Patents by Inventor Thomas W. Blasingame

Thomas W. Blasingame 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: 8246096
    Abstract: A differential action railroad car wheelset axle has two individual stub axles, each having one or more annular rings or grooves on the interior ends, with the interior ends of the individual stub axles being rotatably mounted within a multi-piece sleeve assembly. The axle assembly has provision for safety pins to prevent independent rotation during installation in the railcar truck frame and also a device to permit relocking or unlocking the independent axle rotation after the original safety pins have been removed. Dry lubricant coatings eliminate the need for periodic liquid lubrication or maintenance. The differential action of the wheelset reduces the horsepower requirement by approximately 30 percent while also reducing the maintenance requirements for both wheels and track in locations where horizontal curves are predominant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Inventors: Thomas W. Blasingame, Robert E. Hord
  • Publication number: 20090206623
    Abstract: A differential action railroad car wheelset axle has two individual stub axles, each having one or more annular rings or grooves on the interior ends, said interior ends of the individual stub axles being rotatably mounted within a multi-piece sleeve assembly. The axle assembly has provision for safety pins to prevent independent rotation during installation in the railcar truck frame and also a device to permit relocking or unlocking the independent axle rotation after the original safety pins have been removed. Dry lubricant coatings eliminate the need for periodic liquid lubrication or maintenance. The differential action of the wheelset reduces the horsepower requirement by approximately 30 percent while also reducing the maintenance requirements for both wheels and track in locations where horizontal curves are predominant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Inventors: Thomas W. Blasingame, Robert E. Hord
  • Patent number: 6623057
    Abstract: A railroad car wheelset has an axle with one wheel (14A) rigidly attached. This wheel is permitted to rotate by means of journal bearings either on the extreme ends of the axle or inboard of each wheel location. At the other wheel, the axle has smooth surface and a self-lubricating bearing (54) is provided as a part of a hub on the axle. The hub is integral with the axle or press fit thereon. The axle has a boss for preventing the independently rotating wheel from migrating laterally out of proper alignment. A self-lubricating thrust bearing (32) is located between this boss and the side of the wheel to eliminate any possible galling between the two moving surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Inventors: Thomas W. Blasingame, Robert E. Hord
  • Patent number: 6598920
    Abstract: A railroad car wheelset (10) has an axle (12) with one wheel rigidly attached as in conventional railroad practice. This wheel (10) is permitted to rotate by means of journal bearings either on the extreme ends of the axle (12) or inboard of each wheel location (14A and 14B). At the location of the other wheel, the axle (12) is provided with a smooth surface and a self-lubricating bearing (24) is provided as a pant of a hub (20) on the axle (12). The axle (12) shaft is provided with a boss (18) or other means of preventing the independently rotating wheel from migrating laterally out of proper alignment A self-lubricating thrust bearing (32) is located between this boss (18) and the side of the wheel to eliminate any possible galling between the two moving surfaces. A removable retainer plate (46) is located on the other side of the independently rotating wheel to prevent the wheel from moving laterally in that direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Inventors: Thomas W. Blasingame, Robert E. Hord
  • Patent number: 6394778
    Abstract: An axial-vane rotary device with a rotor assembly having a rotor core and a plurality of removable end blocks attached to the core, end blocks having recesses to encapsulate a vane restraint mechanism, and a removable end wall on one or more of the end blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Inventor: Thomas W Blasingame
  • Patent number: 6135745
    Abstract: A vane actuation mechanism for an axial vane rotary device includes a cylindrical outer housing that defines an internal cylindrical chamber. A rotor assembly having a drive shaft is rotatably mounted within the internal cylindrical chamber. A cylindrical guide slot is held in proper rotational position within the internal cylindrical chamber. A plurality of modified vanes are disposed on the rotor core. The modified vane has a recess in the top of the vane. A shear block having a general "T" shape is disposed in the recess of the vane and is secured to the vane. Part of the shear block is disposed within the guide slot to act as a guide member. The guide slot can be formed from a single cylindrical member. The single cylindrical member is cut to form two cylindrical guide slot members. The edges of the cylindrical guide slot members form the guide slot. The guide slot urges the shear block as the vanes rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: T. W. Blasingame Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas W. Blasingame
  • Patent number: 6048015
    Abstract: A railroad car wheelset has an axle with one wheel rigidly attached as in conventional railroad practice. This wheel is permitted to rotate by journal bearings either on the extreme ends of the axle or inboard of each wheel location. At the location of the other wheel, the axle is provided with a smooth surface and a self-lubricating bearing is provided as a part of a hub on the axle. The axle shaft is provided with a boss for preventing the independently rotating wheel from migrating laterally out of proper alignment. A self-lubricating thrust bearing is located between this boss and the side of the wheel to eliminate any possible galling between the two moving surfaces. A removable retainer plate is located on the other side of the independently rotating wheel to prevent the wheel from moving laterally in that direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: T.W. Blasingame Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas W. Blasingame, Robert E. Hord, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6007126
    Abstract: A railroad car wheelset has an axle with one wheel rigidly attached as in conventional railroad practice. This wheel is permitted to rotate by journal bearings. At the other wheel, the axle is provided with a smooth surface and a self-lubricating bearing is provided as a part of a hub on the axle. The axle is provided with a boss for preventing the independently rotating wheel from migrating laterally out of proper alignment. A bearing is located between this boss and the side of the wheel. A removable retainer plate is located on the other side of the independently rotating wheel. Adjacent the removable retainer plate is an electrical contactor. The bearings can be comprised of a lubricant coating permanently bonded to the bearing surface of the hub. Latch elements are pivotally secured to the other wheel and engagable with locking elements operatively secured to the axle. A second wheelset has an independently rotatable wheel locked to the axle automatically in one direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: T. W. Blasingame Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas W. Blasingame, Robert E. Hord, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4000924
    Abstract: A demountable unit frame for supporting any one of a variety of commercially available equipment units is provided for use on a motor truck chassis. The frame includes spaced and braced longitudinal frame structural members carrying coupling device components for attachment to the truck chassis and is provided with transversely arranged outrigger members equipped with a rotatable shaft capable of cooperative association with removable commercially available landing gear devices for mounting and demounting of the unit frame and equipment units and for temporarily supporting the same when they are not mounted on the truck chassis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1975
    Date of Patent: January 4, 1977
    Inventor: Thomas W. Blasingame
  • Patent number: D344912
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 8, 1994
    Inventor: Thomas W. Blasingame