Franz W Kellar, 613757 Kennedy Rd, Gastonia, NC 28056

7607700, Oct 27, 2009

Feb 20, 2007

11/708825

Scott Duquette - Enfield CT, US
Franz Kellar - Gastonia NC, US

Titeflex Corporation - Springfield MA

F16L 25/00

2853345, 285331, 285903

A sealing device and method for sealing a length of tubing with a fitting, where the sealing device includes at least one sealing surface formed with a plurality of ridges. The sealing device is particularly useful for sealing at least an end corrugation of tubing in a fitting used in gas and liquid piping systems. The fitting is sized to maintain a generally circular shape of the end corrugation after the corrugation is collapsed between the ridged sealing surface and another sealing surface. In particular, an inner diameter of one or more components of the fitting can be sized such that the corrugated tubing will have a circular profile to provide an optimal seal.

7621567, Nov 24, 2009

May 24, 2006

11/440740

Scott Duquette - Enfield CT, US
Franz Kellar - Gastonia NC, US

Titeflex Corporation - Springfield MA

F16L 25/00

2853345, 285331, 285903

A sealing device and method for sealing a length of tubing with a fitting is provided, where the sealing device includes at least one sealing surface formed with a plurality of ridges. The ridges include at least one end ridge and at least one internal ridge which are spaced apart by a predetermined distance, and formed with a desired geometry such as U-shaped, V-shaped, or various other shapes and with different sealing faces such as curved or flat. The ridges are spaced apart in a manner to maximize sealing pressure, and produce stress concentrations and localized deformations, in order to create a seal at lower torques or on stiffer tubing or tubing with at least one minor defect such as a dent or weld. The sealing device is particularly useful for sealing an end corrugation of tubing in a fitting used in gas and liquid piping systems.

7661935, Feb 16, 2010

Feb 17, 2005

11/059856

Franz W. Kellar - Gastonia NC, US
Donald G. Faulkner - Charlotte NC, US

Kinemax Pump Systems LLC - Gastonia NC

F04B 19/02
F04B 27/06

417464, 417271, 417273

An ultrahigh pressure pump includes a frame including at least one radially-extending member having an outer frame pivot disposed at outer end thereof; a crank rotatably mounted in the frame and adapted to be driven by a power source and a crank pin offset from a rotational axis of the crank; and at least one radially-extending telescoping pump subassembly having inner and outer ends. The outer end of each pump subassembly is attached to the outer frame pivot for pivotal swinging movement thereabout, and the inner end is pivotally attached to the crank pin. The pump subassembly operates substantially free from side loads on the piston rod and has a long component life.

7673846, Mar 9, 2010

Dec 18, 2006

11/611920

Jeffrey D. Jennings - Hendersonville NC, US
Franz W. Kellar - Gastonia NC, US
Donald G. Faulkner - Charlotte NC, US

F16K 7/04

251 5, 251 4, 13759901

A pressure regulating valve includes a body having an outer surface, the interior of the body defining an inlet chamber adapted to receive a fluid at a process pressure, and an outlet chamber. The body includes at least one inlet passage communicating with the inlet chamber and the outer surface, and at least one outlet passage communicating with the outer surface and the outlet chamber. A reference housing is adapted to be disposed in fluid communication with a fluid at a predetermined reference pressure. An annular membrane is disposed between the body and the reference housing, so as to circumscribe the inlet and outlet passages. The membrane is arranged such that, when the reference pressure is higher than the process pressure the membrane engages at least one outlet passage, and when the process pressure is higher than the reference pressure, the membrane is not engaged with the outlet passage.

7905919, Mar 15, 2011

Feb 26, 2010

12/714288

Franz W. Kellar - Gastonia NC, US
Harold Lloyd Crowder - Concord NC, US

BioMedFlex LLC - Gastonia NC

A61F 2/28
A61F 2/44
A61F 2/30
A61F 2/32

623 1611, 623 1714, 623 1811, 623 2211, 623 223, 623 234, 623 2343

A prosthetic joint includes: (a) a bone-implantable first member comprising a rigid material and including a body having an annular flange extending outward at a first end thereof, the first end of the body and the flange cooperatively defining a wear-resistant concave first contact surface having a protruding rim and a recessed central portion; and (b) a bone-implantable second member comprising a rigid material with a wear-resistant convex second contact surface; (c) where the first and second contact surfaces bear directly against each other so as to transfer axial and lateral loads from one of the members to the other, while allowing pivoting motion between the two members; (d) wherein the flange is shaped so as to deform elastically and permit the first contact surface to conform to the second contact surface when the joint is placed under a predetermined load.

7914580, Mar 29, 2011

Jun 29, 2010

12/826620

Franz W. Kellar - Gastonia NC, US

BioMedFlex LLC - Gastonia NC

A61F 2/28
A61F 2/30
A61F 2/32

623 1611, 623 1811, 623 2211, 623 223, 623 234, 623 2342, 623 2343

A prosthetic joint includes: (a) a first member comprising rigid material including a wear-resistant, concave cup surface; and (b) a second member comprising rigid material with a wear-resistant, convex contact surface; (c) one of the surfaces includes: (i) an annular first flange defining a protruding wear-resistant first contact rim at or near an apex of the member; and (ii) an annular second flange defining a protruding wear-resistant second contact rim, at or near an outer periphery of the member; (d) the first and second contact rims bear directly against the contact surface, so as to transfer loads between the first and second members, while allowing pivoting motion therebetween; and (e) the flanges are shaped and sized so as to deform elastically and permit the contact rims to conform in an irregular shape to the surface of the opposite member, when the joint is placed under a predetermined load.

8029574, Oct 4, 2011

Dec 31, 2010

12/983191

Franz W. Kellar - Gastonia NC, US
Harold Lloyd Crowder - Concord NC, US
Glenn A. Rupp - Cramerton NC, US

BioMedFlex LLC - Gastonia NC

A61F 2/30
A61F 2/38
A61F 2/44
A61F 2/32

623 2341, 623 1811, 623 2014, 623 2015, 623 2021, 623 2022, 623 2032, 623 2339, 623 234, 623 2343, 623 2035

A prosthetic knee joint includes: (a) a femoral member comprising rigid material with a convex, wear-resistant femoral contact surface including a convex ridge; (b) a tibial assembly including: (i) at least one cup comprising rigid material with a body and a rim substantially thicker than the body defining a wear-resistant cup contact surface; (ii) a rigid base; and (iii) a spring support interconnecting the cup and the base, the spring support elastically deflectable permitting controlled pivoting of the at least one cup; (c) wherein the cup contact surface bears against the femoral contact surface, transferring axial and lateral loads between the cup and femoral member, while allowing pivoting between the cup and femoral member; and (d) wherein the at least one cup allows the rim to deform elastically, permitting the cup contact surface to conform in an irregular shape to the femoral contact surface, when the knee joint is loaded.

8070823, Dec 6, 2011

Mar 28, 2011

13/073963

Franz W. Kellar - Gastonia NC, US
Harold Lloyd Crowder - Concord NC, US

BioMedFlex LLC - Gastonia NC

A61F 2/30
A61F 2/28
A61F 2/32
A61F 2/44

623 234, 623 1611, 623 1714, 623 1811, 623 2211, 623 223, 623 2342, 623 2343

A prosthetic joint includes: (a) first member having a balanced centroidal axis, and comprising a rigid material and a concave interior defining a cup surface, the cup surface including: (i) a cantilevered first flange defining a wear-resistant protruding first contact rim, the first flange being asymmetric relative to the balanced centroidal axis; and (ii) a cantilevered second flange defining a wear-resistant protruding second contact rim; (b) a second member comprising a rigid material with a wear-resistant, convex contact surface; (c) where the first and second contact rims bear against the contact surface of the second member, to transfer loads between the first and second members, while allowing pivoting motion therebetween; and (d) wherein the flanges are shaped and sized so as to deform elastically and permit the first and second contact rims to conform in an irregular shape to the contact surface, when the joint is under load.