The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 03, 2001
Filed:
Jan. 14, 2000
Applicant:
Inventor:
Henry P. Offer, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Assignee:
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B23K 9/00 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
B23K 9/00 ;
Abstract
A housing for a processing device includes a plurality of independently extendible and retractable fingers for engaging the work surface. Gas pressure supplied within the housing drives the fingers into their extended positions and assists in excluding surrounding water from the work surface within the housing. The fingers may have fixed balls, roller balls or slidable wheels at their distal ends to facilitate movement of the housing along the work surface. Flexible skirts may be provided about the fingers to assist in water exclusion from the work area.