American Standard Inc.

Trane International Inc.

American Standard International Inc.

Edward Douglas Hildreth, Jr

William G Hansen

Robert Fredrick Schult

Doyle R Goodman

Thomas E Allen

Gary A Huss

Mark W Stephans

Goutam Duvvada

A refrigerant cooling system includes multiple evaporator coils fed by one variable refrigerant metering device and one or more fixed refrigerant metering devices. To avoid condensed moisture on the coils from being entrained by the supply air and ultimately adversely increasing the humidity of a room or comfort zone of a building, the variable refrigerant metering device delivers refrigerant to the evaporator's lowermost coil at a superheat that is less than that of the other higher coils. To operate the refrigerant system at various loads, two or more compressors are selectively energized individually and in combination for various stages of capacity, while the variable refrigerant metering device is active at each stage. The refrigerant system may include multiple refrigerant circuits that are hermetically isolated from each other, or two or more of the circuits may be in fluid communication with each other.

Fixed and variable refrigerant metering system

An HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) damper includes a series of pivotal damper blades that are opened by an air pressure differential across opposite sides of the damper. In some embodiments, a fan discharging against the damper blades provides the necessary air pressure to open the damper. To control how far the damper opens, an actuator moves a variable position abutment that obstructs the damper blades to limit how far they can pivot in the open direction. The position of the abutment is infinitely adjustable to provide the damper with infinite adjustment over a range of open positions. In some embodiments, the abutment applies a unidirectional torque to the damper blades regardless of whether the damper is opening or closing.

Actuator for a fan-powered damper

A fuel-conditioning device for removing moisture from fuel includes two replaceable fuel-conditioning cartridges. The cartridges are alternately put in use by selectively positioning a valve actuator. A marking system for the fuel-conditioning cartridges and the valve actuator identifies which cartridge is in use and which can be serviced. A cartridge can be replaced while maintaining a continuous flow of fuel.

Fuel-conditioning device

A refrigerant system includes two compressors that are independently activated to meet a variable cooling demand of a comfort zone or a process. For high cooling demands, both compressors are operated. However, for lower cooling demands, one compressor is de-activated, while the other continues running. To help prevent refrigerant from condensing in the vicinity of the relatively cool inactive compressor, heat from the discharge line of the running compressor heats the suction or discharge line of the inactive compressor. To transfer heat from one line to the other, the two lines are simply held against each other in a parallel, side-by-side relationship.

Discharge refrigerant heater for inactive compressor line

A method of operating a pre-mix power burner assembly. The method comprises the steps of: using a fan to supply and control combustion; mixing fuel gas and primary air together; introducing the mixture into secondary air in a combustion zone; and relieving pressure on the exterior of the fan near the fan shaft to the interior of the fan.

Combustion blower shaft leakage relief

An ignitor assembly for a gas combusting power furnace especially designed for both durability and ease of replacement. The ignitor assembly includes a generally elongated ignitor element and a tubular sleeve for slideably, removably mounting the ignitor element generally perpendicular to the burner plate assembly of the furnace. A retaining clip snapably holds the ignitor element within the sleeve. The transverse mounting of the ignitor relative to the burner plate places the ignitor element tip within the combustion plenum, but keeps the lead-in wires of the ignitor on the noncombustion side of the burner plate. The unique mounting arrangement of the ignitor assembly provides maintenance access to the ignitor element without the need to disassemble the burner assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Clarksville, TN, United States of America

Edward Douglas Hildreth, Jr