Patents by Inventor Fred Thomas

Fred Thomas 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: 10066485
    Abstract: A turbomachine blade may include an airfoil and a shank coupled to the airfoil. The shank may include a cover plate having a first circumferential face and a second, opposing circumferential face. A radial cooling groove is positioned in the first circumferential face and is configured to allow a cooling fluid to pass from a first radial position to a second, different radial position relative to the platform. The radial cooling groove provides cover plate and shank cooling. In addition, the radial cooling groove may deliver fluid for purging gaps between blade platforms and cover plates, which prevents the ingestion of hot gas from the turbine flowpath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Fred Thomas Willett, Jr., Eric David Roush
  • Patent number: 10048779
    Abstract: An example computing system may include a display and an input device. The input device may include a touch sensor to provide touch data, and a contactless sensor to provide contactless data. A field of view of the contactless sensor is directed away from the touch sensor. A controller is to combine the touch data and the contactless data into combined data to generate a virtual hand to be displayed on the display. The virtual hand is to include an unsensed feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Fred Thomas, Robert Adam Baum, David H Hanes, John Michael Main
  • Patent number: 9986804
    Abstract: A device for carrying eyewear comprising a hollow body having an upwardly protruding feature located inside the cavity protruding upward from a bottom section. A front section and top section are configured to open away from a back to provide access to the cavity from above the hollow body. A spring biased hinged clip is configured to couple the hollow body to a waist belt. A second spring biased hinged clip is configured for retaining against an inside surface of the hollow body a piece of material configured for cleaning an eyewear lens. A pocket is configured to hold to a communication tag configured for wireless communication with a monitoring device, wherein the monitoring device is configured for sending an alert message for display on a user interface of a remote computing device if the monitoring device determines that a proximity is greater than a threshold proximity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Inventor: Fred Thomas Godart
  • Publication number: 20180060496
    Abstract: Technologies are disclosed herein to secure flexible access to the healthcare information resources (HIR) contained within electronic health records (EHR) systems. By managing access permissions with certified self-sovereign identities and distributed ledger techniques, HIR may be secured. Patients and other users may be registered to access a distributed ledger, such as a healthcare blockchain, employed to set, host and adjudicate permissions to access HIR. Authorized owners and/or patients with rights to their own HIR may be able to grant fine-grained and conditional access permissions to third-parties. Information transfers and transactions occurring according to these permissions may be logged within smart contracts incorporated in the healthcare blockchain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Douglas A. Bulleit, Bharat Chand Aluri, Fred Thomas Danner, III, Charles Clifton Miller, III, Mark Braunstein
  • Publication number: 20170342843
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a rotor blade for a gas turbine engine. The rotor blade includes an airfoil, a tip shroud having a side surface and a radially outer surface, and a transition portion coupling the tip shroud to the airfoil. The airfoil, the transition portion, and the tip shroud collectively define a primary cooling passage therein. The primary cooling passage includes a primary cooling passage outlet defined by the side surface of the tip shroud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventor: Fred Thomas Willett, JR.
  • Publication number: 20170262090
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a display stack comprising at least one layer to generate a digital display image. A front stack includes a position encoded contrast layer to provide a pattern of light in response to non-visible light applied to the position encoded contrast layer. The pattern of light encodes spatial information across a surface of the position encoded contrast layer. A hot mirror reflects the non-visible light applied to the position encoded contrast layer of the front stack and is optically transparent to visible light generated from the display stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: Fred THOMAS, Bruce BLAHO
  • Publication number: 20170212611
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a light source to transmit non-visible light pulses strobed at a frequency and a duty cycle. A detector a detector receives a pattern of reflected light from a display in response to the non-visible light pulses. The pattern of reflected light had at least two different polarization states, where the detector determines a spatial location of the detector relative to the display based on discriminating between the at least two polarization states.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventor: Fred Thomas
  • Publication number: 20170212610
    Abstract: A display includes a display stack to generate a digital display image. A media layer includes a plurality of diffusive emissive elements disposed in a predetermined pattern. The diffusive emissive elements on the media layer emit a scattered signal in response to light incident to the media layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: Fred THOMAS, Bruce E. BLAHO
  • Publication number: 20170175543
    Abstract: A turbine blade cooling system according to an embodiment includes: a first arcuate turn for redirecting a first flow of gas flowing through a first channel of a turbine blade into a central plenum of the turbine blade; and a second arcuate turn for redirecting a second flow of gas flowing through a second channel of the turbine blade into the central plenum of the turbine blade, wherein the first and second arcuate turns reduce impingement of the first flow of gas and the second flow of gas in the central plenum of the turbine blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: David Wayne Weber, Fred Thomas Willett, JR.
  • Publication number: 20170173669
    Abstract: A method of forming a component having an internal passage defined therein includes positioning a jacketed core with respect to a mold. The jacketed core includes a hollow structure that includes an interior portion shaped to define at least one interior passage feature of the internal passage. The jacketed core also includes an inner core disposed within the hollow structure and complementarily shaped by the interior portion of the hollow structure. The method also includes introducing a component material in a molten state into a cavity of the mold to form the component, such that the inner core defines the internal passage including the at least one interior passage feature defined therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: Timothy Michael Moricca, Stephen Francis Rutkowski, Joseph Leonard Moroso, Fred Thomas Willett, JR.
  • Publication number: 20170159440
    Abstract: A turbomachine blade may include an airfoil and a shank coupled to the airfoil. The shank may include a cover plate having a first circumferential face and a second, opposing circumferential face. A radial cooling groove is positioned in the first circumferential face and is configured to allow a cooling fluid to pass from a first radial position to a second, different radial position relative to the platform. The radial cooling groove provides cover plate and shank cooling. In addition, the radial cooling groove may deliver fluid for purging gaps between blade platforms and cover plates, which prevents the ingestion of hot gas from the turbine flowpath.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventors: Fred Thomas Willett, JR., Eric David Roush
  • Publication number: 20170145830
    Abstract: A method for producing one or more cooling holes in an airfoil for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The method includes casting one or more hole starter bosses on a suction side, a pressure side, or both of the airfoil, drilling the one or more cooling holes into the airfoil by way of the one or more hole starter bosses, and removing the one or more hole starter bosses after drilling the one or more cooling holes into the airfoil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ariel Caesar Prepena Jacala, Fred Thomas Willett, JR.
  • Publication number: 20170067344
    Abstract: Provided are a method of forming a rotating component. The method for forming a rotating component includes providing a rotor having an outer surface. A circumferential surface feature is formed on the outer surface of the rotor. The forming includes applying metallic material to the outer surface of the rotor to build up the circumferential surface feature on outer surface of the rotor to define at least one cooling passageway. A rotating component having a circumferential surface feature, a turbine system and an apparatus for forming the rotating component are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Fred Thomas WILLETT, JR., Xiaoqing ZHENG
  • Patent number: 9587511
    Abstract: A system and method for measuring and adjusting rotor to stator clearances is disclosed, as well as a turbomachine embodying the system and method. In an embodiment, a turbomachine is assembled, including a stator having an upper and a lower stator shell, and a rotor disposed within the stator. A cold clearance between the rotor and the stator is determined at each of a plurality of clearance measurement points using an in situ clearance sensor system. Each of the clearance measurement points is axially spaced from each other clearance measurement point. The cold clearance between the rotor and the stator is adjusted based on the determined cold clearances, by displacing one of the upper stator shell or the lower stator shell relative to a foundation, thereby changing a shape of the upper stator shell or the lower stator shell to accommodate a position of the rotor within the stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Fred Thomas Willett, Jr., Kenneth Michael Koza
  • Patent number: 9441501
    Abstract: A turbine is provided and includes a turbine shell including shrouds at multiple stages thereof, and constraining elements, disposed at least at first through fourth substantially regularly spaced perimetrical locations around the turbine shell, which are configured to concentrically constrain the shrouds of the turbine shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Fred Thomas Willett, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9435217
    Abstract: A seal assembly for sealing between a rotating component and a stationary component in a turbomachine. The seal assembly includes a plurality of radially inwardly projecting, axially spaced teeth extending from the stationary component, wherein at least one of the plurality of teeth has at least one axially extending hole therethrough. Axial flow of an operating fluid through the holes acts as an air-curtain to interrupt swirl flow in a seal cavity, therefore reducing steam force that could act to destabilize rotordynamics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Xiaoqing Zheng, Daniel Mark Brown, Jason Winfred Jewett, Fred Thomas Willett, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9394801
    Abstract: A system for providing sealing in a turbine is provided. The sealing system includes a retaining channel oriented within a housing structure proximate a moving turbine component. A seal member is coupled within the retaining channel. A first end of the seal member is secured to the housing structure. A second end of the seal member is movable relative to the retaining channel between first and second positions corresponding to a transient operational mode and a steady state operational mode, respectively. The transient operational mode defines a first clearance between the seal member and the moving turbine component. The steady state configuration defines a second clearance that is smaller than the first clearance. A take-up device coupled to the second end of the seal member moves the second end between the first and second positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Fred Thomas Willett, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20160186577
    Abstract: A blade in a turbine of a gas turbine engine that includes: an outer surface bending along an edge at an angle greater than about 120° so to define a first outer surface to a first side of the edge and a second outer surface to a second side of the edge; an internal flow passage; and a forked cooling channel configured so to fluidly connect the internal flow passage to a first film cooling port and a second film cooling port formed to each side of the edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventor: Fred Thomas Willett, JR.
  • Publication number: 20160166027
    Abstract: A device for carrying eyewear comprising a hollow body having an upwardly protruding feature located inside the cavity protruding upward from a bottom section. A front section and top section are configured to open away from a back to provide access to the cavity from above the hollow body. A spring biased hinged clip is configured to couple the hollow body to a waist belt. A second spring biased hinged clip is configured for retaining against an inside surface of the hollow body a piece of material configured for cleaning an eyewear lens. A pocket is configured to hold to a communication tag configured for wireless communication with a monitoring device, wherein the monitoring device is configured for sending an alert message for display on a user interface of a remote computing device if the monitoring device determines that a proximity is greater than a threshold proximity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventor: Fred Thomas Godart
  • Patent number: 9359913
    Abstract: An inner shell assembly for a steam turbine includes an inner shell with a plurality of grooves of preset dimensions, and a plurality of nozzle carriers respectively securable in the plurality of grooves. Each of the nozzle carriers supports at least one nozzle and bucket for a turbine stage via a dovetail, where the inner shell, the plurality of nozzle carriers and the nozzles and buckets define a steam path. A radial position of the dovetails in the nozzle carriers within its corresponding grooves is selectable according to the steam path, and an axial width of each of the nozzle carriers is selectable according to the steam path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Michael Earl Montgomery, Fred Thomas Willett