Patents by Inventor Bruce D. Hansen
Bruce D. Hansen 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).
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Patent number: 11655880Abstract: A gear system for a rotary wing aircraft includes a first gear including an inner gear portion having a first pitch and an outer gear portion having a second pitch that is distinct from the first pitch. A second gear includes a third pitch driven at a driving rotational speed. An actuator member is coupled to the second gear while driven at the driving rotational speed. The actuator member shifts the second gear along the first gear to engage with one of the inner gear portion and the outer gear portion to drive the first gear at a first rotational speed and engage with other one of the inner gear portion and the outer gear portion to drive the first gear at a second rotational speed. A controller is operable to control the actuator member to shift the second gear between the inner gear portion and the outer gear portion.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2020Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATIONInventor: Bruce D. Hansen
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Patent number: 11391356Abstract: A hybrid gear includes a first portion having a plurality of first engagement features formed from a first material and having a first stiffness and a second portion having a plurality of second engagement features in intermeshing arrangement with the plurality of first engagement features. The plurality of second engagement features is formed from a second material distinct from the first material and having a second stiffness. The first stiffness of the plurality of first engagement features is within 20% of the second stiffness of the plurality of second engagement features.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2019Date of Patent: July 19, 2022Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft CorporationInventors: Wei Hu, Shane Lewis, Bruce D. Hansen, Bryan Kenneth Baskin
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Publication number: 20220010862Abstract: A gear system for a rotary wing aircraft includes a first gear including an inner gear portion having a first pitch and an outer gear portion having a second pitch that is distinct from the first pitch. A second gear includes a third pitch driven at a driving rotational speed. An actuator member is coupled to the second gear while driven at the driving rotational speed. The actuator member shifts the second gear along the first gear to engage with one of the inner gear portion and the outer gear portion to drive the first gear at a first rotational speed and engage with other one of the inner gear portion and the outer gear portion to drive the first gear at a second rotational speed. A controller is operable to control the actuator member to shift the second gear between the inner gear portion and the outer gear portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 8, 2020Publication date: January 13, 2022Inventor: Bruce D. Hansen
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Patent number: 11041221Abstract: A method of manufacturing a part is provided. The method includes heating a gear in the presence of carbon to carburize a material of the gear to create a carburized gear, the gear having a plurality of gear teeth and which comprises a selected material. Next, the carburized gear is high pressure gas quenched to drive the carbon into the material of the gear to create a quenched gear. Next, the quenched gear is at least one of cavitation peened and laser peened to create a peened gear. Finally, superfinishing is performed on surfaces of the peened gear.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2019Date of Patent: June 22, 2021Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft CorporationInventor: Bruce D. Hansen
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Patent number: 10821532Abstract: A herringbone gear includes a cylindrical body having a circumferential face having a width. A first helical gear tooth on the circumferential face has a first configuration, a second helical gear tooth on the circumferential face has a second configuration, and a transition on the circumferential face extends between the first helical gear tooth and the second helical gear tooth. An involute form taken within a transverse plane of the circumferential face remains constant over the width.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2017Date of Patent: November 3, 2020Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft CorporationInventors: Edward H. Bittner, Bruce D. Hansen, Christopher John Mussel
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Patent number: 10746226Abstract: A method of making bearings includes treating a metallic surface of a bearing raceway with a pulsed electrochemical processing nozzle to transform the amorphous oxide into a crystalline structure on the metallic surface electro-chemically and convert the metallic surface into a ceramic like hardness surface. Treating the metallic surface can include forming a gradient in material composition transitioning from a purely metallic material at a cross-sectional position within the bearing raceway to a purely crystalline structure material at the ceramic like hardness surface of the bearing raceway.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2019Date of Patent: August 18, 2020Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATIONInventors: Bruce D. Hansen, William P. Fallon, Jr.
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Patent number: 10717154Abstract: A gearbox is provided having a housing, a gear having a plurality of teeth operationally configured within the housing, and a laser peening device located within the housing and configured to perform active laser peening on a predetermined surface of the gear while the gear is rotated within the housing. A method of maintaining compressive residual stresses in a gear is provided, the method including operating a gearbox to rotate a gear within the gearbox and laser peening a predetermined surface of the gear with a laser peening device located within the gearbox.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2016Date of Patent: July 21, 2020Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATIONInventor: Bruce D. Hansen
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Patent number: 10646938Abstract: A method of manufacturing a gear, the method includes applying a first charge to a workpiece and applying a second, opposite charge to an electrochemical machining (ECM) attachment, the ECM attachment having a pattern. The method further includes simultaneously forming a plurality of surfaces of a gear tooth in the workpiece using the pattern of the ECM attachment while applying the first charge to the workpiece and applying the second charge to the ECM attachment and turning the workpiece and the ECM attachment in opposite rotational directions. The plurality of surfaces includes at least one end face and a top land of the gear tooth.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2018Date of Patent: May 12, 2020Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATIONInventors: Edward H. Bittner, William Patrick Murphy, Bruce D. Hansen, Christopher J. Mussel, Yuriy Gmirya
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Publication number: 20200063798Abstract: A method of making bearings includes treating a metallic surface of a bearing raceway with a pulsed electrochemical processing nozzle to transform the amorphous oxide into a crystalline structure on the metallic surface electro-chemically and convert the metallic surface into a ceramic like hardness surface. Treating the metallic surface can include forming a gradient in material composition transitioning from a purely metallic material at a cross-sectional position within the bearing raceway to a purely crystalline structure material at the ceramic like hardness surface of the bearing raceway.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2019Publication date: February 27, 2020Inventors: Bruce D. Hansen, William P. Fallon, JR.
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Publication number: 20200040414Abstract: A method of manufacturing a part is provided. The method includes heating a gear in the presence of carbon to carburize a material of the gear to create a carburized gear, the gear having a plurality of gear teeth and which comprises a selected material. Next, the carburized gear is high pressure gas quenched to drive the carbon into the material of the gear to create a quenched gear. Next, the quenched gear is at least one of cavitation peened and laser peened to create a peened gear. Finally, superfinishing is performed on surfaces of the peened gear.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2019Publication date: February 6, 2020Inventor: Bruce D. Hansen
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Publication number: 20200025279Abstract: A hybrid gear includes a first portion having a plurality of first engagement features formed from a first material and having a first stiffness and a second portion having a plurality of second engagement features in intermeshing arrangement with the plurality of first engagement features. The plurality of second engagement features is formed from a second material distinct from the first material and having a second stiffness. The first stiffness of the plurality of first engagement features is within 20% of the second stiffness of the plurality of second engagement features.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2019Publication date: January 23, 2020Inventors: Wei Hu, Shane Lewis, Bruce D. Hansen, Bryan Kenneth Baskin
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Patent number: 10494708Abstract: A method of carburizing a steel component having a composition of Fe-16.3Co-7.5Ni-3.5Cr-1.75Mo-0.2W-0.11C-0.03Ti-0.02V includes generating a low pressure vacuum in a carburization furnace having the steel component therein, heating the steel component to an optimal carburization temperature while in the low pressure vacuum, performing a boost cycle to introduce carbon rich gas into the carburization furnace while the steel component is at the optimal carburization temperature and in the low pressure vacuum, and performing a diffuse cycle by ceasing introduction of the carbon rich gas into the carburization furnace to allow for diffusion of the carbon into the steel component to occur and while the steel component is at the optimal carburization temperature and in the low pressure vacuum. The boost cycle and the diffuse cycle are repeated to achieve a carbon content at a surface of the steel component of between 0.40 wt. % and 0.55 wt. %.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2016Date of Patent: December 3, 2019Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATIONInventors: Jonathan Buckley, Bruce D. Hansen
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Patent number: 10494687Abstract: A method of manufacturing a part is provided. The method includes heating a gear in the presence of carbon to carburize a material of the gear to create a carburized gear, the gear having a plurality of gear teeth and which comprises a selected material. Next, the carburized gear is high pressure gas quenched to drive the carbon into the material of the gear to create a quenched gear. Next, the quenched gear is at least one of cavitation peened and laser peened to create a peened gear. Finally, superfinishing is performed on surfaces of the peened gear.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2016Date of Patent: December 3, 2019Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATIONInventor: Bruce D. Hansen
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Patent number: 10480581Abstract: A method of making bearings includes treating a metallic surface of a bearing raceway with a pulsed electrochemical processing nozzle to transform the amorphous oxide into a crystalline structure on the metallic surface electro-chemically and convert the metallic surface into a ceramic like hardness surface. Treating the metallic surface can include forming a gradient in material composition transitioning from a purely metallic material at a cross-sectional position within the bearing raceway to a purely crystalline structure material at the ceramic like hardness surface of the bearing raceway.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2018Date of Patent: November 19, 2019Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATIONInventors: Bruce D. Hansen, William P. Fallon, Jr.
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Publication number: 20190210130Abstract: A method of manufacturing a gear, the method includes applying a first charge to a workpiece and applying a second, opposite charge to an electrochemical machining (ECM) attachment, the ECM attachment having a pattern. The method further includes simultaneously forming a plurality of surfaces of a gear tooth in the workpiece using the pattern of the ECM attachment while applying the first charge to the workpiece and applying the second charge to the ECM attachment and turning the workpiece and the ECM attachment in opposite rotational directions. The plurality of surfaces includes at least one end face and a top land of the gear tooth.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2018Publication date: July 11, 2019Inventors: EDWARD H. BITTNER, WILLIAM PATRICK MURPHY, BRUCE D. HANSEN, CHRISTOPHER J. MUSSEL, YURIY GMIRYA
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Patent number: 10295039Abstract: A method of manufacturing a gear is provided. The method includes forming a plurality of gear teeth in a surface of a gear, the gear teeth having tooth faces defining tooth edges including tooth edge flanks and tooth edge top land and generating a convex contour at an edge break of at least one of the tooth edge flanks and tooth edge top land.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2017Date of Patent: May 21, 2019Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATIONInventors: Edward H. Bittner, Bruce D. Hansen, Christopher John Mussel
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Publication number: 20190022778Abstract: A herringbone gear includes a cylindrical body having a circumferential face having a width. A first helical gear tooth on the circumferential face has a first configuration, a second helical gear tooth on the circumferential face has a second configuration, and a transition on the circumferential face extends between the first helical gear tooth and the second helical gear tooth. An involute form taken within a transverse plane of the circumferential face remains constant over the width.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2017Publication date: January 24, 2019Inventors: Edward H. BITTNER, Bruce D. HANSEN, Christopher John MUSSEL
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Publication number: 20180347630Abstract: A method of making bearings includes treating a metallic surface of a bearing raceway with a pulsed electrochemical processing nozzle to transform the amorphous oxide into a crystalline structure on the metallic surface electro-chemically and convert the metallic surface into a ceramic like hardness surface. Treating the metallic surface can include forming a gradient in material composition transitioning from a purely metallic material at a cross-sectional position within the bearing raceway to a purely crystalline structure material at the ceramic like hardness surface of the bearing raceway.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2018Publication date: December 6, 2018Inventors: Bruce D. Hansen, William P. Fallon, JR.
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Publication number: 20180236599Abstract: A gearbox is provided having a housing, a gear having a plurality of teeth operationally configured within the housing, and a laser peening device located within the housing and configured to perform active laser peening on a predetermined surface of the gear while the gear is rotated within the housing. A method of maintaining compressive residual stresses in a gear is provided, the method including operating a gearbox to rotate a gear within the gearbox and laser peening a predetermined surface of the gear with a laser peening device located within the gearbox.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2016Publication date: August 23, 2018Inventor: Bruce D. Hansen
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Publication number: 20180119266Abstract: A method of carburizing a steel component having a composition of Fe-16.3Co-7.5Ni-3.5Cr-1.75Mo-0.2W-0.11C-0.03Ti-0.02V includes generating a low pressure vacuum in a carburization furnace having the steel component therein, heating the steel component to an optimal carburization temperature while in the low pressure vacuum, performing a boost cycle to introduce carbon rich gas into the carburization furnace while the steel component is at the optimal carburization temperature and in the low pressure vacuum, and performing a diffuse cycle by ceasing introduction of the carbon rich gas into the carburization furnace to allow for diffusion of the carbon into the steel component to occur and while the steel component is at the optimal carburization temperature and in the low pressure vacuum. The boost cycle and the diffuse cycle are repeated to achieve a carbon content at a surface of the steel component of between 0.40 wt. % and 0.55 wt. %.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2016Publication date: May 3, 2018Applicant: Sikorsky Aircraft CorporationInventors: Jonathan Buckley, Bruce D. Hansen