Patents by Inventor Kim E. Graebner

Kim E. Graebner 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: 9316617
    Abstract: There is provided a probe apparatus. The probe apparatus has a first end configured to connect to a rotating scanner device. The probe apparatus further has a second end with two or more eddy current elements. The second end further has a positioning mechanism configured to position the two or more eddy current elements against cavity walls of an annular cavity of a structure to be inspected with the probe apparatus, when the probe apparatus is positioned within the annular cavity. The second end further has an aligning mechanism coupled to the positioning mechanism. The aligning mechanism is configured to align the two or more eddy current elements in a perpendicular position with respect to the cavity walls of the annular cavity, when the probe apparatus is positioned within the annular cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Kim E. Graebner
  • Patent number: 9134222
    Abstract: A testing apparatus may include a reservoir and a test tank. The reservoir may contain a solution. The test tank may contain a test specimen for stress corrosion testing. A fill pump may pump the solution from the reservoir to the test tank. A sequence controller may be communicatively coupled to the fill pump and may provide sequence timing to control an immersion time period and a drying time period of the test specimen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Kim E. Graebner
  • Publication number: 20140375309
    Abstract: There is provided a probe apparatus. The probe apparatus has a first end configured to connect to a rotating scanner device. The probe apparatus further has a second end with two or more eddy current elements. The second end further has a positioning mechanism configured to position the two or more eddy current elements against cavity walls of an annular cavity of a structure to be inspected with the probe apparatus, when the probe apparatus is positioned within the annular cavity. The second end further has an aligning mechanism coupled to the positioning mechanism. The aligning mechanism is configured to align the two or more eddy current elements in a perpendicular position with respect to the cavity walls of the annular cavity, when the probe apparatus is positioned within the annular cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Kim E. Graebner
  • Patent number: 7119336
    Abstract: A non-destructive method is provided for measuring a non-scattering coating on a non-specular or specular surface of a metallic substrate. The surface may be a rough surface, such as a chemically milled surface. Infrared energy is transmitted into an integrating sphere that is in physical contact with a sample of the coating on the metallic substrate. The infrared energy is partially absorbed by the coating. The infrared energy is in part specularly reflected by the metallic substrate and is in part scattered by the metallic substrate depending on the wavelength of the infrared radiation. The integrating sphere integrates and collects total reflectance of the infrared energy. Infrared detectors detect the total reflectance at two wavelength bands. A decrease in total reflectance in one of the two wavelength bands indicates presence of the coating or may be mapped to an amount of the coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Rex H. Allen, Kim E. Graebner
  • Publication number: 20040256564
    Abstract: A non-destructive method is provided for measuring a non-scattering coating on a non-specular or specular surface of a metallic substrate. The surface may be a rough surface, such as a chemically milled surface. Infrared energy is transmitted into an integrating sphere that is in physical contact with a sample of the coating on the metallic substrate. The infrared energy is partially absorbed by the coating. The infrared energy is in part specularly reflected by the metallic substrate and is in part scattered by the metallic substrate depending on the wavelength of the infrared radiation. The integrating sphere integrates and collects total reflectance of the infrared energy. Infrared detectors detect the total reflectance at two wavelength bands. A decrease in total reflectance in one of the two wavelength bands indicates presence of the coating or may be mapped to an amount of the coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2003
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventors: Rex H. Allen, Kim E. Graebner