United Technologies Corporation

Gordon G Miller

Evan A Fradenburgh

Edmond F Kiely

A drive system for varying the diameter of a variable diameter rotor has a gear drive system associated with a single coaxial shaft lower end which includes a gear set for increasing or decreasing the speed of rotation of the coaxial shaft relative to the rotor drive shaft to change the length of two or more variable length blades. Utilizing a single shaft system allows a variable diameter rotor drive system to be adapted to gimballed rotors which require shaft flexibility. Since only a single shaft extends through the rotor drive shaft, hub complexity is reduced.

Drive system for changing the diameter of a variable diameter rotor

A viscous damper for a helicopter rotor blade having a stator member and a rotor member each having a plurality of flanges of different diameter defining cylindrical internal and external shear surfaces, respectfully, and a shear gap therebetween, one stator member internal shear surface having two diameters, the shear gap distances between proportional to radius, and a coaxial rotor member comprising two discs having outer cylindrical shaped shear suraces forming a shear gap with adjacent stator member shear surfaces and one rotor disc being axially movable so that a variable portion of its shear surface is opposite both of the diameters of the stator member two-diameter internal shear surface.

Adjustment means for helicopter rotor blade viscous damper

A fiber reinforced composite flexbeam which has torsionally stiff inboard and outboard end portions which taper down to form a torsionally soft, resilient, solid medial web portion is disclosed. Such a flexbeam may be used as a structural member in rotor connectors for a rotary wing aircraft to connect the rotor blade to the rotor hub.

Composite flexbeam for a rotary wing aircraft

The present invention is a method of making fiber reinforced composite articles using match molds to compact a partially hollow fiber/matrix lay-up. The method comprises wrapping the matrix and fiber reinforcement about a mandrel, removing the mandrel from the lay-up or chilling the wrapped mandrel allowing for easy removal of the mandrel resulting in a relatively stiff hollow lay-up. The lay-up is then placed in a mold and compacted and cured to form the desired composite article. Such a method provides an easy method to form such complex composite article shapes as I-beam, C-beam, etc.

Method of forming a fiber reinforced composite article of a complex

The present invention is a flexible fairing for covering rotor connections on a rotor wing aircraft. Such a fairing would comprise a flexible polyurethane foam material which could maintain its aerodynamic shape while in flight yet be compliant enough to allow for changes in blade pitch without adding significant torsional stiffness to the connector. In addition, a flexible urethane rubber coating may be used to protect the foam fairing for abrasion or moisture absorption.

Aerodynamic flexible fairing

Rotor tilt is permitted by two spherical elastomeric bearings, one above a hub member and one below, that have coincident centers at a tilt point (P) on the rotorshaft axis which is below the rotor plane. Positive rotor thrust is reacted by the upper bearing and negative rotor thrust is reacted by the lower bearing. Techniques for assembling the rotor system, precompressing the bearings, and limiting tilt are also disclosed.

Helicopter gimbal rotor

Hub moment for a tilt rotor is provided by U-shaped springs that extend outwardly from the rotorshaft and in-plane with the tilt point (P) and inwardly to the tiltable hub member in the rotor plane, which is above the tilt point (P). Driving torque is supplied to the rotor via a torque disc that has a resilient diaphragm portion attached to the rotorshaft in-plane with the tilt point (P) and a rigid rim attached to the tiltable hub member in the rotor plane. The torque disc comprises the lower half of an aerodynamic fairing which encases the hub.

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Shelton, CT, United States of America

Gordon G Miller