Patents by Inventor Robert D. Morris

Robert D. Morris 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).

  • Publication number: 20120318636
    Abstract: A system for producing petroleum products from oil shale includes one or plural kiln lines made up of plural series-connected, indirect-fired, inclined rotary kilns. Plural kiln lines are operated for parallel processing. Oil shale is advanced through kilns in succession and exhausted from each kiln line substantially free of hydrocarbons. Successive kilns along the advancement of oil shale are maintained at successively higher temperatures. A fuel distinct from hydrocarbons in oil shale, such as syngas from a gasifier or hydrogen gas from a separator, drives pyrolysis to extract hydrocarbons. A refining unit located proximate to the kiln lines upgrades extracted hydrocarbons into petroleum products and separates the petroleum products by criteria. A heat extraction unit recovers heat from exhausted oil shale for reuse in kilns. A method involves drying oil shale followed by heating dry oil shale in successively hotter pyrolysis environments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Inventors: Robert D. Morris, JR., Robert D. Morris, III
  • Patent number: 8002972
    Abstract: A system for producing petroleum products from oil shale includes one or plural kiln lines made up of plural series-connected, indirect-fired, inclined rotary kilns. Plural kiln lines are operated for parallel processing. Oil shale is advanced through kilns in succession and exhausted from each kiln line substantially free of hydrocarbons. Successive kilns along the advancement of oil shale are maintained at successively higher temperatures. A fuel distinct from hydrocarbons in oil shale, such as syngas from a gasifier or hydrogen gas from a separator, drives pyrolysis to extract hydrocarbons. A refining unit located proximate to the kiln lines upgrades extracted hydrocarbons into petroleum products and separates the petroleum products by criteria. A heat extraction unit recovers heat from exhausted oil shale for reuse in kilns. A method involves drying oil shale followed by heating dry oil shale in successively hotter pyrolysis environments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: EnShale, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert D. Morris, Jr., Robert D. Morris, III
  • Publication number: 20100282643
    Abstract: A system for producing petroleum products (12) from oil shale (32) includes a kiln line (72,152) of plural series-connected, substantially horizontally-disposed kilns (90,94,104,170,180). Crushed oil shale (36) is advanced through kilns (90,94,104,170,180) in succession and exhausted from the kiln line (72,152) substantially freed of hydrocarbons. A heat extraction unit (80) recovers heat (82) from hot spent shale (78). Successive kilns (90,94,104,170,180) along the advancement of crushed oil shale (36) are maintained at successively higher temperatures (T94,T94,T104,T170,T180). Pyrolysis is indirectly-driven using kiln-surrounding roasting jackets (96,106,182), A fuel distinct from hydrocarbons in oil shale (32), such as natural gas (132), syngas (54) from a gasifier (48), or hydrogen gas (62) from a separator (60) provides heat. These combustible gasses are burned in roasting jackets (96,106,182) or converted by a burner (134) into hot flue gas (136) that passes through roasting jackets (96,106,182).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Inventors: Robert D. Morris, JR., Robert D. Morris, III, Harry John Gatley, Roger Lee Peterson
  • Publication number: 20090095659
    Abstract: A system for producing petroleum products from oil shale includes one or plural kiln lines made up of plural series-connected, indirect-fired, inclined rotary kilns. Plural kiln lines are operated for parallel processing. Oil shale is advanced through kilns in succession and exhausted from each kiln line substantially free of hydrocarbons. Successive kilns along the advancement of oil shale are maintained at successively higher temperatures. A fuel distinct from hydrocarbons in oil shale, such as syngas from a gasifier or hydrogen gas from a separator, drives pyrolysis to extract hydrocarbons. A refining unit located proximate to the kiln lines upgrades extracted hydrocarbons into petroleum products and separates the petroleum products by criteria. A heat extraction unit recovers heat from exhausted oil shale for reuse in kilns. A method involves drying oil shale followed by heating dry oil shale in successively hotter pyrolysis environments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Inventors: Robert D. Morris, JR., Robert D. Morris, III
  • Patent number: 4973482
    Abstract: The present invention comprises an enclosed tank for containing fat. The bottom wall is cone shaped and at the lower end of the cone is an outlet opening. A valve is placed in the opening to permit fluid to be added to or drained from the tank. A heater element is placed in the bottom of the tank or immediately below the bottom of the wall of the tank and can be an electrical heated element, a helical tube containing steam or hot water, or a gas powered infrared heater. A circulation system permits the removal of fat from the bottom of the tank and the recirculating of the fat to the upper portion of the tank. A valve within the recirculation system permits the fat to be pumped to a spray nozzle where it can be sprayed onto a feed mixture for animals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1990
    Assignee: National By-Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert D. Morris, II, Richard W. Murphey, David K. Swanton
  • Patent number: 4844927
    Abstract: The present invention comprises an enclosed tank for containing fat. The bottom wall is cone shaped and at the lower end of the cone is an outlet opening. A valve is placed in the opening to permit fluid to be added to or drained from the tank. A heater element is placed in the bottom of the tank and can be either an electrical heated element or a helical tube containing steam or hot water. A circulation system permits the removal of fat from the bottom of the tank and the recirculating of the fat to the upper portion of the tank. A valve within the recirculation system permits the fat to be pumped to a spray nozzle where it can be sprayed onto a feed mixture for animals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1989
    Assignee: National By-Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert D. Morris, II, Richard W. Murphey, David K. Swanton
  • Patent number: 4388188
    Abstract: Apparatus for confining an oil slick on the open seas and for skimming the oil from the ocean's surface and funneling it into a floating barge wherein the oil is separated for later processing. Oil is confined in an inverted triangular-shaped area by two flotatable booms each made up of a plurality of individual flotatable sections connected together. Thus, the booms can undulate in up and down fashion with the action of the waves. Oil and water is skimmed from the confined ocean's surface by a catcher and is funneled by the catcher into a flotatable oil recovery barge for later processing of the oil separated from the ocean water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1983
    Inventor: Robert D. Morris
  • Patent number: 4319183
    Abstract: A self-saturating electrical reactor has a magnetic core located within a casing. A gate winding has at least one turn on the magnetic core and is accessible from outside of the casing. A bundled conductor containing a plurality of individual conductors has at least one turn on the magnetic core. The individual conductors form a plurality of single turn windings which are accessible from outside of the casing such that the configuration of the D.C. control and bias windings is determinable by the field wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1980
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1982
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Theodore R. Specht, Robert D. Morris