Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110000179 | Resin-Impregnated, Structural Fiber Rope - A resin-impregnated, structural fiber rope includes a plurality of tows disposed in a bundle, each of the plurality of tows including a plurality of structural fibers, and uncured polymeric resin impregnated into the bundle. Each of the plurality of structural fibers defines an angle with respect to a central axis of the rope of no more than about 10 degrees. | 01-06-2011 |
20110003150 | Uncured Composite Rope Including a Plurality of Different Fiber Materials - An uncured, composite rope includes at least one inner tow of structural fibers of a first material and a plurality of outer tows of structural fibers disposed about the at least one inner tow, the structural fibers of at least one of the plurality of outer tows being made from a second material that is different from the first material. The uncured, composite rope further includes an uncured polymeric resin impregnated into the at least one inner tow and the plurality of outer tows. | 01-06-2011 |
20110116936 | Method of Making a Rotor Yoke and Rotor Yoke Thereof - A method of making a rotor yoke includes preparing a cured composite rotor yoke preform on a single-sided curing tool and machining at least one portion of the cured rotor yoke preform to form a rotor yoke. In one embodiment, preparing the cured composite rotor yoke is accomplished by applying successive layers of uncured polymeric composite material to a single-sided tool in a configuration to produce an uncured rotor yoke preform; disposing a semi-rigid caul to an untooled side of the uncured rotor yoke preform; enclosing the uncured rotor yoke preform and the semi-rigid caul by substantially hermetically sealing a vacuum bag to the tool; substantially evacuating a volume defined by the vacuum bag and the tool of air; and heating the uncured rotor yoke preform, sometimes under pressure, to form the cured composite rotor yoke preform. | 05-19-2011 |
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 |
20140252157 | Aircraft with Protective Nanocoating - An aircraft component has an exterior surface and a protective nanocoating carried by the exterior surface. An aircraft has an engine, a fuselage, and a component having an exterior surface and a protective nano coating carried by the exterior surface. A method of protecting an aircraft component includes selecting at least one harmful environmental component and applying a protective nanocoating to the aircraft component, wherein the protective nanocoating is configured to protect the aircraft component from the selected harmful environmental component. | 09-11-2014 |
20140255191 | Low Shear Modulus Transition Shim for Elastomeric Bearing Bonding in Torsional Applications - A bearing assembly comprises a bearing, a shim disposed within the bearing, and a component disposed within the shim. The shim comprises a first material, the component comprises a second material, and the first material has an elastic modulus value that is lower than an elastic modulus value of the second material. An apparatus comprises an elastomeric bearing, a fiberglass shim, and a steel spindle that is connected to the elastomeric bearing through the shim. A method for reducing strain in an adhesive layer that connects a bearing to a component comprises selecting a shim material having an elastic modulus value that is less than an elastic modulus value of the component and providing instructions to connect the component to the shim by placing the adhesive layer between an outer surface of the component and an inner surface of the shim. | 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 |
20140271199 | High Flapping Yoke Hub Assembly Using a Cylindrical Elastomeric Attachment to Avoid Holes - An apparatus comprising a rotor yoke comprising two longitudinal side portions interconnected by two outboard portions, wherein a center portion of each longitudinal side portion comprises a build-up of material that is configured to accommodate a yoke hub clamp. Included is an apparatus comprising a rotor yoke comprising two longitudinal side portions interconnected by two outboard portions, wherein no apertures pass through the two longitudinal side portions and the two outboard portions. Also included is a method of coupling aircraft blades comprising providing a rotor yoke comprising two longitudinal side portions interconnected by two outboard portions, wherein no apertures pass through the two longitudinal side portions and the two outboard portions. | 09-18-2014 |
20140271209 | Fiber Orientation to Allow for Automated Ply Placement With Composite Rotor Yokes - An apparatus comprising a soft in plane rotor yoke comprising two longitudinal side portions connected together via two outboard portions, wherein the outboard portions comprise a plurality of first layers formed of a first composite fabric material having a plurality of first fibers oriented in a first direction, and a plurality of second layers formed of a second composite fabric material having a plurality of second fibers oriented in a second direction. Included is an apparatus comprising a soft in plane rotor comprising two longitudinal side portions connected together via two outboard portions, wherein the outboard portions comprise a plurality of first layers formed of a first composite fabric material, and a plurality of second layers formed of a second composite fabric material, wherein the soft in plane rotor yoke does not comprise any narrow steered slit tape or filament windings. | 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 |