Patents by Inventor Steven A. Heitz

Steven A. Heitz 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: 8087913
    Abstract: A gear pump comprises a first gear to be connected to a source of drive, and having a first plurality of gear teeth. A second gear has a second plurality of teeth engaged with the first gear teeth. The first gear teeth contact the second gear's teeth on a contact face, causing the second gear to rotate. The first plurality of teeth is greater than the second plurality of teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Steven A. Heitz
  • Publication number: 20100166588
    Abstract: An example vane pump comprises a shaft driving a rotor. The rotor has a plurality of vane grooves, with a vane received in each of the plurality of vane grooves, and an under vane chamber for communicating a pressurized fluid into the grooves to bias the vanes radially outwardly of the rotor. A cam ring is positioned radially outwardly of the rotor. The cam ring is free to rotate with the rotor through friction from the vanes as the rotor rotates. An inlet delivers a fluid to be pumped into an inlet chamber, and an outlet receives the fluid pumped by the vane pump. An outlet for the fluid biasing the vanes communicates to a main outlet through a passage including a valve to increase the pressure of the fluid in the grooves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventors: Steven A. Heitz, Christian L. Griffiths
  • Publication number: 20100158739
    Abstract: A gear pump comprises a drive gear being mounted for rotation about a first axis and having a plurality of gear teeth at a radially outer location. A driven gear is mounted for rotation about a second axis, and having a plurality of teeth at a radially outer location. The drive gear teeth engage the driven gear teeth at a contact face to cause the driven gear to rotate. Slots are formed in the contact face of one of the drive and driven gear teeth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventors: Weishun Ni, Steven A. Heitz, Joseph Wetch, Christian L. Griffiths
  • Publication number: 20100158738
    Abstract: A gear pump comprises a first gear to be connected to a source of drive, and having a first plurality of gear teeth. A second gear has a second plurality of teeth engaged with the first gear teeth. The first gear teeth contact the second gear's teeth on a contact face, causing the second gear to rotate. The first plurality of teeth is greater than the second plurality of teeth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventor: Steven A. Heitz
  • Patent number: 5020923
    Abstract: A vibration damping system for a transmission or gearbox which includes rotatable components. A housing structure is provided for supporting and journalling an inner rotatable component drivingly coupled to a plurality of outer rotatable components defining a plural load path. A compliant bearing is disposed between the housing and the inner rotatable component. The compliant bearing includes a laminated structure having an inner bearing member journalled on the housing, an outer bearing member supporting and journalling the inner rotatable component, and a resilient damping layer sandwiched between the inner and outer bearing members. A liquid squeeze film is located between the outer bearing member and the inner rotatable component, and passages through the housing and the compliant bearing supply liquid for the squeeze film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1991
    Assignee: Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Steven A. Heitz, Jeffery N. Fairchild, John Readman
  • Patent number: 4793768
    Abstract: Vibration and shock isolation, as well as working fluid flow path sealing in a turbine-type power plant having a turbine housing 18 with a radially directed peripheral outlet 38 is achieved by locating the turbine housing 18 within a tubular housing 44 with a radially inwardly opening port 46 aligned with the turbine housing outlet 38 and disposing elastomeric seal and turbine mounts 50, 52 mounted on spaced side walls 28 and 30 for sealing the outlet 38 to the port 46 and to serve as engine mounts for a turbine wheel 10 and the turbine housing 18.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1988
    Assignee: Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffery Fairchild, Anthony R. Smith, Steven Heitz
  • Patent number: 4762146
    Abstract: In order to provide a control valve for reducing the pressure of a fluid flowing through a system, while also achieving the pressure reduction in an acoustically damped manner, the flow control valve utilizes pressure reduction chambers for reducing fluid pressure in an incremental manner together with a porous insert associated with the pressure reduction chambers for acoustically damping noise generated during the pressure reduction. The flow control valve includes a valve housing having a valve chamber in direct fluid communication with a fluid inlet and having a plurality of spaced openings through which the fluid inlet communicates with the fluid outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1988
    Assignee: Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Michael E. Ewbank, Steven A. Heitz
  • Patent number: 4739795
    Abstract: In order to provide a control valve for reducing the pressure of a fluid flowing through a system, while also achieving the pressure reduction in an acoustically damped manner, the flow control valve utilizes a pressure reduction chamber for reducing fluid pressure in an incremental manner together with a valve member having a porous insert for acoustically damping noise generated during the pressure reduction. The flow control valve includes a valve housing having a valve chamber intermediate a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet through which the fluid inlet communicates with the fluid outlet. By utilizing these components in the valve, the pressure reduction chamber can be disposed generally intermediate the fluid inlet and valve chamber, and the hollow valve member can be disposed in communication with the pressure reduction chamber, whereby the porous insert in the hollow valve member will further reduce fluid pressure in an acoustically damped manner upstream of the fluid outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1988
    Assignee: Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Michael E. Ewbank, Steven A. Heitz
  • Patent number: 4696618
    Abstract: The outlet 38 of a turbine housing 18 may be sealed to a port 46 while at the same time mounting a turbine 10 and associated transmission 36 for vibration and shock isolation by locating elastomeric seal and turbine mounts 50, 52 on opposed walls 28 and 30 of the turbine housing 18 defining the outlet 38.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1987
    Assignee: Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffery Fairchild, Steven A. Heitz, John Symington
  • Patent number: 4683722
    Abstract: Inefficiencies in charging a closed cycle Rankine apparatus with working fluid and removing non-condensibles from the system are avoided in a Rankine cycle system which includes a source of pressurized fluid 60 and an ejector 64 having a pressure fluid inlet 66, an ejection fluid inlet 68 and an outlet 70, the latter being connected to a reservoir 46 for working fluid. A selectively operable valve 62 interconnects the source 60 and the pressure fluid inlet 66 while the ejection fluid inlet 68 is connected to the remainder of the system. When the valve 62 is operated, the reservoir 46 is pressurized by the pressure fluid as well as non-condensibles in the system entrained therewith withdrawn via the ejection system inlet 68 to charge the system with working fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1987
    Assignee: Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Michael E. Ewbank, Steven Heitz
  • Patent number: 4648322
    Abstract: A propulsion mechanism for an underwater device and, more particularly, a mobile mine having directional control provided by a pair of positionable fins each independently positionable by an associated fluid cylinder having a piston rod extending therefrom with a rack engaging with a pinion gear on a rotatable shaft supporting the fin. Control valve structure independently controls delivery of fluid under pressure to the two fluid cylinders for separate movement of the fins to produce the desired direction of travel. The propulsion mechanism utilizes a gas turbine which is supplied with hot gas under pressure from a gas propellant chamber which burns solid fuel and the gas turbine is located to enable substantially straight flow-through of gas from the gas propellant chamber through the turbine and through a tubular propeller shaft for exhaust aft of the mobile mine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1987
    Assignee: Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Steven A. Heitz, Daniel R. Dobbs