Gerald Thomas Cox

US Patent:

43755925, Mar 1, 1983

Filed:

Dec 19, 1980

Appl. No.:

6/218153

Inventors:

Gerald L. Cox - Nicholasville KY
Randall A. Maddox - Georgetown KY

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G01D 534

US Classification:

250231SE

Abstract:

A field replaceable encoder including a slotted housing having a pair of passages therethrough essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing, is attachable to the frame of a machine having a rotatable shaft to which the encoder is to be mounted. Attached to the housing is an accurate stationary mask, the mask having slits which are aligned with the passages in the housing. The mask includes an accurately dimensioned aperture for locating the mask, and thus the housing, on a bearing on the rotatably mounted shaft. A pair of light sources and a pair of light detectors are mounted on opposite sides of the housing aligned with the passages and slits in the mask. A hub, to which is attached a rotating disc, is connected to the rotating shaft, the disc being mounted in the slotted housing so that interdigitated opaque and transparent portions align with the slits of the mask, and thus the light sources and light detectors. In the preferred embodiment, the light sources are mounted in the passages (tunnel like in formation) which converge at their outlets and which prevents having to employ collimated light sources while inhibiting cross-talk between the detectors and adjacent sources allowing for close spacing of the source pair and the detector pair.

US Patent:

20180094199, Apr 5, 2018

Filed:

Oct 5, 2017

Appl. No.:

15/725637

Inventors:

- Nashville TN, US
Ross M. Patten - Paul Coast FL, US
Paul CAIRNEY - Deltona FL, US
Gerald M. Cox - Cocoa FL, US
William P. Jepson - Orlando FL, US
Benjamin F. Gardner - Simpsonville SC, US

International Classification:

C10J 3/46
C10J 3/84

Abstract:

A fluidized bed biogasifier is provided for gasifying biosolids. A feeder feeds biosolids into a reactor vessel at a desired feed rate during steady-state operation. A fluidized bed in the base of the reactor vessel has a cross-sectional area that is proportional to at least the fuel feed rate such that the superficial velocity of gas is in the range of 0.1 m/s to 3 m/s. The biosolids are heated inside the fluidized bed reactor to a temperature range between 900 F. and 1700 F. in an oxygen-starved environment having a sub stoichiometric oxygen level, whereby the biosolids are gasified. A burner system having a hooded nozzle below the fluidized bed in the reactor vessel provides high temperature gas to the biogasifier.