Patents by Inventor Thomas Robert Raber
Thomas Robert Raber 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).
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Patent number: 6583362Abstract: A multi-filament superconducting wire in which the filaments comprise zirconia-stabilized ultra-fine grain Nb3Sn. The superconducting wire is formed by wire-drawing a preform comprising a metallic matrix and at least one niobium alloy rod having zirconium and oxygen in solid solution and heat treating the drawn wire in the presence of tin to yield at least one continuous filament comprising ultra-fine grain Nb3Sn having semi-coherent ZrO2 precipitates disposed therein. The ZrO2 precipitates serve to stabilize the ultra-fine grain microstructure of the Nb3Sn at temperatures up to 1100° C. and allows Nb3Sn to maintain the ultra-fine grain microstructure when heat treated at temperatures that are greater than those previously used. By using higher temperatures to form Nb3Sn, the time required for heat treatment can be significantly reduced.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2001Date of Patent: June 24, 2003Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Mark Gilbert Benz, Theodore McCall Evenden, Judson Sloan Marte, Thomas Robert Raber
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Patent number: 6575702Abstract: Methods for repairing and manufacturing a gas turbine airfoil, and the airfoil repaired and manufactured with such methods are presented with, for example, the repair method comprising providing an airfoil having specified nominal dimensions, the airfoil comprising a first material, the first material having a creep life and a fatigue life, the airfoil further comprising a leading edge section and a trailing edge section; removing at least one portion of at least one section of the airfoil to create at least one deficit of material for the airfoil relative to the specified nominal dimensions, the at least one section selected from the group consisting of the leading edge section and the trailing edge section; providing at least one insert comprising a second material, the second material having a creep life that is at least substantially equal to the creep life of the first material, and a fatigue life that is at least substantially equal to the fatigue life of the first material; and disposing the at least oType: GrantFiled: October 22, 2001Date of Patent: June 10, 2003Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Melvin Robert Jackson, Aaron Todd Frost, Shyh-Chin Huang, Charles Gitah Mukira, Thomas Robert Raber, Raymond Alan White, Paul Leonard Dupree, Canan Uslu Hardwicke
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Publication number: 20030085053Abstract: A multi-filament superconducting wire in which the filaments comprise zirconia-stabilized ultra-fine grain Nb3Sn. The superconducting wire is formed by wire-drawing a preform comprising a metallic matrix and at least one niobium alloy rod having zirconium and oxygen in solid solution and heat treating the drawn wire in the presence of tin to yield at least one continuous filament comprising ultra-fine grain Nb3Sn having semi-coherent ZrO2 precipitates disposed therein. The ZrO2 precipitates serve to stabilize the ultra-fine grain microstructure of the Nb3Sn at temperatures up to 1100° C. and allows Nb3Sn to maintain the ultra-fine grain microstructure when heat treated at temperatures that are greater than those previously used. By using higher temperatures to form Nb3Sn, the time required for heat treatment can be significantly reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2001Publication date: May 8, 2003Inventors: Mark Gilbert Benz, Theodore McCall Evenden, Judson Sloan Marte, Thomas Robert Raber
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Publication number: 20030082048Abstract: Methods for repairing and manufacturing a gas turbine airfoil, and the airfoil repaired and manufactured with such methods are presented with, for example, the repair method comprising providing an airfoil having specified nominal dimensions, the airfoil comprising a first material, the first material having a creep life and a fatigue life, the airfoil further comprising a leading edge section and a trailing edge section; removing at least one portion of at least one section of the airfoil to create at least one deficit of material for the airfoil relative to the specified nominal dimensions, the at least one section selected from the group consisting of the leading edge section and the trailing edge section; providing at least one insert comprising a second material, the second material having a creep life that is at least substantially equal to the creep life of the first material, and a fatigue life that is at least substantially equal to the fatigue life of the first material; and disposing the at least oType: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2001Publication date: May 1, 2003Inventors: Melvin Robert Jackson, Aaron Todd Frost, Shyh-Chin Huang, Charles Gitah Mukira, Thomas Robert Raber, Raymond Alan White, Paul Leonard Dupree, Canan Uslu Hardwicke
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Publication number: 20030082053Abstract: Methods for repairing and manufacturing a gas turbine blade, and the gas turbine blade repaired and manufactured with such methods are presented with, for example, the repair method comprising providing a gas turbine blade, the blade comprising a blade tip and a blade body; removing at least one portion of the blade tip; providing at least one freestanding tip insert; and disposing the at least one tip insert onto the gas turbine blade body such that the at least one tip insert replaces the at least one removed portion of the blade tip.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2001Publication date: May 1, 2003Inventors: Melvin Robert Jackson, Aaron Todd Frost, Shyh-Chin Huang, Charles Gitahi Mukira, Thomas Robert Raber, Raymond Alan White
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Publication number: 20020191748Abstract: A brazed X-ray target includes a metallic cap and a graphite back including a nonlinear record groove attached thereto along a stepped surface. An upper corner joint of the stepped surface is distanced from a cap outer edge and a focal track where the maximum heat is generated during use of the target. The graphite back is extended outward toward the cap outer edge to increase a thermal storage of the graphite, and a recess is formed into the cap to maintain a selected moment of inertia of the target and thereby maintain the rotordynamics of a given X-ray tube.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2002Publication date: December 19, 2002Inventors: Thomas C. Tiearney, Thomas Robert Raber, Pazhayannur Ramanathan Subramanian, Srihari Balasubramanian
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Patent number: 6463125Abstract: A brazed X-ray target includes a metallic cap and a graphite back including a nonlinear record groove attached thereto along a stepped surface. An upper corner joint of the stepped surface is distanced from a cap outer edge and a focal track where the maximum heat is generated during use of the target. The graphite back is extended outward toward the cap outer edge to increase a thermal storage of the graphite, and a recess is formed into the cap to maintain a selected moment of inertia of the target and thereby maintain the rotordynamics of a given X-ray tube.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2000Date of Patent: October 8, 2002Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Constantinos Minas, Mark G. Benz, Charles G. Mukira, Paul A. Siemers, Thomas Robert Raber, John Robert Breunissen, Richard Warren Lindberg, Gregory A. Steinlage, Douglas J. Snyder, Ping Huang, James Michael Gent, Gregory Reznikov
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Patent number: 6428904Abstract: An improved X-ray tube target comprises a refractory metal target substrate and a refractory metal focal track applied to the target substrate by a tape casting process. The X-ray tube target comprises a refractory metal target substrate and a refractory metal focal track formed on the target substrate to form a focal track/target substrate interface plane that varies less than about ±0.13 mm.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2001Date of Patent: August 6, 2002Assignee: Generel Electric CompanyInventors: Wayne Charles Hasz, Mark Gilbert Benz, Charles Gitahi Mukira, Thomas Robert Raber, Gregory Alan Steinlage, Gregory Reznikov
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Patent number: 6390876Abstract: An X-ray tube anode comprises a graphite ring, a target substrate applied onto the graphite ring and a target focal track applied onto the target substrate. The target focal track comprises a first refractory metal and the target substrate comprises a second refractory metal and at least one layer of a material that is characterized by characterized by a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is the same as the CTE of the target focal track or is intermediate between the CTE of the target focal track and the CTE of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2001Date of Patent: May 21, 2002Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Mark Gilbert Benz, Charles Gitahi Mukira, Thomas Robert Raber, Constantinos Minas, Gregory Alan Steinlage, Gregory Reznikov, Wayne Charles Hasz
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Patent number: 6358331Abstract: A tin alloy bath with controlled iron content is used for coating a niobium-base substrate with tin in a manufacturing process for triniobium tin superconductor. One hundred twenty-five parts per million by weight or less of iron is used in tin alloy baths to increase the reaction kinetics of the formation of the superconductor material.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 1996Date of Patent: March 19, 2002Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Paul Frederick Browning, Neil Anthony Johnson, Thomas Robert Raber, Melissa Lea Murray, Mark Gilbert Benz
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Publication number: 20010036249Abstract: An X-ray tube anode comprises a graphite ring, a target substrate applied onto the graphite ring and a target focal track applied onto the target substrate. The target focal track comprises a first refractory metal and the target substrate comprises a second refractory metal and at least one layer of a material that is characterized by characterized by a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is the same as the CTE of the target focal track or is intermediate between the CTE of the target focal track and the CTE of the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 1, 2001Publication date: November 1, 2001Inventors: Mark Gilbert Benz, Charles Gitahi Mukira, Thomas Robert Raber, Constantinos Minas, Gregory Alan Steinlage, Gregory Reznikov, Wayne Charles Hasz
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Publication number: 20010033637Abstract: An improved X-ray tube target comprises a refractory metal target substrate and a refractory metal focal track applied to the target substrate by a tape casting process. The X-ray tube target comprises a refractory metal target substrate and a refractory metal focal track formed on the target substrate to form a focal track/target substrate interface plane that varies less than about ±0.13 mm.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2001Publication date: October 25, 2001Inventors: Wayne Charles Hasz, Mark Gilbert Benz, Charles Gitahi Mukira, Thomas Robert Raber, Gregory Alan Steinlage, Gregory Reznikov
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Patent number: 6289080Abstract: An improved X-ray tube target comprises a refractory metal target substrate and a refractory metal focal track applied to the target substrate by a tape casting process. The X-ray tube target comprises a refractory metal target substrate and a refractory metal focal track formed on the target substrate to form a focal track/target substrate interface plane that varies less than about ±0.13 mm.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 1999Date of Patent: September 11, 2001Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Wayne Charles Hasz, Mark Gilbert Benz, Charles Gitahi Mukira, Thomas Robert Raber, Gregory Alan Steinlage, Gregory Reznikov
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Patent number: 6263045Abstract: A x-ray tube comprises a cathode cup assembly. The cathode cup assembly comprises a filament positioned in a cathode cup. A surface of the cathode cup assembly is exposed to incident infrared radiation, and the surface is adapted to reflect a substantial portion of the incident radiation, in which the radiation has a wavelength in a range from about 0.2 &mgr;m to about 5.0 &mgr;m.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2000Date of Patent: July 17, 2001Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Don Mark Lipkin, Thomas Robert Raber
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Patent number: 6256376Abstract: An X-ray tube anode comprises a graphite ring, a target substrate applied onto the graphite ring and a target focal track applied onto the target substrate. The target focal track comprises a first refractory metal and the target substrate comprises a second refractory metal and at least one layer of a material that is characterized by characterized by a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is the same as the CTE of the target focal track or is intermediate between the CTE of the target focal track and the CTE of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 1999Date of Patent: July 3, 2001Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Mark Gilbert Benz, Charles Gitahi Mukira, Thomas Robert Raber, Constantinos Minas, Gregory Alan Steinlage, Gregory Reznikov, Wayne Charles Hasz
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Patent number: 5843584Abstract: A superconductive article is made from interconnected superconductive, metallic tapes. The tapes are mechanically joined, and electrically interconnected by a plurality of superconductive interconnections that extend between the tapes. Articles of the invention may be formed from tapes comprising superconductive Nb.sub.3 Sn having Nb.sub.3 Sn interconnections.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 1995Date of Patent: December 1, 1998Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Thomas Robert Raber
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Patent number: 5747181Abstract: A superconductive article is made from interconnected superconductive, metallic tapes. The tapes preferably are mechanically joined and electrically interconnected by a plurality of superconductive interconnections that extend between the tapes. The interconnections are formed by overlapping the edges of two tapes and forming a plurality of superconductive welds between the tapes in the overlapping regions. Articles of this invention may be formed from superconductive tapes made from Nb.sub.3 Sn having superconductive interconnections that also include Nb.sub.3 Sn.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 1995Date of Patent: May 5, 1998Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Thomas Robert Raber
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Patent number: 5733162Abstract: Improved methods of exhausting and combined exhausting and seasoning of x-ray tube envelopes for high performance x-ray system having a rotating anode therein which includes providing a glass tubulation having a diameter greater than about 20 mm then operatively connecting the glass tubulation to the x-ray tube envelope, providing a disk inside the glass tubulation, the disk having a smaller diameter than the glass tubulation, providing a vacuum to the glass tubulation; positioning heating means on the outside of the glass tubulation, heating the anode of the x-ray tube to a temperature temperatures inside the x-ray tube envelope of about 1500.degree. C., positioning the disk inside the glass tubulation proximate the position of the heating means on the outside of the glass tubulation, heating the glass tubulation proximate the disk to about 1300.degree. C.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 1995Date of Patent: March 31, 1998Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Mark Gilbert Benz, Robert John Zabala, Thomas Robert Raber, William Joseph Jones
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Patent number: 5733159Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for exhausting and combined exhausting and seasoning of x-ray tubes having glass envelopes for a high performance x-ray system having a rotating anode therein. The methods include providing a glass tubulation having a diameter greater than about 20 mm, then operatively connecting the glass tubulation to the x-ray tube glass envelope, providing a glass sealing cup inside the glass tubulation, the glass sealing cup having a smaller diameter than the glass tubulation, providing a vacuum to the glass tubulation, positioning a heater on the outside of the glass tubulation, heating the anode of the x-ray tube to a temperature inside the x-ray tube glass envelope of about 1500.degree. C., positioning the glass sealing cup inside the glass tubulation proximate the position of the heating means on the outside of the glass tubulation, heating the glass tubulation proximate the glass sealing cup to about 1300.degree. C.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 1995Date of Patent: March 31, 1998Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Thomas Robert Raber, William Joseph Jones, Michael Patrick Dennin
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Patent number: 5722870Abstract: Improved systems and methods are disclosed for exhausting and combined exhausting and seasoning of x-ray tubes having glass envelopes for high performance x-ray system having a rotating anode therein. The systems and methods include using a metal tubulation having a diameter greater than about 20 mm operatively connected to a glass tubulation having a diameter greater than about 20 mm which is in turn connected to a glass x-ray tube envelope; positioning a metal disk inside the metal tubulation, the metal disk having a smaller diameter than at least one portion of the metal tubulation, and connecting a vacuum pump to the metal portion of the tubulation; positioning heating means on the outside of the metal portion of the tubulation, heating the anode of the x-ray tube to a temperature inside the x-ray tube envelope to about 1500.degree. C.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 1995Date of Patent: March 3, 1998Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Thomas Robert Raber, Mark Gilbert Benz, Robert John Zabala