Patents by Inventor Mark Wadsworth
Mark Wadsworth 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: 11504925Abstract: A thermoplastic surfacer for providing lightning strike protection to a composite component of an aircraft, methods of manufacturing the surfacer, and methods of applying the surfacer to a composite part. The thermoplastic surfacer includes a broadgood having an amorphous thermoplastic resin, one or more fillers embedded into the broadgood, and a lightning strike protection mesh or foil embedded into the broadgood. When applying the surfacer to a composite part of an aircraft, the method includes draping the surfacer on an at least partially unconsolidated composite part, consolidating the at least partially unconsolidated composite part by heating the part to a temperature at or above a melt temperature of a resins used in the part and in the surfacer, and filling at least one surface defect in the consolidated part using the amorphous thermoplastic polymer resin and milled fibers provided in the thermoplastic surfacer.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2020Date of Patent: November 22, 2022Assignee: SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS, INC.Inventor: Mark A. Wadsworth
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Publication number: 20220152939Abstract: A system and method for welding thermoplastic components by positioning and moving a heated plate between the components to melt their respective faying surfaces, and as the plate moves, pressing the components together so that the melted faying surfaces bond together as they cool and re-solidify, thereby creating a composite structure. The plate has a heated portion which is positioned between and heated to melt a portion of the first and second faying surfaces. A manipulator mechanism moves the plate along an interface from between the portion to between a series of subsequent portions of the first and second faying surfaces, thereby welding the thermoplastic components along the entire interface to create the composite structure. An injection device may also move behind the plate and reciprocally inject a polymer between the first and second faying surfaces to provide toughness and crack arresting properties.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 1, 2022Publication date: May 19, 2022Applicant: Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.Inventors: Mark Wadsworth, Kerrick Robert Dando, Rahbar Nasserrafi
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Patent number: 11305497Abstract: An automated fiber placement (AFP) and in-situ fiber impregnation system includes a feeder, a resin dispenser, and a compaction roller. The feeder feeds a tow of fiber from a fiber supply toward a forming tool. The resin dispenser deposits resin onto the forming tool in front of the compaction roller. The compaction roller moves over the tow along the forming tool so as to press the tow onto the resin such that the compaction roller impregnates the resin into the tow a direction away from the forming tool via compaction forces immediately after the resin is deposited by the resin dispenser.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2020Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignee: SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS, INC.Inventor: Mark A. Wadsworth
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Publication number: 20210394467Abstract: A thermoplastic surfacer for providing lightning strike protection to a composite component of an aircraft, methods of manufacturing the surfacer, and methods of applying the surfacer to a composite part. The thermoplastic surfacer includes a broadgood having an amorphous thermoplastic resin, one or more fillers embedded into the broadgood, and a lightning strike protection mesh or foil embedded into the broadgood. When applying the surfacer to a composite part of an aircraft, the method includes draping the surfacer on an at least partially unconsolidated composite part, consolidating the at least partially unconsolidated composite part by heating the part to a temperature at or above a melt temperature of a resins used in the part and in the surfacer, and filling at least one surface defect in the consolidated part using the amorphous thermoplastic polymer resin and milled fibers provided in the thermoplastic surfacer.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2020Publication date: December 23, 2021Applicant: SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS, INC.Inventor: Mark A. Wadsworth
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Patent number: 10946974Abstract: An aircraft nacelle and method of fabricating a monolithic lipskin of the nacelle. The nacelle may include a fan cowl, a bulkhead, and the monolithic lipskin. The lipskin may be formed by spin-forming or explosive forming an annularly-shaped plate onto a mandrel, and machining or chemically-milling integrated stiffeners or other protrusions and attachment tabs into an inner mold line (IML) of the lipskin. The machining or chemical milling may occur before or after the spin-forming or explosive forming. The stiffeners may have a spiral or circumferential configuration. An attachment tab extending from the IML may attach to the bulkhead, such that an outer mold like (OML) of the lip-skin is not disrupted by mechanical fasteners attaching the lipskin to the bulkhead.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2017Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.Inventors: Dennis Lebeda, Roger Kornfeld, Amitabh Vyas, Scott E. Graves, Mark Wadsworth, Aaron Heitmann, Rahbar Nasserrafi, Darrell A Wade
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Publication number: 20200376781Abstract: An automated fiber placement (AFP) and in-situ fiber impregnation system includes a feeder, a resin dispenser, and a compaction roller. The feeder feeds a tow of fiber from a fiber supply toward a forming tool. The resin dispenser deposits resin onto the forming tool in front of the compaction roller. The compaction roller moves over the tow along the forming tool so as to press the tow onto the resin such that the compaction roller impregnates the resin into the tow a direction away from the forming tool via compaction forces immediately after the resin is deposited by the resin dispenser.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2020Publication date: December 3, 2020Applicant: SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS, INC.Inventor: Mark A. Wadsworth
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Patent number: 10751954Abstract: An automated fiber placement (AFP) and in-situ fiber impregnation system includes a feeder, a resin dispenser, and a compaction roller. The feeder feeds a tow of fiber from a fiber supply toward a forming tool. The resin dispenser deposits resin onto the forming tool in front of the compaction roller. The compaction roller moves over the tow along the forming tool so as to press the tow onto the resin such that the compaction roller impregnates the resin into the tow a direction away from the forming tool via compaction forces immediately after the resin is deposited by the resin dispenser.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2018Date of Patent: August 25, 2020Assignee: Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.Inventor: Mark A. Wadsworth
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Patent number: 10702928Abstract: An acoustic perforation method and assembly for forming holes or perforations into a face sheet of a sandwich panel without damaging a honeycomb core thereof. The method may include photographing or otherwise scanning the face sheet bonded to the honeycomb core after cure, then detecting locations of cell walls of the honeycomb core via image processing or analysis of scan data obtained. For example, discolorations on the face sheet or coatings applied thereto may indicate locations of the cell walls of the honeycomb core. A perforation pattern may then be generated or altered based on the detected locations of the cell walls, and a perforation device may be commanded to perforate the face sheet in accordance with the perforation pattern at locations where the cell walls are not located.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2017Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.Inventors: Matt D. Bickhard, Mark Wadsworth, Floyd Stephen Corby, Brian Kitt
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Publication number: 20190389148Abstract: An automated fiber placement (AFP) and in-situ fiber impregnation system includes a feeder, a resin dispenser, and a compaction roller. The feeder feeds a tow of fiber from a fiber supply toward a forming tool. The resin dispenser deposits resin onto the forming tool in front of the compaction roller. The compaction roller moves over the tow along the forming tool so as to press the tow onto the resin such that the compaction roller impregnates the resin into the tow a direction away from the forming tool via compaction forces immediately after the resin is deposited by the resin dispenser.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2018Publication date: December 26, 2019Applicant: SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS, INC.Inventor: Mark A. Wadsworth
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Publication number: 20180229313Abstract: An acoustic perforation method and assembly for forming holes or perforations into a face sheet of a sandwich panel without damaging a honeycomb core thereof. The method may include photographing or otherwise scanning the face sheet bonded to the honeycomb core after cure, then detecting locations of cell walls of the honeycomb core via image processing or analysis of scan data obtained. For example, discolorations on the face sheet or coatings applied thereto may indicate locations of the cell walls of the honeycomb core. A perforation pattern may then be generated or altered based on the detected locations of the cell walls, and a perforation device may be commanded to perforate the face sheet in accordance with the perforation pattern at locations where the cell walls are not located.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2017Publication date: August 16, 2018Applicant: Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.Inventors: Matt D. Bickhard, Mark Wadsworth, F. Stephen Corby, Brian Kitt
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Publication number: 20180127108Abstract: An aircraft nacelle and method of fabricating a monolithic lipskin of the nacelle. The nacelle may include a fan cowl, a bulkhead, and the monolithic lipskin. The lipskin may be formed by spin-forming or explosive forming an annularly-shaped plate onto a mandrel, and machining or chemically-milling integrated stiffeners or other protrusions and attachment tabs into an inner mold line (IML) of the lipskin. The machining or chemical milling may occur before or after the spin-forming or explosive forming. The stiffeners may have a spiral or circumferential configuration. An attachment tab extending from the IML may attach to the bulkhead, such that an outer mold like (OML) of the lip-skin is not disrupted by mechanical fasteners attaching the lipskin to the bulkhead.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2017Publication date: May 10, 2018Applicant: Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.Inventors: Dennis Lebeda, Roger Kornfeld, Amitabh Vyas, Scott E. Graves, Mark Wadsworth, Aaron Heitmann, Rahbar Nasserrafi, Darrell A. Wade
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Patent number: 9803587Abstract: A method of fabricating a bonded cascade assembly of a thrust reverser for an aircraft nacelle. The method may include inserting individual turning vanes between spaced apart elongated stiffeners at an aft end thereof and sliding the turning vanes toward a front frame piece attached to or integrally formed with forward ends of the elongated stiffeners. The elongated stiffeners may have inner and outer flanges for trapping and limiting radial movement of the turning vanes. The method may further include bonding the turning vanes to the structural frame with a structural adhesive and attaching a closeout cap to the aft ends of each of the elongated stiffeners.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2016Date of Patent: October 31, 2017Assignee: Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.Inventors: Henry A. Schaefer, Mark A. Wadsworth
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Patent number: 9587582Abstract: A method of fabricating a bonded cascade assembly of a thrust reverser for an aircraft nacelle. The method may include inserting individual turning vanes between spaced apart elongated stiffeners at an aft end thereof and sliding the turning vanes toward a front frame piece attached to or integrally formed with forward ends of the elongated stiffeners. The elongated stiffeners may have inner and outer flanges for trapping and limiting radial movement of the turning vanes. The method may further include bonding the turning vanes to the structural frame with a structural adhesive and attaching a closeout cap to the aft ends of each of the elongated stiffeners.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2014Date of Patent: March 7, 2017Assignee: Spirit Aerosystems, Inc.Inventors: Henry A. Schaefer, Mark A. Wadsworth
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Patent number: 8968617Abstract: A resin flow-controlling apparatus for infusing composite reinforcement material with resin. The resin flow-controlling apparatus may have at least one viscosity valve to speed, slow, allow, or deny resin flow through the viscosity valve to the composite reinforcement material depending on the temperature of the viscosity valve. The viscosity valve may fluidly couple a resin reservoir with an enclosed chamber in which the composite reinforcement material resides. The viscosity valve may be thermally coupled with heating and/or cooling elements selectively variable between at least two different temperatures to affect viscosity of the resin and control resin flow from the resin reservoir into the composite reinforcement material. A vacuum port at an opposite end of the composite reinforcement material from the viscosity valve may fluidly couple with the enclosed chamber and a vacuum source may pull atmosphere and/or resin from the enclosed chamber and/or the resin reservoir.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2012Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.Inventors: Mark A. Wadsworth, Adrienne M. Strohmeyer, Khai Nguyen
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Patent number: 8829409Abstract: A plurality of unit pixels in a two dimensional imaging array are arranged in a manner that signal charges along a given row are added to other relevant signal charges of the same row. Signal charges along a given column are added to other relevant signal charges of the same column. Summed charge values are output simultaneously from rows and columns to produce one row and one column of image data. The resulting summed data is temporarily stored in on-chip buffers and then output from the chip during the integration time of the next imaging cycle with no loss in imaging duty cycle.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2012Date of Patent: September 9, 2014Assignee: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.Inventor: Mark Wadsworth
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Publication number: 20140131916Abstract: A resin flow-controlling apparatus for infusing composite reinforcement material with resin. The resin flow-controlling apparatus may have at least one viscosity valve to speed, slow, allow, or deny resin flow through the viscosity valve to the composite reinforcement material depending on the temperature of the viscosity valve. The viscosity valve may fluidly couple a resin reservoir with an enclosed chamber in which the composite reinforcement material resides. The viscosity valve may be thermally coupled with heating and/or cooling elements selectively variable between at least two different temperatures to affect viscosity of the resin and control resin flow from the resin reservoir into the composite reinforcement material. A vacuum port at an opposite end of the composite reinforcement material from the viscosity valve may fluidly couple with the enclosed chamber and a vacuum source may pull atmosphere and/or resin from the enclosed chamber and/or the resin reservoir.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2012Publication date: May 15, 2014Applicant: SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: Mark A. Wadsworth, Adrienne M. Strohmeyer, Khai Nguyen
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Publication number: 20140097329Abstract: A plurality of unit pixels in a two dimensional imaging array are arranged in a manner that signal charges along a given row are added to other relevant signal charges of the same row. Signal charges along a given column are added to other relevant signal charges of the same column. Summed charge values are output simultaneously from rows and columns to produce one row and one column of image data. The resulting summed data is temporarily stored in on-chip buffers and then output from the chip during the integration time of the next imaging cycle with no loss in imaging duty cycle.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2012Publication date: April 10, 2014Inventor: Mark WADSWORTH
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Patent number: 8164121Abstract: A six-phase charge coupled device (CCD) pixel includes a pixel pair, with each pixel having two adjacent control gates overlying corresponding variable potential wells, where voltages applied to the control gates enable charge to be accumulated into and transferred out of the wells. A clear window region overlies a fixed potential gradient region, decreasing in potential away from the control gates. This region enables a wide band of photons to be sensed by the photosensitive silicon of the CCD. The decreasing potential levels facilitate high charge transfer efficiency (i.e., high CTE) from pixel to pixel via the control or transfer gates. By applying particular voltages to the control gates, charge can be quickly and efficiently transferred between pixels.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2010Date of Patent: April 24, 2012Assignee: ImagerlabsInventor: Mark Wadsworth
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Patent number: 7910874Abstract: A charge coupled device (CCD) includes a low noise charge gain circuit that amplifies charge of a cell dependent upon the charge accumulated by the cell. The low noise charge gain circuit receives clocking signals, such as from an input diode, which allow charge to accumulate in a reservoir well and then flow into a receiving well. The low noise charge gain circuit also receives a voltage signal corresponding to charge accumulated on an associated cell. The amount of charge flowing into the receiving well depends on this voltage signal.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2006Date of Patent: March 22, 2011Assignee: Imagerlabs, Inc.Inventors: Gene Atlas, Mark Wadsworth, Richard H. Kullman, Sarit Neter
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Publication number: 20100258847Abstract: A six-phase charge coupled device (CCD) pixel includes a pixel pair, with each pixel having two adjacent control gates overlying corresponding variable potential wells, where voltages applied to the control gates enable charge to be accumulated into and transferred out of the wells. A clear window region overlies a fixed potential gradient region, decreasing in potential away from the control gates. This region enables a wide band of photons to be sensed by the photosensitive silicon of the CCD. The decreasing potential levels facilitate high charge transfer efficiency (i.e., high CTE) from pixel to pixel via the control or transfer gates. By applying particular voltages to the control gates, charge can be quickly and efficiently transferred between pixels.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2010Publication date: October 14, 2010Applicant: IMAGERLABS INC.Inventor: Mark Wadsworth