Abstract: A cascade type fan jet engine thrust reverser system. A radially arranged opening is provided along the aft edge the of fan cowl of a fan jet engine. Cascade sets each including a plurality of turning vanes are fixedly positioned in each opening. A blocking door and an actuating linkage system are positioned flush with the inner wall of the fan cowl adjacent to the openings, with the linkage system substantially out of the air flow path during normal engine operation. A sleeve like member covers the outer surface of the cascade sets and at least partially covers the stowed linkage system. When reverse thrust is desired, the sleeve is caused to translate aft, uncovering the cascade set and linkage. The linkage system is caused to move the blocking doors to positions where air flow through the fan cowl is substantially blocked and diverted out through the cascade sets in an outward and reverse direction. Upon completion of thrust reversal operation, these components are returned to the stowed position.

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 attachment fitting for securing metal structures to carbon-carbon structures which tightens as temperature increases. The fitting is particularly useful in high temperature aerospace applications such as hypersonic aircraft. The fitting basically connects an upstanding carbon-carbon blade on a carbon-carbon structure to a metal clevis which fits snugly thereover. A ceramic bushing is fitted in a transverse hole in the blade. A transverse bolt hole extends through the clevis and bushing. A bolt in the bolt hole is tightened with one or more nuts to tightly press the clevis against the busing and blade. The bolt and nut material is selected to have a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the clevis so that differential thermal expansion between clevis and bolt keeps the joint tight at elevated temperatures.

Abstract: A method of making ducts having outwardly extending ribs formed integrally with the duct structure. Two tubes are formed from fiber reinforced resin materials, a uniform inner tube and a ribbed outer tube, then the inner tube is bonded with in the outer tube to form a high strength ribbed duct. An outer tube is formed by placing resin impregnated fibers over a cylindrical mandrel having an inflatable bladder on its surface, placing a plurality of spaced rings tightly against the outer surface, pressurizing the bladder to expand the tube into the spaces between rings to form low ribs, then gradually moving the rings toward each other to press the ribs therebetween and form thin upstanding ribs. The inner tube is formed by placing resin impregnated fibers on a slightly thinner mandrel that also has a surface bladder. When both tubes are formed, the mandrel is removed from the outer tube and the inner tube and mandrel are inserted therein and the inner tube bladder is inflated.

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.

Abstract: A locally reinforced honeycomb core panel having a honeycomb core, at least one coiled insert in at least one honeycomb cell and at least one face sheet. These components are formed from high temperature resistant metals. Elongated foil strips are coiled into cylindrical shapes having diameters slightly less than the width of individual cells in the honeycomb panel and heights no greater than the depth of the cells. These coiled inserts are placed in individual cells in selected portions of the honeycomb core to locally improve density, strength and thermal transfer characteristics of the panel. The coiled inserts have sufficient resiliency so that when they are inserted into cells and allowed to unwind, they press tightly against the cell inside wall even if the cell shape has been distorted in handling. The cells are held in place by the face sheet(s) bonded to the honeycomb core. If desired, the coils may be bonded to the cell walls by diffusion bonding or brazing.

Abstract: An improved synthesis for PMR-type polyimides, including first preparing a dimer of 5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid, or acid ester or anhydride and 4,4'-methylenedianiline. This dimer is then reacted with the dimethyl ester of 3,3',4,4'-benzophenonetetracarboxylic acid and 4,4'-methylenedianiline. The resulting polyimide prepolymer exhibits superior physical properties and is substantially free of the undesired trimer of 5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid, or acid ester or anhydride and 4,4'-methylenedianiline.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for welding high electrically conductive metal and metal alloys. High thermal and high electrical conductive metals such as, for example copper foil and the like, normally unweldable by resistance welding means due to their physical makeup, can now be welded in a conventional manner by the use of pairs of welding electrodes constructed of molybdenum.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method of joining nickel and nickel based alloys to columbium at low pressure and low temperature, wherein a thin titanium brazing foil is provided, with or without a copper coating electroplated thereon. The layers or foils of the metals to be joined are placed in intimate contact with opposite sides of the brazing foil under pressure and heated in a vacuum to a temperature above the eutectic of the metals being used and below 2000.degree. F. and preferably below 1950.degree. F. to provide the bond.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method of bonding columbium to columbium wherein a brazing foil of titanium which has been coated with either a layer of copper or a layer of nickel or layers of copper and then nickel, preferably on both sides of the foil, is disposed between the columbium sheets or the like to be joined. The columbium are placed in intimate contact with opposite sides of the foil and heated to a temperature above the eutectic point of the eutectics of the metals of the foil and no higher than about 1750.degree. F. for about 90 minutes and then cooled to provide the desired bond.

Abstract: A system for circulating heated gases within the circular leading edge of a jet engine housing to prevent ice build-up thereon, or to remove accumulated ice thereform. Hot gases such as air from a hot, high pressure section of the jet-engine are directed through a conduit. The conduit enters the annular leading edge housing, usually from the aft side through a bulkhead, then turns about 90.degree. to a direction tangential to the leading edge annulus. The hot gases exiting the tube entrain the cooler air in the housing, causing a much larger mass of air to swirl circularly around the annular housing. The entering hot gasses heat the mass of air to an intermediate, but still relatively hot, temperature. This large mass of circularly moving hot air is quite efficient in uniformly transferring heat to the skin of the leading edge without leaving any relatively cold areas and preventing the formation of ice thereon.

Abstract: A method and resulting product produced by attaching a prepared maskant of a desired perforation pattern to cured compound contoured or flat advanced composite materials, directing a narrow stream of highly abrasive grit material of a selected particle size range through a relatively large nozzle under selected high pressure toward the maskant perforations at a very small angle relative to the perforation walls until perforations are formed in the advanced composite material according to the stencil perforation pattern. The perforated sheet produced is particularly adapted for use in sound attenuation structures.

Abstract: The invention pertains to apparatus for preventing the flooding of an enclosed plenum chamber pressurized by a source of pressurized gas provided through a duct system leading from a plenum chamber open to the surface of the water over which the ship rides. The inlet to the duct system located within the open plenum chamber is formed to reject by deflection a substantial quantity of water adjacent the inlet from entry. Any small amount of water entering the duct that is not initially rejected from the inlet is ramped through the duct and collected in a stern holding tank. The holding tanks include a float controlled water exhaust valve that opens to the atmosphere and exhausts that collected water therein with the aid of plenum pressure. Any water reaching the closed plenum chamber is constantly exhausted therefrom through apertures in its walls. An additional embodiment is disclosed that prevents substantially all water from entering the enclosed plenum chamber.

Abstract: An overhead lighting fixture with the housing having an open bottom, a resilient hinge pivotally fastening a first side of the light transmitting panel to a first side of the housing adjacent the open bottom of the housing, and a latch assembly for detachably securing a second side of the light transmitting panel to a second side of the housing adjacent its open bottom. The second side of the housing is an elongated extruded side panel member having a light housing web portion and a latch web portion that lies in a plane approximately 90.degree. thereto. The latch member has a J-shaped configuration with a head, a body, and a foot. The head of the latch member has a circular lateral cross-section that is matingly received in a groove formed in the latch web portion. This structure permits the latch member to be pivoted laterally into and out of engagement with a lip extending along the length of the light transmitting panel that rests in the curved hook surface of the J-shaped latch member.

Abstract: An acoustical laminate comprising multi-ply glass fabric impregnated with an epoxy resin and a method of manufacturing the laminate. The laminate may be bonded to suitable backing, such as a honeycomb core with a solid backing, to produce an acoustical panel. The panel provides excellent, substantially linear, sound absorption characteristics.

Abstract: In order to provide increased ramp clearance for the front end of a bus body forwardly of the front wheels, the underbody of the bus is angled upwardly and forwardly toward the lower edge of the front bumper from a transverse line just forwardly of the front wheel wells, and a lower front step for the bus is hingedly mounted at its rear end to swing between a raised, stowed position, flush with the angled underbody, and a lowered, deployed position with the step horizontal and supported to carry the weight of passengers boarding and leaving the bus. Mechanism is provided for operating the step synchronously with the opening and closing of the bus front doors.

Abstract: A hamper dumper having a base frame, a cradle pivotally attached to the base frame, and a chute assembly pivotally attached to the base frame. The cradle is designed to receive a hamper loaded with parcels that is to be unloaded. A first hydraulic motor has its one end pivotally secured to the base frame and its other end pivotally secured to the cradle for rotating the cradle from a loaded to an unloaded position. The chute assembly functions as a cover for the top of the hamper while it is travelling from an upright position to an inverted position. Thereafter a second hydraulic motor rotates the chute assembly an additional arcuate distance to allow for controlled discharge of the parcels within the hamper. Locking means in the cradle prevents the hamper from falling during its inverted period.