Patents by Inventor Shawn Nicholas

Shawn Nicholas 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: 20140001101
    Abstract: The field of the invention is oil sands processing. A solvent treatment system and process for treating a bitumen-containing stream include contacting that stream with a solvent-containing stream to produce an in-line flow of solvent diluted material; supplying the solvent diluted material into a separation vessel with axi-symmetric phase and velocity distribution and/or particular mixing and conditioning features. The solvent addition, mixing and conditioning may be performed with particular Co V, Camp number, co-annular pipeline reactor, pipe wall contact of low viscosity fluid, flow diffusing and/or flow straightening. The processes enable improved performance of downstream unit operations such as separation of high diluted bitumen from solvent diluted tailings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: FORT HILLS ENERGY L.P.
    Inventors: Shawn Nicholas Van Der Merwe, John Khai Quang Diep, Mohammad Reza Shariati, Tom Hann
  • Patent number: 7976368
    Abstract: In a method for the processing of fish, poultry or other meat products being conveyed in a plurality along a processing line, components which are to be excluded from consumption are separated and edible products obtained as a result for consumption are checked with an automatic inspection device for residues left behind. Separation takes place in such a way that, in the case of a number of edible products, minimized residues of at least one kind are deliberately permitted and induced for further processing of the edible products, in particular to optimize the edible product recovery. The automatic inspection device is adjusted to detect the minimized tolerance residues, and inspected edible products with and without the tolerance residues are separated from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud. Baader GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Hartmut Haucke, Ralph Anderson Miller, Paul M. Hearn, Shawn Nicholas
  • Publication number: 20110095551
    Abstract: Still another aspect of the invention provides a device for use with a machine adapted to pick up an object, the machine including a vacuum source, where the device includes a shaft having an upper end that includes an opening extending therethrough, and a head having a lower end that includes an opening extending therethrough. The lower end of the head is substantially flat and pliable and is adapted to engage an object being picked up by the device. The opening in the shaft is in fluid communication with the opening in the head to that when the vacuum source is engaged a vacuum is created within the openings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Inventors: Larry DOWNS, Shawn NICHOLAS, Frank J. CRISCIONE, II
  • Publication number: 20100029187
    Abstract: In a method for the processing of fish, poultry or other meat products being conveyed in a plurality along a processing line (10), components which are to be excluded from consumption are separated and edible products (7) obtained as a result for consumption are checked with an automatic inspection device (3) for residues left behind. Separation takes place in such a way that, in the case of a number of edible products (7), minimised residues of at least one kind are deliberately permitted and induced for further processing of the edible products, in particular to optimise the edible product recovery. The automatic inspection device (3) is adjusted to detect the minimised tolerance residues, and inspected edible products (71, 72) with and without the tolerance residues are separated from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud.Baader GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Hartmut A. Haucke, Ralph Anderson Miller, Paul M. Hearn, Shawn Nicholas