Patents by Inventor Thomas Rufus Butman

Thomas Rufus Butman 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: 7154205
    Abstract: A generator stator core has a plurality of axially extending radial slots arranged about the periphery thereof with windings in each of the radial slots. At least one adjustable wedge and slide assembly is located in each of the slots, arranged to restrain the windings, the assembly including a wedge component and a slide component which interface along respective sloped surfaces formed on respective sides of each of the wedge component and the slide component. The slide component is formed with a zone of laterally extending, discrete fingers on each side thereof that are angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the slide. The wedge component is slidably received in a pair of dovetail grooves in the radial slot with the slide component located between the wedge component and the windings such that the discrete fingers engage side walls of the radial slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mabel Shang Yung, Thomas Richard Blakelock, Alan Michael Iversen, Sameh Salem, Thomas Rufus Butman, Jr., Adrian Breitenstein
  • Patent number: 6577038
    Abstract: A new and improved header design for a fluid tight, current carrying header that reduces direct contact between the liquid coolant and brazed joints. More specifically, the present invention provides for a header with hollow strands for carrying a coolant, and solid strands, the hollow strands being longer than the solid strands, the hollow strands grouped together at a first end of the header to form a hollow strand package, and the hollow strands and the solid strands grouped together at a second end of the header to form a mixed strand package. The hollow strand package may be fused to a liner of the header. This construction reduces water contact with the current carrying braze and groups the fluid carrying hollow strands in a separate hollow strand package where a reliable, corrosion-resistant metal fusing process can be applied to provide a reliable leak proof seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Rufus Butman, Alan Michael Iversen, Ronald Richard Barlette, Thomas Richard Blakelock
  • Publication number: 20020079773
    Abstract: A new and improved header design for a fluid tight, current carrying header that reduces direct contact between the liquid coolant and brazed joints. More specifically, the present invention provides for a header with hollow strands for carrying a coolant, and solid strands, the hollow strands being longer than the solid strands, the hollow strands grouped together at a first end of the header to form a hollow strand package, and the hollow strands and the solid strands grouped together at a second end of the header to form a mixed strand package. The hollow strand package may be fused to a liner of the header. This construction reduces water contact with the current carrying braze and groups the fluid carrying hollow strands in a separate hollow strand package where a reliable, corrosion-resistant metal fusing process can be applied to provide a reliable leak proof seal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2000
    Publication date: June 27, 2002
    Inventors: Thomas Rufus Butman, Alan Michael Iversen, Ronald Richard Barlette, Thomas Richard Blakelock
  • Publication number: 20010013736
    Abstract: A generator stator includes a magnetic core having a plurality of axially extending radial slots arranged about the periphery thereof with stator windings in each radial slot. At least one adjustable assembly is located in an axially outermost end of each radial slot, arranged to apply radial force to the windings in the radial slot, the adjustable assembly including mating wedge and slide components which interface along stepped matching surfaces which lie at an acute angle to a center axis of the magnetic core. The assembly is adjustable in situ to compensate for decreases in radial pressure with time while stepped contacting surfaces of the wedge and slide prevent axial regression of the slide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 1999
    Publication date: August 16, 2001
    Inventors: THOMAS RICHARD BLAKELOCK, THOMAS RUFUS BUTMAN, ALAN MICHAEL IVERSEN