Did You Know...
...that in 1800 ether was first used by partyers as a fun diversion? Sniffing the gas led to hilarious and raucous laughter as people watched each other become more and more intoxicated and silly. Several doctors independently realized the value ether would have to anesthetize surgery patients. Of those who claimed rights to the "discovery," none had a happy ending. One had a seizure and died defending his rights. Another spent his life in an asylum because he had been denied acclaim. A third became addicted to chloroform and, in a New York City jail, he soaked a cloth in the drug, severed an artery and bled to death.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7435929 | Methods for monitoring or controlling the ratio of hydrogen to water vapor in metal heat treating atmospheres Methods for monitoring a heat treating atmosphere supply a preselected gas atmosphere at a preselected temperature to a heat treating furnace. The preselected temperature is not greater than a temperature at which wustite (FeO) forms. The methods sense the preselect... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7312865 | Method for in situ monitoring of chamber peeling A method for in situ monitoring of particles generated by a reaction by-product film peeling from an interior wall of a reaction chamber of a semiconductor fabrication apparatus to determine reaction chamber condition. The method includes the steps of: exciting the ... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7232975 | Plasma generators, reactor systems and related methods A plasma generator, reactor and associated systems and methods are provided in accordance with the present invention. A plasma reactor may include multiple sections or modules which are removably coupled together to form a chamber. Associated with each section is an... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7193189 | Systems and methods for monitoring or controlling the ratio of hydrogen to water vapor in heat metal treating atmospheres Systems and methods for monitoring a heat treating atmosphere derive from at least one sensor placed in situ in the atmosphere a process variable, which is indicative of the ratio of gaseous hydrogen H2 (g) to water vapor H2O (g) in the atmosph... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7189940 | Plasma-assisted melting Apparatus and methods for plasma-assisted melting are provided. In one embodiment, a plasma-assisted melting method can include: (1) adding a solid to a melting region, (2) forming a plasma in a cavity by subjecting a gas to electromagnetic radiation having a freque... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7137436 | Method and apparatus for melting titanium using a combination of plasma torches and direct arc electrodes A method and apparatus for optimizing melting of titanium for processing into ingots or end products. The apparatus provides a main hearth, a plurality of optional refining hearths, and a plurality of casting molds or direct molds whereby direct arc electrodes melt ... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7098421 | Long lasting torch The invention is a transferred or non-transferred plasma arc torch for use in a fuel gas generator system for generating electricity from waste, wherein the torch includes a torch housing, electrodes (one in a transferred torch, two in a non-transferred torch), a tu... | 08/29/2006 |
| 6987792 | Plasma pyrolysis, gasification and vitrification of organic material Blocks of organic material (58) are fed from a plurality of directions into a reactor (10) having three zones (16, 18, 19). The material forms a bed (70) atop a bed of consumable carbon catalyst (60). These beds are heated by a ser... | 01/17/2006 |
| 6955741 | Semiconductor-processing reaction chamber The present application provides a PECVD reaction chamber for processing semiconductor wafers comprising a susceptor for supporting a semiconductor wafer inside the reaction chamber wherein the susceptor comprises a plurality vertical through-bores, a moving means f... | 10/18/2005 |
| 6949716 | Process for treating with an atmospheric plasma electrically conductive materials and a device therefor Process for the surface treatment of an object made of an electrically conductive material, with an atmospheric plasma, including the generation of plasma jets by plasma generators, the application of the plasma jets to a surface of the object to be treated, and the... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6794618 | Method for electrical heating of furnaces for heat treatment of metallic workpieces In order to refine a method for electric heating of furnaces for heat treating metallic workpieces, especially vacuum furnaces usable for plasma carburizing or nitriding, in which the heater elements of a furnace are supplied with a heating voltage that is generated... | 09/21/2004 |
| 6781086 | Method for removing photoresist A method of removing photoresist from a wafer or other substrate consists of ashing the photoresist only once the wafer is spaced a predetermined distance above a wafer stage in a process chamber, so that the photoresist is removed at once from all of the surfaces o... | 08/24/2004 |
| 6753495 | Apparatus and methods for control of a material processing device A multi-axis machine method and apparatus for the control of the motion of a material processing device is disclosed. The device has supply element and the apparatus has a supply co-ordination element. The motion of the processing device can be co-ordinated with the... | 06/22/2004 |
| 6744022 | Systems and methods for monitoring or controlling the ratio of hydrogen to water vapor in metal heat treating atmospheres Systems and methods for monitoring a heat treating atmosphere derive from at least one sensor placed in situ in the atmosphere a process variable, which is indicative of the ratio of gaseous hydrogen H2 (g) to water vapor H2O (g) in the atmosph... | 06/01/2004 |
| 6686556 | Solid-waste energy plant using catalytic ionic-impact decomposition and combustion product regeneration A solid-waste conversion plant produces useful products and electrical energy in a closed system with zero emission of pollutants into the atmosphere. The plant is characterized by catalytic ionic-impact chambers having a pair of electrodes that establish... | 02/03/2004 |
| 6642472 | Plasma thermal processing system having carbon sensing and control A discharge housing for connection to a plasma arc furnace outlet, having water quenching stations positioned inside the housing into the gas flow path, and having an inner flow path concentrically positioned inside an outer flow path, with an exhaust por... | 11/04/2003 |
| 6355904 | Method and system for high-temperature waste treatment A waste treatment system is provided, including a waste melter system and an air pollution control system. Hazardous and/or radioactive waste in drums is conducted through a waste feed system into a plasma chamber where the waste is exposed to heat from a... | 03/12/2002 |
| 6274851 | Electric arc furnace controller An electric arc furnace includes a container for receiving metal, an electrode spaced apart from the container, and an electrical power source coupled to the electrode and the container for generating an electrical discharge between the electrode and the ... | 08/14/2001 |
| 6173002 | Electric arc gasifier as a waste processor An electric arc gasifier adapts to the variable chemical components of waste products by utilizing mobile and fixed electrodes and a positioning system wherein a waste is injected into a heating chamber and broken down into elemental components capable of... | 01/09/2001 |
| 6086361 | Melt treatment apparatus A melt treatment apparatus is provided which obviates an increase in floorspace and in cost and has freedom from a danger of steam explosion and further can control melt discharging with reliability. The welt treatment apparatus 1 is constructed with a furnace... | 07/11/2000 |
| 6066825 | Methods and apparatus for low NOx emissions during the production of electricity from waste treatment systems Methods and apparatus for high efficiency generation of electricity and low oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions are provided. The electricity is generated from combustion of hydrogen-rich gases produced in waste conversion units using ultra lean... | 05/23/2000 |
| 6037560 | Enhanced tunable plasma-melter vitrification systems The present invention provides tunable waste conversion systems and apparatus which have the advantage of highly robust operation and which provide complete or substantially complete conversion of a wide range of waste streams into useful gas and a stable... | 03/14/2000 |
| 5963579 | Method of heating a molten metal in a continuous casting tundish using a plasma torch, and tundish for its implementation Method of heating molten metal in a tundish by irradiating a plasma torch on molten metal flowing along an internal surface of a heating compartment, and tundish configured for such method.... | 10/05/1999 |
| 5914979 | Rotating-translational drive mechanism for positioning devices in a melter An apparatus for providing three dimensional positioning to the ends of one or more translating elements which are normally restricted to translation along the longitudinal axes of the elements. A cartridge assembly including a cylinder at least partially... | 06/22/1999 |
| 5908564 | Tunable, self-powered arc plasma-melter electro conversion system for waste treatment and resource recovery The present invention provides a relatively compact self-powered, tunable waste conversion system and apparatus which has the advantage of highly robust operation which provides complete or substantially complete conversion of a wide range of waste stream... | 06/01/1999 |
| 5847353 | Methods and apparatus for low NOx emissions during the production of electricity from waste treatment systems Methods and apparatus for high efficiency generation of electricity and low oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions are provided. The electricity is generated from combustion of hydrogen-rich gases produced in waste conversion units using ultra lean... | 12/08/1998 |
| 5824988 | Reactor and method for the treatment of particulate matter by electrical discharge A reactor and method for the treatment of matter by plasma action. A plurality of electrode structures are positioned to define a reaction zone associated with the inter-electrode space. The inter-electrode space is conditioned (as by preionizing) and a s... | 10/20/1998 |
| 5812586 | Method and apparatus for removing a molten slag with a vacuum from a chamber Slag from a pool of molten slag floating on molten metal in a plasma arc treatment chamber is removed by providing a slag container located inside the chamber which has a slag intake pipe extending from a bottom of the container downwardly into the slag p... | 09/22/1998 |
| 5811752 | Enhanced tunable plasma-melter vitrification systems The present invention provides tunable waste conversion systems and apparatus which have the advantage of highly robust operation and which provide complete or substantially complete conversion of a wide range of waste streams into useful gas and a stable... | 09/22/1998 |
| 5802097 | Melting method for an electric ARC furnace with alternative sources of energy and relative electric ARC furnace with special burner positioning Melting method for an electric arc furnace with alternative sources of energy for the melting of iron-based alloys, the electric furnace (10) including tuyeres (13) positioned on the bottom to deliver oxygen, at least one tuyere (15) to deliver coal dust ... | 09/01/1998 |
| 5782952 | Method for production of magnesium A continuous process for the production of elemental magnesium is described. Magnesium is made from magnesium oxide and a light hydrocarbon gas. In the process, a feed stream of the magnesium oxide and gas is continuously fed into a reaction zone. There t... | 07/21/1998 |
| 5753004 | Method for refining molten metal and apparatus for same A method of refining molten metal includes the steps of reduced-pressure-refining molten metal in a heated vessel, adding slag-forming agents into the refined molten metal while keeping the molten metal in the vessel, or after pouring the molten metal int... | 05/19/1998 |
| 5749937 | Fast quench reactor and method A fast quench reaction includes a reactor chamber having a high temperature heating means such as a plasma torch at its inlet and a restrictive convergent-divergent nozzle at its outlet end. Reactants are injected into the reactor chamber. The resulting h... | 05/12/1998 |
| 5734673 | Waste-melting furnace and waste-melting method A waste-melting furnace includes a furnace body, a rotary heat-resistive vessel which is arranged inside the furnace body and into which waste is to be fed, and a transferred arc type torch plasma gun and a water-cooled electrode arranged above the rotary... | 03/31/1998 |
| 5708678 | Method to equalize the temperature in a heating furnace with a controlled-oxidization ambient and heating furnace carrying out the method Method to equalize the temperature in a heating furnace (10) with a controlled-oxidization ambient, the furnace (10) comprising at least one insulated chamber (11) cooperating with a supporting and conveying surface defined by a plurality of rollers (12),... | 01/13/1998 |
| 5685997 | Plasma oscillator water heater/steam boiler A plasma oscillator photonic energy water heater/steam boiler, establishes, amplifies and stores photonic energy in a plasma wherein resonance and temporary energy storage is maintained until energy is transferred on demand by thermal radiation and conduc... | 11/11/1997 |
| 5605640 | Reactor for the treatment of particulate matter by electrical discharge A reactor and method for the treatment of matter by plasma action. A plurality of electrode structures are positioned to define a reaction zone associated with the inter-electrode space. The inter-electrode space is conditioned (as by preionizing) and a s... | 02/25/1997 |
| 5586140 | Plasma melting method and plasma melting furnace A plasma melting furnace has a melting chamber having an anode torch and a cathode torch made of graphite and having a electric conductor disposed on the bottom thereof. When the furnace is operated, the anode torch, having an inflow of electrons, which f... | 12/17/1996 |
| 5493578 | Ash melting furnace The ash melting furnace disposes the combustion ash resulted from incineration of municipal or other sorts of waste by melting it utilizing as the main fuel the unburnt carbon contained in the ash itself. The ash melting furnace includes a stationary plas... | 02/20/1996 |
| 5486675 | Plasma production of ultra-fine ceramic carbides An apparatus and method for the synthesis of ultra-free (submicron) ceramic carbides in a thermal plasma torch reactor using primarily silica, boron oxide, titanium dioxide or other oxides as metal sources and methane as a reductant. A plasma torch operat... | 01/23/1996 |
