Patents by Inventor Otis R. Walton

Otis R. Walton 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: 11141912
    Abstract: A laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing system having a powder dispenser that provides powder layers on a build platform; a laser fusion system that fuses the powder layers, wherein spatter particles are produce on the powder layers; and a powder bed sweeping system that sweeps the spatter particles from the powder layers. The powder bed sweeping system includes a brush that has bristles that contact the spatter particles and sweeps the spatter particles from the powder layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, LLC
    Inventors: Saad A. Khairallah, Gabe Guss, Eric B. Herbold, Wayne E. King, Manyalibo J. Matthews, Alexander M. Rubenchik, Otis R. Walton
  • Publication number: 20210107214
    Abstract: A laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing system having a powder dispenser that provides powder layers on a build platform; a laser fusion system that fuses the powder layers, wherein spatter particles are produce on the powder layers; and a powder bed sweeping system that sweeps the spatter particles from the powder layers. The powder bed sweeping system includes a brush that has bristles that contact the spatter particles and sweeps the spatter particles from the powder layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Saad A. Khairallah, Gabe Guss, Eric B. Herbold, Wayne E. King, Manyalibo J. Matthews, Alexander M. Rubenchik, Otis R. Walton
  • Publication number: 20140262278
    Abstract: A volatile extraction well and method to utilize heat, which could be from the sun or from some other energy source, to directly vaporize subsurface water-ice, or other frozen volatile substance, in-situ. The pressure of the vaporized water (or other volatile gas) released in the heated soil causes the vapor to flow into a sealed drill-hole, or well, and on through an extraction tube to a surface collection vessel where it is condensed and stored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventor: Otis R. Walton
  • Publication number: 20140209515
    Abstract: A method includes the steps of blending a first part comprising a low-density fine particulate material additive with a second part comprising original regolith simulant material for producing a lower bulk density blended regolith simulant material having gravity-driven flow properties that resemble those that the original regolith material would have under a reduced gravity of a target extraterrestrial body. The blended regolith simulant material includes one part by volume of original regolith simulant material to N parts by volume of a low-density fine particulate material additive, where N is generally greater than one less than the ratio of the gravitational acceleration on the surface of the earth to the gravitational acceleration on the surface of the target extraterrestrial body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventors: Otis R. Walton, Brian Comaskey, Ali Ismail Abdel-Hadi
  • Publication number: 20030003229
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for treating a cohesive powder, such as drying, mixing, coating, grinding, or agglomerating the cohesive powder. A drum containing the cohesive powder is rotated. The rotating drum is centrifuged to increase an effective g force acting on the rotating drum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2002
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Inventor: Otis R. Walton
  • Patent number: 4619738
    Abstract: A cascading bed retorting process and apparatus in which cold raw crushed shale enters at the middle of a retort column into a mixer stage where it is rapidly mixed with hot recycled shale and thereby heated to pyrolysis temperature. The heated mixture then passes through a pyrolyzer stage where it resides for a sufficient time for complete pyrolysis to occur. The spent shale from the pyrolyzer is recirculated through a burner stage where the residual char is burned to heat the shale which then enters the mixer stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 28, 1986
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Arthur E. Lewis, Robert L. Braun, Richard G. Mallon, Otis R. Walton
  • Patent number: 4601811
    Abstract: A cascading bed retorting process and apparatus in which cold raw crushed shale enters at the middle of a retort column into a mixer stage where it is rapidly mixed with hot recycled shale and thereby heated to pyrolysis temperature. The heated mixture then passes through a pyrolyzer stage where it resides for a sufficient time for complete pyrolysis to occur. The spent shale from the pyrolyzer is recirculated through a burner stage where the residual char is burned to heat the shale which then enters the mixer stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1986
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Arthur E. Lewis, Robert L. Braun, Richard G. Mallon, Otis R. Walton
  • Patent number: 4539917
    Abstract: A combustion heater for oil shale heats particles of spent oil shale containing unburned char by burning the char. A delayed fall is produced by flowing the shale particles down through a stack of downwardly sloped overlapping baffles alternately extending from opposite sides of a vertical column. The delayed fall and flow reversal occurring in passing from each baffle to the next increase the residence time and increase the contact of the oil shale particles with combustion supporting gas flowed across the column to heat the shale to about 650.degree.-700.degree. C. for use as a process heat source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1983
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1985
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Richard G. Mallon, Otis R. Walton, Arthur E. Lewis, Robert L. Braun