Patents by Inventor Christopher E. Wolfe

Christopher E. Wolfe 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: 20230313742
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle valve includes a fuel nozzle valve liner having a channel with an opening for allowing fuel to flow therethrough and a seat. A plunger has a stud and a base substantially perpendicular to the stud, the plunger being configured to move relative to the fuel nozzle valve liner to seal or to open the opening of the fuel nozzle valve. The fuel nozzle valve further includes a metal resilient member configured to contact the base of the plunger and the seat of the fuel nozzle valve liner to seal the opening of the fuel nozzle valve when the plunger is moved to seal the fuel nozzle valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Christopher E. Wolfe, Alfred A. Mancini, Randy Joseph Tobe
  • Patent number: 8689886
    Abstract: A gate valve has a body, the body having a cavity and a flow passage intersecting the cavity. A seat is mounted to the body at the intersection of the flow passage and the cavity. A gate is installed at the cavity and has an engaging face that slidingly engages the seat while the gate is being moved between open and closed positions. The end faces between a seat pocket and the seat are hard-coated and smooth-finished to provide sealing when mated. The hardcoated pocket and seat sealing surfaces extend the life of the valve by eliminating the need for an elastomeric seal of limited life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Vetco Gray Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Wolfe, Dennis Gray, Leonardo Ajdelsztajn
  • Publication number: 20120318528
    Abstract: A gate valve has a body, the body having a cavity and a flow passage intersecting the cavity. A seat is mounted to the body at the intersection of the flow passage and the cavity. A gate is installed at the cavity and has an engaging face that slidingly engages the seat while the gate is being moved between open and closed positions. The end faces between a seat pocket and the seat are hard-coated and smooth-finished to provide sealing when mated. The hardcoated pocket and seat sealing surfaces extend the life of the valve by eliminating the need for an elastomeric seal of limited life.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: VETCO GRAY INC.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Wolfe, Dennis Gray, Leonardo Ajdelsztajn
  • Patent number: 7536864
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine system. The system includes a compressor with a first compressor stage and a second compressor stage, a turbine with a first turbine stage and a second turbine stage, a first flow path connecting the first compressor stage and the first turbine stage, a second flow path connecting the second compressor stage and the second turbine stage, a crossover flow path connecting the first flow path and the second flow path, and an ejector positioned about the crossover flow path and the first flow path. The ejector may be a variable motive nozzle ejector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christopher E. Wolfe, Douglas F. Beadie, Kenneth N. Whaling, David W. Ball, Kevin T. McGovern, Ravi Praveen Eluripati, Omprakash Samudrala
  • Publication number: 20090085305
    Abstract: An apparatus for sealing gas path leakage within a turbomachine is provided. The apparatus may include at least one seal system, which may include at least one sealing shim, at least one spring; and at least one shim protection material. The seal system may be inserted between a first and a second structure of the turbomachine. The seal system may adjust for misalignments between the first and the second structures of the turbomachine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Inventors: Mehmet Demiroglu, Christopher E. Wolfe, Patrick B. Melton, Edip Sevincer
  • Patent number: 5613829
    Abstract: A gas turbine subassembly having a stator, a rotor, and an annular brush seal which is attached to the stator and whose free end is in line-to-line contact with a first circumferential portion of the rotor's outside surface during a first rotation/load state (such as a full-speed/full-load state of a power-plant gas-turbine rotor). A longitudinally-adjoining second circumferential portion (such as a groove) has a smaller diameter than that of the first circumferential portion. The rotor and stator together undergo a predetermined differential thermal movement when the rotor transitions to a second rotation/load state (such as a turning-gear/no-load state). During such movement, the free end of the brush seal moves radially inward and longitudinally across the second portion, preferably without any contact, to minimize or eliminate brush seal wear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christopher E. Wolfe, Osman S. Dinc
  • Patent number: 5509669
    Abstract: A gas-path leakage seal for generally sealing a gas-path leakage-gap between spaced-apart first and second members of a gas turbine (such as combustor casing segments). The seal includes a generally imperforate foil-layer assemblage which is generally impervious to gas and is located in the leakage-gap. The seal also includes a cloth-layer assemblage generally enclosingly contacting the foil-layer assemblage. In one seal, the first edge of the foil-layer assemblage is left exposed, and the foil-layer assemblage resiliently contacts the first member near the first edge to reduce leakage in the "plane" of the cloth-layer assemblage under conditions which include differential thermal growth of the two members. In another seal, such leakage is reduced by having a first weld-bead which permeates the cloth-layer assemblage, is attached to the metal-foil-layer assemblage near the first edge, and unattachedly contacts the first member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1996
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christopher E. Wolfe, Osman S. Dinc, Bharat S. Bagepalli, Victor H. Correia, Mahmut F. Aksit
  • Patent number: 5428992
    Abstract: A locomotive diesel engine test assembly generates a once-per-cycle signal phased to the top dead center of a predetermined piston in its cylinder. A locomotive diesel engine crankcase door is hermetically attached to the crankcase so as to cover a camshaft located therein. An outer tube extends through and is hermetically and fixedly attached to the crankcase door, and an inner tube extends through and is hermetically and pivotably attached to the outer tube. A proximity sensor is attached to the inner tube and positioned near and generally perpendicular to the camshaft. A marker is attached to the circumference of the camshaft and is detectable by the proximity sensor once per revolution of the camshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christopher E. Wolfe, Gary R. Livingston, James R. Beal