Patents by Inventor Kevin Ledford

Kevin Ledford 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: 10252609
    Abstract: An axle assembly for an electric or hybrid vehicle includes electrically powered drive motors for respectively driving vehicle wheels. The axle assembly preferably includes a dual motor arrangement, wherein two electric motors are arranged end-to-end. Each motor includes an inverter that is directly connected to its respective motor, and includes a gearbox assembly coupled between an output of the motor and a corresponding constant-velocity (CV) joint operatively connected to a wheel. The inboard ends of the motors are secured to opposite faces of a cooling manifold wherein the cooling manifold maintains the motors in axial alignment. The cooling manifold plate is positioned between an inboard end of each of the motor housings, and the cooling manifold plate axially aligns the first and second motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Linamar Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce Falls, Adrian Quintana, Thanh Nguyen, Mike Browne, Michael Colby Sefcik, Kevin Ledford
  • Publication number: 20180099556
    Abstract: An axle assembly for an electric or hybrid vehicle includes electrically powered drive motors for respectively driving vehicle wheels. The axle assembly preferably includes a dual motor arrangement, wherein two electric motors are arranged end-to-end. Each motor includes an inverter that is directly connected to its respective motor, and includes a gearbox assembly coupled between an output of the motor and a corresponding constant-velocity (CV) joint operatively connected to a wheel. The inboard ends of the motors are secured to opposite faces of a cooling manifold wherein the cooling manifold maintains the motors in axial alignment. The cooling manifold plate is positioned between an inboard end of each of the motor housings, and the cooling manifold plate axially aligns the first and second motors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2017
    Publication date: April 12, 2018
    Inventors: Bruce Falls, Adrian Quintana, Thanh Nguyen, Mike Browne, Michael Colby Sefcik, Kevin Ledford
  • Patent number: 9821650
    Abstract: An axle assembly for an electric or hybrid vehicle includes electrically powered drive motors for respectively driving vehicle wheels. The axle assembly preferably includes a dual motor arrangement, wherein two electric motors are arranged end-to-end. Each motor includes an inverter that is directly connected to its respective motor, and includes a gearbox assembly coupled between an output of the motor and a corresponding constant-velocity (CV) joint operatively connected to a wheel. The inboard ends of the motors are secured to opposite faces of a cooling manifold wherein the cooling manifold maintains the motors in axial alignment. The cooling manifold plate is positioned between an inboard end of each of the motor housings, and the cooling manifold plate axially aligns the first and second motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Linamar Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce Falls, Adrian Quintana, Thanh Nguyen, Mike Browne, Michael Colby Sefcik, Kevin Ledford
  • Patent number: 9646722
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for a fret resistant fuel rod for a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) nuclear fuel bundle. An applied material entrained with fret resistant particles is melted or otherwise fused to a melted, thin layer of the fuel rod cladding. The applied material is made of a material that is chemically compatible with the fuel rod cladding, allowing the fret resistant particles to be captured in the thin layer of re-solidified cladding material to produce an effective and resilient fret resistant layer on an outer layer of the cladding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: GLOBAL NUCLEAR FUEL—AMERICAS, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Ledford, Yang-Pi Lin, Paul Cantonwine
  • Publication number: 20160039277
    Abstract: An axle assembly for an electric or hybrid vehicle includes electrically powered drive motors for respectively driving vehicle wheels. The axle assembly preferably includes a dual motor arrangement, wherein two electric motors are arranged end-to-end. Each motor includes an inverter that is directly connected to its respective motor, and includes a gearbox assembly coupled between an output of the motor and a corresponding constant-velocity (CV) joint operatively connected to a wheel. The inboard ends of the motors are secured to opposite faces of a cooling manifold wherein the cooling manifold maintains the motors in axial alignment. The cooling manifold plate is positioned between an inboard end of each of the motor housings, and the cooling manifold plate axially aligns the first and second motors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Bruce Falls, Adrian Quintana, Thanh Nguyen, Mike Browne, Michael Colby Sefcik, Kevin Ledford
  • Publication number: 20140185732
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for a fret resistant fuel rod for a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) nuclear fuel bundle. An applied material entrained with fret resistant particles is melted or otherwise fused to a melted, thin layer of the fuel rod cladding. The applied material is made of a material that is chemically compatible with the fuel rod cladding, allowing the fret resistant particles to be captured in the thin layer of re-solidified cladding material to produce an effective and resilient fret resistant layer on an outer layer of the cladding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Inventors: Kevin Ledford, Yang-Pi Lin, Paul Cantonwine
  • Publication number: 20070200312
    Abstract: A vehicle suspension having a trailing arm, an air spring assembly and a spacer. The spacer is removably located between the trailing arm and the air spring assembly. Either or both of the top surface or the bottom surface of the spacer are tapered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Inventors: Michael Chamberlin, Kevin Ledford, Andrew Power