Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Textron Innovations Inc.

Other

Bell Textron Inc.

Ken Shundo

Frank B Stamps

Michael Dean Dearman

Kyle Thomas Cravener

Jared Mark Paulson

Michael E Rinehart

David Popelka

Glenn Alan Shimek

Amarjit Olenchery Kizhakkepat

Brian Stanley Modrzejewski

Mithat Yuce

J Scott Drennan

Carlos Alexander Fenny

Gary Michael Miller

Bryan Kenneth Baskin

Tyler Wayne Baldwin

Michael Christopher Burnett

Terry K Thompson

Diana Tinlin

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a drive tube and swashplate trunnion assembly. The drive tube and swashplate trunnion assembly includes a drive tube having a plurality of grooves formed on an outer surface of the drive tube; a swashplate trunnion having a plurality of grooves formed on an inner surface of the swashplate trunnion, wherein individual grooves of the plurality of grooves on the swashplate trunnion mate with individual grooves of the plurality of grooves on the drive tube to form a plurality of channels; and a plurality of cylindrical bearings, wherein each of said cylindrical bearings is disposed within an individual channel of the plurality of channels.

Drive tube and swashplate trunnion assembly with cylindrical bearings

A magnetic spacer system for a spinner of a rotorcraft includes a first ring of a plurality of magnets secured to the spinner and having an inner surface facing radially inward, and a second ring of a plurality of magnets secured to a nacelle of the rotorcraft and having an outer surface facing radially outward. The first and second rings of multiple magnets are arranged concentrically, and a portion of the inner surface of the first ring of a plurality of magnets and a portion of the outer surface of the second ring of a plurality of magnets have the same polarity to repel one another. In other aspects, the magnetic spacer system may be replaced by a low-friction system.

Single spoke spinner support

A tiltrotor controls shield having a blade or wire substructure under a fragile spinner fairing improves bird strike durability. The present disclosure discloses a spinner wind fairing with a shield structure disposed thereunder for providing protection to the proprotor assembly components. The shield structure can segment a projectile, such as a bird, that penetrates the spinner fairing into a series of smaller and lower energy elements spread across a wider area, such that the rotor components can withstand the impact of the smaller elements without damage.

Tiltrotor controls shield

A folding rotor blade assembly includes a blade fold support and a blade-fold actuator system coupled to the blade fold support. The blade-fold actuator system includes a motor, a tab configured to selectively prevent rotation of a blade tang of a rotor blade, and a cam connected to the blade fold support and coupled to the motor, the cam configured to move the tab between a locked position that prevents rotation of the blade tang and an unlocked position that permits rotation of the blade tang.

Blade fold method and apparatus for a tilt rotor hub

A blade-fold bushing system includes a splined bushing comprising a first plurality of teeth, a castellated bushing comprising a second plurality of teeth and a shaft portion configured to coaxially fit within the splined bushing, and a lock bushing coaxially aligned with the castellated bushing. A support tool for use with a blade-fold bushing system includes an outer head comprising a third plurality of teeth configured to mesh with the first plurality of teeth of the splined bushing, and an inner head comprising a fourth plurality of teeth configured to mesh with the second plurality of teeth of the castellated bushing.

Semi-automatic rotor blade fold mechanism

An aircraft includes a first rotor assembly, a second rotor assembly, and a rotor phase angle control system. The system includes a phase adjustor operably associated with the first rotor assembly and the second rotor assembly. The method includes sensing vibrations exerted on the aircraft and offsetting a phase angle of the first rotor assembly and the second rotor assembly to minimize the vibrations.

Variable hub-to-hub phasing rotor system

A rotor assembly includes a yoke operably associated with a rotor blade. The yoke includes a first device and a second device that attach the rotor blade to the yoke. The first device is configured to allow transverse movement of the rotor blade about a chord axis and rotational movement about a pitch-change axis. The second device is configured to allow rotational movement of the rotor blade solely about the pitch-change axis. The method includes rotating rotor assembly about a first plane of rotation, while retaining a relatively stiff out-of-plane rotation and a relatively soft in-plane rotation during flight.

Soft in-plane and stiff out-of-plane rotor system

A bearing assembly for coupling a proprotor blade to a yoke in a proprotor system. The bearing assembly is positionable within an inboard pocket of a blade arm of the yoke. The proprotor system is operable for use on a tiltrotor aircraft having helicopter and airplane flight modes. The bearing assembly includes a centrifugal force bearing and a shear bearing having an inboard beam coupled therebetween. The centrifugal force bearing has a mating surface, a lateral movement constraint feature and at least one radially extending anti-rotation feature. The inboard beam has a mating surface in a contact relationship with the mating surface of the centrifugal force bearing, a lateral movement constraint feature operably associated with the lateral movement constraint feature of the centrifugal force bearing and at least one radially extending anti-rotation feature that corresponds with the at least one radially extending anti-rotation feature of the centrifugal force bearing.

Inboard bearing assemblies with anti-rotation features

A proprotor system for a tiltrotor aircraft having a helicopter flight mode and an airplane flight mode. The proprotor system includes a yoke having a plurality of blade arms with inboard pockets. A centrifugal force and shear bearing assembly is disposed in each of the inboard pockets of the yoke. Each of a plurality of proprotor blades is coupled to the yoke by one of the bearing assemblies such that each proprotor blade has a pitch change degree of freedom about a pitch change axis and a tilting degree of freedom about a focal point. Each bearing assembly includes a centrifugal force bearing coupled to the yoke, a shear bearing coupled to the yoke and an inboard beam coupled between the centrifugal force bearing and the shear bearing. Each inboard beam is coupled to a respective proprotor blade.

Inboard bearing assemblies for proprotor systems

A spinner mounted gun system includes a receiver and a barrel connected to a mast of a rotorcraft.

Spinner mounted gun system

A rotor system for rotor aircraft comprises a rotor hub comprising a plurality of rotor blades, a rotatable rotor mast coupled to the rotor hub, a swashplate assembly comprising a non-rotating ring engaged with a rotatable ring, a plurality of pitch links mechanically coupling the rotatable ring to the plurality of rotor blades, and a swashplate actuator system. The rotatable ring is configured to rotate with the rotor mast, and the non-rotating ring is configured to engage and guide the rotatable ring. The pitch links are configured to control the pitch angle of each rotor blade. The swashplate actuator system consists of: a first actuator and a second actuator, where the first actuator and the second actuator are mechanically coupled to a stationary surface and the non-rotating ring.

Growing community of inventors

Keller, TX, United States of America

Ken Shundo