Hughes Aircraft Company

Bpm Technology, Inc.

Jon N Leonard

John Larsen

Robert B Brown

Herbert E Menhennett

Charles F Kirschman

William Berdell Barlage, Iii

William A Yates

Manual M Ferreira

A three-dimensional article making apparatus includes a build material dispenser positioned adjacent a platform for ejecting a plurality of droplets of build material; and dispenser positioners for relatively positioning the dispenser in five degrees of freedom with respect to the platform. Accordingly, the dispenser may be rotated and flipped to permit construction of a cantilevered portion of an article without requiring support material. The dispenser positioners include a Z-direction positioner for positioning the dispenser vertically relative to the platform, an X-Y positioner for positioning the dispenser in an X-Y planar direction relative to the platform, a flip angle positioner for rotatably positioning the dispenser relative to a generally horizontal axis, and a phi angle positioner for rotatably positioning the dispenser relative to a generally vertical axis. A processor is operatively connected to the dispenser and the dispenser positioners for advancing the dispenser along a predetermined path of travel while operating or firing the dispenser to construct the three-dimensional article in successive layers or portions based upon the article defining data. Method aspects of the invention are also disclosed.

Apparatus and method for dispensing build material to make a

A method for controlling a closed-loop processing system (100) including the steps of receiving and analyzing an element to be processed to identify the contents thereof. The method further includes the steps of processing and converting the element into a residue which is stabilized, to prevent physical interaction therewith, and then deposited in a permanent landfill storage facility (124). Finally, a plurality of parameters of the residue and the environment surrounding the closed-loop processing system (100) are monitored to provide a plurality of control signals. The control signals are utilized to control each stage of the processing system to ensure a negligible environment effect. Thus, the invention provides a method for controlling a processing system in a closed-loop automated manner with negligible environmental impact. In a preferred embodiment, the closed-loop automated system (100) for processing waste of the present invention receives and analyzes waste. The waste is thereafter incinerated or biodecontaminated for conversion into a residue or is chemically processed for reclamation. The residue is then stabilized and stored to prevent physical interaction therewith. Thereafter, a plurality of monitoring devices (154) are employed for automatically measuring and sensing parameters and controlling the closed-loop waste processing system (100).

Closed-loop automated waste processing system and method

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Greenville, SC, United States of America

Jon N Leonard