Patents by Inventor Jeff Ballyns

Jeff Ballyns 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: 7250221
    Abstract: A method of producing a clad metal ingot suitable for rolling to form a clad metal sheet, and the clad metal ingot so produced. The method involves providing a solid core ingot having an upper side with a rolling face thereon having cavities extending inwardly into the ingot from the rolling face. All or all-but-one of the cavities are blocked against molten metal entry and casting cores extending outwardly from the rolling surface are provided in alignment with the cavities. Molten cladding metal is cast on the rolling face around the casting cores to produce a composite ingot and the casting cores are removed to produce voids in the cladding layer, and the cavities are unblocked. The resulting interconnected cavities and voids are filled with a molten metal to form cast-in-place metal lugs keying or pinning the cladding layer to the core ingot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Novelis Inc.
    Inventors: Jeff Ballyns, Don Doutre, Kevin Gatenby, Eric Lees, Edward S. Luce, Peter Wales, Gijsbertus Langelaan
  • Publication number: 20060177683
    Abstract: A method of producing a clad metal ingot suitable for rolling to form a clad metal sheet, and the clad metal ingot so produced. The method involves providing a solid core ingot having an upper side with a rolling face thereon having cavities extending inwardly into the ingot from the rolling face. All or all-but-one of the cavities are blocked against molten metal entry and casting cores extending outwardly from the rolling surface are provided in alignment with the cavities. Molten cladding metal is cast on the rolling face around the casting cores to produce a composite ingot and the casting cores are removed to produce voids in the cladding layer, and the cavities are unblocked. The resulting interconnected cavities and voids are filled with a molten metal to form cast-in-place metal lugs keying or pinning the cladding layer to the core ingot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Publication date: August 10, 2006
    Inventors: Jeff Ballyns, Don Doutre, Kevin Gatenby, Eric Lees, Edward Luce, Peter Wales, Gijsbertus Langelaan
  • Patent number: 4932232
    Abstract: A method of detecting spray header valve and nozzle malfunctions, in a spray header including plural nozzles each having its own control valve, by supplying the spray header with liquid at a constant pressure head through a conduit while opening and closing the nozzle valves one at a time, and measuring the flow rate through the conduit each time one of the valves is open and when all the valves are closed. In response to detection of a malfunction at a particular nozzle, the valves of one or more adjacent nozzles are adjusted so that the adjacent-nozzle flow rates compensate for the malfunction, for example to maintain a desired cooling pattern across a surface being cooled by the spray header notwithstanding the malfunction at the particular nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1990
    Assignee: Alcan Aluminum Corporation
    Inventors: Jeff Ballyns, Otto Meijer, Herbert R. Powers