Textron Innovations Inc.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Grant Michael Beall

Charles Hubert Speller

George Matthew Thompson

Jonathan Andrew Knoll

Cody C Anderson

Kyle Thomas Cravener

William Anthony Amante

Gilberto Morales

Brady Garrett Atkins

Michael Raymond Hull

Stephen Yibum Chung

Jessica Arlie Revere

A rotor system for an aircraft includes an open rotor assembly comprising a plurality of rotor blades connected to a rotor mast via a yoke, wherein the rotor assembly is tiltable between a first position corresponding to an airplane mode and a second position corresponding to a helicopter mode; and a drive system for providing rotational energy to the open rotor assembly via the rotor mast, the drive system comprising at least one electric motor for providing rotational energy to a drive shaft and a gearbox connected to the drive shaft for receiving rotational energy from the at least one electric motor via the drive shaft and providing rotational energy to the rotor mast via a rotor shaft; wherein the drive system is rotatable relative to the wing about a tilt axis and the rotor shaft is coaxial with the drive shaft.

Electric tiltrotor aircraft with tilting coaxial motors and gearbox

A rotor system for an aircraft includes a rotor assembly comprising a plurality of rotor blades connected to a rotor mast, wherein the rotor assembly is tiltable relative to a wing of the aircraft between a first position corresponding to an airplane mode of the aircraft and a second position corresponding to a helicopter mode of the aircraft; and a drive system for providing rotational energy to the rotor assembly via the rotor mast. The drive system includes at least one electric motor for generating rotational energy to a motor shaft; and a gearbox connected to receive rotational energy from the at least one electric motor via the motor shaft and to provide rotational energy to the rotor mast via a rotor shaft, wherein the at least one electric motor is fixed relative to the wing of the aircraft.

Electric tiltrotor aircraft with fixed motors

A motor assembly is described and includes a housing; a plurality of motors disposed within the housing; and a drive shaft comprising a plurality of interconnected drive shaft segments, wherein each one of the drive shaft segments is driven by a different one of the motors connected to the drive shaft segment via an integrated overrunning clutch.

Aircraft rotor assembly with segmented input shaft for electric motor stack and gearbox unit

An electric-motor system includes a forward electric-motor assembly, a rear electric-motor assembly arranged in series relative to the forward electric-motor assembly, a forward electric-motor driveshaft splined to the forward electric-motor assembly and comprising a forward electric-motor drive-shaft shear section, and a rear electric-motor driveshaft splined to the rear electric-motor assembly and comprising a rear electric-motor drive-shaft shear section, at least a portion of the rear electric-motor driveshaft arranged concentrically within the forward electric-motor driveshaft. The forward electric-motor driveshaft and the rear electric-motor driveshaft rotate about a common axis.

Concentric electric-motor driveshaft system and method

A rotor system for an aircraft includes an open rotor assembly comprising an open rotor assembly comprising a plurality of rotor blades connected to a rotor mast, wherein the rotor assembly is tiltable relative to a wing of the aircraft between a first position corresponding to an airplane mode of the aircraft and a second position corresponding to a helicopter mode of the aircraft; and a drive system for providing rotational energy to the open rotor assembly via the rotor mast. The drive system includes at least one electric motor for generating rotational energy to a motor shaft; and a gearbox connected to receive rotational energy from the at least one electric motor via the motor shaft and to provide rotational energy to the rotor mast via a rotor shaft, wherein the at least one electric motor is fixed relative to the wing of the aircraft.

A lockout system for an aircraft having a rotor assembly. The lockout system includes a drive shaft coupled to and rotatable with the rotor assembly, a nonrotating airframe structure disposed proximate the drive shaft and a lock assembly having first and second lock members. The first lock member is rotatable with the drive shaft and includes a plurality of bearing assemblies. The second lock member is coupled to the nonrotating airframe structure and includes a cradle having a plurality of asymmetric slots each with a leading ramp and a trailing stop. The lock assembly has a disengaged position in which rotation of the drive shaft is allowed and an engaged position in which each of the bearing assemblies is seated within one of the asymmetric slots to prevent rotation of the drive shaft. The lock assembly is actuatable between the engaged and disengaged positions.

Proprotor lockout systems for tiltrotor aircraft

A motor assembly is described and includes a housing having a forward endplate and a rear endplate; a plurality of motors disposed within the housing; and a drive shaft driven by the plurality of motors and having a first end extending through the forward endplate of the housing and a second end extending through the rear endplate of the housing, wherein the first end of the drive shaft is configured to engage with a gearbox.

Electric motor stack with integral one-piece gearbox input shaft

A resolver assembly for a ducted-rotor aircraft is configured to detect and measure rotation of a spindle of the aircraft. The resolver assembly includes first and second gear-driven resolvers. The first and second resolvers are coupled about a shared pivot axis and are independently pivotable about the pivot axis to maintain engagement of the first and second resolvers with the spindle of the aircraft. The resolver assembly is configured such that the first and second resolvers are biased toward the spindle. The input shafts of the first and second resolvers are spaced from the pivot axis through respective first and second distances that extend outward from the pivot axis along respective first and second radial directions. The first distance is equal to the second distance and the first radial direction is not coincident with the second radial direction.

Dual-mount for spring-loaded gear-driven resolvers

A rotor system comprising a driveshaft; at least one motor for providing rotational energy for the driveshaft; an overrunning clutch connected to the motor and disposed around the driveshaft, wherein the overrunning clutch is rotated by the at least one motor; and a pump assembly associated with the at least one motor, the pump assembly comprising a large bore through which the driveshaft passes such that the pump assembly is arranged concentric to the driveshaft, the pump assembly further comprising a gerotor pump comprising inner and outer gerotor pump gears, wherein an inner bore of the gerotor pump engages and is driven by the overrunning clutch; and a cover disposed over the gerotor pump for providing a sump for the gerotor pump.

Electric drive system for rotorcraft

A rotor system for an aircraft is described and includes an open rotor assembly comprising a plurality of rotor blades connected to a rotor mast; and a drive system for providing rotational energy to the open rotor assembly via the rotor mast. The drive system includes at least one electric motor for providing rotational energy to a motor shaft; and a gearbox connected to the drive shaft for receiving rotational energy from the at least one electric motor via the motor shaft and providing rotational energy to the rotor mast via a rotor shaft.

Electric tiltrotor aircraft with offset tilting motors

An electric motor adapted to apply torque to a drive shaft rotatable about an axis, the electric motor includes a stator, a rotor adapted to rotate relative to the stator, a primary bearing interoperably coupled to the stator and adapted to provide bearing support between the stator and the rotor, an auxiliary bearing interoperably coupled to the drive shaft, an annular shear adapter connected to the primary bearing and the auxiliary bearing, and a shear pin interoperably coupled to the primary bearing via the annular shear adapter and configured to break responsive to torque between the annular shear adapter and the drive shaft exceeding a predetermined torque threshold.

Electric motor with backup bearing assembly

A system for image guided assembly of a structure, the structure defining an interior area accessible through at least one access opening, the interior area including at least one fastener hole. The system including a first fastening tool including an arm with first and second ends; and a support plate on the first end, the support plate including at least one connection member to securely retain a fastener therein, the at least one connection member configured to facilitate alignment of the fastener with the at least one fastener hole; an image capturing device disposed on the arm first end configured to generate a captured image of the interior area; a light source associated with the arm first end, the light source configured to generate light at the first end of the arm; and a display device located outside the interior area for displaying the captured image of the interior area.

Growing community of inventors

Plano, TX, United States of America

Grant Michael Beall