Patents by Inventor Roy F. Thornton
Roy F. Thornton 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: 5427692Abstract: Hexavalent chromium is removed from aqueous sodium nitrate solutions by reacting hexavalent chromium with an aqueous slurry consisting essentially of ferrous hydroxide and barium sulfate whereby the chromium is reduced to trivalent chromium and precipitated as chromic hydroxide. Adulterating compounds and unwanted ions are not introduced to the electrolytic solution.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 1993Date of Patent: June 27, 1995Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Roy F. Thornton
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Patent number: 5415848Abstract: A process for removing chromium from an aqueous electrolyte solution is disclosed. The process involves admixing with the solution an amount of a chromium-reducing compound and an amount of a precipitant for the anion of the chromium-reducing compound. The invention provides for substantially complete reduction of hexavalent chromium to trivalent chromium and the formation of an insoluble chromium-containing material without leaving unwanted ions in the aqueous electrolyte solution. The aqueous electrolyte solution is regenerated by adjustment of pH and electrolyte concentration.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 1993Date of Patent: May 16, 1995Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Roy F. Thornton
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Patent number: 5413682Abstract: Fluoride is recovered from an aqueous ammonium fluoride and ammonium hydroxide solution by electrolyzing the solution in an electrochemical cell having an ion-exchange membrane between a catholyte chamber and an anolyte chamber whereby hydrofluoric acid is formed and the concentration of ammonium hydroxide is enriched. Part of the hydrofluoric acid can be combined with the ammonium fluoride remaining after the ammonium hydroxide had been stripped from the treated solution to produce ammonium acid fluoride.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 1994Date of Patent: May 9, 1995Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Roy F. Thornton, Bang M. Kim, Steven J. Babb, John L. Harmon
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Patent number: 5380441Abstract: Metallic iron particles are added to an aqueous solution containing hexavalent chromium and mechanically agitated. Enough of the surface of the iron particles remains precipitate-free to reduce substantially all the hexavalent chromium to trivalent chromium. Adjustment of pH allows the formation of insoluble precipitates which may be separated from solution using conventional techniques. The properties of the aqueous electrolyte solution are retained, and the solution may be reused.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 1993Date of Patent: January 10, 1995Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Roy F. Thornton
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Patent number: 5173378Abstract: A battery exposed to heating from incident sunlight is cooled by rejecting heat to air drawn through a chimney by the heating of at least portions of the chimney by the incident sunlight. The battery is placed within the chimney so that the air flow in the chimney passes around the battery, enabling heat to be transferred directly from the battery to the air. Air flow in the chimney is generated by sunlight incident on the exterior of the chimney, causing heating of air within at least a portion of the chimney to create a natural convective air flow within the chimney, with relatively cool outside ambient air being drawn in at one end of the chimney and heated air being exhausted out the other end of the chimney.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 1991Date of Patent: December 22, 1992Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Dale M. Brown, Philip G. Kosky, Lionel M. Levinson, Roy F. Thornton
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Patent number: 5171408Abstract: The titanium alloy T1 17, having a nominal composition of about 5 weight percent aluminum, about 2 weight percent zirconium, about 2 weight percent tin, about 4 weight percent molybdenum, about 4 weight percent chromium, no more than about 1.1 percent of other elements, and balance titanium, is electrochemically machined using an electrolyte comprising an aqueous solution of from about 0.94 to about 1.16 moles per liter of bromide anion and from about 0.09 to about 0.55 moles per liter of sodium nitrate.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 1991Date of Patent: December 15, 1992Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Roy F. Thornton
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Patent number: 5035964Abstract: An electrical-energy-supplying device having an extended storage life includes a finned heat sink; a battery for supplying electrical energy is thermally connected to the finned heat sink by a copper or aluminum bar for transferring heat from the battery to the heat sink. The heat sink is enclosed in a chimney structure which has an air inlet in a lower portion and an outlet in an upper portion thereof. The chimney lower portion has a heat and light absorbing coating which causes air to flow in a path between the air inlet and outlet by convention. The heat sink is positioned in the air flow path the facilitate heat dissipation from the sink to the atmosphere. The storage life of the battery may be extended by maintaining the battery temperature below a selected temperature level.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 1989Date of Patent: July 30, 1991Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Lionel M. Levinson, Dale M. Brown, Roy F. Thornton
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Patent number: 4997534Abstract: Metal workpieces for electrochemical machining, particularly those comprising titanium and/or aluminum, are protected from pitting by the application of an adherent conductive and protective coating comprising a compound of at least one noble metal selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, iridium and platinum. Said coating protects the workpiece and also catalyzes oxidation of halide and/or water in the electrolyte, which competes successfully with oxidative erosion in the vicinity of faults in the protective coating. Other anodic elements, including clamping fixtures and auxiliary anodes, may also be coated.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 1989Date of Patent: March 5, 1991Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Roy F. Thornton
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Patent number: 4907338Abstract: The ends of a plurality of copper conductors bearing superconductive strands, for example of niobium-titanium, are treated with a liquid metal solvent to selectively remove the copper from the superconductive strands. The liberated strands of superconductor are then soldered with a superconducting solder. The joint is included in a coil which at superconducting temperatures induces a high magnetic field of 0.5 Tesla and above.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 1987Date of Patent: March 13, 1990Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Roy F. Thornton
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Patent number: 4744506Abstract: The ends of a plurality of copper conductors bearing superconductive strands, for example of niobiumtitanium, are treated with a liquid metal solvent to selectively remove the copper from the superconductive strands. The liberated strands of superconductor are then soldered with a superconducting solder. The joint is included in a coil which at superconducting temperatures induces a high magnetic field of 0.5 Tesla and above.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 1986Date of Patent: May 17, 1988Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Roy F. Thornton
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Patent number: 4584547Abstract: The ends of a plurality of copper conductors bearing superconductive strands, for example of niobium-titanium, are treated with a liquid metal solvent to selectively remove the copper from the superconductive strands. The liberated strands of superconductor are then soldered with a superconducting solder. The joint is included in a coil which at superconducting temperatures induces a high magnetic field of 0.5 Tesla and above.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 1983Date of Patent: April 22, 1986Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Roy F. Thornton
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Patent number: 4247610Abstract: An aqueous electrolyte, which is particularly suitable for secondary electrochemical cells with zinc electrodes, is disclosed which comprises an aqueous solution of from 18 to 30 percent potassium fluoride (KF) and from 15 to 2 percent potassium hydroxide (KOH) wherein the total dissolved content is within a range from 20 to 45 percent.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 1979Date of Patent: January 27, 1981Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Roy F. Thornton
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Patent number: 4135040Abstract: A solid ion-conductive electrolyte body has a solid ion-conductive electrolyte portion with opposite major faces, and a textured surface on at least one major face providing an increased surface area. A method is disclosed also forming a solid ion-conductive electrolyte body with an increased surface area.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 1977Date of Patent: January 16, 1979Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Roy F. Thornton
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Patent number: 4081899Abstract: A method of producing a sealed electrolyte-limited lead-acid battery is described which includes providing a container having a body portion and a cover with at least one opening therein, providing at least one positive plate, providing at least one negative plate, positioning a separator therebetween, positioning the plates with separator therebetween within the body portion of the container, affixing the cover to the body portion of the container, adding a limited amount of sulfuric acid electrolyte within the body portion containing a metallic sulfate in an amount equivalent to from 0.01 to 2.5 weight percent sodium sulfate, forming charged positive and negative plates therein, and sealing the battery.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 1977Date of Patent: April 4, 1978Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Roy F. Thornton, Joseph L. Weininger
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Patent number: 3959011Abstract: A battery casing is disclosed wherein two glass seals join together the metallic cap portion, the inner casing of a solid sodium beta-alumina ion-conductive material, and the outer metallic casing. Such a battery casing is useful in a sealed primary battery which employs a sodium type anode in one casing and a cathode such as a halogen or a halogen containing cathode in the other casing.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 1974Date of Patent: May 25, 1976Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Roy F. Thornton