Patents Examined by Edward Landrum
  • Patent number: 8985956
    Abstract: The present application provides a compressive stress system for a gas turbine engine. The compressive stress system may include a first bucket attached to a rotor, a second bucket attached to the rotor, the first and the second buckets defining a shank pocket therebetween, and a compressive stress spring positioned within the shank pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Nicholas Alvin Hogberg
  • Patent number: 8944768
    Abstract: A composite turbine blade and a method of manufacture thereof is disclosed. The composite turbine blade comprises a turbine blade portion comprising a first material and a first tip plate comprising a second material. The turbine blade portion has an exterior wall and an interior wall surrounding a hollow interior cavity, and a top surface extending from the exterior wall to the interior wall bounding an orifice that is fluidly connected to the hollow interior cavity. The first tip plate may be attached to the turbine blade along the top surface and extending from proximate the exterior wall of the turbine blade across the orifice to cover the orifice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mark L. Hunt, Paul Stephen Dimascio, Warren Martin Miglietti, Steve P. Byam, Matthew James O'Connell
  • Patent number: 8794925
    Abstract: A root region of an airfoil includes an inner ply layer group that extends from an innermost root region at least partially into an intermediate platform region, the inner ply layer group includes an outermost ply and an attachment ply layer group attached to the outermost ply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Michael G. McCaffrey
  • Patent number: 8790068
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a low-wind, dual-stage, vertical-axis, wind-generated power turbine comprising a structural support tower, at least four turbine assemblies stacked on top of one another within individual turbine bays, a central drive shaft connecting the turbine assemblies, a draft induction channel surrounding the drive shaft, a spiral blade running through the induction channel, a paddle turbine assembly at the base of the tower which propels the spiral blade, a blower source which powers the paddle turbine, a built-in solar system which feeds the blower, external, natural wind directional slats, and a high pressure, fluid-drive, Hydrabine turbine mechanically coupled to a transmission or CTV, coupled to a one Mega Watt output generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Inventor: Larry Cantwell
  • Patent number: 8783161
    Abstract: Disclosed is a wobble plate type variable displacement compressor that uses a constant velocity universal joint mechanism, which comprises an inner ring and an outer ring, balls that are held between guide grooves of the inner ring and the outer ring to transmit power, wherein a wobble plate is connected and fixed to the outer ring. In the compressor, at least any one of the guide grooves opposing each other of the inner and outer rings is formed along a guide groove cross-sectional profile to come into contact with a ball at two points. With this wobble plate type variable displacement compressor using the specified constant velocity universal joint mechanism, the ball retaining structure between the inner and outer rings in the wobble plate rotation preventing mechanism can be improved, and desired power transmission can be stably performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Sanden Corporation
    Inventor: Shinji Tagami
  • Patent number: 8784040
    Abstract: A ventilator includes a body casing having an opening formed in its lower portion and an exhaust port formed on one side; a fan that is provided in the body casing, for sucking indoor air from the opening and exhausting the indoor air from the exhaust port; a resin fan casing that has a suction port and forms an air passage of the fan; a protection frame formed outside the air passage to cover a terminal block provided outside the air passage; a resin terminal block cover that watertightly seals a protection frame opening of a lower portion of the protection frame and is opened and closed; a sheet-metal case that is provided in the protection frame and stores the terminal block; and a sheet-metal terminal block cover that opens and closes a lower opening of the sheet-metal case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Masuda, Yoshikatsu Nankaku, Daisuke Nagasaki, Akihiro Ikawa
  • Patent number: 8770939
    Abstract: In a turbine rotor blade assembly 1, a length h2 in the radial direction of a bucket dovetail 15 of a notch blade 10 is configured to be shorter than a length h3 in the radial direction of an effective blade portion 13 of a adjacent notch blade 30 and a length h4 in the radial direction of the bucket dovetail 15. Thus, during an insertion of the notch blade 10 in the axial direction, the rotational movement Rf around the radial direction and the circumferential movement of the notch blade 10 can be secured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tomohiko Tsukuda, Sakae Kawasaki, Hiroshi Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8764392
    Abstract: A rectifier stage of an axial turbine engine compressor is placed directly downstream of the input blower of a turbo-reactor or turboshaft engine compressor. The blade roots of the rectifier stage are housed inside the inner shroud by insertion into respective slots. The blade roots include at least one opening protruding from the slot of the shroud, so as to receive a spiral ring having at least two loops so as to prevent the blade roots from escaping from the respective slots of the inner shroud, and so as to form a connection between the blade roots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Techspace Aero S.A.
    Inventors: Enrique Penalver Castro, Yves Culot
  • Patent number: 8764398
    Abstract: A concentrated-mass device including a main oscillating mass held radially in a horizontal plane by main resilient means inside a casing suitable for being secured to the hub is provided. The device includes a secondary main oscillating mass suspended by secondary resilient means inside a recess in said main oscillating mass to oscillate along a vertical axis perpendicular to the horizontal plane, the secondary oscillating mass being constrained to move in translation together with the main oscillating mass in the horizontal plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
    Inventors: Vincent Girard, Stéphane Mazet
  • Patent number: 8757972
    Abstract: A disclosed example self-contained counter rotating turbo prop system includes a power generating system that produces electric power for a de-icing system. A bearing/generator assembly includes a plurality of permanent magnets and coil assemblies separated by an air gap. Relative rotation between first and second parts of the bearing/generator assembly provides for the generation of electric power utilized to drive the heating elements mounted to the propeller blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Robert H. Perkinson
  • Patent number: 8747055
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a flex mount for a fan drive gear system. A very high speed fan drive turbine drives the fan drive gear system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Michael E. McCune, Jason Husband, Frederick M. Schwarz, Daniel Bernard Kupratis, Gabriel L. Suciu, William K. Ackermann
  • Patent number: 8734091
    Abstract: A compressor includes: a compressor spool rotatable about an axis carrying axially-spaced-apart blade rows of compressor blades; a casing surrounding the compressor blades, the casing carrying a liner assembly defining a boundary of a primary compressor flowpath; and a plurality of axially-spaced-apart stator rows of stator vanes carried by the liner assembly, the stator rows alternating axially with the blade rows. At least some of the stator rows are variable stator rows, the stator vanes of which are mounted on trunnions passing through the casing, and are pivotable relative to the casing. An actuator arm is coupled to each trunnions, outside the casing. At least one first bleed slot passes through the liner structure between axially adjacent first and second ones of the variable stator rows; and a first flow path defined by the casing communicates with the first bleed slot and with the exterior of the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Ory Moniz, Thomas Viars
  • Patent number: 8726787
    Abstract: A rotary hydraulic actuator includes a housing defining a chamber, a first boss, and a port block with a bore communicating with the chamber. The port block includes rotor supply and drain ports communicating with the bore, and a stator port communicating with the chamber through a stator hole in the boss. A rotor mounted in the internal chamber includes: a body with a laterally-extending arm; a first stub shaft received in the bore, the first stub shaft including base slots passing laterally therethrough; a first rotor port disposed in the arm in communication with the internal chamber, and oriented in a tangential direction relative to an axis of rotation; and internal passages which interconnect the rotor base slots and the first rotor port. Passages in the port block communicate with the bore and interconnect the rotor supply and drain ports at a first angular position of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christopher Charles Glynn, Darek Tom Zatorski, Nicholas Rowe Dinsmore, Brandon Wayne Miller
  • Patent number: 8727714
    Abstract: A method of forming and/or assembling a multi-panel outer wall (14) for a component (12) in a machine subjected to high thermal stresses comprising providing such a component (12) that includes an inner panel wall (16) having an outer surface, and an array of interconnecting ribs (38) on the outer surface of the component (12). An intermediate panel (22) is provided and preferably preformed to a general outer contour of the component (12), and is positioned over the inner panel (16). An external pressure force is applied across a surface area of the intermediate panel (22) against the outer surface of the component (12) to contour the intermediate panel (22) according to a geometric configuration formed by the ribs (38) thereby forming cooling chambers (24) between the outer surface and ribs (38) of the component (12) and the intermediate panel (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond G. Snider, Jay A. Morrison
  • Patent number: 8720319
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a cylinder sleeve (10) having an outer mantle surface (11) that has a surface structure (12, 112, 212). According to the invention, it is provided that the mantle surface (11) is provided with elevations (13, 113, 213; 14, 118, 219), that each elevation (13, 113, 213; 14, 118, 219) has at least one rounded area (16, 116, 216) in the region of its base (B), that some of the elevations (13, 113, 213) have at least one undercut (15, 115, 215), and that at least one elevation (14, 118, 219) without undercut is disposed between two elevations (13, 113, 213) with undercut (15, 115, 215).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Bischofberger, Stefan Gaiselmann
  • Patent number: 8714929
    Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a turbine assembly is provided, wherein the turbine assembly includes a drum rotor comprising a slot and a closure bucket configured to be placed in the slot, the closure bucket including a lock pin disposed in a base member of the closure bucket. In addition, a portion of the lock pin is configured to rotatably extend into a cavity in the slot thereby securing the closure bucket within the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Manish Joshi, Vivekanandhan Thiruvettipuram Madhivanan
  • Patent number: 8707853
    Abstract: A reciprocating pump assembly having a power end housing and a fluid end housing and a cylinder having at least a portion within the power end. A plunger assembly reciprocates between the power end housing and the fluid end housing of the pump assembly, the plunger assembly having a crosshead, a first section limited to movement within the power end and a second section moveable within the fluid end housing. The pump assembly also includes a seal housing disposed within the cylinder, the seal housing having a proximal end adjacent an entrance to the cylinder, and a distal end disposed within the cylinder. A power end seal is secured to the seal housing proximate the distal end and a fluid end seal is disposed within the fluid end housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: S.P.M. Flow Control, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark C. Dille, David Arnoldy, Wesley D. Freed
  • Patent number: 8708643
    Abstract: A counter-rotatable fan turbine engine includes a counter-rotatable fan section, a worm gas generator, and a low pressure turbine to power the counter-rotatable fan section. The low pressure turbine maybe counter-rotatable or have a single direction of rotation in which case it powers the counter-rotatable fan section through a gearbox. The gas generator has inner and outer bodies having offset inner and outer axes extending through first, second, and third sections of a core assembly. At least one of the bodies is rotatable about its axis. The inner and outer bodies have intermeshed inner and outer helical blades wound about the inner and outer axes and extending radially outwardly and inwardly respectively. The helical blades have first, second, and third twist slopes in the first, second, and third sections respectively. A combustor section extends through at least a portion of the second section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rollin George Giffin, Kurt David Murrow, Oladapo Fakunle
  • Patent number: 8708645
    Abstract: A turbine rotor blade with a tip section having a pressure side and suction side tip rail that forms a squealer pocket. A number of chordwise extending ribs formed within the squealer pocket form vortex cooling channels that extend from the leading edge region and open along the pressure side tip peripheral wall. A row of tip cooling holes opens into each of the vortex cooling channels to discharge cooling air and form a vortex flow within the channels that provides both sealing and cooling for the blade tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: George Liang
  • Patent number: 8702393
    Abstract: A vertical axis windmill is disclosed which includes a set of frames attached via horizontal bars to a vertical axis of rotation, each frame comprising a plurality of swinging windows, each swinging window comprising an upper horizontal bar, vertical side bars, and a plurality of additional horizontal bars; a plurality of blinking sails comprising sheets of lightweight material, wherein the upper edge of each blinking sail is fixed at a horizontal bar, each blinking sail being allowed to move by pivoting or bending relative to the horizontal bar; a gap control rod for each of the frames, connected to each of the swinging windows in the frame such that all swinging windows in the frame move synchronously as the gap control rod is moved; and one or more electronically controlled actuators capable of moving the gap control rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Inventor: Jasim Saleh Al-Azzawi