Patents Represented by Attorney Global Patent Operation
  • Patent number: 7961401
    Abstract: A system for providing a two-position zoom-focus capability in a video inspection device comprising, in one embodiment, a focus lens cell and primary aperture attached to a set of fixed rails and connected to a zoom lens cell. In one embodiment, the focus lens cell is moveable into a first position along the rails through activation of a proximally located lens movement mechanism, and moveable into a second position through relaxation of a tensioned focus spring. In one embodiment, movement of the focus lens cell between first and second focus positions causes movement of the zoom lens cell and a secondary aperture between corresponding first and second zoom and aperture positions to provide unmagnified and magnified images of a target object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: GE Inspection Technologies, LP
    Inventors: Joshua Lynn Scott, Clark Alexander Bendall, Theodore Alexander Chilek
  • Patent number: 7958814
    Abstract: A power assembly for an internal combustion engine includes a piston housed within a cylinder, with the cylinder having a welded cylinder head, with the cylinder also including a one-piece piston scraper which is welded to the cylinder head, as well as to the cylinder, with a common weld bead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: General Electic Company
    Inventors: Neil Blythe, John P. Dowell, Barry Record, Michael Schleigh, Richard C. Orlando, Ranga Srinivas Gunti
  • Patent number: 7962240
    Abstract: A method for synchronizing a slave follower with a master source is provided. The method includes defining a relationship between the master source and the slave follower, inputting a first position of the master source, and inputting a first position of the slave follower. The method also includes defining a second position where the slave follower synchronizes with the master source, and fitting a curve between the first position of the slave follower the second position. The curve is fit based on the relationship between the master source and the slave follower, the first position of the slave follower, the first position of the master source, and the second position. The curve is fit to synchronize the slave follower and the master source without exceeding pre-determined boundaries of the slave follower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: GE Intelligent Platforms, Inc.
    Inventors: William Lindsay Morrison, Daniel H. Miller
  • Patent number: 7957001
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the spectroscopy method, the method comprises the steps of modulating the wavelength of a monochromatic radiation at a modulation amplitude and a modulation frequency; determining a first variable representative of an absorbance of an analyte in a sample; and demodulating by phase-sensitive detection the first variable at a harmonic of the modulation frequency to produce a harmonic spectrum of the analyte. In one embodiment of the spectroscopy apparatus, the apparatus comprises a laser diode integrated with a first photodetector configured to detect an intensity of a backward emission from the laser diode and act as a reference detector; a second photodetector configured to detect an intensity of laser radiation exiting a sample; and electronic circuitry coupled to the laser diode and the photodetectors, configured to acquire and process spectra of the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: GE Infrastructure Sensing, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaoyong Liu, John McKinley Poole, Yufeng Huang, Daniel M. Stearns, Michael J. Gambuzza, Gene Smith Berkowitz, Anthony Kowal, Hejie Li, Shawn D. Wehe
  • Patent number: 7955720
    Abstract: The invention relates to a polymer comprising structural unit of formula II: wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6 and R7 are independently at each occurrence a C1-C20 aliphatic radical, a C3-C20 aromatic radical, or a C3-C20 cycloaliphatic radical; a, b, d, e and f are independently at each occurrence 0, or an integer ranging from 1 to 4; c and g are independently at each occurrence 0, or an integer ranging from 1 to 3. In another aspect, the invention relates to monomers for preparing the polymers. In yet another aspect, the invention relates to an optical electronic device comprising a polymer comprising structural unit of formula II.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Qing Ye, Jie Liu, Yangang Liang, Shengxia Liu
  • Patent number: 7956482
    Abstract: The present patent application concerns wind turbine having a rotor with a first rotor blade and a pitch control system with a controller and a first drive system for adjusting a pitch angle of the first rotor blade, wherein the drive system is adapted to transform rotational energy of the rotor blade rotating about its longitudinal axis into another form of energy such that a counter torque against the rotating direction is induced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jacob Johannes Nies, Patrick Achenbach, Peter Rogall, Axel Braicks, Stefan Rieken
  • Patent number: 7954770
    Abstract: In a jointless track system, passive signaling devices (“PSDs”) are coupled to a railroad track. The PSDs are used to optimize the amplitude, modulation, coding, and frequency of waveforms that are applied to the track (by signaling points) for at least three track circuit functions: detecting trains, detecting broken rails, and communicating between the signaling points and PSDs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Harold Woodruff Tomlinson, Jr., John Erik Hershey, Jeffrey Michael Fries
  • Patent number: 7954561
    Abstract: A direction adjustment tool for a downhole drilling apparatus is disclosed. The tool has a tubular housing adapted to be incorporated into a downhole drilling apparatus, and steering blades mounted to the housing. A drive shaft transmits drive to a drill bit of a drilling apparatus, wherein the shaft defines a passage for transmitting drilling fluid to the drill bit. A first pressure chamber is defined between the housing and the shaft and communicates with the passage, wherein the steering blades are moved from retracted positions to extended positions thereof as a result of increase of fluid pressure the first pressure chamber. A pendulum member is pivotably mounted to extend in a vertical orientation when the shaft is not rotating relative to the housing, and pistons prevent movement of at least one steering blade to the extended position thereof as a result of the angle between a longitudinal axis of the shaft and the longitudinal axis of the pendulum member exceeding a predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Sondex PLC
    Inventors: Rory McCrae Tulloch, Roger Farries Findlay, Allan Grant Clark, Victor Laing Allan
  • Patent number: 7954387
    Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer assembly includes a proximal end and an opposing distal end. The transducer assembly includes an outer housing and an electroacoustic signal generating element secured within the outer housing. The signal generating element transmits an ultrasonic signal at a characteristic frequency along an ultrasonic path that is perpendicular to the face of the generating element. An isolation diaphragm is coupled to the proximal end of the outer housing. The isolation diaphragm is thin relative to a characteristic wavelength of the diaphragm material. A fluidic transmission layer is disposed between the electroacoustic signal generating element and the isolation diaphragm. In one embodiment, the isolation diaphragm is at an angle relative to the proximal face of the electroacoustic signal generating element. In another embodiment, a flow meter includes the ultrasonic transducer assembly, and the isolation diaphragm substantially matches the contour of the flow passage within the flow meter body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Edward Randall Furlong
  • Patent number: 7947167
    Abstract: A method for removing metals from fuel containing vanadium or nickel including intimately mixing an adsorbent with the fuel and isolating the treated fuel. The treated fuel has reduced levels of vanadium, nickel and other metals. Systems for fuel treatment are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Aibangbee Osaheni, John Matthew Bablin, Deborah Ann Haitko, Grigorii Lev Soloveichik
  • Patent number: 7946819
    Abstract: A connection arrangement for connecting drive shafts of a wind turbine including a rotor having a rotor shaft and a hub, and a gearbox having a gearbox input shaft is provided. The connection arrangement includes a first shaft connection means having a recessed portion arranged at the rotor shaft symmetrically to the axis of the rotor shaft, a second shaft connection means having a protruding portion arranged symmetrically to the axis of the gearbox input shaft, wherein the protruding portion of the second shaft connection means engages with the recessed portion of the first shaft connection means, and a fixing means for fixing the protruding portion of the first shaft connection means at the recessed portion of the second shaft connection means. A frictionally engaged connection is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Edwin Hidding, Christian Becker, Yvo Blokhuis, Scott Thomason
  • Patent number: 7948100
    Abstract: A method of positioning a wind turbine rotor comprises defining a predetermined angular position in a main rotation plane of the rotor and controlling a rate of deceleration of the rotor, such as to stop the rotor at the predetermined angular position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jacob Johannes Nies, Hartmut Scholte-Wassink
  • Patent number: 7944213
    Abstract: A device and method to determine the presence of a ground fault that distinguishes between the capacitive portion of the currents to ground, and the resistive portion of the currents to ground by ascertaining aspects of the voltage and residual current waveforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: George William Roscoe, Thomas Frederick Papallo, Jr., Cecil Rivers, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7945745
    Abstract: A method for exchanging data between a producer and a consumer is provided. The method includes writing the data with the producer without blocking the consumer and without waiting for access to the consumer. The method also includes reading the data with the consumer without blocking the producer and without waiting for access to the producer. The data is exchanged from the producer to the consumer upon reading the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Glenn Smith
  • Patent number: 7943873
    Abstract: A circuit breaker with a locking mechanism is provided, which ensures that circuit breaker is switched OFF before applying any trip free locks. The circuit breaker includes a lay shaft coupled to the circuit breaker contacts, a lay shaft cam coupled to the lay shaft, a lifting plate configured to interface with the lay shaft cam, and a padlock plate configured to engage the lifting plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Triplicane Gopikrishnan Babu, Janakiraman Narayanan, Amit Bose, Soundararajan Narayanasamy
  • Patent number: 7942068
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a multi-path ultrasonic flow meter for determining the flow rate of a fluid in a conduit is disclosed comprising at least two transducer pairs attached to the conduit at two chord locations, one greater than and one less than a mid-radius chord, wherein the composite ratio the two path velocities to the flow rate is substantially constant over the range of Reynolds numbers. In another embodiment, a method of determining the flow rate of a fluid in a conduit is disclosed comprising the steps of determining a composite velocity by determining a weighted average of a plurality of path velocities, determining a chord velocity ratio based on the path velocities, determining a profile correction factor based on the composite velocity and the chord velocity ratio, and determining the flow rate based on the composite velocity and the profile correction factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: GE Infrastructure Sensing, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaolei Shirley Ao, Robert Caravana, Edward Randall Furlong, Oleg Alexander Khrakovsky, Benjamin Edward McDonald, Nicholas Joseph Mollo, Lydia Shen
  • Patent number: 7943915
    Abstract: Several methods of calibrating a wavelength-modulation spectroscopy apparatus configured to measure a concentration of an analyte in a sample gas are disclosed. Each of the methods allows for calibration and recalibration using a relatively safe gas regardless of whether the sample gas for which the concentration of the analyte can be determined is a hazardous gas. In one embodiment of the invention, calibration that is sample-gas specific is accomplished by determining a first slope coefficient and calibration function for the sample gas, after which a scaling factor can be determined based on the first slope coefficient and a second slope coefficient for the same or a different sample gas and used in a subsequent calibration (or recalibration) to scale the calibration function. In other embodiments of the invention, calibration that is not sample-gas specific is accomplished to allow for the determination of the analyte concentration in variable gas compositions and constant gas compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: GE Infrastructure Sensing, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaoyong Liu, Yufeng Huang, John McKinley Poole, Gene Smith Berkowitz, Anthony Kowal, Shawn D. Wehe, Hejie Li
  • Patent number: 7939961
    Abstract: A wind turbine is provided. The wind turbine includes a tower including a yaw interface, a bladed rotor including at least one blade rotatable in response to wind impinging upon the at least one blade, and a beam structure configured to support the bladed rotor. The beam structure includes at least two beam members. Each of the at least two beam members is coupled to the yaw interface by at least one joint element, so that the bladed rotor is rotatable about a yaw axis of the wind turbine. At least two of the joint elements are spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the tower. Further, another wind turbine including a yaw interface and a method for controlling a yaw angle of a wind turbine are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Laurent Bonnet
  • Patent number: 7938623
    Abstract: An inflatable rotor blade for a wind turbine includes a flexible skin. The flexible skin assumes, when inflated by means of an inflation medium, the shape of an airfoil which has an inner cavity. When the inner cavity is formed, at least one stiffener unit is arranged in the inner cavity of the rotor blade and maintains the airfoil shape of the flexible skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Ronald Ralph Cairo
  • Patent number: 7935902
    Abstract: A contact arm assembly including a plurality of substantially parallel plates having a space between each of the plurality of substantially parallel plates and a plurality of finger assemblies, at least one of the plurality of finger assemblies being pivotally attached to the plurality of substantially parallel plates and being located in the space between each of the plurality of substantially parallel plates, each of the plurality of finger assemblies having a body and an arc runner, the arc runner being locked against the body in at least two locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Yatin Vilas Newase, Janakiraman Narayanan, Pankaj Agrawal, Soundararajan Narayanasamy, Mahesh Jaywant Rane