Patents by Inventor Willem Thomas DeGraaff

Willem Thomas DeGraaff 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: 6679757
    Abstract: A tool for shaping curved surfaces on a workpiece, in particular upper curved surfaces of the forward and aft rails of a gas turbine engine shroud section. The shaping tool includes a base member for securing the workpiece and a shaping member movable relative to the base member and having one shaping element for each curved surface of the workpiece. The shaping tool also includes cooperating follower and guide members to guide the shaping member through a path as the shaping member is moved relative to the base member such that each of the shaping elements of the shaping member shape the respective curved surfaces of the workpiece. The tool can be used in a method for shaping the curved surfaces of the workpiece where the shaping member is moved in a path such that each of the shaping elements of the shaping member shape the respective curved surfaces of the workpiece and repeating this step until the desired degree of shaping of the curved surfaces of the workpiece is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Willem Thomas Degraaff, Jae Yong Um
  • Publication number: 20030181140
    Abstract: A tool for shaping curved surfaces on a workpiece, in particular upper curved surfaces of the forward and aft rails of a gas turbine engine shroud section. The shaping tool includes a base member for securing the workpiece and a shaping member movable relative to the base member and having one shaping element for each curved surface of the workpiece. The shaping tool also includes cooperating follower and guide members to guide the shaping member through a path as the shaping member is moved relative to the base member such that each of the shaping elements of the shaping member shape the respective curved surfaces of the workpiece. The tool can be used in a method for shaping the curved surfaces of the workpiece where the shaping member is moved in a path such that each of the shaping elements of the shaping member shape the respective curved surfaces of the workpiece and repeating this step until the desired degree of shaping of the curved surfaces of the workpiece is achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2002
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Inventors: Willem Thomas Degraaff, Jae Yong Um
  • Patent number: 6369343
    Abstract: An electrical discharge machining (EDM) apparatus includes a single workpiece fixture for holding a workpiece and a plurality of machining heads for machining different features into the workpiece. For example, a first machining head is arranged to machine a first feature into the workpiece, and a second machining head is arranged to machine a second feature into the workpiece. Each machining head is connected to a separate control system so as to operate independently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rudi Oskar Krenz, Brett Wayne Byrnes, Willem Thomas DeGraaff