Patents Examined by Brian Walck
  • Patent number: 9248490
    Abstract: In a method of making a tubular structural part for a motor vehicle, a metal plate is contoured and preformed in at least one shaping step into a tubular body. Subsequently, the tubular body is end-formed into the structural part by internal high-pressure application while free contact regions snugly bear upon one another. The structural part is at least partially heated and quenched in a holding tool acted upon with a coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: BENTELER AUTOMOBILTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Holger Diersmann, Hans-Jürgen Knaup, Rafael Garcia Gómez
  • Patent number: 9238847
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems and apparatus for manufacturing complex three dimensional open structures by cold forming the component from unhardened metal stock and then selectively heating and quenching the metal to provide the desired strength profile across the component. The metal is initially formed of unheated and unhardened metal through a combination of rolling, stamping and/or milling operations to produce a component having a complex three dimensional open structure. The formed component is then hardened in strategically predetermined areas by sequentially heating and quenching the predetermined areas of the component. The heating and cooling elements are, in turn, provided on at least one robotic apparatus configured for moving the elements across the surface of the component in a manner sufficient to achieve the desired pattern of hardened and unhardened regions across the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eric Boettcher, Robb Augustine
  • Patent number: 9234262
    Abstract: Ultra-low magnetic susceptibility, biocompatible palladium-tin, palladium-aluminum, and palladium-tantalum alloys include at least 75 at % palladium, between about 3 and 20 at % tin, aluminum, or tantalum, respectively, and one or more other additives chosen from niobium, tungsten, molybdenum, zirconium, titanium, tin for non-palladium-tin alloys, aluminum for non-palladium-aluminum alloys, or tantalum for non-palladium-tantalum alloys, up to about 22 at % total.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: DERINGER-NEY, INC.
    Inventors: Arthur S. Klein, Edward F. Smith, III, Peter Hale
  • Patent number: 9234266
    Abstract: Aluminum alloys having an improved combination of properties are provided. In one aspect, a method for producing the alloy includes preparing an aluminum alloy for artificial aging and artificially aging the alloy. In one embodiment, the artificially aging step includes aging the aluminum alloy at a temperature of at least about 250° F., and final aging the aluminum alloy at a temperature of not greater than about 225° F. and for at least about 20 hours.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: ALCOA INC.
    Inventors: Cindie Giummarra, Roberto J. Rioja, Gary H. Bray, Paul E. Magnusen
  • Patent number: 9222156
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure comprise carbon steels and methods of manufacture. In one embodiment, quenching and tempering procedure is performed in which a selected steel composition is formed and heat treated to yield a slightly tempered microstructure having a fine carbide distribution. In another embodiment, a double austenizing procedure is disclosed in which a selected steel composition is formed and subjected to heat treatment to refine the steel microstructure. In one embodiment, the heat treatment may comprise austenizing and quenching the formed steel composition a selected number of times (e.g., 2) prior to tempering. In another embodiment, the heat treatment may comprise subjecting the formed steel composition to austenizing, quenching, and tempering a selected number of times (e.g., 2). Steel products formed from embodiments of the steel composition in this manner (e.g., seamless tubular bars and pipes) will possess high yield strength, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Siderca S.A.I.C.
    Inventors: Eduardo Altschuler, Teresa Perez, Edgardo Lopez, Constantino Espinosa, Gonzalo Gomez
  • Patent number: 9217186
    Abstract: The invention provides an alloy steel having the following composition: Ni 5-14 wt %; Cr 4-16 wt %; Co 7-14 wt %; Mo 1-5 wt %; W 0-5 wt %; Ti 0-0.8 wt %; Al 0.1-3 wt %; the balance being Fe save for incidental impurities. This provides an ultra-high strength corrosion resistant steel with good toughness, which does not significantly creep at temperatures up to 450° C. The high quantity of alloying to elements, particularly chromium, also gives the alloy good corrosion resistance. The alloy is particularly suitable for main shafts of gas turbine engines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Andrew T W Barrow, Harshad K D H Bhadeshia, Martin J. Rawson, Paul O Hill
  • Patent number: 9212412
    Abstract: The present invention provides a lean duplex stainless steel able to suppress the drop in corrosion resistance and toughness of a weld heat affected zone comprising, by mass %, C: 0.06% or less, Si: 0.1 to 1.5%, Mn: 2.0 to 4.0%, P: 0.05% or less, S: 0.005% or less, Cr: 19.0 to 23.0%, Ni: 1.0 to 4.0%, Mo: 1.0% or less, Cu: 0.1 to 3.0%, V: 0.05 to 0.5%, Al: 0.003 to 0.050%, O: 0.007% or less, N: 0.10 to 0.25%, and Ti: 0.05% or less, having a balance of Fe and unavoidable impurities. An Md30 value is 80 or less, an Ni-bal is ?7.1 to 4, an austenite phase area percentage is 40 to 70%, and a 2×Ni+Cu is 3.5 or more: Md30=551?462×(C+N)?9.2×Si?8.1×Mn?29×(Ni+Cu)?13.7×Cr?18.5×Mo?68×Nb; Ni-bal=(Ni+0.5Mn+0.5Cu+30C+30N)?1.1(Cr+1.5Si+Mo+W)+8.2 and N(%)?0.37+0.03×(Ni-bal).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMIKIN STAINLESS STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuusuke Oikawa, Hiroshi Urashima, Shinji Tsuge, Hiroshige Inoue, Ryo Matsuhashi
  • Patent number: 9206497
    Abstract: Methods of refining the grain size of a titanium alloy workpiece include beta annealing the workpiece, cooling the beta annealed workpiece to a temperature below the beta transus temperature of the titanium alloy, and high strain rate multi-axis forging the workpiece. High strain rate multi-axis forging is employed until a total strain of at least 1 is achieved in the titanium alloy workpiece, or until a total strain of at least 1 and up to 3.5 is achieved in the titanium alloy workpiece. The titanium alloy of the workpiece may comprise at least one of grain pinning alloying additions and beta stabilizing content effective to decrease alpha phase precipitation and growth kinetics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: ATI PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventors: David J. Bryan, John V. Mantione, Jean-Philippe Thomas
  • Patent number: 9207644
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of making a timepiece plate. This method is characterized in that it includes the following steps: a) taking (A1, A2) the material forming the plate including at least one metallic element; b) forming (B1, B2) the plate; c) cooling (C) everything so as to obtain the timepiece plate in an at least partially amorphous state; and d) retrieving (D) the plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Bazin, Stewes Bourban, Yves Winkler, Joachim Grupp, Nathalie Brebner-Grupp
  • Patent number: 9194027
    Abstract: A method and apparatus produces high strength aluminum alloy parts from a powder containing L12 intermetallic dispersoids. The powder is degassed, sealed under vacuum in a container, heated, consolidated into billet form by vacuum hot pressing. The billet is then shaped into a ring preform by extrusion, forging or rolling. The preform is then ring rolled to form a useful part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Awadh B. Pandey
  • Patent number: 9187818
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are present for manufacturing a part. The part is comprised of a metal alloy and is positioned to form a positioned part. An electromagnetic field is generated that heats the positioned part. A surface of the positioned part is exposed to an inert gas, while the electromagnetic field is generated to create an inverse thermal gradient between an exterior of the positioned part and an interior section of the positioned part to form a heat treated part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Brad L. Kirkwood, Marc R. Matsen, Tony Shen, Wesley B. Crow
  • Patent number: 9181597
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a creep resistant alloy having an overall composition comprised of iron, chromium, molybdenum, carbon, manganese, silicon, nickel, vanadium, niobium, nitrogen, tungsten, cobalt, tantalum, boron, and potentially additional elements. In an embodiment, the creep resistant alloy has a molybdenum equivalent Mo(eq) from 1.475 to 1.700 wt. % and a quantity (C+N) from 0.145 to 0.205. The overall composition ameliorates sources of microstructural instability such as coarsening of M23C6 carbides and MX precipitates, and mitigates or eliminates Laves and Z-phase formation. A creep resistant martensitic steel may be fabricated by preparing a melt comprised of the overall composition followed by at least austenizing and tempering. The creep resistant alloy exhibits improved high-temperature creep strength in the temperature environment of around 650° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: U.S. Department of Energy
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Hawk, Paul D. Jablonski, Christopher J. Cowen
  • Patent number: 9184327
    Abstract: A cell connection piece for a photovoltaic module is disclosed herein. The cell connection piece includes an interconnect bus, a plurality of bus tabs unitarily formed with the interconnect bus, and a terminal bus coupled with the interconnect bus. The plurality of bus tabs extend from the interconnect bus. The terminal bus includes a non-linear portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: SunPower Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas Rose, Shan Daroczi, Thomas Phu
  • Patent number: 9175373
    Abstract: A method of inertia friction welding a superalloy substrate, the method including: rotating and forcing a deposit material (110) against the superalloy substrate (100); plastically deforming at least one of the deposit material (110) and the superalloy substrate (100) to form a weld joining the deposit material (110) to the superalloy substrate (100), thereby forming an assembly; and heat-treating the assembly. Heat-treating includes: a post-weld intermediate stress-relief (ISR) treatment; a solutionizing treatment; and a precipitation hardening heat treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald J. Bruck, Timothy V. Stotler, Wendell L. Johnson
  • Patent number: 9127330
    Abstract: A method of forming a product by shaping and hardening a sheet-steel blank formed from separate sheets welded together, heating the blank to the austenitising range, hot stamping the blank in a cooled tool pair, hardening the product while it remains in the tool pair, and cooling the weld between two adjacent sheets at a reduced cooling rate as compared to the cooling rate of areas on either side of the weld.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Gestamp Hardtech AB
    Inventor: Jan Krispinsson
  • Patent number: 9127334
    Abstract: A method for producing high strength L12 aluminum alloy armor plate comprises using gas atomization to produce powder that is then consolidated into L12 aluminum alloy billets. The billets are then forged or rolled into plate form. The powders include aluminum alloy with L12 A13X dispersoids where x is at least scandium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, or lutetium, and at least gadolinium, yttrium, zirconium, titanium, hafnium, or niobium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Awadh B. Pandey
  • Patent number: 9109274
    Abstract: The steel plate of the invention is a high-tension steel plate that has a tensile strength of 1100 MPa or more and is excellent in base metal toughness and HAZ toughness and preferably in abrasion resistance. The steel plate satisfies a predetermined requirement of components in the steel. The Ceq (IIW) represented by the following equation ranges from 0.40 to 0.45 both inclusive: Ceq(IIW)=[C]+{?×[Mn]}+{?×([Cr]+[Mo]+[V])}+{ 1/15+([Cu]+[Ni])} in which each parenthesis-symbol [ ] means the content by percentage of an element in the parentheses. Oxide grains having a maximum diameter of 2 ?m or less are present in a number density of 200/mm2 or more in the steel. The steel is composed of 29% or more by volume of martensite microstructure, and bainite microstructure as the balance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kou
  • Patent number: 9109268
    Abstract: The chemical composition of a stainless steel in accordance with the present invention consists of C: not more than 0.05%, Si: not more than 0.5%, Mn: 0.01 to 0.5%, P: not more than 0.04%, S: not more than 0.01%, Cr: more than 16.0 and not more than 18.0%, Ni: more than 4.0 and not more than 5.6%, Mo: 1.6 to 4.0%, Cu: 1.5 to 3.0%, Al: 0.001 to 0.10%, and N: not more than 0.050%, the balance being Fe and impurities, and satisfies Formulas (1) and (2). Also, the micro-structure thereof contains a martensitic phase and a ferritic phase having a volume ratio of 10 to 40%, and the ferritic phase distribution ratio is higher than 85%. Cr+Cu+Ni+Mo?25.5??(1) ?8?30(C+N)+0.5Mn+Ni+Cu/2+8.2?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Takabe, Kunio Kondo, Hisashi Amaya, Taro Ohe, Yohei Otome
  • Patent number: 9095936
    Abstract: The present invention relates to variable melting point solder formulations. The solder is comprised of at least one base metal or base metal alloy, preferably alloyed with at least one melting point depressant metal, such that the solidus point of the solder composition is reduced to an initial solidus temperature. Said base metal or base metal alloy, alloyed with at least one melting point depressant metal is mixed with at least one additive metal or additive metal alloy. When heated to a process temperature above said initial solidus temperature, a reaction occurs between the melting point depressant metal, and the additive metal, such that solidification occurs at the process temperature via the formation of intermetallic phases, effectively increasing the solidus of the base metal, and of the overall solder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: DYNAJOIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Douglas J. McIsaac, Mark A. Whitney, Stephen F. Corbin
  • Patent number: 9090957
    Abstract: A martensitic stainless steel oil country tubular good contains, by mass, 0.005% to 0.1% C, 0.05% to 1% Si, 1.5% to 5% Mn, at most 0.05% P, at most 0.01% S, 9% to 13% Cr, at most 0.5% Ni, at most 2% Mo, at most 2% Cu, 0.001% to 0.1% Al, and 0.001% to 0.1% N, with the balance being Fe and impurities, and the pipe has a Cr-depleted region under the surface. The martensitic stainless steel oil country tubular good according to the present invention does not have a passive film on the surface and corrodes wholly at low speed. In addition, the Ni content is reduced, which allows uneven corrosion to be prevented. Therefore, SCC can be prevented from being generated in spite of the presence of a Cr-depleted region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hisashi Amaya, Kunio Kondo, Masakatsu Ueda