Patents by Inventor Donald R. Thornburg

Donald R. Thornburg 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: 4416707
    Abstract: An alloy and a method of making the same are described. This alloy is suitable for use in an electrical magnetic induction apparatus. The alloy is characterized in that it may undergo an .alpha..revreaction..gamma. phase transformation upon heating to a sufficiently high temperature and in which the microstructure is oriented in the (110)[001] manner as described by Miller indices and is further characterized by a secondary recrystallized microstructure. The specification is replete with magnetic induction data as well as core loss data for alloys falling within the scope of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1983
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Karl Foster, Gary C. Rauch, Wayne M. Swift, Donald R. Thornburg
  • Patent number: 4255215
    Abstract: This is a low-alloy iron having desirable magnetic characteristics suitable for electrical applications such as transformer cores. This material has improved texture and reduced core losses. The alloys contain 0.6-1.0% silicon and 0.4-0.8% chromium along with controlled levels of manganese, sulfur, carbon and oxygen. These alloys are preferably processed to about 0.006 inch (0.015 cm) final gauge using schedules with three coldrolling steps. B.sub.10 values above 19 kG and 17 kG losses below 0.72 watts per pound are obtained with these alloys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1979
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1981
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Gary C. Rauch, Donald R. Thornburg, Karl Foster
  • Patent number: 4251295
    Abstract: This is an ingot alloy composition and method suitable for making a low-alloy iron having desirable magnetic characteristics suitable for electrical applications such as transformers cores. The ingot alloy has relatively high (0.012-0.020%) sulfur and thus can be prepared with reduced melting cost (as compared to ingot alloys which are to have low sulfur content). To provide for good sulfur removal during processing, however, the manganese content of the ingot alloy must be kept very low (less than 0.01%, if the final annealing is to be performed at about (800.degree.-1000.degree. C.). The ingot alloy also contains 0.1-2% silicon, 0.1-2% chromium, 0.005-0.030% carbon, less than 0.004% oxygen and the balance essentially iron. The method provides for hot-rolling the above described ingot alloy at 900.degree.-1200.degree. C., annealing for 3-10 hours at 750.degree.-900.degree. C., cold-rolling with a 50-75% reduction, annealing for 3-10 hours at 750.degree.-900.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1981
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Karl Foster, Donald R. Thornburg, Gary C. Rauch
  • Patent number: 4251296
    Abstract: This invention is of a process and an intermediate alloy for making an oriented-low-alloy iron (primarily recrystallized) which obtains maximum (110) [001] texture and improved magnetic properties by controlling the sulfur, carbon, manganese, and oxygen contents in the intermediate alloy to certain critical narrow ranges. With alloys containing the 0.01-0.15 percent manganese normally found in commercially available iron, the optimum intermediate (prior to final anneal) sulfur level has been found to be 0.004-0.008 percent. This sulfur level is appropriate for such manganese contents for a wide variety of silicon and chromium content. Similarly an intermediate carbon level of between 0.002 and 0.020% has been shown to give the maximum texture and best properties. The oxygen level must be 0.005 percent or lower and should be held as low as practicable. With these levels of sulfur, carbon, manganese, and oxygen, the alloy can be processed by hot rolling at 900.degree.-1200.degree. C. (usually between 1000.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1981
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Donald R. Thornburg, Gary C. Rauch, Karl Foster
  • Patent number: 3977919
    Abstract: An alloy and process are described for obtaining improved magnetic characteristics in iron-cobalt alloys. The iron-cobalt alloys described are characterized by a cube-on-face texture, primary recrystallized and normal grain growth microstructure. Processes are described which include both a single stage cold working and a multiple stage cold working in order to obtain the desired texture in the finished alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1974
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1976
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Karl Foster, Donald R. Thornburg