Patents Examined by Richard Woo
  • Patent number: 6527504
    Abstract: A plant for utilizing the energy in the waves which are present at a given time in a section of a water area, such as an ocean or a lake. The plant comprises a base located in this section and in the shape of a platform or raft and a wave converter placed on the base and serving for transforming the wave motion of the water into whirling motion. The plant furthermore comprises a number of adjacent wave catches each having at least one catch plate for catching at least part of the water of the waves and making this water flow down along the catch plate from a top front edge to a bottom rear edge on the plate, and a whirl pipe for each wave catch for, via a slot extending along the rear edge of the at least one catch plate, taking up the water flowing along the catch plate so that this water will describe a whirling motion in the whirl pipe. The plant can utilize the average energy in the waves better and with less construction costs than known so far.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Waveplane International A/S
    Inventor: Erik Skaarup
  • Patent number: 6514044
    Abstract: The expense of a bearing employed at the interface of a yoke (22) and a propeller blade pin (14) in a variable pitch propeller assembly is reduced in a bearing construction (16) wherein a bearing race (48) includes a crowned surface (50) adapted to engage a slot (20) in the yoke (22) and having a profile (Pi) wherein the diameter at one side (88, 90) of the race (48) is less than the diameter at the opposite side (90, 88) of the race (48).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Eric J. Talasco, Paul A. Carvalho
  • Patent number: 6494679
    Abstract: A rotor, such as a rotor of an aircraft gas turbine engine, uses damper-ring devices for damping unwanted rotor vibrations. One device has inner and outer damper rings with the outer damper ring providing ring-rotor frictional damping only at large vibrational amplitudes and with the inner and outer damper rings providing inter-ring frictional damping at both small and large vibrational amplitudes. Other devices include a damper ring and a viscoelastic layer, a hollow damper ring containing particulate matter, and a damper ring in the form of a cable made of twisted single-wire strands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Aniruddha Dattatraya Gadre, Bharat Sampathkumaran Bagepalli
  • Patent number: 6474934
    Abstract: Method and apparatus are described for a guard for a rotating member. The guard comprises a shell surrounding the rotating member, and a plenum member concentrically spaced from an interior surface of the shell, the shell comprising an inlet for receiving air and an outlet for discharging the air so that rotation of the rotating member draws air through the inlet and into the plenum member and the air circulates through the plenum member to cool the shell before it exhausts through the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Dresser-Rand Company
    Inventors: William Henry Jahnke, Jr., John William Ash, Charles Alexander Greenawalt
  • Patent number: 6471472
    Abstract: A turbomachine for moving air comprising includes a shroud disposed about a longitudinal axis and a rotor assembly mounted for rotation about the longitudinal axis. The rotor assembly has a plurality of blades and tips of the blades are coupled to an annular band. The annular band is disposed with respect to the shroud so as to define a gap extending continuously between an outer surface of the annular band and an inner surface of the shroud. A seal structure extends from the inner surface of the shroud and into the gap. The seal structure has a density sufficient to reduce swirl in recirculating airflow and to minimize air leakage across the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Siemens Canada Limited
    Inventors: Frank Stauder, Ian Lockley, Sylvain Nadeau, William Holmes, Alexander Graham Hunt
  • Patent number: 6464460
    Abstract: In an air-cooled turbine blade (10) which has a shroud-band element (11) at the blade tip, the shroud-band element (11) extending transversely to the blade longitudinal axis, hollow spaces (16, 16′, 17, 17′) for cooling being provided in the interior of the shroud-band element (11), which hollow spaces (16, 16′, 17, 17′) are connected on the inlet side to at least one cooling-air passage (18) passing through the turbine blade (10) to the blade tip and open on the outlet side into the exterior space surrounding the turbine blade (10), the hollow spaces (16, 16′, 17, 17′) and the shroud-band element (11) are matched to one another in shape and dimensions in order to reduce the weight of the shroud-band element (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Alstom (Switzerland) Ltd
    Inventors: Ibrahim El-Nashar, Beat Von Arx, Bernhard Weigand, Hartmut Haehnle, Rudolf Kellerer
  • Patent number: 6454521
    Abstract: A wear resistant fuel pump for a vehicle includes a pump section having a flow channel and a rotatable impeller cooperating with said flow channel to pump fuel therethrough. The fuel pump also includes a motor section disposed adjacent the pump section and having a motor to rotate the impeller. The fuel pump further includes an outlet section disposed adjacent the motor section to allow pumped fuel to exit the fuel pump. The pump section includes a plurality of plates disposed axially adjacent to and cooperating with the impeller. At least one of the plates includes a wear insert that improves abrasion wear characteristics therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip Moore Anderson, David Edward Harris
  • Patent number: 6454524
    Abstract: A vacuum pump and a vacuum apparatus are provided in which gas suction and discharge force can be adjusted without producing dust. The vacuum apparatus includes a vacuum pump 1 for sucking and discharging gas within a chamber 90. The vacuum pump 1 is provided with a communicating pipe 85 that pierces the casing for communicating between the outside of the apparatus and the rotor blades and the stator blades of the turbomolecular pump section. An inert gas is supplied to the turbomolecular pump section through the communicating pipe 85 so that the inert gas is mixed with the gas that has sucked from the chamber 90. The communicating pipe 85 includes a valve 86, and an open/close operation of the valve 86 is controlled in accordance with an output from a pressure sensor 97 witnin the chamber 90.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Okada, Manabu Nonaka, Takashi Kabasawa
  • Patent number: 6450764
    Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for pumping a pulp suspension including a housing and an impeller including a central hub, a wheel disk surrounding the central hub, and pump blades extending radially from the central hub along the wheel disk, which includes at least one opening for discharge of an entrained gas from the pump suspension, a vacuum pump at the rear face of the impeller, and vacuum pump blades mounted for rotation within the vacuum pump housing, which includes an outer wall which is eccentrically disposed with respect to the vacuum pump blade, and a rear wall which includes a suction port for receiving the entrained gas, and with the vacuum pump housing mounted adjacent to the central hub to provide a gap therebetween, so that vacuum pump housing is axially adjustable so that the gap can be altered by axial adjustment of the vacuum pump housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Valmet Fibertech AB
    Inventors: Peter Danielsson, Kjell Forslund
  • Patent number: 6450760
    Abstract: A curved section (12) is provided at a proximal end of a fan (10), so that a rotation locus thereof is configured in a shape conforming to a flow of a cooling air such as center-dented. Accordingly, the cooling air can be smoothly sucked in by the fan (10) as well as fan shroud along an arcuate section on an inlet side. Further, since natural flow toward radially outward flow of the cooling air can be guided by an arcuate section on an outlet side, thus smoothly discharging the cooling air. Therefore, the flow of the cooling air can be made smooth entirely from upstream to downstream, thus increasing flow rate and reducing noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Furukawa, Toshihiko Nishiyama, Kengo Koshimizu
  • Patent number: 6447244
    Abstract: A method of increasing the pressure of a fluid in an aircraft centrifugal pump by forcing the fluid to make multiple passes through one impeller of the aircraft centrifugal pump is provided. It includes providing fluid through a pump inlet to an aircraft impeller inlet. The fluid then exits the impeller through a first set of discharge ports and the exiting fluid is directed to a second inlet on the same impeller. The fluid then exits the impeller through a second set of discharge ports to a pump outlet. Each pass through the impeller by the fluid increases the pressure thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Argo-Tech Corporation
    Inventor: Martin A. Clements
  • Patent number: 6447487
    Abstract: An infusion apparatus for administering drugs to a patient has a threaded shaft acting on a plunger of a syringe and is provided with protection against overdose caused by free flow. The protection is in the form of an adapter connected to the threaded shaft and having a neck and head with roughened surface extending into a threaded seat in the plunger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Cané S.R.L.
    Inventor: Mario Cane′
  • Patent number: 6439852
    Abstract: A protective guard for use with a fan or other mechanism includes main support members, perimeter support members, main screen members, and perimeter screen members with joints formed between the support members and screen members to inhibit access thereto. The support members define openings through which the screen members slidably extend to form the joints without welds. In one embodiment, the support members include unitary bars. In another embodiment, the support members comprise first and second bars having legs, which define recesses. When the upper and lower bars are attached, the recesses define openings through the support members for receiving the screen members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Andriotis, Manzar Khoshnevissan, Bruce W. Miers, Jeffery M. Othman
  • Patent number: 6439844
    Abstract: The adjoining edges of bucket covers are sealed one to the other. A brush seal projecting from a stationary shroud overlies the bucket covers. A joint at which the adjacent covers sealingly engage each other precludes radial outflow of high pressure fluid into bristles of the brush seal, preventing radial and axial deflection of the bristles and consequent failure of the bristles. The joints between the covers may comprise lap or tongue-and-groove joints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Norman Arnold Turnquist, Lawrence D. Willey, Christopher Edward Wolfe
  • Patent number: 6439840
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine fan assembly includes fan blades spaced axially from stator vanes inside an annular bypass duct. A plurality of perforated baffle plates are installed in the annular bypass duct downstream of the stator vanes. The perforated baffle plates extend in a generally axial direction and are unevenly, circumferentially spaced apart from one another to divide a major section of the annular bypass duct into a plurality of axial flow-path segments in an asymmetrical pattern to disrupt continuity, destroy a symmetrical pattern and absorb sound energy of a spinning mode of sound pressures imbedded in the air flow downstream of the stator vanes, without substantially affecting a thrust provided by the air flow when discharged from the bypass duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Man-Chun Tse
  • Patent number: 6439842
    Abstract: A stator case for a gas turbine engine having a stator and a rotor. The rotor has a plurality of circumferential rows of blades. Each blade extends radially outward from a root to a tip. The case includes a tubular shell extending axially between a forward end and an aft end. The shell has an interior surface defining a hollow interior sized and shaped for receiving at least a portion of the rotor of the gas turbine engine. The case also includes a circular forward flange extending radially outward from the forward end of the shell and a circular aft flange extending radially outward from the aft end of the shell. In addition, the case includes a circular rib extending radially outward from the shell between adjacent rows of blades. The rib is sized and shaped for adjusting transient deflections of the shell to generally match transient deflections of the tips of the plurality of rotor blades to reduce a transient clearance between the interior surface of the tubular shell and the tips of the rotor blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Myron Daniel Toomey, Brian Ellis Clouse, Michael Thomas Hogan, Craig Robert Jacobson
  • Patent number: 6439841
    Abstract: An annular turbine frame has ring disposed coaxially about an axial centerline axis and includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart ports. A plurality of circumferentially spaced apart struts are joined radially to the ring by devises on the ring. Each strut has radially opposite first and second ends, and a through channel extending therebetween. Each of the channels is aligned with a corresponding one of the ports. Each of the ports has a port counterbore though a radially outer portion of the port forming a shoulder in the port. A seal is disposed within the port counterbore between the shoulder and the strut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Tod Kenneth Bosel
  • Patent number: 6435824
    Abstract: A gas turbine stationary shroud is a curved stationary shroud body having a concave inner gas-path surface and a generally convex back. The curved stationary shroud body is made of an open-cell solid ceramic foam having ceramic cell walls with intracellular volume therebetween. The ceramic foam may be tailored to provide requirement properties. The ceramic adjacent to the gas path surface may be modified to increase or decrease its abrasion resistance, depending upon the design requirements of the stationary shroud. The intracellular volume adjacent to the gas-path surface may be porosity. Some of the ceramic material adjacent to the back of the shroud may be removed, and the intracellular volume adjacent to the back of the shroud may be filled with a nickel-base alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: Jerry Donald Schell, Curtiss Mitchell Austin, Richard John Grylls
  • Patent number: 6435814
    Abstract: Turbine stator vane segments have radially inner and outer walls with vanes extending between them. The inner and outer walls are compartmentalized and have impingement plates. Steam flowing into the outer wall plenum passes through the impingement plate for impingement cooling of the outer wall upper surface. The spent impingement steam flows into cavities of the vane having inserts for impingement cooling the walls of the vane. The steam passes into the inner wall and through the impingement plate for impingement cooling of the inner wall surface and for return through return cavities having inserts for impingement cooling of the vane surfaces. To provide for air film cooing of select portions of the airfoil outer surface, at least one air pocket is defined on a wall of at least one of the cavities. Each air pocket is substantially closed with respect to the cooling medium in the cavity and cooling air pumped to the air pocket flows through outlet apertures in the wall of the airfoil to cool the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Yufeng Phillip Yu, Gary Michael Itzel, Sarah Jane Osgood, Radhakrishna Bagepalli, Waylon Willard Webbon, Steven Sebastian Burdgick
  • Patent number: 6435818
    Abstract: A blower housing having a casing with a resilient bottom piece and a rigid top piece assembling with the bottom piece to define an interior of the casing is provided. The bottom piece of the blower housing directly abuts a blower mounting surface. The top piece supports a blower motor. The bottom piece is constructed from a vibration dampening material. The top piece is constructed from a rigid material. The vibration absorbing material attenuates noise and other vibrations transmitted from the blower motor and impeller of the blower housing to the blower mounting surface and other associated structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Jakel Incorporated
    Inventor: William Stuart Gatley, Jr.