Patents by Inventor John Bottoms

John Bottoms 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: 9752449
    Abstract: An annulus filler, mounted to a rotor disc of a gas turbine engine and bridging the gap between two adjacent blades attached to the rotor disc, is disclosed. The annulus filler, formed from a polymer matrix composite material, includes an outer lid, defining an airflow surface for air drawn through the engine in an axial airflow direction, and a support structure, connectable to the rotor disc, to support the rear of the lid on the rotor disc. The support structure has two support walls extending from opposing lateral sides of the lid to an attachment strap for receiving a hook on the rotor disc, the attachment strap bridging the support walls. Under centrifugal loads, the opposing support walls resiliently deform. Each support wall has a concave rear edge. Each rear edge has a first curved section, a second curved section and a substantially straight section therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC, FACC AG
    Inventors: Kristofer John Bottome, James Andrew Lee, Paul Mason, Ewan Fergus Thompson, Gion Barandun, Markus Henne, Konstantin Horejsi, Martin Fleischmann, Christof Obertscheider, Thomas Keusch
  • Patent number: 9739162
    Abstract: An annulus filler is provided for mounting to a rotor disc of a gas turbine engine and bridging the gap between two adjacent blades attached to the rotor disc. The annulus filler is substantially entirely formed from a polymer matrix composite material. It has an outer lid which defines an airflow surface for air being drawn through the engine in an axial airflow direction, and a support structure which is connectable to the rotor disc to support the lid on the rotor disc. The support structure has two support walls extending from opposing lateral sides of the lid to an attachment strap for receiving a hook on the rotor disc, the attachment strap bridging the support walls. In use, under centrifugal loads, the opposing support walls resiliently deform to allow outward radial movement of the lid. Each support wall is thickened in a region neighboring the attachment strap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Kristofer John Bottome, Paul Mason, James Andrew Lee, Ewan Fergus Thompson
  • Patent number: 9689269
    Abstract: A component of a gas turbine engine is provided. The component has a leading edge with two air-washed surfaces extending rearwardly therefrom to define opposing sides of the component. The component has a leading edge protector formed as a plurality of protector segments which succeed in a line along the leading edge. Each protector segment includes a sheath which covers the leading edge and the air-washed surfaces at regions adjacent the leading edge. Each protector segment overlaps with the neighboring sheath of the succeeding segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Kristofer John Bottome
  • Patent number: 8702382
    Abstract: A composite component such as a fan rear seal comprises a hub and a body of composite material which is molded over the outer periphery of the hub. The body is formed from a preform of fiber reinforcement impregnated with a resin, in a compression molding process. The body has an annular projection provided with a sealing surface. The sealing surface may comprise circumferential fins, or may be a surface of, for example, an abradable seal insert molded into the composite material of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Kristofer John Bottome
  • Patent number: 8591172
    Abstract: A containment assembly for a turbo fan engine, has a casing arranged in use around a rotatable fan, to form a duct for the fan and a liner element disposed on an interior surface between the casing and blades of a rotatable fan. The liner element includes a body portion mounted in a recess in the casing and a wall portion arranged to form part of an inner wall of the duct. The wall portion and the body portion being attached and defining a containment cavity therebetween for containment of a detached fan blade fragment in use, wherein the wall portion has a moveable portion movable between a first configuration in which it lies substantially flush with the inner wall of the duct, and a second configuration in which it provides an opening through which a fan blade fragment can enter the containment cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Kristofer John Bottome
  • Patent number: 8292586
    Abstract: An annulus filler is provided for mounting to a rotor disc of a gas turbine engine and for bridging the gap between two adjacent blades attached to the rotor disc. The annulus filler has a body portion which defines an airflow surface for air being drawn through the engine, and one or more hook portions which extend radially inwardly from the body portion. The hook portions are for connection to corresponding engagement portions on the radially outer face of the rotor disc. The or each hook portion is attached to the body portion by a joining arrangement in which a wedge part provided by one of the hook portion and the body portion is received in a complementary-shaped retention recess provided by the other of the hook portion and the body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Kristofer John Bottome
  • Publication number: 20090269189
    Abstract: A fan blade for the fan of a gas turbine engine has a radially outer tip portion which, in use, is adjacent to a fan case of the engine. The tip portion includes a movable sealing element for sealing a gap between the tip portion and the fan case. The sealing element movably adapts to changes in the spacing of the gap to maintain a seal between the tip portion and the fan case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Kristofer John Bottome
  • Publication number: 20070023142
    Abstract: An airfoil refurbishment system is disclosed. The airfoil refurbishment system includes an environmentally safe stripper system and an aluminiding system. The environmentally safe stripper system includes a transportable environmentally safe compound that is capable of partially removing an aluminide coating from an airfoil. The aluminiding system is capable of restoring the aluminide coating to the airfoil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Publication date: February 1, 2007
    Inventors: John LaGraff, James Ruud, Dong-Sil Park, Leo MacDonald, John Bottoms, Claudino Koakowski
  • Patent number: 6885903
    Abstract: A computer-based method and system for tracking repairs of different types of components. The repair tracking system receives repair orders identifying components of customers that need repair. After a repair order is received, an engineer uses the repair tracking system to assign a repair plan to the repair order. When a repair technician receives a component or subcomponent of a repair order, the repair technician uses the repair tracking system to identify the steps that need to be performed next. After the repair of the component is complete, the repair technician uses the repair tracking system to indicate the completion and to determine where to send the component so that the next step in the repair plan can be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael S. Olle, John Bottoms, Todd A. Godwin, Andrew L. Jackson, Jr., Mark D. Schlegel, Rishi Gulati, Christopher A. Ware
  • Publication number: 20030014142
    Abstract: A computer-based method and system for tracking repairs of different types of components. The repair tracking system receives repair orders identifying components of customers that need repair. After a repair order is received, an engineer uses the repair tracking system to assign a repair plan to the repair order. When a repair technician receives a component or subcomponent of a repair order, the repair technician uses the repair tracking system to identify the steps that need to be performed next. After the repair of the component is complete, the repair technician uses the repair tracking system to indicate the completion and to determine where to send the component so that the next step in the repair plan can be performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2001
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Inventors: Michael S. Olle, John Bottoms, Todd A. Godwln, Andrew L. Jackson, Mark D. Schlegel, Rishi Gulati, Christopher A. Ware