Patents Examined by Alexander P Taousakis
  • Patent number: 8839516
    Abstract: A method for repairing a compressor blade of a turbine engine, the blade including a cat's tongue at the radial end thereof, the radial extension of which is less than a predefined nominal radial extension. The method includes elongating the cat's tongue via a cold-compacting operation applied to the walls of said tongue, such that the radial elongation thereof becomes greater than the nominal extension. The compacting operation is a rollerburnishing operation carried out by moving the end of the blade between two rollers having rectilinear generatrices and spaced apart by a distance smaller than the thickness of the cat's tongue, along the chord connecting the leading edge with the trailing edge thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Vincenzo Bertoli, Serge De Sanctis, Stephane Rene Julien Giusti, Claude Marcel Mons
  • Patent number: 8839514
    Abstract: A method for machining, in particular mechanical machining, of at least one exhaust-gas-conducting surface region of an internal combustion engine or crankcase part, in particular at least one cylinder barrel of a crankcase or at least one cylinder barrel of a cylinder sleeve, includes using a surface-condition-changing machining tool. The surface region is produced from a corrodible material and is brought into contact, during the machining through the use of the surface-condition-changing machining tool, with at least one tribochemically activatable substance being activated during the machining in particular as a function of a defined contact pressure of the machining tool and/or as a function of a defined machining temperature, and forms a corrosion-resistant surface as a triboreaction layer with the respective surface region, by tribochemical reaction. A crankcase and a cylinder sleeve formed in this way are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: MAN Truck & Bus AG
    Inventor: Peter Scharf
  • Patent number: 8839515
    Abstract: A contribution is made to the assembly of a wind turbine intended to comprise, in a final assembly condition, a tower (2) surmounted by a nacelle (4) cooperating with a rotor (5) receiving a plurality of blades (3a-3c). To this end, a temporary association is made between at least some blades from said plurality of blades and the tower, so that said blades extend substantially in the longitudinal direction of the tower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Soletanche Freyssinet
    Inventors: Jean-Daniel Lebon, Charles-Emmanuel Ferrand De La Conte, Erik Mellier
  • Patent number: 8840366
    Abstract: A preform, for repairing an abradable seal component of a gas turbine engine, includes a multilayer stack that has a first layer and a second layer. The first layer is operative to bond the multilayer stack to a structural substrate of an abradable seal. The first layer includes structural material that corresponds to a material of the structural substrate and braze material that is compatible with the structural material. The second layer includes an abradable material. The multilayer stack is operative to bond to the structural substrate of the abradable seal component during a brazing process such that the second layer forms a replacement abradable layer of the abradable seal component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Minor, Jacob A. Hall
  • Patent number: 8832939
    Abstract: A method of attaching a seat cushion to a seat frame includes the steps of providing a spring latch having a spring portion and a brace portion, engaging a spring leg of the spring portion with the seat frame, attaching a cushion engaging leg of the brace portion to the seat cushion, and receiving a brace leg of the brace portion into a lock formation on a locking leg of the spring portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventors: Erik C Wilson, Samuel D Wagoner, Patrick E Temple, Eric DeView
  • Patent number: 8832941
    Abstract: A method for assembling a propshaft assembly. The method can include: providing a tubular member, the tubular member having an annular wall with an inside circumferential surface; pushing a first ram through the tubular member; loading a damper between the first ram and a second ram; twisting the damper between the first and second rams; moving the first and second rams to translate the twisted damper into the tubular member; untwisting the damper in the tubular member; and withdrawing the first and second rams from the tubular member. A machine for assembling a propshaft assembly is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignees: Cardinal Machine Company, American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Pennington, Jeremy Clontz, Britten Coleman, Scott Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8832915
    Abstract: An apparatus for connecting adjacent ends of first and second conduits including a frame assembly including a mounting point for mounting the end of the first conduit in a fixed position, a guide connected to the frame assembly and including first and second guide formations for receiving guide arms attached to the end of the second conduit and a moveable carrier mounted on the frame and including slots for engaging the guide arms. The carrier is moveable between a first position in which the slots align with the guide formations so that the guide arms can pass into the slots, and a second position in which the end of the second conduit is held against the end of the first conduit so as to allow a connection to be formed to secure the ends together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Verderg Connectors Limited
    Inventor: John White
  • Patent number: 8826534
    Abstract: A method of repairing a damaged portion of a rotor blade includes filling the damaged portion with a filler material. A pre-cured patch assembly is applied over the damaged portion, the patch assembly including one or more laminate packs positionable at at least one of an upper rotor blade surface and a lower rotor blade surface and one or more overwrap plies positionable over the upper rotor blade surface and the lower blade surface. A repair structure for a damaged portion of a rotor blade includes a volume of fill material disposed at the damaged portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Marcus D. Cappelli, Wonsub Kim, Joshua Mancher
  • Patent number: 8819912
    Abstract: A method of adaptively assembling first and second workpieces utilizing shape memory polymer activation to facilitate alignment and retention, wherein the workpieces present and the method employs at least one active nub and/or mated receptacle, and the modulus shifting and shape memorization capabilities of shape memory polymer are alternatively used to further engage the nub and receptacle during assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Alan L. Browne, Nancy L. Johnson, Paul W. Alexander, Nilesh D. Mankame, Nicholas W Pinto, IV
  • Patent number: 8819911
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for repairing and/or preventatively maintaining a jet pump restrainer assembly used in a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR), the repair including attaching a bearing plate or plates to a horizontal surface of a jet pump restrainer assembly bracket, the bearing plate or plates acting to supplement and/or replace an existing contact surface between a mixer wedge and the jet pump restrainer assembly bracket of a jet pump restrainer assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC
    Inventors: Robin D. Sprague, Michael S. Defilippis, Mark O. Lenz
  • Patent number: 8813351
    Abstract: Apparatus for separately conveying a plurality of discrete parts from a web and applying each of the discrete parts to a substrate includes a plurality of transfer pucks and a drive assembly. The drive assembly is configured to rotate each of the transfer pucks such that a plurality of pairs of discrete parts is applied to the web. Each applied pair of discrete parts includes a first discrete part and a second discrete part spaced a first distance from the first discrete part, wherein adjacent pairs of discrete pairs are spaced a second distance that is different from the first distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Schoultz, Chadwick I. Romzek, Brian Rhodes, Jesse Sorenson
  • Patent number: 8813358
    Abstract: In a crankshaft 200, one hole 213L formed in a crankpin 213 has a bottom surface having a larger area and a depth from a surface of the crankpin less than those of another hole 213M. In forming the hole 213L and the hole 213M, a preformed product 200 of the crankshaft having a shape smaller than that of a cavity is disposed in a die set and punches are simultaneously inserted into the crankpin 213. By this operation, the hole 213L and the hole 213M are simultaneously formed in each crankpin 213 of the preformed product 200.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Ohnuma, Tsutomu Ando, Yasuhiro Ito
  • Patent number: 8814770
    Abstract: A method for processing workpieces with a laser processing machine including a laser processing head having a nozzle receiving member configured to receive a laser nozzle. The method includes holding a workpiece on a workpiece support plane of a workpiece support, transferring a laser nozzle between a nozzle magazine of a nozzle changing device located at a first side of the workpiece support and a nozzle receiving member of the laser processing head located at a second side of the workpiece support such that the laser nozzle is assembled on or disassembled from the nozzle receiving member, and moving the laser nozzle through a through-opening defined in the workpiece support along a transverse direction to the workpiece support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: TRUMPF Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventor: Frank Schmauder
  • Patent number: 8806739
    Abstract: In a framing system for framing motor-vehicle bodies or sub-assemblies thereof, the body to be framed is located and clamped in position during the assembling operations by side locating and clamping structures (8). Each of these structures comprises a rigid supporting structure (82) including a base platform (82a) and a frame (81) which carries locating and clamping devices (D). The base platform (82a) is dimensioned in the direction parallel to a body conveyor line with a standard length proportionated to the length of the longest body type on which the system is to operate. Pillars (82b) for supporting the frame (81) are mounted on the platform (82a) at positions which are selected between different possible positions, displaced relative to each other longitudinally and/or transversely. Thus, the side locating and clamping structures (8) can be configured easily for different types of body and the system is able to operate on body types having also very relevant differences in length and/or width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Comau S.p.A.
    Inventors: Gianni Magni, Mauro Maestri
  • Patent number: 8800148
    Abstract: An outer rim molded material is molded by forging or casting, a portion of the outer rim which extends from a hump to a bead seat is separated from part of a rim flange precursor and is caused to fall in a sloping fashion inwards of a wheel width so as to form a bead seat precursor, and the bead seat precursor so formed is then joined to be welded to a top or side of a rim well rising portion precursor. An external surface is cut to be finished to a proper shape, and an annular hollow portion is formed underneath a lower surface of the bead seat portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Washi Kosan Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsunori Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 8793856
    Abstract: An alignment tool for a pitch link comprises first and second pitch link retainers, wherein the distance between the retainers is adjustable to accommodate the length of the pitch link; and a measurement system for measuring the displacement of a rod end from an adjustment member of the pitch link, comprising first and second measurement reference points fixedly associated with the first and second retainers, respectively. Another alignment tool for a pitch link comprises first and second retainers having an adjustable distance there between; and a stabilization mechanism for stabilizing the tool on a surface. A method for adjusting and aligning a pitch link, in part comprising the steps of securing the pitch link to the alignment tool; measuring and recording a baseline length displacement of the pitch link; loosening the pitch link jam nuts; and adjusting the pitch link on the alignment tool to match the previously recorded displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Amanda Werner, Dominic Przano, Geoffrey Latham
  • Patent number: 8793851
    Abstract: This invention provides a retainer assembling apparatus which assembles a retainer to a valve stem via a cotter which engage with an engaging groove formed on the valve stem. The cotter comprises a pair of cotter segments. The apparatus includes a cylindrical body, a holding portion which holds the retainer contacting a lower end of the cylindrical body, a push-up shaft which pushes up the pair of cotter segments into the cylindrical body, and an axial body which is arranged in the cylindrical body to be coaxial with the push-up shaft and to be coaxially movable. The cylindrical body includes a tapered inner circumferential portion on an inner circumferential wall lower portion thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Hirata Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Shiga, Kotaro Takamura, Yukihiro Kawamoto, Masahiro Koizumi, Haruo Oka, Koji Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8793874
    Abstract: A method for the production of a valve is provided comprising molding a valve body with a first mold, preloading the valve body with a second mold, molding a sealing portion in an open position onto the valve body, and releasing the preloaded valve body. The sealing portion enters a closed position when the preloaded valve body is released. When the valve is in use, the sealing portion opens when under a fluid pressure, and closes when the pressure is released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Inventor: Jes Tougaard Gram
  • Patent number: 8782873
    Abstract: Methods of loading an expandable intraluminal medical device into a delivery device adapted for delivery of the expandable intraluminal medical device to a point of treatment in a body vessel are described. The expandable intraluminal medical device can be compressed and forced out of a loading apparatus—and into a delivery device—by applying one or both of a rotational force and a substantially translational force to an end of the loading apparatus. Related kits and apparatuses are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Cook Medical Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Arman Valaie
  • Patent number: 8782887
    Abstract: A method for producing a metal insert for protecting a leading or trailing edge of a compressor vane of an aeronautical machine made of a composite material, by stamping sheets and diffusion bonding between the sheets. The method includes: initially shaping the sheets by stamping to approximate the sheets to a shape of a suction side and pressure side of the insert; producing a core shaped inner cavity of the metal insert to be manufactured, one of the surfaces thereof reproducing an inner shape of the suction side of the insert and the other surface reproducing an inner shape of the pressure side of the insert; positioning the sheets around the core and securing the assembly; applying a vacuum and sealing the assembly by bonding; assembling the assembly by hot isostatic compression; cutting the assembly to extract the core and separate the insert; producing an outer profile of the insert by a final machining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Jean-Michel Patrick Maurice Franchet, Gilles Charles Casimir Klein