Patents by Inventor Rodney G. Whitbeck

Rodney G. Whitbeck 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).

  • Publication number: 20100083783
    Abstract: A method for forming a component includes forming a workpiece into a hollow preform cylinder concentric with an axis and including an inner surface that extends along the axis, placing within the preform cylinder a mandrel having an outer surface, flow-forming the inner surface and the outer surface of the preform cylinder such that the inner surface of the cylinder conforms to at least a portion of the outer surface of the mandrel, and cutting the flow formed cylinder transversely with respect to the axis into segments, each segment having an axial length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Inventors: Joseph Szuba, Rodney G. Whitbeck, Keith Hughes
  • Publication number: 20100083780
    Abstract: A component for transmitting torque between a gear unit and a shaft includes a ring gear portion, a park brake drum portion formed integrally with the ring gear portion, a disc portion formed integrally with the park brake drum portion, and a hub portion formed integrally with the disc portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Inventors: Joseph Szuba, Rodney G. Whitbeck
  • Publication number: 20100083503
    Abstract: An apparatus for extruding helical teeth in a gear blank includes a press including a die plate and a die base, the die plate being movable along an axis relative to the die base, the die base supporting the gear blank. A mandrel, aligned with the axis and moveable with the die plate along the axis, includes a surface that includes helical die teeth. A servo motor drives the mandrel in rotation about the axis to the required helix angle as the mandrel moves axially relative to the gear blank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Inventors: Joseph A. Szuba, Emilo A. Tonello, Michael A. Cook, Rodney G. Whitbeck
  • Patent number: 5997286
    Abstract: A thermal treating apparatus and process providing convection thermal transfer for elevated processing temperatures and chemical treatment. A recirculation plenum for passage of spent treatment fluid from and fresh treatment fluid to a treatment chamber may contain a thermal control source, a chemical control source, and a blower to provide predetermined programmable temperatures and chemical environments to articles in the treatment chamber. Decreasing cross sectional areas along the length of the treatment chamber cause introduction of fresh treatment fluid at different locations along the length of the treatment chamber to achieve desired uniform thermal and chemical treatment of articles along the length of the treatment chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignees: Ford Motor Company, Indugas, Inc.
    Inventors: Klaus Heinrich Hemsath, Arvind Chhotalal Thekdi, Rodney G. Whitbeck, Mark George Shapona, Ronald Scott Lucas, Claude Melvin Mack