Daniel S Thomas

US Patent:

54541760, Oct 3, 1995

Filed:

Nov 1, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/146674

Inventors:

Richard J. Gobel - Scappoose OR
Daniel W. Thomas - Washougal WA

Assignee:

Beloit Technologies, Inc. - Wilmington DE

International Classification:

F26B 1102

US Classification:

34135

Abstract:

A dryer for drying material carried along and dried by hot gases including a hollow rotatable drying drum with an inlet and a discharge end, means for driving the drum in rotation and a group of flights projecting into the gas flow stream to break up the material and retard the speed of flow of the material with the flowing gases with the flights arranged in one group at the outer periphery inside the drum and the other supported on a central axially extending core member arranged on the ends of arms projecting radially from the core member to provide satellite groups which are adjustable in a radial rotational and axial directions to change their location relative to the gas flow.

US Patent:

47828935, Nov 8, 1988

Filed:

Feb 23, 1988

Appl. No.:

7/159619

Inventors:

Daniel L. Thomas - Portland OR

Assignee:

Trique Concepts, Inc. - San Jose CA

International Classification:

F28F 700

US Classification:

165185

Abstract:

The pad of the present invention is comprised of a thin film of high dielectric strength material which is impregnated with diamond powder. The diamond pieces are relatively uniform in size and have a minimum dimension which is greater than the thickness of the film. In one embodiment, a 5,000-10,000 angstrom boundary layer of copper is formed on both sides of the film by a vacuum deposition or electroless dipping and thicker cover layers are electroplated on top of this boundary layer, if desired, to make the pad rigid. In addition, a copper or aluminum substrate can be clad to one or both cover layers to provide additional rigidity.

US Patent:

56284098, May 13, 1997

Filed:

Jun 20, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/667288

Inventors:

Daniel W. Thomas - Washougal WA

Assignee:

Beloit Technologies, Inc. - Wilmington DE

International Classification:

B07C 500

US Classification:

209577

Abstract:

A garbage separation apparatus utilizes a vibrating conveyor to form a thin layer of individual items in a stream of municipal waste. The individual items of municipal waste are then transferred to conveyor belts in spaced apart relation. The conveyor belt passes the items of municipal waste under an array of infrared lamps. Immediately after being illuminated by the infrared lamps, the items of municipal waste are imaged by an infrared video system. The infrared video camera produces a video image wherein specific colors refer to a specific range of temperatures. The output of this video camera is processed to separate mono-temperature images which are processed so as to drive the actuation of individual vacuum grippers out of an array of vacuum grippers placed over the conveyor belt transporting the items of municipal waste. The actuation commands derive from a particular thermal-image depicting a particular range of temperatures and are transmitted to a sequentially arranged adjacent array of vacuum grippers. Thus items of municipal waste may be separated based on their thermal properties.