Alliedsignal Inc.

Douglas J Wise

Stanley W May

Michael J Zarembka

Brian K Berk

George C Beardsley

Albert E Kartman

An aircraft brake assembly (10) comprises a torque tube (12) connected with a piston housing (14), and a heat sink (50) comprising friction material stator discs (22, 24, 26, 28, 30) connected non-rotatably with the torque tube (12) and friction material rotor discs (40) for connection with a wheel. The piston housing (14) includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart pistons (16) for compressing the heat sink (50) during braking. Because of size limitations imposed upon the piston housing (14), fluid passages (23) in the piston housing (14) are offset or cross-drilled and terminate at piston housing bosses (15) located circumferentially between the pistons (16) and facing the pressure plate or adjacent friction material stator disc (30). The adjacent friction material stator disc (30) includes a recess(es) (60, 61), either a continuous annular groove (60) or a series of pockets (61), for receiving either the bosses (15) and ends (17) of the pistons (16) or just the bosses (15), thereby enabling an increase in the overall axial length ('X') of the heat sink (50) to provide additional wearable friction material and an increase in potential landings per brake overhaul.

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South Bend, IN, United States of America

Douglas J Wise