Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130341458 | HYBRID SPHERICAL AND THRUST BEARING - According to one embodiment, a bearing is situated between a pitch link and a swashplate or a hub. The bearing comprises an outer housing having a first opening therethrough, an elastomeric bearing adjacent the housing inside the first opening and having a second opening therethrough, and an inner housing adjacent the elastomeric bearing inside the second opening and having a third opening therethrough. The inner housing comprising a first inner surface and a second inner surface defining the third opening. A first member is adjacent the first inner surface inside the third opening having a fourth opening therethrough. A second member is adjacent the second inner surface inside the third opening having a fifth opening therethrough coaxial with the fourth opening. | 12-26-2013 |
20140109365 | System and Method of Constructing Composite Structures - A method of constructing a composite component includes at least one of laterally and longitudinally aligning a material strip relative to a concavity of a layup tool, at least one of laterally and longitudinally extending the material strip to a predetermined location relative to the layup tool, wherein the material strip is substantially rectangular, and vertically abutting the material strip to the concavity of the layup tool, wherein the longitudinally extending the material strip includes at least one of (1) measuring a longitudinal distance of the material strip and (2) aligning a longitudinal end of the material strip with a longitudinal distance indicium and wherein the laterally extending the material strip includes at least one of (1) measuring a lateral distance of the material strip and (4) aligning a lateral end of the material strip with a lateral distance indicium. | 04-24-2014 |
20140241886 | Rotor System Shear Bearing - A shear bearing for a rotor system has a four bar linkage and a grip configured to retain a flexural yoke and the grip is connected between a first set of opposing links of the four bar linkage. A rotor system has a flexural yoke and a shear bearing configured to perform at least one of transmitting forces to the yoke and receiving forces from the yoke, wherein the yoke is free of cavities for receiving the shear bearing. A rotational system has a flexural yoke and a damper disposed on a surface of the yoke. | 08-28-2014 |
20140248150 | Constant Velocity Joint with Spring Rate Control Mechanism - According to one embodiment, a constant velocity (CV) joint includes a first yoke, a second yoke, and three bearings. The first yoke is configured to be rotatably coupled to an input device about a first axis and configured to receive the input device through a first opening. The second yoke is rotatably coupled to the first yoke about a second axis and rotatably coupled to an output device about a third axis. The first bearing is disposed about the first axis adjacent to the first yoke, the second bearing is disposed about the second axis adjacent to the first yoke or the second yoke, and the third bearing disposed about the third axis adjacent to the second yoke. The first and third bearings torsionally constrain movement the first yoke and the second yoke so as to achieve a substantially CV characteristic between the input device and the output device. | 09-04-2014 |
20140255184 | System and Method for Reducing Rotor Blade Noise - A rotor blade includes an active flap and an airflow disturber configured to selectively alter airflow across the active flap. | 09-11-2014 |
20140255201 | Removable Rotor Blade Tip - A rotor blade has a spanwise axis, a root comprising an anchor having an anchor surface configured to form at least one of a normal angle relative to the spanwise axis and an acute angle relative to the spanwise axis, and a selectively removable tip comprising a connector having a connector surface configured to complement the anchor surface. | 09-11-2014 |
20140271180 | Gimbaled Tail Rotor Hub with Spherical Elastomeric Centrifugal Force Bearing for Blade Retention and Pitch Change Articulation - A rotor hub comprises a gimbal assembly and an elastomeric centrifugal force bearing. The gimbal assembly is configured to transfer rotational movement of a mast to the rotor hub and to enable the rotor hub to flap relative to the mast. The elastomeric centrifugal force bearing is configured to withstand centrifugal force of a rotor blade when the mast is rotated and is configured to accommodate pitch changes of the rotor blade. A method comprises designing a gimbal assembly that enables a tail rotor hub to flap relative to a tail rotor mast. A centrifugal force bearing is selected that enables tail rotor blades to withstand centrifugal force and that allows for tail rotor blade pitch change articulation. Then, instructions are provided to use the gimbal assembly and the centrifugal force bearing in an in-plane tail rotor assembly. | 09-18-2014 |
20140271200 | Flexing Clevis Arrangement Bolted Joint Attachment For Flexible Rotor Hub With High Offset And High Flapping - A flexible joint assembly for providing flexure to a rotor blade comprising an upper hub plate and a lower hub plate configured to secure a rotor blade yoke via a bolted joint located radially outward of a mast; and an upper flexure assembly connected to the upper hub plate and a lower flexure assembly connected to the lower hub plate, wherein the upper flexure assembly and lower flexure assembly are configured to promote flapping of the rotor blade yoke about a flapping hinge located radially outward of the bolted joint. | 09-18-2014 |
20140271214 | AMORPHOUS METAL ROTOR BLADE ABRASION STRIP - A rotor blade abrasion strip and method to manufacturing the same. The abrasion strip being composed of a molded amorphous metal contoured to match a leading edge outer surface of the rotor blade. The abrasion strip being configured to removably attach to a leading edge of the rotor blade and configured to prevent damage to the leading edge during flight. The method includes molding the abrasion strip with the amorphous metal. | 09-18-2014 |
20140271222 | Composite Rotor System Using Two Race Track Style Cantilevered Yokes - A hub system comprises at least one yoke, at least one shear bearing, and at least one mast adapter. The at least one mast adapter is configured to support the at least one yoke and the at least one shear bearing, and the at least one yoke has a flapping hinge that is non-coincident with a flapping hinge of the at least one shear bearing. Another hub system comprises a stacked yoke and a mast adapter. The mast adapter is configured to transfer rotation from a rotor mast to the hub system to rotate the hub system about a central axis of rotation. The mast adapter is further configured to support the stacked yoke such that each yoke in the stacked yoke is configured to accommodate at least some amount of rotation about an axis that is perpendicular to or about perpendicular to the central axis of rotation. | 09-18-2014 |