Patents by Inventor David Alan Stephenson

David Alan Stephenson 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: 10160129
    Abstract: Tools and methods for forming modified mechanical roughening profiles are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, an engine block is provided including a body defining a cylinder bore having a bore surface. The bore surface may have defined therein a plurality of grooves extending from the bore surface and each groove may have a base and a top portion. The top portion may have opposing chamfered edges. The chamfered edges may be formed by a tool including at least one cutting element having triangular teeth and at least one cutting element having rectangular teeth. In another embodiment, a tool including at least one cutting element having curved teeth and at least one cutting element having rectangular teeth may be used to form grooves having a curved/radiused edge surface. The disclosed roughening profiles may reduce oxide growth when a coating is applied to the bore surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: William Edmunds Dowling, Jr., David Alan Stephenson, Timothy George Beyer
  • Patent number: 10082187
    Abstract: A brake rotor includes an outer surface; first and second opposing braking surfaces, each bounded by the outer surface to form first and second opposing braking surface edges. A plurality of concentric grooves are formed on the first and/or second braking surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Alan Stephenson, James Maurice Boileau, Timothy J. Potter, David Garrett Coffman
  • Publication number: 20180215058
    Abstract: Tools and methods for forming modified mechanical roughening profiles are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, an engine block is provided including a body defining a cylinder bore having a bore surface. The bore surface may have defined therein a plurality of grooves extending from the bore surface and each groove may have a base and a top portion. The top portion may have opposing chamfered edges. The chamfered edges may be formed by a tool including at least one cutting element having triangular teeth and at least one cutting element having rectangular teeth. In another embodiment, a tool including at least one cutting element having curved teeth and at least one cutting element having rectangular teeth may be used to form grooves having a curved/radiused edge surface. The disclosed roughening profiles may reduce oxide growth when a coating is applied to the bore surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: William Edmunds DOWLING, JR., David Alan STEPHENSON, Timothy George BEYER
  • Publication number: 20180141135
    Abstract: According to one aspect of this disclosure, a grooving tool is provided. The grooving tool has a body with a plurality of recesses. Plural inserts assembled into each of the recesses. The recesses include a cutting edge for forming grooves in an engine cylinder wall when rotated in one rotational direction. The insert also includes a peening surface extending in the opposite rotational direction from the cutting edge for deforming the upper edges of the grooves when rotated in an opposite rotational direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Inventors: David Alan STEPHENSON, David Garrett COFFMAN
  • Publication number: 20170120348
    Abstract: A method of milling an engine bore is disclosed. The method may include inserting a milling tool having a plurality of cutting edges along a longitudinal axis into an engine bore, rotating the milling tool about the longitudinal axis and moving the milling tool around a perimeter of the engine bore to remove material from the engine bore, and rough honing the bore. The milling may generate a tapered bore (e.g., frustoconical). The rough honing process may increase a minimum diameter of the tapered bore by at least 60 ?m. A total time of the milling and honing process may be less than 60 seconds. In one embodiment, the honing step may include using a grit size of at least 200 ?m and/or using a honing force of at least 200 kgf. The method may reduce the cycle time and tooling requirements of forming engine bores.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: David Alan STEPHENSON, David Alan OZOG
  • Publication number: 20170120352
    Abstract: A milling tool is disclosed. The milling tool may include an elongated body having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of cutting inserts. The cutting inserts may each have a cutting edge and a cutting radius and be coupled to the body and spaced along the longitudinal axis. One or more of the plurality of cutting inserts may be adjustable (e.g., mechanically adjustable) between first and second cutting radii. A difference between the first and second cutting radii may be at least 10 ?m. The milling tool may include cutting inserts having a plurality of different cutting radii. The milling tool may be configured to have a length that spans an entire height of an engine bore. The cutting inserts having different radii may compensate for dimensional errors in an engine bore diameter that occur when milling a deep pocket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: David Alan STEPHENSON, David Alan OZOG, David Garrett COFFMAN
  • Publication number: 20170120350
    Abstract: Milling tools configured to increase surface roughness are disclosed. The tool may include an elongated body having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of cutting inserts coupled to the body and spaced along the longitudinal axis, each cutting insert having a cutting edge. In one embodiment, the cutting edges may have an orientation that is oblique to the longitudinal axis of the elongated body. Each cutting edge may have a first end having a greater cutting radius than a second end. The cutting edges may be offset from the longitudinal axis of the elongated body by an offset angle. In another embodiment, the cutting edges may have a textured or rough surface profile. For example, the cutting edges may have a mean roughness (Rz) of at least 7.5 ?m. The milling tools may increase the surface roughness of a milled engine bore to facilitate a subsequent rough honing process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: David Alan STEPHENSON, David Alan OZOG, David Garrett COFFMAN
  • Publication number: 20170045013
    Abstract: A cylinder bore including an inner surface including an axial travel area and an axial non-travel area including two discontinuous axial widths of the cylindrical bore and the axial travel area extending therebetween. A nominal diameter of the axial travel area is greater than that of the axial non-travel area. A plurality of annular grooves is formed in the two discontinuous axial widths of the cylindrical bore.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Inventors: Rodney G. Whitbeck, David Alan Stephenson, Keith Raymond Bartle, David Garrett Coffman
  • Patent number: 9511467
    Abstract: A cutting tool. The cutting tool includes a cylindrical body and one or more axial rows of cutting elements, which project outwardly from and are situated radially to the circumference of the cylindrical body. Each cutting element of each row includes one or more pocket cutting elements and one or more groove cutting elements. Each pocket cutting element includes a cutting surface. Each groove cutting element includes a cutting surface having groove cutting teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rodney G. Whitbeck, David Alan Stephenson, Keith Raymond Bartle, David Garrett Coffman
  • Patent number: 9382868
    Abstract: An engine block has a cylinder bore wall comprising a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion axially adjacent to the first portion having a second diameter greater than the first diameter. A series of parallel, circumferentially-extending grooves is formed in the second portion to roughen the surface and enhance adhesion of a later-applied, sprayed-on metallic coating. A non-masking section is formed between the first and the second portions to provide for a less-abrupt corner between the larger diameter and smaller diameter portions and eliminate any spray-masking that may otherwise. The non-masking section may be a flat or a curved chamfer. The non-masking section may be a non-grooved section of constant diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Alan Stephenson, Timothy George Beyer, Keith Raymond Bartle, Mackenzie Thomas Van Loon
  • Publication number: 20160178019
    Abstract: A brake rotor includes an outer surface; first and second opposing braking surfaces, each bounded by the outer surface to form first and second opposing braking surface edges. A plurality of concentric grooves are formed on the first and/or second braking surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: David Alan STEPHENSON, James Maurice BOILEAU, Timothy J. POTTER, David Garrett COFFMAN
  • Patent number: 9162418
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for preparing a surface for mechanically securing a spray coating to a surface. A first series of grooves formed in the surface are intersected with a second series of grooves formed in the surface. A plurality of barbs are formed at the intersections. The spray coating is mechanically secured to the barbs that overhang the first series of grooves. The surface includes the first series of grooves and the second series of groves that intersect the first series of groves. The second series of groves form an undercut portion, or barb, at the intersections of the grooves that mechanically anchor the spray coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rodney G. Whitbeck, Keith Raymond Bartle, David Alan Stephenson, James William Perry
  • Publication number: 20150292432
    Abstract: An engine block has a cylinder bore wall comprising a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion axially adjacent to the first portion having a second diameter greater than the first diameter. A series of parallel, circumferentially-extending grooves is formed in the second portion to roughen the surface and enhance adhesion of a later-applied, sprayed-on metallic coating. A non-masking section is formed between the first and the second portions to provide for a less-abrupt corner between the larger diameter and smaller diameter portions and eliminate any spray-masking that may otherwise. The non-masking section may be a flat or a curved chamfer. The non-masking section may be a non-grooved section of constant diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: David Alan STEPHENSON, Timothy George BEYER, Keith Raymond BARTLE, Mackenzie Thomas VAN LOON
  • Patent number: 9079213
    Abstract: A method for applying a coating includes: obtaining a subject cylindrical part including an inner subject coated surface applied using a spraying device at a first operating condition, the inner subject coated surface including a longitudinal axis and a cross-section, the cross-section intersecting the longitudinal axis at a center point and including end points located on an outer perimeter; measuring the inner subject coated surface to obtain subject coating data including distance values, each being a distance between the center point and one of the end points; comparing the subject coating data to standard coating data to obtain comparison data; and adjusting the spraying device based on the comparison data to have a second operating condition different from the first operating condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rodney G. Whitbeck, Benjamin T. Tower, David Alan Stephenson, Keith Raymond Bartle
  • Publication number: 20150107076
    Abstract: A method for repairing or resurfacing an inner cylindrical surface of a workpiece having an original coating applied over an original-roughened surface. The original workpiece has The method includes repair-boring the surface to a repair-bored diameter greater than a maximum diameter of the original-roughened surface. Next, the repair-bored surface is repair-roughened. A repair-coating is then applied over the repair-roughened surface. Finally, the repair-coated surface is machined to a final-repaired diameter. The workpiece may be an engine block and the inner cylindrical surface may be a cylinder bore.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Clifford E. Maki, Keith Raymond Bartle, David Alan Stephenson
  • Publication number: 20140364042
    Abstract: A method of cutting a profile in a cylinder surface. The method includes simultaneously interpolating an axial portion of the cylindrical surface using a cutting tool to form a profile having a plurality of annular grooves and a pocket having a radius larger than the cylindrical surface prior to the interpolating step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Inventors: Rodney G. Whitbeck, David Alan Stephenson, Keith Raymond Bartle, David Garrett Coffman
  • Publication number: 20140360355
    Abstract: A cutting tool. The cutting tool includes a cylindrical body and one or more axial rows of cutting elements, which project outwardly from and are situated radially to the circumference of the cylindrical body. Each cutting element of each row includes one or more pocket cutting elements and one or more groove cutting elements. Each pocket cutting element includes a cutting surface. Each groove cutting element includes a cutting surface having groove cutting teeth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Inventors: Rodney G. Whitbeck, David Alan Stephenson, Keith Raymond Bartle, David Garrett Coffman
  • Patent number: 8726874
    Abstract: A cylinder bore with selective surface treatment includes a longitudinal axis and a cylindrical wall extending along the longitudinal axis, the cylindrical wall including first and second end portions and a middle portion positioned between the first and second end portions, the middle portion having a greater surface roughness than at least one of the first and second end portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rodney G. Whitbeck, David Alan Stephenson, Keith Raymond Bartle, David Garrett Coffman
  • Publication number: 20140010977
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for preparing a surface for mechanically securing a spray coating to a surface. A first series of grooves formed in the surface are intersected with a second series of grooves formed in the surface. A plurality of barbs are formed at the intersections. The spray coating is mechanically secured to the barbs that overhang the first series of grooves. The surface includes the first series of grooves and the second series of groves that intersect the first series of groves. The second series of groves form an undercut portion, or barb, at the intersections of the grooves that mechanically anchor the spray coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rodney G. Whitbeck, Keith Raymond Bartle, David Alan Stephenson, James William Perry
  • Publication number: 20140004255
    Abstract: A method for applying a coating includes: obtaining a subject cylindrical part including an inner subject coated surface applied using a spraying device at a first operating condition, the inner subject coated surface including a longitudinal axis and a cross-section, the cross-section intersecting the longitudinal axis at a center point and including end points located on an outer perimeter; measuring the inner subject coated surface to obtain subject coating data including distance values, each being a distance between the center point and one of the end points; comparing the subject coating data to standard coating data to obtain comparison data; and adjusting the spraying device based on the comparison data to have a second operating condition different from the first operating condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Rodney G. Whitbeck, Benjamin T. Tower, David Alan Stephenson, Keith Raymond Bartle