Patents by Inventor Michael R. Effinger

Michael R. Effinger 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).

  • Continuous fiber reinforced composites and methods, apparatuses, and compositions for making the same
    Patent number: 6899777
    Abstract: A process for continuous composite coextrusion comprising: (a) forming first a material-laden composition comprising a thermoplastic polymer and at least about 40 volume % of a ceramic or metallic particulate in a manner such that the composition has a substantially cylindrical geometry and thus can be used as a substantially cylindrical feed rod; (b) forming a hole down the symmetrical axis of the feed rod; (c) inserting the start of a continuous spool of ceramic fiber, metal fiber or carbon fiber through the hole in the feed rod; (d) extruding the feed rod and spool simultaneously to form a continuous filament consisting of a green matrix material completely surrounding a dense fiber reinforcement and said filament having an average diameter that is less than the average diameter of the feed rod; and (e) depositing the continuous filament into a desired architecture which preferably is determined from specific loading conditions of the desired object and CAD design of the object to provide a green fiber rei
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Ceramics Research, Inc.
    Inventors: K. Ranji Vaidyanathan, Joseph Walish, Mark Fox, John W. Gillespie, Jr., Shridhar Yarlagadda, Michael R. Effinger, Anthony C. Mulligan, Mark J. Rigali
  • Continuous fiber reinforced composites and methods, apparatuses, and compositions for making the same
    Publication number: 20030044593
    Abstract: A process for continuous composite coextrusion comprising: (a) forming first a material-laden composition comprising a thermoplastic polymer and at least about 40 volume % of a ceramic or metallic particulate in a manner such that the composition has a substantially cylindrical geometry and thus can be used as a substantially cylindrical feed rod; (b) forming a hole down the symmetrical axis of the feed rod; (c) inserting the start of a continuous spool of ceramic fiber, metal fiber or carbon fiber through the hole in the feed rod; (d) extruding the feed rod and spool simultaneously to form a continuous filament consisting of a green matrix material completely surrounding a dense fiber reinforcement and said filament having an average diameter that is less than the average diameter of the feed rod; and (e) depositing the continuous filament into a desired architecture which preferably is determined from specific loading conditions of the desired object and CAD design of the object to provide a green fiber rei
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2002
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Inventors: K. Ranji Vaidyanathan, Joseph Walish, Mark Fox, John W. Gillespie, Shridhar Yarlagadda, Michael R. Effinger, Anthony C. Mulligan, Mark J. Rigali
  • Load transfer mechanism for a turbine disk
    Patent number: 6162019
    Abstract: A load transferring system wherein a composite turbine disk mounted on a shaft is in contact with a backup disk which is secured to the shaft. The turbine disk is made of layers of woven carbon fibers held in a rigid configuration in a ceramic matrix. The composite disk has a plurality of lugs which have trapezoidal cross sections when cut by planes which are perpendicular to each other, with both planes being normal to the disk. The backup disk is provided with recesses which are the negative of the trapezoidal lugs to lock the two disks together. A second backup disk may be secured to the shaft to secure the composite turbine disk between the backup disks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2000
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Michael R. Effinger