Patents Examined by Moshe Wilensky
  • Closure element with extensions for internal passage of component
    Patent number: 11377962
    Abstract: A closure element for an internal passage in a component, and a related method and turbine blade or nozzle are disclosed. The closure element includes a spherical body made of a first superalloy, and a plurality of extensions extending from a surface of the spherical body. The plurality of extensions made of the same, similar or different material other than the first superalloy. Subjecting the component to at least one thermal cycle causes a braze material to form a metallurgical bond with the spherical body, the plurality of extensions and the passage wall to seal the internal passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Yan Cui, Michael Douglas Arnett, Matthew Joseph Laylock, Brian Lee Tollison
  • Gas impingement in-process cooling system
    Patent number: 11371349
    Abstract: A blade repair apparatus is provided and includes a deposition head which is movable relative to base materials and configured to execute a repair operation that includes a deposition of additional materials onto the base materials during deposition head movements, a temperature control system including a temperature regulating assembly coupled with the deposition head in a trailing position and a controller. The controller is operably coupled to the deposition head and the temperature control system. The controller is configured to control the deposition head movements and depositional operations of the deposition head. The controller is configured to control the temperature control system such that the temperature regulating assembly controls temperatures of at least the base materials and the additional materials during at least the deposition head movements and the depositional operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Albert Rabinovich, William M. Rose, William J. Brindley
  • Method of repairing a joint connecting a wind turbine rotor blade to a rotor hub
    Patent number: 11371487
    Abstract: A method of repairing a joint connecting a wind turbine blade to a rotor hub of a wind turbine, wherein the joint includes a plurality of bushings in a root end of the wind turbine blade is disclosed. The method includes extracting a selected bushing from the wind turbine blade, the extraction resulting in a bushing cavity in the wind turbine blade; reconditioning the bushing cavity in the wind turbine blade; providing a replacement insert, wherein the insert includes a replacement bushing and a cover disposed around at least a portion of the replacement bushing; positioning the replacement insert into the reconditioned bushing cavity; and securing the replacement insert to the wind turbine blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Romaric Thiebaut
  • Prosthetic heart valve cooling
    Patent number: 11364115
    Abstract: Methods of compressing a stented prosthetic heart valve are disclosed. The method including inserting a stented prosthetic heart valve having a self-expandable stent frame into a container, initiating a cooling element in the container, transferring heat through a thermal conductor to cool an interior of the container, reducing a temperature of the self-expandable stent frame while located within the container to a critical temperature of not greater than 8° C., and compressing an outer diameter of the stented prosthetic heart valve while the stented prosthetic heart valve is at the critical temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Wang, Benjamin Wong, Laura McKinley, Joshua Dudney, Tracey Tien, Karl Olney
  • Combustor panels for gas turbine engines
    Patent number: 11365680
    Abstract: Methods for manufacturing combustor panels of gas turbine engines and combustor panels are described. The methods include defining a particle deposit near-steady state for at least a portion of a combustor panel, the particle deposit near-steady state representative of a build-up of particles on the at least a portion of the combustor panel during use, generating a template based on the defined particle deposit near-steady state, wherein the template includes one or more augmentation elements based on the representative of build-up of particles, and forming a combustor panel based on the template, wherein the formed combustor panel includes one or more augmentation elements defined in the template.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric DeShong, Brian Knisely, Shawn Siroka, Ivan Monge-Concepcion, Stephen K. Kramer
  • Method for mounting and/or removing components of a turbine having a turbine casing, adapter and system for use in the method as well as use of an adapter
    Patent number: 11359514
    Abstract: A method for mounting and/or dismantling turbine components is provided. According to this method, a crane is fastened to a turbine casing half in the area of the joint, and at least one component such as for example a turbine blade is brought into its mounted position and/or is removed from its mounted position by means of the crane. For this purpose, the crane has a tower with a multiple section jib having a plurality of segments, thereby allowing the components to be positioned accurately for mounting/dismantling. The mobile crane is connected to the turbine casing half by means of an adapter. The adapter has a fastening pin which is held in place by means of an existing through-bore in the turbine casing half. For the purpose of mounting the mobile crane, the adapter has a baseplate. For rotational locking of the crane, a securing element is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Sezgin Cimen, Benjamin Runge, Thomas Meyer
  • Dolly apparatuses including swing out arm and automatic arm closing features
    Patent number: 11352081
    Abstract: A dolly apparatus for use on an assembly line includes a base frame. A swing out arm is rotatably connected to the base frame by a pivot linkage. An automatic arm closing assembly moves the swing out arm from an installation position to an initial position. The automatic arm closing assembly includes an engagement member located laterally outside the base frame. A swinging linkage is rotatably connected to the base frame. A support rod connects the engagement member to the swinging linkage. A connector rod connects the swinging linkage to the pivot linkage. The engagement member has a retracted position and an extended position. The connector rod moves with rotation of the swinging linkage and rotates the pivot linkage thereby moving the swing out arm from the installation position to the initial position with movement of the engagement member from the extended position to the retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Bradley J. Garcia
  • Test specimen for validating operating parameters of a method for the additive manufacturing of a part by laser melting on powder beds
    Patent number: 11348378
    Abstract: A test specimen for validating operating parameters of a method for the additive manufacturing of a part by laser melting on powder beds includes at least one upper face, at least one lower face and side faces, including a front side face and a rear side face that are substantially on opposite sides from one another. The test specimen has at least one recess opening onto the front and rear side faces, the recess having a substantially triangular cross sectional shape being delimited by three internal faces, including a first lower internal face oriented upwards, a second upper internal face oriented downwards, and a third upper internal face which defines a narrow wall with one other of the side faces, which is inclined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Yann Danis, Alexis Marchand, Aurèle Germain
  • Holding arm for positioning a medical instrument or a medical appliance
    Patent number: 11338454
    Abstract: A segment of a holding arm for positioning a medical instrument or a medical appliance including several node structures, and a strut that rigidly connects two of the several node structures to each other. The strut includes flat structures that are joined to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Karl Storz SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Stephan Schrader, Marco Schulze, Torsten Siedel
  • Gripper for holding a wind turbine blade and method of holding a wind turbine blade
    Patent number: 11339031
    Abstract: A gripper for holding a wind turbine blade when the wind turbine blade is being transported. The gripper comprises a lower blade holding structure configured to engage an underside of the wind turbine blade, an upper blade holding structure configured to engage an upper side of the wind turbine blade and a force transfer mechanism operatively coupled to at least one of the lower or upper blade holding structures. The force transfer mechanism is configured to increase the force applied between the lower blade holding structure and the underside of the wind turbine blade and/or between the upper blade holding structure and the upper side of the wind turbine blade when the wind turbine blade is accelerated during movement along a central longitudinal axis of the wind turbine blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Kurt Jensen
  • Pre-chamber assembly for fuel injector
    Patent number: 11333062
    Abstract: A pre-chamber for a fuel injector is disclosed. The pre-chamber includes a cylindrical body member extending axially from a first end portion to a second end portion opposite to the first end portion. The pre-chamber further includes a bottom plate located proximal to the first end portion of the cylindrical body member. The pre-chamber also includes a sacrificial member extending axially outwards from the second end portion of the cylindrical body member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Curtis J Graham, Daniel Cavanaugh, Kevin P. Reardon
  • Method for manufacturing a pitch bearing or a yaw bearing of a wind turbine via additive manufacturing
    Patent number: 11333200
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a pitch bearing or a yaw bearing for a wind turbine includes forming an outer race of the bearing of a base material. The method also includes forming an inner race of the bearing of the base material. Further, one of the inner race or the outer race defines a circumferential surface comprising a plurality of gear teeth. The method further includes arranging the inner race within the outer race. In addition, the method includes providing a plurality of roller elements between the outer and inner races. Moreover, the method includes applying a coating material to at least a portion of the plurality of gear teeth via an additive manufacturing process. The coating material is different than the base material. As such, the coating material provides at least one of increased hardness, strength, or durability to the base material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Raed Zuhair Hasan, Adam Daniel Minadeo, John P. Davis, Aaron Wertz, Ganesh Raut, Souvik Porel
  • Bond fixture for composite splice fairing assembly
    Patent number: 11331713
    Abstract: A bond fixture includes a frame that defines a chamber for receiving a component. At least one bladder assembly is mounted to the frame and extends into the chamber to apply a pressure to an adjacent surface of the component. A caul assembly is positionable about the component and receivable within the chamber. The caul assembly heats a localized portion of the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sven Roy Lofstrom, David Littlejohn, Scott Oren Smith
  • Method for manufacturing a balance spring for a horological movement
    Patent number: 11334028
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a balance spring intended to equip a balance of a horological movement, including a step of producing a blank made of a Nb—Zr alloy including between 10 and 30 wt % Zr, a step of annealing and cooling the blank, at least one step of deforming the annealed blank in order to form a wire, wherein, before the deformation step, a step of depositing, on the blank, a layer of a ductile material chosen from copper, nickel, cupronickel, cupro-manganese, gold, silver, nickel-phosphorus Ni—P and nickel-boron Ni—B, in order to facilitate the wire shaping operation, the thickness of the ductile material layer deposited being chosen such that the ratio of the area of ductile material to the area of the alloy for a given wire cross-section is less than 1, preferably less than 0.5, and more preferably lies in the range 0.01 to 0.4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Nivarox-FAR S.A.
    Inventor: Christian Charbon
  • Method and an assembly for handling wind turbine blades
    Patent number: 11319931
    Abstract: A method for mounting a blade root of a blade on a blade flange of a wind turbine rotor, the method comprising:—attaching a control line between a hold structure at the blade flange and the blade root; —lifting the blade with a blade lifting crane while the blade root is guided towards the blade flange by use of said control line, and—connecting said blade root to said blade flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Ivar J. B. K. Jensen, Gunnar K. Storgaard Pedersen, Christian Skov Frederiksen
  • Manufacturing method of turbine casing
    Patent number: 11319879
    Abstract: There is provided a manufacturing method of a turbine casing capable of easily realizing improvement of reliability. A manufacturing method of a turbine casing according to an embodiment is a manufacturing method of a turbine casing which includes an outer casing formed of ferritic heat resistant steel and an inner casing disposed inside the outer casing and formed of austenitic heat resistant steel, and in which an exhaust hood to which a working medium after performing work in turbine stages is exhausted, is covered by the inner casing. Here, the inner casing is manufactured by using members produced by at least either forging or rolling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA ENERGY SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shogo Iwai, Tsuguhisa Tashima, Toshio Morimoto
  • Thin seal for an engine
    Patent number: 11313242
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a seal configured to interface with at least a first component and a second component of a gas turbine engine. A method for forming the seal includes obtaining an ingot of a fine grained, or a coarse grained, or a columnar grained or a single crystal material from a precipitation hardened nickel base superalloy containing at least 40% by volume of the precipitate of the form Ni3(Al, X), where X is a metallic or refractory element, and processing the ingot to generate a sheet of the material, where the sheet has a thickness within a range of 0.010 inches and 0.050 inches inclusive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Alan D. Cetel, Dilip N. Shah, Eric A. Hudson, Raymond Surace
  • Lifting device for wind turbine components
    Patent number: 11312595
    Abstract: A lifting device for a wind turbine component includes a yoke for connecting the wind turbine component to a crane, the yoke including at least one sensor for measuring the position and/or the speed and/or the acceleration of the wind turbine component at least during a lifting operation of the component is provided. The yoke further includes a pitching device for rotating the wind turbine component around a pitching axis when the wind turbine component is connected to the yoke. The lifting device further includes a controller for controlling the rotation of the pitching device around the pitching axis as a function of the measurement of the at least one sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Inventor: Jesper Moeller
  • Method for additively manufacturing a tip structure on a pre-existing part
    Patent number: 11305353
    Abstract: A method for additively manufacturing a tip structure on a pre-existing part includes: a) placing the part in a build space of a beam-assisted additive manufacturing setup and below a transparent aligning plate, b) engraving a top contour of the part onto the aligning plate with an energy beam of the setup, c) aligning a top surface of the part such that the top surface coincides with the engraved contour, d) removing the aligning plate from the setup, and e) additively manufacturing the tip structure according to a predefined geometry on the top surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Ole Geisen, Yaroslav Lebed
  • Wind turbine blade removal and installation system and method
    Patent number: 11300104
    Abstract: An apparatus for removing and installing a blade for a wind turbine is provided, comprising a first set of cable guides mounted within the nacelle, and a second set of cable guides positioned on an exterior surface of the rotor hub. An upper pulley block is suspended from a first hub flange and a second hub flange, wherein the upper pulley block is positioned above a third hub flange in a position for accepting the blade. A winch is positioned at a ground level, and the winch contains a lifting cable guided by the cable guides, and then reeved through the upper pulley block and a lower pulley block on a blade holding bracket, allowing the lower pulley block to be raised and lowered relative to the upper pulley block. The blade holding bracket attaches to the root end of the blade, and the lower pulley block is allowed to pivot and swivel relative to the blade holding bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Barnhart Crane and Rigging Co.
    Inventors: Kevin Reynolds, Eric Barnhart, Thomas A. Pepin, III, William Parker DePriest