Patents by Inventor Kenneth Black

Kenneth Black 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).

  • Publication number: 20170042754
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for self-regulating therapeutic pressure massage are disclosed. An example embodiment includes an apparatus comprising: a handle; a force self-regulating mechanism captured with the handle; a rod in contact with the force self-regulating mechanism at a first end of the rod, the rod compressing the force self-regulating mechanism when force is applied to the handle; and a tip attached to a second end of the rod.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Inventors: Pamela Fowers, Brooks Davis, Kenneth Black
  • Patent number: 9488062
    Abstract: A clearance control system for a turbine having a stator assembly and a rotor assembly includes a hydraulic or pneumatic controller that axially drives, through a shaft, one or more actuators connected to the stator assembly casing. The controller causes relative movement between the stator and rotor assemblies to adjust the clearances between portions of the stator and rotor in accordance with the varying operating conditions of the turbine. More particularly, the controller moves the stator relative to the rotor in first and second axial directions to compensate for thermal expansion and contraction during the operating conditions of the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Kenneth Black, Rohit Pruthi, Sanjay Shankar Jadhav, Pradeep Ghute
  • Publication number: 20140271154
    Abstract: A turbine inner shell for a turbine engine includes one or more mounting grooves, each of which receives a fluid conduit. A temperature controlling fluid is circulated through fluid conduit to selectively heat or cool surrounding portions of the turbine inner shell, to thereby control the thermal growth of those portions of the turbine inner shell. This makes it possible to selectively control a clearance between the tips of rotating turbine blades and the surrounding shrouds of the turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Donald Earl FLOYD, Kenneth Black
  • Publication number: 20130302147
    Abstract: A clearance control system for a turbine having a stator assembly and a rotor assembly includes a hydraulic or pneumatic controller that axially drives, through a shaft, one or more actuators connected to the stator assembly casing. The controller causes relative movement between the stator and rotor assemblies to adjust the clearances between portions of the stator and rotor in accordance with the varying operating conditions of the turbine. More particularly, the controller moves the stator relative to the rotor in first and second axial directions to compensate for thermal expansion and contraction during the operating conditions of the turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kenneth BLACK, Rohit PRUTHI, Sanjay Shankar JADHAV, Pradeep GHUTE
  • Patent number: 8235656
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a catenary seal structure may be mechanically supported only by two adjacent rotor wheels to isolate a volume between the two adjacent rotor wheels. The catenary seal structure may be annularly disposed about the rotational axis of the adjacent rotor wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ian Wilson, Kenneth Black, Josef Scott Cummins
  • Publication number: 20100209233
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a catenary seal structure may be mechanically supported only by two adjacent rotor wheels to isolate a volume between the two adjacent rotor wheels. The catenary seal structure may be annularly disposed about the rotational axis of the adjacent rotor wheels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Ian Wilson, Kenneth Black, Josef Scott Cummins
  • Publication number: 20070256393
    Abstract: An apparatus (10) for creating a sloped surface comprising at least one leveling member (12) and at least one guide member (36) for guiding the at least one leveling member (12). The at least one leveling member (12) changes the slope of the surface depending on a distance between a point of low elevation (54) to a point of higher elevation as the at least one leveling member (12) travels across the at least one guide member (36).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2005
    Publication date: November 8, 2007
    Inventor: Kenneth Black
  • Publication number: 20070063712
    Abstract: A blade tip clearance probe holder including: a first housing in operable communication with a first feature of a casing for a rotary machine; a spring rod assembly in operable communication with the first housing; an electrical capacitance clearance meter in operable communication with the spring rod assembly; and a second housing in operable communication with the first housing wherein the second housing initiates a preload on the spring rod assembly and wherein the electrical capacitance clearance meter maintains a constant spatial relationship with a second feature of the casing for the rotary machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Inventors: Gregory Crum, Joseph Kirzhner, Kenneth Black, Jason Seale
  • Publication number: 20050215242
    Abstract: A method of forwarding calls directed to a cellular phone to a target phone number based on time-based trigger events. A call forward profile associated with the cellular phone is defined, wherein the profile has associated therewith a window of time for forwarding calls and the target phone number. The call forward profile is stored in memory in the cellular phone and the cellular phone periodically determines when it is within the window of time of a call forward profile. If so, the cellular phone notifies the cellular provider associated with cellular phone to forward later-received calls to the target number using the cellular provider's own activation and deactivation codes. Notification by the cellular phone to the cellular provider may be set to automatic or only after a prompt to the cellular phone user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2004
    Publication date: September 29, 2005
    Applicant: Black Cypress, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Black, Robert Jensen, Craig Skiles
  • Publication number: 20050215243
    Abstract: A method of forwarding calls directed to a cellular phone to a target phone number based on time-based and location-based trigger events. A call forward profile associated with the cellular phone is defined and stored in memory in the cellular phone, wherein the profile includes call forward criteria and the target phone number. Call forward criteria includes time-based and location-based trigger events. Thereafter, the cellular phone periodically determines the current time and its location and, if the cellular phone determines that the time-based and location-based trigger events for a particular profile are both satisfied, the cellular phone notifies the cellular provider associated with the phone to forward later-received calls to the target number using the cellular provider's own activation and deactivation codes. Notification by the cellular phone to the cellular provider may be set to automatic or only after a prompt to the cellular phone user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2004
    Publication date: September 29, 2005
    Applicant: Black Cypress, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Black, Robert Jensen, Craig Skiles
  • Patent number: D781536
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Inventors: Phil Burnett, Kenneth Black