Charles I Allison

US Patent:

50161970, May 14, 1991

Filed:

Jun 1, 1990

Appl. No.:

7/532359

Inventors:

Rodney H. Neumann - Houston TX
Charles B. Allison - Houston TX

Assignee:

MGM Services, Inc. - Houston TX

International Classification:

G06F 1546
B30B 1526

US Classification:

364550

Abstract:

An automated trash management system for remotely measuring the fullness of a plurality of trash containers is disclosed. Each container is provided with a remote sensing unit for generating a signal proportional to a characteristic of the container by which the extent of fullness of the container may be determined. A transmission linkage, typically a telephone line, is provided from each remote sensing unit to a central unit, where a data base of the signals transmitted from a particular trash container may be stored and analyzed. A hauler is called from the central unit location by a user after a determination from the data base that a particular trash container is in a condition of fullness warranting emptying. Several embodiments of the invention are disclosed in that for compactor equipped containers, the instantaneous pressure applied to the compression member of the compactor is monitored and processed either with limit switch data or without to determine a sequence of data signals indicative of the fullness of the container. In another pressure monitoring embodiment, the work of the compression member during a compaction stroke, is determined and analyzed as to the extent of fullness of the container.

US Patent:

57724032, Jun 30, 1998

Filed:

Mar 27, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/624891

Inventors:

Charles B. Allison - Houston TX
Christopher C. Ginn - Houston TX
I. Michael Ginn - Houston TX
Amos Pacht - Houston TX

Assignee:

Butterworth Jetting Systems, Inc. - Houston TX

International Classification:

F04B 4906

US Classification:

417 442

Abstract:

A control system 10 for monitoring operation of a high pressure plunger pump 12 includes a microprocessor-based controller 40 and a plurality of sensors. Inlet pressure transducers 48 output electrical signals to the controller at intervals of less than 1 millisecond, indicative of the instantaneous inlet pressure to the pump. The controller 40 shuts down pump operation if a number of instantaneous pressure signals within a selected time period exceeds a predetermined value, or if the average inlet pressure signal exceeds a preselected value. The control system 10 is substantially tamperproof, and stored data indicative of tampering, pump startup, pump shutdown, and pump alarm conditions are recorded in a memory for subsequent retrieval and analysis. The serial interface 82 allows communication between the system operating computer 68 and a setup/processing computer 84, which may optionally be remote from the control system by use of a modem.

US Patent:

51738660, Dec 22, 1992

Filed:

Jul 16, 1991

Appl. No.:

7/731301

Inventors:

Rodney H. Neumann - Houston TX
Charles B. Allison - Houston TX

Assignee:

MGM Services, Inc. - Houston TX

International Classification:

G06F 1546
B30B 1526

US Classification:

364550

Abstract:

An automated trash management system for remotely measuring the fullness of a plurality of trash containers is disclosed. Each container is provided with a remote sensing unit for generating a signal proportional to a characteristic of the container by which the extent of fullness of the container may be determined. A transmission linkage, typically a telephone line, is provided from each remote sensing unit to a central unit, where a data base of the signals transmitted from a particular trash container may be stored and analyzed. A hauler is called from the central unit location by a user after a determination from the data base that a particular trash container is in a condition of fullness warranting emptying. Several embodiments of the invention are disclosed in that for compactor equipped containers, the instantaneous pressure applied to the compression member of the compactor is monitored and processed either with limit switch data or without to determine a sequence of data signals indicative of the fullness of the container. In another pressure monitoring embodiment, the work of the compression member during a compaction stroke, is determined and analyzed as to the extent of fullness of the container.