Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Bell Textron Inc.

Robert Arnold Brack

Robert Patrick Wardlaw

Xiaoming Li

Bogdan Roman Krasnowski

Paul K Oldroyd

Patrick R Tisdale

Elliott Keller Schulte

Ernest A Powell

J Donn Hethcock

Dharam Jithender Reddy

Chyau J Tzeng

Kathleen Oldham

Scott Wolthuis

Ronald Dean Rice

Chyau Tzeng

In some embodiments, a method of manufacturing composite laminate, including providing a first fibrous material having a plurality of fibers, providing a second fibrous material having a plurality of fibers, disposing the fibers of the first fibrous material in a first polymeric matrix, disposing the fibers of the second fibrous material in a second polymeric matrix, laying up a plurality of the first fibrous material on a rigid structure, laying up the second fibrous material on the rigid structure, wherein the first fibrous material is in contact with the second fibrous material, curing the first polymeric matrix, creating a plurality of baseline layers from the plurality of first fibrous material and the first polymeric matrix, and curing the second polymeric matrix, creating a compliant layer from the second fibrous material and the second polymeric matrix. The compliant layer is stronger than each individual baseline layers.

Method for limiting interlaminar fatigue in composite laminate and a component incorporating the same

In some embodiments, a rotor system for a rotorcraft includes a yoke, a blade, and a grip that is configured to couple the blade to the yoke. The grip has a plurality of baseline layers and a compliant layer. The baseline layers each have a plurality of fibers disposed in a first polymeric matrix. The compliant layer has a plurality of fibers disposed in a second polymeric matrix. The compliant layer is stronger than the baseline layer and the first polymeric matrix has a different chemical composition than the second polymeric matrix.

A method for determining a shear property of a sample includes supporting a sample at three or more separate support locations about a periphery of a first surface of the sample in a testing fixture, the sample including a second surface separated from the first surface by a thickness, wherein the sample is axisymmetric about an axis that is orthogonal to the first surface. The method includes applying a load on the second surface of the sample with a load applicator in a direction substantially parallel with the axis, measuring, with a controller, shear testing data of the sample in response to applying the load, and determining, with the controller, a shear property of the sample from the measured shear testing data.

Disk bending shear testing and system

One aspect of a method of manufacturing a honeycomb core includes positioning a first thermoplastic columnar cell adjacent a second thermoplastic columnar cell, modifying a thermoplastic property of the first thermoplastic columnar cell, wherein the modified thermoplastic property permits joining a circumferential surface of the first thermoplastic columnar cell to a circumferential surface of the second thermoplastic columnar cell. The method also includes joining the circumferential surface of the first thermoplastic columnar cell having the modified thermoplastic property to the circumferential surface of the second thermoplastic columnar cell resulting in the honeycomb core.

Manufacture of thermoplastic core

A method of manipulating a thin-walled structure includes providing a thin-walled structure in a first unconstrained configuration, constraining the thin-walled structure to a first constrained configuration in which a first feature of the thin-walled structure is spatially located relative to the a second feature of the thin-walled structure in a predetermined manner, wherein an open volume of the thin-walled structure is constrained to maintain a predetermined open volume shape, and machining the thin-walled structure to a second constrained configuration in which the first feature of the thin-walled structure remains spatially located relative to the second feature of the thin-walled structure in the predetermined manner.

Method of machining a thin-walled structure

An edge member for use on a composite flexure having an exposed edge surface. The edge member includes an innermost composite ply attached to the edge surface, an outermost composite ply attached to the innermost composite ply, and at least one interior composite ply disposed between the innermost composite ply and the outermost composite ply.

Growing community of inventors

Bedford, TX, United States of America

Robert Arnold Brack