon. The system further comprises a clamp for applying pressure to the piece in the vicinity of the heat-generating trace, the clamp including at least two compression bands, each of the compression bands including a plurality of power leads, each of the power leads corresponding to one of the trace leads. The power leads preferably automatically are placed into electrical contact with said trace leads when the clamp is applied over the thermoplastic piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Fusion Weld Corporation
    Inventors: Richard L. Wyke, Julio J. Fernandez
  • Patent number: 6059319
    Abstract: A system and apparatus for sealing an uncoated portion of a length of plastic-coated pipe are disclosed. The system comprises a thermoplastic piece shaped to conform to the uncoated portion and overlap the pipe coating at an interface surrounding the uncoated portion, the piece including a heat-generating trace adjacent to its edges and the heat-generating trace including a plurality of trace leads extending therefrom. The system further comprises a clamp for applying pressure to the interface, the clamp including at least two compression bands and a cross member, each of the compression bands and the cross member including a plurality of power leads, each of the power leads corresponding to one of the trace leads. The power leads preferably automatically are placed into electrical contact with said trace leads when the clamp is applied over the thermoplastic piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Floatec Corporation
    Inventor: Richard L. Wyke
  • Patent number: 5804093
    Abstract: A system for filling a gap between jacket ends at a joint between two lengths of jacketed pipe is disclosed, comprising: a mold and two pairs of side straps encircling the mold. The mold comprises a sheet of material having first and second ends and opposing side edges, the sheet including a pair of slots cut into the side edges at a predetermined distance from the second end and defining a flap. One pair of straps encircles the mold but passes under the flap through the slots. The second pair of straps encircles the mold and passes over the flap. The mold is positioned around a pipe joint so as to define an annular gap and an infill material is placed in the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Foam Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard L. Wyke, David C. Dressel, James H. McBrien
  • Patent number: 5489405
    Abstract: A pair of concrete coated pipe joints welded together end to end with a gap between the concrete coatings, the gap being filled with a fast setting elastomeric polymeric infill material, either solid or foamed, and a particulate filler material, and a method for molding the infill material with the mold being filled with filler material before the polymer components are injected, and with a membrane lining the mold to prevent the polymer from adhering to the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1996
    Assignee: Foam Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Dennis E. Holbert, David C. Dressel, James H. McBrien, Richard L. Wyke
  • Patent number: 5458438
    Abstract: Cylindrical spacers molded in place on a pipe or plurality of pipes to be installed in a casing, the spacers being made of a material which adheres to the pipe but has a low coefficient of friction with the casing, so the spacer will stay in place when the pipe is slid longitudinally in the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1995
    Assignee: Foam Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard L. Wyke, James H. McBrien
  • Patent number: 5328648
    Abstract: A pair of concrete coated pipe joints welded together end to end with a gap between the concrete coatings, the gap being filled with a fast setting elastomeric polymeric infill material, either solid or foamed, and a particulate filler material, and a method for molding the infill material with the mold being filled with filler material before the polymer components are injected, and with a membrane lining the mold to prevent the polymer from adhering to the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1994
    Assignee: Foam Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: James H. McBrien, Richard L. Wyke, David C. Dressel
  • Patent number: 5294396
    Abstract: A method for making a protector to prevent galvanic anodes from being accidentally knocked off a pipeline in which a mold having a frusto-conical shape is placed around each end of a segmented anode, with an opening at the top of the mold opposite a gap between anode segments, liquid components of a rapid setting elastomeric polymer are injected into the opening until all of the cavities and the gap are filled, and the polymer is allowed to set up and adhere to the anode and to the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1994
    Assignee: Foam Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: David C. Dressel, James H. McBrien, Richard L. Wyke
  • Patent number: 5164058
    Abstract: A protector for a segmented anode encircles a pipeline. The protector includes an elastomeric polymeric structure molded in place at each end of the anode. The structure has the external shape of the frustrum of a cone with the base of the cone encircling the tapered end of the anode. The frustrum terminates at the diameter of the pipeline. The taper is made from a tough, fast setting polymer. In a preferred embodiment the polymer not only forms the molded taper, but fills the space between the anode segments and flows between the anode segments and the pipe. The protector adheres to the pipe as well as to the anode material, provides a corrosion barrier, and bonds the anode segments to the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1992
    Assignee: Foam Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: David C. Dressel, James H. McBrien, Richard L. Wyke
  • Patent number: 4096017
    Abstract: A method and article for covering and sealing the exposed weld joint area of a pipeline coated with thermoplastic corrosion protective coating is the subject of this application. The article comprises a layer of thermoplastic material that is compatible with the thermoplastic coating. A layer of mastic may also be formed on one side of the thermoplastic material. A resistance wire which is preferably a strip of wire mesh is tack welded or otherwise secured to the thermoplastic strip in two parallel stretches and a third stretch that is transverse to and in contact with the first two stretches. The article is wrapped around the coated pipe with the first two stretches of the resistance wire sandwiched between the pipe coating and the thermoplastic layer of the article and the third stretch of the resistance wire sandwiched between overlapping ends of the layer of thermoplastic material. The resistance wire is then energized to produce enough heat to fuse the two thermoplastic layers into an integral unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1978
    Assignee: H. C. Price Co.
    Inventors: Richard L. Wyke, G. Joe Hennon