Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120282130 | Method for producing permanent magnet materials and resulting materials - A carbothermic reduction method is provided for reducing a rare earth element-containing oxide including at least one of neodymium (Nd) and praseodymium (Pr) and possibly other rare earth elements (La, Ce, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Sc, and Y) as alloying agents in the presence of carbon and a source of a reactant element including one or more of silicon, germanium, tin, lead, arsenic, antimony and bismuth to form a rare earth element-containing intermediate alloy as a master alloy for making permanent magnet material. The process is a more efficient, lower cost and environmentally friendly technology than current methods of manufacturing rare earth metals. The intermediate material is useful as a master alloy for making a permanent magnet material comprising at least one of neodymium and praseodymium, and possibly other rare earth metals as alloying additives. | 11-08-2012 |
20120315182 | Preparation of R5X4 materials by carbothermic processing - A method for preparing R | 12-13-2012 |
20130129564 | Method for producing La/Ce/MM/Y base alloys, resulting alloys and battery electrodes - A carbothermic reduction method is provided for reducing a La-, Ce-, MM-, and/or Y-containing oxide in the presence of carbon and a source of a reactant element comprising Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, As, Sb, Bi, and/or P to form an intermediate alloy material including a majority of La, Ce, MM, and/or Y and a minor amount of the reactant element. The intermediate material is useful as a master alloy for in making negative electrode materials for a metal hydride battery, as hydrogen storage alloys, as master alloy additive for addition to a melt of commercial Mg and Al alloys, steels, cast irons, and superalloys; or in reducing Sm | 05-23-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130246086 | HEALTH QUANT DATA MODELER - Embodiments of the present invention are applicable in the field of finance, health care, employee benefits, math, and business statistics and are originated to provide real health-care decision analysis, risk analysis, and option analytics to corporate entities and individual participants, the need for which has arisen from the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The present Health Quant Data Modeler (HQDM) invention is designed as an application that integrates optimization, cohort analysis, forecasting, real options, and risk-based Monte Carlo simulation into a comprehensive utility for corporations as well as individuals in order to make better health-care related decisions. | 09-19-2013 |
20140067415 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HEALTHCARE OPTION SELECTION - The present invention is adapted to provide real health-care decision analysis, risk analysis, and option analytics to individual participants, the need for which has arisen from the passage of the Affordable Care Act. The system and process simulate, optimize and visualize individual health plan options. The optimization utility uses the carrier component pricing, actuarial value calculations and phantom rate development as the basis of valuation for each of the medical and pharmacy benefit plan design permutations. Employer sponsored insurance funding, legislated premium tax credits and cost sharing reductions and individual account based funding are all factored into the process. A detailed preference analytics algorithm is used to formulate the appropriate individual risk profile in order to map the options. The individual has the ability to simulate customized scenarios as part of the tier paths defined in the Affordable Care Act. | 03-06-2014 |
20140067706 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ANALYZING AND REPORTING HEATLH PLAN MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE - The present invention provides analytic utilities to an employer or health plan administrator as the financial underwriter of medical, prescription drug, and disability income protection for employees. It is specifically designed to integrate the use of evidence based clinical performance data and prescription drug possession ratios as part of a network optimization application; provide insights into disease progression and population migration over multiple time periods; calculate the impact on productivity as result of risk levels and health conditions; and make available advanced financial modeling capabilities utilizing econometric models and simulation. | 03-06-2014 |
20140180714 | HEALTH QUANT DATA MODELER WITH HEALTH CARE REAL OPTIONS ANALYTICS, RAPID ECONOMIC JUSTIFICATION, AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT ENABLED OPTIONS - The present invention is applicable in the fields of finance, health care, employee benefits, math, and business statistics and was originated to provide real health-care decision analysis, risk analysis, and option analytics to corporate entities and individual participants, the need for which has arisen from what is collectively known as the Affordable Care Act (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010). The present version of the Health Quant Data Modeler (HQDM) accounts for updates made necessary by the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, including additional applications for modeling, simulating, and analyzing the financial impact of the health-care real options for corporate entities with a minimal set of input assumptions for the purposes of a rapid economic justification and analysis. | 06-26-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090165224 | SEAL FOR A DOCK LEVELER LIP HINGE - A dock leveler comprising a vehicle-engaging lip pivotally coupled to the vertically adjustable front edge of a deck includes a seal or series of seal segments that close one or more air gaps that exist in the area where the lip is hinged to the deck. Such gaps are particularly large when the lip hinge comprises a hinge pin that couples a series of lugs extending from underneath the deck to a series of lugs extending from the lip, wherein the lugs are spaced apart along the length of the hinge pin. The seal or seal segments could be above the deck, below the deck, or interposed between the adjoining edges of the deck and the lip. In some cases, the seal is provided by an air curtain or by a tube that is inflatable or hermetically sealed. | 07-02-2009 |
20090293371 | HEAD CURTAINS FOR DOCK SHELTERS OR DOCK SEALS - Head curtains for dock shelters or dock seals are disclosed. An example head curtain assembly for a vehicle loading dock includes a retractable curtain stiffened by a resiliently compressible foam panel that is more flexible about a horizontal axis than about a vertical axis. The difference in directional flexibility can be created by sewing the foam panel to a pliable cover using a series of parallel horizontal thread lines. The thread lines create in the foam a series of compressed indentations that run horizontally across the curtain so that the curtain tends to bend more easily along those lines. The relative stiffness in the horizontal direction enables the curtain to exert an appreciable sealing force against two lateral dock seal members, and the vertical flexibility makes the curtain easy to retract to accommodate vehicles of various heights. Touch-and-hold fasteners make many of the individual components of the head curtain readily replaceable. | 12-03-2009 |
20090293382 | SIDE SEAL MEMBERS FOR A DOCK SEAL - Side seal member for a loading dock seal are disclosed. An example truck loading dock seal comprising a resiliently compressible side pad supported by a relatively rigid backer and encased within a pliable cover includes at least one flexible lip protruding from the cover to seal a gap that might exist between the backer and the wall to which the backer is mounted. In some cases, the lip is part of the cover and is located where a rear vertical edge of the side pad meets the wall. The flexibility of the lip enables the lip to sealingly conform to a wall having an irregular surface. For additional sealing, a back sheet of the pliable cover includes a touch-and-hold fastener and/or overlapping layers of material that can provide a compressible seal between the wall and the backer. | 12-03-2009 |
20100269427 | HEAD CURTAINS FOR DOCK SHELTERS OR DOCK SEALS - Head curtains for dock shelters or dock seals are disclosed. An example head curtain assembly for a vehicle loading dock includes a retractable curtain stiffened by a resiliently compressible foam panel that is more flexible about a horizontal axis than about a vertical axis. The difference in directional flexibility can be created by sewing the foam panel to a pliable cover using a series of parallel horizontal thread lines. The thread lines create in the foam a series of compressed indentations that run horizontally across the curtain so that the curtain tends to bend more easily along those lines. The relative stiffness in the horizontal direction enables the curtain to exert an appreciable sealing force against two lateral dock seal members, and the vertical flexibility makes the curtain easy to retract to accommodate vehicles of various heights. Touch-and-hold fasteners make many of the individual components of the head curtain readily replaceable. | 10-28-2010 |
20120000150 | SIDE SEAL MEMBERS FOR A DOCK SEAL - Side seal member for a loading dock seal are disclosed. An example dock seal includes a backer to couple the dock seal to a wall and a resiliently compressible member supported by the backer. A pliable cover encases the compressible member. The pliable cover has a first end overlapping a second end to define a separable joint that is to be disposed between the backer and the wall when the dock seal is coupled to the wall. | 01-05-2012 |
20120227192 | SEAL FOR DOCK LEVELER LIP HINGE - A dock leveler comprising a vehicle-engaging lip pivotally coupled to the vertically adjustable front edge of a deck includes a seal or series of seal segments that close one or more air gaps that exist in the area where the lip is hinged to the deck. Such gaps are particularly large when the lip hinge comprises a hinge pin that couples a series of lugs extending from underneath the deck to a series of lugs extending from the lip, wherein the lugs are spaced apart along the length of the hinge pin. The seal or seal segments could be above the deck, below the deck, or interposed between the adjoining edges of the deck and the lip. In some cases, the seal is provided by an air curtain or by a tube that is inflatable or hermetically sealed. | 09-13-2012 |
20130047526 | HEAD CURTAINS FOR DOCK SHELTERS OR DOCK SEALS - Head curtains for dock shelters or dock seals are disclosed. An example dock apparatus disclosed herein includes a first weather barrier and a second weather barrier. The first and second weather barriers are positioned laterally of a doorway of a loading dock and compressible by a vehicle. The lateral weather barriers include inner surfaces that are to bulge toward each other in response to the vehicle compressing the lateral weather barriers. A head curtain is at least partially positioned between the lateral weather barriers and being engagable by the vehicle, the head curtain having a lateral stiffness such that in response to the vehicle engaging the head curtain and compressing the lateral weather barriers, the head curtain becomes pinched between the bulging inner surfaces to restrict a vertical movement of the curtain. | 02-28-2013 |
20130221624 | FACE PANELS FOR LOADING DOCK SEALS AND SHELTERS - Example flexible face panels for dock shelters and dock seals at a loading dock include a tip seal and/or an air-filled blister or elongate “bubble” that sealingly conforms to a rear portion of a vehicle (e.g., truck, trailer, etc.) at the dock. In some examples, an air chamber within the blister is open at one or both ends. This prevents otherwise trapped pressurized air from adversely affecting the blister's compliance or its ability to sealingly conform to irregular surfaces of the vehicle. In some examples, as the vehicle backs into and deflects the face panel, the blister distorts and wraps itself around the vehicle's surface irregularities, such as door hardware and protruding lights. In some examples, the face panel's tip seal includes an overlapping seal flap, wherein a series of slits in the tip seal allow the seal to fit over the vehicle's various surface irregularities. | 08-29-2013 |
20130239494 | HEAD CURTAINS FOR DOCK SHELTERS OR DOCK SEALS - Head curtains for dock shelters or dock seals are disclosed. An example dock apparatus disclosed herein includes a first weather barrier and a second weather barrier. The first and second weather barriers are positioned laterally of a doorway of a loading dock and compressible by a vehicle. The lateral weather barriers include inner surfaces that are to bulge toward each other in response to the vehicle compressing the lateral weather barriers. A head curtain is at least partially positioned between the lateral weather barriers and being engagable by the vehicle, the head curtain having a lateral stiffness such that in response to the vehicle engaging the head curtain and compressing the lateral weather barriers, the head curtain becomes pinched between the bulging inner surfaces to restrict a vertical movement of the curtain. | 09-19-2013 |
20140026359 | TROLLEYS AND HANGERS FOR WASHDOWN CURTAINS - Example trolleys and hangers for washdown curtains are disclosed herein. An example trolley disclosed herein includes features that simplify manufacturing and promote liquid runoff to avoid bacterial growth. Some example trolleys comprise U-bolts, shoulder screws and acorn nuts. In some examples, a frame of the trolley has a nestable V-shape profile that makes the frame readily blanked and formed from sheet metal with minimal waste. In some examples, an example trolley disclosed herein has a pair of rollers that are horizontally offset to a point from which the curtain hangs so that the weight of the curtain tilts the trolley to promote liquid runoff from the trolley's frame. | 01-30-2014 |
20150052833 | FACE PANELS FOR LOADING DOCK SEALS AND SHELTERS - Example flexible face panels for dock shelters and dock seals at a loading dock are disclosed. An example seal assembly includes a projection panel mountable to extend outward from the wall in proximity with a doorway. A first face panel extends from the projection panel in front of the doorway when the projection panel is mounted to the wall, where the first face panel has a first distal edge spaced apart from the projection panel. A second face panel extends from the projection panel in front of the doorway when the projection panel is mounted to the wall, where the second face panel having a second distal edge spaced apart from the projection panel. | 02-26-2015 |
20150054232 | FACE PANELS FOR LOADING DOCK SEALS AND SHELTERS - Example flexible face panels for dock shelters and dock seals at a loading dock are disclosed herein. An example seal assembly comprises a face panel to be coupled to a projection panel, where the face panel has a front side, a back side and an edge spaced apart from the projection panel. A bulb is positioned adjacent the edge of the face panel. A seal flap is attached to the bulb such that the seal flap projects from an outer surface of the bulb and toward a doorway of a loading dock when the seal assembly is coupled to a wall of the loading dock. | 02-26-2015 |