Patents by Inventor Nicholas W. Hitchinson

Nicholas W. Hitchinson 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: 10926323
    Abstract: A counter gravity casting apparatus includes a reusable metal mold having a plurality of mold cavities, a feed tube configured to feed molten alloy into the mold, and a vacuum fitting configured to permit a vacuum to be applied to the mold. The mold includes multiple metal sections configured such that adjacent metal sections mate to one another, the metal sections being separable from one another. The metal sections include recesses that form the mold cavities, and the mold includes a sprue and multiple runner passages. The sprue is configured to receive molten alloy from the feed tube, and the multiple runner passages are configured to feed molten alloy from the sprue to the mold cavities. Methods of casting bulk amorphous alloy articles or feedstock is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Materion Corporation
    Inventors: James A. Yurko, Edgar E. Vidal, Nicholas W. Hitchinson
  • Publication number: 20180178277
    Abstract: A counter gravity casting apparatus includes a reusable metal mold having a plurality of mold cavities, a feed tube configured to feed molten alloy into the mold, and a vacuum fitting configured to permit a vacuum to be applied to the mold. The mold includes multiple metal sections configured such that adjacent metal sections mate to one another, the metal sections being separable from one another. The metal sections include recesses that form the mold cavities, and the mold includes a sprue and multiple runner passages. The sprue is configured to receive molten alloy from the feed tube, and the multiple runner passages are configured to feed molten alloy from the sprue to the mold cavities. Methods of casting bulk amorphous alloy articles or feedstock is described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventors: James A. Yurko, Edgar E. Vidal, Nicholas W. Hitchinson