Sundstrand Corporation

David C Quick

David Everett Russ

Robert Grennan

John W Whitehouse

Douglas J Esposito

Allen A Wood

A radially compliant gear is provided to reduce transmitted shock loads and/or resist jamming as a result of debris entering its mesh with another gear. The radially compliant gear includes a hub adapted to rotate about an axis, and a compliant rim. The hub includes a first surface that faces radially inwardly. The rim includes external gear teeth and a second surface that faces radially outwardly. The rim is mounted to the hub through the first and second surfaces to allow localized radial deflections of the rim relative to the hub. The first and second surfaces are configured to provide a predetermined minimum radial preload between the rim and the hub.

Compliant gear

In order to prevent serious damage to a flight control system in a failure mode, a failure protection unit includes an input shaft connected to a shaft of the flight control system with the input shaft normally being operably associated with a plunger having a brake hub integral therewith for rotational driven movement of the plunger and the brake hub through the input shaft. The plunger and the brake hub are movable relative to the input shaft, and a brake reaction plate is positioned within a housing in normally spaced relation to the brake hub. The brake hub is biased by a spring in a direction toward the brake reaction plate and the plunger is biased by the spring in a direction away from the input shaft. The plunger is normally locked against movement by a detent which resists movement of the plunger away from the input shaft and movement of the brake hub toward the brake reaction plate. With these features of construction, a trip mechanism initiates engagement of the brake hub with the brake reaction plate responsive to an overspeed condition for the shaft of the flight control system by disabling the detent to thereby allow the spring to cause movement of the brake hub toward the brake reaction plate and movement of the plunger away from the input shaft.

Speed responsive brake device

An integrated variable speed compressor drive system for driving a compressor which compresses air from an air source and outputs compressed air. The integrated variable speed compressor drive system includes a hydrostatic transmission coupled to a drive shaft for converting a varying rotational speed of the drive shaft into a first rotational speed. A differential coupled to the hydrostatic transmission and the drive shaft is included in the invention for outputting in response to the varying rotational speed of the drive shaft and the first rotational speed of the hydrostatic transmission, a second rotational speed. The differential is coupled to the compressor and drives the compressor using the second rotational speed. The second rotational speed is related to the first rotational speed output by the hydrostatic transmission. The hydrostatic transmission in response to a control signal supplied thereto varies the first rotational speed to thereby control the second rotational speed which drives the compressor.

Integrated variable speed compressor drive system

An automatic neutral position locking system for a control surface of an aircraft. A hydraulic prime mover is provided for moving the control surface. A locking device is capable of locking the control surface against movement. A ratchet-and-pawl device is operatively associated with a rotary drive train between the prime mover and the control surface for actuating the locking device in response to the control surface reaching a neutral position. The ratchet-and-pawl device normally is maintained in inactive condition when hydraulic pressure exists in the prime mover. A pneumatic piston-and-cylinder device, when under pressure, maintains the ratchet-and-pawl device in normally inactive condition. With a loss of hydraulic pressure, the ratchet-and-pawl device is effective to actuate the locking device in response to the control surface itself reaching the neutral position as the control surface moves under external loads.

Neutral position locking system for aircraft control surfaces

An improved support ring (50) is disclosed for supporting a plurality of planetary gear sets (20) which are driven by a centrally disposed input shaft (12) having a sun gear (16) attached thereto in which the planetary gear sets are subject to radially inward loads. The support ring (50) includes an inner ring (52) and an outer ring (57). The inner ring (52) has a bore (54) which is disposed around the input shaft (12) and an outside surface (56) and the outer ring (57) has a bore (58) with a diameter greater than the diameter of the outside surface of the inner ring. The outside surface (60) of the outer ring rotatably supports the planetary gear sets (20). Preferably, the outer ring (57) has a spring rate which is less than the inner ring (52) to readily permit absorption of radial loads when the outer ring does not contact the inner ring. A retaining ring (62) may be provided to maintain a fixed axial relationship between the inner (52) and outer rings (57).

Variable stiffness support ring

A backdrive overload clutch mechanism which includes a rotatable drive member and a rotatable driven member mounted concentric with respect to the drive member. A pair of cooperating clutch jaws, including chamfered teeth, are provided with one jaw on each of the drive and driven members for rotation therewith and separable by relative movement between the members longitudinally of their axis of rotation. A first spring normally urges the clutch jaws into driving engagement. A tongue-and-groove disengaging device disengages the clutch jaws automatically in response to relative rotation between the clutch jaws. A second spring maintains the clutch jaws out of driving engagement when the clutch jaws are automatically disengaged.

Backdrive overload release clutch

The invention is directed to a rotational speed sensing switch which provides a variable linear displacement of an output member in response to a varying speed rotational input. The switch includes a sensing means, which includes a rotatable rolling element-and-ramp assembly, acting in cooperation with a signaling means which includes an axially movable actuating disc, an output member comprising a switch rod, and a biasing means. The aforementioned improvement over the prior art comprises a regulating means included within the sensing means.

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Rockford, IL, United States of America

David C Quick