Patents by Inventor Maurice F. Amateau
Maurice F. Amateau 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: 7641850Abstract: A technique for net shaping gear teeth of a high performance power transmission gear from a powder metal workpiece includes heating a powder metal workpiece in the form of a near net shaped gear blank having gear teeth surfaces above its critical temperature to obtain an austenitic structure throughout its surfaces, isothermally quenching the workpiece at a rate greater than the critical cooling rate of its surfaces to a uniform metastable austenitic temperature just above the martensitic transformation temperature, rolling the gear teeth surfaces of the workpiece to a desired outer peripheral profiled shape between opposed dies, each die having an outer peripheral profiled surface, while holding the workpiece at the uniform metastable austenitic temperature, the gear teeth surfaces undergoing densification, plastic deformation, and strengthening as a result of the rolling operation, and cooling the workpiece through the martensitic range to thereby harden the surfaces of the gear teeth.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2004Date of Patent: January 5, 2010Assignee: The Penn State Research FoundationInventors: Nagesh Sontti, Maurice F. Amateau, Suren B. Rao
-
Publication number: 20040219051Abstract: A technique for net shaping gear teeth of a high performance power transmission gear from a powder metal workpiece includes heating a powder metal workpiece in the form of a near net shaped gear blank having gear teeth surfaces above its critical temperature to obtain an austenitic structure throughout its surfaces, isothermally quenching the workpiece at a rate greater than the critical cooling rate of its surfaces to a uniform metastable austenitic temperature just above the martensitic transformation temperature, rolling the gear teeth surfaces of the workpiece to a desired outer peripheral profiled shape between opposed dies, each die having an outer peripheral profiled surface, while holding the workpiece at the uniform metastable austenitic temperature, the gear teeth surfaces undergoing densification, plastic deformation, and strengthening as a result of the rolling operation, and cooling the workpiece through the martensitic range to thereby harden the surfaces of the gear teeth.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2004Publication date: November 4, 2004Inventors: Nagesh Sonti, Maurice F. Amateau, Suren B. Rao
-
Patent number: 6126892Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for the thermomechanical net shape finishing of precision gear tooth surfaces by controlled deformation into metastable austenitic condition. To this end, an arrangement of a fixed axis through-feed motion of workpiece and moving axes in-feed motion of two opposed rolling dies are utilized. By means of process control methods and architecture for accomplishing precision mechanical motions, thermal and environmental control and timely and automatic transfer of workpiece, high strength and high accuracy gear tooth contact surfaces are produced.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 1999Date of Patent: October 3, 2000Assignee: The Penn State Research FoundationInventors: Maurice F. Amateau, Nagesh Sonti
-
Patent number: 6007762Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for the thermomechanical net shape finishing of precision gear tooth surfaces by controlled deformation into metastable austenitic condition. To this end, an arrangement of a fixed axis through-feed motion of workpiece and moving axes in-feed motion of two opposed rolling dies are utilized. By means of process control methods and architecture for accomplishing precision mechanical motions, thermal and environmental control and timely and automatic transfer of workpiece, high strength and high accuracy gear tooth contact surfaces are produced.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 1997Date of Patent: December 28, 1999Assignee: The Penn State Research FoundationInventors: Maurice F. Amateau, Nagesh Sonti
-
Patent number: 5855997Abstract: A reinforced, laminated ceramic cutting tool has a core layer and at least two outer layers. The core layer and the outer layers, either alone or in combination, contain a reinforcement consisting of reinforcement particles, reinforcement whiskers or reinforcement platelets. When whiskers are used, the bulk of the whiskers are arranged so that a longitudinal dimension of each whisker is aligned substantially perpendicular to a flank face on the cutting tool. Likewise, when reinforcement platelets are used, the bulk of the platelets are oriented so that a basal plane of each platelet is in a plane substantially perpendicular to the flank face. Each outer layer has residual stresses in directions perpendicular to and parallel to the flank face, and each outer layer has the same thickness, composition and residual stresses as the other outer layer. Processes for making a laminated ceramic cutting tool, and products of those processes, are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 1996Date of Patent: January 5, 1999Assignee: The Penn State Research FoundationInventor: Maurice F. Amateau
-
Patent number: 5799398Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for the thermomechanical net shape finishing of precision gear tooth surfaces by controlled deformation into metastable austenitic condition. To this end, an arrangement of a fixed axis through-feed motion of workpiece and moving axes in-feed motion of two opposed rolling dies are utilized. By means of process control methods and architecture for accomplishing precision mechanical motions, thermal and environmental control and timely and automatic transfer of workpiece, high strength and high accuracy gear tooth contact surfaces are produced.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 1995Date of Patent: September 1, 1998Assignee: The Penn State Research FoundationInventors: Maurice F. Amateau, Nagesh Sonti
-
Patent number: 5656106Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for performing thermomechanical processing of gears in which precise control of the thermal, metallurgical and mechanical action during the forming process is maintained. The apparatus comprises an induction heating system which reaustenitizes the surface of the gear with minimum decarburization, a material transfer system which provides timely operations on the work piece, tooling and fixture adjustments which provide accurate initial conditions for forming, and a process control architecture that provides the precise sequence and timing necessary to achieve metallurgically sound and dimensionally accurate gears. The induction heating cycle can be controlled from the peak, average or minimum gear surface temperature detected with a high response optical pyrometer. An inert environment is maintained around the workpiece during the induction heating and transfer to quenching above the M.sub.s temperature.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 1994Date of Patent: August 12, 1997Assignee: The Penn State Research FoundationInventors: Maurice F. Amateau, G. Dwayne Kidwell, Nagesh Sonti
-
Patent number: 5451275Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for the thermomechanical net shape finishing of precision gear tooth surfaces by controlled deformation into metastable austenitic condition. To this end, an arrangement of a fixed axis through-feed motion of workpiece and moving axes in-feed motion of two opposed rolling dies are utilized. By means of process control methods and architecture for accomplishing precision mechanical motions, thermal and environmental control and timely and automatic transfer of workpiece, high strength and high accuracy gear tooth contact surfaces are produced.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 1994Date of Patent: September 19, 1995Assignee: The Penn State Research FoundationInventors: Maurice F. Amateau, Nagesh Sonti
-
Patent number: 5391862Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for performing thermomechanical processing of gears in which precise control of the thermal, metallurgical and mechanical action during the forming process is maintained. The apparatus comprises an induction heating system which reaustenitizes the surface of the gear with minimum decarburization, a material transfer system which provides timely operations on the work piece, tooling and fixture adjustments which provide accurate initial conditions for forming, and a process control architecture that provides the precise sequence and timing necessary to achieve metallurgically sound and dimensionally accurate gears. Using this invention the induction heating cycle can be controlled from the peak, average or minimum gear surface temperature detected with a high response optical pyrometer. An inert environment is maintained around the workpiece during the induction heating and transfer to quenching above the M.sub.s temperature.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 1993Date of Patent: February 21, 1995Assignee: The Penn State Research FoundationInventors: Maurice F. Amateau, G. Dwayne Kidwell, Nagesh Sonti
-
Patent number: 5221513Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for performing thermomechanical processing of gears in which precise control of the thermal, metallurgical and mechanical action during the forming process is maintained. The apparatus comprises an induction heating system which reaustenitizes the surface of the gear with minimum decarburization, a material transfer system which provides timely operations on the work piece, tooling and fixture adjustments which provide accurate initial conditions for forming, and a process control architecture that provides the precise sequence and timing necessary to achieve metallurgically sound and dimensionally accurate gears. Using this invention the induction heating cycle can be controlled from the peak, average or minimum gear surface temperature detected with a high response optical pyrometer. An inert environment is maintained around the workpiece during the induction heating and transfer to quenching above the M.sub.s temperature.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 1992Date of Patent: June 22, 1993Assignee: The Penn State Research FoundationInventors: Maurice F. Amateau, G. Dwayne Kidwell, Nagesh Sonti
-
Patent number: 4508158Abstract: Methods are disclosed for manufacturing graphite fiber metal matrix bearing materials using liquid metal pressure infiltration to achieve a high degree of intimate wetting, contact and infiltration of a compliant metal between and around graphite (carbon) fibers to provide graphite fiber metal matrix bearing material having a predetermined volume percentage of graphite fibers. In one embodiment, graphite fibers are wrapped around a removable cylindrical mandrel and the graphite fiber-wrapped mandrel is inserted into a mold and the mold which contains a liquid compliant metal, such as lead, to cause intimate wetting, contact and infiltration of the compliant metal between and around all of the graphite fibers.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 1983Date of Patent: April 2, 1985Assignee: International Harvester CompanyInventors: Maurice F. Amateau, Keith R. Karasek