Patents by Inventor Eric Eicher McCONNELL

Eric Eicher McCONNELL 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).

  • Patent number: 11565477
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a test article for additive manufacture and related methods. A test article formed may include a body having a forward face and a rearward face horizontally opposite the forward face. A first surface extending between the forward face and the rearward face of the body may include a plurality of protrusions for removable coupling of the body to a build plate. A second surface on the body may extend between the forward face and the rearward face of the body, and may include a plurality of angled flat surface portions. Each of the plurality of angled flat surface portions may have a distinct angle with respect to a horizontal plane of the body. An angular difference between each adjacent angled flat surface portion in the plurality of angled flat surface portions is substantially uniform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Clay Thomas Griffis, Steven Charles Woods, Tiffany Muller Craft, Evan John Dozier, Eric Eicher McConnell
  • Publication number: 20220080667
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a test article for additive manufacture and related methods. A test article formed may include a body having a forward face and a rearward face horizontally opposite the forward face. A first surface extending between the forward face and the rearward face of the body may include a plurality of protrusions for removable coupling of the body to a build plate. A second surface on the body may extend between the forward face and the rearward face of the body, and may include a plurality of angled flat surface portions. Each of the plurality of angled flat surface portions may have a distinct angle with respect to a horizontal plane of the body. An angular difference between each adjacent angled flat surface portion in the plurality of angled flat surface portions is substantially uniform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Inventors: Clay Thomas Griffis, Steven Charles Woods, Tiffany Muller Craft, Evan John Dozier, Eric Eicher McConnell
  • Patent number: 10401267
    Abstract: A test feature is disclosed that is formed during metal powder additive manufacturing of a production part. The test feature may include a metal powder sample capsule including a chamber for capturing unfused powder from the metal powder additive manufacturing, and a removable cap closing an end of the chamber. Alternatively, a test feature may include a quality control (QC) part, and at least one additional test element including a metal powder sample capsule integrally coupled to the QC part and including a chamber for capturing unfused powder from the metal powder additive manufacturing. The QC part is identical to the production part excepting the at least one test element. The QC part and the at least one test element are formed during the same metal powder additive manufacturing as the production part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jose Troitino Lopez, Tiffany Muller Craft, Donnell Eugene Crear, Kassy Moy Hart, Kamilla Koenig-Urban, Eric Eicher McConnell, Danijel Medved
  • Patent number: 10174414
    Abstract: Manufactured articles, and methods of manufacturing enhanced surface smoothed components and articles. More particularly, surface smoothed components and articles, such as combustor components of turbine engines, having surface treatment conferring reduced roughness for enhanced performance and reduced wear related reduction in part life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Dechao Lin, David Vincent Bucci, Srikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam, Yan Cui, David Edward Schick, Eric Eicher McConnell, David Singletary
  • Publication number: 20180299359
    Abstract: A test feature is disclosed that is formed during metal powder additive manufacturing of a production part. The test feature may include a metal powder sample capsule including a chamber for capturing unfused powder from the metal powder additive manufacturing, and a removable cap closing an end of the chamber. Alternatively, a test feature may include a quality control (QC) part, and at least one additional test element including a metal powder sample capsule integrally coupled to the QC part and including a chamber for capturing unfused powder from the metal powder additive manufacturing. The QC part is identical to the production part excepting the at least one test element. The QC part and the at least one test element are formed during the same metal powder additive manufacturing as the production part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: Jose Troitino Lopez, Tiffany Muller Craft, Donnell Eugene Crear, Kassy Moy Hart, Kamilla Koenig-Urban, Eric Eicher McConnell, Danijel Medved
  • Publication number: 20180230584
    Abstract: Manufactured articles, and methods of manufacturing enhanced surface smoothed components and articles. More particularly, surface smoothed components and articles, such as combustor components of turbine engines, having surface treatment conferring reduced roughness for enhanced performance and reduced wear related reduction in part life.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Inventors: Dechao LIN, David Vincent BUCCI, Srikanth Chandrudu KOTTILINGAM, Yan CUI, David Edward SCHICK, Eric Eicher McCONNELL, David SINGLETARY
  • Publication number: 20180036964
    Abstract: A method for inspection and assessment of 3D manufactured parts and operational performance of a 3D manufacturing apparatus is provided. The method includes the step of obtaining, in real-time during a 3D printing build process in which at least one structure or part is built by the 3D manufacturing apparatus, an electro-magnetic scan of an area of a build platform on which the at least one structure is built. An evaluating step evaluates, by a processor, the electro-magnetic scan. A determining step determines, based on the evaluating step, whether an operational flaw with the 3D manufacturing apparatus has occurred.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ehsan DehghanNiri, Curtis Wayne Rose, Eric Eicher McConnell
  • Publication number: 20180038779
    Abstract: A component, a method of making a component and a method of monitoring strain. The component has an array of internal nodes with a radiopacity distinct from the predominant radiopacity of the component. Displacement of the nodes can be measured and used to calculate strain on the component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Inventors: Ehsan Dehghan Niri, William F. Ranson, Eric Eicher McConnell, Jeffrey Michael Breznak
  • Patent number: 9187816
    Abstract: Methods of reducing an initial cross-sectional area of a hole in a component to a predetermined cross-sectional area including preparing a composition comprising at least an aluminum alloy with a melting temperature higher than aluminum, applying the composition to an interior surface of the hole, and then heating the component to cause a metal within the component to diffuse from the component into the composition and react with the aluminum alloy in the composition to form a coating on the interior surface of the hole. The heating step is performed to selectively modify the initial cross-sectional area of the hole and thereby directly attain the predetermined cross-sectional area thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Stephen Gerard Pope, Dennis William Cavanaugh, John Gregory Obeirne, Eric Eicher McConnell, Mark Lawrence Hunt, Canan Hardwicke
  • Patent number: 9174309
    Abstract: A turbine component and a process of fabricating a component are disclosed. The process includes excavating a base metal of the component to form a fill region and filling the fill region with a filler metal. The filler metal has a filler metal elongation that is at least 25% greater than a base metal elongation of the base metal. The filler includes, by weight, between about 4% and about 7% iron, between about 14% and about 17% chromium, between about 15% and about 17% molybdenum, between about 3% and about 5% tungsten, up to about 0.02% carbon, up to about 1% manganese, up to about 2.5% cobalt, and a balance of nickel and/or the filler metal elongation is greater than about 35% in/in per two inches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Eric Eicher McConnell, Stephen Gerard Pope, Bill Damon Johnston, John Gregory Obeirne
  • Publication number: 20140124100
    Abstract: Methods of reducing an initial cross-sectional area of a hole in a component to a predetermined cross-sectional area including preparing a composition comprising at least an aluminum alloy with a melting temperature higher than aluminum, applying the composition to an interior surface of the hole, and then heating the component to cause a metal within the component to diffuse from the component into the composition and react with the aluminum alloy in the composition to form a coating on the interior surface of the hole. The heating step is performed to selectively modify the initial cross-sectional area of the hole and thereby directly attain the predetermined cross-sectional area thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Stephen Gerard Pope, Dennis William Cavanaugh, John Gregory Obeirne, Eric Eicher McConnell, Mark Lawrence Hunt, Canan Hardwicke
  • Publication number: 20140030548
    Abstract: A turbine component and a process of fabricating a component are disclosed. The process includes excavating a base metal of the component to form a fill region and filling the fill region with a filler metal. The filler metal has a filler metal elongation that is at least 25% greater than a base metal elongation of the base metal. The filler includes, by weight, between about 4% and about 7% iron, between about 14% and about 17% chromium, between about 15% and about 17% molybdenum, between about 3% and about 5% tungsten, up to about 0.02% carbon, up to about 1% manganese, up to about 2.5% cobalt, and a balance of nickel and/or the filler metal elongation is greater than about 35% in/in per two inches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Eric Eicher McCONNELL, Stephen Gerard POPE, Bill Damon JOHNSTON, John Gregory OBEIRNE