Abstract: A combination wheelchair and seat lifting device for a disabled person. The wheelchair includes a pair of conventional wheelchair wheels centrally positioned and four small stabilizer wheels one at each corner of the chair support structure. The wheelchair includes a padded seat pivotally attached to a toilet seat. The toilet seat is manually pivoted from a use position to a stowed position. When used as a wheel chair, the padded seat is parallel with the chair support surface and when not in use as a wheel chair is pivoted to a position normal to the chair support surface. When pivoted the toilet seat is exposed for use. The toilet seat and pivotally attached padded seat are translatable vertically by a electric motor operating a cable system that is controlled by the user of the chair. When utilized as a wheel chair, the seats can be elevated to a suitable comfortable elevation selected by the user of the chair.

Abstract: A mixing nozzle for an aircraft turbine engine having an improved aerodynamic stiffening ring secured to the lobes of the mixer. Aircraft turbine engines having a rearwardly discharging nozzle are often provided with a mixer having a generally circular forward end adapted to be attached to an engine and axially deepening corrugations leading to a multi-lobed aft end surrounding the nozzle. This mixer mixes ambient cool air with the hot gases exiting the engine thus suppressing engine sound. The lobes are generally unsupported and subject to vibration and excessive deflections in use. A circumferential stiffening ring is secured to the aft end of the mixer to reduce or prevent the vibration while simultaneously enhancing the mixing of cool ambient air with the hot engine exhaust. The stiffening ring preferably has an airfoil cross-section for lowest drag combined with the ability to direct flow past the ring in a selected optimum direction.

Abstract: A fail-safe pivot door-type aircraft turbine engine thrust reverser which includes a plurality of pairs of pivoting doors on the blocker and deflector sides of openings in a fan jet nacelle. The doors form a flush surface along the nacelle exterior and the fan duct flow path when stowed during normal engine operation in flight. When the doors are deployed in thrust reversing mode, an extensible actuator causes them to translate aft in the opening, with one end of the blocker door moving to at least partially block airflow through the duct and divert it out along the door through the opening uncovered by door deployment. The deflector door pivots outwardly to extend the door length and further direct airflow out and forward along the outside of the nacelle. Upon initiation of deployment, a cooperating pin and track assembly causes the door to initially translate inwardly, then rearwardly, after which the pivoting action begins.

Abstract: A thrust reverser for use with turbo-fan aircraftt engines; in particular engines mounted on an aircraft fuselage. Four radially spaced openings around the engine each is closed by a stowed door. An actuator is provided to move each door to a deployed position extending through the opening, near the aft end of the opening. The aft end of each door extends into the tailpipe and directs air flow out through the opening, where the forward end of the door further directs the flow in an outwardly and forwardly direction. Doors adjacent to the aircraft fuselage are shaped to guide reverse airflow away from direct impingement on the fuselage. Deployable strakes are mounted on doors adjacent to the fuselage. The strakes are typically spring biased toward a stowed position flat against the inside of the door and are moved to a deployed position by aerodynamic forces when the doors are deployed. In the deployed position, they are located so as to deflect air flow away from the fuselage or other structures.

Abstract: An SPF press is capable of forming large generally cylindrical structures from a sheet made of a first metal such as Titanium. The sheet is first rolled into a cylindrical or conical part blank. The press has a generally cylindrical ceramic die with a surface defining the contour of a part to be formed. The part is formed by pressing a first side of the part blank against the die utilizing high pressure gas. Generally cylindrical gas impervious seals overlie the opposite ends of the cylindrical part blank on a second side thereof opposite the first side. Each of these gas impervious seals includes a support member and a seal member which are spaced apart to define a gap therebetween. A generally cylindrical seal ring is seated in each gap and contacts the second side of the cylindrical part blank. The seal rings are made of a second metal that is softened at a temperature at which the first metal becomes superplastic.

Abstract: A hinge system for a curved surface that has several first hinges arranged along a straight hinge line and at least one second hinge offset from the hinge line. In a preferred embodiments, these hinges are fastened to a pylon and support a curved portion of an aircraft jet engine cowl, which may contain a thrust reverser assembly, to permit the cowl to pivot away from the engine for examination or repair of internal components. The hinges also accommodate engine thermal expansion which changes the distance between hinges along the cowl. The first hinges have their hinge points lying along the straight cowl hinge line. The second hinges include a plurality of short first links pivotally connected to the supporting pylon, and a plurality of short second links pivotally connected to the first links and the cowl. The link lengths are selected so that the assembly pivots about a hinge point outside the hinge structure that lies along the straight hinge line formed by the first hinges.