DANIEL J WOODS
Nursing at Parker Dr, Florence, SC

6591854, Jul 15, 2003

Dec 14, 2000

09/737085

David R. Turner - Florence SC
Daniel C. Woods - Florence SC
Jerry Butler - Florence SC
Daniel Molumby - Florence SC
Lawrence V. Bischke - Florence SC
Wayne Cooke - Florence SC
Christopher G. King - Monroe CT
Mehdi Kaveh - Westborough MA

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC - Waukesha WI

F16K 1716

137 6823, 137 6828, 137269, 220 892, 62 511

A burst disk assembly has a burst disk which is interposed within the high pressure relief vent of a superconducting magnet. The burst disk is a composite design constructed of a solid carbon graphite center surrounded by an integrally formed stainless steel ring. A captured burst disk flange insures proper placement and seating of the burst disk during replacement and supports the burst disk so as to prevent it from falling or dropping out of the assembly during replacement of the ruptured burst disk. A deformable gasket contiguous to the burst disk seals the burst disk to the captured burst disk flange when the disk and the flange are pressed together. Attachment bolts are used to provide even application of pressure along the face of the burst disk and the captured burst disk flange.

4872322, Oct 10, 1989

Sep 2, 1988

7/239811

Daniel C. Woods - Florence SC
Kenneth R. Efferson - Oak Ridge TN

General Electric Company - Milwaukee WI

F25B 1900

62 511

A power operated contact apparatus extends and retracts one or more electrical leads into and out of a cryostat for making and breaking, at a cryogenic temperature, electrical contacts with a superconductive circuit. A pair of rigid elongated leads extend into a cold space of the cryostat which is at or near a cryogenic temperature. A connector is fixed at the inner end of each lead for making electrical contact in the cold space with a mating connector of the superconductive circuit. A guide journals each lead for axial movement and seals against the leading using an elastomeric O-ring coated with a lubricious polymer. A foundation is attached and sealed to the cryostat and to the guide means so that the connector on the inner end of the lead is extendable into making electrical contact with the connector of the superconductive circuit in the cold space. An air cylinder operated four bar linkage extends and retracts the leads to and from making electrical contact wiht the superconductive circuit in the cold space. The leads are cooled by flowing cryogen from the cryostat through them, which flow is turned off when they are disconnected, and prevented from freezing up outside of the cryostat by a flow of air directed around the leads.

5701742, Dec 30, 1997

Dec 29, 1995

8/581099

Phillip William Eckels - Florence SC
Daniel C. Woods - Florence SC

General Electric Company - Milwaukee WI

F25B 900

62 6

An indium gasket having a configuration which allows the indium to reach its yield point at a relatively low contact pressure. The indium gasket is provided with a multiplicity of openings which are filled by the deforming indium during compression between the cryocooler and the cryocooler interface sleeve of a superconducting magnet system. The creation of openings in the gasket has the effect of decreasing the mechanical interface pressure at which the indium yields. The indium flows at a mechanical interface pressure that does not exceed the structural strength requirements of the cryocooler. The indium flows into the empty spaces formed by the openings, thereby providing the necessary thermal conductance between the cryocooler and the interface sleeve. The result is a relatively small temperature difference between the interface sleeve and the cryocooler during cooling of the superconducting magnets.

5291168, Mar 1, 1994

May 11, 1992

7/880847

Daniel C. Woods - Florence SC
William S. Stogner - Florence SC
David R. Turner - Florence SC

General Electric Company - Milwaukee WI

H01F 100

335216

Power couplings are provided from outside the shell of a superconducting magnet through the intervening space and through the cryogen pressure vessel to the magnet coils within the vessel. The multi-pin shim magnet connector is replaceable without cutting the vessel open and the shim and main magnet main coil connectors include central apertures through which cryogen boil-off gas is flowed before venting to cool the connectors and reduce boil-off.

5369387, Nov 29, 1994

May 11, 1992

7/880848

Daniel C. Woods - Florence SC
William S. Stogner - Florence SC

General Electric Company - Milwaukee WI

H01F 100

335216

A power coupling assembly for superconducting magnets includes a conduit with insulating tubes around each power lead, with the tubing passing through a plug at the upper end of the conduit and extending only part way to the lower end. Cryogen gas flowing from the magnet chamber into the conduit is forced to flow through the multiple tubes to cool the leads.

5099215, Mar 24, 1992

Aug 29, 1990

7/574026

Daniel C. Woods - Florence SC
William S. Stogner - Florence SC

General Electric Company - Milwaukee WI

H01F 722

335216

The device is provided for detachably coupling a power source to a lead pin of the superconducting magnet, the magnet being located in a cryostat using helium and the lead pin being in the region of helium vapor. Device includes a split connector formed to engage the pin, an elongated rod joined to the connector in conductive relationship, and a torque tube positioned around the rod in rotatable relationship. The tube is rotated, a nut joined to the tube and positioned around split connector causes the connector to tightly grip the pin. The device is configured to direct a flow of helium vapor along a path which is proximate to the interface between the connector and pin, to remove heat from the interface and thereby reduce resistance to current flow across the interface.

5307037, Apr 26, 1994

Oct 28, 1992

7/967315

Daniel C. Woods - Florence SC
William S. Stogner - Florence SC

General Electric Company - Milwaukee WI

H01F 722

335216

A flexible castellated joint is included in the shim lead assembly electrically connecting the cryostat pressure vessel and the outer vacuum vessel in a superconducting magnet to accommodate relative motion between the two vessels during transportation of the superconducting magnet.

5291739, Mar 8, 1994

Jun 29, 1992

7/905955

Daniel C. Woods - Florence SC
William S. Stogner - Florence SC
Robert R. Carey - Florence SC

General Electric Company - Milwaukee WI

F17C 704

62 481

An adjustable alignment assembly for a cryogen venting system for a superconducting magnet including a radially adjustable floating flange connection with a cryogenic seal to enable precise alignment of the cryostat vent pipe with the ceiling vent pipe of the room in which the superconducting magnet is installed.

5265430, Nov 30, 1993

Jun 3, 1992

7/892839

William E. Chen - Florence SC
Daniel C. Woods - Florence SC

General Electric Company - Milwaukee WI

F17C 704

62 481

Apparatus for reducing heat leakage into the interior of a liquid cryogen-holding vessel from the sealed well through which the vessel is accessed. An actively cooled heat sink in the well transfers heat to low temperature cryogen vapor venting from this vessel to the external environment.

5701744, Dec 30, 1997

Oct 31, 1996

8/741993

Phillip William Eckels - Florence SC
Kazuhiko Sato - Ishikawa-machi, JP
Daniel Christian Woods - Florence SC
Granville Geer Ward - Florence SC
Gregory Farin Hayworth - Florence SC
Christopher G. King - Florence SC

General Electric company - Milwaukee WI

F17C 502, H01F 722, F25B 1900

62 471

A cryogen recondensing system magnetic resonance imager superconducting magnet and a cryogen recondensing system with a rare earth displacement material cryocooler and superconductive lead bismuth magnetic sleeve provides superconducting current flow of currents induced by movement of the rare earth displacer which generate opposing magnetic fields to shield the superconducting magnet from the magnetic interference of the cryocooler rare earth displacer. Strips of high conductivity wave-shaped aluminum or sapphire rods may be embedded in the surface of the sleeve to lower the thermal resistance of the superconducting shield to enable it to quickly reach superconducting temperature.