Patent application number | Description | Published |
20140017011 | Offshore Horizontal Product Lay Arrangement - An arrangement that brings all of the separate elements of equipment used to lay product offshore such as pipe, umbilicals, and power cables and assembles them into a single device that can be installed on a vessel of opportunity, and includes functional improvements of each to optimize the use of the arrangement as a unit. A base is used for mounting, integration, and installation of the separate elements onto a vessel. The base receives a movable lay chute, means for moving and stabilizing the lay chute, a movable hang off clamp and work table, a movable access platform, a product support arm and wheel, and a fixed chute. | 01-16-2014 |
20150125216 | Offshore Horizontal Product Lay Arrangement - An arrangement that brings all of the separate elements of equipment used to lay product offshore such as pipe, umbilicals, and power cables and assembles them into a single device that can be installed on a vessel of opportunity, and includes functional improvements of each. A base is used for mounting, integration, and installation of the separate elements onto a vessel. The base receives a movable lay chute, means for moving and stabilizing the lay chute, a movable hang off clamp and work table, a movable access platform, a product support arm and wheel, and a fixed chute. | 05-07-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100221115 | RETENTION STRUCTURES AND EXIT GUIDE VANE ASSEMBLIES - A retention structure includes a center body including an outer surface, an enclosed end, an open end, and a contact section, the outer surface adapted to define a first portion of a flowpath, and the contact section extending radially outwardly from a centerline and located on the enclosed end and configured to reduce a radial and a torsional component of a first load that exceeds a first threshold applied to the contact section, when the turbine rotates and applies the first load to the contact section and an energy absorber coupled to the center body, disposed adjacent to the contact section, and having an outer surface adapted to define a second portion of the flowpath, the energy absorber further adapted to collapse, when the turbine rotates and contacts the energy absorber and applies a second load that exceeds a second threshold to the energy absorber. | 09-02-2010 |
20130051974 | GAS TURBINE ENGINES AND METHODS FOR COOLING COMPONENTS THEREOF WITH MID-IMPELLER BLEED COOLING AIR - Gas turbine engines and methods for cooling components thereof with mid-impeller bleed (MIB) cooling air having a pressure are provided. The gas turbine engine has a compressor comprising an impeller body and an impeller shroud at least partially surrounding the impeller body. The impeller shroud has a plurality of MIB openings disposed therein. At least one edge treatment is provided thereto. The edge treatment substantially preserves pressure of the cooling air during entrance into and discharge out of the MIB opening. The plurality of MIB openings may be extended MIB openings in a thickened impeller shroud. The centerline of the MIB openings may be oriented to be substantially aligned with an averaged local absolute flow velocity vector of the cooling air at the inlet section of the MIB opening in order to extract cooling air in a direction that has a vector component in a tangential, an axial, and a radial flow direction. | 02-28-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090118864 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FINDING A TOOL CENTER POINT FOR A ROBOT USING AN EXTERNAL CAMERA - Disclosed is a method and system for finding a relationship between a tool-frame of a tool attached at a wrist of a robot and robot kinematics of the robot using an external camera. The position and orientation of the wrist of the robot define a wrist-frame for the robot that is known. The relationship of the tool-frame and/or the Tool Center Point (TCP) of the tool is initially unknown. For an embodiment, the camera captures an image of the tool. An appropriate point on the image is designated as the TCP of the tool. The robot is moved such that the wrist is placed into a plurality of poses. Each pose of the plurality of poses is constrained such that the TCP point on the image falls within a specified geometric constraint (e.g. a point or a line). A TCP of the tool relative to the wrist frame of the robot is calculated as a function of the specified geometric constraint and as a function of the position and orientation of the wrist for each pose of the plurality of poses. An embodiment may define the tool-frame relative to the wrist frame as the calculated TCP relative to the wrist frame. Other embodiments may further refine the calibration of the tool-frame to account for tool orientation and possibly for a tool operation direction. An embodiment may calibrate the camera using a simplified extrinsic technique that obtains the extrinsic parameters of the calibration, but not other calibration parameters. | 05-07-2009 |
20100262275 | LOAD COMPENSATION FOR ROBOTIC APPLICATIONS - Disclosed is a method and system for compensating for the load a part places on a part positioner system that positions the part for work operations by a robot. The part positioner system rotates a part holding assembly about the axis of rotation of a shoulder drive. The part holding assembly may have a column that extends perpendicular to the shoulder center line. A counter weight system is incorporated into the column that includes a counter weight pack that is moved along the length of the column. The shoulder drive drives the part and part holding assembly load in order to measure a torque applied to the shoulder drive. A load offset may be calculated based on the applied torque. The counter weight pack may then be moved to a position on the column calculated to balance the load of the part and part holding assembly. Alternatively, the counter weight may be moved empirically in a feedback loop in response to repeated torque measurements of the shoulder drive until an optimum torque is achieved at the shoulder drive. | 10-14-2010 |
20110214586 | MULTI-DIRECTIONAL MOBILE ROBOTIC CELL - Disclosed is a mobile robotic arm workcell. A robotic arm is mounted on a superstructure that carries all the equipment associated with the workcell's task. Thus, the workcell is self-contained needing only power. The workcell may be moved by activating air bearings that are pressurized by an air compressor that is also mounted on the superstructure. Power is received via power contacts that engage a power rail. Guidance is provided a guide system. The guide system may include guide rails engaged by guide carriages. Propulsion is provided by a drive system that may engage the guide system or the factory floor. | 09-08-2011 |
20130277344 | ROBOTIC PRE-HEAT AND INTER-PASS WELDING - Disclosed is a robot pre-heat and inter-pass welding device that is capable of pre-heating and welding one or more weld joints using a single robot. Pre-heating and welding models are used to ensure that a desirable pre-heat temperature is maintained on the weld piece at the location of the weld. Infrared temperature sensors are utilized to detect temperature of the weld piece, which are transmitted to a controller, which controls the operation of both the pre-heating and welding. Multiple welds can be performed if additional time is needed for cooling, which reduces the overall time required to perform the welding process. | 10-24-2013 |
20140015186 | CONFIGURABLE WELDING TABLE AND FORCE INDICATING CLAMP - Disclosed is a configurable table that uses configurable mounting pieces to mount a work piece on the configurable table at a predetermined location. The configurable table includes a fixed portion of a mounting clamp that can engage a rotatable portion of a mounting clamp on a positioner or other device. The positioner can then rotate the configurable table and work piece to various orientations for performing horizontal welds, using robotic welders, as well as machining and cutting. The configurable table can also be used for initial fabrication, cutting, or working, which eliminates the need for separate fabrication and finish welding tables. | 01-16-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110121222 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A DRY FROTH MATERIAL - A thin-film evaporation system and method for processing a wet froth material. The system includes a horizontally positioned evaporation unit having an internal conveyor screw for systematically controlling the flow of a wet froth material through the evaporator. The system further includes a separation tank configured to remove unwanted waste materials from the final, dry froth product. | 05-26-2011 |
20120114888 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A THERMOPLASTIC PRODUCT THAT INCLUDES PACKAGING THEREFOR - Systems and methods for providing a thermoplastic product that includes packaging therefore. Implementation of the present invention takes place hi association with packaging of one or more ingredients of a thermoplastic product, wherein the packaging is used to contain the ingredients during storage and/or transportation, and Wherein at least a portion of the packaging itself is an ingredient for inclusion into the thermoplastic product. In some implementations, the entire packaging is incorporated into the thermoplastic product for utilization thereof. | 05-10-2012 |
20130273272 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A THERMOPLASTIC PRODUCT THAT INCLUDES PACKAGING THEREFOR - Systems and methods for providing a thermoplastic product that includes packaging therefore. Implementation of the present invention takes place in association with packaging of one or more ingredients of a thermoplastic product, wherein the packaging is used to contain the ingredients during storage and/or transportation, and wherein at least a portion of the packaging itself is an ingredient for inclusion into the thermoplastic product. In some implementations, the entire packaging is incorporated into the thermoplastic product for utilization thereof. | 10-17-2013 |
20140263283 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HEATING A THERMOPLASTIC PRODUCT - The present invention relates to thermoplastic products. In particular, the present invention relates to systems and methods for heating a thermoplastic product. While the thermoplastic product can include any suitable ingredient, in some cases, it includes one or more electrically-conductive materials, such as iron. Also, while the thermoplastic product can be melted in any suitable manner, in some cases, an inductive heater is used to heat the electrically-conductive material and thereby melt the thermoplastic product. In some cases, the thermoplastic product is configured to be melted on demand. While this can be accomplished in any suitable manner, in some instances, the thermoplastic product is formed into an elongated shape, such as rope, that is fed past a heater, such as an inductive heater, to melt the product. In other cases, the thermoplastic product is melted in a vat that is heated by an inductive heater. Other implementations are also described. | 09-18-2014 |
20150018460 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A THERMOPLASTIC PRODUCT COMPRISING A RECYCLED MATERIAL - The present invention relates to thermoplastic products. In particular, the present invention relates to systems and methods for providing a thermoplastic product that includes one or more recycled materials. In some non-limiting implementations, the recycled materials are selected from eggshells, slag, solid output from an incinerator, and/or asphalt shingles. In some cases, the recycled materials comprise between about 0.1% and about 95%, by weight, of the thermoplastic product. In some cases, the recycled materials have a particle size between about one inch and about 300 mesh. Other implementations are also described. | 01-15-2015 |