Patents by Inventor Thomas F. Robertson
Thomas F. Robertson 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: 12158306Abstract: A furnace has a melting chamber with a periphery defined by a surrounding wall structure. The furnace is provided with a purge system configured to direct inert gas to flow downward in the melting chamber in the configuration of a curtain that adjoins the wall structure and reaches only partially around the periphery of the melting chamber.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2021Date of Patent: December 3, 2024Assignee: Fives North American Combustion, Inc.Inventors: Thomas F. Robertson, Douglas A. Clauss
-
Publication number: 20240366531Abstract: Provided herein are compounds of Formula (I), Formula (I-A), Formula (I-B), or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13, R14 are defined herein. Also provided herein are pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound of Formula (I), Formula (I-A), Formula (I-B) or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and methods of using a compound of Formula (I), Formula (I-A), Formula (I-B) or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The current invention reports compounds to reduce REM sleep and/or non-REM sleep in a subject which can be effective in treating diseases or disorder where sleep is dysregulated. The methods of the disclosure include methods of treating sleep dysfunction, sleep disorder, stress related disorders, neuropsychiatric diseases, neurological conditions and/or neurodevelopmental disorders, using the compound of Formula (I), Formula (I-A), and/or Formula (I-B).Type: ApplicationFiled: May 1, 2024Publication date: November 7, 2024Inventors: Carrie Bowen, Glenn F. Short, Thomas Cameron Robertson
-
Patent number: 12104788Abstract: A method includes firing a first burner into a furnace process chamber in a first initial condition, firing a second burner into the process chamber in a second initial condition, and measuring temperature at each of an array of locations in the process chamber. The first burner is adjusted to a first adjusted condition while the second burner is being fired at the second initial condition, and a resulting first temperature change is measured at each of the locations. The second burner is adjusted to a second adjusted condition while the first burner is being fired at the first initial condition, and a resulting second temperature change is measured at each of the locations. The measured first and second temperature changes are recorded as reference data for adjusting burner conditions to adjust temperatures at each of the locations. The method can thus be used to improve temperature uniformity throughout the array of locations.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2020Date of Patent: October 1, 2024Assignee: Fives North American Combustion, Inc.Inventors: Thomas F. Robertson, Benjamin M. Witoff, Justin R. Dzik
-
Publication number: 20230366541Abstract: A method heats a furnace process chamber with the combustion of fuel gas. The method heats the process chamber in a preheat mode when the temperature of the process chamber is below the autoignition temperature of the fuel gas. The preheat mode forms preheated combustion air by directing the combustion air through a regenerative bed. A stream of the preheated combustion air is directed into the process chamber in a condition unmixed with fuel gas. The preheat mode also forms a fuel rich mixture of the fuel gas and unheated combustion air. The fuel rich mixture is directed into the process chamber adjacent to the stream of preheated combustion air.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2023Publication date: November 16, 2023Applicant: Fives North American Combustion, Inc.Inventors: Thomas F. Robertson, Mark Hannum
-
Patent number: 11668460Abstract: A method heats a furnace process chamber with the combustion of fuel gas. The method heats the process chamber in a preheat mode when the temperature of the process chamber is below the autoignition temperature of the fuel gas. The preheat mode forms preheated combustion air by directing the combustion air through a regenerative bed. A stream of the preheated combustion air is directed into the process chamber in a condition unmixed with fuel gas. The preheat mode also forms a fuel rich mixture of the fuel gas and unheated combustion air. The fuel rich mixture is directed into the process chamber adjacent to the stream of preheated combustion air.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: FIVES NORTH AMERICAN COMBUSTION, INC.Inventors: Thomas F. Robertson, Mark Hannum
-
Publication number: 20220373261Abstract: A furnace has a melting chamber with a periphery defined by a surrounding wall structure. The furnace is provided with a purge system configured to direct inert gas to flow downward in the melting chamber in the configuration of a curtain that adjoins the wall structure and reaches only partially around the periphery of the melting chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2021Publication date: November 24, 2022Applicant: Fives North American Combustion, Inc.Inventors: Thomas F. Robertson, Douglas A. Clauss
-
Publication number: 20220205635Abstract: A method includes firing a first burner into a furnace process chamber in a first initial condition, firing a second burner into the process chamber in a second initial condition, and measuring temperature at each of an array of locations in the process chamber. The first burner is adjusted to a first adjusted condition while the second burner is being fired at the second initial condition, and a resulting first temperature change is measured at each of the locations. The second burner is adjusted to a second adjusted condition while the first burner is being fired at the first initial condition, and a resulting second temperature change is measured at each of the locations. The measured first and second temperature changes are recorded as reference data for adjusting burner conditions to adjust temperatures at each of the locations. The method can thus be used to improve temperature uniformity throughout the array of locations.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2020Publication date: June 30, 2022Applicant: Fives North American Combustion, Inc.Inventors: Thomas F. Robertson, Benjamin M. Witoff, Justin R. Dzik
-
Publication number: 20220196238Abstract: A method heats a furnace process chamber with the combustion of fuel gas. The method heats the process chamber in a preheat mode when the temperature of the process chamber is below the autoignition temperature of the fuel gas. The preheat mode forms preheated combustion air by directing the combustion air through a regenerative bed. A stream of the preheated combustion air is directed into the process chamber in a condition unmixed with fuel gas. The preheat mode also forms a fuel rich mixture of the fuel gas and unheated combustion air. The fuel rich mixture is directed into the process chamber adjacent to the stream of preheated combustion air.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2021Publication date: June 23, 2022Applicant: Fives North American Combustion, Inc.Inventors: Thomas F. Robertson, Mark Hannum
-
Patent number: 10344971Abstract: Air and fuel are directed from a burner outlet into a furnace process chamber in streams concentric on an axis, including an annular peripheral stream that includes fuel gas and adjoins products of combustion in the process chamber.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2016Date of Patent: July 9, 2019Assignee: Fives North American Combustion, Inc.Inventors: Todd A. Miller, Thomas F. Robertson
-
Publication number: 20190162473Abstract: A radiant heating panel has an inner side surface configured to face into a combustion chamber and an outer side surface configured to face oppositely away from the combustion chamber. The panel has interconnected sections formed of ceramic material. The panel sections are elongated with adjacent longitudinal edge portions, and are joined and sealed together along the adjacent longitudinal edge portions. The outer side surface of the panel has a contour that undulates laterally across the panel sections.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2017Publication date: May 30, 2019Applicant: Fives North American Combustion, Inc.Inventors: Douglas A. Clauss, Thomas F. Robertson
-
Patent number: 10281140Abstract: A steam generator system employing a fired burner with a flue gas recirculation system with low NOx emission is disclosed. A method to retrofit fired burners for low NOx emission is also disclosed. In the system, the flue gas recirculation system is configured to include a pre-mixer, and the recirculated flue gas (RFG) is routed to the stage of the pre-mixer for mixing with a portion of the fuel stream, forming a secondary RFG fuel mixture. The secondary RFG fuel mixture is routed to the secondary stage of the burner via a plurality of injector ports. The injection of the second RFG fuel mixture results in a reduction of temperature for the NOx emission to be less than 5 ppm at 3% O2, dry basis.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2015Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.Inventors: Thomas F. Robertson, John J. Nowakowski, Mark C. Hannum, Stein J. Storslett
-
Patent number: 10215408Abstract: A method directs fuel-oxidant premix into a reaction zone through a first total premix inlet flow area, and causes the premix to combust and form a stable flame projecting into a process chamber through an outlet from the reaction zone. At a time when the process chamber has a temperature at or above an auto-ignition temperature of the fuel, the flame is blown off to initiate diffuse combustion in the process chamber without a stable flame. The flame is blown off by directing the premix into the reaction zone through a second total premix inlet flow area greater than the first total premix inlet flow area.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2015Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignee: Fives North American Combustion, Inc.Inventor: Thomas F. Robertson
-
Patent number: 10145557Abstract: A method supplies reactants, including fuel gas, to burners that discharge the reactants into a furnace process chamber. In a stable flame mode of operation, stable flames are projected from the burners into the furnace process chamber. At a time when the furnace process chamber has a temperature at or above an autoignition temperature of the fuel gas, a diffuse combustion mode is initiated by supplying a selected burner with additional reactants, including reactants diverted from another burner, to blow off the stable flame at the selected burner.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2016Date of Patent: December 4, 2018Assignee: Fives North American Combustion, Inc.Inventors: John N. Newby, Thomas F. Robertson, Bruce E. Cain
-
Patent number: 9909755Abstract: A low NOx combustion method includes steps of injecting reactants into a combustion chamber. A primary reactant stream, including fuel and combustion air premix, is injected from a premix burner port into the combustion chamber. A staged fuel stream is injected into the combustion chamber from a staged fuel injector port adjacent to the premix burner port. A stream of recirculated flue gas is injected into the combustion chamber from a flue gas injector port that is adjacent to the premix burner port and adjacent to the staged fuel injector port. In this manner, the stream of recirculated flue gas is injected into the combustion chamber unmixed with the primary reactant stream and unmixed with the staged fuel stream.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: March 6, 2018Assignee: Fives North American Combustion, Inc.Inventors: Thomas F. Robertson, Bruce E. Cain, John J. Nowakowski, Mark C. Hannum
-
Publication number: 20170356645Abstract: Air and fuel are directed from a burner outlet into a furnace process chamber in streams concentric on an axis, including an annular peripheral stream that includes fuel gas and adjoins products of combustion in the process chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 13, 2016Publication date: December 14, 2017Applicant: Fives North American Combustion, Inc.Inventors: Todd A. Miller, Thomas F. Robertson
-
Publication number: 20170167725Abstract: A method directs fuel-oxidant premix into a reaction zone through a first total premix inlet flow area, and causes the premix to combust and form a stable flame projecting into a process chamber through an outlet from the reaction zone. At a time when the process chamber has a temperature at or above an auto-ignition temperature of the fuel, the flame is blown off to initiate diffuse combustion in the process chamber without a stable flame. The flame is blown off by directing the premix into the reaction zone through a second total premix inlet flow area greater than the first total premix inlet flow area.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2015Publication date: June 15, 2017Applicant: Fives North American Combustion, Inc.Inventor: Thomas F. Robertson
-
Patent number: 9541280Abstract: A steam generator has a heat exchange chamber with an upstream end and a downstream end. The steam generator further has a burner that injects primary reactants, including fuel and combustion air, into the chamber at the upstream end. A first branch of a once-through water line is located within the chamber downstream of the burner. A second branch of the once-through water line is connected in parallel with the first branch, and is located within the chamber downstream of the first branch. A fuel injector is arranged to inject staged fuel into the chamber at a staged location downstream of the first branch of the once-through water line.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2014Date of Patent: January 10, 2017Assignee: FIVES NORTH AMERICAN COMBUSTION, INC.Inventor: Thomas F. Robertson
-
Publication number: 20160305661Abstract: A method supplies reactants, including fuel gas, to burners that discharge the reactants into a furnace process chamber. In a stable flame mode of operation, stable flames are projected from the burners into the furnace process chamber. At a time when the furnace process chamber has a temperature at or above an autoignition temperature of the fuel gas, a diffuse combustion mode is initiated by supplying a selected burner with additional reactants, including reactants diverted from another burner, to blow off the stable flame at the selected burner.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2016Publication date: October 20, 2016Applicant: Fives North American Combustion, Inc.Inventors: John N. Newby, Thomas F. Robertson, Bruce E. Cain
-
Publication number: 20160018102Abstract: A steam generator system employing a fired burner with a flue gas recirculation system with low NOx emission is disclosed. A method to retrofit fired burners for low NOx emission is also disclosed. In the system, the flue gas recirculation system is configured to include a pre-mixer, and the recirculated flue gas (RFG) is routed to the stage of the pre-mixer for mixing with a portion of the fuel stream, forming a secondary RFG fuel mixture. The secondary RFG fuel mixture is routed to the secondary stage of the burner via a plurality of injector ports. The injection of the second RFG fuel mixture results in a reduction of temperature for the NOx emission to be less than 5 ppm at 3% O2, dry basis.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2015Publication date: January 21, 2016Inventors: Thomas F. Robertson, John J. Nowakowski, Mark C. Hannum, Stein J. Storslett
-
Publication number: 20150354807Abstract: A steam generator has a heat exchange chamber with an upstream end and a downstream end. The steam generator further has a burner that injects primary reactants, including fuel and combustion air, into the chamber at the upstream end. A first branch of a once-through water line is located within the chamber downstream of the burner. A second branch of the once-through water line is connected in parallel with the first branch, and is located within the chamber downstream of the first branch. A fuel injector is arranged to inject staged fuel into the chamber at a staged location downstream of the first branch of the once-through water line.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2014Publication date: December 10, 2015Applicant: FIVES NORTH AMERICAN COMBUSTION, INC.Inventor: Thomas F. Robertson