ROBERT BROCK RUTHERFORD
Pilots at Quail Cir, Concord Township, OH

6667100, Dec 23, 2003

May 13, 2002

10/144493

Robert B. Rutherford - Kirtland OH
Richard L. Dudman - Euclid OH

EGC Enterprises, Inc. - Chardon OH

B32B 900

428408, 428174, 428336, 219200, 219552, 156230, 1562739, 1563082

An ultra-thin flexible expanded graphite heating high resistance element is produced by a method including the steps of providing a flexible expanded graphite sheet having a surface adhered to a substrate; pulling apart the sheet and the substrate with a force sufficient to separate the adhered flexible expanded graphite sheet into a removed layer and a remainder layer adhered to the substrate; and optionally repeating the foregoing steps until the remainder layer has a thickness of about 0. 01 mils to about 2 mils. A resistance heater for high voltage applications is also provided.

6330986, Dec 18, 2001

Oct 16, 2000

9/690031

Robert B. Rutherford - Kirtland OH
Richard L. Dudman - Euclid OH

Northcoast Technologies - Chardon OH

B64D 1500

244134E

An electrothermal zoned de-icing system for an aircraft employs a heat-conducting tape bonded to the leading edge of an aircraft structure. The heat-conducting tape has a spanwise parting strip area, and first and second ice accumulation and shedding zones. The tape comprises a non-metallic electrical and heat conducting layer consisting of flexible expanded graphite foil laminated to an outer heat-conducting layer, in which the thickness of the flexible expanded graphite foil layer in the parting strip area is always greater than the thickness of the foil layer in either of the ice accumulation and shedding zones. Therefore, the parting strip area has a decreased electrical resistance, a greater flow of current, and becomes hotter than the zones in which the foil layer is thinner. Because the flexible expanded graphite foil is a monolithic structure that may be shaped, sculptured or layered to form different thicknesses in different areas, only a single control mechanism for a single set of electric terminals is necessary to produce desired watt densities and temperatures in the parting strip and ice accumulation and shedding zones.

6279856, Aug 28, 2001

Jul 30, 1999

9/364804

Robert B. Rutherford - Kirtland OH
Richard L. Dudman - Euclid OH

Northcoast Technologies - Chardon OH

B64D 1500

244134E

An electrothermal zoned de-icing system for an aircraft employs a heat-conducting tape bonded to the leading edge of an aircraft structure. The heat-conducting tape has a spanwise parting strip area, and first and second ice accumulation and shedding zones. The tape comprises a non-metallic electrical and heat conducting layer consisting of flexible expanded graphite foil laminated to an outer heat-conducting layer, in which the thickness of the flexible expanded graphite foil layer in the parting strip area is always greater than the thickness of the foil layer in either of the ice accumulation and shedding zones. Therefore, the parting strip area has a decreased electrical resistance, a greater flow of current, and becomes hotter than the zones in which the foil layer is thinner. Because the flexible expanded graphite foil is a monolithic structure that may be shaped, sculptured or layered to form different thicknesses in different areas, only a single control mechanism for a single set of electric terminals is necessary to produce desired watt densities and temperatures in the parting strip and ice accumulation and shedding zones.

6237874, May 29, 2001

Oct 15, 1999

9/419466

Robert B. Rutherford - Kirtland OH
Richard L. Dudman - Euclid OH

Northcoast Technologies - Chardon OH

B64D 1500

244134E

An electrothermal zoned de-icing system for an aircraft employs a heat-conducting tape bonded to the leading edge of an aircraft structure subject to an impinging airstream during flight. The heat-conducting tape has a spanwise parting strip area, and first and second ice accumulation and shedding zones. The tape comprises a non-metallic electrical and heat-conducting layer consisting of flexible expanded graphite foil laminated to an outer heat-conducting layer, in which the thickness of the flexible expanded graphite foil layer in the parting strip area is always greater than the thickness of the foil layer in either of the ice accumulation and shedding zones. Therefore, the parting strip area has a decreased electrical resistance, a greater flow of current, and becomes hotter than the zones in which the foil layer is thinner. Because the flexible expanded graphite foil is a monolithic structure that may be shaped, sculptured or layered to form different thicknesses in different areas, only a single control mechanism for a single set of electric terminals is necessary to produce temperature differentials in the parting strip and ice accumulation and shedding zones for a cycled zoned de-icing system.

5934617, Aug 10, 1999

Sep 22, 1997

8/935165

Robert B. Rutherford - Kirtland OH

Northcoast Technologies - Chardon OH

B64D 1500, B64C 100

244134E

A thermal de-ice and anti-ice system for aircraft surfaces employs a laminate in which flexible expanded graphite foil is an electrical and heat conducting layer that is disposed below an outer heat conducting layer, with an electrically insulating layer below the graphite layer. The flexible expanded graphite layer requires about three times less wattage than known resistance heating pad thermal systems to achieve de-ice and/or anti-ice temperatures. The temperature of the surface is controlled by varying the power supplied to the flexible expanded graphite layer of the laminate in response to a real time temperature value transmitted to a power control.

6194685, Feb 27, 2001

Jul 30, 1999

9/364388

Robert B. Rutherford - Kirtland OH

Northcoast Technologies - Chardon OH

H05B 1100

219201

A thermal de-ice and anti-ice system for aircraft surfaces employs a laminate in which flexible expanded graphite foil is an electrical and heat conducting layer that is disposed below an outer heat conducting layer, with an electrically insulating layer below the graphite layer. The flexible expanded graphite layer requires about three times less wattage than known resistance heating pad thermal systems to achieve de-ice and/or anti-ice temperatures. The temperature of the surface is controlled by varying the power supplied to the flexible expanded graphite layer of the laminate in response to a real time temperature value transmitted to a power control.

6886233, May 3, 2005

May 13, 2002

10/144633

Robert B. Rutherford - Kirtland OH, US
Richard L. Dudman - Euclid OH, US

EGC Enterprises, Inc. - Chardon OH

B23P019/02, B23P019/00, B32B009/00

294264, 294261, 428408

A method for decreasing the thickness of a flexible expanded graphite sheet is provided that includes the steps of providing a a flexible expanded graphite sheet having a surface adhered to a substrate, pulling apart the sheet and the substrate with a force sufficient to separate the adhered flexible expanded graphite sheet into a removed layer and a remainder layer adhered to the substrate; and optionally repeating the foregoing steps until the remainder layer has a desired thickness.

2004008, May 6, 2004

Oct 24, 2003

10/693348

Robert Rutherford - Kirtland OH, US
Richard Dudman - Euclid OH, US

C01B031/04

423/448000

An ultra-thin flexible expanded graphite heating high resistance element is produced by a method including the steps of providing a flexible expanded graphite sheet having a surface adhered to a substrate; pulling apart the sheet and the substrate with a force sufficient to separate the adhered flexible expanded graphite sheet into a removed layer and a remainder layer adhered to the substrate; and optionally repeating the foregoing steps until the remainder layer has a thickness of about 0.01 mils to about 2 mils. A resistance heater for high voltage applications is also provided.