Patents by Inventor Robert Simmons

Robert Simmons 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: 11859818
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, a system includes a combustor liner disposed about a combustion chamber of a combustor of a gas turbine system. The combustor liner includes an inner wall portion exposed to the combustion chamber, an outer wall portion disposed about the inner wall portion, and multiple channels between the inner and outer wall portions of the combustor liner. Each channel of the multiple channels is configured to direct a coolant along the combustor liner to convectively cool the combustor liner, and each channel of the multiple channels includes a cross-sectional area that progressively changes along a length of each channel of the plurality of channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Scott Robert Simmons, Ronald James Chila
  • Publication number: 20230258427
    Abstract: The present disclosure explains a system and method for determining a spatial orientation of a weapon in an augmented reality training environment. Fiducial markers are mounted on the weapon and two cameras are mounted on a user's head to capture spatial coordinates of the plurality of fiducial markers. The spatial coordinates of fiducial markers are processed to determine the spatial orientation of the weapon and a simulated discharging of the weapon. Augmented reality imagery is generated based on the spatial orientation and the detected movement. The augmented reality imagery corresponding to the spatial orientation and discharging of the weapon is rendered for the user with the head-mounted display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2022
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: Cubic Corporation
    Inventors: Keith William Doolittle, Lifan Hua, David Robert Simmons, Adam Robb Syme, Robyn Ann Yost, Peter Jonathan Martin, Carson Alan Brown, Michele Fleming, Vern Edgar Campbell
  • Publication number: 20220397061
    Abstract: A vibration damper for a fuel conduit of a gas turbine combustor includes a mounting portion and a damping portion. The mounting portion is secured to the fuel conduit, and the damping portion includes a stack of damping washers, a bushing on top of the stack of damping washers, a spring clip secured around the stack of damping washers and the bushing, and a shoulder bolt disposed through the bushing and the stack of damping washers and engaged to the mounting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Inventors: Thomas Edward Johnson, Larry Lou Thomas, Johnie Franklin McConnaughhay, Scott Robert Simmons
  • Patent number: 11272657
    Abstract: A strand trimmer and method of use thereof. The strand trimmer includes a pair of pivotable arms each having a motor, a follower wheel, and a cutter-spindle assembly disposed thereon. The arms are biased toward one another and are guided by the follower wheels to pivot around obstacles passing between the arms. The motor rotates the cutter-spindle assembly to move cutting strands extending therefrom through a cutting path with sufficient rotational velocity to cut vegetation. The cutter-spindle assembly includes a reloadable spool and a strand-feed mechanism. The strand-feed mechanism includes a solenoid actuated plunger within a shaft of the cutter-spindle assembly which operates to non-contactingly actuate the plunger to feed out a length of strand. The solenoid is non-rotatably carried on the trimmer arm while the shaft of the cutter-spindle assembly is encircled by and rotated within the solenoid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Trimverse LLC
    Inventors: Robert Simmons, Mark T. Hamann, Royce M. Peters
  • Patent number: 11215072
    Abstract: An aft frame assembly for a gas turbine transition piece includes a main body having an upstream facing surface and a downstream facing surface. A plurality of feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface. The feed hole inlets are coupled to a plurality of cooling channels that pass through the main body towards the downstream facing surface. A plurality of plenums are located in or near the downstream facing surface, and each cooling channel is connected to and terminates in one of the plenums. The cooling channels are inputs to the plenums. A plurality of microchannel cooling slots are formed in or near the downstream facing surface, and each microchannel cooling slot is connected to one of the plenums. The microchannel cooling slots are outputs of the plenums. Two or more cooling channels and two or more microchannel cooling slots are connected to one of the plenums.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Kevin Weston McMahan, Wei Chen, Scott Robert Simmons
  • Publication number: 20210230618
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the field of plant molecular biology, more particularly to regulation of gene expression in plants.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Applicants: PIONEER HI-BRED INTERNATIONAL, INC., E. I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY
    Inventors: ANDREW CARL CROW, SCOTT HENRY DIEHN, ALBERT LAURENCE LU, CARL ROBERT SIMMONS, LYNNE EILEEN SIMS
  • Patent number: 10995339
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the field of plant molecular biology, more particularly to regulation of gene expression in plants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Inventors: Andrew Carl Crow, Scott Henry Diehn, Albert Laurence Lu, Carl Robert Simmons, Lynne Eileen Sims
  • Patent number: 10982855
    Abstract: A combustor cap assembly includes a cap plate and a cover panel. The cap plate defines an outer perimeter and fuel nozzle openings disposed through the cap plate. The cap plate has a hot side, and the cover panel has a cold side, which is attached to the hot side of the cap plate. The hot side of the cap plate and/or the cold side of the cover panel define a plurality of cooling microchannels extending in a transverse direction relative to a centerline of the combustor cap assembly. A first microchannel has a first channel outlet disposed along the outer perimeter of the cap plate, and/or a second microchannel has a second channel outlet disposed within one of the plurality of fuel nozzle openings. The cover panel may be coated with a bond coat and a thermal barrier coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Scott Robert Simmons, Charles Lewis Davis, III
  • Patent number: 10808326
    Abstract: A spacer element is provided to support an anode on a metallic reinforcement bar, such as a rebar. The spacer element includes a bar supporting body and an adjustable fastening body that are integrally formed, and a separate anode supporting body that is connectable to the bar supporting body. The bar supporting body includes a circumferential wall having resilient tines that extend radially inwardly to engage the rebar. The adjustable fastening body includes a toothed rib that is engageable with a toothed portion of the circumferential wall to contract the circumferential wall securely around the inserted rebar. The rib may be disengaged from the circumferential wall to open the wall and enable insertion of the rebar. The anode supporting body has a resilient prong that is rotatable when received in the bar supporting body enabling the anode supporting body to be rotatable relative to the bar supporting body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: DE NORA TECH, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Simmons, Thomas Turk
  • Publication number: 20200271317
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, a system includes a combustor liner disposed about a combustion chamber of a combustor of a gas turbine system. The combustor liner includes an inner wall portion exposed to the combustion chamber, an outer wall portion disposed about the inner wall portion, and multiple channels between the inner and outer wall portions of the combustor liner. Each channel of the multiple channels is configured to direct a coolant along the combustor liner to convectively cool the combustor liner, and each channel of the multiple channels includes a cross-sectional area that progressively changes along a length of each channel of the plurality of channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Scott Robert Simmons, Ronald James Chila
  • Patent number: 10718224
    Abstract: An aft frame assembly has a main body with an upstream facing surface, a downstream facing surface, a radially outer facing surface and a radially inner facing surface. Feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface and radially outward of the outer sleeve so that the feed hole inlets are located to receive input from a high pressure plenum. The feed hole inlets are coupled to cooling channels that pass through the main body. Microchannels are formed in or near the radially inner facing surface and the downstream facing surface. The cooling channels are connected to and terminate in the microchannels. Exit holes are connected to the plurality of microchannels, and the exit holes are located radially outward of the transition piece and radially inward of the outer sleeve. The exit holes are located to exhaust into the cooling annulus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Kevin Weston McMahan, Wei Chen, Scott Robert Simmons
  • Patent number: 10684016
    Abstract: An aft frame assembly for a gas turbine transition piece has a main body with an upstream facing surface, a downstream facing surface, a radially outer facing surface and a radially inner facing surface. A plurality of feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface. Each of the feed hole inlets are coupled to one of a plurality of cooling channels passing through the main body towards the radially inner facing surface. A plurality of microchannels are formed near the radially inner facing surface and extend at least partially along the downstream facing surface. The cooling channels are connected to and terminate in the microchannels. A pre-sintered preform is located on the radially inner facing surface of the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Scott Robert Simmons, Ronald James Chila, Kevin Weston McMahan, Wei Chen, Charles Lewis Davis, III
  • Publication number: 20200103114
    Abstract: A combustor cap assembly includes a cap plate and a cover panel. The cap plate defines an outer perimeter and fuel nozzle openings disposed through the cap plate. The cap plate has a hot side, and the cover panel has a cold side, which is attached to the hot side of the cap plate. The hot side of the cap plate and/or the cold side of the cover panel define a plurality of cooling microchannels extending in a transverse direction relative to a centerline of the combustor cap assembly. A first microchannel has a first channel outlet disposed along the outer perimeter of the cap plate, and/or a second microchannel has a second channel outlet disposed within one of the plurality of fuel nozzle openings. The cover panel may be coated with a bond coat and a thermal barrier coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Scott Robert Simmons, Charles Lewis Davis, III
  • Patent number: 10548262
    Abstract: A strand trimmer and method of use thereof. The strand trimmer includes a pair of pivotable arms each having a motor, a follower wheel, and a cutter-spindle assembly disposed thereon. The arms are biased toward one another and are guided by the follower wheels to pivot around obstacles passing between the arms. The motor rotates the cutter-spindle assembly to move cutting strands extending therefrom through a cutting path with sufficient rotational velocity to cut vegetation. The cutter-spindle assembly includes a spool and a strand-feed mechanism. The spool is oriented to rotate about a horizontal axis. The strand-feed mechanism includes a solenoid actuated plunger within a shaft of the cutter-spindle assembly. The plunger engages the spool to control rotation of the spool and thereby feeding out of incremental lengths of the strand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Trimverse LLC
    Inventor: Robert Simmons
  • Patent number: 10429073
    Abstract: A combustor cap module is provided with a retention system to facilitate assembly and disassembly. The combustor cap module further includes a cap face assembly having a cooling plate; a cylindrical sleeve including a connecting surface for attaching the cap face assembly to the retention assembly; and a coupling member mounted in a downstream fuel nozzle opening in the cooling plate. The retention system includes a support plate having an inner panel that defines an upstream fuel nozzle opening. The coupling member extends through the upstream fuel nozzle opening, such that its upstream end extends upstream of the support plate. A retaining ring at least partially encircles the upstream end of the coupling member and is engaged by a spring plate that is removably secured to the support plate at multiple locations. A method for assembling a combustor cap module is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Scott Robert Simmons, David Kenton Felling
  • Publication number: 20190264336
    Abstract: A spacer element is provided to support an anode on a metallic reinforcement bar, such as a rebar. The spacer element includes a bar supporting body and an adjustable fastening body that are integrally formed, and a separate anode supporting body that is connectable to the bar supporting body. The bar supporting body includes a circumferential wall having resilient tines that extend radially inwardly to engage the rebar. The adjustable fastening body includes a toothed rib that is engageable with a toothed portion of the circumferential wall to contract the circumferential wall securely around the inserted rebar. The rib may be disengaged from the circumferential wall to open the wall and enable insertion of the rebar. The anode supporting body has a resilient prong that is rotatable when received in the bar supporting body enabling the anode supporting body to be rotatable relative to the bar supporting body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Robert Simmons, Thomas Turk
  • Publication number: 20190183040
    Abstract: A strand trimmer and method of use thereof. The strand trimmer includes a pair of pivotable arms each having a motor, a follower wheel, and a cutter-spindle assembly disposed thereon. The arms are biased toward one another and are guided by the follower wheels to pivot around obstacles passing between the arms. The motor rotates the cutter-spindle assembly to move cutting strands extending therefrom through a cutting path with sufficient rotational velocity to cut vegetation. The cutter-spindle assembly includes a reloadable spool and a strand-feed mechanism. The strand-feed mechanism includes a solenoid actuated plunger within a shaft of the cutter-spindle assembly which operates to non-contactingly actuate the plunger to feed out a length of strand. The solenoid is non-rotatably carried on the trimmer arm while the shaft of the cutter-spindle assembly is encircled by and rotated within the solenoid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: Trimverse LLC
    Inventors: Robert Simmons, Mark T. Hamann, Royce M. Peters
  • Publication number: 20190112943
    Abstract: An aft frame assembly for a gas turbine transition piece includes a main body having an upstream facing surface and a downstream facing surface. A plurality of feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface. The feed hole inlets are coupled to a plurality of cooling channels that pass through the main body towards the downstream facing surface. A plurality of plenums are located in or near the downstream facing surface, and each cooling channel is connected to and terminates in one of the plenums. The cooling channels are inputs to the plenums. A plurality of microchannel cooling slots are formed in or near the downstream facing surface, and each microchannel cooling slot is connected to one of the plenums. The microchannel cooling slots are outputs of the plenums. Two or more cooling channels and two or more microchannel cooling slots are connected to one of the plenums.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Kevin Weston McMahan, Wei Chen, Scott Robert Simmons
  • Publication number: 20190112936
    Abstract: An aft frame assembly has a main body with an upstream facing surface, a downstream facing surface, a radially outer facing surface and a radially inner facing surface. Feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface and radially outward of the outer sleeve so that the feed hole inlets are located to receive input from a high pressure plenum. The feed hole inlets are coupled to cooling channels that pass through the main body. Microchannels are formed in or near the radially inner facing surface and the downstream facing surface. The cooling channels are connected to and terminate in the microchannels. Exit holes are connected to the plurality of microchannels, and the exit holes are located radially outward of the transition piece and radially inward of the outer sleeve. The exit holes are located to exhaust into the cooling annulus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Kevin Weston McMahan, Wei Chen, Scott Robert Simmons
  • Publication number: 20190113230
    Abstract: An aft frame assembly for a gas turbine transition piece has a main body with an upstream facing surface, a downstream facing surface, a radially outer facing surface and a radially inner facing surface. A plurality of feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface. Each of the feed hole inlets are coupled to one of a plurality of cooling channels passing through the main body towards the radially inner facing surface. A plurality of microchannels are formed near the radially inner facing surface and extend at least partially along the downstream facing surface. The cooling channels are connected to and terminate in the microchannels. A pre-sintered preform is located on the radially inner facing surface of the main body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Scott Robert Simmons, Ronald James Chila, Kevin Weston McMahan, Wei Chen, Charles Lewis Davis, III