Patents by Inventor Robert L. Townsend

Robert L. Townsend 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: 20160035216
    Abstract: An assembly for testing of smoke detectors, installed to detect the presence of smoke in ductwork or through a smoke protected opening, and includes a plenum rated hose assembly having a duct end and a smoke end. The hose assembly duct end is extendable to the duct and is not terminated with a nozzle directable at an inlet tube of a smoke detector associated with the duct, or to the detector protecting a smoke protected opening. A duct mounting plate is adapted to be sealingly installed to cover an aperture formed within the duct and to retain the hose assembly duct end. Smoke is directed into the hose smoke end by a smoke generator that generates smoke under pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: Robert L. Townsend, Paul Bolander
  • Patent number: 8646305
    Abstract: An assembly for testing of smoke detectors, installed to detect the presence of smoke in ductwork or through a smoke protected opening, and includes a plenum rated hose assembly having a duct end and a smoke end. The hose assembly smoke end is extendable to within the duct and is terminated with a nozzle directable at an inlet tube of a smoke detector associated with the duct, or to the detector protecting a smoke protected opening. A duct mounting plate is adapted to be sealingly installed to cover an aperture formed within the duct and to retain the hose assembly duct end. Smoke is directed into the hose smoke end. The smoke exits the hose through the nozzle and towards the inlet tube of the duct-mounted smoke detector, or towards the detector for a smoke protected opening, for testing of the smoke detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Inventors: Robert L. Townsend, Paul Bolander
  • Publication number: 20110094294
    Abstract: An assembly for testing of smoke detectors, installed to detect the presence of smoke in ductwork or through a smoke protected opening, and includes a plenum rated hose assembly having a duct end and a smoke end. The hose assembly smoke end is extendable to within the duct and is terminated with a nozzle directable at an inlet tube of a smoke detector associated with the duct, or to the detector protecting a smoke protected opening. A duct mounting plate is adapted to be sealingly installed to cover an aperture formed within the duct and to retain the hose assembly duct end. Smoke is directed into the hose smoke end. The smoke exits the hose through the nozzle and towards the inlet tube of the duct-mounted smoke detector, or towards the detector for a smoke protected opening, for testing of the smoke detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Inventors: Robert L. Townsend, Paul Bolander
  • Publication number: 20080203117
    Abstract: The subject of this invention is a fresh water refill tank which is used to refill the fresh water tanks on Motor Homes, Fifth Wheels, Travel trailers, and Pop ups. The tank includes either a pump assembly or air pressure assembly to transfer the water from the tank to your motor home, fifth wheel, travel trailer, or pop up. The pump assembly has a pump that sets in the bottom of the tank. With a hose attached from the pump to out side of the tank where a water hose is attached to connect to your motor home, fifth wheel, travel trailer, or pop up. The air pressure assembly is used with air pump to pressurize the tank to push the water thru the siphon tube to the water hose that is connected to your motor home, fifth wheel, travel trailer, or pop up.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Inventor: Robert L. Townsend
  • Patent number: 5974562
    Abstract: A network management system includes a main network management station and a backup network management station. Different physical and logic addresses are assigned to the two stations. The data packet(s) containing network management information has/have the physical and logical addresses assigned to the main network management station. Thus, only the main network management station can receive the data packet(s) containing network management information when it is in a proper operational condition. When the main network management station is about to fail, a packet (or packets) containing operational status information is/are sent to the backup network management work station, via a network. Upon receiving the operational status information, the physical and logical addresses assigned to the backup network management work station is modified as the physical and logical addresses assigned to the main network management station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Robert L. Townsend, Luo-Jen Chiang
  • Patent number: 5661719
    Abstract: A network management system includes at least two network management stations. One of the stations is set as a main network management station, and the other is set as a backup network management station. The data packets are delivered to the two network management stations simultaneously. When the main network management station is in proper operational condition, it is set in an active mode by activating its IP and MAC addresses to the addresses that are assigned to it, and the backup network management station is set in an inactive mode by deactivating its IP and MAC addresses, so that only the main network management station can act upon the incoming data packets. When the main network management station is about to fail, the backup network station is set to the active mode by activating its IP and MAC addresses to the addresses that have been assigned to the main network management station, so that it can act upon the incoming data packets after the main network management station has failed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Robert L. Townsend, Luo-Jen Chiang
  • Patent number: 5316040
    Abstract: A valve alignment tool for correctly aligning the valve box above each shut off valve in the water pipes of a underground water main. The valve alignment tool fits over the square stem nut of the gate valve, and fits in sliding engagement with the valve box to align the bottom of the valve box around the square stem nut of the gate valve. The top of the valve alignment tool protrudes above the surface of the ground and contains a bubble level so that it can be held vertically as the sections the valve box are slid down the outside of the valve alignment tool. When the trench around the underground water main has been filled in, and the top section of the valve box has been put in place, the valve alignment tool is withdrawn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Inventors: Robert L. Townsend, Alfred G. Downs
  • Patent number: 4420825
    Abstract: This invention is a hydrophone (element) sited beamformer which is coupled to an array cable of a horizontal line array. A hydrophone-sited beamformer is coupled to each hydrophone in the array. The element-sited beamformer directly forms beams from the data detected by the hydrophones by delaying and selecting some of the hydrophone detected data and summing this data with the proper shading value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1983
    Assignee: Sanders Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Maynard, Samuel S. Ballard, Robert L. Townsend
  • Patent number: 4179682
    Abstract: A tilt compensated transducer array is provided with omni-directional transducers, compensated bi-directional transducers, and a processor which forms omni and bi-directional beams that are combined to cancel image lobes to give the array a uni-directional characteristic in which but a single, steerable main lobe is formed over a board range of steering angles. When the elements are located along a flexible line about which they naturally twist, a pair of orthogonally oriented bi-directional transducers is tilt or twist compensated to make image lobe cancellation possible. This is done by a compensator at each pair of bi-directional transducers which modifies their outputs in accordance with the deflection angle from the local vertical so as to obtain an output signal substantially the same as would be obtained by a single, properly oriented bi-directional transducer. Additionally, the use of a tilt compensated element permits discrimination of long range targets from short range targets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1979
    Assignee: Sanders Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert L. Townsend
  • Patent number: 4170001
    Abstract: A capacitor goniometer type tilt compensator is provided for the bi-directional elements in a transducer array in which each pair of bi-directional transducers is tilt or twist compensated to make image lobe cancellation possible. This is done by a specialized capacitor goniometer type compensator at each pair of bi-directional transducers which modifies their outputs in accordance with the deflection angle from the local vertical so as to obtain an output signal substantially the same as would be obtained by a single, properly oriented bi-directional transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 2, 1979
    Assignee: Sanders Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert L. Townsend
  • Patent number: 4164055
    Abstract: Suction and germicidal spray producing apparatus effects rapid removal of soils and bacteria from hard surface floors in both dry and wet states, the removed dry and wet soils and bacteria being isolated and confined; the apparatus includes a head assembly carrying longitudinally spaced, resiliently flexible strips extending in parallel relation to engage the floor surface, the head assembly including support means to engage the floor surface; means is provided for applying suction to the space between the strips; and means is provided for applying cleaning liquid to the floor surface to wet that surface visibly and openly outside the space between the strips, so that the user moving the head assembly back and forth can controllably move the head and strips over the surface to assure suction removal of liquid, soils and bacteria on the floor surface, to be conducted away from the head assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1979
    Assignee: Purex Corporation
    Inventor: Robert L. Townsend
  • Patent number: 4158575
    Abstract: Soils and bacteria are removed from a hard floor surface by providing two resiliently flexible, transversely parallel strips, applying suction to the space between the strips so that their lower edge portions engage the floor surface, bodily displacing the strips longitudinally back and forth, while applying disinfectant or cleaning liquid to the floor surface outside the space between the strips to wet that surface over which the strips are displaced and flex back and forth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 19, 1979
    Assignee: Purex Corporation
    Inventor: Robert L. Townsend