Patents by Inventor Grace Aker

Grace Aker 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).

  • Axial case ring to maximize thrust bushing contact area of variable vane
    Patent number: 10794219
    Abstract: The bearing surface between a thrust bushing and a boss/or face is increased with the addition of a ring or tab that extends radially into a casing bore configured to receive a bushing and cooperating spindle of a variable stator/guide vane. The addition of the ring adds additional bearing surface area without increasing the size of the vane penny, reducing spindle diameter or reducing the bushing bore diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Grace Aker, Alex Ertman, Jonathan Acker
  • Passive clearance control for a centrifugal impeller shroud
    Patent number: 10704560
    Abstract: A centrifugal impeller shroud assembly has a dynamically moveable impeller shroud for encasing a rotatable centrifugal impeller and resolving misalignment between the impeller shroud and the rotatable centrifugal impeller. The assembly comprises a static casing, an impeller shroud, a shroud arm, and a thermal member. The shroud arm is coupled between the casing and the impeller shroud. The thermal member is coupled to the impeller shroud and has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) lower than the CTE of the shroud. The shroud arm comprises a flexible portion configured to flex responsive to a differential pressure across the shroud arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Grace Aker, Michael Nesteroff, Mark Eric Whitlock, Cassandra Cummings, Jonathan Acker, Younes Khamliche, Nathanael Cooper
  • PASSIVE CLEARANCE CONTROL FOR A CENTRIFUGAL IMPELLER SHROUD
    Publication number: 20190383304
    Abstract: A centrifugal impeller shroud assembly has a dynamically moveable impeller shroud for encasing a rotatable centrifugal impeller and resolving misalignment between the impeller shroud and the rotatable centrifugal impeller. The assembly comprises a static casing, an impeller shroud, a shroud arm, and a thermal member. The shroud arm is coupled between the casing and the impeller shroud. The thermal member is coupled to the impeller shroud and has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) lower than the CTE of the shroud. The shroud arm comprises a flexible portion configured to flex responsive to a differential pressure across the shroud arm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Grace Aker, Michael Nesteroff, Mark Eric Whitlock, Cassandra Cummings, Jonathan Acker, Younes Khamliche, Nathanael Cooper
  • Axial Case Ring to Maximize Thrust Bushing Contact Area Of Variable Vane
    Publication number: 20190078461
    Abstract: The bearing surface between a thrust bushing and a boss/or face is increased with the addition of a ring or tab that extends radially into a casing bore configured to receive a bushing and cooperating spindle of a variable stator/guide vane. The addition of the ring adds additional bearing surface area without increasing the size of the vane penny, reducing spindle diameter or reducing the bushing bore diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Applicant: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Grace Aker, Alex Ertman, Jonathan Acker