Christopher Wolfe, 40Jacksonville, AR

6367806, Apr 9, 2002

Dec 27, 1999

09/472914

Norman Arnold Turnquist - Carlisle NY
Osman Saim Dinc - Troy NY
George Ernest Reluzco - Schenectady NY
Robert Harold Cromer - Johnstown NY
Martin Francis OConnor - Niskayuna NY
David Robert Skinner - Pattersonville NY
Christopher Edward Wolfe - Niskayuna NY

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

F16J 1544

277355, 277416

A seal arrangement for a rotary machine, such as a turbine, includes a main seal segment such as a labyrinth seal segment, a brush seal segment disposed in a slot in the main seal segment and having a layer of bristles secured between upstream and downstream plates of the brush seal segment, and at least one passage radially formed through the main seal segment to communicate a balancing pressure from a pressure source located exteriorly of an outer periphery of the main seal segment to a cavity defined in the downstream plate of the brush seal segment at a downstream side of the layer of bristles of the brush seal segment.

6431827, Aug 13, 2002

Dec 21, 2000

09/741742

Christopher Edward Wolfe - Niskayuna NY
Norman Arnold Turnquist - Sloansville NY
Frederick George Baily - Ballston Spa NY
David Robert Skinner - Pattersonville NY

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

F01D 1108

4151733, 4151735, 4151745, 298883

A diaphragm has an annular groove formed of deep and shallow grooves with the deep groove opening into the shallow groove. A combination spill strip/brush seal is disposed in the groove. The brush seal comprises a pair of flexible bars secured to the proximal ends of the brush bristles by welding and is received in the shallow groove and a recess in an axial face of the spill strip. The spill strip has base portions extending into the deep groove. The combination spill strip/brush seal is secured in the annular groove by peening material of the diaphragm into the spill strip/brush seal combination. The brush seal may be used with different diameters of spill strips and diaphragm grooves.

6435513, Aug 20, 2002

Feb 26, 2001

09/791881

David Robert Skinner - Pattersonville NY
Bharat S. Bagepalli - Schenectady NY
Robert Harold Cromer - Johnstown NY
Osman Saim Dinc - Istanbul, TR
Norman Arnold Turnquist - Cobleskill NY
Christopher Edward Wolfe - Niskayuna NY

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

F16J 15447

277303, 277305, 277350, 277355, 277412

A brush seal is comprised of arcuate seal segments having ends cut in a radial direction with bristles âcantedâ at an approximate 45Â angle relative to radii of the segments, leaving triangular regions adjacent one end of each segment devoid of bristles at the segment interfaces. The brush seals are retrofit into conventional labyrinth seals with the backing plate for the bristles comprising a labyrinth tooth profile extending fully 360Â about the seal, including those areas where bristles are not present. The sealing capacity is not substantially degraded, while affording significant sealing improvements over conventional labyrinth seals. Additionally, when retrofit into labyrinth seals with radial movement, the individual labyrinth seal segments are free to move radially independently of one another during transients.

6439844, Aug 27, 2002

Dec 11, 2000

09/733293

Norman Arnold Turnquist - Sloansville NY
Lawrence D. Willey - Burnt Hills NY
Christopher Edward Wolfe - Schenectady NY

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

F01D 1112

4151733, 4151735, 4151736, 4151742, 4151745, 416191

The adjoining edges of bucket covers are sealed one to the other. A brush seal projecting from a stationary shroud overlies the bucket covers. A joint at which the adjacent covers sealingly engage each other precludes radial outflow of high pressure fluid into bristles of the brush seal, preventing radial and axial deflection of the bristles and consequent failure of the bristles. The joints between the covers may comprise lap or tongue-and-groove joints.

6454270, Sep 24, 2002

Dec 14, 2000

09/737088

Wei-Ming Chi - Sunnyvale CA
Norman Arnold Turnquist - Carlisle NY
Christopher Edward Wolfe - Niskayuna NY
Mark Arne Florin - Ballston Spa NY
Mahmut Faruk Aksit - Troy NY

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

F16J 1508

277409, 277500, 277602, 277603, 415134

A low leakage sealing system is provided between a steam pipe and a housing comprised of a pair of shells and a nozzle box movable relative to one another. The sealing system includes large and small diameter sealing rings engaging the pipe and shells or nozzle box and a secondary sealing element disposed between the sealing rings and one of the pipe and shells or nozzle box. The sealing elements comprise frustoconical elements having curved end surfaces forming primary seals with the sealing rings and the housing. In another form, the sealing system includes annular carrier elements having radially opening cavities for receiving sealing rings engageable with the pipe and housing, respectively. The carrier elements are axially spaced from a plurality of sealing rings to provide the low leakage sealing system.

6460857, Oct 8, 2002

Sep 11, 2000

09/659561

Norman Arnold Turnquist - Sloansville NY
Frederick George Baily - Ballston Spa NY
Christopher Edward Wolfe - Niskayuna NY

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

F16J 1544

277355, 277416

A brush seal segment includes a plurality of bristles disposed between a pair of backing plates. The bristles are welded to one another adjacent their proximal ends and to the edges of the backing plates remote from the bristle tips. An end plate is welded to the end faces of the backing plates at each of the opposite ends of the segment. Each end plate terminates at approximately one-half the length of the bristles along the end face to prevent the bristles from bending circumferentially and axially during handling while maintaining substantially uniform flexibility of the bristles throughout the entire length of the segment.

6517314, Feb 11, 2003

Nov 5, 2001

09/985638

Mark Edward Burnett - Buskirk NY
Norman Arnold Turnquist - Sloansville NY
Christopher Edward Wolfe - Niskayuna NY
Bruce William Brisson - Galway NY
Fredrick George Baily - Ballston Spa NY
David Alan Caruso - Ballston Lake NY

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

F01D 1100

4151737, 415230

In a steam turbine, a combined brush and labyrinth seal is provided between a diaphragm web and axial projecting platforms on bucket dovetails at a location spaced radially outwardly of the outer diameter of the rotor. The downstream axially adjacent bucket dovetails also have platforms serving as complementary sealing surfaces to labyrinth teeth formed on the web. By locating the combined labyrinth and brush seal radially outwardly of the outer diameter of the shaft, thermal bowing of the rotor is eliminated. By providing backup labyrinth seals at the same radial location, axial thrust loads are eliminated in the event of brush seal failure.

6558118, May 6, 2003

Nov 1, 2001

09/985183

Bruce William Brisson - Galway NY
Mark Edward Burnett - Buskirk NY
Frederick George Baily - Ballston Spa NY
David Alan Caruso - Ballston Lake NY
Norman Arnold Turnquist - Sloansville MI
Christopher Edward Wolfe - Schenectady NY

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

F01D 1100

4151737, 4151742, 415231

A steam turbine has a rotor mounting axially spaced rotor wheels having male dovetails for mounting a plurality of axially spaced buckets having female dovetails. A plurality of arcuate bridging members extend axially between the axially adjacent bucket dovetails at locations spaced radially outwardly of the surface of the rotor shaft. A diaphragm in radial opposition to the bridging member mounts a brush seal having bristles engaging the bridging member. The bridging member carries backup labyrinth seal teeth for sealing with the diaphragm. The friction generated by contact between the brush seal bristles and bridging members lies radially outwardly of the rotor whereby non-uniform distribution of heat about the rotor surface due to frictional contact with the brush seal is avoided, with consequent avoidance of rotor bowing.