Patents by Inventor Thomas John Heater

Thomas John Heater 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: 6446697
    Abstract: Method of rapidly making casting, comprising: designing a computer graphic model of the casting; sectioning the graphic model into graphic members which are at least one of blocks and slabs; carving a solid member for each of the graphic members, the solid members being (i) constituted of a meltable or evaporative solid material (i.e. wax or polystyrene), (ii) proportional to and enveloping its corresponding graphic member, and the carving being carried out by accessing two or more sides of each solid member to at least essentially duplicate the corresponding graphic member; forming a mold around the pattern, and casting metal within the mold while removing the pattern from such mold either by evaporation during pouring of the molten metal thereinto or by melting prior thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Furqan Zafar Shaikh, Martin Andrew Brogley, Craig Edward Burch, Neal James Corey, Thomas John Heater, Gary Allan Vrsek
  • Patent number: 6129133
    Abstract: The isolator core cooperates with companion core elements in a casting operation to form a short coolant jacket surrounding the upper portion of each engine cylinder adjacent the air/fuel combustion chamber and an air pocket that surrounds the lower region of the cylinder. Drainback passage core elements may be formed integrally with the isolator core thereby reducing the total number of cores in the casting mold package during a casting operation, the finished casting thereby eliminating dividing walls between the isolator and the oil drain cores thus reducing the number of core elements and reducing the cost and complexity of the casting operation as well as reducing the weight of the finished casting. The isolator core may be used independently of cylinder liners during the casting operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Michael Fenn, Thomas John Heater, Mark Allen Hayley
  • Patent number: 5850814
    Abstract: A cylinder block isolator core for use in casting engine cylinder blocks for internal combustion engines. The isolator core cooperates with companion core elements in a casting operation to form a short coolant jacket surrounding the upper portion of each engine cylinder adjacent the air/fuel combustion chamber and an air pocket that surrounds the lower region of the cylinder. Drainback passage core elements may be formed integrally with the isolator core thereby reducing the total number of cores in the casting mold package during a casting operation, the finished casting thereby eliminating dividing walls between the isolator and the oil drain cores thus reducing the number of core elements and reducing the cost and complexity of the casting operation as well as reducing the weight of the finished casting. The isolator core may be used independently of cylinder liners during the casting operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1998
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Michael Fenn, Thomas John Heater, Mark Allen Hayley
  • Patent number: 5771955
    Abstract: A plurality of inter-connected cores includes barrel cores (18). Bore liners (10) surround the barrel cores (18) and are fixed in relation thereto. A cylinder block mold core package (22) is assembled from the cores (14, 24, 26, 28). The liners (10) are heated while they are within the cylinder block mold core package (22) by induction heating. To prevent migration, a mechanical interlock is provided between each liner (10) and its associated barrel core (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Dale Helgesen, Robert Gordon Rentschler, Thomas John Heater