General Electric Company

Charles Robert Wojciechowski

Gary Mac Holloway

Thomas Joseph Kelly

Stephen Craig Mitchell

Harvey M Maclin

Charles William Carrier

Douglas S Steele

Gary D Mercer

Richard Ravenhall

Theodore W Sippel

Joseph J Sostarich

Melvin A Schobert

Kristina H Hedengren

Wu-Yang Tseng

David W Oliver

Rudolph A Koegl

Ralph Gerald Isaacs

Joseph Czechowski, Iii

Richard Clay Haubert

George Edward Williams

Joseph Manuel Portaz

John Robert Brehm

Henry J Scudder, Iii

John P Keaveney

Thomas G Kincaid

James W Schuler

Larry C Howington

James M Brown, Jr

Richard D Miller

A method is provided for assembling a shaft having a metal matrix composite mid shaft and monolithic high strength alloy forward and aft shafts. The forward and aft shafts are each inertia friction welded to separate annular transition pieces which include a barrier layer operative to prevent the formation of intermetallic compounds. Special tooling is used to avoid applying shear stresses to the transition piece during welding. The welded forward and aft subassemblies are subsequently heat treated before inertia friction welding them to the mid shaft.

Inertia welded shaft and method therefor

A method for manufacturing a rotor shaft includes fabricating a first shaft portion that extends axially from a first end to a second end, fabricating a second shaft portion that extends axially from a first end to a second end, and coupling the second shaft portion to the first shaft portion with an explosive bonded joint such that the second shaft portion is aligned substantially concentrically with respect to the first shaft portion, and such that the bonded joint extends obliquely with respect to a centerline axis of symmetry of the rotor shaft.

Methods and apparatus for manufacturing rotor shafts

A mechanical coupling to transfer torque between cooperating rotatable members each of substantially circular cross section and aligned along an axis of rotation comprises first and second members including, respectively, first and second surface portions in juxtaposition across an interface. Each surface portion includes a plurality of spaced apart teeth mechanically interlocking at the interface. The first surface portion comprises a fiber reinforced material including fibers oriented within about 45&deg;, on either side, of an axis of rotation. Provided is a clamp to hold the first and second surface portions together at the interface.

Mechanical coupling for cooperating rotatable members

A hybrid-composite gas turbine exhaust nozzle compression link is formed as an elongated hollow tubular cylindrical shell having an axis of elongation. In cross section taken perpendicular to the axis of elongation, the shell has a structure of an inner rim of an inner-rim titanium-base alloy, a reinforcing layer having reinforcing fibers such as silicon carbide fibers extending parallel to the axis of elongation and embedded in a matrix titanium-base alloy, and an outer rim of an outer-rim titanium-base alloy. The titanium-base alloys are typically of the same nominal composition. Attachment fittings are present at each end of the shell.

Hybrid-composite gas turbine exhaust nozzle compression link

A gas turbine engine drive shaft includes a tubular main shaft and an annular end fitting disposed coaxially therewith. The shaft and fitting have corresponding ends abutting at a joint. An annular collar surrounds the shaft and fitting over the joint and is bonded thereto for carrying torsional, tensile, and bending loads across the joint. In this way, a composite main shaft may be joined to a monolithic end fitting.

Composite drive shaft

A cast article having a reinforced structural composite core is disclosed. The cast article includes a structural element which is embedded in the otherwise cast metal article. The structural element is comprised of a metal matrix composite structural core. It includes a plurality of reinforcing fibers within a metal matrix. The fibers are generally a non-metallic material such as a ceramic which degrade at a temperature below the melting temperature of the cast metal comprising the article. The metal matrix composite structural core is encased with a sheath. The sheath, attached to and completely surrounding the core, is made of the same metal as the cast metal article. In a preferred embodiment, the article is a titanium alloy strut for a gas turbine engine.

Method for making a titanium metal matrix composite

Titanium metal matrix composite inserts for stiffening turbine engine

An X-ray inspection system for manually or automatically performing digital fluoroscopy inspections and/or computed tomography inspections by X-ray examination of manufactured parts incorporates a computer system which automatically analyzes the inspected parts for flaws. The system includes apparatus for automatically positioning the parts in an X-ray machine for obtaining fluoroscopy and tomography views of the part and for acquiring data from the inspections at production rates. The system automatically identifies the location of rejectable flaws in the parts during the fluoroscopy scanning and subsequently identifies those locations for obtaining tomography scans, if the identified flaw location is questionable. The system can automatically reject parts containing flaws identified during the fluoroscopy inspections. This system operates in a real-time environment by providing analysis of one part while a subsequent part is being subjected to X-ray examination. The data obtained during each examination is archived and stored for tracking the part in further manufacturing processes.

X-ray inspection system

A gripper for holding a manufactured part in a X-ray inspection system. The gripper includes a stationary jaw, a slidable jaw, a gripper base, a wear plate, a centering bushing an end plate, and a cam actuated spring mechanism for opening and closing the jaws. Both jaws are removable and adjustable in a keyway. Set screws are used to hold the jaws in place for a predetermined separation and allows a part to be positioned off center. The removable aspect allows for various jaw configurations. The centering bushing includes a cam shaped opening for accepting an end of an pneumatic activated ball plunger of a numerically controlled part manipulator. The centering bushing aligns the gripper to the longitudinal axis of the part manipulator.

Method and device for gripping parts in an X-ray inspection system

A substrate penetrates a main seal in an ionization chamber filled with pressurized gas. In one form of the present invention, a second chamber is provided around the region of penetration. The substrate then also penetrates the second chamber. The second chamber is pressurized with a gas at a lower pressure than in the ionization chamber. Thus, the pressure differential across the main seal is lowered, thereby reducing the load on the main seal.

High pressure seal

Growing community of inventors

West Chester, OH, United States of America

Charles Robert Wojciechowski