Inverted "u" Passage Patents (Class 137/591)
  • Patent number: 8714182
    Abstract: Disclosed is a valve for use in in-floor pool cleaning systems. The valve has a housing with an inlet port, an internal cavity and multiple outlet ports. A drive source, which can be an impeller positioned in the cavity and in fluid communication with the inlet port, is directly or indirectly (such as by a gear assembly) connected to a fluid control plate that has one or more apertures. As fluid enters the cavity through the inlet port the drive rotates the fluid control plate. As the plate rotates the aperture(s) rotate to allow the fluid to pass through the aperture(s) and into the respective outlet ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Blue Square Manufacturing, LLC
    Inventor: Paul Gerald Malinasky, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7546850
    Abstract: A vented water storage system (16) is disclosed. A vent (62) is disposed within an elbow (38). A riser pipe (26) extends from the elbow (38) to a containment (18) having water (22) stored therein. The vent (62) includes an open end (66) that fluidly communicates with the riser pipe (26), and a closed end (70) that is located between a distally located open end (42) of the elbow (38) and the open end (66) of the vent (62). An access port (74) is included on a sidewall (64) of the vent (62) at a location within the elbow (38) that reduces the potential for being able to introduce a liquid into the open end (42) of the elbow (38) in a manner such that this liquid will reach the containment (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Pre-Vent Industries, LLC
    Inventor: Donald J. Pesek
  • Patent number: 7526923
    Abstract: A device for condensing volatile organic compounds (VOC) from a storage or transport tank (4) into oil from the same or another storage or transport tank (4) via a downcomer (6), where the upper part (8) of the downcomer (6), which upper part has a cross sectional area that is essentially unreduced, is connected to a gas pipe (14), the gas pipe (14) communicating with the upper part (16) of the storage or transport tank (4), and where the upper part (8) of the downcomer (6) is arranged at a sufficient height above the upper part (16) of the storage or transport tank (4) to cause an inflow of gas from the upper part (16) of the storage or transport tank (4) due to the underpressure created in the upper part (8) of the downcomer (6) when oil flows down through the downcomer (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Knutsen OAS Shipping AS
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Patent number: 7275697
    Abstract: A valve comprises a housing, a movable check mechanism that is suitable for regulating passage of a fluid between an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice of the housing, a stationary seat for receiving the check mechanism, and a thermostatic element that is provided with a body, which contains an expandable material, and a movable piston, with this body being stationary relative to the housing. In order to prevent excessive pressure from being generated in the valve, on a side of the check mechanism where the thermostatic element is arranged, the check mechanism and the piston are connected by a part that is integral with the valve and delimits a blind recess for receiving the piston, with a base of the recess forming a stop for the piston when a difference in pressure on either side of the check mechanism is less than a predetermined value, while a wall of the recess forms a surface for sliding contact with the piston when this difference in pressure is greater than this predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Vernet S.A.
    Inventors: Jean-Michel Roman, Lionel Mabboux
  • Patent number: 6510819
    Abstract: A baffle for slowing the incoming water flow into a booster heating tank so that the turbulence in the water tank is minimized. The baffle consists of an inner cap and outer cap which are positioned over the inlet to a water heating tank. The outer cap is spaced apart from the inner cap such that the incoming water flows through openings in the inner cap and is directed to the underside of the outer cap. The water, having been sufficiently slowed by the contact with the underside of the outer cap, then smoothly flows downward along the outer cap flange and into the main plenum of the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: Premark FEG L.L.C.
    Inventors: F. Martin Pollock, Joyce A. Ahrens
  • Patent number: 6216720
    Abstract: A siphon adapter is disclosed. The siphon adapter is comprised of a pipe configured so that one end of the pipe fits inside of a container through the opening and is in very close proximity with the lowest portion of container. The other end of the pipe is outside the container and connected to a shut-off device. It is lower than the first end so that after liquid starts to flow out of the container through the pipe and the shut-off device, the pipe forms a siphon and the liquid continues to flow out of the container even after the level of the liquid is below the opening until substantially all of the liquid has flowed out of the container or the shut-off device is turned off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: New Pig Corporation
    Inventors: Raymond Douglas Evans, Jr., Matthew James Huff
  • Patent number: 6056886
    Abstract: A system for controlling a flow of water out of a container in a manner to prevent the generation of noise as an incident to the outflow and to permit adjustment of the water level in the container, the container being a component of apparatus for maintaining water at a desired level in an enclosure. The system basically includes: an outflow conduit defining an outlet flow path via which water flows downwardly out of the container, the conduit having an upper end located within the container and having an inlet opening; a cap overlying the inlet opening and defining with the conduit upper end an annular flow path via which water flows to the inlet opening; and a vent tube extending vertically downwardly through the cap and into the conduit to establish an air flow path between a region above water in the container and a region within the conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: Aquaria, Inc.
    Inventors: Roy S. Hickok, Jr., Roger W. McGrath
  • Patent number: 5630445
    Abstract: A fuel tank for an automotive vehicle has a tank body for storing fuel. A filler pipe is connected to the tank body. A fuel outlet port device is located within the tank body and connected to an end of the filler pipe. The fuel outlet port device has an outwardly facing fuel outlet opening from which fuel supplied through the filler pipe flows out into the body, and a fuel trap for storing part of the fuel supplied through the filler pipe to thereby prevent evaporative fuel generated within the tank body from flowing into the filler pipe. An evaporative emission control system is also provided, which incorporates the fuel tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1997
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaaki Horiuchi, Takeaki Nakajima, Koichi Hidano, Kazumi Yamazaki, Teruo Wakashiro
  • Patent number: 5582438
    Abstract: A lateral connector for a tube assembly has a modular unit which can be used to establish a lateral connection through the sidewall of a tubular member positioned around it. The modular unit has a carrier ring, a coupling element, and a carrier body. The coupling element can move radially but not axially. The carrier ring has generally cylindrical inside and outside surfaces. The coupling element is carried by the carrier ring. The coupling element has a longitudinal axis which is generally radially positioned with respect to the longitudinal axis of the carrier ring. The coupling element has an inner end and an outer end and the outer end has a sealing face. A carrier body having a generally cylindrical outside surface is positioned coaxially inside the carrier ring. The cylindrical outside surface of the carrier body is adjacent to the cylindrical inside surface of the carrier ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Inventors: Robert L. Wilkins, Steven D. Gullion, Charles E. Jones
  • Patent number: 5310252
    Abstract: A vehicle braking system is characterized by being constructed for self-purging and removal of air from the brake lines to thereby prevent the accumulation of air therein so as to provide a more effective braking system. The braking system has a master cylinder including a fluid reservoir for supplying brake fluid to the braking system and a hydraulically controlled disk brake having a caliper including a plurality of cylinders arranged in the caliper and a plurality of respective hydraulically actuable brake pistons guided in the cylinders. An inlet brake line interconnects the master cylinder and the caliper for supplying brake fluid to the caliper and an outlet brake line also interconnects the master cylinder and the caliper for receiving brake fluid from the caliper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1994
    Assignee: Stewart Components
    Inventor: Howard C. Stewart, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4781210
    Abstract: A replacement inlet valve assembly for use in a toilet tank now having an inlet valve with a water inlet on the side. This invention has a ballcock-operated inlet flush valve with a bottom inlet and a generally S-shaped inlet conduit rigidly attached to the inlet valve so that they can be handled as a unit. The inlet conduit has a first vertical leg offset laterally from the valve and adapted to extend up through a chamber separate from the toilet tank's water chamber, a second vertical leg extending down from the bottom inlet on the valve, and a serpentine segment extending from the upper end of the first vertical leg to the lower end of the second vertical leg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Inventor: James E. Leonard
  • Patent number: RE40307
    Abstract: A baffle for slowing the incoming water flow into a booster heating tank so that the turbulence in the water tank is minimized. The baffle consists of an inner cap and outer cap which are positioned over the inlet to a water heating tank. The outer cap is spaced apart from the inner cap such that the incoming water flows through openings in the inner cap and is directed to the underside of the outer cap. The water, having been sufficiently slowed by the contact with the underside of the outer cap, then smoothly flows downward along the outer cap flange and into the main plenum of the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Premark FEG L.L.C.
    Inventors: F. Martin Pollock, Joyce A. Ahrens