Patents Represented by Attorney Trego, Hine & Ladenheim, PLLC
  • Patent number: 8015788
    Abstract: A heat transfer system is provided for a turbine engine of the type including an annular inlet cowling. The heat transfer system includes at least one heat pipe disposed in contact with an interior of the casing. The heat pipe is thermally coupled to a heat source, such that heat from the heat source can be transferred through the heat pipe and into the inlet cowling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Justin P. Stephenson, Thomas Ory Moniz, Kattalaicheri Srinivasan Venkataramani
  • Patent number: 7997227
    Abstract: An apparatus for providing a vacuum coating to a workpiece, including: a coating chamber containing a coating material, with the coating chamber being operable at an elevated temperature and a sub-atmospheric pressure; an electron beam gun projecting an electron beam into the coating chamber and onto the coating material, where the electron beam gun is operable to melt the coating material and to evaporate molten coating material; and, a mechanism for supporting manipulating the workpiece in the coating chamber. The supporting mechanism further includes: a coupling device for retaining the workpiece; a joint connected to the coupling device enabling movement of the workpiece in all directions; an intermediate member connecting the coupling device and the joint; and, a device connected to the intermediate member for moving the workpiece in a designated vertical plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert William Bruce, Theodore Robert Grossman, John Douglas Evans, Sr., Brian Harvey Pilsner
  • Patent number: 7992823
    Abstract: A leading edge structure for use in an aerospace vehicle includes a body having a flowpath surface which defines a leading edge adapted to face an air flow during operation; and a metallic icephobic plating comprising nickel applied to at least a portion of the flowpath surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Edward Atwood Rainous, Barry Lynn Allmon, Jeffre Gerry Loewe, William Clarke Brooks, Lee Alan Blanton, Courtney James Tudor, Vicky Showalter Budinger
  • Patent number: 7966808
    Abstract: A baffle seal for a thrust reverser of a gas turbine engine includes a seal body of a resilient material. The seal body has a relatively flat central portion with opposed front and back sides. A raised sealing rim extends at least partially around the central portion. An outer periphery of the sealing rim extends beyond an outer periphery of the central portion so as to define an exposed sealing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Chi-Ling Michael Tsou, Carl Francis Holdren, William Andrew Bailey, Dean Thomas Lenahan
  • Patent number: 7966831
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for suppressing dynamic instability in a bleed duct of a gas turbine engine includes a fan bypass duct configured to permit a flow of air through the gas turbine engine. The fan bypass duct defines a fan duct surface, and the bleed duct has an inlet in fluid communication with the fan bypass duct and a flow control valve having an opened position and a closed position. A flow diverter is positioned on the fan duct surface proximate the inlet of the bleed duct and diverts the flow of air from the inlet when the flow control valve is closed, while permitting a portion of the flow of air to enter the inlet when the flow control valve is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Eugene Kraft, William Andrew Bailey, William Charles Groll
  • Patent number: 7946801
    Abstract: A cooling arrangement for a gas turbine engine includes: (a) a turbine nozzle having: (i) spaced-apart arcuate inner and outer bands; and (ii) a hollow, airfoil-shaped turbine vane extending between the inner and outer bands, the vane disposed in a primary flowpath of the engine; (b) a supporting structure coupled to the outer band such that an outer band cavity is defined between the outer band and the stationary structure; (c) a first conduit passing through the outer band cavity and communicating with the interior of the vane, the first conduit coupled to a first source of cooling air within the engine; and (d) a second conduit communicating with the outer band cavity, the second conduit coupled to a second source of cooling air within the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jason David Shapiro, David Allen Flodman, Samuel Ross Rulli, Samir Dimitri Sayegh, Norman Clement Brackett
  • Patent number: 7926290
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a turbomachinery core operable to generating a flow of pressurized combustion gases; a rotating fan adapted to extract energy from the core and generate a first flow of pressurized air; a fan stator assembly connected in flow communication with the fan and operable to vary the first flow of pressurized air while the fan operates at a substantially constant speed; a fan outer duct surrounding the core; and a flade stage comprising a supplementary fan disposed in the fan outer duct and driven by the fan for generating a pressurized bleed air flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: James E. Johnson
  • Patent number: 7920973
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally relate to a method of measuring the vibration of an aircraft engine. One embodiment herein provides an engine monitoring system either connected to and/or positioned in close proximity to an aircraft engine. Also provided is a clearance measuring device within the engine monitoring system. The clearanceometer collects clearance data that is later converted into vibration data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel Edward Mollmann, Tod R. Steen
  • Patent number: 7914580
    Abstract: A prosthetic joint includes: (a) a first member comprising rigid material including a wear-resistant, concave cup surface; and (b) a second member comprising rigid material with a wear-resistant, convex contact surface; (c) one of the surfaces includes: (i) an annular first flange defining a protruding wear-resistant first contact rim at or near an apex of the member; and (ii) an annular second flange defining a protruding wear-resistant second contact rim, at or near an outer periphery of the member; (d) the first and second contact rims bear directly against the contact surface, so as to transfer loads between the first and second members, while allowing pivoting motion therebetween; and (e) the flanges are shaped and sized so as to deform elastically and permit the contact rims to conform in an irregular shape to the surface of the opposite member, when the joint is placed under a predetermined load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: BioMedFlex LLC
    Inventors: Franz W. Kellar, Harold Lloyd Crowder, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7905919
    Abstract: A prosthetic joint includes: (a) a bone-implantable first member comprising a rigid material and including a body having an annular flange extending outward at a first end thereof, the first end of the body and the flange cooperatively defining a wear-resistant concave first contact surface having a protruding rim and a recessed central portion; and (b) a bone-implantable second member comprising a rigid material with a wear-resistant convex second contact surface; (c) where the first and second contact surfaces bear directly against each other so as to transfer axial and lateral loads from one of the members to the other, while allowing pivoting motion between the two members; (d) wherein the flange is shaped so as to deform elastically and permit the first contact surface to conform to the second contact surface when the joint is placed under a predetermined load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: BioMedFlex LLC
    Inventors: Franz W. Kellar, Harold Lloyd Crowder
  • Patent number: 7887302
    Abstract: A variable flow pump includes: a housing with inlet and outlet chambers interconnected by a main bore and a non-rotating cylinder block positioned in the main bore. The cylinder block includes: a central bore communicating with the inlet chamber; cylinder bores arrayed around the central bore; first feed passages interconnecting the inlet chamber and the cylinder bores, defining a bypass flowpath between the cylinder bores; and at least one discharge valve disposed at the second end which permits fluid flow from the cylinder bores to the discharge chamber but prevents opposite flow; Pistons are disposed in the bores. A shaft is coupled to the pistons so as to cause them to reciprocate through an axial pump stroke when the shaft is rotated. A mechanism is coupled to the cylinder block which modulates the axial position of the cylinder block within the housing, varying the size of the bypass flowpath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Walter Decania Hutto, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7878000
    Abstract: A mixer assembly for a gas turbine engine, including: a primary fuel injector having a central axis for injecting a primary fuel spray into a primary air stream, wherein fuel is provided at a desired rate and droplets of the fuel spray are within a desired size range; a secondary fuel injector positioned radially outwardly of the primary fuel injector for injecting a secondary fuel spray into a secondary air stream spaced radially outwardly of and surrounding the primary air stream; and, a primary air jet positioned between the primary fuel injector and the secondary fuel injector to direct a portion of an incoming air stream between the primary air stream and the secondary air stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alfred Albert Mancini, Hukam Chand Mongia
  • Patent number: 7865321
    Abstract: Methods for detecting electrical arcing on an electrical power system are provided, as well as systems and computer program products for carrying out the method. The method includes the steps of: a) obtaining data indicative of the temporal behavior of a signal which is indicative of a first periodic property of the electrical power system; and b) determining whether an arcing event is present on the electrical power system based on the shape observed in the first data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: The Texas A&M University System
    Inventors: Karthick Muthu-Manivannan, Carl L. Benner, Peng Xu, B. Don Russell
  • Patent number: 7861827
    Abstract: A bearing oil supply assembly includes (a) a plate member with opposed first and second sides, the plate member having a first bore formed in the first side which is adapted to receive a first bearing; (b) an annular manifold attached to the plate member such that the plate member and the manifold cooperatively define an annular oil gallery; and (c) a plurality of passages formed in the manifold, the passages cooperating with the plate member to define a plurality of generally axially-directed pathways in fluid communication with the first bore and the oil gallery. The passages are substantially evenly spaced around the circumference of the manifold. The oil supply assembly may be used to supply oil to two bearings carrying separate shafts running at different speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Henry Madge, Jeremy Clayton Plummer
  • Patent number: 7806010
    Abstract: This invention relates to a rotating test port assembly for measuring air flow and particulate matter in conduits. The test port assembly includes a first end section, a second end section, and a rotating section adapted for rotation between the first and second end sections. The assembly further includes a test port positioned on the rotating section for allowing a test probe to be inserted into a stream flowing in a conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert G. Mudry, Matthew M. Fleming, Bruce Delvin
  • Patent number: 7789593
    Abstract: The invention provides a grout pack restraining system, comprising a plurality of elongate elements shaped to extend about a grout pack and which are characterized in that they are configured to control circumferential expansion of the grout pack beyond the expansion permitted through material yield of the elements. In one embodiment the rings of different diameter are secured about the grout pack. In a further embodiment the rings are configured to be circumferentially expandable are secured about the grout pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Inventor: Nils Mittet Skarbövig
  • Patent number: D624812
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Inventor: Richard M. Lavelle
  • Patent number: D624813
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Inventor: Richard M. Lavelle
  • Patent number: RE42370
    Abstract: A transonic turbine blade. Expansion waves are generated by a lifting surface on the blade. The expansion waves extend downstream, through a shock generated at the trailing edge of an adjacent blade. The invention increases the strength of the shock, thereby attenuating the expansion waves passing through the shock. One stratagem for increasing the shock is to reduce the aerodynamic load of the trailing edge generating the shock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Craig Miller Kuhne
  • Patent number: D641231
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: MADI, LLC
    Inventor: Ralph Dudley Stinson