Patents by Inventor Stephen J. Tuppen

Stephen J. Tuppen 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: 9061363
    Abstract: The present method creates a relatively thin in situ brazing alloy layer upon first and second component edges which are brought together in order to create a component joint. This in situ brazing alloy layer is created by deposition of brazing elements, such as copper or nickel, from an electrical discharge cutting process electrode depletion utilized in order to cut the component edges, and then a subsequent brazing technique creates through interstitial migration between that brazing alloy layer and the underlying material substrate of the components a robust component joint wherein the in situ brazing alloy layer penetrates the respective component cut edge surface to only a limited depth such that the geometric effect is similarly limited, and the properties of the underlying component material structure are maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS- ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Wayne E Voice, Richard C Dewes, Martin R Bache, Stephen J Tuppen, Hong G Lee, David K Aspinwall
  • Patent number: 8609185
    Abstract: A method of locally repairing an aluminide coating (50) on a gas turbine engine nozzle guide vane (26) or a turbine blade (30,30B) comprises removing a damaged portion of the aluminide coating (50) from a portion (53) of the surface of the article. Any oxidised layer (54) is removed from the portion (53) of the surface of the article. Stoichiometric amounts of nickel and aluminium are placed on the portion (53) of the surface of the article using at least one foil (57). The stoichiometric amounts of nickel and aluminium are heat treated to form an aluminide patch coating (50B) on the portion (53) of the surface of the article and to bond the aluminide patch coating (50B) to the portion (53) of the surface of the article and to the aluminide coating (50) surrounding the aluminide patch coating (50B). The advantage is that the aluminide coating (50) surrounding the aluminide patch coating (50B) is not over aluminised.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce, PLC
    Inventors: Stephen J. Tuppen, Daniel Clark, Alan S. Wood
  • Patent number: 8496990
    Abstract: A method of locally repairing a coating (50) on a gas turbine engine nozzle guide vane (26) or a turbine blade (30,30B) comprises removing a damaged portion of the coating (50) from a portion (53) of the article. Any oxidized layer (54) is removed from the portion (53) of the surface of the article. Material is placed on the portion (53) of the article (26,30,30B) to form a patch coating (50B). The material is heated to form a patch coating (50B) on the portion (53) of the article (26,30,30B) and to bond the patch coating (50B) to the portion (53) of the article (26,30,30B) and to the coating surrounding the patch coating (50B). A high energy beam is impinged on the coating (50) and the high energy beam is moved from the periphery (60) of the patch coating (50B) to the periphery (62) of the coating (50) in a pattern (P) to uniformly heat the periphery (60) of the patch coating (50B) and the periphery (62) of the coating (50). The advantage is that a halo effect around the patch coating (50B) is obviated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Stephen J. Tuppen, Daniel Clark, Alan S. Wood
  • Publication number: 20110035924
    Abstract: A method of replacing a integrally bladed rotor section in a one-piece drum rotor, the method comprising removing the integrally bladed rotor section, replacing the integrally bladed rotor section with a replacement rotor section, and joining the replacement rotor section to the drum rotor by diffusion bonding under an axial contact pressure exerted between one or more respective pairs of bonding surfaces on the new rotor section and the drum rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Stephen J. TUPPEN, Daniel Clark
  • Publication number: 20100062151
    Abstract: A method of locally repairing an aluminide coating (50) on a gas turbine engine nozzle guide vane (26) or a turbine blade (30,30B) comprises removing a damaged portion of the aluminide coating (50) from a portion (53) of the surface of the article. Any oxidised layer (54) is removed from the portion (53) of the surface of the article. Stoichiometric amounts of nickel and aluminium are placed on the portion (53) of the surface of the article using at least one foil (57). The stoichiometric amounts of nickel and aluminium are heat treated to form an aluminide patch coating (50B) on the portion (53) of the surface of the article and to bond the aluminide patch coating (50B) to the portion (53) of the surface of the article and to the aluminide coating (50) surrounding the aluminide patch coating (50B). The advantage is that the aluminide coating (50) surrounding the aluminide patch coating (50B) is not over aluminised.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Stephen J. Tuppen, Daniel Clark, Alan S. Wood
  • Publication number: 20100062180
    Abstract: A method of locally repairing a coating (50) on a gas turbine engine nozzle guide vane (26) or a turbine blade (30,30B) comprises removing a damaged portion of the coating (50) from a portion (53) of the article. Any oxidised layer (54) is removed from the portion (53) of the surface of the article. Material is placed on the portion (53) of the article (26,30,30B) to form a patch coating (50B). The material is heated to form a patch coating (50B) on the portion (53) of the article (26,30,30B) and to bond the patch coating (50B) to the portion (53) of the article (26,30,30B) and to the coating surrounding the patch coating (50B). A high energy beam is impinged on the coating (50) and the high energy beam is moved from the periphery (60) of the patch coating (50B) to the periphery (62) of the coating (50) in a pattern (P) to uniformly heat the periphery (60) of the patch coating (50B) and the periphery (62) of the coating (50). The advantage is that a halo effect around the patch coating (50B) is obviated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Stephen J. Tuppen, Daniel Clark, Alan S. Wood