Patents by Inventor Michelle L. Griffith

Michelle L. Griffith 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).

  • Energy-beam-driven rapid fabrication system
    Patent number: 6476343
    Abstract: An energy beam driven rapid fabrication system, in which an energy beam strikes a growth surface to form a molten puddle thereon. Feed powder is then injected into the molten puddle from a converging flow of feed powder. A portion of the feed powder becomes incorporated into the molten puddle, forcing some of the puddle contents to freeze on the growth surface, thereby adding an additional layer of material. By scanning the energy beam and the converging flow of feed powder across the growth surface, complex three-dimensional shapes can be formed, ready or nearly ready for use. Nearly any class of material can be fabricated using this system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: David M. Keicher, Clinton L. Atwood, Donald L. Greene, Michelle L. Griffith, Lane D. Harwell, Francisco P. Jeantette, Joseph A. Romero, Lee P. Schanwald, David T. Schmale
  • Direct laser additive fabrication system with image feedback control
    Patent number: 6459951
    Abstract: A closed-loop, feedback-controlled direct laser fabrication system is disclosed. The feedback refers to the actual growth conditions obtained by real-time analysis of thermal radiation images. The resulting system can fabricate components with severalfold improvement in dimensional tolerances and surface finish.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Michelle L. Griffith, William H. Hofmeister, Gerald A. Knorovsky, Danny O. MacCallum, M. Eric Schlienger, John E. Smugeresky
  • ENERGY-BEAM-DRIVEN RAPID FABRICATION SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20010008230
    Abstract: An energy beam driven rapid fabrication system, in which an energy beam strikes a growth surface to form a molten puddle thereon. Feed powder is then injected into the molten puddle from a converging flow of feed powder. A portion of the feed powder becomes incorporated into the molten puddle, forcing some of the puddle contents to freeze on the growth surface, thereby adding an additional layer of material. By scanning the energy beam and the converging flow of feed powder across the growth surface, complex three-dimensional shapes can be formed, ready or nearly ready for use. Nearly any class of material can be fabricated using this invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 1998
    Publication date: July 19, 2001
    Inventors: DAVID M. KEICHER, CLINTON L. ATWOOD, DONALD L. GREENE, MICHELLE L. GRIFFITH, LANE D. HARWELL, FRANCISCO P. JEANTETTE, JOSEPH A. ROMERO, LEE P. SCHANWALD, DAVID T. SCHMALE
  • Energetic additive manufacturing process with feed wire
    Patent number: 6143378
    Abstract: A process for additive manufacture by energetic wire deposition is described. A source wire is fed into a energy beam generated melt-pool on a growth surface as the melt-pool moves over the growth surface. This process enables the rapid prototyping and manufacture of fully dense, near-net shape components, as well as cladding and welding processes. Alloys, graded materials, and other inhomogeneous materials can be grown using this process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Lane D. Harwell, Michelle L. Griffith, Donald L. Greene, Gary A. Pressly