Patents by Inventor Peter W. Heitman

Peter W. Heitman 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).

  • Method for depositing braze alloy to base metal surfaces using electric discharge process
    Patent number: 5102031
    Abstract: Braze filler alloy is specifically applied and metallurgically bonded to a desired region of a nickel based superalloy workpiece using an electrospark deposition technique. The braze filler alloy is deposited onto, and concurrently metallurgically alloyed into, the desired region of the base metal by transfer of the material from the electrode using a short duration electrical impulse. The time and energy involved are small enough that total heat input to the base metal is minimal so that distortion and metallurgical structure changes of the base metal are negligible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1992
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Peter W. Heitman, Stephen N. Hammond, Lawrence E. Brown, Elizabeth J. Holmes
  • Method for joining single crystal turbine blade halves
    Patent number: 5071059
    Abstract: Single crystal, nickel based superalloy turbine blades are formed by fusion welding together two matched blade halves. The matched blade halves are joined by an electrospark deposition process which deposits a weld filler metal along the matched faying surfaces. The deposited weld filler metal is preferably the same nickel based superalloy used to form the single crystal turbine blades. Total heat input to the base metal is minimal so that distortion and metallurgical structure changes of the base metal are virtually nonexistent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1991
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Peter W. Heitman, Stephen N. Hammond, Lawrence E. Brown