Patents by Inventor Jeffrey M. Makulec

Jeffrey M. Makulec 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: 9657586
    Abstract: A starter configured for use with a turbomachine includes a housing defining a cavity, a transmission operative to convert an airflow into rotational motion for starting an engine, wherein the cavity is configured to hold a quantity of starter oil for lubricating at least a portion of the transmission, and an oil filter disposed in fluid communication with the starter oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: John T. Pech, Jeffrey M. Makulec
  • Patent number: 9359957
    Abstract: A planet gear for use in an air turbine starter is formed of a first part having a set of gear teeth at a first axial location. A shaft extends axially away from the first set of gear teeth. A second part is interference fit on the first part, with the second part having a second set of gear teeth. The second part is mounted on the shaft of the first part. An outer diameter of the shaft is selected to be significantly larger than an inner diameter of a cylindrical portion of the second part which is interference fit on the shaft. A ratio of the outer diameter to the inner diameter is between 1.0005 and 1.0100. A planetary gear system, an air turbine starter and a method of installing a planet gear are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Makulec, Matthew Slayter, Charles E. Long, Thomas Jakab
  • Patent number: 9353690
    Abstract: A connection for a rotating machine according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes an interface axially between and adjacent to a first interference fit and a second interference fit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Makulec, Jeffrey A. Stadler
  • Publication number: 20150308283
    Abstract: A starter configured for use with a turbomachine includes a housing defining a cavity, a transmission operative to convert an airflow into rotational motion for starting an engine, wherein the cavity is configured to hold a quantity of starter oil for lubricating at least a portion of the transmission, and an oil filter disposed in fluid communication with the starter oil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: John T. Pech, Jeffrey M. Makulec
  • Patent number: 9028208
    Abstract: A vane profile section for an air turbine starter includes an airfoil which defines an airfoil profile section through a leading edge and a trailing edge, the airfoil profile section defined by a set of X-coordinates and Z-coordinates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Zawilinski, Jeffrey M. Makulec, Bradley Thomas Ryan, Matthew Slayter
  • Patent number: 8973266
    Abstract: A gear cage assembly configured to support a plurality of planet gear in an air turbine starter is provided including a main plate and a back plate. The main plate includes a plurality of legs that extend from a first surface. A pin protrudes from a one of the plurality of legs. A plurality of shallow openings formed in the first surface extends over only a portion of a depth of the main plate. The back plate includes a plurality of bearing holes substantially identical to the plurality of shallow openings. A biasing mechanism and at least one alignment feature protrude from the back plate. The at least one alignment feature and the biasing mechanism are configured to contact at least one of the plurality of legs. A bushing mounted within the back plate is configured to receive the pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Yiwei Jiang, Jeffrey M. Makulec, Bradley Thomas Ryan
  • Patent number: 8932002
    Abstract: An air turbine starter is provided and includes a rotor including turbine blades, which is rotatable about a rotational axis, a housing including a portion thereof radially surrounding the turbine blades to define a pathway along which fluids flow to interact with the turbine blades and a containment ring affixed to an exterior of the portion of the housing radially surrounding the turbine blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Makulec, Matthew Slayter, Dean A. Norem, Jody A. Peterson, Brian Kent Rockwell, Matthew Gorajski
  • Patent number: 8899910
    Abstract: A clutch assembly includes a shaft, vent plug and oil guide sleeve. The shaft includes an internal cavity, first passages for allowing oil to lubricate clutch components, and second passages for allowing excess oil to drain from the internal cavity. The vent plug has a radial passage in communication with the internal cavity for venting the cavity with an external source of air. The oil guide sleeve directs oil into the internal cavity. A method for lubricating and venting an air turbine starter includes delivering lubricating oil to an internal cavity of a clutch via an oil guide sleeve. The oil guide sleeve prevents oil from exiting the cavity through excess oil drainage passages before it lubricates the clutch components. The method also includes draining excess oil from the cavity through excess oil drainage passages so that excess oil does not substantially impede air flow through a vent plug passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Makulec, Marc Westen
  • Publication number: 20140250914
    Abstract: A starter motor has a housing. The housing receives the starter motor and a plurality of locations to receive lubricant. The lubricant supply system shares a lubricant source with a main gas turbine engine to be started by the starter motor. The lubricant supply system has a shutoff valve. The shutoff valve is opened when starter motor is being driven to start a main gas turbine engine. The shutoff valve is generally closed once the main gas turbine engine is started.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew Slayter, Jeffrey M. Makulec, Jeffrey A. Stadler
  • Publication number: 20140130356
    Abstract: A gear cage assembly configured to support a plurality of planet gear in an air turbine starter is provided including a main plate and a back plate. The main plate includes a plurality of legs that extend from a first surface. A pin protrudes from a one of the plurality of legs. A plurality of shallow openings formed in the first surface extends over only a portion of a depth of the main plate. The back plate includes a plurality of bearing holes substantially identical to the plurality of shallow openings. A biasing mechanism and at least one alignment feature protrude from the back plate. The at least one alignment feature and the biasing mechanism are configured to contact at least one of the plurality of legs. A bushing mounted within the back plate is configured to receive the pin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Inventors: Yiwei Jiang, Jeffrey M. Makulec, Bradley Thomas Ryan
  • Publication number: 20140124449
    Abstract: A chip collector body is provided including a coupled base and elongate member. The base and elongate member have a substantially hollow interior extending from a first end to a second end, so as to form a shell. A collector element is positioned within the hollow interior. The collector element has a magnetic element positioned adjacent the second end and a flange positioned near the first end. The collector element is configured to move between a first position and a second position to selectively demagnetize the chip collector body. An axial biasing member is positioned between the flange of the collector element and a rigid surface. The axial biasing member is configured to bias the collector element into the first position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Inventors: Matthew Slayter, Jeffrey M. Makulec
  • Patent number: 8672620
    Abstract: A vane profile section for an Air Turbine Starter includes an airfoil which defines an airfoil profile section through a leading edge and a trailing edge, the airfoil profile section defined by a set of X-coordinates and Y-coordinates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Zawilinski, Jeffrey M. Makulec, Matthew Slayter
  • Patent number: 8672638
    Abstract: A blade profile section for an air turbine starter includes an airfoil which defines an airfoil profile section through a leading edge and a trailing edge. The airfoil profile section is defined by a set of X-coordinates and Z-coordinates defined in any of Table I, Table II, Table III or Table IV scaled by a desired factor. The X-coordinate is the tangential direction, and the Z-coordinate is a axial direction between the leading edge and the trailing edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Zawilinski, Jeffrey M. Makulec, Bradley Thomas Ryan, Matthew Slayter
  • Patent number: 8672637
    Abstract: A blade profile section for an Air Turbine Starter includes an airfoil which defines an airfoil profile section through a leading edge and a trailing edge. The airfoil profile section is defined by a set of X-coordinates and Y-coordinates defined in any of Table I, Table II, Table III or Table IV scaled by a desired factor. The X-coordinate is the tangential direction, the Y-coordinate is the axial direction, and the Z-coordinate is a radial direction between an airfoil root and an airfoil tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Zawilinski, Jeffrey M. Makulec, Matthew Slayter
  • Patent number: 8651806
    Abstract: An inlet housing assembly for an Air Turbine Starter includes an outer flowpath curve of an inlet flowpath defined by a multiple of arcuate surfaces in cross-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Zawilinski, Jeffrey M. Makulec, Matthew Slayter
  • Patent number: 8485936
    Abstract: A planet shaft for supporting a planet gear has a supporting portion extending along a central axis and having a first outer diameter. A flange is formed at one end of the supporting portion, which has a smaller section formed about a portion of a circumference around the central axis, and an enlarged portion extending away from the central axis for a greater distance than the smaller portion. A hole to receive a lock member is formed in the enlarged portion. A planetary gear assembly including such a planet shaft is disclosed as is an air turbine starter including the planetary gear system. Further, a method of installing a planet gear and planet shaft is also disclosed and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Makulec, Matthew Slayter
  • Patent number: 8475116
    Abstract: A turbine balance assembly has a turbine rotor and shaft. Bearings are positioned radially outwardly of the shaft. A bearing sleeve is positioned radially outwardly of the bearings, and supports the bearings. The bearing sleeve extends along an axial length defined by a rotational axis of the shaft, and has a turbine rotor end adjacent to the turbine rotor, and a remote end. A radially outwardly extending flange on the bearing sleeve extends radially outwardly of a support portion of the bearing sleeve at the turbine rotor end. The flange has a nominal outer diameter, and includes a slot for receiving an anti-rotation tab from a gear cage over a first circumferential extent. A bearing sleeve incorporates the anti-rotation feature, and a gear cage incorporates its portion of the anti-rotation feature. An air turbine starter, and a method of installing components of a turbine balance assembly are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: William C. Trommer, Jeffrey M. Makulec
  • Publication number: 20130091863
    Abstract: A planet gear for use in an air turbine starter is formed of a first part having a set of gear teeth at a first axial location. A shaft extends axially away from the first set of gear teeth. A second part is interference fit on the first part, with the second part having a second set of gear teeth. The second part is mounted on the shaft of the first part. An outer diameter of the shaft is selected to be significantly larger than an inner diameter of a cylindrical portion of the second part which is interference fit on the shaft. A ratio of the outer diameter to the inner diameter is between 1.0005 and 1.0100. A planetary gear system, an air turbine starter and a method of installing a planet gear are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Makulec, Matthew Slayter, Charles E. Long, Thomas Jakab
  • Publication number: 20130051975
    Abstract: A clutch assembly includes a shaft, vent plug and oil guide sleeve. The shaft includes an internal cavity, first passages for allowing oil to lubricate clutch components, and second passages for allowing excess oil to drain from the internal cavity. The vent plug has a radial passage in communication with the internal cavity for venting the cavity with an external source of air. The oil guide sleeve directs oil into the internal cavity. A method for lubricating and venting an air turbine starter includes delivering lubricating oil to an internal cavity of a clutch via an oil guide sleeve. The oil guide sleeve prevents oil from exiting the cavity through excess oil drainage passages before it lubricates the clutch components. The method also includes draining excess oil from the cavity through excess oil drainage passages so that excess oil does not substantially impede air flow through a vent plug passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Makulec, Marc Westen
  • Publication number: 20120328426
    Abstract: A vane profile section for an air turbine starter includes an airfoil which defines an airfoil profile section through a leading edge and a trailing edge, the airfoil profile section defined by a set of X-coordinates and Z-coordinates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Inventors: David J. Zawilinski, Jeffrey M. Makulec, Bradley Thomas Ryan, Matthew Slayter