Patents by Inventor Robert C. Roberts

Robert C. Roberts 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: 8474730
    Abstract: A track system for a railway system includes a base plate configured to be supported on a railroad tie. The system also includes a drive rail and a guard rail. The drive rail includes a head portion, a web portion, and a base portion. The head portion is configured such that wheels of a train car used in the railway system roll thereon. The web portion connects the head portion and the base portion. The base portion is supported on the base plate. The guardrail includes a head portion, a web portion, and a base portion. The head portion of the guardrail is configured to contact the wheels to prevent the wheels from slipping off the drive rail. The web portion of the guardrail connects the head portion of the guardrail and the base portion of the guardrail. The base portion of the guardrail is retained in a support on the base plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corp
    Inventors: Brian Frank Weaver, Brian Alvin Laws, Robert C. Roberts
  • Publication number: 20110204153
    Abstract: A track system for a railway system includes a base plate configured to be supported on a railroad tie. The system also includes a drive rail and a guard rail. The drive rail includes a head portion, a web portion, and a base portion. The head portion is configured such that wheels of a train car used in the railway system roll thereon. The web portion connects the head portion and the base portion. The base portion is supported on the base plate. The guardrail includes a head portion, a web portion, and a base portion. The head portion of the guardrail is configured to contact the wheels to prevent the wheels from slipping off the drive rail. The web portion of the guardrail connects the head portion of the guardrail and the base portion of the guardrail. The base portion of the guardrail is retained in a support on the base plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Inventors: Brian Frank Weaver, Brian Alvin Laws, Robert C. Roberts
  • Patent number: 7793891
    Abstract: A modular railway diamond crossing incorporates sets of acute and obtuse angle castings. The rail connections to the castings have a fine taper to minimize joint impacts. The castings are spaced apart with a combination of rails and cast blocks. The outside block is a tapered design that maintains the flangeway and holds the castings and rails together. The inside block comprises a tapered common center casting. This unit also maintains the flangeway and a longitudinal distance between the castings. The center casting is a common part to all such crossings regardless of the crossing angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corp.
    Inventors: Russell R. Hein, Robert C. Roberts, Jr., Brian Weaver
  • Patent number: 7472837
    Abstract: A guide rail support assembly includes a brace and a guide rail positioned on the brace. A hook device having a base and two hooks extending from the base and around the brace and secures the guide rail to the brace. The brace has no apertures such that the hooks extend completely around the brace without penetrating any portion of the brace. Adjustment shims are positioned adjacent the brace and a spring clip is mounted adjacent the base and the adjustment shims for securing the hook device to the brace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corp.
    Inventors: Brian Weaver, Robert C. Roberts, Jr., Mark Sutcliffe
  • Patent number: 7467748
    Abstract: A guide rail support assembly includes a brace and a guide rail positioned on the brace. A hook device having a base and two hooks extending from the base and around the brace and secures the guide rail to the brace. The brace has no apertures such that the hooks extend completely around the brace without penetrating any portion of the brace. Adjustment shims are positioned adjacent the brace and a spring clip is mounted adjacent the base and the adjustment shims for securing the hook device to the brace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corp.
    Inventors: Brian Weaver, Robert C. Roberts, Jr., Mark Sutcliffe
  • Publication number: 20080245931
    Abstract: A modular railway diamond crossing incorporates sets of acute and obtuse angle castings. The rail connections to the castings have a fine taper to minimize joint impacts. The castings are spaced apart with a combination of rails and cast blocks. The outside block is a tapered design that maintains the flangeway and holds the castings and rails together. The inside block comprises a tapered common center casting. This unit also maintains the flangeway and a longitudinal distance between the castings. The center casting is a common part to all such crossings regardless of the crossing angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Inventors: Russell R. Hein, Robert C. Roberts, Brain Weaver
  • Patent number: 6971610
    Abstract: A railway crossing has a plate with a pocket that defines a crossing angle for enabling one railway line to cross over another at virtually any angle. The pocket closely receives continuous long beams and divided beams. The pocket also has protrusions for restricting longitudinal horizontal movement of the beams. Each divided beam has three separate, discontinuous segments, including two outer segments and one inner segment. The segments are reversible such that the inner segments may be interchangeably positioned with each other, and the outer segments may be interchangeably positioned with each other. Fasteners secure the beams to the plate and resist both vertical movement and lateral horizontal movement. Each fastener has a wedge brace, a clip, and a wedge. The wedge prevents pull-apart of the plate and the beams due to thermal forces, mechanical forces, and surface discontinuities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Capital Corporation
    Inventors: Russell R. Hein, Robert C. Roberts, Jr., Brian Weaver
  • Patent number: 6365520
    Abstract: The present invention provides a chemical mechanical polishing slurry for the planarization of shallow trench isolation structures and other integrated circuit structures. The chemical mechanical polishing slurry of this invention comprises small abrasive particles having a mean diameter of between about 2 and 30 nm and large abrasive particles having a mean diameter of between 2 and 10 times larger than the mean diameter of the small abrasive particles. In use, the chemical mechanical polishing slurry of this invention can also include viscosity additives and etchants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Rodel Holdings Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Rhoades, Robert C. Roberts, Paul J. Yancey
  • Patent number: 6143662
    Abstract: The present invention provides a chemical mechanical polishing method for the planarization of shallow trench isolation structure and other integrated circuit structures. The method of the invention comprises the steps of providing a substrate having a plurality of patterned regions and polishing the substrate with a chemical mechanical polishing slurry comprising small abrasive particles having a mean diameter of between about 2 and 30 nm and large abrasive particles having a mean diameter of between 2 and 10 times larger than the mean diameter of the small abrasive particles. The chemical mechanical polishing slurries can also include viscosity additives and etchants for use in the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: Rodel Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Rhoades, Robert C. Roberts, Paul J. Yancey
  • Patent number: 4477804
    Abstract: A system for monitoring a limited number of operating conditions in a nuclear reactor and for graphically displaying same on a display device is disclosed. The system parameters selected are those which typically change as a result of a reactor trip. As long as these system parameters remain within a "post-trip window" on the graphic display, the power plant is operating normally. If, however, any of the foregoing system parameters falls outside this "window", this is an immediate indication to the power plant operator to institute the necessary procedures to remedy same. A sequential controller (26) is provided to continuously sequentially sample the foregoing operating parameters and to transmit data regarding same to the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 16, 1984
    Assignee: The Babcock & Wilcox Company
    Inventor: Robert C. Roberts
  • Patent number: 4290851
    Abstract: A safety system (10) for shutting down a nuclear reactor under overload conditions is provided using a series of parallel-connected computer memory type look-up tables (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, 14e) each of which receives data on a particular reactor parameter (P, T, .phi..sub.T, .phi..sub.B, W) and each of which has stored therein a precalculated functional value [f(P); f(T); F(.phi..sub.T); f(.phi..sub.B); f(W)] for that parameter indicative of the percentage of maximum reactor load that the parameter contributes. The various functional values [f(P); f(T); f(.phi..sub.T); f(.phi..sub.B); f(W)] corresponding to the actual measured parameters are added together to provide a control signal (S) used to shut down the reactor under overload conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1981
    Assignee: The Babcock & Wilcox Company
    Inventors: Russell M. Ball, Robert C. Roberts