Patents by Inventor Curt M. Barnhart

Curt M. Barnhart 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).

  • Method for assembling and hardening a ball plug in a counterbore of a fuel injector nozzle assembly
    Patent number: 6679953
    Abstract: According to the method of the present invention, the ball plug is press fit into the counterbored passage of a fuel injector nozzle assembly prior to hardening of the fuel injector nozzle assembly. A core hardening and gas nitriding process is then applied to the assembly, causing the ball plug to expand and the passage diameter to shrink. This results in a greatly increased seal between the ball plug and the passage, and substantial elimination of the gaps experienced therebetween in prior art fuel injector nozzle assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Curt M. Barnhart, Gary A. Foreman, Dan N. Hamilton, Cleo E. Willhite, Stephen C. Jackson, Angelina Y. Cheung
  • METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING AND HARDENING A BALL PLUG IN A COUNTERBORE OF A FUEL INJECTOR NOZZLE ASSEMBLY
    Publication number: 20040000357
    Abstract: According to the method of the present invention, the ball plug is press fit into the counterbored passage of a fuel injector nozzle assembly prior to hardening of the fuel injector nozzle assembly. A core hardening and gas nitriding process is then applied to the assembly, causing the ball plug to expand and the passage diameter to shrink.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Publication date: January 1, 2004
    Inventors: Curt M. Barnhart, Gary A. Foreman, Dan N. Hamilton, Cleo E. Willhite, Stephen C. Jackson, Angelina Y. Cheung