Patents by Inventor William R. Wolfe

William R. Wolfe 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: 20250057659
    Abstract: An instrument to insert a humeral anchor includes a handle including a shaft extending from a first end to a second end; a manual grip at the first end configured to rotate the shaft; and a humeral anchor grip at the second end, wherein the handle is configured to actuate the humeral anchor grip between a first configuration to apply a radially outward force to an interior surface of the humeral anchor and a second configuration to separate the humeral anchor grip from the interior surface of the humeral anchor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2024
    Publication date: February 20, 2025
    Applicant: HOWMEDICA OSTEONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Pierric DERANSART, Christopher K. BADE, William J. SLONE, Robert J. BALL, Gilles WALCH, Pascal BOILEAU, George S. ATHWAL, Jon JP WARNER, Robert Z. TASHJIAN, Jay D. KEENER, Shawn M. GARGAC, Austin Wyatt MUTCHLER, David R. STUMP, Alexander Paul WOLFE, Kevin P. KNOX
  • Patent number: 12202742
    Abstract: A water delivery control system operates to selectively deliver water from a water source to water use devices. The system includes at least one controller that wirelessly communicates messages with a portable user device. The system includes a water control valve and a motor that is operative to selectively move at least one valve element of the valve. A water meter is operative to measure water flow that corresponds to flow through the valve. The controller is operable to cause the valve to enable or prevent flow through the valve responsive at least in part to water flow data. The controller is operative to determine a water use condition responsive to a water usage pattern, and to cause at least one message to be sent to the portable user device responsive to the determined water use condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: CHANDLER SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: William D Chandler, Jr., Aaron R Wolfe, Cody A Harbaugh, Patrick Frazer
  • Patent number: 12202741
    Abstract: A water delivery control system operates to selectively deliver water from a water source to water use devices. The system includes at least one controller that wirelessly communicates messages with a portable user device. The system includes a water control valve and a motor that is operative to selectively move at least one valve element of the valve. A water meter is operative to measure water flow that corresponds to flow through the valve. The controller is operable to cause the valve to enable or prevent flow through the valve responsive at least in part to water flow data. The controller is operative to determine a water use condition responsive to a water usage pattern, and to cause at least one message to be sent to the portable user device responsive to the determined water use condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: CHANDLER SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: William D Chandler, Jr., Aaron R Wolfe, Cody A Harbaugh, Patrick Frazer
  • Patent number: 5678647
    Abstract: An apparatus for directly powering a unipolar electric motor with direct current (DC) power includes a control mechanism, and a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) having a fuel input and an oxidizer input. The control mechanism may control the fuel input and the oxidizer input. The fuel input may utilize a hydrocarbon fuel or, alternatively, an arbitrary mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The electric motor may have a field excitation current and the control mechanism may further control the field excitation current. Alternatively, an apparatus may power a vehicle, such as a ship or automobile, and may include an electric motor for powering the vehicle, a fuel cell for providing fuel cell power, a turbine-generator for providing turbine-generator power, and a control mechanism. The electric motor may include a motor power input. The fuel cell may include a fuel input, a fuel cell oxidizer input, a thermal exhaust output, and a fuel cell power output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
    Inventors: William R. Wolfe, Owen S. Taylor, Theodore R. Vasilow, Arthur L. Wolfe, Joseph F. Pierre, John W. Wiss
  • Patent number: 5532574
    Abstract: A protection circuit for a brushless excitation system is provided which directly monitors the output voltage of the diode bridge rectifier of the system. The protection circuit includes a reference signal generator subcircuit which provides a reference signal which tracks the dc output voltage of the diode bridge. The reference signal can vary as the system voltage is varied under certain circumstances. The protection circuit also provides for the calculation of a predetermined percentage of the reference signal voltage to create a tolerance band for testing the actual output voltage of the diode bridge rectifier. The percentage represents an acceptable limit of the ratio of a peak-to-peak ripple of the reference signal to the dc voltage of the reference signal. Using the reference signal and the percentage value to create a tolerance band, a comparator is used to test the actual output voltage of the diode bridge to determine if the output voltage is within the tolerance band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
    Inventors: William R. Wolfe, Raymond M. Calfo
  • Patent number: 5375101
    Abstract: A sonar transmitter includes a source means for providing an actuation signal to drive an electromagnetic transducer projector without the use of bias magnetization. The invention utilizes an offset actuation frequency technique in which electrical driving signals are applied which have a frequency or frequencies other than the desired frequency of the acoustic signal projected into a liquid medium. In presently preferred embodiments, one or two driving signals may be utilized. If one driving signal is utilized, the acoustic signal will be at twice the driving signal frequency. If two driving signals are utilized, the acoustic signal will be at the sum or difference frequency of the driving signal frequency. The actuation signal is applied to coils of the transducer's electromagnets to produce an electromagnetic attractive force having a significant component at the desired frequency of the acoustic signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
    Inventors: William R. Wolfe, Thomas Kupiszewski
  • Patent number: 5179342
    Abstract: In a method and apparatus for detecting and locating a quench zone in a superconducting coil, a sensor is positioned adjacent to and in heat transfer communication with the entire length of the superconducting coil. When a portion of the superconducting coil becomes normal, the adjacent portion of the sensor becomes resistive. A series of electrical pulses sent along the sensor are reflected back by the discontinuity in impedance which occurs at such a normal zone. The reflected pulses and echo pulses produced by various terminations on the sensor are detected by an associated receiver and processor which calculates the location of the resistive zone along the sensor and the corresponding quench zone along the superconducting coil using information derived from the pulses. A second embodiment provides two sensors which are adjacent to and in heat transfer communication with the coil which are pulsed from opposite ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1993
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: William R. Wolfe, James R. Logan, Eric P. Shook
  • Patent number: 4989989
    Abstract: The present invention provides a hydraulic sensor for quench detection and location in a superconductor, and particularly a superconductor used to form an inductor or a magnet. The sensor consists of an insulating tube (1) adjacent to and preferably co-wound with the super conductor (2) and filled with a supercooled working fluid (3). When joule heating occurs in the superconducting conductor as a result of a portion of it becoming normal, the heat is transferred directly to the corresponding portion of the adjacent tube (1). This heat causes the vapor pressure of the working fluid (3) at that point in the tube to change. This change in pressure propagates in both directions at the speed of sound in the working fluid. By detecting with sensors (6,7) when a change in pressure arrives at the ends (5,6) of the tube (1) and calculating the difference between the arrival times, not only can a quench be detected, but the exact location of the quench initiation region can be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 5, 1991
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: William R. Wolfe, James R. Logan
  • Patent number: 4876625
    Abstract: A composite circuit breaker includes a plurality of circuit breaker modules inserted in paralleled branches of the main conductor. The branch phase currents associated with each breaker module and a signal representative of the total currents in the main conductor are auctioneered to select the largest of the current for application to the trip circuit of the breaker to provide protection for the individual breakers against current hogging while composite protection is provided for the load/source. The signal representative of each phase of the total current is generated by a primary current transformer which feeds series connected auxiliary current transformers each of which is associated with one of the individual breakers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1989
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: William R. Wolfe
  • Patent number: 4713642
    Abstract: A face connected instrument transformer is disclosed having a plurality of transformation ratios comprised of two primary windings and a single secondary winding. Each primary winding is electrically connected to a pair of terminals disposed adjacent to opposite faces of the transformer housing for engaging contacts within a molded case circuit breaker housing. The transformation ratio of the instrument transformer is changed by removing the instrument transformer from the circuit breaker housing and inserting the opposite face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: William R. Wolfe, David Marschik
  • Patent number: 4704546
    Abstract: An auctioneering circuit is provided which utilizes voltage signals that are representative of current signals passing through secondary windings of current transformers. A voltage signal is provided which is representative of the current passing through two or more current transformers. This voltage signal is passed alternatively through a resistive path or an inverting amplifier. Negative portions of the voltage signal are passed through an inverting amplifier to provide a positive signal to the non-inverting input of an operational amplifier. This non-inverting input of the operational amplifier is also connected through a resistive path to the source of the originating volt signal. The input signals to the operational amplifier represent a full wave rectified signal. Three such circuits are connected together at a common connection point and the common connection point is connected to ground through a load resistor across which the maximum of two or more voltage signals can be measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: George T. Mallick, Jr., William R. Wolfe, Edward L. Cumberledge
  • Patent number: 4549921
    Abstract: Surface treated oriented fluorocarbon films can be laminated to substrates using an adhesive composition of a selected copolymer of vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene and a selected diisocyanate curing agent in an organic solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1985
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventor: William R. Wolfe, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4518651
    Abstract: A flexible composite material is disclosed which exhibits a controlled absorption of microwave energy based on presence of particulate carbon in a polymeric matrix bound to a porous substrate. The material is used in packages for microwave cooking. A process for making the material is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1985
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventor: William R. Wolfe, Jr.
  • Patent number: H688
    Abstract: An improved process for surface modification of polyethylene terephthalate film is provided, involving corona discharge treatment of the film in an atmosphere of nitrogen containing up to about 350 ppm oxygen, and optionally a small amount of acetone vapor. Films so treated exhibit improved surface properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1989
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Warren S. Sobataka, William R. Wolfe, Jr.