ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 9 -- United States Patent no. 12,270,443, issued on April 8, was assigned to Tech M3 Inc. (Poway, Calif.).

"Brake rotor with working surface inserts" was invented by Richard Bean (El Cajon, Calif.), Nathan K. Meckel (Ramona, Calif.) and Walter F. Frankiewicz (Marblehead, Ohio).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A brake rotor assembly can include a structural part having a receiving surface and at least one friction surface parts having a contact surface. The friction surface part can be fixably attached to the receiving surface of the structural part such that the contact surface faces away from the receiving surface of the structural surface to form at least part of an annu...