Patents by Inventor William Ernest Stone

William Ernest Stone 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: 11236700
    Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a system includes a turbofan engine, a nacelle surrounding the engine and defining an annular bypass duct through the engine to define a generally forward-to-aft bypass air flow path, a thrust reverser movable to and from a reversing position where at least a portion of the bypass air flow path is reversed and comprising a first reverser portion having a first latch element, and a second reverser portion having a second latch element that is reversibly engageable with the first latch element to reversibly secure the second reverser portion to the first reverser portion, and an actuator comprising a catch element coupled to a portion of at least one of the first latch element and the second latch element to move the first reverser portion and the second reverser portion into and out of the reversing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventors: William Ernest Stone, Joseph Thomas Kopecek
  • Publication number: 20210207735
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure include a redundant control system for a vehicle. The redundant control system includes first and second actuator pistons mechanically coupled to one another and disposed in respective first and second fluid chambers. The first and second actuator pistons are movable by first and second primary stages. One of the primary stages includes a bypass valve with a pilot valve actuatable in response to movement of the first actuator piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Applicant: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Williams, William Ernest Stone, Oscar R. Arguelles, Ori Dov Chen-Zion
  • Patent number: 10969035
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure include a redundant control system for a vehicle. The redundant control system includes first and second actuator pistons mechanically coupled to one another and disposed in respective first and second fluid chambers. The first and second actuator pistons are movable by first and second primary stages. One of the primary stages includes a bypass valve with a pilot valve actuatable in response to movement of the first actuator piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Williams, William Ernest Stone, Oscar R. Arguelles, Ori Dov Chen-Zion
  • Publication number: 20210079872
    Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a system includes a turbofan engine, a nacelle surrounding the engine and defining an annular bypass duct through the engine to define a generally forward-to-aft bypass air flow path, a thrust reverser movable to and from a reversing position where at least a portion of the bypass air flow path is reversed and comprising a first reverser portion having a first latch element, and a second reverser portion having a second latch element that is reversibly engageable with the first latch element to reversibly secure the second reverser portion to the first reverser portion, and an actuator comprising a catch element coupled to a portion of at least one of the first latch element and the second latch element to move the first reverser portion and the second reverser portion into and out of the reversing position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventors: William Ernest Stone, Joseph Thomas Kopecek
  • Patent number: 10570854
    Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a system includes a turbofan engine, a nacelle surrounding the engine and defining an annular bypass duct through the engine to define a generally forward-to-aft bypass air flow path, a thrust reverser movable to and from a reversing position where at least a portion of the bypass air flow path is reversed and comprising a first reverser portion having a first latch element, and a second reverser portion having a second latch element that is reversibly engageable with the first latch element to reversibly secure the second reverser portion to the first reverser portion, and an actuator comprising a catch element coupled to a portion of at least one of the first latch element and the second latch element to move the first reverser portion and the second reverser portion into and out of the reversing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventors: William Ernest Stone, Joseph Thomas Kopecek
  • Publication number: 20190055902
    Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a system includes a turbofan engine, a nacelle surrounding the engine and defining an annular bypass duct through the engine to define a generally forward-to-aft bypass air flow path, a thrust reverser movable to and from a reversing position where at least a portion of the bypass air flow path is reversed and comprising a first reverser portion having a first latch element, and a second reverser portion having a second latch element that is reversibly engageable with the first latch element to reversibly secure the second reverser portion to the first reverser portion, and an actuator comprising a catch element coupled to a portion of at least one of the first latch element and the second latch element to move the first reverser portion and the second reverser portion into and out of the reversing position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2017
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Inventors: William Ernest Stone, Joseph Thomas Kopecek
  • Publication number: 20170253318
    Abstract: A redundant control system for a vehicle includes: one or more actuator housings; a plurality of actuator pistons coupled to the actuator housings, each of the actuator pistons mechanically coupled to one another and a common output device; a plurality of primary stages coupled to the actuator housings, each of the primary stages operatively coupled to move a respective actuator piston relative to at least one of the actuator housings, and each of the primary stages functioning independent of any other primary stage when the control system is operating in a flight-operation mode; and an auxiliary stage operatively coupled to move a first of the plurality of actuator pistons relative to at least one of the actuator housings when the control system is operating in a ground-operation mode, with each of the plurality of primary stages being responsive to movement of the first actuator piston by the auxiliary stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Inventors: Mark Williams, William Ernest Stone, Oscar R. Arguelles, Ori Dov Chen-Zion