Patents by Inventor Rick E. Shepherd

Rick E. Shepherd 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: 11547233
    Abstract: A curtain track for an aircraft cabin enables curtain sliders to be quickly loaded into the curtain track. The curtain track is constructed of an elongate channel with a first end fitting on a first end of the channel and a second end fitting on a second end of the channel. There is a unique cutout in the bottom surface of the first end fitting that forms a curved slot surface that enables curtain sliders to be loaded into the channel of the curtain track through the cutout to quickly load the curtain onto the curtain track without disassembling any of the parts of the curtain track or removing the curtain track from its attachment to the aircraft cabin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Rick E. Shepherd, Ian M. Piper, Robert B. Lanfear
  • Patent number: 11130317
    Abstract: A hybrid underlayment including a compliant material layer and a rigid material layer affixed to the compliant material layer. The compliant material layer exhibits a compression deflection as measured according to ASTM standard D-1056-14 in the range of from about 0.14 kilogram force per square centimeter to about 1.76 kilogram force per square centimeter, and a thickness of at least about 2 millimeters. The rigid material layer exhibits a thickness of at least about 0.5 millimeters and a flexural modulus of at least about 600 MPa and flexural strength of at least about 35 MPa in both the length and width directions, both flexural modulus and flexural strength as measured according to ASTM D790-17.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Sean Richard Hesslewood, Hongming Dong, David Eugene Sterling, Rick E. Shepherd
  • Publication number: 20210244223
    Abstract: A curtain track for an aircraft cabin enables curtain sliders to be quickly loaded into the curtain track. The curtain track is constructed of an elongate channel with a first end fitting on a first end of the channel and a second end fitting on a second end of the channel. There is a unique cutout in the bottom surface of the first end fitting that forms a curved slot surface that enables curtain sliders to be loaded into the channel of the curtain track through the cutout to quickly load the curtain onto the curtain track without disassembling any of the parts of the curtain track or removing the curtain track from its attachment to the aircraft cabin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Rick E. Shepherd, Ian M. Piper, Robert B. Lanfear
  • Publication number: 20210107259
    Abstract: A hybrid underlayment including a compliant material layer and a rigid material layer affixed to the compliant material layer. The compliant material layer exhibits a compression deflection as measured according to ASTM standard D-1056-14 in the range of from about 0.14 kilogram force per square centimeter to about 1.76 kilogram force per square centimeter, and a thickness of at least about 2 millimeters. The rigid material layer exhibits a thickness of at least about 0.5 millimeters and a flexural modulus of at least about 600 MPa and flexural strength of at least about 35 MPa in both the length and width directions, both flexural modulus and flexural strength as measured according to ASTM D790-17.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Sean Richard Hesslewood, Hongming Dong, David Eugene Sterling, Rick E. Shepherd