Patents by Inventor Robert Bell

Robert Bell 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: 5422852
    Abstract: A method of testing a circuit having one or more memory cells, such as a random access memory, register or latch, is disclosed herein. A selected pattern (e.g., all "1"s, all "0"s, or alternating "1"s and "0 38 s) is stored (block 10) in each memory cell of the circuit under test. The power to-each of the cells is then lowered (block 12) to a selected voltage level which is below the static holding voltage, but greater than zero volts. The voltage level may have been previously determined. After a selected time period (which may also have been previously determined), the power to each of the cells is restored (block 14) and the logical state present in each cell is compared (block 16) with the initially stored logical state to determine if any of the cells have switched to another logical state. This procedure may be repeated (blocks 18-26) a number of times. Other systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1995
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Theodore W. Houston, Larry R. Hite, Robert A. Bell
  • Patent number: 4906211
    Abstract: A socket assembly is provided at the end of a heavy electrical cable which includes sockets designed to be pushed into connection with pins on an aircraft, to pass current between them, which provides low resistance to avoid heating while also providing a high withdrawal force to prevent the weight of the cable end from pulling it out of connection with the aircraft pins. The sockets include pin-receiving holes, with grooves in the hole walls for holding multi-beam contactors. Each contactor includes a pair of spaced circular bands and a plurality of beams extending between the bands and bowed radially inwardly to resiliently contact the pin. A socket includes two of such contactors, whose beams engage the plug at two locations spaced along the hole to more uniformly guide the pin along the hole and provide low contact resistance and a high resistance to withdrawal. The contactors are initially plastically deformed when the pin is first inserted, to assure that a high withdrawal force is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1990
    Assignee: Wyle Laboratories
    Inventors: Robert Bell, Douglas Chase, Henry Fernandez
  • Patent number: 4828225
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for use at an airport for drawing in and paying out an electric cable, which reliably grips the cable even when it is covered with a slippery anti-freeze fluid used at airports. The apparatus includes a motor-driven traction wheel against which the cable is pressed, with the periphery of the wheel being concave and having a radius of curvature about the same as the cable so the cable can closely nest in it. The wheel has closely spaced treads that press through fluid on the cable to grip it, and has a circumferentially extending groove through which fluid can drain. The cable is pressed against the wheel by rollers that have concave peripheries to also closely surround the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1989
    Assignee: Wyle Laboratories
    Inventors: William Owen, Robert Bell, Douglas Chase, Leonard Briese
  • Patent number: 4615562
    Abstract: This invention relates to a child restraint for automobiles which can be used either in a rearward facing or in a forward facing direction, and that can be moved from one configuration to another without mechanical adjustments. In order to obtain the possibility to use the child restraint both in a rearward facing direction and a forward facing direction the undersurface of the restraint seat includes a heel (13) at the back support (11) side of the seat undersurface, a toe (15) at the free end of the seat undersurface, and a concave curved slope (14) joining the heel (13) and the toe (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1986
    Assignee: AB Akta Barnsakerhet
    Inventors: Robert Bell, Stefan Westius, Bjorn-Ake Skold
  • Patent number: 4544843
    Abstract: A device having a light emitter coupled to direct light to a portion of a photodetector to provide Built-In Test Equipment (BITE) capability for an optical sensor. A light emitting diode and a photodiode are mounted side by side on the upper surface of a conventional header with suitable electrical connections bonded thereto. A prismatic light bridge member overlies the light emitting diode and extends to cover a portion of one corner of the photodetector. This member serves as a light conduit, directing virtually all of the light from the emitter to the detector by virtue of the near total internal reflection of the surfaces of the light conduit member. An outer enclosure having a transparent glass window serves to seal and protect the respective elements while permitting external radiation to reach the photodetector.Alternative embodiments provide for coupling of light from a single emitter or a plurality of emitters to a single associated photodetector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1985
    Assignee: Santa Barbara Research Center
    Inventors: Mark T. Kern, Robert A. Bell, Max J. Riedl
  • Patent number: 4310393
    Abstract: An electrochemical catalytic carbonate process consisting essentially of contacting an alcohol, carbon monoxide, a Group VIIIB catalyst, an electrolyte containing a chloride, bromide or iodide, and a direct electric current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1980
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1982
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Robert A. Bell
  • Patent number: 4306947
    Abstract: An electrochemical catalytic .beta.-fluoroaliphatic carbonate process comprising contacting .beta.-fluoroalcohol, carbon monoxide, a Group VIIIB catalyst, an electrolyte containing a chloride, bromide or iodide ion, and a direct electric current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1981
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Robert A. Bell
  • Patent number: 4099808
    Abstract: A security cabinet designed for use in the home for storage of guns or other valuable articles includes an upright generally rectangular enclosure of plate steel construction having an open front and with a rectangular door frame weldably secured to the walls of the enclosure at the open front side thereof to reinforce and strengthen the enclosure and provide a strong and unyielding supporting frame surrounding the door. A door, also of plate steel construction, is hingedly mounted in the door frame by recessed hinges which are located interiorly of the enclosure and inaccessible to tampering when the door is in the closed position. A locking bracket is welded to the door frame and has a portion which extends through an opening provided in the door and to which a lock is fastened for securing the door in the closed position. A gun rack is provided inside the cabinet, the gun rack being rotatably mounted to provide ready access to all of the guns inside the cabinet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1978
    Assignee: ECO Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Ervin Carvis Oakley, George Robert Bell, William Eugene Poole
  • Patent number: 4065659
    Abstract: The disclosed cooking device has a cooking cavity with an access opening and a door for closing same, and has a rack in the cavity to support the food to be cooked. The device has electric heating elements in the cavity, and control means that energize the heating elements approximately 10 to 45% of potential high level heat outputs thereof. The total power input of the low level energized heating elements is in the range of 15 to 30% maximum and thus provides heating of air in the cavity only to within the range of 220.degree. to 300.degree. F maximum, without food load, and at a low rate so that the cavity air temperature generally will only exceed the temperature of the food by 20.degree. to 50.degree. F aproximately during a sustained cooking cycle. This low temperature method of cooking does not require personal tending to the food and minimizes the chances of burning the food.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1976
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1977
    Assignee: McGraw-Edison Company
    Inventors: Ronald E. Yount, Robert A. Bell
  • Patent number: 4011614
    Abstract: A water safety belt is disclosed which comprises in one embodiment an adjustable flotation belt having at least two inflatable pouches which are releasably securable to one another at one end through tube members connected to the pouches and which are joinable through a coupling. An inflation device is provided to inflate the pouches through the tube members when the tubes are joined. The ends of the pouches which are not joined by the tubes have an adjustable strap secured thereto for increasing and decreasing the waist size of the belt. The belt is adapted to be worn around/wading boots that are at least waist high whereby the belt can be used to seal the boots to the waist of a person wearing them and to thereby prevent water from entering the boots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1975
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1977
    Assignee: Lawrence Peska Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Bell
  • Patent number: 3939179
    Abstract: Thiophene is continuously produced by reacting normal butane or a normal butene and hydrogen sulfide at elevated temperatures over a dehydrogenation catalyst, said reaction being conducted in the presence of sulfur vapor introduced in an amount to maintain the elevated reaction temperature and to overcome the heat loss caused by the endothermic reaction between the C.sub.4 hydrocarbon and hydrogen sulfide.The mole ratio of hydrogen sulfide to C.sub.4 hydrocarbon must be maintained within the range of 15 to 20 moles of hydrogen sulfide per mole of n-butane or n-butene. Conversions may vary from 60 to 20% per pass depending on catalyst activity. This requires that unreacted C.sub.4 hydrocarbon and hydrogen sulfide be recirculated. Carbon disulfide is a by-product of the reaction along with nominal amounts of other materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1973
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1976
    Assignee: Pennwalt Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Robert Bell, Perrin Gary Smith