Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Textron Innovations Inc.

Ryan Thomas Ehinger

Charles J Kilmain

Carlos Alexander Fenny

Eric Albert Sinusas

David Russell Bockmiller

Kevin Worrell

Ron Woods

Frank B Stamps

Eric Stephen Olson

Dudley E Smith

Monte McGlaun

Bob Collins

Kyle Thomas Cravener

Jared Mark Paulson

Tyler Wayne Baldwin

Gilberto Morales

Michael Christopher Burnett

James M McCollough

Joseph J Gerardi

Gary Cope

Doug Mueller

K Myron Jackson

Andrea Chavez

David Sembritzky

Troy Bunch

Brian S Vollmer

Gary A Cope

Wayland Hill

Monte A Mcglaun

Eric A Sinusas

Joseph Gerardi

Eric Olson

A powertrain for a rotorcraft includes first and second engines and a transmission system that includes a main rotor gearbox, a first freewheeling unit coupling the first engine to the main rotor gearbox and a second freewheeling unit coupling the second engine to the main rotor gearbox. The first freewheeling unit has a driving configuration and a bypass configuration. In a preflight configuration of the rotorcraft, the first engine provides power to at least one auxiliary component with the first freewheeling unit in the bypass configuration while the second engine provides power to the main rotor. In a flight configuration of the rotorcraft, the first engine provides power to the main rotor with the first freewheeling unit in the driving configuration while the second engine also provides power to the main rotor.

Multimode powertrains for multi engine rotorcraft

A link includes an outer composite portion substantially encircling at least two bearing pockets and a central substantially incompressible portion disposed between the at least two bearing pockets.

Drive link

A method of optimizing a planetary gear system for continued operation after failure of a planet gear includes providing a planetary gear system and reducing a backup ratio of a planet gear of the planetary gear system by reducing a rim thickness of the planet gear.

Planet gear having failure mode optimized for continued planetary gear system operation

A variable-speed gearbox for a tiltrotor with fixed engine and rotating proprotor includes an input shaft coupled to the respective fixed engine, an output shaft coupled to the respective proprotor; a high-speed clutch integrated into a high-speed gear train, the high-speed gear train having an input coupled to the input shaft and an output coupled to the output shaft; and a low-speed clutch integrated into a low-speed gear train, the low-speed gear train having an input coupled to the input shaft and an output coupled to the output shaft. The high-speed clutch and the low-speed clutch can be freewheeling clutches capable of disconnecting the output and the input of the respective gear train of the high and low-speed gear trains in an overrunning condition when the output rotates faster than the input of the respective gear train. The low-speed clutch can be permanently engaged. In accordance to some embodiments the variable-speed gearboxes may include an accessory drive.

Variable-speed drive system for tiltrotor with fixed engine and rotating proprotor

A gear shaft allows a ceramic bearing to be used in environments where gear steel is desirable for driving a gear. The gear shaft includes a gear region and a bearing region. A bearing can be disposed about the bearing region of the gear shaft. A gear can be disposed about the gear region of the gear shaft. The bearing includes a ceramic material. The gear region of the gear shaft includes gear steel, whereas the bearing region of the gear shaft includes a bearing-region material that has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is close to the CTE of the ceramic material.

Gear shaft for accommodating thermal expansion and transmission system incorporating the same

According to one embodiment, a rotorcraft includes a body, a rotor blade, a drive system that can be operated to rotate the rotor blade, and an emergency valve control unit. The drive system contains a first gearbox assembly, a second gearbox assembly, a first lubrication system that can deliver lubricant to the first gearbox assembly, and a second lubrication system that can deliver lubricant to the second gearbox assembly. The drive system also contains an emergency valve that can be opened to deliver lubricant from the first lubrication system to the second gearbox assembly. The emergency valve control unit can instruct the emergency valve to open.

Gearbox lubrication system

According to one embodiment, a clutch may be coupled between a rotor system and a power train of a rotorcraft. The clutch may be operable to disengage the rotor system from the power train during operation of the power train. A clutch control system in communication with the clutch and include a rotorcraft condition sensor operable to sense an operating condition of the rotorcraft and a control unit operable to prevent the clutch from disengaging the rotor system from the power train if the operating condition of the rotorcraft fails to satisfy a predetermined criterion.

Disconnecting a rotor

A method for calculating torque through a rotor mast of a propulsion system of a tiltrotor aircraft includes receiving the torque being applied through a quill shaft of the rotorcraft. The quill shaft is located between a fixed gearbox and a spindle gearbox, and the spindle gearbox is rotatable about a conversion access. The torque through the rotor mast is determined by using the torque through the quill shaft and the efficiency loss value between the quill shaft and the rotor mast.

Method and system for measuring torque in a tiltrotor aircraft

A bearing liner allows a bearing to be mounted to a bearing housing even where the coefficients of thermal expansion of the bearing and the housing are different. The bearing liner includes a body portion and a mounting portion. The body portion has a cylindrical substrate that extends about a longitudinal axis of the bearing. The mounting portion includes mounting tabs that extend from the body portion of the liner. The mounting tabs allow the liner to be fixed to the housing and to the bearing. The mounting tabs are configured to flex relative to the body portion of the liner so as to allow for thermal expansion and contraction of the housing relative to the bearing while still securing the bearing to the housing.

Bearing liner for accommodating thermal expansion and transmission system incorporating the same

A system and method to detect non-ferrous debris from a non-ferrous roller bearing element. The system includes a trap in fluid communication with a lubrication fluid of the non-ferrous bearing and a sensor operably associate with the trap. The method includes trapping the non-ferrous material debris in the lubrication fluid with the trap and triggering the sensor upon detection of the non-ferrous material debris trapped within the trap.

Debris detector for non-ferrous bearings

A method of modifying a workpiece includes providing a workpiece, determining a load stress profile associated with a load condition, the load stress profile comprising a load stress greater than a material stress limit of the workpiece, determining a residual stress profile, the residual stress profile comprising a residual stress less than the material stress limit of the workpiece, and providing the workpiece with the residual stress profile, wherein a sum of the load stress and the residual stress is less than the material stress limit of the workpiece.

System and method for improving a workpiece

A system and method to detect particles in a fluid stream. The system includes a separator configured to separate particles from bubbles passing through the fluid stream and a sensor configured to detect the particles. The method includes passing the fluid stream through the separator, separating the particles from bubbles passing through the fluid stream, and detecting the presence of the particles.

Growing community of inventors

Southlake, TX, United States of America

Ryan Thomas Ehinger