Simmonds Precision

Michael J Ortman

An actuator system for positioning a flight control surface on an aircraft in which a primary braking device provides a continuous braking action to the actuator screw shaft by means of a load bearing disc brake wheel and a pair of rachet wheels contiguous therewith, the torque between the disc brake wheel and the rachet wheel (which ever wheel is being racheted by the load bearing disc) is proportional to the load on the screw shaft (and hence the actuator for the flight control surface). A Hall-effect device is mounted above the pawls associated with the rachet wheels for measuring the movement of the pawls in a closed loop circuit for the purpose of determining not only a faultlessly running braking condition but also to indicate whether a faulty condition exists, as well as what kind of fault is being detected.

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Maplewood, NJ, United States of America

Michael J Ortman