Patents by Inventor Richard P. Staab

Richard P. Staab 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: 6198209
    Abstract: A spark plug assembly for an internal combustion engine has a housing, an electrode, an axis and a conducting member radially oriented relative to the axis has a collar disposed about the axis and connected to an end of the housing. The spark plug is connected to the engine and exposed to a combustion chamber of the engine. The collar extends a predetermined distance from the end of the housing and shields a gap between the conducting member and electrode from air swirl introduced into a combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Darryl D. Baldwin, David W. Brandes, Richard P. Staab
  • Patent number: 6176224
    Abstract: A method of controlling a internal combustion engine assembly is disclosed. The internal combustion engine assembly includes (i) a internal combustion engine having an engine inlet and an engine outlet, (ii) a mixing chamber having an air inlet, a gaseous fuel inlet, and a fuel-air mixture outlet, (iii) a fuel valve which controls a ratio of air-to-gaseous fuel in a fuel-air mixture advanced through the fuel-air mixture outlet of the mixing chamber, and (iv) a throttle operable to control flow rate of the fuel-air mixture which is advanced from the fuel-air mixture outlet to the engine inlet. The method includes the step of determining oxygen content of exhaust gases advanced through the engine outlet and generating a oxygen content signal in response thereto. The method further includes the step of determining a load on the internal combustion engine and generating a load signal in response thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Min Wu, Dennis Walling, John J. Bernardi, Richard P. Staab
  • Patent number: 5937837
    Abstract: A crankcase blowby disposal system for a reciprocating engine comprising a heat exchanger in fluid communication with an oil filter and the crankcase in which blowby comprising oil droplets, oil mist, oil vapor, water vapor and other gases, the blowby is vented from the crankcase, passes through the heat exchanger which cools the blowby to a temperature below the dew point of the oil vapor and above the dew point of the water vapor, whereby the oil vapor condenses and the water vapor does not condense, then the cooled blowby passes through an oil filter which removes essentially all the oil from the blowby, the oil free blowby is then returned to the engine intake or exhaust or vented to the atmosphere, the oil collected in the oil filter may be returned to the crankcase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley J. Shaffer, Richard P. Staab