Contour Hardening, Inc.

Contour Hardening Investors, LP

Other

Contour Hardenting, Inc.

John M Storm

Spencer L Gibbs

Max E Stewart

Michael R Chaplin

Nathan D Pugh

William F Fraker

David L Storm

Neil A Merrell

An induction driven ignition system with a heating element located near the combustion chamber of a reciprocating internal combustion engine. The heating element is adjacent an electrical conductor which receives current at frequencies between 100 kHz to 500 kHz. The induction driven ignition system causes the heating element to rapidly and accurately heat up to very high temperatures. The heating element may be positioned and arranged to provide combustion initiation over a wide area.

Induction driven ignition system

An induction driven ignition system with an electrode projecting into the combustion chamber of a reciprocating internal combustion engine. The electrode is adjacent to but electrically insulated from an electrical conductor which receives current at frequencies between 100 kHz to 500 kHz. Thermal insulation is also provided between the electrode and adjacent structure of the head. The induction driven ignition system causes the electrodes to rapidly and accurately heat up to very high temperatures. The electrodes may be formed in elongated edges throughout the combustion chamber to provide combustion initiation over a wide area.

Disclosed herein is an AC electrical generator system for coupling a variable speed rotating power source to an AC electrical generator through a continuously variable transmission having a finite variable transmission ratio. A controller controls the continuously variable transmission to transform rotational energy from the variable speed power source into substantially constant speed rotation of the AC electrical generator to produce AC electricity with frequency variations within an acceptable range.

AC electrical generation system

An induction driven ignition system with an electrode projecting into the combustion chamber of a reciprocating internal combustion engine. The electrode is adjacent to but electrically insulated from an electrical conductor which receives current at frequencies between 100 to 400 kHz. Thermal insulation is also provided between the electrode and adjacent structure of the head. The induction driven ignition system causes the electrodes to rapidly and accurately heat up to very high temperatures. The electrodes may be formed in elongated edges throughout the combustion chamber to provide combustion initiation over a wide area.

A vehicle mounted AC generator system having an AC generator mounted outside the engine/transmission compartment and connected by drive shaft with universal joints and a belt driven RPM ratio device. The ratio is set to provide accurate AC generator RPM at a preselected engine RPM. The AC generator is mechanically engageable when certain conditions are met and is disconnected when other conditions are present, including an operator emergency stop switch.

Vehicle mounted electrical generator system

Induction hardening coil for a crankshaft

An induction hardening apparatus for inductively heating and quench hardening a crankshaft includes an arrangement of two workstations similarly configured and a robotic device indexing the crankshaft from a first workstation to a second workstation. The induction hardening apparatus is designed with a single induction coil located at the first workstation for the sequential induction heating and quench hardening of the pins of the crankshaft. At the second workstation, a single induction coil is used for the bearing surfaces of the crankshaft. An important feature of the present invention is that the induction coils do not contact the surfaces of the crankshaft which are being inductively heated and quench hardened. Crankshaft dimensions and geometry are programmed into servodrive systems which move the corresponding coil in X and Y directions accurately tracing the orbit or path of each pin and each bearing surface. Each induction coil is configured with openings on an inside surface in order to deliver a quench fluid directly to the inductively heated portion of the crankshaft.

Induction hardening apparatus for a crankshaft

An induction hardening apparatus for inductively heating and quench hardening a crankshaft includes an arrangement of two workstations similarly configured and a robotic device indexing the crankshaft from a first workstation to a second workstation. The induction hardening apparatus is designed with a single induction coil located at the first workstation for the sequential induction heating and quench hardening of the pins of the crankshaft. At the second workstation, a single induction coil is used for the bearing surfaces of the crankshaft. One feature of the present invention is that the induction coils do not contact the surfaces of the crankshaft which are being inductively heated and quench hardened. Crankshaft dimensions and geometry are prograrmned into servodrive systems which move the corresponding coil in X and Y directions accurately tracing the orbit or path of each pin and each bearing surface. Another feature of the present invention is the use of an offset 180 degree coil which provides improved heating patterns in less time than traditional 90 degree coils.

An induction hardening apparatus for inductively heating and quench hardening a crankshaft includes an arrangement of two workstations similarly configured and a robotic device indexing the crankshaft from a first workstation to a second workstation. The induction hardening apparatus is designed with a single induction coil located at the first workstation for the sequential induction heating and quench hardening of the pins of the crankshaft. At the second workstation, a single induction coil is used for the bearing surfaces of the crankshaft. One feature of the present invention is that the induction coils do not contact the surfaces of the crankshaft which are being inductively heated and quench hardened. Crankshaft dimensions and geometry are programmed into servodrive systems which move the corresponding coil in X and Y directions accurately tracing the orbit or path of each pin and each bearing surface. Another feature of the present invention is the use of an offset 180 degree coil which provides improved heating patterns in less time than traditional 90 degree coils.

One embodiment of a position and time-at-position logging apparatus includes a GPS receiver, a microprocessor, memory, a keypad and a data port. The apparatus receives GPS signals and determines therefrom position and time-at-position information of the apparatus, and logs the information in memory in response to a key depression in a manual mode of operation, or in response to a data capture signal in an automatic mode of operation. The data port may be connected to an input device for generating the data capture signal, an output device for data reporting, or to a computer operable to program an operational mode of the apparatus or download a number of sets of information for processing by report generating software resident therein. The apparatus may optionally include a radio transceiver for exchanging data and/or programming information with a remote source, and may further include a vehicle data port for receiving operational data in accordance with various vehicle/engine operating parameters.

Position and time-at-position logging system

An induction-hardening machine for the contour hardening of cross-axis, intersecting-axis and nonintersecting-axis gears such as hypoid gears includes a programmable logic control unit, a source of quench liquid and a high-frequency induction generator which are operably connected to a high-frequency induction coil which, in one embodiment, is disposed at an inclined angle above the horizontally disposed workpiece (hypoid gear). Fluid connections are made between the source of quench liquid and the induction coil for the rapid delivery of quench liquid. The support platform for the hypoid gear is connected to a rotary drive motor and with the hypoid gear rotating at approximately 900 to 1800 RPM the induction coil is energized with four low energy pulses of relatively short duration. The final heating step is a high energy pulse followed immediately by the quenching step. In one embodiment the induction coil is also offset from the geometric center of the gear and it is this offset and the inclined angle of the induction coil which address the heel to toe tooth differences and the spiral configuration of a hypoid gear.

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Danville, IN, United States of America

John M Storm