Patents by Inventor Robert Prachar

Robert Prachar 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: 12357937
    Abstract: A demister includes demister filters that are rinsed in place with sprayed liquid during the normal operation of the demister. The filters remain in place and the demister continues to operate during the rinsing process. The disclosure also provides a method of rinsing the filters during the continued operation of the demister. The demister filters that can be moved between an operational position to an extended cleaning position where they can be cleaned without fully removing them from the demister. The filters are slid out through an open door to provide access for cleaning. The disclosure also provides a method of moving the filters out of the demister to extended positions and cleaning the filters in the extended positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: Quickdraft, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathon Charles Hayes, Michael R. Webb, Andrew P. Grow, Cephas Tetteh Kudzordzi, Jonathan E. Mitchell, Mark B. Zellers, Mick Flickinger, Robert Prachar
  • Publication number: 20180281031
    Abstract: In a tube cleaning system and method, multiple steps can be run with a single pass by using a combination pig train. For example, an initial combination pig train may include a plurality of bristle pigs and polymer trailing pigs with a cleaning solution between each pair. One example is a first leading bristle pig and a first trailing polymer pig containing a first slug of caustic cleaning solution followed by a second bristle pig and second polymer trailing pig containing a second slug of caustic cleaning solution. Another example is a leading bristle pig, a middle bristle pig, and a trailing polymer pig with a cleaning composition disposed between the leading and middle bristle pigs and a cleaning composition disposed between the middle bristle pig and the trailing pig. Such combination pig trains are moved through the tube to be cleaned in a single pass to achieve two cleaning steps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Joseph M. Ovnic, Kenneth J. Erskine, Andrew P. Grow, Christopher L. Tokarcik, Robert Prachar
  • Patent number: 9636721
    Abstract: A clean-in-place system for piping systems uses a pig train having a dry ice and glycol section. The pig train is moved through the piping system as part of a cleaning sequence. The system and method of the disclosure provide an alternative, effective clean-in-place system that significantly reduces water, chemical and energy usage as well as significantly reducing the related environmental impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Quickdraft, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph M. Ovnic, Kenneth J. Erskine, Robert Prachar, Michael R. Webb, Christopher L. Tokarcik
  • Publication number: 20150298181
    Abstract: A clean-in-place system for piping systems uses a pig train having a dry ice and glycol section. The pig train is moved through the piping system as part of a cleaning sequence. The system and method of the disclosure provide an alternative, effective clean-in-place system that significantly reduces water, chemical and energy usage as well as significantly reducing the related environmental impact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Inventors: Joseph M. Ovnic, Kenneth J. Erskine, Robert Prachar, Michael R. Webb, Christopher L. Tokarcik
  • Patent number: 6672461
    Abstract: An air material separator may be used to separate scrap from a conveying air flow while having a relatively low weight and short height so that the separator may be positioned within today's single-story manufacturing or processing facilities. The air material separator of the invention includes a generally cylindrical inlet chamber having a spiral wall that directs the inlet flow circumferentially and downwardly. An outlet chamber is positioned below the inlet chamber and includes a conical, perforated wall that allows the conveying air flow to escape through the perforated wall. The scrap carried by the conveying air flow cannot pass through the perforated wall and moves down and out an outlet at the bottom of the conical wall. The overall height of the device is substantially less than prior art air material separators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Quickdraft, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence J. Miller, Richard K. Liggett, Robert Prachar
  • Publication number: 20020125176
    Abstract: An air material separator may be used to separate scrap from a conveying air flow while having a relatively low weight and short height so that the separator may be positioned within today's single-story manufacturing or processing facilities. The air material separator of the invention includes a generally cylindrical inlet chamber having a spiral wall that directs the inlet flow circumferentially and downwardly. An outlet chamber is positioned below the inlet chamber and includes a conical, perforated wall that allows the conveying air flow to escape through the perforated wall. The scrap carried by the conveying air flow cannot pass through the perforated wall and moves down and out an outlet at the bottom of the conical wall. The overall height of the device is substantially less than prior art air material separators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2001
    Publication date: September 12, 2002
    Inventors: Lawrence J. Miller, Richard K. Liggett, Robert Prachar