Patents by Inventor William R. Graves
William R. Graves 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).
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Patent number: 9157327Abstract: A fan blade is disclosed comprising a lightweight metallic airfoil portion and a high-strength sheath portion. The airfoil portion has a forward airfoil edge, a first airfoil surface, and a second airfoil surface. The sheath portion has a sheath head section, a first sheath flank, and a second sheath flank, both flanks extending chordwise from the forward sheath section. The sheath portion is bonded to the airfoil portion such that the sheath head section covers the forward airfoil edge, defining a blade leading edge. The first sheath flank covers a portion of the first airfoil surface proximate the airfoil forward edge, jointly defining a blade suction surface. The second sheath flank covers a portion of the second airfoil surface proximate the airfoil forward edge, jointly defining a blade pressure surface.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2010Date of Patent: October 13, 2015Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: James L. Deal, John J. Schirra, Lee Drozdenko, William R. Graves, James O. Hansen
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Patent number: 8858182Abstract: A fan blade includes an airfoil with a leading edge and a trailing edge in a chordwise direction, a root and a tip in a spanwise direction; and a sheath with a solid portion to cover the leading edge and first and second flanks extending in the chordwise direction to bond to the pressure and suction sides of the airfoil, respectively. The dimensions of the sheath are varied with respect to the spanwise direction of the blade.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2011Date of Patent: October 14, 2014Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, Michael A. Weisse, William R. Graves
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Publication number: 20140169975Abstract: A rotor assembly is provided that includes a rotor disk, a rotor blade and a root spacer. The rotor disk includes a slot. The rotor blade includes a blade root that is arranged within the slot. The root spacer is arranged within the slot between the rotor disk and the blade root. The root spacer includes a base segment, a side segment and a fracture feature. The base segment radially engages the rotor disk. The side segment is radially separated from the rotor disk by a gap. The fracture feature may radially fracture the root spacer at an intersection between the base segment and the side segment.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2012Publication date: June 19, 2014Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Lee Drozdenko, William R. Graves
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Publication number: 20130004322Abstract: A fan blade includes an airfoil with a leading edge and a trailing edge in a chordwise direction, a root and a tip in a spanwise direction; and a sheath with a solid portion to cover the leading edge and first and second flanks extending in the chordwise direction to bond to the pressure and suction sides of the airfoil, respectively. The dimensions of the sheath are varied with respect to the spanwise direction of the blade.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2011Publication date: January 3, 2013Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, Michael A. Weisse, William R. Graves
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Publication number: 20120301292Abstract: A fan blade comprises an airfoil portion and a sheath portion. The sheath portion has a sheath head section, a first sheath flank, and a second sheath flank, both flanks extending chordwise from the forward sheath section. The sheath portion is bonded to the airfoil portion such that the sheath head section covers the forward airfoil edge, defining a blade leading edge. The first sheath flank covers a portion of the first airfoil surface proximate the airfoil forward edge, jointly defining a blade suction surface. The second sheath flank covers a portion of the second airfoil surface proximate the airfoil forward edge, jointly defining a blade pressure surface. The first metallic material is an aluminum alloy containing between about 0.5 wt % and about 3.0 wt % of lithium.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 21, 2012Publication date: November 29, 2012Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: James L. Deal, John J. Schirra, Lee Drozdenko, William R. Graves, James O. Hansen, Michael A. Weisse, Thomas J. Watson
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Publication number: 20110211965Abstract: A blade includes a hollow metal airfoil having an opening to an internal cavity in a first major surface. A metal cover is adhesively bonded to a socket formed around the opening. The cover encloses the cavity and provides a continuous first major surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 26, 2010Publication date: September 1, 2011Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: James L. Deal, William R. Graves, Michael A. Weisse
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Publication number: 20110211967Abstract: A fan blade is disclosed comprising a lightweight metallic airfoil portion and a high-strength sheath portion. The airfoil portion has a forward airfoil edge, a first airfoil surface, and a second airfoil surface. The sheath portion has a sheath head section, a first sheath flank, and a second sheath flank, both flanks extending chordwise from the forward sheath section. The sheath portion is bonded to the airfoil portion such that the sheath head section covers the forward airfoil edge, defining a blade leading edge. The first sheath flank covers a portion of the first airfoil surface proximate the airfoil forward edge, jointly defining a blade suction surface. The second sheath flank covers a portion of the second airfoil surface proximate the airfoil forward edge, jointly defining a blade pressure surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 26, 2010Publication date: September 1, 2011Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: James L. Deal, John J. Schirra, Lee Drozdenko, William R. Graves, James O. Hansen
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Patent number: 7993105Abstract: A hollow fan blade for a gas turbine engine provides improved resistance to buckling without adding wall thickness. The hollow fan blade includes a pressure side wall and a suction side wall separated and supported by ribs. In the present invention, each wall segment between each adjacent pair of ribs is straight, not curved. At least some of the adjacent walls segments extend at non-parallel angles relative to one another to form the airfoil shape to the hollow fan blade. The resulting fan blade side walls have faceted surfaces, rather than a continuous smooth, curved surface. The straight wall segments between adjacent ribs can withstand higher compressive forces without buckling. As a result, the wall thickness can be reduced.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2005Date of Patent: August 9, 2011Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Michael A. Weisse, William R. Graves, Stephen Bret Bonarrigo
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Patent number: 7458780Abstract: Hollow fan blades for turbo fan gas turbine engines are formed of two separate detail halves. Each detail half has a plurality of cavities machined out to reduce weight and form ribs. The ribs extend continuously and without intersecting one another in order to facilitate machining. The ribs extend in different directions in different regions of the detail half. In at least one region, the ribs extend in a serpentine pattern, such that concatenated rib segments are substantially perpendicular to one another, thereby providing stiffness in multiple directions.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2005Date of Patent: December 2, 2008Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Michael A. Weisse, William R. Graves
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Patent number: 6846159Abstract: Rotor blades 40 for a bladed rotor feature a chamfered attachment 44 that improves the energy absorption capability of a snap ring 60 used as one component of a blade axial retention system. The chamfered attachment plastically deforms the snap ring rather than shearing through it in response to abnormally high forces exerted on the blade.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2002Date of Patent: January 25, 2005Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Douglas J. Zabawa, Douglas A. Welch, William R. Graves
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Publication number: 20030194319Abstract: Rotor blades 40 for a bladed rotor feature a chamfered attachment 44 that improves the energy absorption capability of a snap ring 60 used as one component of a blade axial retention system. The chamfered attachment plastically deforms the snap ring rather than shearing through it in response to abnormally high forces exerted on the blade.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2002Publication date: October 16, 2003Inventors: Douglas J. Zabawa, Douglas A. Welch, William R. Graves
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Patent number: 4752894Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for controlling an electrostatic plotter is disclosed which results in an increased speed for the plotter. This speed is achieved by dividing the picture to be printed into frames and processing the individual frames in parallel with separate controllers for each frame. The styli on the electrostatic printer's head will accordingly be divided into the separate frames. The raster data produced by each of the controllers is combined to form the entire picture and is forwarded to the plotter.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 1985Date of Patent: June 21, 1988Inventors: Michael F. Deering, Curt Nehring, William R. Graves, David M. Emmett, Gus Adriancen
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Patent number: PP18101Abstract: A new variety of Alnus maritima subsp. oklahomensis plant named ‘September Sun’ that is characterized by fast vertical growth of ?89 cm (35 inches) per year over the first two years after establishment in the landscape and fast canopy volume growth of ?4.8 m3 (170 cubic feet) during the second year after establishment. The strobili (infructescences) of ‘September Sun’ are small (17 mm long and 10.2 mm wide) and slender (length:width ratio=1.7) compared to the average for oklahomensis. In combination, these traits set ‘September Sun’ apart from all other existing varieties of Alnus maritima subsp. oklahomensis known to the inventors.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2003Date of Patent: October 2, 2007Assignee: Iowa State University Research FoundationInventors: William R. Graves, James A. Schrader