Patents by Inventor Bruce E. Varney

Bruce E. Varney 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).

  • Publication number: 20170138597
    Abstract: An annular assembly for a gas turbine engine and a method of making the annular assembly. The annular assembly comprises a supporting member comprising metal and including a support hole therethrough, and a liner tile made of ceramic matrix composite material. A plurality of the liner tile form an annular liner to shield hot combustion gases produced by the gas turbine engine. The liner tile is disposed adjacent the supporting member. A connecting member comprising ceramic material has a base element and a stem. The base element is embedded in the liner tile during construction of the liner tile to form an integrated structure therewith. A distal end of the stem passes through the support hole and is mated with a retaining member to retain the liner tile adjacent the supporting member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Inventors: Ted Joseph Freeman, Bruce E. Varney, Andrew Joseph Lazur
  • Publication number: 20170051917
    Abstract: A combustor adapted for use in a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The combustor includes a metallic case forming a cavity and a ceramic liner arranged in the cavity of the metallic case. The ceramic liner defines a combustion chamber in which fuel is burned during operation of a gas turbine engine. The ceramic liner is located in the metallic case using a plurality of cross key connectors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventors: Bruce E. Varney, Ted J. Freeman, Adam L. Chamberlain
  • Publication number: 20160319689
    Abstract: A blade track for a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of blade track segments. The blade track segments are arranged circumferentially around a central axis to form the blade track.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel K. Vetters, Aaron D. Sippel, David J. Thomas, Andrew J. Eifert, Paul A. Davis, Simon L. Jones, Peter Broadhead, Bruce E. Varney, Jeffrey A. Walston, Steven Hillier
  • Publication number: 20160258311
    Abstract: A turbine shroud for a gas turbine engine includes an annular metallic carrier and a blade track. One or more cavities are formed between the carrier and blade track to provide cooling air to the blade track.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Inventors: Bruce E. Varney, Daniel K. Vetters
  • Publication number: 20160177786
    Abstract: A turbine shroud for a gas turbine engine includes an annular metallic carrier and a ceramic-containing blade track. A connection is formed between the annular metallic carrier and the ceramic-containing blade track by insert pins extending through metallic carrier into the ceramic-containing blade track.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Aaron D. Sippel, Bruce E. Varney, Ted J. Freeman, Jeffrey A. Walston, Jun Shi
  • Publication number: 20160123163
    Abstract: A vane assembly for a gas turbine engine is disclosed in this paper. The vane assembly includes an inner platform, an outer platform, and a ceramic-containing airfoil. The ceramic-containing airfoil extends from the inner platform to the outer platform. A clamp mechanism couples the inner platform and the outer platform to the ceramic-containing airfoil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Ted J. Freeman, Bruce E. Varney, David J. Thomas, Jeffrey A. Walston
  • Publication number: 20160123164
    Abstract: A vane assembly for a gas turbine engine is disclosed in this paper. The vane assembly includes an inner platform, an outer platform, and a ceramic-containing airfoil. The ceramic-containing airfoil extends from the inner platform to the outer platform. A reinforcement spar made from a metallic material extends from the inner platform to the outer platform through a hollow core of the ceramic-containing airfoil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Ted J. Freeman, Bruce E. Varney, David J. Thomas, Jeffrey A. Walston
  • Publication number: 20150013340
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine variable porosity combustor liner has a laminated alloy structure. The laminated alloy structure has combustion chamber facing holes on one side and cooling plenum facing holes on a radially opposite side. The combustion chamber facing holes are in fluid communication with the cooling plenum facing holes via axially and circumferentially extending flow passages sandwiched between metal alloy sheets of the laminated alloy structure. Porous zones having respective different cooling flow amounts are formed in the laminated allow structure based on at least one of an arrangement of the combustion chamber facing holes, an arrangement of the cooling plenum facing holes, and an arrangement of the flow passages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Applicants: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Donald E. Pinnick, Kenneth W. Froemming, Bruce E. Varney, James C. Loebig, Todd Taylor
  • Publication number: 20140260282
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine variable porosity combustor liner has a laminated alloy structure. The laminated alloy structure has combustion chamber facing holes on one side and cooling plenum facing holes on a radially opposite side. The combustion chamber facing holes are in fluid communication with the cooling plenum facing holes via axially and circumferentially extending flow passages sandwiched between metal alloy sheets of the laminated alloy structure. Porous zones having respective different cooling flow amounts are formed in the laminated alloy structure based on at least one of an arrangement of the combustion chamber facing holes, an arrangement of the cooling plenum facing holes, and an arrangement of the flow passages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicants: Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald E. Pinnick, Kenneth W. Froemming, Bruce E. Varney
  • Patent number: 6286768
    Abstract: A unit fuel injector is provided which includes a threadless injector body attaching device for attaching an upper body section of the fuel injector to a lower body section while avoiding imparting a transverse load to the upper body section thereby minimizing bore distortion, plunger wear and the likelihood of injector failure. The threadless injector body attaching device includes a groove formed in the lower end of the upper body section and one or more apertures extending through the lower body section for positioning adjacent the groove. Also, one or more pins are provided for insertion into a respective aperture and connection to the lower body section. The groove and opposing aperture or apertures are sized to create a slip fit to avoid a contact force between the pin or pins and the upper body section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel K. Vetters, Daniel K. Hickey, Bruce E. Varney
  • Patent number: 6029902
    Abstract: An improved unit fuel injector is provided which effectively and precisely controls the timing of fuel injection by avoiding outside influences acting on a timing plunger. The unit fuel injector includes a timing plunger positioned between upper and lower plungers, a timing chamber positioned between the timing plunger and upper plunger and a spring chamber positioned between the timing plunger and a metering chamber for containing one or more springs for biasing the plungers. A spring chamber drain valve device is provided for directing fuel in the spring chamber to a low pressure drain while isolating the spring chamber from the low pressure drain system thereby preventing pressure variations in the drain system from entering the spring chamber and acting on the timing plunger. In addition, a scavenge circuit is provided to direct a scavenging flow of fuel and combustion gas from the injector directly to the low pressure drain without communication with the spring chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel K. Hickey, Daniel K. Vetters, Bruce E. Varney, Tibor Kiss
  • Patent number: 6027046
    Abstract: A unit fuel injector is provided which includes a threadless injector body attaching device for attaching an upper body section of the fuel injector to a lower body section while avoiding imparting a transverse load to the upper body section thereby minimizing bore distortion, plunger wear and the likelihood of injector failure. The threadless injector body attaching device includes a groove formed in the lower end of the upper body section and one or more apertures extending through the lower body section for positioning adjacent the groove. Also, one or more pins are provided for insertion into a respective aperture and connection to the lower body section. The groove and opposing aperture or apertures are sized to create a slip fit to avoid a contact force between the pin or pins and the upper body section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel K. Vetters, Daniel K. Hickey, Bruce E. Varney
  • Patent number: 5934254
    Abstract: A top stop assembly for a fuel injector is provided which includes a top stop housing having a threadless injector engaging portion positioned at one end of the housing for threadlessly engaging the outer diameter portion of an injector barrel to minimize inward bore distortion. The top stop is preferably formed integrally on the top stop housing body to create a predetermined axial length of the housing which defines a predetermined outer limit of a retraction stroke of an injector plunger assembly, i.e. a top stop position. The top stop position is set by selecting a top stop housing having a predetermined axial length corresponding to the desired top stop position thereby reducing costs and avoiding loosening problems associated with multi-part top stop assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel K. Vetters, Bruce E. Varney, Daniel K. Hickey