Patents by Inventor Joshua Michael Oden

Joshua Michael Oden 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: 10344625
    Abstract: A jacking assembly for a rotor of a turbine includes an arc-shaped saddle which extends around and supports a lower portion of a rotor. A lifting beam extends over the rotor transversely to an axial direction of the rotor. The lifting beam is axially aligned with the arc-shaped saddle. Two connectors are disposed on respective lateral sides of the rotor, each connector extending between and being coupled to the lifting beam and the arc-shaped saddle such that the saddle is configured to lift the rotor vertically when the lifting beam is displaced vertically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Joshua Michael Oden, Michael Helton, Jason Dixson
  • Patent number: 10125635
    Abstract: A fixture and method for installing turbine buckets is disclosed. The fixture is adapted for mounting a plurality of turbine buckets with dovetails to a rotor wheel of a turbomachine that is separated from an adjacent rotor wheel by a spacer wheel, the rotor wheel and the spacer wheel each having a plurality of circumferentially aligned dovetail slots, the fixture includes: a turbine bucket holder having a dovetail that is configured to engage with one of the dovetail slots of the spacer wheel. The profile of a bucket holder dovetail slot substantially aligns the dovetail of the turbine bucket with a dovetail slot of the rotor wheel for at least partial transfer of a turbine bucket thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sandra Beverly Kolvick, Kevin Leon Bruce, Matthew Ryan Ferslew, Stuart Craig Hanson, Thomas Michael Merlau, Joshua Michael Oden, Christopher Michael Penny
  • Publication number: 20180258797
    Abstract: A jacking assembly for a rotor of a turbine includes an arc-shaped saddle which extends around and supports a lower portion of a rotor. A lifting beam extends over the rotor transversely to an axial direction of the rotor. The lifting beam is axially aligned with the arc-shaped saddle. Two connectors are disposed on respective lateral sides of the rotor, each connector extending between and being coupled to the lifting beam and the arc-shaped saddle such that the saddle is configured to lift the rotor vertically when the lifting beam is displaced vertically.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventors: Joshua Michael ODEN, Michael HELTON, Jason DIXSON
  • Patent number: 9970325
    Abstract: A jacking assembly for a rotor of a turbine includes an arc-shaped saddle which extends around and supports a lower portion of a rotor. A lifting beam extends over the rotor transversely to an axial direction of the rotor. The lifting beam is axially aligned with the arc-shaped saddle. Two connectors are disposed on respective lateral sides of the rotor, each connector extending between and being coupled to the lifting beam and the arc-shaped saddle such that the saddle is configured to lift the rotor vertically when the lifting beam is displaced vertically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joshua Michael Oden, Michael Helton, Jason Dixson
  • Patent number: 9810083
    Abstract: A stator vane removal system includes a reaction platform configured to couple between opposing sides of a slot defined in an inner surface of a casing of a rotary machine. At least one stator vane is retained in the slot. The reaction platform includes at least one wedge surface. The system also includes an actuator configured to couple to the reaction platform. The at least one wedge surface facilitates inducing a coupling force exerted by the reaction platform to the opposing sides of the slot when the actuator applies a pushing force to the at least one stator vane in the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joshua Michael Oden, James Bradford Holmes
  • Publication number: 20170130597
    Abstract: A stator vane removal system includes a reaction platform configured to couple between opposing sides of a slot defined in an inner surface of a casing of a rotary machine. At least one stator vane is retained in the slot. The reaction platform includes at least one wedge surface. The system also includes an actuator configured to couple to the reaction platform. The at least one wedge surface facilitates inducing a coupling force exerted by the reaction platform to the opposing sides of the slot when the actuator applies a pushing force to the at least one stator vane in the slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Inventors: Joshua Michael Oden, James Bradford Holmes
  • Patent number: 9617913
    Abstract: Combustor maintenance assemblies, tools and methods for manipulating cross-fire tubes in combustor assemblies are provided. A tool includes a base and an arm pivotally connected to the base. The arm includes an effort portion and a load portion, the load portion extendable into a passage defined by the compressor discharge casing. The tool further includes a contact member extending from the load portion to contact the cross-fire tube. The contact member includes a head end for contacting a second end of the cross-fire tube, and a joint disposed between the head end and the load portion, the joint allowing movement of the head end relative to the load portion. The arm is movable such that the contact member contacts the cross-fire tube and applies a force to the cross-fire tube generally along a longitudinal axis of the cross-fire tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joshua Michael Oden, Ulrich Werner Neumann, John William Herbold
  • Patent number: 9587498
    Abstract: A stator vane removal system includes a reaction platform configured to couple between opposing sides of a slot defined in an inner surface of a casing of a rotary machine. At least one stator vane is retained in the slot. The reaction platform includes at least one wedge surface. The system also includes an actuator configured to couple to the reaction platform. The at least one wedge surface facilitates inducing a coupling force exerted by the reaction platform to the opposing sides of the slot when the actuator applies a pushing force to the at least one stator vane in the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joshua Michael Oden, James Bradford Holmes
  • Publication number: 20160319665
    Abstract: A jacking assembly for a rotor of a turbine includes an arc-shaped saddle which extends around and supports a lower portion of a rotor. A lifting beam extends over the rotor transversely to an axial direction of the rotor. The lifting beam is axially aligned with the arc-shaped saddle. Two connectors are disposed on respective lateral sides of the rotor, each connector extending between and being coupled to the lifting beam and the arc-shaped saddle such that the saddle is configured to lift the rotor vertically when the lifting beam is displaced vertically.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: Joshua Michael ODEN, Michael Helton, Jason Dixson
  • Publication number: 20160221091
    Abstract: A cutting tool for cutting a blade mount ring segment from a ring segment slot in a turbomachine casing having a plurality of ring segment slots along an inclined surface is provided. The cutting tool includes a motor; a cutting blade driven by the motor to cut the ring segment; and a support element for supporting the motor. A guide for guiding a cutting tool circumferentially relative to the ring segment includes: a rip fence extending from the support element and including a slide member for slidingly engaging a respective empty ring slot that is axially displaced in the turbomachine casing from the slot in which the ring segment is positioned, and at least one incline compensating member coupled to the support element for slidingly engaging the inclined surface of the turbomachine casing and positioning the support element such that the cutting element of the cutting tool cuts the ring segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Inventors: Joshua Michael Oden, Robert Edward Huth, Thomas Alan Mogle, II
  • Publication number: 20160201556
    Abstract: A fixture and method for installing turbine buckets is disclosed. The fixture is adapted for mounting a plurality of turbine buckets with dovetails to a rotor wheel of a turbomachine that is separated from an adjacent rotor wheel by a spacer wheel, the rotor wheel and the spacer wheel each having a plurality of circumferentially aligned dovetail slots, the fixture includes: a turbine bucket holder having a dovetail that is configured to engage with one of the dovetail slots of the spacer wheel. The profile of a bucket holder dovetail slot substantially aligns the dovetail of the turbine bucket with a dovetail slot of the rotor wheel for at least partial transfer of a turbine bucket thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2015
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Sandra Beverly Kolvick, Kevin Leon Bruce, Matthew Ryan Ferslew, Stuart Craig Hanson, Thomas Michael Merlau, Joshua Michael Oden, Christopher Michael Penny
  • Publication number: 20160158901
    Abstract: A stator vane removal system includes a reaction platform configured to couple between opposing sides of a slot defined in an inner surface of a casing of a rotary machine. At least one stator vane is retained in the slot. The reaction platform includes at least one wedge surface. The system also includes an actuator configured to couple to the reaction platform. The at least one wedge surface facilitates inducing a coupling force exerted by the reaction platform to the opposing sides of the slot when the actuator applies a pushing force to the at least one stator vane in the slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventors: Joshua Michael Oden, James Bradford Holmes
  • Publication number: 20150260096
    Abstract: Combustor maintenance assemblies, tools and methods for manipulating cross-fire tubes in combustor assemblies are provided. A tool includes a base and an arm pivotally connected to the base. The arm includes an effort portion and a load portion, the load portion extendable into a passage defined by the compressor discharge casing. The tool further includes a contact member extending from the load portion to contact the cross-fire tube. The contact member includes a head end for contacting a second end of the cross-fire tube, and a joint disposed between the head end and the load portion, the joint allowing movement of the head end relative to the load portion. The arm is movable such that the contact member contacts the cross-fire tube and applies a force to the cross-fire tube generally along a longitudinal axis of the cross-fire tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joshua Michael Oden, Ulrich Werner Neumann, John William Herbold