Patents by Inventor Michael A. Weisse

Michael A. Weisse 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: 20160215789
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to a cover for a fan blade. The cover encloses a hollowed portion formed in the fan blade and includes at least one extending portion that wraps around at least one of a trailing edge, a leading edge, and a root of the fan blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventors: Kwan Hui, Michael A. Weisse
  • Publication number: 20160040541
    Abstract: A blade for use in a gas turbine engine has an airfoil and a dovetail. The airfoil extends radially outwardly of the dovetail. An inner surface of the dovetail includes a slot extending along a length of the dovetail between a leading edge and a trailing edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: James Cosby, Kwan Hui, Michael A. Weisse
  • Publication number: 20160024946
    Abstract: A blade for use in a gas turbine engine, the blade having an airfoil portion and a dovetail root portion, wherein the dovetail root portion is dimensioned and configured to enable the blade to rotate within a shaped slot formed in a supporting hub of the engine about a center of rotation that extends parallel to a central axis of the hub in response to an impact force on the airfoil portion of the blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael A. Weisse
  • Publication number: 20160024934
    Abstract: An airfoil includes, among other possible things, a main body extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. Channels are formed into the main body, with a plurality of ribs extending intermediate the channels. A cover skin is attached to the main body. The cover skin is welded to the main body with a weld at outer edges. An adhesive is placed between inner surfaces of the cover skin and the main body. The adhesive is deposited inwardly of the outer edges of the cover skin. A method of constructing an airfoil is also disclosed as is a gas turbine engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, Michael A. Weisse
  • Publication number: 20150377031
    Abstract: Hollow fan blades for gas turbine engines are disclosed. The hollow fan blades include a body having a convex side and a concave side wherein the convex side has a cavity formed therein. The cavity is covered by two covers including an inner cover that may be adhered to the body of the fan blade assembly and an outer cover that may be adhered to the inner cover and/or the body of the fan blade assembly. The covers may be made of titanium, more than two covers may be employed and more than one cavity may be employed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventors: James Cosby, Michael A. Weisse, Kwan Hui
  • Publication number: 20150377036
    Abstract: A shrouded airfoil may have a suction surface and a pressure surface. An at least first suction surface shroud may be disposed on the suction surface and an at least first pressure surface shroud may be disposed on the pressure surface. The at least first suction surface shroud may include a first and second contoured surface and a first mating face. The first contoured surface may have a first substantially concave portion and a first substantially convex portion. The second contoured surface may have a second substantially concave portion and a second substantially convex portion. The at least first pressure surface shroud may include a third and fourth contoured surface and a second mating face. The third contoured surface may have a third substantially concave portion and a third substantially convex portion. The fourth contoured surface may have a fourth substantially concave portion and a fourth substantially convex portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, Michael A. Weisse
  • Patent number: 9221120
    Abstract: An airfoil includes, among other possible things, a main body extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. Channels are formed into the main body, with a plurality of ribs extending intermediate the channels. A cover skin is attached to the main body. The cover skin is welded to the main body at outer edges. An adhesive is placed between inner surfaces of the cover skin and the main body. The adhesive is deposited inwardly of the outer edges of the cover skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, Michael A. Weisse
  • Publication number: 20150361798
    Abstract: A blade of a gas turbine engine includes a blade portion. The blade portion includes a first portion located radially outwardly that is located in a flow path and a second portion located radially inwardly of the first portion that is not located in the flow path. A plurality of external cavities is in the second portion of the blade portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: James COSBY, Kwan HUI, Michael A. WEISSE
  • Patent number: 9169731
    Abstract: An example airfoil for a gas turbine engine includes a body having a first surface extending from a first edge to a second edge and a cavity disposed in the body. A first cover is at least partially disposed within the cavity. The first cover includes a first portion cooperates with a corresponding second portion. A second cover covers the first cover and forms at least a portion of the first surface with the body. The first cover is disposed between the body and the second cover. The first cover and the second cover have a different coefficient of thermal expansion than the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Kwan Hui, Michael A. Weisse
  • Publication number: 20150292336
    Abstract: An airfoil includes a dovetail root having a base. A grooved slot is disposed in the base and a plurality of root lightening cavities is disposed in the grooved slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Inventors: Kwan Hui, Michael A. Weisse, James Cosby
  • Publication number: 20150267541
    Abstract: A fan blade for a turbofan gas turbine engine is disclosed. The fan blade includes a body having a pressure side and a suction side and a cover. The suction side of the body includes an opening exposing at least one cavity to reduce the weight of the fan blade. The cover overlays the opening and includes a leading portion and a trailing portion that are tapered in the direction of the cover leading edge and cover trailing edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Inventors: Kwan Hui, Michael A. Weisse, Larry Foster
  • Patent number: 9121287
    Abstract: A fan blade has an airfoil main body extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. The airfoil also has suction and pressure sides. A cavity is formed into said main body, and receives a filler material. A cover closes off the cavity, and is attached to the main body, with the cover having a thickness defined in a direction perpendicular to the suction side. The main body has a spar which extends along the cavity, with a thickness of the spar at a central location between ends of the cavity which has a second thickness. A ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness is between 0.5 and 2. A fan rotor and a gas turbine engine are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Michael A. Weisse, Kwan Hui
  • Publication number: 20150198173
    Abstract: A fan blade having an opening on one side exposing one or more cavities, and a composite cover that fits over the opening, is provided. The composite cover has a variable thickness resulting from the layering of cover plies having different shapes, and is designed to achieve a lightweight fan blade having an optimal level of stiffness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Inventors: Michael A. Weisse, Kwan Hui, Larry Foster
  • Publication number: 20150132142
    Abstract: An airfoil comprises an airfoil body with an internal cavity and inner and outer covers. The airfoil body defines a first major surface of the airfoil, and a rib extends along the internal cavity. The inner cover is bonded to the airfoil body over the internal cavity, and includes a coupling element extending along the internal cavity in cooperative engagement with the rib. The outer cover is bonded to the airfoil body over the inner cover, and defines a second major surface of the airfoil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael A. Weisse
  • Publication number: 20150110636
    Abstract: A fan blade of a gas turbine engine includes an airfoil, a root received in a slot of a hub, and a wear pad covering at least a portion of the root and made of an integrally bonded woven composite laminate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jay T. Abraham, Ethan C. Drew, Scott C. Billings, Michael A. Weisse, James O. Hansen, Venkatarama K. Seetharaman
  • Patent number: 8944773
    Abstract: An airfoil comprises an airfoil body with an internal cavity and inner and outer covers. The airfoil body defines a first major surface of the airfoil, and a rib extends along the internal cavity. The inner cover is bonded to the airfoil body over the internal cavity, and includes a coupling element extending along the internal cavity in cooperative engagement with the rib. The outer cover is bonded to the airfoil body over the inner cover, and defines a second major surface of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Michael A. Weisse
  • Patent number: 8858182
    Abstract: A fan blade includes an airfoil with a leading edge and a trailing edge in a chordwise direction, a root and a tip in a spanwise direction; and a sheath with a solid portion to cover the leading edge and first and second flanks extending in the chordwise direction to bond to the pressure and suction sides of the airfoil, respectively. The dimensions of the sheath are varied with respect to the spanwise direction of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, Michael A. Weisse, William R. Graves
  • Patent number: 8801367
    Abstract: A fan blade has a main body extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. Channels are formed into the main body from an open side extending toward an opposed closed side. A plurality of ribs extending across the main body intermediate the channels, the fan blade has a dovetail, and an airfoil extending radially outwardly from said dovetail. A bottom surface of the channels is defined at the closed side of the channels. Sides of the channel merge into sides of the ribs, with a compound fillet at the bottom surface. A first radius of curvature is used along the bottom, and merging into at least a second radius of curvature at the sides. The first radius of curvature is larger than the second radius of curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Michael A. Weisse, Christopher S. McKaveney
  • Publication number: 20140219807
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine rotor includes a hub having a slot. A blade includes a root received in the slot. An under-root area is provided between the root and the fan hub in the slot. A spacer includes first and second portions that cooperate with one another to provide an adjustment feature with discrete height settings. The adjustment feature provides different radial heights of the spacer. The spacer is arranged in the under-root area beneath the root.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Santiago Lattanzio, Michael A. Weisse
  • Publication number: 20140170435
    Abstract: A hollow article includes a metallic hollow article formed from a having a first major surface, an internal cavity with an opening in the first major surface, and a socket around the opening; a cover of composite material received in the socket and covering the opening; and a filler material of foam in the internal cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kwan Hui, Michael A. Weisse, Darin S. Lussier, Hillary Anne Huttenhower