Apparatus and method for forming and packaging molded tobacco pieces
Patent No. 8,752,558
An apparatus for molding and packaging molded tobacco pieces includes a mold having cavities oriented to allow ejection of molded tobacco pieces into a container. The apparatus also includes a knockout for ejecting the molded tobacco pieces, and a cutter having at least two blades for cutting the molded tobacco pieces into vertically aligned slices by passing one or more blades horizontally through the cavities.
Inventors: Shannon Black (Richmond, Va.), Andrew Nathan Carroll (Chester, Va.), Tom Holland (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond, Va.)
June 17, 2014
Blender air intake snorkel for countertop or in-counter installations
Patent No. 8,752,481
A blender with an air intake snorkel where the snorkel extends away from a motor housing provided by the blender is provided. The snorkel includes an air intake opening, an outlet opening, and a conduit fluidly connecting the intake and outlet openings. In one preferred embodiment, the snorkel includes a cap connected to the snorkel wherein the cap partially obstructs access to the intake opening in order to prevent contamination of the conduit. The outlet opening fluidly communicates with an inlet aperture provided by the motor housing. In use, an electric motor contained by the housing actuates a fan. The fan pulls air through the intake opening, conduit, and outlet opening. The air enters the housing via the inlet aperture where it acts to cool the electric motor. In one preferred embodiment, the appliance is a blender and the motor housing comprises a blender base that is installed on a countertop or in-counter (i.e., a portion of the blender extends into or through the plane defined by a countertop). The air intake snorkel reduces contamination of the interior of the appliance, provides efficient airflow for motor cooling, and reduces the re-circulation of warm appliance exhaust air into the motor housing.
Inventors: Brian Paul Williams (Midlothian, Va.), Steven W. Ashworth (Richmond, Va.)
Assignee: Hamilton Beach Brands Inc. (Glen Allen, Va.)
June 17, 2014
Aerosol generator
Patent No. 8,752,557
An aerosol generator device for delivering an aerosol of a nicotine salt is provided. The aerosol generator comprises: (i) a mouth end; (ii) a first chamber containing a porous material wetted with liquid nicotine, (iii) a second chamber containing a porous material wetted with a solution of a volatile acid, (iv) a third chamber in fluid communication with the first and second chambers, leading to the mouth end, and (v) an outer housing defining a passageway for air through said device. A nicotine vapor can be produced by drawing air along the passageway and through the porous material wetted with liquid nicotine. An acid vapor can be produced by passing air along the passageway and through the porous material wetted with a solution of a volatile acid. Then, the nicotine vapor and the acid vapor can be admixed in the third chamber to form an aerosol of a nicotine salt, which can be drawn out through the mouth end.
Inventor: Peter Lipowicz (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond, Va.)
June 17, 2014
Diskless virtual machine cloning by separately cloning a virtual drive and configuration data of a source virtual machine for combination into a cloned virtual machine
Patent no. 8,756,598
One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed that provide for cloning VMs, where different parts of the same VM are cloned separately. A temporary repository directory in a datastore of a storage controller is populated with a copy of one or more source virtual drive image files, which were generated from a source virtual machine (SVM) that is being cloned. A diskless virtual machine (DVM) is created in a destination container using configurations from the SVM. The copy of the one or more source virtual drive image files is cloned a desired number of times corresponding to a desired number of virtual machine clones. The DVM is cloned a desired number of times corresponding to a desired number of virtual machine clones. The DVM clones are combined with the source virtual drive image file clones in the destination container.
Inventors: George Costea (Durham, N.C.), Eric Forgette (Mechanicsville, Va.)
Assignee: NetApp Inc. (Sunnyvale, Calif.)
Organ protection solution and method of use
Patent No. 8,753,806
An organ protectant solution which is intravenously administerable includes a high concentration of cell impermeant molecules which have a charge and/or molecular weight which permit passage across a capillary endothelium and into an interstitial space in said subject but which are too large and/or charged to cross a cell plasma membrane such that said one or more cell impermeant molecules preferentially load into an extracellular fluid compartment can be used to to allow for improved organ harvesting from DCD and brain death donors for transplantation purposes and also can be used extend the “Golden Hour” for traumatic and hemorrhagic shock patients thereby allowing more time for those patients to reach a point of care facility to receive medical treatment.
Inventor: Martin Mangino (Powhatan, Va.)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University
June 17, 2014
Combining predictive capabilities of Transcranial Doppler (TCD) with electrocardiogram (ECG) to predict hemorrhagic shock
Patent No. 8,762,308
A real-time decision-support system predicts hemorrhagic shock of a patient by analysis of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals and transcranial Doppler (TCD) signals from the patient. These signals are subject to signal decomposition using Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) to sets of wavelet coefficients and selecting significant signal features. Machine learning is applied to the significant features to evaluate and classify hypovolemia severity based on the input ECG and TCD signals from the patient. The classification of blood loss severity is displayed in real-time. An extension of the decision-support system integrates Arterial Blood Pressure (ABP) signals and thoracic electrical bio-impedance (DZT) signals with the ECG and TCD signals from the patient to evaluate severity of hypovolemia.
Inventors: Kayvan Najarian (Glen Allen, Va.), Kevin R. Ward (Glen Allen, Va.), Soo-Yeon Ji (Richmond, Va.), Roya Hakimzadeh (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, Va.)
June 24, 2014
Method and system for automatically collecting payment for a credit account
Patent No. 8,762,262
A method for automatically collecting payment for a credit account includes determining if a credit account is delinquent and determining the number of days the credit account is delinquent. The method includes automatically collecting a first amount from a first account if the number of days the credit account is delinquent comprises at least a first number of days and crediting the credit account the first amount. The first account may comprise a checking account, and the first number of days may comprise twenty days.
Inventors: Charles A. Rosenblatt (Richmond, Va.), Tyler C. Hobbs (Arlington, Va.), Frank L. Rotman (Richmond, Texas)
Assignee: Capital One Financial Corp. (McLean, Va.)
June 24, 2014
Polyolefin fiber reinforced rubber
Patent No. 8,759,236
Rubberized polyolefin fabrics, particularly rubberized polyolefin fiber containing fabrics and a method for vulcanizing rubber without melting or lowering the performance of the fibers. A plurality of fibrous layers are molded and rubberized under high pressures, producing fabrics having customized stiffness properties.
Inventors: Ashok Bhatnagar (Richmond, Va.), David S. Cordova (Laytonsville, Md.)
Assignee: Honeywell International Inc. (Morristown, N.J.)
June 24, 2014
Fuel additive for improved performance of low sulfur diesel fuels
Patent No. 8,758,456
A diesel fuel, diesel fuel additive concentrate and method for improving the performance of fuel injectors for a diesel engine are provided. The diesel fuel includes a major amount of middle distillate fuel having a sulfur content of 15 ppm by weight or less; and a reaction product of (a) a hydrocarbyl substituted dicarboxylic acid or anhydride, and (b) an amine compound or salt thereof of the formula ##STR00001## wherein R is selected from hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl group containing from about 1 to about 15 carbon atoms, and R.sup.1 is selected from hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl group containing from about 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, wherein the reaction product contains less than one equivalent of an amino triazole group per molecule of reaction product, and wherein the reaction product is present in an amount sufficient to improve the performance of diesel direct and/or indirect fuel injectors.
Inventors: Xinggoa Fang (Richmond, Va.), Julienne M. Galante-Fox (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Afton Chemical Corp. (Richmond, Va.)
June 24, 2014
Extended glue strips for securing cartons
Patent No. 8,757,380
A carton with at least one rounded corner includes a bottom panel for supporting lower ends of substantially cylindrical articles, four side panels, at least one corner panel extending from one of the opposed side edges of a first one of the four side panels, and at least one glue strip extending from the at least one corner panel. The at least one glue strip includes at least one glue tab extending from the proximal edge of the at least one glue strip. The at least one glue tab is secured in a face contacting arrangement to a second one of the four side panels so as to connect the first one of the four side panels to the second one of the four side panels.
Inventors: Caleb S. Loftin (Richmond, Va.)
Assignee: Meadwestvaco Packaging Systems (Richmond, Va.)
June 24, 2014
Mechanically competent scaffold for ligament and tendon regeneration
Patent No. 8,758,437
A multi-region device for repair, regeneration or reconstruction in articular tissue injury such as torn ligaments and tendons is provided. The device comprises at least one degradable material and biocompatible non-degradable polymeric fiber-based material, in a three-dimensional braided scaffold. The two end sections are designed for attachment of the device at the site of implantation and are designed to allow bone cell ingrowth, and one or more middle regions are designed to allow ligament or tendon cell ingrowth.
Inventors: Cato T. Laurencin (Avon, Conn.), Mark T. Aronson (Midlothian, Va.), Lakshmi Sreedharan Nair (Avon, Conn.)
Assignee: Soft Tissue Regeneration Inc. (New Haven, Conn.)
June 24, 2014
Apparatus and method for forming and packaging molded tobacco pieces
Patent No. 8,752,558
An apparatus for molding and packaging molded tobacco pieces includes a mold having cavities oriented to allow ejection of molded tobacco pieces into a container. The apparatus also includes a knockout for ejecting the molded tobacco pieces, and a cutter having at least two blades for cutting the molded tobacco pieces into vertically aligned slices by passing one or more blades horizontally through the cavities.
Inventors: Shannon Black (Richmond, Va.), Andrew Nathan Carroll (Chester, Va.), Tom Holland (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond, Va.)
June 17, 2014
Blender air intake snorkel for countertop or in-counter installations
Patent No. 8,752,481
A blender with an air intake snorkel where the snorkel extends away from a motor housing provided by the blender is provided. The snorkel includes an air intake opening, an outlet opening, and a conduit fluidly connecting the intake and outlet openings. In one preferred embodiment, the snorkel includes a cap connected to the snorkel wherein the cap partially obstructs access to the intake opening in order to prevent contamination of the conduit. The outlet opening fluidly communicates with an inlet aperture provided by the motor housing. In use, an electric motor contained by the housing actuates a fan. The fan pulls air through the intake opening, conduit, and outlet opening. The air enters the housing via the inlet aperture where it acts to cool the electric motor. In one preferred embodiment, the appliance is a blender and the motor housing comprises a blender base that is installed on a countertop or in-counter (i.e., a portion of the blender extends into or through the plane defined by a countertop). The air intake snorkel reduces contamination of the interior of the appliance, provides efficient airflow for motor cooling, and reduces the re-circulation of warm appliance exhaust air into the motor housing.
Inventors: Brian Paul Williams (Midlothian, Va.), Steven W. Ashworth (Richmond, Va.)
Assignee: Hamilton Beach Brands Inc. (Glen Allen, Va.)
June 17, 2014
Aerosol generator
Patent No. 8,752,557
An aerosol generator device for delivering an aerosol of a nicotine salt is provided. The aerosol generator comprises: (i) a mouth end; (ii) a first chamber containing a porous material wetted with liquid nicotine, (iii) a second chamber containing a porous material wetted with a solution of a volatile acid, (iv) a third chamber in fluid communication with the first and second chambers, leading to the mouth end, and (v) an outer housing defining a passageway for air through said device. A nicotine vapor can be produced by drawing air along the passageway and through the porous material wetted with liquid nicotine. An acid vapor can be produced by passing air along the passageway and through the porous material wetted with a solution of a volatile acid. Then, the nicotine vapor and the acid vapor can be admixed in the third chamber to form an aerosol of a nicotine salt, which can be drawn out through the mouth end.
Inventor: Peter Lipowicz (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond, Va.)
June 17, 2014
Diskless virtual machine cloning by separately cloning a virtual drive and configuration data of a source virtual machine for combination into a cloned virtual machine
Patent no. 8,756,598
One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed that provide for cloning VMs, where different parts of the same VM are cloned separately. A temporary repository directory in a datastore of a storage controller is populated with a copy of one or more source virtual drive image files, which were generated from a source virtual machine (SVM) that is being cloned. A diskless virtual machine (DVM) is created in a destination container using configurations from the SVM. The copy of the one or more source virtual drive image files is cloned a desired number of times corresponding to a desired number of virtual machine clones. The DVM is cloned a desired number of times corresponding to a desired number of virtual machine clones. The DVM clones are combined with the source virtual drive image file clones in the destination container.
Inventors: George Costea (Durham, N.C.), Eric Forgette (Mechanicsville, Va.)
Assignee: NetApp Inc. (Sunnyvale, Calif.)
Organ protection solution and method of use
Patent No. 8,753,806
An organ protectant solution which is intravenously administerable includes a high concentration of cell impermeant molecules which have a charge and/or molecular weight which permit passage across a capillary endothelium and into an interstitial space in said subject but which are too large and/or charged to cross a cell plasma membrane such that said one or more cell impermeant molecules preferentially load into an extracellular fluid compartment can be used to to allow for improved organ harvesting from DCD and brain death donors for transplantation purposes and also can be used extend the “Golden Hour” for traumatic and hemorrhagic shock patients thereby allowing more time for those patients to reach a point of care facility to receive medical treatment.
Inventor: Martin Mangino (Powhatan, Va.)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University
June 17, 2014
Combining predictive capabilities of Transcranial Doppler (TCD) with electrocardiogram (ECG) to predict hemorrhagic shock
Patent No. 8,762,308
A real-time decision-support system predicts hemorrhagic shock of a patient by analysis of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals and transcranial Doppler (TCD) signals from the patient. These signals are subject to signal decomposition using Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) to sets of wavelet coefficients and selecting significant signal features. Machine learning is applied to the significant features to evaluate and classify hypovolemia severity based on the input ECG and TCD signals from the patient. The classification of blood loss severity is displayed in real-time. An extension of the decision-support system integrates Arterial Blood Pressure (ABP) signals and thoracic electrical bio-impedance (DZT) signals with the ECG and TCD signals from the patient to evaluate severity of hypovolemia.
Inventors: Kayvan Najarian (Glen Allen, Va.), Kevin R. Ward (Glen Allen, Va.), Soo-Yeon Ji (Richmond, Va.), Roya Hakimzadeh (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, Va.)
June 24, 2014
Method and system for automatically collecting payment for a credit account
Patent No. 8,762,262
A method for automatically collecting payment for a credit account includes determining if a credit account is delinquent and determining the number of days the credit account is delinquent. The method includes automatically collecting a first amount from a first account if the number of days the credit account is delinquent comprises at least a first number of days and crediting the credit account the first amount. The first account may comprise a checking account, and the first number of days may comprise twenty days.
Inventors: Charles A. Rosenblatt (Richmond, Va.), Tyler C. Hobbs (Arlington, Va.), Frank L. Rotman (Richmond, Texas)
Assignee: Capital One Financial Corp. (McLean, Va.)
June 24, 2014
Polyolefin fiber reinforced rubber
Patent No. 8,759,236
Rubberized polyolefin fabrics, particularly rubberized polyolefin fiber containing fabrics and a method for vulcanizing rubber without melting or lowering the performance of the fibers. A plurality of fibrous layers are molded and rubberized under high pressures, producing fabrics having customized stiffness properties.
Inventors: Ashok Bhatnagar (Richmond, Va.), David S. Cordova (Laytonsville, Md.)
Assignee: Honeywell International Inc. (Morristown, N.J.)
June 24, 2014
Fuel additive for improved performance of low sulfur diesel fuels
Patent No. 8,758,456
A diesel fuel, diesel fuel additive concentrate and method for improving the performance of fuel injectors for a diesel engine are provided. The diesel fuel includes a major amount of middle distillate fuel having a sulfur content of 15 ppm by weight or less; and a reaction product of (a) a hydrocarbyl substituted dicarboxylic acid or anhydride, and (b) an amine compound or salt thereof of the formula ##STR00001## wherein R is selected from hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl group containing from about 1 to about 15 carbon atoms, and R.sup.1 is selected from hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl group containing from about 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, wherein the reaction product contains less than one equivalent of an amino triazole group per molecule of reaction product, and wherein the reaction product is present in an amount sufficient to improve the performance of diesel direct and/or indirect fuel injectors.
Inventors: Xinggoa Fang (Richmond, Va.), Julienne M. Galante-Fox (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Afton Chemical Corp. (Richmond, Va.)
June 24, 2014
Extended glue strips for securing cartons
Patent No. 8,757,380
A carton with at least one rounded corner includes a bottom panel for supporting lower ends of substantially cylindrical articles, four side panels, at least one corner panel extending from one of the opposed side edges of a first one of the four side panels, and at least one glue strip extending from the at least one corner panel. The at least one glue strip includes at least one glue tab extending from the proximal edge of the at least one glue strip. The at least one glue tab is secured in a face contacting arrangement to a second one of the four side panels so as to connect the first one of the four side panels to the second one of the four side panels.
Inventors: Caleb S. Loftin (Richmond, Va.)
Assignee: Meadwestvaco Packaging Systems (Richmond, Va.)
June 24, 2014
Mechanically competent scaffold for ligament and tendon regeneration
Patent No. 8,758,437
A multi-region device for repair, regeneration or reconstruction in articular tissue injury such as torn ligaments and tendons is provided. The device comprises at least one degradable material and biocompatible non-degradable polymeric fiber-based material, in a three-dimensional braided scaffold. The two end sections are designed for attachment of the device at the site of implantation and are designed to allow bone cell ingrowth, and one or more middle regions are designed to allow ligament or tendon cell ingrowth.
Inventors: Cato T. Laurencin (Avon, Conn.), Mark T. Aronson (Midlothian, Va.), Lakshmi Sreedharan Nair (Avon, Conn.)
Assignee: Soft Tissue Regeneration Inc. (New Haven, Conn.)
June 24, 2014