Patents by Inventor Neil Perkins
Neil Perkins 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).
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Patent number: 11746436Abstract: A coloured single crystal CVD synthetic diamond material comprising: a plurality of layers, wherein the plurality of layers includes at least two sets of layers which differ in terms of their defect composition and colour, wherein defect type, defect concentration, and layer thickness for each of the at least two sets of layers is such that if the coloured single crystal CVD diamond material is fabricated into a round brilliant cut diamond comprising a table and a culet, and having a table to culet depth greater than 1 mm, the round brilliant cut diamond comprises a uniform colour as viewed by naked human eye under standard ambient viewing conditions in at least a direction through the table to the culet.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2013Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: Element Six Technologies LimitedInventors: Harpreet Kaur Dhillon, Ian Friel, Daniel James Twitchen, Sarah Louise Geoghegan, Helen Jennifer Gallon, Neil Perkins, Philip Maurice Martineau
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Patent number: 11384426Abstract: A method of coating a non-refractory and/or non-planar substrate (8) with synthetic diamond material using a microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition (CVD) synthesis technique, the method comprising: forming a composite substrate assembly (1) comprising: a support substrate (2) comprising an upper surface; one or more electrically conductive refractory guards (6) disposed over the upper surface of the support substrate and extending to a height hg above the upper surface of the support substrate; and one or more non-refractory and/or non-planar substrates disposed over the upper surface of the support substrate and extending to a height hs above the upper surface of the support substrate, wherein the height hs is less than the height hg, wherein a difference in height hg?hs lies in a range 0.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2013Date of Patent: July 12, 2022Assignee: Element Six Technologies LimitedInventors: Charles Simon James Pickles, Christopher Wort, John Brandon, Neil Perkins
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Publication number: 20210323874Abstract: A method of making a thermally stable polycrystalline super hard construction having a plurality of interbonded super hard grains and interstitial regions disposed therebetween to form a polycrystalline super hard construction having a first thermally stable region and a second region, the first thermally stable region forming at least part of a working surface of the construction, comprises treating the polycrystalline super hard material with a leaching mixture to remove non-super hard phase material from a number of interstitial regions in the first region. The step of treating comprises masking the polycrystalline super hard construction along at least a portion of the peripheral side surface up to and/or at the working surface to inhibit penetration of the leaching mixture into the super hard construction through a peripheral side surface of the super hard construction.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2020Publication date: October 21, 2021Inventors: Neil Perkins, Changzheng Ji, Nicola Louise Palmer
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Patent number: 10707062Abstract: A microwave generator system for use in a microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (MPECVD) system, the microwave generator system comprising: a microwave generator unit configured to produce microwaves at an operating power output suitable for fabricating synthetic diamond material via a chemical vapour deposition process; a fault detection system configured to detect a fault in the microwave generator unit which results in a reduction in the operating power output or a change in frequency; and a re-start system configured to restart the microwave generator unit in response to a fault being detected and recover the operating power output or frequency in a time period of less than 10 seconds after the fault in the microwave generator unit which caused the reduction in the operating power output or the change in frequency.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2016Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: Element Six Technologies LimitedInventors: John Robert Brandon, Neil Perkins
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Publication number: 20200010371Abstract: A method of making a thermally stable polycrystalline super hard construction having a plurality of interbonded super hard grains and interstitial regions disposed therebetween to form a polycrystalline super hard construction having a first thermally stable region and a second region, the first thermally stable region forming at least part of a working surface of the construction, comprises treating the polycrystalline super hard material with a leaching mixture to remove non-super hard phase material from a number of interstitial regions in the first region. The step of treating comprises masking the polycrystalline super hard construction along at least a portion of the peripheral side surface up to and/or at the working surface to inhibit penetration of the leaching mixture into the super hard construction through a peripheral side surface of the super hard construction.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 8, 2019Publication date: January 9, 2020Inventors: Neil PERKINS, Changzheng JI, Nicola Louise PALMER
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Publication number: 20180218881Abstract: A microwave generator system for use in a microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (MPECVD) system, the microwave generator system comprising: a microwave generator unit configured to produce microwaves at an operating power output suitable for fabricating synthetic diamond material via a chemical vapour deposition process; a fault detection system configured to detect a fault in the microwave generator unit which results in a reduction in the operating power output or a change in frequency; and a re-start system configured to restart the microwave generator unit in response to a fault being detected and recover the operating power output or frequency in a time period of less than 10 seconds after the fault in the microwave generator unit which caused the reduction in the operating power output or the change in frequency.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2016Publication date: August 2, 2018Applicant: ELEMENT SIX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITEDInventors: JOHN ROBERT BRANDON, NEIL PERKINS
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Patent number: 9840419Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of making fancy orange synthetic CVD diamond material. Among other things, the method may involve (i) providing a single crystal diamond material that has been grown by CVD and has a [Ns0] concentration less than 5 ppm; (ii) irradiating the provided CVD diamond material so as to introduce isolated vacancies V into at least part of the provided CVD diamond material such that the total concentration of isolated vacancies [VT] in the irradiated diamond material is at least the greater of (a) 0.5 ppm and (b) 50% higher than the [Ns0] concentration in ppm in the provided diamond material; and (iii) annealing the irradiated diamond material to forming vacancy chains from at least some of the introduced isolated vacancies.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2015Date of Patent: December 12, 2017Assignee: Element Six Technologies LimitedInventors: Daniel James Twitchen, Sarah Louise Geoghegan, Neil Perkins
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Publication number: 20170183267Abstract: A method of making a thermally stable polycrystalline super hard construction having a plurality of interbonded super hard grains and interstitial regions disposed therebetween to form a polycrystalline super hard construction having a first thermally stable region and a second region, the first thermally stable region forming at least part of a working surface of the construction, comprises treating the polycrystalline super hard material with a leaching mixture to remove non-super hard phase material from a number of interstitial regions in the first region. The step of treating comprises masking the polycrystalline super hard construction along at least a portion of the peripheral side surface up to and/or at the working surface to inhibit penetration of the leaching mixture into the super hard construction through a peripheral side surface of the super hard construction. The material preferably is PCD, polycrystalline diamond, and preferably leaching takes place after forming a chamfer.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 29, 2015Publication date: June 29, 2017Inventors: Neil PERKINS, Changzheng JI, Nicola Louise PALMER
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Patent number: 9210972Abstract: A free-standing non-planar polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond component which comprises a nucleation face and a growth face, the nucleation face comprising smaller grains than the growth face, the nucleation face having a surface roughness Ra no more than 50 nm, wherein the free-standing non-planar polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond component has a longest linear dimension when projected onto a plane of no less than 5 mm and is substantially crack free over at least a central region thereof, wherein the central region is at least 70% of a total area of the free-standing non-planar polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond component, wherein the central region has no cracks which intersect both external major faces of the free-standing non-planar polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond component and extend greater than 2 mm in length.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2013Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignee: Element Six Technologies LimitedInventors: Stephanie Liggins, John Robert Brandon, Christopher John Howard Wort, Neil Perkins, Paul Nicholas Inglis, Mark Robin McClymont
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Publication number: 20150315700Abstract: A method of coating a non-refractory and/or non-planar substrate (8) with synthetic diamond material using a microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition (CVD) synthesis technique, the method comprising: forming a composite substrate assembly (1) comprising: a support substrate (2) comprising an upper surface; one or more electrically conductive refractory guards (6) disposed over the upper surface of the support substrate and extending to a height hg above the upper surface of the support substrate; and one or more non-refractory and/or non-planar substrates disposed over the upper surface of the support substrate and extending to a height hs above the upper surface of the support substrate, wherein the height hs is less than the height hg, wherein a difference in height hg?hs lies in a range 0.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2013Publication date: November 5, 2015Applicant: ELEMENT SIX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITEDInventors: Charles Simon James Pickles, Christopher Wort, John Brandon, Neil Perkins
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Publication number: 20150315027Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of making fancy orange synthetic CVD diamond material. Among other things, the method may involve (i) providing a single crystal diamond material that has been grown by CVD and has a [Ns0] concentration less than 5 ppm; (ii) irradiating the provided CVD diamond material so as to introduce isolated vacancies V into at least part of the provided CVD diamond material such that the total concentration of isolated vacancies [VT] in the irradiated diamond material is at least the greater of (a) 0.5 ppm and (b) 50% higher than the [Ns0] concentration in ppm in the provided diamond material; and (iii) annealing the irradiated diamond material to forming vacancy chains from at least some of the introduced isolated vacancies.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 27, 2015Publication date: November 5, 2015Inventors: Daniel James TWITCHEN, Sarah Louise GEOGHEGAN, Neil PERKINS
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Publication number: 20150240382Abstract: A coloured single crystal CVD synthetic diamond material comprising: a plurality of layers, wherein the plurality of layers includes at least two sets of layers which differ in terms of their defect composition and colour, wherein defect type, defect concentration, and layer thickness for each of the at least two sets of layers is such that if the coloured single crystal CVD diamond material is fabricated into a round brilliant cut diamond comprising a table and a culet, and having a table to culet depth greater than 1 mm, the round brilliant cut diamond comprises a uniform colour as viewed by naked human eye under standard ambient viewing conditions in at least a direction through the table to the culet.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2013Publication date: August 27, 2015Inventors: Harpreet Kaur Dhillon, Ian Friel, Daniel James Twitchen, Sarah Louise Geoghegan, Helen Jennifer Gallon, Neil Perkins, Philip Maurice Martineau
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Patent number: 9068257Abstract: A method of making fancy orange synthetic CVD diamond material is described. The method comprises irradiating a single crystal diamond material that has been grown by CVD to introduce isolated vacancies into at least part of the CVD diamond material and then annealing the irradiated diamond material to form vacancy chains from at least some of the introduced isolated vacancies. Fancy orange CVD diamond material is also described.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2010Date of Patent: June 30, 2015Assignee: Element Six Technologies LimitedInventors: Daniel James Twitchen, Sarah Louise Geoghegan, Neil Perkins
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Patent number: 9017632Abstract: A method of making fancy pale blue or fancy pale blue/green CVD diamond material is described. The method comprises irradiating single crystal diamond material that has been grown by a CVD process with electrons to introduce isolated vacancies into the diamond material, the irradiated diamond material having (or after a further post-irradiation treatment having) a total vacancy concentration [VT] and a path length L such that [VT]×L is at least 0.072 ppm cm and at most 0.36 ppm cm, and the diamond material becomes fancy pale blue or fancy pale blue/green in color. Fancy pale blue diamonds are also described.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2010Date of Patent: April 28, 2015Assignee: Element Six Technologies LimitedInventors: Daniel James Twitchen, Sarah Louise Geoghegan, Neil Perkins
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Publication number: 20150110987Abstract: A free-standing non-planar polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond component which comprises a nucleation face and a growth face, the nucleation face comprising smaller grains than the growth face, the nucleation face having a surface roughness Ra no more than 50 nm, wherein the free-standing non-planar polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond component has a longest linear dimension when projected onto a plane of no less than 5 mm and is substantially crack free over at least a central region thereof, wherein the central region is at least 70% of a total area of the free-standing non-planar polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond component, wherein the central region has no cracks which intersect both external major faces of the free-standing non-planar polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond component and extend greater than 2 mm in length.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2013Publication date: April 23, 2015Applicant: Element Six Technologies LimitedInventors: Stephanie Liggins, John Robert Brandon, Christopher John Howard Wort, Neil Perkins, Paul Nicholas Inglis, Mark Robin McClymont
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Patent number: 8986646Abstract: A method of introducing NV centers in single crystal CVD diamond material is described. One step of the method comprises irradiating diamond material that contains single substitutional nitrogen to introduce isolated vacancies into the diamond material in a concentration of at least 0.05 ppm and at most 1 ppm. Another step of the method comprises annealing the irradiated diamond to form NV centers from at least some of the single substitutional nitrogen defects and the introduced isolated vacancies.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2010Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignee: Element Six Technologies LimitedInventors: Daniel James Twitchen, Sarah Louise Geoghegan, Neil Perkins, Rizwan Uddin Ahmad Khan
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Patent number: 8955853Abstract: An apparatus is described capable of use on smooth and rough terrains at both low and high speeds. The trailer apparatus has an auto leveling feature combined with uniform loading support that reduces torsional loading of the cargo. The invention also includes a trailer capable of travel at high speeds, which hydraulically equalizes distribution of the weight of the cargo. The invention further includes an easy lift tow bar, all axle steering, single tire axles, self-leveling and adjustable suspension, combination of air, anti-lock and electronic braking system, and ability to travel at high speed speeds with reduced system sway.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2012Date of Patent: February 17, 2015Assignee: Perkins Motor Transport, Inc.Inventors: Neil Perkins, John Ehr
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Patent number: 8944892Abstract: A method of dressing a wheel using a polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond dresser, the method comprising: rotating the wheel; and contacting a working surface of the wheel with a working surface of the polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond dresser, wherein the polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond dresser is oriented such that a leading edge of the working surface of the polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond dresser is formed of larger grains than a trailing edge of the working surface of the polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond dresser.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2012Date of Patent: February 3, 2015Assignee: Element Six Technologies LimitedInventor: Neil Perkins
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Patent number: 8890091Abstract: A method comprising: selecting a diamond material; irradiating the diamond material to increase toughness and/or wear resistance of the diamond material; and processing the diamond material into one or more diamond tool pieces, wherein the diamond material is selected from the group consisting of: a HPHT diamond material having a total equivalent isolated nitrogen concentration in the range 1 to 600 ppm; a CVD diamond material having a total equivalent isolated nitrogen concentration in the range 0.005 to 100 ppm; and a natural diamond material having a total nitrogen concentration in the range 1 to 2000 ppm, wherein the irradiating comprises controlling energy and dosage of irradiation to provide the diamond material with a plurality of isolated vacancy point defects, the isolated vacancy point defects having a concentration in a range 1×1014 to 1×1021 vacancies/cm?1.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2011Date of Patent: November 18, 2014Assignee: Element Six LimitedInventors: Daniel James Twitchen, Sarah Louise Geoghegan, Neil Perkins
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Publication number: 20140335766Abstract: A method of dressing a wheel using a polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond dresser, the method comprising: rotating the wheel; and contacting a working surface of the wheel with a working surface of the polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond dresser, wherein the polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond dresser is oriented such that a leading edge of the working surface of the polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond dresser is formed of larger grains than a trailing edge of the working surface of the polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond dresser.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2012Publication date: November 13, 2014Inventor: Neil Perkins