Patents by Inventor Jeffrey A. Melby
Jeffrey A. Melby 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: 9915049Abstract: Armor units for rubble mound structures including breakwaters, revetments, groins, jetties, and the like. Embodiments are appropriate for ocean, river, lake and reservoir structure armoring, to prevent erosion from damaging hydrodynamic forces resulting from waves and water currents, and the like. An embodiment includes a central rectangular section, three “half H-shaped” appendages, optionally, one end frusta, and a flat bottom with two extrusions, nominally smaller than other appendages and frusta. An embodiment is symmetric about two perpendicularly intersecting vertical planes extending through the centroid of the unit. The three half H-shaped members are connected to outer parts of a side defined as the top and the two longitudinal sides of the central section. The three half H-shaped members comprise four-sided frusta that taper from a base at the central rectangular section to four-sided distal ends. For select embodiments, the frusta are generally symmetric.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2014Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by The Secretary of The ArmyInventors: Stephen R Collinsworth, Jeffrey A Melby
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Publication number: 20160017556Abstract: Armor units for rubble mound structures including breakwaters, revetments, groins, jetties, and the like. Embodiments are appropriate for ocean, river, lake and reservoir structure armoring, to prevent erosion from damaging hydrodynamic forces resulting from waves and water currents, and the like. An embodiment includes a central rectangular section, three “half H-shaped” appendages, optionally, one end frusta, and a flat bottom with two extrusions, nominally smaller than other appendages and frusta. An embodiment is symmetric about two perpendicularly intersecting vertical planes extending through the centroid of the unit. The three half H-shaped members are connected to outer parts of a side defined as the top and the two longitudinal sides of the central section. The three half H-shaped members comprise four-sided frusta that taper from a base at the central rectangular section to four-sided distal ends. For select embodiments, the frusta are generally symmetric.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2014Publication date: January 21, 2016Applicant: United States as Represented by the Secretary of the ArmyInventors: Stephen R. Collinsworth, Jeffrey A. Melby
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Patent number: 8132985Abstract: Armor units for rubble mound structures including breakwaters, revetments, groins, jetties, and the like. Embodiments are appropriate for ocean, river, lake and reservoir structure armoring, to prevent erosion from damaging hydrodynamic forces resulting from waves and water currents, and the like. An embodiment includes a central rectangular section, three “half H-shaped” appendages, two identical frusta (end members), and a flat bottom with two extrusions, nominally smaller than other appendages and frusta. An embodiment is symmetric about two perpendicularly intersecting vertical planes extending through the centroid of the unit. The three half H-shaped members are connected to outer parts of a side defined as the top and the two longitudinal sides of the central section. The three half H-shaped members and the two end members comprise four-sided frusta that taper from a base at the central rectangular section to four-sided distal ends. For select embodiments, the frusta are generally symmetric.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2008Date of Patent: March 13, 2012Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the ArmyInventors: Jeffrey A. Melby, Stephen R. Collinsworth
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Publication number: 20100104366Abstract: Armor units for rubble mound structures including breakwaters, revetments, groins, jetties, and the like. Embodiments are appropriate for ocean, river, lake and reservoir structure armoring, to prevent erosion from damaging hydrodynamic forces resulting from waves and water currents, and the like. An embodiment includes a central rectangular section, three “half H-shaped” appendages, two identical frusta (end members), and a flat bottom with two extrusions, nominally smaller than other appendages and frusta. An embodiment is symmetric about two perpendicularly intersecting vertical planes extending through the centroid of the unit. The three half H-shaped members are connected to outer parts of a side defined as the top and the two longitudinal sides of the central section. The three half H-shaped members and the two end members comprise four-sided frusta that taper from a base at the central rectangular section to four-sided distal ends. For select embodiments, the frusta are generally symmetric.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2008Publication date: April 29, 2010Inventor: Jeffrey A. Melby
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Patent number: 5620280Abstract: An armor unit for protecting coastal, river, lake, and reservoir banks, shorelines, and other structures from the damaging hydrodynamic forces of waves and water currents. The armor unit has a central elongate member having a longitudinal axis and first and second outer elongate members connected with the central elongate member on opposite sides thereof. The first and second outer elongate members have parallel longitudinal axes extending normal to the longitudinal axis of the central elongate member. The elongate members may each have an octagonal cross section decreasing from an intermediate portion toward the opposite ends. When a plurality of units are interlocked to define a protective array, a high degree of wedging is afforded between the octagonal members.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 1995Date of Patent: April 15, 1997Assignee: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as Represented by the Secretary of the ArmyInventors: Jeffrey A. Melby, George F. Turk
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Patent number: 5556230Abstract: The present invention describes a cylindrical armor unit for use in a revent structure, herein referred to as Vatia Stone. These units are shaped for: i) optimal strength, positional stability and durability; ii) interlocking along all major axes; iii) flexible interlocking capability with each other for abrupt transitions in shorelines; and iv) natural aesthetic qualities. These qualities in combination provide a significant improvement over existing structures. The Vatia Stones are uniformly placed over an erosion controlled shoreline surface and have an optimal interlocking capability between individual units for maximum stabilization. Each unit has an upper and lower surface which can be shaped geometrically to fit the natural surroundings, e.g. look like natural stone as one example.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 1994Date of Patent: September 17, 1996Assignee: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as represented by the Secretary of the ArmyInventors: George F. Turk, Jeffrey A. Melby
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Patent number: 5441362Abstract: A concrete armor or erosion prevention module for the protection of river, lake, and reservoir banks, shorelines and other structures is characterized by a central elongate concrete member and two outer elongate concrete members connected on opposites sides of the central member. The outer members have parallel longitudinal axes extending normal to the longitudinal axis of the central member. These elongate members all have an octagonal cross-section and are further configured such that their cross-sectional area decreases from an intermediate portion towards opposite ends thereof. A plurality of the modules may be interlocked to form a cohesive array or barrier which protects shorelines and other structure from erosive hydrodynamic forces.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 1993Date of Patent: August 15, 1995Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the ArmyInventors: Jeffrey A. Melby, George F. Turk