Patents by Inventor Wallace I. Stenzel

Wallace I. Stenzel 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: 4774676
    Abstract: A linear digital flow meter includes a float in a passageway as is located positioned with the rate of flow. A sight glass tube is secured to the end of the unit and a rod connects the float to a tube. A generally H-shaped housing has the tube located in an opening in the cross bar with a light chamber to one side and a detector chamber to the opposite. A bank of LEDs in the light chamber is aligned with a transmitting slot and a bank of phototransistors is aligned with a receiving slot in the detector chamber. A shadow mask between the phototransistors and the slot concentrate the light so the phototransistor receive light according to the length of rod in the sight glass. A bottom connector chamber is in the bottom of the housing with L-shaped passages to the light and detector chambers with the appropriate leads to the lamp and detector chambers. A multiplexer connects the phototransistors to a microprocessor which stores and processes the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1988
    Assignee: Waukee Engineering Company
    Inventors: Wallace I. Stenzel, Kenneth R. Payne
  • Patent number: 4550314
    Abstract: A gas flowmeter includes an oil-filled tube coupled to the gas flow line and a float lifted by gas flow. An LED lamp transmitter and a photoresistor receiver are coupled to a guard telescoped over the tube. The LED lamp has an integrated concentrating lens to define a concentrated sharp beam passing through a small barrel located in a guard slot for close coupling the light beam to the tube. The photoresistor receiver includes a similar barrel in an opposite slot in accurate alignment with the transmitter barrel. The receiver includes a photoresistor connected in a dividing network to define an input node to a regenerative "Schmitt" switch which actuates a solid state control relay to indicate a limit position of the float. A mounting plate has a correspondingly mounted light transmitter housing and photoresistor housing. The housings are formed from the same casting. The housings include similar integral clamping tongues located in slots on the opposite sides of the guard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1985
    Assignee: Waukee Engineering Company
    Inventors: Wallace I. Stenzel, Kenneth R. Payne
  • Patent number: 4287063
    Abstract: An improved apparatus for separating liquids and particularly separating oil from the surface of water contained in a tank. The apparatus includes a partially submerged drum mounted to rotate in the water tank and a film of oil and water is picked up on the surface of the rotating drum and removed by a doctor blade. The removed oil and water mixture flows through a trough and is discharged into the upper end portion of a vertical tube. The lower open end of the tube is located beneath the level of the water and the tube has an overflow outlet located at a higher level than the level of the water. The oil, having a lesser density than the water, will collect in the upper end in the tube and the level of oil will rise and is discharged through the overflow outlet, thereby providing a full separation of the oil from the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1981
    Assignee: Waukee Engineering Company Inc.
    Inventor: Wallace I. Stenzel
  • Patent number: 4015953
    Abstract: A firecheck to be connected to a combustible gas line and including a casing having a gas inlet, a gas outlet and an access opening. A cover plate removably encloses the access opening and a burner screen is located within the casing between the inlet and the outlet and is disposed in communication with the access opening. A control valve is disposed within the casing for controlling the flow of gas through the casing and is movable between an open position and a closed position. The valve is moved to the open position through a manually operated mechanism and is locked in the open position. On release of the locking mechanism the valve is biased to the closed position. Removal of the cover plate from the casing acts to release the locking mechanism to thereby enable the biasing means to move the valve to the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1975
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1977
    Assignee: Waukee Engineering Co.
    Inventors: Wallace I. Stenzel, Frederick W. Kufrin, Donald J. Allen