Patents Represented by Attorney James W. McFarland

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  • Ice particle separator
    Patent number: 5181384
    Abstract: An ice particle separator for use within high flow velocity, low pressure loss, air or gas conditioning systems, to remove ice particles entrained within the conditioned gaseous flow stream. The ice particle separator includes a plurality of generally part-cylinder tubes arranged in a pattern to intercept the conditioned gaseous flow stream, each part-cylinder tube having an associated heating means for melting the ice particles which contact the part-cylinder tubes. A drain plenum collects the melt liquid from the part-cylinder tubes and directs the melt liquid to a receiving means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1993
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventor: Oscar A. Buchmann
  • Method of reducing light leakage from internally illuminated panels
    Patent number: 5171080
    Abstract: An internally illuminated panel is provided with a recess in which a conventional knob of translucent construction is mounted. The recess is covered with an opaque material, except for an area that allows light to be transmitted to the knob. The knob abuts against a boss, which is provided within the recess to prevent the opaque material from being scraped and to facilitate spacing the knob from the panel as it is mounted thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1992
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventor: Anthony H. Bathurst
  • Unidirectional insert lock
    Patent number: 5167473
    Abstract: A unidirectional insert lock for securing an insert, with a central mounting hole, to a pocket in a cutting tool is provided. The insert lock includes a locking pin having an eccentric and a radially extending lobe, and a shim having an arcuate channel angularly bordered by a first and second stop, that is configured to receive the lobe. The locking pin is inserted through holes in both the insert and the shim so that when the lobe is rotated in one direction the eccentric urges the insert into a secured cutting position within the pocket. However, when the lobe is rotated in the opposite direction the second stop prevents the pin from sufficiently rotating so that the eccentric is not able to urge the insert against the sides of the pocket, and consequently, the insert sits loosely in the pocket so that it is clear to the operator that the insert is not secured in the cutting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1992
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventor: Michael J. Barnett
  • Method for matching engine torques for multiple engine aircraft
    Patent number: 5165240
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of matching engine torques in a power management system having a digital engine control for each of multiple turbine engines. Input data is selected from one source such that each digital engine control utilizes the same set of input data to generate torque commands. As a result, engine torques can be matched to within one percent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1992
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventors: George W. Page, Glen T. High, Larry C. Prevallet, Joseph W. Free
  • Gas turbine engine with free turbine inlet flow control
    Patent number: 5163286
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprised of a gas generator in flow series arrangement with a free turbine is provided, that includes a bleed port disposed between the gas generator and the free turbine. The flow of hot gas through the free turbine is controlled by a valve operably disposed in a duct downstream of the bleed port. The gas turbine engine can rapidly change its power output by first bleeding a portion of the hot gas exiting the gas generator overboard, and then increasing or decreasing the amount of bleed flow, thereby producing rapid changes in the free turbine's output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1992
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventor: Link C. Jaw
  • Endothermic fuel power generator and method
    Patent number: 5161365
    Abstract: A secondary power generating system and method is provided that can drive an aircraft's accessories, and deliver cooling flow and fuel flow to a propulsion engine such as a turbojet, ramjet or turboramjet. This system and method employs a heat exchanger in which high pressure, endothermic, liquid fuel absorbs heat from the air exiting the engine's compressor and as a result is transformed into a high pressure, gaseous fuel. The high pressure gas is expanded across a motor which extracts the pressure energy and converts this energy into mechanical power for driving accessories. The gas is then fed into the engine's combustor where it is ignited. The cooled air exiting the heat exchanger is returned to the propulsion engine and is used for cooling various components such as blades and shafts therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1992
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventor: E. Scott Wright
  • Seal rotor mount
    Patent number: 5160149
    Abstract: A rotary seal is affixed to an adjacent rotating shaft through a thin foil axially clamped to the shaft. The relative configuration and arrangement assures that any distortional producing clamping forces resulting from manufacturing imperfections are not transmitted to the sealing face of the rotating seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1992
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventor: Laurence B. Winn
  • Pawl and ratchet clutch with torsion shaft
    Patent number: 5160005
    Abstract: A pawl and ratchet clutch and an air turbine starter having such a clutch is provided in which a single, torsion shaft simultaneously forces each of a plurality of pawls into engagement with the ratchet. The torsion shaft is coupled to a cam having radially extending arms with involute surface portions. Each pawl has a radially extending member that has an involute surface. The pawls and cam are disposed within the clutch so their respective involute surfaces are in rolling contact with each other. The torsion shaft is coaxially disposed within the clutch so as to be readily accessible, which permits its twist to be adjusted without dismantling the starter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1992
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventor: Darrel W. Burch
  • Method of dynamically balancing ceramic turbine wheels
    Patent number: 5151325
    Abstract: Ceramic turbine wheels are balanced to minimize rotational vibrations by bonding silica-based glass pads to the wheel. The pads are formed from a mixture of sodium silicate, water and a fine ceramic powder, preferably of a composition similar to the underlying ceramic turbine wheel. The weighted pads are machined, without damage to the underlying ceramic wheel, to achieve proper balance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1992
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventor: Barry S. Draskovich
  • Environmental control system with catalytic filter
    Patent number: 5151022
    Abstract: An environmental control system for ground vehicles and low flying aircraft that supplies purified and conditioned ambient air to the vehicle's crew compartment is provided. The system integrates catalytic and particulate filters, that remove nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare agents from ambient air, with a source of compressed ambient air, and an air cycle refrigeration unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1992
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventors: Terence P. Emerson, Frank A. Bescoby, Colin M. Taylor, George K. Payne
  • Method for operating a closed Brayton engine and engine adapted for use with method
    Patent number: 5131231
    Abstract: A process for operating a closed Brayton-cycle engine (14) at two substantially differrent levels of output power by selectively changing the molecular weight of the working fluid, and an engine adapted for use with the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1992
    Assignee: Allied-Signal
    Inventors: Steven W. Trimble, Robert Bons, David M. Mathis
  • Interstage coupling seal and method of assembling a gas turbine engine
    Patent number: 5127799
    Abstract: An interstage coupling seal for sealing between mating sections of an interstage, torque transmitting, coupling member is provided, as is a method for assembling a gas turbine engine having a plurality of rotor disks. The seal is comprised of annular ring having a plurality of radially extending plates. A first portion of these plates form a means for attaching to the interior surface of one of the mating sections of the coupling member. A second portion of the plates moves into radially sealing contact between the coupling members when its mating sections are interengaged. The method for assembling a gas turbine engine includes the steps of separately preassembling each of the rotor disks. During preassembly, the mating sections of the coupling members are attached to the shaft portions of the rotor disks. Then, the coupling seal is inserted and attached to the interior of the one of the mating sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1992
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventor: Brian S. Berry
  • Volumetric fluid flowmeter and method
    Patent number: 5127173
    Abstract: A volumetric fluid flowmeter and method utilizes a venturi nozzle in the flow being measured, along with a negative feedback fluidic oscillator driven by a small bypass flow diverted from the main flow upstream of the venturi nozzle, and subsequently re-introduced into the main flow in the throat section of the venturi.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1992
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventors: John F. Thurston, Stuart L. Booth
  • Aircraft engine mount adapter and method
    Patent number: 5127606
    Abstract: An aircraft engine mount adapter and method is provided that permits the coupling of an aircraft engine to an aircraft when the pickup points on the engine are incompatible with the location of the mounting pins on the aircraft. The adapter consists of an arcuate shaped member having sufficient lateral curvature so as to be selectively positionable along the length and about the circumference of the engine's casing. Means for locking onto the mounting pins are disposed along the outer surface of the member. The member has a plurality of flanges which are bolted to flanges extending outwards from the engine's casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1992
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventors: Chi F. Chan, John E. Hill
  • Method for accelerating a gas turbine engine
    Patent number: 5127220
    Abstract: A method for accelerating a gas turbine engine (10) with an air turbine starter (14) employs sensor data (48, 50) indicative of both starter speed and engine speed to enable speed-synchronized engagement of the starter output shaft (16) with an engine input shaft (18), thereby minimizing clutch damage and engine restart time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1992
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventors: Tariq Jesrai, Todd S. Carlson
  • Control surface structures for fluid-borne vehicles and method for rotationally moving such structures
    Patent number: 5127605
    Abstract: A fluidfoil (78) for use in guiding fluid-borne vehicles has first and second bodies (82, 80) arranged in telescoping relation and collectively defining the leading and trailing edges (18, 20) of the fluidfoil so that the chord length (24) of the fluidfoil is variable. The bodies (82, 80) are rotatable about a shaft (16) defining an axis (14) in fixed positional relation to the leading edge (18), and the fluidfoil (78) is operable under the influence of a relatively moving, surrounding fluid medium (22) to assume an angle of attack which depends on chord length (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1992
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventors: Donald L. Atchison, Marshall U. Hines, Larry K. Ball
  • Fluidic vibration cancellation mount and method
    Patent number: 5127622
    Abstract: A vibration cancellation mount for use in a vibration cancellation system is provided that includes a fluidic driver providing a modulated air stream to an elastomeric air spring. The pressure of the air stream is caused to fluctuate by an acoustical cancelling signal generated by an electroacoustic transducer electrically coupled to cancellation controller. As this pressure varies the air spring is filled and vented so that it responds at the same frequency and phase as the cancellation signal and thereby cancels the vibrations emanating from a vibrating structure mounted thereto. By employing a fluidic driver, the vibration cancellation mount is not frequency limited and can cancel vibrations having frequencies anywhere in the audio frequency spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1992
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventors: Gordon E. Whelpley, John F. Thurston
  • Pneumohydraulic actuator
    Patent number: 5117633
    Abstract: A pneumatically driven hydrostatic actuator and a pneumatically driven recirculating hydraulic actuator are provided. Each of these actuators consists of a hydraulic pump fluidly coupled to an actuator. The pump is driven by a low inertia pneumatic motor that extracts pressure energy from pressurized gas and converts it to rotary motion. The pneumatic motor is preferably made from stainless steel A286 so that it can operate using pressurized hydrogen gas. The components of both actuators are in a closely coupled relationship so that they can be arranged in a compact unitary package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1992
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventors: Jacob Bayer, Shek M. Cheung, William F. Ryan
  • Butterfly valve with biased area reduction means
    Patent number: 5113910
    Abstract: A butterfly valve adapted for controlled variation in the area of the leading wing of the valve plate. The valve plate is comprised of two parallel plate-like members which are relatively translatable in mutually parallel directions. The relative translational movement further covers or uncovers an open area formed through one of the two members on the leading wing thereof. Movement of the valve plate occurs as either rotational movement of the entire valve plate or relative translational movement between the foresaid members. The type of movement depends on whether the force exerted on the members by a biasing mechanism is exceeded by the torque exerted on the valve plate by a conveyed fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1992
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventor: Larry K. Ball
  • Flight control apparatus for an anti-tank projectile
    Patent number: 5111553
    Abstract: Flight control apparatus (10) for a cannon-launched anti-tank projectile. A boom that structurally secures four fins (18) and four nozzles (20) to an afterbody (12) of the projectile, and that provides for fluid communication from the afterbody to the nozzles, is provided in the form of an assembly (14) comprising intersecured tubes (22, 24, 26, 28) which define a longitudinal axis (30) of the assembly. The boom assembly (14) considerably reduces the weight and fabrication cost associated with a conventional boom which is provided in the form of an integral multi-channeled cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1992
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventors: David Muggeridge, William F. Ryan, Dieter Haase