Patents Examined by Edward Look
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Patent number: 9297263Abstract: A turbine blade for a gas turbine engine may include a platform, an airfoil extending above the platform, and a root structure extending below the platform. The root structure may extend from a forward face to an aft face and include a shank region proximate the platform and a lower portion distal to the platform. The forward face of the shank region may project outward from the forward face of the lower portion.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2012Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: Jeffrey Eugene Tarczy, Leslie John Faulder
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Patent number: 9297270Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a core engine with a compressor section, a combustor and a turbine. The turbine drives an output shaft, and the output shaft drives at least four gears. Each of the at least four gears extends through a drive shaft to drive an associated fan rotor.Type: GrantFiled: February 29, 2012Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Alan H. Epstein, Wesley K. Lord, Michael E. McCune, Brian D. Merry
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Patent number: 9297262Abstract: A turbine rotor blade for a gas turbine engine is described. The turbine rotor blade includes an airfoil that includes a tip at an outer radial end. The tip includes a rail that defines a tip cavity; and the rail includes a circumscribing rail microchannel. The circumscribing rail microchannel is a microchannel that extends around at least a majority of the length of the inner rail surface.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2012Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Xiuzhang James Zhang, Aaron Ezekiel Smith, Anthony Louis Giglio, Brian Peter Arness, Benjamin Paul Lacy
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Patent number: 9297363Abstract: A wind turbine main bearing realized to bear a shaft of a wind turbine, which shaft is caused to rotate by a number of blades connected to the shaft is disclosed. The wind turbine main bearing includes a fluid bearing with a plurality of bearing pads arranged about the shaft. Also disclosed is a wind turbine with a number of blades connected to a shaft and realized to rotate the shaft, which wind turbine includes as main bearing a wind turbine main bearing. Further described is a method of performing maintenance on a wind turbine, including the steps of halting a rotation of the shaft, operating a lifting arrangement to raise the shaft, and removing a bearing pad of the wind turbine main bearing from the bearing housing of the wind turbine main bearing.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2009Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTInventors: Pierre-Antoine Guerenbourg, Nigel New, Jason Stege, Kim Thomsen
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Patent number: 9297673Abstract: Turbomachine component and turbomachine outfitted therewith. The turbomachine component has a sensor unit arranged at the turbomachine component. The sensor unit has a sensor for detecting a parameter to be monitored and a transmitter for sending a measurement signal corresponding to the parameter to an evaluation unit of the turbomachine for processing. The transmitter of the sensor unit sends an encoded identification signal to the evaluation unit along with the measurement signal, this encoded identification signal contains an identification code that identifies the sensor unit. The sensor unit is configured such that the sensor unit cannot be separated from the turbomachine component without functional destruction of the sensor unit.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2009Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: MAN Diesel & Turbo SEInventor: Thomas Michligk
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Patent number: 9297089Abstract: A gas turbine component for use in a gas turbine engine includes a substrate and a non-aluminide protective coating with a platinum-group metal. The platinum-group metal resides in a gamma-prime phase of the underlying material. The platinum-group metal can impart the protective coating with superior corrosion-resistance, while the absence of aluminide in the protective coating facilitates use of the protective coating at high-stress and/or high-fatigue portions of the component. The protective coating optionally includes chromide and can also be combined with aluminide at select portions of the component.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2012Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: Barson Composites CorporationInventors: Charles Clifford Berger, David John Wortman
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Patent number: 9297271Abstract: A turbine blade monitoring arrangement includes a bucket tip located at a radial outer location of a bucket. Also included is at least one component disposed radially outwardly of the bucket tip. Further included is a hollow portion of the at least one component, wherein the hollow portion extends radially from a first end to a second end through the at least one component. Yet further included is a first sealing component operatively coupled to the at least one component proximate the first end of the hollow portion, wherein the first sealing component comprises a translucent material. Also included is a proximity sensor disposed radially outwardly of the at least one component and aligned with the hollow portion, the proximity sensor configured to generate a first signal through the hollow portion to the bucket tip.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2013Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Matthew Troy Hafner
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Patent number: 9291071Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention is a turbine nozzle baffle including an annular box structure. The turbine nozzle baffle includes a first diaphragm, a second diaphragm, and a static portion of a rotating seal that form a one-piece annular box structure. The first diaphragm extends from an inner diameter of the box structure to an outer diameter of the box structure to form a first axial side. The second diaphragm includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion extends from the inner diameter to the outer diameter to form a second axial side. The second portion extends toward the first axial side to form the outer diameter. The second diaphragm connects to the first diaphragm at the outer diameter. The static portion of the rotating seal faces radially inward at the inner diameter between the first axial side and the second axial side.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2012Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventor: Gordon F. Jewess
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Patent number: 9284889Abstract: A flexible seal system for a gas turbine engine includes an annular mounting bracket, an annular support bracket, an annular flexible seal and a plurality of mounting spacers. The flexible seal extends axially between a first mounting segment and a second mounting segment. The first mounting segment is connected axially between the mounting bracket and the support bracket, and includes a plurality of mounting apertures that extend axially through the first mounting segment. Each of the mounting spacers is arranged within a respective one of the mounting apertures, and extends axially between the mounting bracket and the support bracket.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2011Date of Patent: March 15, 2016Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Jocelyn C. Damgaard, Steven D. Roberts, Timothy Dale
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Patent number: 9283943Abstract: A brake apparatus, which is configured to generate a hydraulic pressure in a master cylinder, sets a control position of a primary piston. According to a movement of an input piston in response to an operation of a brake pedal, the brake apparatus generates a hydraulic pressure in a primary chamber of the master cylinder by driving the primary piston by an electric motor to supply brake fluid to a brake caliper, thereby exerting a brake effect. The brake apparatus sets a first control position where the primary chamber is out of communication with a reservoir, and a second control position where the primary chamber is in communication with the reservoir as a holding position of the primary piston when no brake is applied. Then, the brake apparatus appropriately switches the holding position of the piston between the first control position and the second control position.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2011Date of Patent: March 15, 2016Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.Inventor: Masaru Sakuma
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Patent number: 9283941Abstract: In a vacuum booster for a vehicular brake, at least one of flat front attachment portion and flat rear attachment portion has a central disc portion which is concentric with a fitting cylindrical portion and plural side disc portions which are disposed around the central disc portion so as to be continuous with the central disc portion and to be spaced from each other. Bolts are inserted through at least a pair of side disc portions of the plural side disc portions.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2012Date of Patent: March 15, 2016Assignee: NISSIN KOGYO CO., LTD.Inventors: Kiyoaki Tanizawa, Kentaro Yoshizawa
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Patent number: 9284844Abstract: A component for a gas turbine engine includes a wall and a cooling hole extending through the wall. The wall has a first surface and a second surface. The cooling hole includes a metering section that extends from an inlet in the first surface of the wall to a transition, a diffusing section that extends from the transition to an outlet in the second surface of the wall, and a cusp on the transition.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2012Date of Patent: March 15, 2016Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventor: JinQuan Xu
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Patent number: 9279330Abstract: A component for a gas turbine engine includes a gas path wall having a first surface and a second surface and a cooling hole extending through the gas path wall from the first surface to the second surface. The cooling hole includes an inlet portion having an inlet at the first surface, an outlet portion having an outlet at the second surface, and a transition defined between the inlet and the outlet. The inlet portion converges in a first direction from the inlet to the transition and diverges in a second direction from the inlet to the transition. The outlet portion diverges at least in one of the first and second directions from the transition to the outlet.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2012Date of Patent: March 8, 2016Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: JinQuan Xu, Glenn Levasseur
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Patent number: 9279331Abstract: An airfoil includes a body. The body includes leading and trailing edges adjoining pressure and suction sides to provide an exterior airfoil surface. First and second cooling passages extend in a radial direction from a root to a tip. The first cooling passage includes a tip flag passage that is radially inboard from the tip and extends in a chord-wise direction to a first end that penetrates the trailing edge. The second cooling passage includes a second end terminates adjacent the tip flag passage and a dirt purge passage interconnects the second end to the tip flag passage. A core for making the airfoil is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2012Date of Patent: March 8, 2016Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Jeffrey R. Levine, Jeffrey S. Beattie
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Patent number: 9279335Abstract: A vane assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a first platform, a second platform, and an airfoil that extends radially across an annulus between the first platform and the second platform. The airfoil is centered relative to a centerline axis of the second platform and is offset relative to a centerline axis of the first platform.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2011Date of Patent: March 8, 2016Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventor: Tracy A. Propheter-Hinckley
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Patent number: 9273565Abstract: A vane assembly for a gas turbine engine according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure includes, among other possible features, a first platform, a second platform spaced from the first platform, and a first variable airfoil that extends radially across an annulus between the first platform and the second platform. One of a radial outer portion and a radial inner portion of the variable airfoil includes a rotational shaft and the other of the radial outer portion and the radial inner portion includes a ball and socket joint that rotationally connect the first variable airfoil relative to the first platform and the second platform.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2012Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventor: Tracy A. Propheter-Hinckley
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Patent number: 9272354Abstract: The present invention relates to the provision of a cylinder apparatus that is able to maintain a superior join condition, and has: a cylindrical cylinder (11); an end portion member (12) that is placed on the end portion side of the cylinder (11); and a weld portion (13) that fixes an outer circumferential side of the cylinder (11), when this has been engaged with an inner circumferential side of the end portion member (12), to one end of the end portion member (12) by means of a weld, wherein abutting portions (21), which abut in the circumferential direction against a contact portion (60) of the end portion member (12) and notch portions (20) are provided alternatingly in the circumferential direction on the end portion side of the cylinder (11), and the notch portions (20) form communicating passages (69) that connect the weld portion (13) to an inner circumferential side space (67) inside the cylinder (11) or end portion member (12).Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2011Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.Inventors: Isao Yoshioka, Norihisa Kimura, Kazuyoshi Kambe
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Patent number: 9273560Abstract: A component for a gas turbine engine includes a wall and a cooling hole extending through the wall. The wall has a first surface and a second surface. The cooling hole includes a metering section extending downstream from an inlet in the first surface of the wall and a diffusion section extending from the metering section to an outlet in the second surface of the wall. The diffusion section includes a first plurality of lobes diverging longitudinally and laterally from the metering section on a first side of a centerline axis of the cooling hole and a second plurality of lobes diverging longitudinally and laterally from the metering section on a second side of the centerline axis.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2012Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Matthew S. Gleiner, Mark F. Zelesky, Atul Kohli
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Patent number: 9273699Abstract: The invention relates to a helico-axial pump (1) for pumping a multi-phase mixture (M), said helico-axial pump (1) including a rotor (2) rotatably journalled in a pump housing (6) about a longitudinal axis (A), wherein the rotor (2) includes a compression stage (K) with a helico-axial impeller (3) and a stator (4) for the compression of the multi-phase mixture (M). In accordance with the invention a hydrodynamic stabilization element (7, 71, 72, 73) having a stabilization surface (700) is provided in the pump housing (6) and designed such that a stabilization gap (8) is formed upstream of the stabilization medium, so that in the operating state a hydrodynamic stabilization layer (S) can be formed from a stabilization medium in the stabilization gap (S). The invention further relates to a rotor (2) for a helico-axial pump (1), a method for the hydrodynamic journaling of a rotor (2) of a helico-axial pump (1) as well as to a hybrid pump with a rotor (2) for a helico-axial pump 1.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2011Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: Sulzer Management AGInventors: Paul Meuter, Christopher David Radcliffe, Mônica Alves de Lima Ruguê, Thomas Welschinger
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Patent number: 9273664Abstract: A hydraulic control valve to control a double-acting working cylinder having a piston with a piston rod on one side, at least four external connections, and a device to feed the fluid forced from the small stroke space of the working cylinder into the large stroke space while the piston rod is moving out, and further for independent switching of the working cylinder from the work stroke to slow movement with a subsequent holding state to release pressure from the small stroke space, and wherein a connection of the small stroke space to the tank can be switched on. The control valve has five control edges, with two separate line paths formed to feed the fluid forced out of the small stroke space back with a back-feed control edge and a pressure-release control edge is formed to release pressure from the small stroke space to the tank.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2011Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: Parker Hannifin CorporationInventor: Gerd Scheffel