Patents by Inventor Frank Worthoff

Frank Worthoff 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: 7972109
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a fan assembly is provided, wherein the method includes providing a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades. At least one rotor blade is fabricated from a frangible material. The method also includes coupling a casing substantially circumferentially about the rotor, and positioning the casing a distance from the plurality of rotor blades. The distance is selected to facilitate increasing an amount of initial resistance created between the casing and the plurality of rotor blades after a bladeout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David William Crall, Frank Worthoff, Daniel Edward Mollmann, Nicholas Joseph Kray, Max Farson
  • Patent number: 7749927
    Abstract: Tethered flange corners including at least one ply of barrier fibers and at least one fiber tow wrapped about the barrier fibers. Also included are flanges having a tethered corner containing at least one ply of barrier fibers, at least one fiber tow wrapped about the barrier fibers, at least one ply of filler fibers applied over the fiber tow, and at least one ply of flange fibers applied over the filler fibers. Additionally included are articles incorporating a composite structure having a flange with a tethered corner containing at least one ply of barrier fibers and at least one fiber tow wrapped about the barrier fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Lee Alan Blanton, Curt Brian Curtis, Frank Worthoff
  • Publication number: 20080157418
    Abstract: Methods for fabricating a composite structure with a flange having a tethered corner involving providing a composite structure forming tool including a first endplate and a second endplate and having a composite structure formed thereabout, applying at least one ply of barrier fibers about the composite structure adjacent to the first endplate of the composite structure forming tool, and wrapping at least one fiber tow about the barrier fibers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventors: Lee Alan Blanton, Curt Brian Curtis, Frank Worthoff
  • Publication number: 20080159854
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a fan assembly is provided, wherein the method includes providing a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades. At least one rotor blade is fabricated from a frangible material. The method also includes coupling a casing substantially circumferentially about the rotor, and positioning the casing a distance from the plurality of rotor blades. The distance is selected to facilitate increasing an amount of initial resistance created between the casing and the plurality of rotor blades after a bladeout.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventors: David William Crall, Frank Worthoff, Daniel Edward Mollmann, Nicholas Joseph Kray, Max Farson
  • Publication number: 20080160314
    Abstract: Tethered flange comers including at least one ply of barrier fibers and at least one fiber tow wrapped about the barrier fibers. Also included are flanges having a tethered corner containing at least one ply of barrier fibers, at least one fiber tow wrapped about the barrier fibers, at least one ply of filler fibers applied over the fiber tow, and at least one ply of flange fibers applied over the filler fibers. Additionally included are articles incorporating a composite structure having a flange with a tethered corner containing at least one ply of barrier fibers and at least one fiber tow wrapped about the barrier fibers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventors: Lee Alan Blanton, Curt Brian Curtis, Frank Worthoff
  • Patent number: 7246990
    Abstract: A composite fan casing for a gas turbine engine is provided includes, in an exemplary embodiment, a core having a plurality of core layers of reinforcing fiber bonded together with a thermosetting polymeric resin. Each core layer includes a plurality of braided reinforcing fibers with the braids of reinforcing fibers aligned in a circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ming Xie, Stephen C. Mitchell, Donald George LaChapelle, Lee A. Blanton, Richard T. Price, David W. Crall, Frank Worthoff
  • Publication number: 20070081887
    Abstract: A composite fan casing for a gas turbine engine is provided includes, in an exemplary embodiment, a core having a plurality of core layers of reinforcing fiber bonded together with a thermosetting polymeric resin. Each core layer includes a plurality of braided reinforcing fibers with the braids of reinforcing fibers aligned in a circumferential direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Publication date: April 12, 2007
    Inventors: Ming Xie, Stephen Mitchell, Donald LaChapelle, Lee Blanton, Richard Price, David Crall, Frank Worthoff
  • Patent number: 7018168
    Abstract: A method facilitates fabricating a gas turbine engine. The method comprises coupling an engine casing circumferentially around a gas turbine engine. The method also comprises coupling an engine containment wrap to the gas turbine engine, such that the containment wrap circumscribes at least a portion of the gas turbine engine casing, wherein the containment wrap includes a plurality of layers coupled together such that a first layer is formed from at least three sheets coupled together such that the first sheet fibers are oriented substantially in a first direction, such that the second sheet fibers are oriented in a second direction that is offset approximately forty-five degrees from the first sheet, and such that the third sheet fibers are oriented substantially parallel to the first direction, and wherein the plurality of first sheet fibers are aligned substantially axially with the respect to the turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Frank Worthoff, Christopher Charles Glynn, David William Crall, David Lawrence Bedel
  • Publication number: 20050226714
    Abstract: A method facilitates fabricating a gas turbine engine. The method comprises coupling an engine casing circumferentially around a gas turbine engine. The method also comprises coupling an engine containment wrap to the gas turbine engine, such that the containment wrap circumscribes at least a portion of the gas turbine engine casing, wherein the containment wrap includes a plurality of layers coupled together such that a first layer is formed from at least three sheets coupled together such that the first sheet fibers are oriented substantially in a first direction, such that the second sheet fibers are oriented in a second direction that is offset approximately forty-five degrees from the first sheet, and such that the third sheet fibers are oriented substantially parallel to the first direction, and wherein the plurality of first sheet fibers are aligned substantially axially with the respect to the turbine engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2004
    Publication date: October 13, 2005
    Inventors: Frank Worthoff, Christopher Glynn, David Crall, David Bedel
  • Patent number: 6561760
    Abstract: A booster compressor includes inlet guide vanes supported from a shroud. A shell surrounds the shroud and defines a manifold. A splitter nose includes a groove receiving a forward tang of the shroud with a clearance therebetween defining an outlet for the manifold. Hot air is channeled through the manifold and out the splitter nose for deicing thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Aspi Rustom Wadia, Kenneth Edward Seitzer, Harjit Singh Hura, Frank Worthoff, Raymond Gust Holm, Eric Pierre Masse, Jason Corey Slagle
  • Publication number: 20030035719
    Abstract: A booster compressor includes inlet guide vanes supported from a shroud. A shell surrounds the shroud and defines a manifold. A splitter nose includes a groove receiving a forward tang of the shroud with a clearance therebetween defining an outlet for the manifold. Hot air is channeled through the manifold and out the splitter nose for deicing thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2001
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Inventors: Aspi Rustom Wadia, Kenneth Edward Seitzer, Harjit Singh Hura, Frank Worthoff, Raymond Gust Holm, Eric Pierre Masse, Jason Corey Slagle