Patents by Inventor Melvin George Johnson

Melvin George Johnson 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: 6495940
    Abstract: An assembly for transferring current comprises at least one electrically conductive slip ring; at least one electrically conductive brush for supplying current to the at least one slip ring; and an electric or pressure actuator driven vibration source for changing the position of the brush with respect to the slip ring. If desired, brush current can shared by using inductance variations or by selective coupling of rotor windings to the slip rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gerald Burt Kliman, Lembit Salasoo, Manoj Ramprasad Shah, Konrad Roman Weeber, Melvin George Johnson
  • Patent number: 6472791
    Abstract: An electrical current collector system (20) comprises a rotatable shaft (28) having at least one and preferably plural electrically conductive slip rings (27) mounted thereon. For each phase, a slip ring is paired with a fixed conducting ring assembly (44). The fixed conducting ring assembly forms an envelope within which slip ring-contacting members are situated. The slip ring-contacting members can take many forms, including brushes (240) or rollers (404). The fixed conducting ring assembly comprises a first conducting plate (200T) and a second conducting plate (200B) positioned parallel to one another to form a conductive ring channel (220) therebetween. The slip ring-contacting members (240, 404) are mounted in the conductive ring channel. An at least partially transparent wall (200W) extends between the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate of the fixed conducting ring assembly to further define the conductive ring channel and permit visual inspection of the slip ring-contacting members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Copmay
    Inventors: Robert Henry Rehder, Richard Kenneth Barton, James Harold Ferguson, Melvin George Johnson
  • Patent number: 6465926
    Abstract: An electrical current collector system (20) comprises an electrically conductive slip ring (27) mounted to a rotatable shaft (28), as well as a fixed conducting ring assembly (44) having slip ring-contacting members (240, 404) mounted thereon. The slip ring (27) and fixed conducting ring assembly (44) are mounted to have an annular gap (48) formed therebetween. A slip ring support assembly (42) comprising plural post insulators (102) spaced radially about the rotatable shaft attaches the conductive slip ring to the rotatable shaft. The slip ring and fixed conducting ring assembly are at least partially enclosed in a compartment (57), to which a source (302) applies a cooling/cleaning fluid. In accordance with the structure and method of the invention, the source directs the fluid over at least some of the post insulators for cleaning of the post insulators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Henry Rehder, Melvin George Johnson, Richard Kenneth Barton
  • Publication number: 20020070623
    Abstract: An electrical current collector system (20) comprises an electrically conductive slip ring (27) mounted to a rotatable shaft (28), as well as a fixed conducting ring assembly (44) having slip ring-contacting members (240, 404) mounted thereon. The slip ring (27) and fixed conducting ring assembly (44) are mounted to have an annular gap (48) formed therebetween. A slip ring support assembly (42) comprising plural post insulators (102) spaced radially about the rotatable shaft attaches the conductive slip ring to the rotatable shaft. The slip ring and fixed conducting ring assembly are at least partially enclosed in a compartment (57), to which a source (302) applies a cooling/cleaning fluid. In accordance with the structure and method of the invention, the source directs the fluid over at least some of the post insulators for cleaning of the post insulators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Publication date: June 13, 2002
    Inventors: Robert Henry Rehder, Melvin George Johnson, Richard Kenneth Barton
  • Publication number: 20010024073
    Abstract: An assembly for transferring current comprises at least one electrically conductive slip ring; at least one electrically conductive brush for supplying current to the at least one slip ring; and an electric or pressure actuator driven vibration source for changing the position of the brush with respect to the slip ring. If desired, brush current can shared by using inductance variations or by selective coupling of rotor windings to the slip rings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2001
    Publication date: September 27, 2001
    Inventors: Gerald Burt Kliman, Lembit Salasoo, Manoj Ramprasad Shah, Konrad Roman Weeber, Melvin George Johnson
  • Patent number: 6281610
    Abstract: An assembly for transferring current comprises at least one electrically conductive slip ring; at least one electrically conductive brush for supplying current to the at least one slip ring; and an electric or pressure actuator driven vibration source for changing the position of the brush with respect to the slip ring. If desired, brush current can shared by using inductance variations or by selective coupling of rotor windings to the slip rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gerald Burt Kliman, Lembit Salasoo, Manoj Ramprasad Shah, Konrad Roman Weeber, Melvin George Johnson, Richard Kenneth Barton