Patents by Inventor John Alan Sutliff

John Alan Sutliff 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).

  • Titanium-based alloys having improved inspection characteristics for ultrasonic examination, and related processes
    Patent number: 6401537
    Abstract: A method for inspecting a titanium-based alloy that comprises alpha phase grains to detect flaws in the titanium-based alloy, the titanium-based alloy comprises an alpha phase that is provided by thermomechanically processing the alloy to provide a microstructure which comprises the alpha phase that defines an average grain size and a crystallographic orientation of the grains of the alpha phase that is highly randomized. The method comprises ultrasonically inspecting the titanium-based alloy using an ultrasonic beam, the ultrasonic beam comprising a cross-sectional area that is less than the average grain size of the alpha phase in the titanium-based alloy; and determining flaws based on the step of ultrasonic inspecting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael Francis Xavier Gigliotti, Jr., Robert Snee Gilmore, John Broddus Deaton, Jr., John Alan Sutliff