Patents by Inventor Walter L. Brassert

Walter L. Brassert 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: 5836713
    Abstract: An involute spline connection including a male spline having an end, an axis, and a first involute defining peaks and valleys; a follower member; a female involute having a second involute defining second peaks and valleys and a locking member having a locking member involute defining locking member peaks and valleys, and a cam groove along the exterior of the locking member; the follower adapted to engage the cam groove so that when the hub is moved axially the locking member to be repositioned to a locked position so that each of the locking member peaks is adjacent a first valley, and an unlocked position where the first and locking peaks are aligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company
    Inventors: Walter L. Brassert, Paul N. Dahlstrand
  • Patent number: 5509315
    Abstract: The invention is an in-line torque meter for use with an absorption dynamometer in which the twist of a rotating shaft that transmits torque from an engine to an air dynamometer is measured by a single sensor on the adjacent stationary structure. The torque shaft is supported at the dynamometer end by a splined attachment to the shaft of the dynamometer and at the engine end in a pair of preloaded angular contact ball bearings. Torque from the engine causes the shaft to twist. Attached to and rotating with the shaft are two sleeves with projecting teeth, one sleeve attached at each end of the torque shaft. The projecting teeth are interleaved and are located so that both sets of teeth can be sensed by an adjacent single sensor. When the shaft is twisted by the applied torque, the teeth on the two sleeves are angularly displaced with respect to each other. This angular displacement is measured as a phase shift in the signal generated by the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1996
    Assignee: Northern Research & Engineering Corporation
    Inventors: Walter L. Brassert, Paul N. Dahlstrand
  • Patent number: 5426986
    Abstract: The invention is an in-line torque meter for use with an absorption dynamometer in which the twist of a rotating shaft that transmits torque from an engine to an air dynamometer is measured by a single sensor on the adjacent stationary structure. The torque shaft is supported at the dynamometer end by a splined attachment to the shaft of the dynamometer and at the engine end in a pair of preloaded angular contact ball bearings. Torque from the engine causes the shaft to twist. Attached to and rotating with the shaft are two sleeves with projecting teeth, one sleeve attached at each end of the torque shaft. The projecting teeth are interleaved and are located so that both sets of teeth can be sensed by an adjacent single sensor. When the shaft is twisted by the applied torque, the teeth on the two sleeves are angularly displaced with respect to each other. This angular displacement is measured as a phase shift in the signal generated by the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Assignee: Northern Research & Engineering Corporation
    Inventors: Walter L. Brassert, Paul N. Dahlstrand
  • Patent number: 5345827
    Abstract: The invention is an in-line torque meter for use with an absorption dynamometer in which the twist of a rotating shaft that transmits torque from an engine to an air dynamometer is measured by a single sensor on the adjacent stationary structure. The torque shaft is supported at the dynamometer end by a splined attachment to the shaft of the dynamometer and at the engine end in a pair of preloaded angular contact ball bearings. Torque from the engine causes the shaft to twist. Attached to and rotating with the shaft are two sleeves with projecting teeth, one sleeve attached at each end of the torque shaft. The projecting teeth are interleaved and are located so that both sets of teeth can be sensed by an adjacent single sensor. When the shaft is twisted by the applied torque, the teeth on the two sleeves are angularly displaced with respect to each other. This angular displacement is measured as a phase shift in the signal generated by the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1994
    Assignee: Northern Research & Engineering Corporation
    Inventors: Walter L. Brassert, Paul N. Dahlstrand
  • Patent number: 5189844
    Abstract: A compressed air driven hand-held tool including a body adapted to be grasped by the hand, an air inlet adapted to be connected to an air supply hose, an air motor driving an output shaft carrying a work implement, and a throttle valve controlling the supply of air to the motor. A spring acts on a valve piston to urge the throttle valve to a closed position. The piston is acted on by air pressure to allow the throttle valve to open. A control chamber in the tool body receives air pressure from the air supply through a restricting orifice at a controlled rate, has an air outlet adapted to closed by the hand of the operator when grasping the tool body and is connected to the air pressure side of the valve piston. When uncovered, the air outlet exhausts the air in the control chamber at a rate to maintain the pressure in the control chamber at an atmospheric level. When covered by the operator's hand, the air pressure in the control chamber rises and acts on the valve piston to open the throttle valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1993
    Assignee: Northern Research & Engineering Corp.
    Inventors: Michael C. Swarden, Walter L. Brassert
  • Patent number: 4986479
    Abstract: A fluid jet shredder apparatus includes a conveyor for conveying a stream of material to be shredded. The conveyor has openings formed therein. A shredding station in position adjacent the conveyor and includes a fluid jet cutting nozzle directing a high pressure jet of fluid onto the stream of material. As a result, portions of the material are separated from the stream of material. The separated portions of material pass through the openings in the conveyor. A subsequent shredding station can be positioned downstream of the initial shredding station for directing a second and higher pressure jet of fluid onto the stream of material. The subsequent shredding station can therefore shred material which the initial, relatively lower pressure fluid jet failed to shred from the stream. Sequential shredding stations of incrementally increased pressure can progressively shred material of increased hardness from the stream. The fluid jets can selectively include an abrasive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 22, 1991
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company
    Inventors: Michael C. Swarden, Henry B. Faulkner, Walter L. Brassert, James E. Stoudt
  • Patent number: 4744724
    Abstract: In the embodiment depicted, the dynamometer is of an absorption type, for fluid, having fluid entries on both axial ends thereof, and a rotor having blades disposed, in a radial exit flow path, in parallel with the rotor axis. Adjustable, annular, blade shrouds, controlled simultaneously, expose more or less of the blade lengths to the radial exit fluid flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1988
    Assignee: Northern Research and Engineering Corp.
    Inventors: Walter L. Brassert, Pat A. Capone, Anthony F. Carter, Arnold M. Heitmann, Willem Jansen, Robert M. Sexton, Salaiyur N. Thirumalaisamy
  • Patent number: 4718702
    Abstract: The coupling comprises a sleeve which receives a pair of tubular elements thereabout. One of the elements is pinned to the sleeve, and the other has a restricted, axially-movable relationship with the sleeve. Terminal ends of the tubular elements are spaced apart, in a mutually confronting relationship, and have mounted thereto circular and resilient webs or discs. The peripheries of the discs are fastened together, and the discs resiliently flex to accommodate for expansion and contraction of the tubular elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1988
    Assignee: Northern Research & Engineering Company
    Inventors: Calvin Rushforth, Walter L. Brassert
  • Patent number: 4717075
    Abstract: A depicted embodiment of the apparatus comprises a housing having a chamber therewithin and a pair of ports opening into the chamber. One port admits an energized gas, and the other admits a particulate powder, into the chamber. Tubes conduct the powder through the chamber, isolated from the energized gas, to exit ends of the tubes which have convergent/divergent ejector nozzles circumjacent thereto. The ejector nozzles discharge the gas therethrough in fine streams, to draw powder from the tube exit ends for conveyance with the gas streams, and direct the streams of gas and powder to adjacent and collinear diffusers for dispersion of the gas-borne powder from the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1988
    Assignee: Northern Research & Engineering Corp.
    Inventors: Anthony F. Carter, Calvin Rushforth, Walter L. Brassert, Arnold M. Heitmann
  • Patent number: 4697520
    Abstract: The invention is a smoke generator which atomizes fog oil by means of a slinger disc affixed to, and rotating with, a turbine wheel. The atomized fog oil mixes with, and is evaporated by, the hot, turbine exhaust gas. Upon leaving the generator, the evaporated fog oil recondenses into a smoke cloud. The smoke cloud generated is to provide a visual screen on a battlefield for concealing the whereabouts of troops and equipment from observance by an enemy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1987
    Assignee: Northern Research & Engineering Corp.
    Inventors: Walter L. Brassert, Arnold M. Heitmann
  • Patent number: 4040251
    Abstract: A gas turbine has a combustion chamber of toroidal configuration that includes separation structure dividing the combustion chamber into an annular primary zone and an annular dilution zone. Injection of compressor discharge air into the primary zone sets up a toroidal recirculation pattern of generally circular cross-sectional configuration. Fuel slinger structure at the inner periphery of the primary zone has a generally cylindrical surface for receiving and distributing fuel in a thin sheet for discharge in a radially outward direction as minute droplets towards the center of the toroidal recirculation pattern. The radial flow of the fuel droplets interacts with said toroidal recirculation pattern and provides intimate mixing of fuel and air, and resulting efficient combustion within said primary zone. The resulting combustion product flows from the primary zone past the separation structure into the dilution zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1977
    Assignee: Northern Research and Engineering Corporation
    Inventors: Arnold M. Heitmann, Walter L. Brassert, Donald N. Chouinard
  • Patent number: 4038815
    Abstract: A gas turbine includes a rotatable unit having a compression component and an expansion component, and a toroidal combustion chamber between the compression and expansion components. The gas turbine has a gas flow path serially through the compression component, the combustion chamber and the expansion component. A first bearing assembly is positioned on the side of the compression component remote from the combustion chamber and a second bearing assembly is positioned on the side of the expansion component remote from the combustion chamber so that the rotatable unit is unsupported between the compression and expansion components and no bearing structures are in the vicinity of the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1975
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1977
    Assignee: Northern Research and Engineering Corporation
    Inventors: Arnold M. Heitmann, Walter L. Brassert, Donald B. Chouinard