Patents by Inventor Ralph Sawtell

Ralph Sawtell 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: 8869900
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a riser apparatus for use in offshore drilling for oil or other fossil fuels, the riser apparatus comprising: a plurality of riser sections coupled serially end-to-end, wherein each of the riser sections comprises: a tube having a first end and a second end; a first flanged that is mechanically joined to the first end of the tube; a second flanged that is mechanically joined to the second end of the tube; wherein the tube is constructed of an aluminum alloy; and wherein the flanges are constructed of the aluminum alloy; and wherein the riser apparatus has a length of approximately 1,500 meters or greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Alcoa Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph Sawtell, Matthew P. Kiley, Harry R. Zonker, James T. Burg, John W. Cobes
  • Publication number: 20080264644
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a riser apparatus for use in offshore drilling for oil or other fossil fuels, the riser apparatus comprising: a plurality of riser sections coupled serially end-to-end, wherein each of the riser sections comprises: a tube having a first end and a second end; a first flanged that is mechanically joined to the first end of the tube; a second flanged that is mechanically joined to the second end of the tube; wherein the tube is constructed of an aluminum alloy; and wherein the flanges are constructed of the aluminum alloy; and wherein the riser apparatus has a length of approximately 1,500 meters or greater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventor: Ralph Sawtell
  • Publication number: 20060083654
    Abstract: Aluminum alloy products, such as plate, forgings and extrusions, suitable for use in making aerospace structural components like integral wing spars, ribs and webs, comprises about: 6 to 10 wt. % Zn; 1.2 to 1.9 wt. % Mg; 1.2 to 2.2 wt. % Cu, with Mg?(Cu+0.3); and 0.05 to 0.4 wt. % Zr, the balance Al, incidental elements and impurities. Preferably, the alloy contains about 6.9 to 8.5 wt. % Zn; 1.2 to 1.7 wt. % Mg; 1.3 to 2 wt. % Cu. This alloy provides improved combinations of strength and fracture toughness in thick gauges. When artificially aged per the three stage method of preferred embodiments, this alloy also achieves superior SCC performance, including under seacoast conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Inventors: Dhruba Chakrabarti, John Liu, Jay Goodman, Gregory Venema, Ralph Sawtell, Cynthia Krist, Robert Westerlund
  • Publication number: 20050257865
    Abstract: Aluminum alloy products, such as plate, forgings and extrusions, suitable for use in making aerospace structural components like integral wing spars, ribs and webs, comprises about: 6 to 10 wt. % Zn; 1.2 to 1.9 wt. % Mg; 1.2 to 2.2 wt. % Cu, with Mg?(Cu+0.3); and 0.05 to 0.4 wt. % Zr, the balance Al, incidental elements and impurities. Preferably, the alloy contains about 6.9 to 8.5 wt. % Zn; 1.2 to 1.7 wt. % Mg; 1.3 to 2 wt. % Cu. This alloy provides improved combinations of strength and fracture toughness in thick gauges. When artificially aged per the three stage method of preferred embodiments, this alloy also achieves superior SCC performance, including under seacoast conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2005
    Publication date: November 24, 2005
    Inventors: Dhruba Chakrabarti, John Liu, Jay Goodman, Gregory Venema, Ralph Sawtell, Cynthia Krist, Robert Westerlund
  • Publication number: 20050150579
    Abstract: Aluminum alloy products, such as plate, forgings and extrusions, suitable for use in making aerospace structural components like integral wing spars, ribs and webs, comprises about: 6 to 10 wt. % Zn; 1.2 to 1.9 wt. % Mg; 1.2 to 2.2 wt. % Cu, with Mg?(Cu+0.3); and 0.05 to 0.4 wt. % Zr, the balance Al, incidental elements and impurities. Preferably, the alloy contains about 6.9 to 8.5 wt. % Zn; 1.2 to 1.7 wt. % Mg; 1.3 to 2 wt. % Cu. This alloy provides improved combinations of strength and fracture toughness in thick gauges. When artificially aged per the three stage method of preferred embodiments, this alloy also achieves superior SCC performance, including under seacoast conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2005
    Publication date: July 14, 2005
    Inventors: Dhruba Chakrabarti, John Liu, Jay Goodman, Gregory Venema, Ralph Sawtell, Cynthia Krist, Robert Westerlund
  • Publication number: 20050039831
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy, which is more resistant to high temperature oxidation-type blistering, comprises: about 0.65-0.9 wt. % silicon, about 4-4.6 wt. % copper, about 0.6-0.9 wt. % manganese, about 0.35-0.55 wt. % magnesium, up to about 0.14 wt. % iron and a balance of aluminum, incidental elements and impurities. By reducing iron content, the invention has reduced scrap rates in some forging part lines to 0% . An improvement in fracture toughness performance was also observed. In an additional aspect, a forged structural part, and a method of making a forged structural part, are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Publication date: February 24, 2005
    Inventors: Ralph Sawtell, Paul Alnsworth, Samuel Lyon