Patents by Inventor William L. Herron

William L. Herron 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: 20090033037
    Abstract: A seal assembly comprising a first movable stator member movable between a sealing position and a non-sealing position, a second fixed stator member, the first stator member being movable relative to the second stator member, the seal assembly further comprising at least one flexure member coupled to the second stator member, and at least one biasing member coupled between the at least one flexure and the movable stator for biasing the movable stator to a non-sealing position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventors: Kripa K. Varanasi, Joseph C. Albers, William L. Herron, Peter Crudgington
  • Publication number: 20080018054
    Abstract: A seal body includes an annular, axially extending portion; a radially extending portion defining a primary seating surface, and cooperating with the axially extending portion to define a generally L-shaped cross section; and at least one annular axially-extending seal tooth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2006
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: William L. Herron, Joseph C. Albers, Christopher C. Glynn, Peter Crudgington
  • Patent number: 6634685
    Abstract: An electronically-operable door strike employing a guard clip for deterring picking of the locking mechanism therein, a springless solenoid designed to avoid the undesirable build-up of residual magnetism and which incorporates air gaps for dissipating heat, thus prolonging the useful life of the solenoid, and a face plate for mounting the strike into a door jamb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Trine Access Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: William L. Herron, Wolfgang Jaffe, Gary Ferguson, Carlo Frussinetty
  • Publication number: 20030127869
    Abstract: An electronically-operable door strike employing a guard clip for deterring picking of the locking mechanism therein, a springless solenoid designed to avoid the undesirable build-up of residual magnetism and which incorporates air gaps for dissipating heat, thus prolonging the useful life of the solenoid, and a face plate for mounting the strike into a door jamb.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Publication date: July 10, 2003
    Inventors: William L. Herron, Wolfgang Jaffe, Gary Ferguson, Carlo Frussinetty
  • Patent number: 6572337
    Abstract: An axial torque coupling between a pair of adjacent rotating machine wheels comprising a first wheel having a first plurality of axially extending knuckles, the first plurality of knuckles spaced circumferentially in an annular array with first slots therebetween, and a second wheel having a second plurality of axially extending knuckles, the second plurality of knuckles spaced circumferentially in an annular array with second slots therebetween; and wherein the first plurality of knuckles are received in the second slots and the second plurality of knuckles are received in the first slots, each of the first plurality of knuckles engaging an adjacent one of the second plurality of knuckles only on a single radial surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventor: William L. Herron
  • Patent number: 6343251
    Abstract: A system has been developed for collecting and analyzing data regarding the operation of gas turbines. The system provides reports of the operational hours of a gas turbine. The reports are useful in scheduling maintenance of gas turbines. The system includes a network of sensors monitoring the gas turbine and outputting operational data to a local computer system. A remote database server periodically collects data from several on-site systems for a plurality of gas turbines, and this data is analyzed using criteria that precisely define certain gas turbine operational events in terms that can be automatically applied to operational data collected from the gas turbines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William L. Herron, David R. Germain, Louis Andrew Schick
  • Patent number: 5938023
    Abstract: A tackle box for holding fishing gear. The tackle box includes a tackle box with separable lid and base portions pivotally coupled together at the back side of the tackle box. The top of the tackle box has a carrying handle pivotally coupled thereto. The top of the tackle box has a pair of generally circular depressions each designed for receiving a bottom of a beverage container therein. The top of the tackle box also has spaced apart first and second top clips upwardly extending therefrom for holding a flashlight to the top of the tackle box. The lid and base portions of the tackle box each have a pair of side clips on the front side of the tackle box designed for holding fishing rods to the front side of the tackle box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Inventors: Jerry E. Herron, William L. Herron
  • Patent number: 5392812
    Abstract: An offset hinge flapper valve has a single valve plate rotatably mounted in the flow channel of a cast housing. The valve plate is freely rotatable about a pivot pin welded to the housing. The valve plate has first and second co-planar parts extending on respective sides of its axis of rotation, which is offset from the center axis of the flow channel. These co-planar parts have peripheral edges configured so that the valve plate has the same shape as the shape of the flow channel taken along an oblique section of the cast housing. A brace having an abutment surface is mounted on the valve plate. When the valve plate rotates to a predetermined inclined angle relative to the flow, the brace contacts the housing, thereby blocking further rotation and preventing flutter or instability of the valve plate in the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: William L. Herron
  • Patent number: 5392202
    Abstract: An illuminated electrical push button switch has a pair of spring contacts secured in a plug-like body on either side of a miniature bulb. A flat top, metallic cup-shape, push button overlies the contacts, insulated therefrom by a sheet of electrical insulating material. The push button has a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially projecting fingers. A cylindrical shell with a radially inwardly directed flange fits over the plug-like body with a snug fit with the flange overlying the fingers of the push button to secure the push button to the body. A plurality of circumferentially spaced notches in the flange of the shell provide openings through which light emanating from the lamp can escape. The entire assembly has a low profile and is mounted by means of an adhesive. The assembly can be mounted directly on the building structure or it can be mounted with a decorative plate or the like interposed between the building and push button assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1995
    Assignee: Fred M. Schildwachter & Sons, Inc.
    Inventor: William L. Herron
  • Patent number: 5136240
    Abstract: A single piece urethane material bolt hole crack detection probe body includes a parallel slot divided head. The head structure permits radial contraction or compression of the head in a parallel manner for axially constant diameter reduction. The structure finds use as an automatically adjustable probe for varying bolt hole sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1992
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gerard W. Geier, William L. Herron, Charles M. Brouse, Sr.
  • Patent number: 5127691
    Abstract: An electrically operable strike with a pivotable keeper and a rectilinearly slidable locking member with planar major surfaces with arms extending parallel to the surface planes, which arms in one position of the locking member prevent pivoting of the keeper and which in a second, different position of the locking member, permit the keeper to pivot. The locking member has a magnetic portion and is moved from one position to the other by the magnetic field of an electrically energizable coil having its axis perpendicular to the plane of movement of the locking member. There are two similar locking members, and with one locking member, the strike is normally locked and by replacing such locking member by the other locking member, the strike is normally unlocked. In one embodiment, the keeper engages faces of the locking member arms and in another embodiment, the keeper engages faces at the ends of the locking member arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1992
    Assignee: Trine Products Corp.
    Inventors: William L. Herron, Wolfgang Jaffe
  • Patent number: 5036441
    Abstract: An illuminated electrical push button switch has a pair of spring contacts secured in a housing on either side of a miniature bulb. The contacts have inclined bifurcated ends that bear resiliently against the underside of the push button. Depressing the button causes the bifurcated contact ends to deform elastically and come together making electrical contact. The pigtail leads for the bulb are sandwiched between the contacts and a block portion of the housing, all being held in place by a screw that also functions as a binding post for the external wire connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1991
    Assignee: Trine Products Corp.
    Inventor: William L. Herron
  • Patent number: 4984835
    Abstract: An electrically operable strike with a pivotable keeper and a rectilinearly slidable locking member with arms which in one position of the locking member prevent pivoting of the keeper and which in a second, different position of the locking member, permit the keeper to pivot. The locking member has a magnetic portion and is moved from one position to the other by the magnetic field of a pair of electrically energizable coils. By selection of the spacing of the arms, the strike can be either normally locking or normally unlocking. Two locking members can be used to convert the strike from normally locking to normally unlocking or one locking member with adjustable or removable arms can be used for such conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1991
    Assignee: Trine Products Corp.
    Inventors: Joseph Vadacchino, William L. Herron
  • Patent number: 4527494
    Abstract: A mechanism for allowing adjustment of a cushion spring assembly to vary the distance between the wall of the bobbin case and the cushion spring in two directions. Means are incorporated to permit movement of the cushion spring assembly to facilitate removal of the bobbin case from the loop taker, without affecting the adjustment of the mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1985
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: William L. Herron, John D. Speckman
  • Patent number: 4260207
    Abstract: An open bottomed sewing machine cover is tapered and slabbed at one end and provided with novel and improved latch means for use with platform beds, bed frames or bottom bed covers that are indented on the bottom at the ends to accept the latches which of comprises latch levers suspended on leaf springs adjacent the bottom edges of the open bottom provided with inward facing paddles at their lower extremities adapted to be pulled outwardly while the case is lowered over the machine to rest on the table top or over the major portion of a similar case cover for stacking and nesting and after the cover is lowered over a machine as the latch lever is released, the paddles move inward into indents provided adjacent the bottom of the machine to extend beneath the machine to support the machine for carrying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1979
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1981
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: William L. Herron, Albert L. Newman
  • Patent number: 4249428
    Abstract: A cam follower including an arm pivotally movable about an axis which is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of an actuating cam is provided with a shoe that pivots on the arm to maintain line contact with the cam as the cam is rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1981
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: William L. Herron, Charles R. Odermann
  • Patent number: 4212257
    Abstract: A bobbin alarm for a sewing machine which utilizes a light source and a pair of light sensors to provide a warning of low bobbin thread remaining or of a full bobbin condition. The light sensors are arranged with respect to the light source so that one sensor lies substantially on a line from the light source tangent to the hub of the bobbin and the other sensor lies substantially on a line from the light source tangent to the periphery of an imaginary cylinder having the bobbin flanges as the ends thereof. A circuit is provided which is responsive to light stimulation of both sensors (empty bobbin condition) or no stimulation of both sensors (full bobbin condition) to provide a signal to an operator in the form of an illuminated LED.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1979
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1980
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: William L. Herron, Edward W. Rummel
  • Patent number: 4183313
    Abstract: A sewing machine cassette threading system in which the thread handling instrumentalities of a sewing machine are arranged to accept thread from either a cassette or a conventional thread spool with a minimum of operator intervention. The sewing machine has a chamber formed therein to accept the cassette. The sewing machine thread handling instrumentalities are threaded by inserting a cassette into a cover enclosing the chamber and closing the cover. Thread from a conventional spool carried on the sewing machine arm may be placed in the cover for insertion into the thread handling instrumentalities when the cover is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1980
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: Charles R. Odermann, William L. Herron
  • Patent number: 4161152
    Abstract: A threading device facilitating threading of a pretension device located on the rear surface of the bracket arm of a sewing machine. The threading device has a segment projecting beyond a rear corner of the arm to facilitate introduction of thread by an operator seated in front of the machine. An ear and fin member guide the thread from the point of thread introduction into engagement with the pretension device, and preclude the thread from becoming unthreaded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1978
    Date of Patent: July 17, 1979
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: William L. Herron
  • Patent number: D253346
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1979
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: Donald M. Genaro, Cristian J. Felix, William L. Herron, Kenneth D. Adams