Lucas Industries Public Limited Company

Philip Hudson

Stephen Harlow Davies

Richard J McKay

A lock for a thrust reverser mechanism having actuator means for operating a thrust reverser mechanism, includes a first lock device connectable, in use, to the actuator means for preventing actuation of the latter. The first lock device is operable hydraulically to unlock the lock so as to free the actuator means for operation. An electro-mechanical second lock device is arranged so as normally to prevent actuation of the first lock device and is operable to permit actuation of the first lock device when required.

Lock for a thrust reverser mechanism and a thrust reverser mechanism

A torque limiter comprises input and output shafts connected together by a clutch which disengages to prevent excessive torque from being applied to the output shaft and to allow the input shaft to rotate freely. As the clutch disengages, a brake is applied to the output shaft to prevent it from rotating. When the brake is applied, a latch holds the brake on. The clutch comprises balls which are held in clutch plate recesses to transmit torque but which ride out of the recesses and fall into pockets so that the clutch becomes permanently disengaged.

Torque limiter

A first control element is movable to control fluid flow between ports in a housing. A second control element is movable by an electric force motor and engages the first element through biasing springs so that in normal use the elements move in unison. An arrangement of ports and passages in the elements has the effect that relative movement between the elements as a result of jamming of the first element causes fluid pressure to be applied to the first element to overcome the jamming.

Electrically-operable fluid control valve

An epicyclic gear arrangement includes a plurality of substantially axially aligned epicyclic gear trains each having two relatively rotatable output ring gears, a sun input gear and planet gears drivingly connecting the sun and ring gears. Adjacent ends of the ring gears are spaced to permit axial misalignment, the teeth of the planet gears have reducing cross sections in directions away from the planes of their median cross sections to permit effective driving engagement with the ring gears in the event of axial misalignment of the latter, and the sun gears of the gear trains are drivingly interconnected in a manner that permits their axial misalignment. The arrangement is intended for a drive between parts which may flex, as for example an aircraft wing and a control surface thereon.

Compound gear arrangements

The braking arrangement has an input shaft for connection to a drive shaft of the system. A brake device for the input shaft is urged towards operation by a spring released by an electric actuator. The input shaft is coupled to a flywheel by step-up gearing so that the moment of inertia applied by the flywheel to the input shaft is more than 17 times that of the remainder of the arrangement. Acceleration of the drive shaft under an external force is thereby reduced, as is its rotational travel during application of the brake.

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Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

Philip Hudson