Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Joseph J Zierer

David Allen Haynie

Cecil E Covington

Ernst C Schellhase

Frank B Stamps

Paul K Oldroyd

Richard Erler Rauber

Patrick R Tisdale

Mark Adam Wiinikka

Eric Charles Boyle

Ajay Sehgal

William D Neathery

Thomas C Campbell

Timothy Kent Ledbetter

Clifton B Day

Stanley G Sadler

Tom Campbell

Ron Measom

Tricia Hiros

Ronnie Lee Martin

Charles L Baskin

James L Braswell

C Ed Covington

Dan Anastas, Deceased

Paul E Keefer

D J Reddy

By Peggy Anastas, Executrix

Jim Harse

Bob Mullins

James Lee Braswell

Stanley Gene Sadler

Timothy K Ledbetter

Ronnie L Martin

An assembly for providing flexure to a blade of a rotary blade system, the assembly including an upper support plate having an upper curved surface, a lower support plate having a lower curved surface, and a yoke positioned therebetween. At least one of the upper and lower yoke surfaces having a layer of cushioning material positioned thereon and secured thereto. The layer of cushioning material extending along and following the general contour of yoke surface, and the layer of cushioning material directly contacting a support plate. Another embodiment is an assembly for providing flexure to a blade of a rotary blade system, including, an upper support plate having an upper curved surface, a lower support plate having a lower curved surface, and a yoke positioned therebetween and directly contacting the support plates wherein one of the curved surfaces is a non-circular arc that does not form part of the circumference of a circle.

Assembly for providing flexure to blade system

A main rotor shear restraint that includes two spherical ball segments, two corresponding bearing outer races, and a spring system for loading the bearing outer races against the two spherical ball segments.

Main rotor shear restraint

A multi-bladed tail rotor assembly is disclosed that provides higher aerodynamic performance, damage tolerant design with 10,000-hour life expectancy, and which requires low maintenance through the use of composites and elastomerics. The tail rotor hub assembly includes two stacked yoke assemblies having multi-bladed teetering rotors, each mounted on a single drive mast. Each yoke assembly includes a yoke hub having a transverse bore therethrough, a bearing assembly disposed within the bore, and retention means for aligning and securing the bearing assembly within the bore. Each bearing assembly includes a trunnion portion having trunnion arms that extend outwardly from a trunnion body portion, and an elastomeric bearing disposed about each trunnion arm. The tail rotor assembly utilizes a composite twist strap flexure to accommodate collective pitch control integral with each rotor blade.

Multi-bladed tail rotor hub design for coriolis relief

The present invention is for an improved rotating control system for use on tilt rotor aircraft and helicopters. Existing rotating control systems usually include a non-rotating swashplate and a rotating swashplate, both swashplates having a plurality of clevises, each clevis formed by at least two clevis arms. The clevis arms are disposed in a clevis plane, and an axis of symmetry is located in the clevis plane between the clevis arms. The devises on the non-rotating swashplate are adapted to pivotally receive an actuator rod which has a rod axis defined by the actuator rod. The apparatus of the present invention includes an anti-rotation clip that is disposed between the clevis arms of each clevis of the non-rotating swashplate. The anti-rotation clip is either of unitary or multi-piece construction. The anti-rotation clip includes a wall portion and at least one restraining member that protrudes inwardly from the wall portion. The restraining members limit the rotation of the actuator rod about the rod axis. This feature prevents wear and structural damage to both the actuator rod and the non-rotating swashplate.

Anti-rotation clip

Folding and folding locking apparatus for rotor blades that includes a power actuator for rotating the blades and locking means for securing the blade in the deployed position and securing the blades against rotation of the pitch angle during and when the blades are folded. The apparatus also provides for the complete fairing of the blades at their connections with the rotary drive hub and provides a powered door in the fairing that can be opened and closed to permit the quick and easy folding and redeployment of the blades.

Apparatus and method for folding and locking rotor blades

Growing community of inventors

Fort Worth, TX, United States of America

Joseph J Zierer