Patents by Inventor James Paul Fulton

James Paul Fulton 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: 6545467
    Abstract: Eddy current inspection of a contoured surface of a workpiece is performed by forming a backing piece of flexible, resiliently yieldable material with a contoured exterior surface conforming in shape to the workpiece contoured surface. The backing piece is preferably cast in place so as to conform to the workpiece contoured surface. A flexible eddy current array probe is attached to the contoured exterior surface of the backing piece such that the probe faces the contoured surface of the workpiece to be inspected when the backing piece is disposed adjacent to the workpiece. The backing piece is then expanded volumetrically by inserting at least one shim into a slot in the backing piece to provide sufficient contact pressure between the probe and the workpiece contoured surface to enable the inspection of the workpiece contoured surface to be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas James Batzinger, James Paul Fulton, Curtis Wayne Rose, Lee Cranford Perocchi
  • Patent number: 6029530
    Abstract: An exemplary inspection apparatus for inspecting an article comprises a flexible sensor for sensing a characteristic of the article, which sensor conforms to a surface of the article, a finger cover which fits over a finger of a user, and an attachment device for removably attaching the sensor to the finger cover. The apparatus allows the user to traverse the sensor over a large range of smoothly varying concave or convex inspection surfaces, for example, while providing the user with direct control of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thadd Clark Patton, Robert John Filkins, James Paul Fulton, Kristina Helena Valborg Hedengren, John David Young
  • Patent number: 5895871
    Abstract: An exemplary inspection apparatus for inspecting an article comprises a flexible sensor for sensing a characteristic of the article, which sensor conforms to a surface of the article, a finger cover which fits over a finger of a user, and an attachment device for removably attaching the sensor to the finger cover. The apparatus allows the user to traverse the sensor over a large range of smoothly varying concave or convex inspection surfaces, for example, while providing the user with direct control of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thadd Clark Patton, Robert John Filkins, James Paul Fulton, Kristina Helena Valborg Hedengren, John David Young
  • Patent number: 5801532
    Abstract: An eddy current probe which can be moved by hand to a surface to be tested. A toroidal-shaped first resilient member contacts the bottom face of a support member. An elastic membrane extends over the bore of the first resilient member, contacts the bottom lateral surface of the first resilient member, and is unattached to the radially-inward-facing surface of the first resilient member. A more elastic, second resilient member is placed in the bore, is unattached to the first resilient member, and contacts the bottom surface of the elastic membrane. A flexible, surface-conformable, eddy current sensing coil overlies a portion of the bottom side of the second resilient member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thadd Clark Patton, Robert John Filkins, James Paul Fulton, Kristina Helena Valborg Hedengren, John David Young