Patents by Inventor Hahn M. Spofford

Hahn M. Spofford has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5320307
    Abstract: An aircraft engine thrust mount includes a pair of spaced apart thrust links pivotally joined at one end to an engine first frame and at opposite ends to a lever. A platform is fixedly joined to an aircraft pylon and includes first and second spaced apart clevises and a center clevis therebetween. The center clevis is pivotally joined to a center of the lever for carrying thrust force from the first frame through both thrust links and to the platform and pylon during normal operation. A pair of pins pivotally join the thrust links to the lever and extend through apertures in the platform first and second clevises to define predetermined gaps therebetween for allowing the lever to rotate relative to the platform center clevis up to a predetermined angular rotation. In a failure mode of operation the pins contact the platform first and second clevises for transmitting thereto either tension or compression thrust loads for providing an alternate failsafe loadpath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1994
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Hahn M. Spofford, Thomas G. Wakeman, Donald L. Bellia, Thomas P. Joseph, Gregg H. Wilson, James E. Cencula, Frederick W. Tegarden, Michael H. Schneider
  • Patent number: 5303880
    Abstract: An aircraft engine mounting assembly using a clevis type joint to connect a link is provided with a mounting pin assembly disposed in an aperture of the link having inexpensive and easily replaceable concentric inner and outer non-rotational bushings surrounding a conventional pin and corresponding oppositely disposed sets of inner flat contact surfaces on the outer surface of inner bushing and outer flat contact surfaces on the inner surface of the outer bushing which provide reduced contact stresses between the pin and the aperture as compared to conventional assemblies. The contact surfaces are in general sliding engagement in the longitudinal direction and are provided with clearances between the inner and outer bushings in the longitudinal and transverse directions to allow for thermal growth of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1994
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James E. Cencula, Donald L. Bellia, Hahn M. Spofford
  • Patent number: 5277382
    Abstract: An aircraft engine mount includes an annular casing fixedly disposed in the engine, a mounting platform spaced radially outwardly from the casing and fixedly joinable to an aircraft pylon, and a pair of circumferentially spaced apart links pivotally joined to the platform and the casing at respective radially outer and inner joints. The inner joints are circumferentially spaced closer together than the outer joints so that the intersection point of the longitudinal axes of the two links is disposed radially below the two links themselves for reducing lateral deflection of the casing relative to the engine mount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1994
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Laurence Seelen, Thomas P. Joseph, Hahn M. Spofford, Charles S. Orkiszewski
  • Patent number: 5275357
    Abstract: An aircraft engine mount includes a frame fixedly joined in a gas turbine engine and a platform fixedly joined to an aircraft wing or tail pylon. A first beam is pivotally joined to the frame and the platform at first and second joints, respectively. The first beam is additionally joined to the platform at a third joint which allows longitudinal movement between the first beam and the platform at the third joint while preventing rotation of the first beam. A second beam is spaced from the first beam and is pivotally joined to the frame and platform at fourth and fifth joints, respectively, and is additionally joined to the platform at a sixth joint for allowing limited rotation of the second beam during normal operation while preventing rotation of the second beam upon a failure of the first beam to carry load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 4, 1994
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Laurence Seelen, Thomas P. Joseph, James E. Cencula, Donald L. Bellia, Hahn M. Spofford