Patents by Inventor Stephen Colburn
Stephen Colburn 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: 11225963Abstract: A valve seat assembly comprises a valve. The assembly further comprises a removable upper seat associated with the valve. The assembly further comprises a lower seat configured to be inserted into a fluid end of a pump and releasably couplable to the upper seat. The upper seat is decouplable from the lower seat while the lower seat remains inserted in the fluid end of the pump. The valve is configured to contact the upper seat to prevent a flow of fluid through the fluid end of the pump.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2020Date of Patent: January 18, 2022Assignee: UTEX INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Mark Henry Naedler, Ricardo Jose Betancourt, William Stephen Colburn
-
Publication number: 20200378381Abstract: A valve seat assembly comprises a valve. The assembly further comprises a removable upper seat associated with the valve. The assembly further comprises a lower seat configured to be inserted into a fluid end of a pump and releasably couplable to the upper seat. The upper seat is decouplable from the lower seat while the lower seat remains inserted in the fluid end of the pump. The valve is configured to contact the upper seat to prevent a flow of fluid through the fluid end of the pump.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 21, 2020Publication date: December 3, 2020Inventors: Mark Henry Naedler, Ricardo Jose Betancourt, William Stephen Colburn
-
Patent number: 10815989Abstract: A valve seat assembly comprises a valve. The assembly further comprises a removable upper seat associated with the valve. The assembly further comprises a lower seat configured to be inserted into a fluid end of a pump and releasably couplable to the upper seat. The upper seat is decouplable from the lower seat while the lower seat remains inserted in the fluid end of the pump. The valve is configured to contact the upper seat to prevent a flow of fluid through the fluid end of the pump.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2020Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: UTEX INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Mark Henry Naedler, Ricardo Jose Betancourt, William Stephen Colburn
-
Publication number: 20200240407Abstract: A valve seat assembly comprises a valve. The assembly further comprises a removable upper seat associated with the valve. The assembly further comprises a lower seat configured to be inserted into a fluid end of a pump and releasably couplable to the upper seat. The upper seat is decouplable from the lower seat while the lower seat remains inserted in the fluid end of the pump. The valve is configured to contact the upper seat to prevent a flow of fluid through the fluid end of the pump.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2020Publication date: July 30, 2020Inventors: Mark Henry Naedler, Ricardo Jose Betancourt, William Stephen Colburn
-
Patent number: 6934616Abstract: A control system for determining a position of an implement arm having a work implement is disclosed. The implement arm includes mating components connected by at least one joint. The control system includes at least one position sensor operably associated with the implement arm and configured to sense positional aspects of the implement arm. It also includes at least one load sensor operably associated with the implement arm, and configured to sense the direction of loads applied to the at least one joint. A controller is adapted to calculate a position of the implement arm based on signals received from the at least one position and load sensor. The calculated position takes into account shifting of the implement arm caused by clearances existing at the at least one joint between the mating components of the implement arm.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2003Date of Patent: August 23, 2005Assignee: Caterpillar IncInventors: Stephen Colburn, Paul C. Pawelski
-
Patent number: 6865464Abstract: A control system for determining a position of an implement arm having a work implement is disclosed. The implement arm includes mating components. The control system includes at least one sensor operably associated with the implement arm and configured to sense positional aspects of the implement arm. A controller is adapted to calculate a position of the implement arm based on signals received from the at least one sensor. The calculated position takes into account shifting of the implement arm caused by clearances existing between the mating components of the implement arm.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2002Date of Patent: March 8, 2005Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventor: Stephen Colburn
-
Patent number: 6845334Abstract: A method for determining a compensated first position of a linkage of a machine is disclosed. The method includes sensing a first position of the linkage, determining a first deflection value based on the sensed first position, and utilizing the sensed first position and the determined deflection value to calculate a compensated first position of the linkage. The method may be used for determining a compensated offset distance between a first and a second position of a linkage of a machine.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2002Date of Patent: January 18, 2005Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventor: Stephen Colburn
-
Publication number: 20040117094Abstract: A control system for determining a position of an implement arm having a work implement is disclosed. The implement arm includes mating components. The control system includes at least one sensor operably associated with the implement arm and configured to sense positional aspects of the implement arm. A controller is adapted to calculate a position of the implement arm based on signals received from the at least one sensor. The calculated position takes into account shifting of the implement arm caused by clearances existing between the mating components of the implement arm.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2002Publication date: June 17, 2004Inventor: Stephen Colburn
-
Publication number: 20040117095Abstract: A control system for determining a position of an implement arm having a work implement is disclosed. The implement arm includes mating components connected by at least one joint. The control system includes at least one position sensor operably associated with the implement arm and configured to sense positional aspects of the implement arm. It also includes at least one load sensor operably associated with the implement arm, and configured to sense the direction of loads applied to the at least one joint. A controller is adapted to calculate a position of the implement arm based on signals received from the at least one position and load sensor. The calculated position takes into account shifting of the implement arm caused by clearances existing at the at least one joint between the mating components of the implement arm.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2003Publication date: June 17, 2004Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Stephen Colburn, Paul C. Pawelski
-
Publication number: 20040111229Abstract: A method for determining a compensated first position of a linkage of a machine is disclosed. The method includes sensing a first position of the linkage, determining a first deflection value based on the sensed first position, and utilizing the sensed first position and the determined deflection value to calculate a compensated first position of the linkage. The method may be used for determining a compensated offset distance between a first and a second position of a linkage of a machine.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2002Publication date: June 10, 2004Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.Inventor: Stephen Colburn
-
Patent number: 5991694Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for determining the location of rows of seedlings planted during agricultural production is provided. The apparatus senses the position of a planting machine 102 during a planting operation. The apparatus transforms the planting machine position to seedling row locations and creates a database of the locations.In another aspect of the present invention, a method for determining the location of row of seedlings planted during agricultural production is provided. The method includes the steps of planting seedlings using a planting machine, sensing the position the planting machine and transforming the machine position to seedling row locations.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 1998Date of Patent: November 23, 1999Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Adam J. Gudat, Gregory R. Harrod, Stephen Colburn
-
Patent number: 5189626Abstract: A method of operating a computer for generating a plurality of machine tool paths for machining an object from a set of contiguous surface patches arranged on and approximating a computer representation of a solid model is provided. The method includes the steps constructing an equilateral triangle defined by a plurality of surface points, each surface point having a gradient vector substantially normal to the surface of the blended solid model. Using this triangle as a starting point, a series of steps are performed. A current edge having end points is determined from one of the constructed triangle edges. A candidate point positioned equidistant from the end points of the current edge is generated on the blended surface exterior to the constructed triangle. A subsequent triangle is constructed from the candidate point using the current edge as the subsequent triangle base.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 1991Date of Patent: February 23, 1993Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventor: Stephen Colburn
-
Patent number: 4791583Abstract: A method for generating a plurality of points that lie on the surface of a blended solid model. These points are obtained from the unblended solid model by a numerical solution to a convolution integral, wherein the convolution integral includes a spherically symmetric blending function with a size responsive to the blend radius desired for each of one or more regions on the solid model. For example, the spherical blending function may possess a constant value everywhere inside a sphere of radius R, and a value of zero outside (here called a "hard sphere"), or it may be represented by other functions of the radial direction, more specifically, the gaussian bell curve, in which case it will be called a "gaussian sphere". The numerical solution to the convolution integral is performed iteratively by placing the blending sphere at a plurality of locations along each of a set of rays that are defined substantially normal to and intersecting the solid model surface.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 1987Date of Patent: December 13, 1988Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventor: Stephen Colburn