Patents by Inventor Blake J. Luczak

Blake J. Luczak has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10774660
    Abstract: A blade for a gas turbine engine includes composite layers including neck plies and tooth plies that are flared relative to the neck plies. The neck plies and tooth plies respectively provide a neck and a root. The root includes a tooth. A Wedge is provided by wedge plies adhered over the root and the tooth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Blake J. Luczak
  • Patent number: 9611746
    Abstract: A rotor includes a disk that has slots circumferentially arranged around its periphery. Blades include respective roots that are mounted in respective ones of the slots. The roots are smaller than the slots such that there are circumferential gaps between the roots and circumferential sides of the slots. Wedges are respectively located within the circumferential gaps. The wedges are free floating with regard to the blades and the disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Blake J. Luczak
  • Publication number: 20160250812
    Abstract: A method for creating a laminate design geometry for a composite component according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, defining a spatial volume of a solid defined between a plurality of external surface boundaries, defining an offset boundary spaced by an offset value from one of the plurality of external surface boundaries to define a region in which a ply is to be received, defining a partitioning boundary dividing the region into a ply portion and a resin portion; and repeating the steps of defining an offset boundary and defining a partitioning boundary by defining an offset boundary from any one of the plurality of external surface boundaries and the offset boundary in a previous iteration of defining an offset boundary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: James T. Roach, Ammon Hepworth, Hoyt Y. Chang, Blake J. Luczak
  • Publication number: 20160245100
    Abstract: A blade for a gas turbine engine includes composite layers including neck plies and tooth plies that are flared relative to the neck plies. The neck plies and tooth plies respectively provide a neck and a root. The root includes a tooth. A Wedge is provided by wedge plies adhered over the root and the tooth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Blake J. Luczak
  • Patent number: 9410439
    Abstract: A blade root shim comprises a base, a suction side shim wall, a pressure side shim wall, and a contact relief region. The base extends longitudinally between a leading shim end and a trailing shim end. The suction side shim wall extends along the base and corresponds to a suction side blade root bearing surface. The pressure side shim wall, spaced circumferentially apart from the suction shim wall, corresponds to a pressure side blade bearing surface. The contact relief region is formed into an upper wall portion of either the suction side shim wall or the pressure side shim wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Blake J. Luczak
  • Patent number: 8834106
    Abstract: A seal assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a seal body and a biasing support member. The seal body includes a generally annular shape that defines an outer diameter surface. The biasing support member is circumferentially disposed about the outer diameter surface of the ceramic matrix composite seal body and includes an array of spring fingers that circumferentially overlap about the biasing support member. The array of spring fingers contacts the seal body and centers the seal body relative to the centerline axis of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Blake J. Luczak
  • Publication number: 20140079559
    Abstract: A blade root shim comprises a base, a suction side shim wall, a pressure side shim wall, and a contact relief region. The base extends longitudinally between a leading shim end and a trailing shim end. The suction side shim wall extends along the base and corresponds to a suction side blade root bearing surface. The pressure side shim wall, spaced circumferentially apart from the suction shim wall, corresponds to a pressure side blade bearing surface. The contact relief region is formed into an upper wall portion of either the suction side shim wall or the pressure side shim wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Blake J. Luczak
  • Publication number: 20130318771
    Abstract: Removing of a casting core from a metal casting leaves at least one opening in a surface of the metal. The opening is filled with a sacrificial material. The metal and sacrificial material are machined at the opening. After the machining, a remainder of the sacrificial material is removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Blake J. Luczak, Glenn A. Cotnoir, James T. Beals, Thomas M. Morin, Joseph J. Parkos, JR.
  • Publication number: 20130247586
    Abstract: A rotor includes a disk that has slots circumferentially arranged around its periphery. Blades include respective roots that are mounted in respective ones of the slots. The roots are smaller than the slots such that there are circumferential gaps between the roots and circumferential sides of the slots. Wedges are respectively located within the circumferential gaps. The wedges are free floating with regard to the blades and the disk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Inventor: Blake J. Luczak
  • Publication number: 20120308367
    Abstract: A seal assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a seal body and a biasing support member. The seal body includes a generally annular shape that defines an outer diameter surface. The biasing support member is circumferentially disposed about the outer diameter surface of the ceramic matrix composite seal body and includes an array of spring fingers that circumferentially overlap about the biasing support member. The array of spring fingers contacts the seal body and centers the seal body relative to the centerline axis of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Inventor: Blake J. Luczak
  • Patent number: 8122583
    Abstract: Removing of a casting core from a metal casting leaves at least one opening in a surface of the metal. The opening is filled with a sacrificial material. The metal and sacrificial material are machined at the opening. After the machining, a remainder of the sacrificial material is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Blake J. Luczak, Glenn A. Cotnoir, James T. Beals, Thomas M. Morin, Joseph J. Parkos, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7779892
    Abstract: An investment casting core combination includes a metallic casting core and a ceramic feedcore. A first region of the metallic casting core is embedded in the ceramic feedcore. The metallic casting core includes a plurality of body sections. The first region is along at least some of the body sections. The metallic casting core includes a plurality of springs spanning gaps between adjacent body sections and unitarily formed therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Blake J. Luczak, Matthew A. Devore
  • Patent number: 7775768
    Abstract: An airfoil for a gas turbine engine component such as a turbine blade or a vane includes at least one microcircuit cooling channel having a plurality of sub-channels extending along a radial direction of the airfoil. The plurality of channels are axially spaced, and are fed by radially spaced inlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew A. Devore, Blake J. Luczak
  • Patent number: 7757745
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an investment casting core uses a metallic blank having a thickness between parallel first and second faces less than a width and length transverse thereto. The blank is locally thinned from at least one of the first and second faces. The blank is through-cut across the thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Blake J. Luczak
  • Patent number: 7753104
    Abstract: A method involves forming a core assembly. The forming includes molding a first ceramic core over a first refractory metal core to form a core subassembly. The subassembly is assembled to a second ceramic core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Blake J. Luczak, Eric A. Hudson, James T. Beals, Eric L. Couch
  • Publication number: 20100116452
    Abstract: A method involves forming a core assembly. The forming includes molding a first ceramic core over a first refractory metal core to form a core subassembly. The subassembly is assembled to a second ceramic core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Inventors: Blake J. Luczak, Eric A. Hudson, James T. Beals, Eric L. Couch
  • Patent number: 7686065
    Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a combination investment casting core, a plurality of cores are each formed by cutting a metallic sheet to define a first portion and a number of separate second portions linked by the first portion. The second portions are bent out of local alignment with the first portion. The first portions of the cores are assembled and secured to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Blake J. Luczak
  • Patent number: 7665961
    Abstract: A turbine outer air seal includes, in a radially inner major surface thereof, at least one circumferential groove accommodating a plurality of holes which supply air for film cooling the radially inner surface of the air seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Paul M. Lutjen, John D. Wiedemer, James N. Knapp, Dominic J. Mongillo, Jr., Christopher R. Joe, Blake J. Luczak, Gary L. Grogg, Michael F. Benamati
  • Publication number: 20090095435
    Abstract: Removing of a casting core from a metal casting leaves at least one opening in a surface of the metal. The opening is filled with a sacrificial material. The metal and sacrificial material are machined at the opening. After the machining, a remainder of the sacrificial material is removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Blake J. Luczak, Glenn A. Cotnoir, James T. Beals, Thomas M. Morin, Joseph J. Parkos, JR.
  • Publication number: 20080277090
    Abstract: An investment casting core combination includes a metallic casting core and a ceramic feedcore. A first region of the metallic casting core is embedded in the ceramic feedcore. The metallic casting core includes a plurality of body sections. The first region is along at least some of the body sections. The metallic casting core includes a plurality of springs spanning gaps between adjacent body sections and unitarily formed therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: Blake J. Luczak, Matthew A. Devore