Patents by Inventor William B. Grace

William B. Grace 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).

  • Composite tube having co-bonded end fittings
    Patent number: 8713895
    Abstract: A structural member such as a strut includes a composite material tube having metal end fittings that are attached to the tube by co-bonded, double shear joints. The double shear bond joint construction reduces the residual stress on the bonds that result from mismatch of the coefficients of thermal expansion of the composite tube and the metal end fittings. The ends of the fittings that are bonded to the tube may include a stepped profile that functions to limit the peak stresses in the bonds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Christopher T. Allen, Patrick D. Bertrand, Derek J. Fox, William B. Grace, Kenneth M. Harrison, Wesley L. Holman, Menelaos S. Kafkalidis, James R. Schnelz, Edward M. Fisher
  • Methods for fabricating fiber-reinforced plastic test specimen assemblies having weak adhesive bonds
    Patent number: 8342017
    Abstract: A method for repeatably fabricating a test specimen assembly comprising a pair of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) test specimens adhesively bonded together, the bonded joint having respective areas of substantially different, but consistent variable adhesive bond strengths suitable as a calibration standard. The method comprises fabricating a first FRP test specimen having a bonding surface with first and second areas that have substantially different bonded joint performance-governing characteristics and then using adhesive to bond the bonding surface of the first FRP test specimen to the bonding surface of a second FRP test specimen. The different bonded joint performance-governing characteristics are achieved by treating first and second areas of the surface of the first FRP test specimen using different respective surface preparation techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Richard Henry Bossi, Marc J. Piehl, Douglas Allen Frisch, Kay Y. Blohowiak, William B. Grace, Peter J. Van Voast
  • Measurement of moisture in composite materials with near-IR and mid-IR spectroscopy
    Patent number: 7807971
    Abstract: A method of determining moisture content of a composite material includes providing composite material standards with moisture content, collecting infrared spectra on the composite material standards, calibrating the infrared spectra to the moisture content, providing a composite material and predicting moisture content of the composite material based on the infrared spectra and the composite material standards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: William B. Grace, Gregory J. Werner, Paul H. Shelley
  • Measurement of Moisture in Composite Materials with Near-IR and MID-IR Spectroscopy
    Publication number: 20100123079
    Abstract: A method of determining moisture content of a composite material includes providing composite material standards with moisture content, collecting infrared spectra on the composite material standards, calibrating the infrared spectra to the moisture content, providing a composite material and predicting moisture content of the composite material based on the infrared spectra and the composite material standards.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Inventors: William B. Grace, Gregory J. Werner, Paul H. Shelley