Patents by Inventor Robert H. Johns

Robert H. Johns 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: 4944495
    Abstract: A leveling apparatus for leveling a surface of refractory bed comprised of refractory pebbles. The leveling apparatus is comprised of a disk having a level bottom surface suitable for positioning upon the surface of the refractory bed. A plurality of spaced apart, downwardly extending tooth members project beneath the level, bottom surface of the disk, and into the refractory bed. Rotation of the disk causes the plurality of tooth members to displace the refractory pebbles in a rake-like manner to thereby level the surface of the refractory bed by causing the refractory pebbles to conform to the level bottom surface of the disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 31, 1990
    Assignee: Allegheny Ludlum Corporation
    Inventors: Robert H. Johns, J. Richard Rzomp
  • Patent number: 4897925
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining the top and the bottom surface of a metallic workpiece, such as a steel slab. The apparatus is positioned proximate to the workpiece and includes a rail beam which may be translated across the width of the workpiece. A first arm is pivotally coupled to a first end of the rail beam and a second arm is pivotally coupled to a second end of the rail beam. The two arms are pivotally interconnected at top ends thereof by a tie rod, thereby forming three sides of a parallelogram. Deflection of the first arm during translation of the rail beam across causes a similar deflection of the second arm. The deflection of the second arm may be recorded, thereby recreating the surface profile of the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1990
    Assignee: Allegheny Ludlum Corporation
    Inventor: Robert H. Johns
  • Patent number: 4858327
    Abstract: A portable apparatus for determining an edge profile of a metallic workpiece, such as a steel slab. An end portion of a tracking rod engages with an edge surface of the workpiece, and is translated along a vertical cross section of the edge surface. Variations of the surface of the edge of the workpiece causes deflection of the tracking rod. A pen mounted to the tracking rod is positioned proximate to a chart recorder thereby allowing the deflection of the tracking rod to be recorded as the tracking rod is translated, to thereby record the edge profile of the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1989
    Assignee: Allegheny Ludlum Corporation
    Inventor: Robert H. Johns
  • Patent number: 4821285
    Abstract: A thermocouple selection switch for monitoring thermocouples positioned within tunnel furnace cars allows a plurality of thermocouples to be monitored, while, at the same time, avoiding the requirement of precisely aligning the tunnel furnace car with an external probe. The selection switch is comprised of a plurality of switch stations, each of which contain longitudinally extending contact rails which when contacted with an external probe at any point along the length of the contact rails establishes electrical contact with opposite sides or wires of thermocouple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1989
    Assignee: Allegheny Ludlum Corporation
    Inventor: Robert H. Johns
  • Patent number: 4768409
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for severing a moving thin strip material across the width of the strip by providing a thin rigid cutting element and urging the cutting element to move rapidly across the path of travel of the strip material in a plane transverse to the plane of the strip material. The strip material is contacted about one side edge and the cutting wire continues to rapidly move across the strip width from a first edge to a second edge to sever the moving strip. The method and apparatus are useful for severing strip material being produced at up to 4000 feet per minute and is not dependent upon the gauge or ductility of the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1988
    Assignee: Allegheny Ludlum Corporation
    Inventor: Robert H. Johns
  • Patent number: 4715428
    Abstract: A method is provided for directly casting molten metal from a U-shaped structure of the exit end of a casting vessel onto a moving casting surface to form a continuous strip of crystalline material. The method includes radiantly cooling the molten metal in a zone defined above the molten metal, across the width of the U-shaped structure and adjacent the casting surface. The method also includes providing a non-oxidizing atmosphere in the zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1987
    Assignee: Allegheny Ludlum Corporation
    Inventors: Robert H. Johns, John D. Nauman
  • Patent number: 4678719
    Abstract: A method is provided for directly casting molten metal from of the exit end of a casting vessel onto a moving casting surface to form a continuous strip of crystalline metal. The surface tension of the molten metal flowing from the exit forms the top, edge and bottom surfaces of the strip being cast to provide good strip surface quality, edges and structure. An apparatus is also provided including a casting vessel having a molten metal receiving end and an exit end from which a fully developed uniform flow of molten metal leaves through a U-shaped structure onto a moving casting surface. A direct cast strip product is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1987
    Assignee: Allegheny Ludlum Corporation
    Inventors: Robert H. Johns, John D. Nauman
  • Patent number: 4425565
    Abstract: A circuit having several resonant frequencies is disclosed. The capacitance between coils is used instead of discrete capacitor components. One frequency is the self-resonant frequency of a large single layer coil and another frequency is the resonance of the double layered end of the circuit. The use of such multiple frequency circuits as antenna traps and loading coils is shown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1984
    Inventor: Robert H. Johns
  • Patent number: 4413262
    Abstract: A circuit having several resonant frequencies is disclosed, using the interwinding capacitance between layers of coils for the tuned circuit capacitors. The use of such multiple frequency circuits as antenna traps is shown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1983
    Inventor: Robert H. Johns
  • Patent number: 4399860
    Abstract: An apparatus for continuously casting strip material is disclosed comprising a tundish having an internal cavity for receiving and holding molten metal and an orifice passage through which the molten metal is delivered from the cavity to a casting surface located within about 0.120 inch of the orifice passage and movable past the orifice passage at a speed of from 200 to 10,000 linear surface feet per minute. The tundish has at least one molten metal resistant upper block and at least one molten metal resistant lower block vertically aligned and secured sufficiently to prevent molten metal in the cavity from passing through the interface of the secured blocks. The orifice passage has a substantially uniform width dimension, of at least about 0.010 inch, throughout the longitudinal extent thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1980
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1983
    Assignee: Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corporation
    Inventor: Robert H. Johns
  • Patent number: 4335386
    Abstract: Antenna traps without a separate capacitor component are disclosed. The traps are tuned by the capacitance between bifilar coils employed as the trap inductor. Simplicity, low cost, and ease of fabrication are the advantages of this trap. A method of winding a trap antenna from a continuous wire that becomes both antenna segments and resonant traps is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1982
    Inventor: Robert H. Johns
  • Patent number: 4334228
    Abstract: Antenna traps without a separate capacitor component are disclosed. The traps are tuned by the capacitance between bifilar coils employed as the trap inductor. Simplicity, low cost, and ease of fabrication are the advantages of this trap. Two methods for winding a trap antenna from a continuous wire that becomes both antenna segments and resonant traps are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1982
    Inventor: Robert H. Johns
  • Patent number: 4330025
    Abstract: An improved nozzle is disclosed for a strip casting apparatus wherein molten metal is delivered to a casting surface located within about 0.120 inch of the nozzle, and is movable past the nozzle at a speed of from 200 to 10,000 linear surface feet per minute. The improved nozzle comprises a pair of spaced orifice lips substantially parallel to and facing one another, with the spacing being substantially uniform throughout the majority of the longitudinal extent of the nozzle. The peripheral end portions of the orifice lips continuously diverge outwardly from one another for a length of less than about three times the substantially uniform spacing between lips, and for a height of less than about two times the substantially uniform spacing between lips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1982
    Assignee: Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corporation
    Inventor: Robert H. Johns
  • Patent number: 3981219
    Abstract: A simplified construction for a violin and bow is disclosed. The violin body is made of two arched panels instead of an enclosed chamber. Strings and neck structures are similar to those of traditional instruments. The bow uses nylon string wrapped in lengthwise loops on the bow shaft so that the strings on both sides of the shaft remove most of the bending stress from the bow shaft. The violin and bow are durable and inexpensive, and are suitable for instructing classes of children in schools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1974
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1976
    Inventor: Robert H. Johns