Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Bell Textron Inc.

Timothy Kent Ledbetter

Frank B Stamps

Dalton T Hampton

Paul K Oldroyd

Michael Reaugh Smith

Patrick R Tisdale

Thomas Parham

Zachary Edwin Dailey

Robert L Milliken

James Donn Hethcock, Jr

Andrew Paul Haldeman

Paul Branson Sherrill

Mark Adam Wiinikka

Drew Alan Sutton

David Popelka

Bryan W Marshall

James Braswell, Jr

Christopher Michael Bothwell

Cecil E Covington

Ajay Sehgal

David Allen Haynie

Joseph J Zierer

Christopher Mike Bothwell

Tom Campbell

Ron Measom

Stanley G Sadler

Madison K Robinson

Tricia Hiros

Ernest A Powell

Ronnie Lee Martin

Charles L Baskin

James L Braswell

D J Reddy

Jim Harse

Bob Mullins

Brad Stamps

Frank Bradley Stamps

James Lee Braswell

An example of a hub for a tail rotor includes a body configured to couple to a mast of a rotor system, a trunnion disposed within the body, first and second shafts disposed on opposite sides of the trunnion, first and second end plates secured to the body, and first and second end bearings, the first end bearing disposed between the first shaft and the first end plate and the second end bearing disposed between the second shaft and the second end plate.

Bearing for axial stiffening

In one embodiment, a method may comprise coupling a plurality of reinforcement fibers to a plurality of spherical components; inserting the plurality of spherical components into an enclosure; and heating the enclosure to cause the plurality of spherical components to expand, wherein the plurality of spherical components expands to form a geodesic structure, wherein the geodesic structure comprises a plurality of polyhedron components configured in a geodesic arrangement.

Geodesic composite structures

An assembly for providing flexure to a blade of a rotary blade system, the assembly including an upper support plate having an upper curved surface, a lower support plate having a lower curved surface, and a yoke positioned therebetween. At least one of the upper and lower yoke surfaces having a layer of cushioning material positioned thereon and secured thereto. The layer of cushioning material extending along and following the general contour of yoke surface, and the layer of cushioning material directly contacting a support plate. Another embodiment is an assembly for providing flexure to a blade of a rotary blade system, including, an upper support plate having an upper curved surface, a lower support plate having a lower curved surface, and a yoke positioned therebetween and directly contacting the support plates wherein one of the curved surfaces is a non-circular arc that does not form part of the circumference of a circle.

Assembly for providing flexure to blade system

The present invention relates to an improved vibration cancellation device designed to overcome many of the shortcomings inherent in prior devices. In many embodiments, the vibration cancellation device is smaller in scale than prior designs, facilitating more versatility with respect to design options. The device of the present invention achieves a smaller size partly due to the use of suspension springs having an offset, rather than a parallel arrangement.

Compact vibration cancellation device

A vibration isolator ( ) for isolating the vibration of two bodies that are connected together is disclosed. The vibration isolator ( ) comprises an inner cylinder ( ) and a pair of outer housings ( ) concentrically bonded together with elastomer structures ( ) to form two chambers ( ) that are joined by a tuning port ( ). The elastomer structures ( ) may serve both as the seals for the chambers ( ) and the compliant spring members in the isolator ( ). The isolator ( ) connects to a vibrating body by a spherical bearing ( ). The chambers ( ) and tuning port ( ) are filled with an inviscid fluid ( ) and pressurized to prevent cavitation. In certain embodiments, pressure within the isolator ( ) is maintained by a volume compensating device ( ) connected to the chambers ( ) via a small diameter orifice ( ).

Vertical liquid inertia vibration isolator

An improved feathering flexure for a helicopter rotor system yoke includes, in transverse cross section, a relatively thin central web and six relatively thin flanges. Three flanges extend from each of the web's two edges, and the flanges lie in planes which are approximately radial relative to the neutral feathering axis of the feathering flexure. The feathering flexure is constructed of fiberglass material embedded in a polymer matrix. The web's fiberglass material in the web is bias material, that is, material whose glass fibers are oriented at plus or minus 45 degrees relative to the yoke's spanwise axis. In transverse cross section, each of the flanges includes two unidirectional belts disposed on either side of a bias pack. The glass fibers in the unidirectional belts are oriented parallel to the yoke's spanwise axis. The fiberglass material in the bias packs is bias material. Each flange's unidirectional belts taper inwardly toward its bias pack adjacent to web, thereby decreasing the thickness of the flange adjacent to the web. In addition, the portion of each flange adjacent to the web is configured to minimize torsional rigidity and shear stress resulting from twisting the feathering flexure.

Yoke for helicopter rotor systems

Growing community of inventors

Euless, TX, United States of America

Timothy Kent Ledbetter