Patents Examined by Jason Shanske
  • Rotor assembly apparatus
    Patent number: 9994310
    Abstract: Rotor assembly apparatus are disclosed. An example rotor assembly includes a twist actuator to drive a first rotation of a first shaft about a first axis, the twist actuator positioned at a center of rotation of the rotor assembly; and a first gear assembly to convert the first rotation into a plurality of second rotations of a plurality of second shafts, each of the second shafts to provide torque to a respective blade coupled to the rotor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Daniel M. Podgurski
  • Flex fuel field generator
    Patent number: 9995248
    Abstract: A generator system includes (i) an internal combustion engine, (ii) an exhaust gas outlet, connected to the internal combustion engine, for venting exhaust gasses, and (iii) a condenser, connected to the exhaust gas outlet, for condensing water from exhaust gasses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: INI Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Larry J. Markoski
  • Engine device for work vehicle
    Patent number: 9995198
    Abstract: An engine device for a work vehicle, in which an exhaust purification unit can be placed on an engine in the neighborhood of the final process in the assembly work of the engine, thereby improving the assembly workability of the engine. The engine device includes a first case that removes particulate matter in the exhaust gas of the engine and a second case that removes nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gas of the engine and connects the first case to the second case via a urea mixing pipe. The first case and the second case are integrally adhered by means of clamping bodies, and, thereby forming an exhaust purification unit, and the exhaust purification unit is configured to be supported by the engine via the clamping bodies, and in a detachable manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Sandou
  • Modular turbocharger clearance seal
    Patent number: 9995161
    Abstract: A turbocharger shaft is sealed with respect to the bore of the bearing housing at the turbine wheel end by one or more shaft seal rings. Conventionally these rings are seated in annular grooves provided in the shaft behind the turbine wheel. Problems can arise with this conventional shaft seal arrangement, particularly where the turbocharged engine has an engine brake valve located downstream of the turbine, and the back pressure in the exhaust line, and thus in the turbine wheel housing, can reach 7 bar. The inventive shaft seal design avoids grooves, and makes it possible to assemble a seal with ring seals with higher wear resistance and thus to maintain the seal's effectiveness over heavy use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventor: Allan Kelly
  • Fan cowl balking latch
    Patent number: 9988157
    Abstract: A nacelle may include fan cowl panels which may be opened to provide access to the fan case. A latching mechanism may latch a left fan cowl panel to a right fan cowl panel. The latch may create a separation between the fan cowl panels when unlatched. A shoot pin latch may be aligned with a receiver cavity such that the shoot pin latch may be closed when the latching mechanism is closed. If the fan cowl panels are not fully closed, the shoot pin latch may be prevented from closing, and a high visibility handle may indicate that the fan cowl panels are not latched together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: ROHR, INC.
    Inventors: John J. Lee, Kristian Sitson, Yibin Deng
  • Wind turbine blade lightning bypass system
    Patent number: 9989036
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade is described having a lightning bypass system located at the root end of the blade. The lightning bypass system comprises a stay bolt formed from an electrically insulating material having a conductive core. The conductive core of the stay bolt provides a conductive path for a lightning down conductor system through the root end of a wind turbine blade to the turbine hub or nacelle, bypassing any sensitive root end components of the wind turbine blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: LM WP PATENT HOLDING A/S
    Inventor: Lars Bo Hansen
  • Low power and low noise fan-scroll with multiple split incoming air-streams
    Patent number: 9989066
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a blower assembly having a blower housing, an impeller adapted for rotation about an axis A-A disposed in blower housing, and an intake plenum cooperating with the interior first surface of the blower housing to define an air entrance passage for receiving an incoming air flow. The intake plenum includes means to split the incoming air flow into a plurality of air streams and direct the air streams to predetermined portions of the impeller susceptible to stall conditions as the impeller rotates about the axis A-A. The means to split the incoming air may include a splitter plate disposed in the air entrance passage or at least one port defined in a portion of the air intake plenum adjacent the impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Debashis Ghosh, Richard S. Baranowski, Shamsuddin Noorani
  • Turbine under platform air seal strip
    Patent number: 9982549
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine stage includes a rotor having a slot. A blade has a root received in the slot, and a shank that extends radially outward from the root to a platform that supports an airfoil. A seal is supported on the shank and in engagement circumferentially between and with the shank and the rotor within the slot. A gas turbine engine includes compressor and turbine sections. The turbine section has a rotor with a slot. A combustor is provided axially between the compressor and turbine sections. A turbine blade in the turbine section includes a root received in the slot and a shank that extends radially outward from the root to a platform that supports an airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seth J. Thomen, Wieslaw A. Chlus
  • Ceiling fan
    Patent number: 9982679
    Abstract: A ceiling fan comprising a motor system. The motor system is mounted around a motor shaft. The motor shaft couples to a downrod for suspending the ceiling fan from a structure. The motor shaft and motor are encased by a motor housing. The motor housing comprises hub arms for mounting a plurality of blade holders. The blade holders coupled to a plurality of blades rotatable about the motor during operation. The downrod comprises a wire disk mounting guy wiring to the downrod. A retention rod is utilized internal of the motor and downrod as a secondary retention method. An electrical connector is internal of the motor shaft and electrically couples to the stator to power the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Hunter Fan Company
    Inventors: Phillip Santolucito, Agustin Chacon
  • Lubricant system
    Patent number: 9976483
    Abstract: An aircraft engine having a fan or propeller stage mounted to a planetary gearing system through a planetary gearing output drive shaft is provided with a lubricant system having a seal with lubricant delivery chamber for receiving a lubricant and a sealing surface sealing against a rotatable shaft, the rotatable shaft has a hollow interior and an opening in registration with the delivery chamber. The lubricant system has a lubricant pump in fluidical communication with and downstream of the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventor: Gideon Daniel Venter
  • Lifting foil
    Patent number: 9976421
    Abstract: A lifting foil having a configuration with a leading course and trailing course which is rotated about an axis of rotation into a fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Inventor: Ronald G. Houck, II
  • Pitch assembly for a wind turbine rotor blade
    Patent number: 9970414
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a pitch assembly for coupling a rotor blade to a hub of a wind turbine. In one embodiment, the pitch assembly includes a first pitch bearing having a first outer race and a first inner race rotatable relative to the first outer race via a first set of rolling elements, a second pitch bearing having a second outer race and a second inner race rotatable relative to the second outer race via a second set of rolling elements, and at least one spacer configured axially between and contacting the first and second pitch bearings. Further, at least a portion of the first pitch bearing and at least a portion of the second pitch bearing are axially aligned between the rotatable hub and the rotor blade in a generally span-wise direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Biju Nanukuttan, Rajanikanth Reddy Dasari, Dhanesh Chandrashekar Pathuvoth, Srikanth Samudrala, Mohan Kumar Lakshminarayana
  • Adapter for vacuum pumps and associated pumping device
    Patent number: 9970444
    Abstract: The invention relates to an adapter for vacuum pumps, characterized in that it comprises an annular inlet flange (15) intended to be coupled to an outlet orifice of a chamber and an outlet coupling (16) comprising at least two cylindrical outlet through-housings (21) and forming an at least partial pump casing for the case (4) of a respective turbomolecular vacuum pump (3), said turbomolecular vacuum pumps (3) being intended to be received in a respective cylindrical outlet housing (21). The invention also relates to a pumping device, characterized in that it comprises an adapter for vacuum pumps (2) as described hereinabove and at least two turbomolecular vacuum pumps (3) housed at least partially in a respective cylindrical outlet housing (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH
    Inventors: Thibaut Bourrilhon, Rainer Mathes, Nicolas Varennes
  • Forward-swept impellers and gas turbine engines employing the same
    Patent number: 9970452
    Abstract: Embodiments of a forward-swept impeller are provide, as are embodiments of a gas turbine engine containing a forward-swept impeller. In one embodiment, the gas turbine engine includes a shaft and a forward-swept impeller mounted to the shaft. The forward-swept impeller includes, in turn, an inboard impeller section, an outboard impeller section circumscribing the inboard impeller section, and a plurality of hub flow paths extending over the forward-swept impeller from the inboard impeller section to the outboard impeller section. The plurality of hub flow paths each have a flow path exit that is tilted in a forward direction, as taken along a line tangent to the flow path exit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Richard David Conner, Michael Todd Barton, Yoseph Gebre-Giorgis, Harry Lester Kington, John Repp
  • Flow control structures for turbomachines and methods of designing the same
    Patent number: 9970456
    Abstract: Flow control devices and structures designed and configured to improve the performance of a turbomachine. Exemplary flow control devices may include various flow guiding channels, ribs, diffuser passage-width reductions, and other treatments and may be located on one or both of a shroud and hub side of a machine to redirect, guide, or otherwise influence portions of a turbomachine flow field to thereby improve the performance of the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Concepts NREC, LLC
    Inventor: David Japikse
  • Case structure interposed between the engine and the nacelle with jointed ferrule segments
    Patent number: 9964041
    Abstract: A case structure interposed between the engine and the nacelle of the aircraft is provided. The case structure includes: a ferrule surrounding the engine and including a plurality of segments; at least one radial arm ensuring connection to the nacelle; and a plurality of attachment devices for securing the plurality of ferrule segments together or with at least one radial arm. The plurality of attachment devices includes an articulation device configured for ensuring coupling of the lifted-rotated-pushed type ensuring after disengagement of the ferrule segment, its pivoting about a pivot axis parallel to a longitudinal axis of the engine and then its blocking in a disengagement position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Ceddric Beljambe, Frederic Dautreppe, Noel Robin
  • Vacuum pump
    Patent number: 9964121
    Abstract: A vacuum pump, in particular to a turbomolecular pump, has a pump inlet, a pump outlet and a pump space for a gas to be pumped arranged between the pump inlet and the pump outlet, and at least one cooling gas inlet for a cooling gas for cooling the vacuum pump, the pump further having one or more hollow regions for the cooling gas connected in a gas conducting manner to the cooling gas inlet and arranged outside the pump space, wherein the or each hollow region is bounded by at least one component of the vacuum pump to be cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: PFEIFFER VACUUM GMBH
    Inventor: Michael Schill
  • Dynamic characteristic measurement device of centrifugal rotation machine, and centrifugal rotation machine
    Patent number: 9964435
    Abstract: A dynamic characteristic measurement device of the present invention includes magnetic force generators (1a, 1b, 2a, 2b) that are arranged on the back side of impellers (4, 5), the magnetic force, an oscillation controller (12) that drives these magnetic force generators, and vibration sensors (13, 14) that detect vibration of a rotation shaft (3). The dynamic characteristic measurement device further includes an arithmetic device (16) that calculates a dynamic characteristic of a rotor (6) by implementing a frequency analysis and a mode analysis based on an oscillation signal from the oscillation controller (12) and a vibration signal from the vibration sensors (13, 14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hirotoshi Arihara
  • Centrifugal fan
    Patent number: 9964119
    Abstract: A centrifugal fan includes a housing and an impeller. The housing includes a first surface and a flow channel wall. The first surface has a surrounding section and an air inlet section. The surrounding section encircles the air inlet section. The flow channel wall defines a flow chamber and an air outlet, and at least a sidewall of the flow channel wall has a tongue portion close to the air outlet. The impeller is rotatably connected within the flow chamber. The surrounding section plus the air inlet section is an area on the first surface, on which the impeller is projected, and the surrounding section has a convex structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Hsin-Chen Lin, Hsiang-Jung Huang
  • Self-adjusting device for controlling the clearance between rotating and stationary components of a thermally loaded turbo machine
    Patent number: 9963988
    Abstract: A self-adjusting device for controlling the clearance (C), especially in the radial direction, between rotating and stationary components of a thermally loaded turbo machine, changes clearance (C) in a linear and/or non-linear way during transition of the machine between standstill and steady-state operation. Simple and effective control can be achieved, even in the case of a nonlinear variation of the clearance during transitional operation, by the self-adjusting device including at least two different driving elements (A, B) to move the rotating and fixed components relative to each other in order to change the clearance (C) between them, and by the different driving elements (A, B) being configured to be activated at different times during the transition of the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Jaroslaw Leszek Swedowicz, Alexey Mozharov, Florian Schiedeck, Jonas Boettcher