Patents by Inventor Bill D. JOHNSTON, JR.

Bill D. JOHNSTON, JR. has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Hybrid welding apparatus and system and method of welding
    Patent number: 8546720
    Abstract: A hybrid welding apparatus, and a system and method for welding at least two adjacent components having a large gap of approximately 3.0 millimeters that results in a full-penetration weld is provided. The welding system includes a hybrid welder having a defocused laser beam, an electric arc welder, and at least one bridge piece adjacent to one or more of the at least two adjacent components. The defocused laser beam and the electric arc welder are arranged and disposed to direct energy onto the at least two adjacent components to create a common molten pool operable to provide a full penetration weld to bridge the gap at a high constant weld speed, thereby joining the two adjacent components with a weld.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Dechao Lin, Yan Cui, Brian L Tollison, David Schick, Bill D Johnston, Jr., Srikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam
  • HYBRID WELDING APPARATUS AND SYSTEM AND METHOD OF WELDING
    Publication number: 20120261389
    Abstract: A hybrid welding apparatus, and a system and method for welding at least two adjacent components having a large gap of approximately 3.0 millimeters that results in a full-penetration weld is provided. The welding system includes a hybrid welder having a defocused laser beam, an electric arc welder, and at least one bridge piece adjacent to one or more of the at least two adjacent components. The defocused laser beam and the electric arc welder are arranged and disposed to direct energy onto the at least two adjacent components to create a common molten pool operable to provide a full penetration weld to bridge the gap at a high constant weld speed, thereby joining the two adjacent components with a weld.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Dechao LIN, Yan CUI, Brian L. TOLLISON, David SCHICK, Bill D. JOHNSTON, JR., Srikanth Chandrudu KOTTILINGAM