Patents by Inventor Richard H. Counts

Richard H. Counts 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: 6330792
    Abstract: A thrust chamber assembly for liquid fueled rocket engines and the method of making it wherein a two-piece mandrel wrapped with a silica tape saturated with a phenolic resin, the tape extending along the mandrel and covering the combustion chamber portion of the mandrel to the throat portion. The phenolic in the tape is cured and the end of the wrap is machined. The remainder of the mandrel is wrapped with a third silica tape. The resin in the third tape is cured and the assembly is machined. The entire assembly is then wrapped with a tow of graphite fibers wetted with an epoxy resin and, after the epoxy resin is cured, the graphite is machined to final dimensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Charles S. Cornelius, Richard H. Counts, W. Neill Myers, Jeffrey D. Lackey, Warren Peters, Michael D. Shadoan, David L. Sparks, Timothy W. Lawrence
  • Publication number: 20010017183
    Abstract: A thrust chamber assembly for liquid fueled rocket engines and the method of making it wherein a two-piece mandrel having the configuration of an assembly having a combustion chamber portion connected to a nozzle portion through a throat portion is wrapped with a silica tape saturated with a phenolic resin, the tape extending along the mandrel and covering the combustion chamber portion of the mandrel to the throat portion. The width of the tape is positioned at an angle of 30 to 50° to the axis of the mandrel such that one edge of the tape contacts the mandrel while the other edge is spaced from the mandrel. The phenolic in the tape is cured and the end of the wrap is machined to provide a frustoconical surface extending at an angle of 15 to 30° with respect to the axis of the mandrel for starting a second wrap on the mandrel to cover the throat portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Publication date: August 30, 2001
    Inventors: Charles S. Cornelius, Richard H. Counts, W. Neill Myers, Jeffrey D. Lackey, Warren Peters, Michael D. Shadoan, David D. Sparks, Timothy W. Lawrence
  • Patent number: 6195984
    Abstract: A thrust chamber assembly for liquid fueled rocket engines and the method of making it wherein a two-piece mandrel having the configuration of an assembly having a combustion chamber portion connected to a nozzle portion through a throat portion is wrapped with a silica tape saturated with a phenolic resin, the tape extending along the mandrel and covering the combustion chamber portion of the mandrel to the throat portion. The width of the tape is positioned at an angle of 30 to 50° to the axis of the mandrel such that one edge of the tape contacts the mandrel while the other edge is spaced from the mandrel. The phenolic in the tape is cured and the end of the wrap is machined to provide a frustoconical surface extending at an angle of 15 to 30° with respect to the axis of the mandrel for starting a second wrap on the mandrel to cover the throat portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Charles S. Cornelius, Richard H. Counts, W. Neill Myers, Jeffrey D. Lackey, Warren Peters, Michael D. Shadoan, David L. Sparks, Timothy W. Lawrence