Patents by Inventor James Downs

James Downs 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: 7632071
    Abstract: A turbine engine component, such as a turbine blade, has an airfoil portion, a plurality of cooling passages within the airfoil portion with each of the cooling passages having an inlet for a cooling fluid. Each inlet has a flared bellmouth inlet portion. The turbine engine component may further have a dirt funnel at the tip of the airfoil portion, a platform with at least one beveled edge, and an undercut trailing edge slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Charbonneau, James Downs, Shawn Gregg, Wesley Harris, Natalya Khandros, Jeffrey R. Levine, Paul Orndoff, Steve Palmer, Edward F. Pietraskiewicz, Norm Roeloffs, Richard Stockton, Wanda Widmer, Dagny Williams
  • Patent number: 7506883
    Abstract: A wheel suspension assembly for a vehicle is operable to travel across a ground surface. The wheel suspension assembly includes a first suspension member, a second suspension member, a wheel rotatably coupled to the first suspension member and a ball stud interconnecting the first and second suspension members. The ball stud includes a ball and a tapered shaft. The tapered shaft extends along a longitudinal axis. One of the first and second suspension members includes a ball socket in receipt of the ball. The other of the first and second suspension members includes a tapered bore in the receipt of the tapered shaft. The longitudinal axis of the tapered shaft is oriented substantially parallel to the ground surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: James Downs, Herb Adams
  • Patent number: 7419363
    Abstract: A blade used in a gas turbine engine in which the blade is formed of a blade portion made from a metallic material, and a tip portion made of a ceramic material, the tip portion forming at least 10% of the overall blade length such that the blade is lighter than a all-metallic blade. The ceramic tip of the blade allows the blade to withstand higher temperature environments without damaging the blade as would occur in an all-metallic blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: James Downs
  • Publication number: 20070292273
    Abstract: A blade used in a gas turbine engine in which the blade is formed of a blade portion made from a metallic material, and a tip portion made of a ceramic material, the tip portion forming at least 10% of the overall blade length such that the blade is lighter than a all-metallic blade. The ceramic tip of the blade allows the blade to withstand higher temperature environments without damaging the blade as would occur in an all-metallic blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2005
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Inventor: James Downs
  • Publication number: 20070251748
    Abstract: A suspension module with a suspension component, wheel hubs coupled to the suspension component, and a drive system. The drive system has a pair of units that selectively provide drive torque to an associated one of the wheel hubs. Each unit includes a motor, a first reduction gearset and an overrunning clutch. The first reduction gearset is disposed between the motor and its wheel hub and multiplies torque output from the motor. The clutch disconnects the motor from the associated wheel hub so that an output shaft of the motor is not drivingly coupled to the associated wheel hub when a rotational speed of the first portion does not exceed a rotational speed of the second portion. The clutch can be selectively operated to drivingly couple the motor to its wheel hub to permit the motor to be back-driven. A method for operating a hybrid power train is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2006
    Publication date: November 1, 2007
    Inventors: James Downs, Robert Degowske
  • Patent number: 7234715
    Abstract: A wheel suspension assembly for a vehicle is operable to travel across a ground surface. The wheel suspension assembly includes a first suspension member, a second suspension member, a wheel rotatably coupled to the first suspension member and a ball stud interconnecting the first and second suspension members. The ball stud includes a ball and a tapered shaft. The tapered shaft extends along a longitudinal axis. One of the first and second suspension members includes a ball socket in receipt of the ball. The other of the first and second suspension members includes a tapered bore in the receipt of the tapered shaft. The longitudinal axis of the tapered shaft is oriented substantially parallel to the ground surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: James Downs, Herb Adams
  • Publication number: 20070140848
    Abstract: A turbine engine component, such as a turbine blade, has an airfoil portion, a plurality of cooling passages within the airfoil portion with each of the cooling passages having an inlet for a cooling fluid. Each inlet has a flared bellmouth inlet portion. The turbine engine component may further have a dirt funnel at the tip of the airfoil portion, a platform with at least one beveled edge, and an undercut trailing edge slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventors: Robert Charbonneau, James Downs, Shawn Gregg, Wesley Harris, Natalia Khandros, Jeffrey Levine, Paul Orndoff, Steve Palmer, Edward Pietraszkiewicz, Norman Roeloffs, Richard Stockton, Wanda Widmer, Dagny Williams
  • Publication number: 20070084660
    Abstract: A drive train for a vehicle having an axle and a multi-speed drive unit. The axle includes a housing and a differential with an input pinion. The drive unit includes a planetary transmission, a drive unit housing and a dog clutch that is employed to selectively operate the planetary transmission in different speed ratios.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2006
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Inventor: James Downs
  • Publication number: 20070007740
    Abstract: A wheel suspension assembly for a vehicle is operable to travel across a ground surface. The wheel suspension assembly includes a first suspension member, a second suspension member, a wheel rotatably coupled to the first suspension member and a ball stud interconnecting the first and second suspension members. The ball stud includes a ball and a tapered shaft. The tapered shaft extends along a longitudinal axis. One of the first and second suspension members includes a ball socket in receipt of the ball. The other of the first and second suspension members includes a tapered bore in the receipt of the tapered shaft. The longitudinal axis of the tapered shaft is oriented substantially parallel to the ground surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2006
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Inventors: James Downs, Herb Adams
  • Publication number: 20060292005
    Abstract: A die for forming a lost wax ceramic core allows the formation of non-parallel separating spaces between adjacent portions of the core. The core will eventually form cooling channels in an airfoil. The die for forming the core includes a plurality of moving parts having rib extensions. At least some rib extensions are non-parallel to form the non-parallel spaces. The die includes two main die halves that come together to form several of the spaces. Inserts move with those die components and come together to form other spaces. At least one of the inserts contacts surfaces on one of the die halves, such that the non-parallel spaces are formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2005
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Inventors: Edward Pietraszkiewicz, Irwin Singer, James Downs
  • Publication number: 20060269419
    Abstract: A turbine blade system for a gas turbine engine includes a turbine blade having a trailing edge region extending in a lateral direction and in a lengthwise direction from a pressure side surface to a trailing edge. The trailing edge region includes a plurality of riblets extending in the lengthwise direction from the pressure side surface toward the trailing edge. The trailing edge region defines a plurality of ejection slots each laterally disposed between two of the riblets. The plurality of riblets each define an upper surface having at least a portion in the lengthwise direction being curved relative to the pressure side surface so as to generally shield the upper surface from a high heat load propagating from the pressure side surface and to facilitate cooling air flowing from the ejection slots to flow over the upper surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Publication date: November 30, 2006
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: James Downs, Norman Roeloffs, Edward Pietraszkiewicz
  • Publication number: 20060269410
    Abstract: A turbine blade cooling system for a gas turbine engine includes a turbine blade having a trailing edge, a concave side, and a convex side. The trailing edge defines at least one set of impingement holes each having a central longitudinal axis which is closer to a nearest portion of an edge of the blade at one of the concave and convex sides relative to a nearest portion of an edge of the blade at the other of the concave and convex sides. Alternatively or in addition to the foregoing, the trailing edge can define at least one set of impingement holes each having a central longitudinal axis which is angled in a direction of a flow of cooling medium toward one of the concave and convex sides relative to the other of the concave and convex sides.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2005
    Publication date: November 30, 2006
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: James Downs, Norman Roeloffs, Edward Pietraszkiewicz
  • Publication number: 20060217208
    Abstract: A propeller shaft assembly includes a substantially cylindrical hollow propeller shaft, a stub shaft and a constant velocity joint having inner race and an outer race drivingly interconnected by a plurality of balls. The stub shaft has a first end fixed to the propeller shaft and a second end drivingly coupled to the inner race. The second end includes a portion positioned adjacent to the inner race that defines an outer diameter greater than an outer diameter defined by the interface between the inner race and the plurality of balls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Inventors: William Worman, James Downs
  • Publication number: 20060145445
    Abstract: A wheel suspension assembly for a vehicle is operable to travel across a ground surface. The wheel suspension assembly includes a first suspension member, a second suspension member, a wheel rotatably coupled to the first suspension member and a ball stud interconnecting the first and second suspension members. The ball stud includes a ball and a tapered shaft. The tapered shaft extends along a longitudinal axis. One of the first and second suspension members includes a ball socket in receipt of the ball. The other of the first and second suspension members includes a tapered bore in the receipt of the tapered shaft. The longitudinal axis of the tapered shaft is oriented substantially parallel to the ground surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2005
    Publication date: July 6, 2006
    Inventors: James Downs, Herb Adams
  • Publication number: 20060129475
    Abstract: A method and system for providing configurable features for a multi-windowed graphical user interface (GUI) for electronic trading. The configurable features include, but are not limited to, creating collective windows comprising plural individual windows, where the collective window functions like an individual window, collapsing plural windows with a single action and changing display characteristics of the plural windows or the collective windows. The method and system allows a user of a target device to customize the multi-windowed GUI based on individual user preferences for electronic trading.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2005
    Publication date: June 15, 2006
    Applicant: Rosenthal Collins Group, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Abrie Badenhorst, James Downs
  • Publication number: 20050199437
    Abstract: A two speed drive system for an all wheel drive vehicle includes a double planetary gear front differential and a power take-off unit transferring drive torque to a front wheel set and a rear wheel set of the vehicle. A rear differential connects the power take-off unit and the rear wheel set providing the drive torque to the rear wheel set. A two speed drive unit is positioned between the power take-off unit and the rear differential. The drive unit shifts between a high range drive operation and a low range drive operation. The drive unit may be mounted directly to either the power take-off unit or the rear differential.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Publication date: September 15, 2005
    Inventor: James Downs
  • Patent number: 5184414
    Abstract: A floating fishing light and tranducer apparatus 10 is provided to be used while fishing in a boat 11. The apparatus 10 includes a bouyant housing member 12 having a light 22 and transducer 34 coupled thereto. The light 22 is provided to attract fish thereto while the transducer 34 emits a signal which facilitrates the determination of the presence and depth of fish in a designated area. As a result the chances of catching fish are enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1993
    Inventor: James Downs