Patents by Inventor Charles W. Carrier

Charles W. Carrier 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: 8123486
    Abstract: A system for manufacturing an integrally bladed rotor is provided. This system includes a ring component, wherein the ring component further includes at least one metal matrix composite and a continuous radially outwardly facing blade conical surface; an airfoil component, wherein the at least one airfoil component has been created from a single, unitary piece of material and further includes a plurality of individual airfoil blades and a continuous radially inwardly facing blade conical surface; and inertia welding means for frictionally engaging under an axially applied weld load the ring component and the airfoil component to effect an inertia weld therebetween along the conical surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles W. Carrier, Chen-yu J. Chou
  • Publication number: 20100239428
    Abstract: A system for manufacturing an integrally bladed rotor is provided. This system includes a ring component, wherein the ring component further includes at least one metal matrix composite and a continuous radially outwardly facing blade conical surface; an airfoil component, wherein the at least one airfoil component has been created from a single, unitary piece of material and further includes a plurality of individual airfoil blades and a continuous radially inwardly facing blade conical surface; and inertia welding means for frictionally engaging under an axially applied weld load the ring component and the airfoil component to effect an inertia weld therebetween along the conical surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Charles W. Carrier, Chen-yu J. Chou
  • Patent number: 7784182
    Abstract: A system for manufacturing an integrally bladed rotor is provided. This system includes a ring component, wherein the ring component further includes at least one metal matrix composite and a continuous radially outwardly facing blade conical surface; an airfoil component, wherein the at least one airfoil component has been created from a single, unitary piece of material and further includes a plurality of individual airfoil blades and a continuous radially inwardly facing blade conical surface; and inertia welding means for frictionally engaging under an axially applied weld load the ring component and the airfoil component to effect an inertia weld therebetween along the conical surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles W. Carrier, Chen-yu J. Chou
  • Patent number: 7775772
    Abstract: A system for manufacturing an integrally bladed rotor is provided. This system includes a ring component, wherein the ring component further includes at least one metal matrix composite and a continuous radially outwardly facing conical surface; an airfoil component, wherein the airfoil component further includes a plurality of individual airfoil blades, wherein at least a portion of each individual airfoil blade has been reinforced with at least one metal matrix composite, and wherein each of the plurality of airfoil blades further includes a radially inwardly facing blade conical surface; and inertia welding means for frictionally engaging under an axially applied weld load the ring component and the airfoil component to effect an inertia weld therebetween along the conical surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles W. Carrier, Chen-yu J. Chou
  • Patent number: 7766623
    Abstract: A system for manufacturing an integrally bladed rotor is provided. This system includes a ring component, wherein the ring component further includes at least one metal matrix composite and a plurality of radially outwardly facing blade conical surfaces; an airfoil component, wherein the airfoil component further includes: a plurality of individual airfoil blades, wherein each of the plurality of airfoil blades further includes a radially inwardly facing blade conical surface; and inertia welding means for frictionally engaging under an axially applied weld load the ring component and the airfoil component to effect an inertia weld therebetween along the conical surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Chen-yu J. Chou, Charles W. Carrier
  • Patent number: 7543378
    Abstract: nethod for manufacturing a test bar from a turbo-machinery component, test bar made in accordance with the method, and turbo-machinery component associated with the method. A component section is obtained from the turbo-machinery component, wherein the component section includes a component portion, and wherein the component portion has a substantially rectangular cross section and has a width. First and second semi-circular cylinders are obtained having a diameter substantially equal to the width of the component portion. The component section is disposed between, and in contact with, the first and second semi-circular cylinders defining a component-section-cylinder assembly having first and second assembly ends. First and second end extensions are obtained. The first end extension is inertia welded to the first assembly end and the second end extension is inertia welded to the second assembly end defining a test-bar stock. The test-bar stock is machined creating the test bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles W. Carrier, Bernard H. Lawless
  • Publication number: 20080107531
    Abstract: A system for manufacturing an integrally bladed rotor is provided. This system includes a ring component, wherein the ring component further includes at least one metal matrix composite and a plurality of radially outwardly facing blade conical surfaces; an airfoil component, wherein the airfoil component further includes: a plurality of individual airfoil blades, wherein each of the plurality of airfoil blades further includes a radially inwardly facing blade conical surface; and inertia welding means for frictionally engaging under an axially applied weld load the ring component and the airfoil component to effect an inertia weld therebetween along the conical surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Chen-yu J. Chou, Charles W. Carrier
  • Publication number: 20080107532
    Abstract: A system for manufacturing an integrally bladed rotor is provided. This system includes a ring component, wherein the ring component further includes at least one metal matrix composite and a continuous radially outwardly facing conical surface; an airfoil component, wherein the airfoil component further includes a plurality of individual airfoil blades, wherein at least a portion of each individual airfoil blade has been reinforced with at least one metal matrix composite, and wherein each of the plurality of airfoil blades further includes a radially inwardly facing blade conical surface; and inertia welding means for frictionally engaging under an axially applied weld load the ring component and the airfoil component to effect an inertia weld therebetween along the conical surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Charles W. Carrier, Chen-yu J. Chou
  • Publication number: 20080107533
    Abstract: A system for manufacturing an integrally bladed rotor is provided. This system includes a ring component, wherein the ring component further includes at least one metal matrix composite and a continuous radially outwardly facing blade conical surface; an airfoil component, wherein the at least one airfoil component has been created from a single, unitary piece of material and further includes a plurality of individual airfoil blades and a continuous radially inwardly facing blade conical surface; and inertia welding means for frictionally engaging under an axially applied weld load the ring component and the airfoil component to effect an inertia weld therebetween along the conical surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Charles W. Carrier, Chen-yu J. Chou
  • Patent number: 7341431
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a component for a gas turbine engine includes providing a blisk forging fabricated from a first material, inertia welding a second material to the blisk forging to create a bi-alloy blisk forging, and machining the bi-alloy blisk forging to pre-determined dimensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gary Edward Trewiler, Robert William Bruce, Charles W. Carrier
  • Patent number: 6138896
    Abstract: First and second superalloy workpieces are inertia welded together by rotating the first workpiece to an initial contact speed greater than about 750 surface feet per minute, and frictionally engaging under a weld load the first and second workpieces to effect an inertia weld therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Adrian M. Ablett, Charles W. Carrier, Brian J. Humke, Steven A. Strang
  • Patent number: 5197361
    Abstract: There is provided by the present invention a surface contouring tool useful for reaching otherwise inaccessible working surfaces such as large diameter gas turbine engine rotor inner surfaces, the invention including a machining head means extendable from a nonworking position to a working position relative to the working surface and when the machining head means is useful for EDM or ECM machining further includes a fluid flow path for providing a machining fluid to the working surface head and means for rotating the machining head means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1993
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles W. Carrier, Frank W. Gorsler