Patents by Inventor John Thomas Murphy
John Thomas Murphy 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).
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Patent number: 10145363Abstract: The invention relates to a method for performing up-tower maintenance on a gearbox bearing of a wind turbine. In particular, a method for performing up-tower maintenance on a gearbox of a wind turbine is disclosed. The gearbox has at least one bearing with an outer race and an inner race that rotates with respect to the outer race. The method includes forming a through-hole in a front cover of the gearbox, the front cover being stationary with respect to an axis of rotation of the bearing. The method also includes forming a recess in the outer race of the bearing. Further, the method includes inserting a connecting member through the through-hole and the recess so as to prevent movement of the outer race of the bearing with respect to a torque arm of the gearbox.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2016Date of Patent: December 4, 2018Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Rong Li, Michael Garry, John Thomas Murphy, Priyangu Chunilal Patel, Lawrence Keith Taliaferro, Gregory Clarence Thomas
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Publication number: 20170122296Abstract: The invention relates to a method for performing up-tower maintenance on a gearbox bearing of a wind turbine. In particular, a method for performing up-tower maintenance on a gearbox of a wind turbine is disclosed. The gearbox has at least one bearing with an outer race and an inner race that rotates with respect to the outer race. The method includes forming a through-hole in a front cover of the gearbox, the front cover being stationary with respect to an axis of rotation of the bearing. The method also includes forming a recess in the outer race of the bearing. Further, the method includes inserting a connecting member through the through-hole and the recess so as to prevent movement of the outer race of the bearing with respect to a torque arm of the gearbox.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 24, 2016Publication date: May 4, 2017Inventors: Rong Li, Michael Garry, John Thomas Murphy, Priyangu Chunilal Patel, Lawrence Keith Taliaferro, Gregory Clarence Thomas
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Publication number: 20120136630Abstract: A method and system for inspecting a wind turbine is provided. The method includes providing at least one remotely operated aerial platform (ROAP), providing at least one non-destructive evaluation (NDE) device attached to the ROAP, and providing at least one distance measuring system attached to the ROAP. The distance measuring system is used for determining the distance between the ROAP and at least a portion of the wind turbine. The method also includes positioning the ROAP so that the at least one non-destructive evaluation device captures data used for inspecting the wind turbine.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2011Publication date: May 31, 2012Inventors: John Thomas Murphy, Debasish Mishra, George Rowan Silliman, Vinod Padmanabhan Kumar, Shyamsunder Tondanur Mandayam, Prafull Sharma
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Patent number: 7866949Abstract: A method of fabricating a turbine rotor is provided. The method includes fabricating a plurality of substantially cylindrical disks. Fabricating each disk includes fabricating a substantially cylindrical body and extending a bore substantially concentrically through the body. The method also includes coupling at least two of the plurality of disks together to form a rotor having a bore extending axially therethrough.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2006Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert James Bracken, John Thomas Murphy, Clement Gazzillo, John Cleland Lavash, Stephen Roger Swan, Ronald Wayne Korzun, Jeffrey Robert Simkins
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Patent number: 7537430Abstract: Disclosed herein is a rotor assembly for a steam turbine. The steam turbine includes a retention portion having a stacked rotor section. The steam turbine further includes a first shaft end disposed at a first end of the retention portion. The steam turbine yet further includes a second shaft end disposed at a second end of the retention portion that is opposite to the first end of the retention portion.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2005Date of Patent: May 26, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert James Bracken, John Thomas Murphy, Stephen Swan, Jeffrey Robert Simkins, Clement Gazzillo, Ronald W. Korzun, David Orus Fitts
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Patent number: 7497658Abstract: Disclosed herein is a stator assembly for a steam turbine. The stator assembly includes a stacked stator section and a retention device. The stacked stator section has a plurality of adjacently disposed stator plates. The retention device retains the adjacent stator plates proximate to each other.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2005Date of Patent: March 3, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert James Bracken, John Thomas Murphy, Stephen Swan, Jeffrey Robert Simkins, Clement Gazzillo, David Orus Fitts, Mark William Kowalczyk
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Patent number: 7407370Abstract: Disclosed herein is a rotor assembly for a steam turbine including a stacked rotor section having rotor plates. The rotor plates include a main body portion having a plate shape and a first axial face and a second axial face opposite to the first axial face. The rotor plates also include an airfoil base surface at an outer radial edge of the main body portion. The rotor plates further include buckets which extend radially outward from the airfoil base surface. And the rotor plates yet further include a seal disposed to prevent steam exposure to the first and second axial faces.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2005Date of Patent: August 5, 2008Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert James Bracken, John Thomas Murphy, Stephen Swan, Jeffrey Robert Simkins, Clement Gazzillo
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Publication number: 20080050226Abstract: A method of fabricating a turbine rotor is provided. The method includes fabricating a plurality of substantially cylindrical disks. Fabricating each disk includes fabricating a substantially cylindrical body and extending a bore substantially concentrically through the body. The method also includes coupling at least two of the plurality of disks together to form a rotor having a bore extending axially therethrough.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2006Publication date: February 28, 2008Inventors: Robert James Bracken, John Thomas Murphy, Clement Gazzillo, John Cleland Lavash, Stephen Roger Swan, Ronald Wayne Korzun, Jeffrey Robert Simkins
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Patent number: 7270512Abstract: The steampath for a steam turbine includes stacked stator rings each mounting inwardly directed nozzles and stacked rotor wheels each mounting outwardly directed buckets mounting blades. By alternately stacking the stator rings and rotor wheels, the nozzles and buckets of the various stages are interdigitated to form a steampath. Each bucket includes a blade and a root received in a generally complementary shaped groove on a wheel.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2005Date of Patent: September 18, 2007Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Christopher Walter Sullivan, Robert James Bracken, Jeffrey Robert Simkins, Stephen Roger Swan, David Orus Fitts, Ronald Wayne Korzun, John Thomas Murphy
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Patent number: 6939106Abstract: A steam turbine includes a stator supporting a plurality of turbine nozzles. The stator has shaped grooves for receiving a complementary-shaped nozzle hook formed on an end of each of the turbine nozzles. A rope seal is disposed in each interface between the nozzle hooks and the shaped grooves, respectively. The rope seal serves to seal a leakage path that may exist over the nozzle hooks between the nozzles and respective stator grooves.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2002Date of Patent: September 6, 2005Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: John Thomas Murphy, Steven Sebastian Burdgick
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Patent number: 6893224Abstract: A method of assembling a turbine comprises coupling at least one bucket assembly. The bucket assembly including an upstream side, a downstream side, a blade extending therebetween and a dovetail extending radially inwardly from the blade to a rotor. The method further comprises fixedly securing the at least one bucket assembly to the rotor with a shear pin that extends from the bucket assembly upstream side to the bucket assembly downstream side.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2002Date of Patent: May 17, 2005Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: John Thomas Murphy
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Patent number: 6888090Abstract: A method of forming a welded component by electron beam welding, and the resulting welded assembly. The method is particularly directed to the welding of a component whose subcomponents are formed of dissimilar metals, with the result that an electron beam used to weld the subcomponents is prone to being deflected away from the contact surface interface between the subcomponents and into one of the subcomponents as it passes through the interface. The method is also suitable for welding applications in which the interface between the subcomponents has an arcuate shape. The method involves magnetically steering the electron beam so that the beam is caused to follow the desired path through the interface.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2003Date of Patent: May 3, 2005Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: John Thomas Murphy
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Patent number: 6884964Abstract: The method of repairing a metal alloy component, and the resulting repaired component. The method involves machining the component surface to remove a defect, and then placing in the resulting surface cavity a filler insert whose size and shape are predetermined so that the welding operation can be carried out to completely melt the insert while minimizing the melting of the component immediately surrounding the insert. As such, minimum mixing occurs between the materials of the insert and the component, thereby reducing the risk of cracking following the welding operation.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2003Date of Patent: April 26, 2005Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: John Thomas Murphy
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Patent number: 6832892Abstract: A steam turbine includes a rotor supporting a plurality of turbine buckets. The rotor has shaped grooves for receiving a complementary-shaped bucket hook formed on an end of each of the turbine buckets. A rope seal is disposed in each interface between the bucket hooks and the shaped grooves, respectively. The rope seal serves to seal a leakage path that may exist over the bucket hooks between the buckets and respective rotor grooves.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2002Date of Patent: December 21, 2004Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: John Thomas Murphy, Steven Sebastian Burdgick
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Publication number: 20040134887Abstract: A method of repairing a metal alloy component, and the resulting repaired component. The method involves machining the component surface to remove a defect, and then placing in the resulting surface cavity a filler insert whose size and shape are predetermined so that the welding operation can be carried out to completely melt the insert while minimizing the melting of the component immediately surrounding the insert. As such, minimum mixing occurs between the materials of the insert and the component, thereby reducing the risk of cracking following the welding operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 9, 2003Publication date: July 15, 2004Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventor: John Thomas Murphy
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Patent number: 6761538Abstract: A loading spring segment for radially loading a turbine bucket within a turbine rotor groove includes a substantially circular metal sheet with a gap between opposed edges of the sheet, the sheet defining an arcuate segment in an arcuate length direction of the spring segment; and a plurality of radial slots in the sheet, spaced along the arcuate length direction to thereby create a plurality of individual springs within the arcuate segment.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2002Date of Patent: July 13, 2004Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: David Orus Fitts, Ronald Wayne Korzun, John Thomas Murphy
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Publication number: 20040129686Abstract: A method of forming a welded component by electron beam welding, and the resulting welded assembly. The method is particularly directed to the welding of a component whose subcomponents are formed of dissimilar metals, with the result that an electron beam used to weld the subcomponents is prone to being deflected away from the contact surface interface between the subcomponents and into one of the subcomponents as it passes through the interface. The method is also suitable for welding applications in which the interface between the subcomponents has an arcuate shape. The method involves magnetically steering the electron beam so that the beam is caused to follow the desired path through the interface.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 7, 2003Publication date: July 8, 2004Inventor: John Thomas Murphy
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Publication number: 20040115052Abstract: A method of assembling a turbine comprises coupling at least one bucket assembly. The bucket assembly including an upstream side, a downstream side, a blade extending therebetween and a dovetail extending radially inwardly from the blade to a rotor. The method further comprises fixedly securing the at least one bucket assembly to the rotor with a shear pin that extends from the bucket assembly upstream side to the bucket assembly downstream side.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2002Publication date: June 17, 2004Inventor: John Thomas Murphy
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Publication number: 20040115046Abstract: A steam turbine includes a stator supporting a plurality of turbine nozzles. The stator has shaped grooves for receiving a complementary-shaped nozzle hook formed on an end of each of the turbine nozzles. A rope seal is disposed in each interface between the nozzle hooks and the shaped grooves, respectively. The rope seal serves to seal a leakage path that may exist over the nozzle hooks between the nozzles and respective stator grooves.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2002Publication date: June 17, 2004Inventors: John Thomas Murphy, Steven Sebastian Burdgick
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Patent number: D1016674Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2022Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR STOCK CAR AUTO RACING, LLCInventors: Brandon Thomas, John Probst, Eric Jacuzzi, Christopher A. Popiela, Timothy S. Murphy, Donald E. Krueger