Tannas Company

Gregory C Miiller

Theodore W Selby

Kevin J Wolfe

Michael A Tubbs

Jonathan C Evans

Robert H Seer

William A Atkins

Douglas J Wirsing

John L Van Meter

Sarah Nuss-Warren

James F Secrist

Calvin David Hugo

Robert J Hite, Jr

Lawrence M Sears

Joseph S Trombley

James R Cotter

Marta Manning

John J Van Meter

James Louis Kovacs

Patrick T O'Dell

William John VanBergen

A significantly improved version of the ASTM D942 Test Method, with apparatus employable to effect the same, is provided. This is useful in measurement of grease oxidation.

Grease oxidation

Elevated temperature liquid testing apparatus and methodology in which a thin film of test liquid and a reactant/control gas are provided about the top of a depositor member that is surrounded by a special mantle, for example, a substantially cylindrically walled glass mantle. As an oxidative engine oil test, it may mimic turbocharger conditions of a modern internal combustion engine. For example, employing moist air, the apparatus can test a thin film of engine oil for oxidation deposits at a predetermined temperature, say, 285&#xb0; C., 290&#xb0; C., or cycled between 285&#xb0; C. or 290&#xb0; C. and 320&#xb0; C. or 330&#xb0; C.

Thin film liquid thermal testing

Apparatus includes a pivotable, cradling framework that can hold a rotatable bomb instrument, which can include a hollow cylinder and a grease rack. This may be employed to effect a significantly improved version of the ASTM D942 Test Method. The same is useful in measurement of grease oxidation.

Rotatable bomb device having a stationary hollow housing and a rotatable component inside the housing provides for very good temperature calibration, temperature recording and, when desired, sample control. The device can have at least one of an insulating lower disc or washer; a plurality of staggered heating bands encompassing a stationary housing; a dry scan port; a rear upper and/or lower port; and an extraction/injection fitting for access to the interior of the stationary housing. The device may be used to react or attempt to react substance(s), for example, generally as in ASTM Method D2272 testing of turbine oil.

Oil life measurement

Rotatable bomb device includes a housing with a hollow interior for receipt of a rotatable component to a vessel, and support for the component in the interior; and the component for such receipt and support in the housing. The device may be employed as a reactor or in test methods, for example, methods such as oxygen uptake tests analogous or equivalent to the ASTM-D-2272 and ASTM-D-4742 test methods.

Rotatable bomb

Low heat-transmissible spindle for rotary viscometry includes an elongate, radially balanced, straight shaft made of a suitably stiff material having a low heat-transmission value, with a head monolithic with the shaft which can contact and interface with a test fluid to yield drag from the contact and interface when the spindle is rotated in the fluid; and a spindle coupling nut attached to the shaft opposite the head. For example, the shaft may be made of a woven glass fabric cylinder laminated with a synthetic resin, and the head made of stainless steel. A rotary viscometer can be equipped with the spindle, and fluid viscosity can be determined by employing the same in a rotary viscometric protocol, for example, ASTM D 2983.

Rotary viscometry with a low heat-transmissible spindle

Foam tester device, which is useful for testing the foaming of liquids at elevated temperatures, has an insulated cabinet containing a temperature-regulatable volume; a heater capable of heating a gas for the volume; a feature to circulate heated gas in the volume; an access system such that sample container(s), each capable of holding a liquid sample, is(are) insertable into the volume so as to be heated; and a feature, for example, a window, to observe any sample(s) in the sample container(s) such that observation can be conducted from outside the cabinet. The foam tester is a gas, especially air, bath. Cooling may be provided by water or other liquid, for example, propylene glycol and water mixture, and/or by insert of a cooling device, for example, a cooling carosel or insert drawer in place of the foam tester sample carousel. Foam test operation is simplified, and the foam tester may be employed to operate sample testing cycles without removal of samples from the tester between tests.

Foam tester

Control circuitry for a multi-speed, rotational, direct current motor can include a means to select one of a plurality of discrete circuits to select a desired speed of the motor, each circuit being activated by a separate analog switch which can complete the circuit to select a potentiometer voltage which then becomes a speed reference voltage output; a motor encoder which generates a pulse train proportional to motor speed and is converted to a proportional voltage by means of a frequency-to-voltage converter; an error amplifier, connected to the outputs of the speed reference voltage and the motor speed voltage such that when the speed reference voltage differs from the motor speed voltage, an error signal is produced; a pulse width modifier circuit which is driven by the error signal and which adjusts motor logic outputs so as to adjust the speed of the motor to produce an essentially zero error; a power supply circuit to feed voltage to the controlling circuitry and motor. Optional reset and start-up circuits can initialize various circuit time constants so as to produce a controlled ramp upon start-up of the motor, especially for applications to dynamometry such as with rotational viscometers. The motor with such circuitry and/or components is provided as well.

Multi-speed motor

Stator connector with generally upright attachment member thereto with

Pivoting leveling stand has a base with an outer, horizontal boundary; a pivot, downward of and in contact with the base, and positioned inwardly of the outer horizontal boundary of the base; and at least three leveling machines in contact with the base placed outwardly of the pivot. The pivot is capable of contacting an underlying support surface, and the leveling machines are attachable to an underlying support. As an option, from the base, preferably above the pivot, a fixture, for example, an upright rod such as for attaching a sensitive rotating viscometer, may be attached to the stand.

Pivoting leveling stand

Collar housing for a rotor-stator adaptor for sensitive rotating

Exemplary stacked component tapered bearing simulator device, the principles of which can be applied more broadly in such instrumentation as dynamometers and viscometers, can have a stator block with a sample receiving bore; a rotor complementary to the stator block bore extending axially into the bore to define a thin measuring gap, the rotor having a drive shaft extending axially upward from it; a motor, which can rotate in response to torque from a test sample present in the thin gap and which drives the shaft and rotor along a rotation axis; a part for sensing the torque, fixable to the motor, and connectable to a platform that is vertically adjustable by an elevator mechanism, which generally, externally bounds the axis of rotation of the motor, drive shaft, and rotor. Preferably, the elevator mechanism has a threaded arrangement with an anti-rotation device with a first set of threads residing with the platform, which is restrained from rotating by the anti-rotation device but is allowed to move vertically, and a second set of threads for mating with the first set of threads residing with at least one rotatable member separate from but threadedly engagable with the set of platform threads.

Stacked component tapered bearing simulator device

A wall in a lower portion of a hollow support member having an open upper end and upper interior surface and a lower interior cylindrical surface to encircle and retain the stator of a rotating viscometer such as a Brookfield viscometer is provided with external threads and is slotted. A corresponding nut threads thereon and applies pressure to hold the stator of the viscometer.

Rotor-stator adapter for sensitive rotating viscometers

A rotational viscometer instrument of the type having a rotor driven to rotate about an axis, the rotor for contact with a fluid, the viscosity or related property of which can be measured by measuring torque or drag on the rotor rotating in contact with the fluid through a torque or drag measuring element, is improved by a means for interjecting a predetermined calibration factor into the instrument based on a viscosity of a fluid of known viscosity and the rotor and the torque or drag measuring element such that the true viscosity sensing ability of the instrument is enhanced.

Growing community of inventors

Rhodes, MI, United States of America

Gregory C Miiller