Honeywell International Inc.

Alliedsignal Inc.

David D McAfee

Slawomir T Fryska

Charles A Parker

David A Niespodziany

Andrew S Haynes

Matthew D Spray

Sean W Linden

Todd R Auel

Steve Hodge

A method of mounting a hubcap on a wheel that involves providing a wheel having an annular hub surrounding an axis of rotation, the hub including a first periphery extending along the circumference of a circle surrounding the axis of rotation and a second periphery spaced from the circumference of the circle, providing a hubcap having a top wall and a cylindrical sidewall extending from the top wall, the cylindrical sidewall having an end edge spaced from the top wall and a circumferential flange projecting from the cylindrical side wall, the circumferential flange having a sidewall and an alignment tab projecting from the sidewall, aligning the hubcap alignment tab with the second periphery, placing the hubcap sidewall against the hub and the alignment tab over the second periphery, and clamping the hubcap to the wheel. Also a wheel () including a hubcap () and a clamp ().

Wheel having hubcap clamp mounted to improve wheel balance and method of balancing a wheel using a hubcap clamp

A method of increasing carbon disc utilization in aircraft carbon brakes. A brake () is initially assembled with a heat stack () of alternating thick rotors (R&#x2013;R) and thin stators (S&#x2013;S). When the piston () is fully extended, it is retracted and a spacer () is inserted between the piston () and the original heat stack (). The brake () is then subjected to a another half tour. After this half tour, the brake () is overhauled, and the now-thin discs (S&#x2013;SPP and BP) are replaced with thick discs to form another heat stack (). For the next half tour, no spacer is used between the piston () and the heat stack (). At the end of this half tour and the piston () is fully extended, a spacer () is inserted between the piston () and the heat stack (). The heat stack () remains unchanged. For the next half tour, it is accomplished with the spacer (). When this half tour is completed, the worn out rotors are replaced with new thick rotors and the process can be repeated.

Method of increasing friction material utilization for carbon brakes

A convertible aircraft brake assembly ( ) designed as original equipment to have heat sinks comprising a steel heat sink ( ) aircraft brake assembly and a carbon-carbon composite heat sink ( ) aircraft brake assembly. When the aircraft brake assembly is converted from one type of heat sink to the other, the conversion is accomplished with minimal changes in component parts. The conversion can be accomplished with a change in the piston bushing assemblies ( ) of the piston housing ( ), while the torque tube ( ), wheel ( ), piston housing ( ) and other parts can be utilized with the heat sinks ( ).

Method of converting an aircraft brake assembly and a convertible aircraft brake assembly

The thermal fuse valve (10, 110) is disposed within a passage (14, 114) of the wheel rim (12, 112). The thermal fuse valve (10, 110) includes a retention mechanism (22, 122) which engages a complementary-shaped retention mechanism (13, 113) of the passage (14, 114) such that the thermal fuse valve (10, 110) is disposed stationary relative to the passage (14, 114). The thermal fuse valve (10, 110) comprises a fuse body (20, 120) joined with a sealing fuse plug (30, 130) by way of a fusible material (40, 140). The fuse body (20, 120) includes a central opening (24, 24A, 124) receiving an axial extension (34, 134) of said sealing plug (10, 110). A seal (50, 150) is disposed about the perimeter of the sealing fuse plug (30, 130) in order to retain pressurized fluid within the tire, the pressurized fluid communicating with the central opening (24, 24A, 124) and acting upon the extension ( 34, 134) of the sealing fuse plug (30, 130). An increase in temperature to a predetermined temperature causes the fusible material (40, 140) to melt and, in conjunction with the increased fluid pressure within the wheel, permits the sealing fuse plug (30, 130) to be released from the passage (14, 114) so that the pressurized fluid escapes through the central opening (24, 24A, 124).

Thermal fuse valve

The hydraulic brake adjuster (10) intensifying and piston assembly (30) include an exterior pressure device (11) which is disposed separate from a piston (32). The exterior pressure device (11) includes a differential area piston (12) receiving actuation fluid pressure and an outlet (26) which communicates fluid pressure to the piston assembly (30). The piston assembly (30) includes a piston bushing (40) received within the piston (32) to define substantially therebetween a pair of longitudinal pressure chambers (50, 95), a recessed piston (60) received within the piston bushing (40) to define therebetween an axial pressure chamber (70), the axial pressure chamber (70) communicating with one (50) of the pair of longitudinal pressure chambers (50, 95), and the one longitudinal pressure chamber (50) receiving actuation fluid pressure. A piston valve (90) is located within an interior opening (97) in the piston (60), the interior opening (97) communicating with the axial pressure chamber (70). The piston valve (90) extends through front (74) and rear (68) wall openings of the piston (60), and is biased by a spring (94) toward the rear wall (66). The rear wall (66) of the piston (60) and the bushing (40) define a portion of the other longitudinal pressure chamber (95) which communicates with the outlet (26) of the exterior pressure device (11).

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Niles, MI, United States of America

David D McAfee