Patents by Inventor Frank X. Ponko

Frank X. Ponko 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).

  • Apparatus and method for laser welding the inner surface of a tube
    Patent number: 5667706
    Abstract: A laser welding apparatus and method are used to weld the inner surface of small diameter tubes such as nuclear heat exchanger tubes. A weld filler metal carried by a rotatable laser weld head is fed into the weld zone to produce deeply penetrating weldments of low profile. The apparatus and method can effectively be used to repair cracks in heat exchanger tubes to thereby provide extended service life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
    Inventors: William E. Pirl, Wesley G. Pope, William G. Cole, Rodney A. Lutz, Frank X. Ponko