Patents Assigned to MESSIER DOWTY
  • Publication number: 20130134000
    Abstract: A metering pin assembly, for use in an aircraft landing gear shock absorber, that is operable to move within the shock absorber, independently of the shock absorber, to respond to movement of the landing gear under subjected load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2011
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: Messier-Dowty Inc.
    Inventor: James Ning
  • Patent number: 8446294
    Abstract: This invention allows for the precise determination of an aircraft's landing conditions and whether an aircraft has experienced a hard landing that exceeds the allowable design loads of the aircraft's landing gear. The system comprises a computer that measures signals from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) at high data rates (e.g. 100 Hz) and also records signals from the aircraft avionics data bus. The computer compares the output from the inertial measurement unit's accelerometers against at least one predetermined threshold parameter to determine whether the aircraft's three dimensional landing deceleration is safely within the design allowances or other regulatory limitations, or whether the landing event needs further investigation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Messier-Dowty Inc.
    Inventor: R. Kyle Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8398020
    Abstract: An auxiliary mechanism includes a lever unit, a spring unit and a positioning unit. One of the units pivotally connects to the upper portion of a main shock absorber strut so as to pivot between a predetermined lower position for take-off and landing and an upper position. Another unit pivotally connects at an upper end to the upper portion of the main shock absorber strut and pivotally connects at a lower end to the first unit. A third unit pivotally connects at a lower end to the bogie beam at an auxiliary pivot and connects at an upper end to the lever. The positioning unit assumes either a contracted state or extended state for taxiing, take-off and landing, and assumes the other state for stowing the landing gear after take-off. The spring unit provides spring resistance to pivotal movements of the bogie beam about the main pivot during taxiing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Messier-Dowty Limited
    Inventors: Ian Bennett, Richard Charles Lang, Robert Anthony Menezes
  • Patent number: 8382032
    Abstract: A semi-levered landing gear for an aircraft includes a main shock absorber strut, a bogie beam and an auxiliary actuator mechanism. The bogie beam extends fore and aft of an airframe of the aircraft with forward and aft axles for respective forward and aft wheels, and a main pivot between the forward and aft axle pivotally connected to the lower portion of the main shock absorber strut. The auxiliary actuator mechanism includes a spring unit pivotally connected at a lower end to an auxiliary pivot on the bogie forward of the main pivot, and at an upper end to an anchor point offset from the pivot connection of the upper portion to the aircraft fuselage. During stowing the strut and spring unit pivot together about different pivot points, causing a relative longitudinal movement between the main pivot and auxiliary pivot that further tilts the bogie beam to a stowing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Messier-Dowty Limited
    Inventors: Ian Bennett, Richard Charles Lang, Robert Anthony Menezes
  • Patent number: 8376272
    Abstract: An auxiliary actuator mechanism includes a lever, a spring unit and a control linkage. The lever is pivotally connected to the upper portion of a main shock absorber strut, and pivotable between an upper position for take-off, and a lower position. The spring unit is pivotally connected at an upper end to the lever and at a lower end to the bogie at an auxiliary pivot forward of the main pivot. The control linkage is connected between the lever and the upper portion of the main shock absorber strut to define the upper predetermined position of the lever. The control linkage is connectable to an anchor point that moves relative to the upper portion of the main shock absorber strut during stowing, and is operated by initial stowing movement of the stowing mechanism to lower the lever from the upper position to a stowing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Messier-Dowty Limited
    Inventors: Ian Bennett, Richard Charles Lang, Robert Anthony Menezes
  • Publication number: 20130020431
    Abstract: There is described a landing gear having a bogie including a elongated beam (2) for accommodating at least two axles receiving each a pair of ground engaging wheels, at least one axle (5) being pivotally mounted on the elongated beam. The landing gear further includes axle travel limitation means (10) extending between said pivotable axle and said elongated beam to be hitched up thereto, said travel limitation means being deformable one way starting from an stable and lockable state thereof corresponding to a landing position of said pivotable axle. There are also described independently lockable and actuatable telescopic struts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: MESSIER-DOWTY LTD
    Inventors: Ian Robert Robert Bennett, Robert Menezes, Paul Shaw
  • Publication number: 20120318909
    Abstract: Aircraft landing gear including an axle pivotally connected to a bogie beam and a locking device. The locking couples the axle to the bogie beam, and has a movable member and a follower. The movable member is movable between first and second configurations. Movement of the movable member towards the second configuration causes corresponding movement of the follower so as to transfer a steering force to the axle through the follower which causes the axle to rotate in a first direction. With the movable member in the first configuration, the follower is in a first configuration that inhibits the movable member being moved by an external force applied to the axle. With the movable member in the second configuration, the follower in a second configuration that permits the movable member to be moved by an external force applied to the axle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: MESSIER-DOWTY LIMITED
    Inventor: Ian Bennett
  • Publication number: 20120305703
    Abstract: A landing gear, including an elongate axle pivotally connected to a bogie beam, the landing gear further including a locking device for locking the axle at a substantially fixed orientation with respect to the bogie beam, the locking device including first and second barrier arms that are movable between a first configuration, in which they define a barrier so as to maintain the maintain the axle in the substantially fixed orientation with respect to the bogie beam, and a second configuration, in which the axle may pivot about the bogie beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: MESSIER-DOWTY LIMITED
    Inventor: Ian Robert Bennett
  • Publication number: 20120292443
    Abstract: The present invention provides a double hook door mechanism for use in opening and closing aircraft landing gear bay doors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: MESSIER-DOWTY INC.
    Inventor: Steve AMBERG
  • Publication number: 20120292442
    Abstract: An aircraft landing gear including a fairing (12) arranged to be moveable between first and second configurations, wherein in the first configuration the fairing shields an element of the landing gear from an incident airflow, the fairing being arranged to be in the first configuration when the landing gear is deployed but unloaded, and wherein in the second configuration the fairing exposes the landing gear element to the incident airflow, the fairing being arranged to be in the second configuration when the landing gear is deployed and loaded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: Messier-Dowty Limited
    Inventor: Yann Simonneaux
  • Publication number: 20120280564
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electric accumulator for selectively operating at least one aircraft device. The electric accumulator includes an ultra-capacitor array for storing electrical energy, which can later be used to power an aircraft device. The stored electrical energy can also be used as a source of emergency backup power. The distribution of the electrical energy is controlled by a power distribution controller. The electric accumulator may be charged by a power source on an aircraft, or it may be pre-charged by an external power source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: MESSIER-DOWTY INC.
    Inventor: Chris BROOKFIELD
  • Publication number: 20120241558
    Abstract: Aircraft landing gear including at least one load bearing longitudinal structural element wherein said longitudinal structural element is hollow and is arranged to have at least one non-structural element located inside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: Messier-Dowty Limited
    Inventor: Yann Simonneaux
  • Patent number: 8267351
    Abstract: The present invention provides an aircraft landing bay door mechanism that includes the use of a roller slot mechanism for opening and closing the landing bay door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Messier-Dowty Inc.
    Inventor: Chris Brookfield
  • Patent number: 8242624
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electric accumulator for selectively operating at least one aircraft device. The electric accumulator includes an ultra-capacitor array for storing electrical energy, which can later be used to power an aircraft device. The stored electrical energy can also be used as a source of emergency backup power. The distribution of the electrical energy is controlled by a power distribution controller. The electric accumulator may be charged by a power source on an aircraft, or it may be pre-charged by an external power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Messier-Dowty Inc
    Inventor: Chris Brookfield
  • Patent number: 8231078
    Abstract: The present invention provides a double hook door mechanism for use in opening and closing aircraft landing gear bay doors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Messier-Dowty Inc
    Inventor: Steve Amberg
  • Publication number: 20120163905
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a fitting connected to a body. The fitting has an engagement portion including a channel formed into a peripheral surface of it and an axis. The body includes an axial layer provided around at least some of the peripheral surface of the engagement portion of the end fitting and a hoop layer provided around the axial layer at a location corresponding to at least some of the channel so as to urge at least some of the axial layer into a portion of the channel. The channel is arranged such that at least some of it defines a pathway that is non-orthogonal with respect to the axis of the fitting, such that at least some of the surface area of the channel defines a load bearing surface for the transfer of torque between the fitting and body when a rotational force is applied to one of them.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicants: MESSIER-DOWTY SA, MESSIER-DOWTY LIMITED
    Inventors: David Bond, Paul Trowbridge, Andrew Smith, Richard Masson, Patrick Dunleavy
  • Patent number: 8181532
    Abstract: The present invention provides a structural deflection and load measuring device for mounting on an axle. The device includes at least one light beam emitting device connected to the axle and able to emit at least one light beam and at least one light position sensing device connected to the axle. The sensing device is located relative to the light beam emitting device for receiving at least one light beam from the light beam emitting device thereon and is operable to calculate the position of the light beam received on its surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Messier-Dowty Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Kyle Schmidt, Nader Abu El-samid
  • Publication number: 20120118444
    Abstract: A titanium alloy having at least 4% by weight aluminum and at least 0.1% by weight oxygen, the alloy also including at least one element selected from vanadium, molybdenum, chromium, and iron. The titanium alloy also includes hafnium in a proportion by weight of at least 0.1%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: MESSIER-DOWTY SA
    Inventors: Francis Soniak, Jean-Michel De Monicault
  • Publication number: 20120119025
    Abstract: An auxiliary actuator mechanism includes a lever, a spring unit and a control linkage. The lever is pivotally connected to the upper portion of a main shock absorber strut, and pivotable between an upper position for take-off, and a lower position. The spring unit is pivotally connected at an upper end to the lever and at a lower end to the bogie at an auxiliary pivot forward of the main pivot. The control linkage is connected between the lever and the upper portion of the main shock absorber strut to define the upper predetermined position of the lever. The control linkage is connectable to an anchor point that moves relative to the upper portion of the main shock absorber strut during stowing, and is operated by initial stowing movement of the stowing mechanism to lower the lever from the upper position to a stowing position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: MESSIER-DOWTY LIMITED
    Inventors: Ian Bennett, Richard C. Lang, Robert A. Menezes
  • Publication number: 20120112001
    Abstract: An auxiliary mechanism includes a lever unit, a spring unit and a positioning unit. One of the units pivotally connects to the upper portion of a main shock absorber strut so as to pivot between a predetermined lower position for take-off and landing and an upper position. Another unit pivotally connects at an upper end to the upper portion of the main shock absorber strut and pivotally connects at a lower end to the first unit. A third unit pivotally connects at a lower end to the bogie beam at an auxiliary pivot and connects at an upper end to the lever. The positioning unit assumes either a contracted state or extended state for taxiing, take-off and landing, and assumes the other state for stowing the landing gear after take-off. The spring unit provides spring resistance to pivotal movements of the bogie beam about the main pivot during taxiing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: MESSIER-DOWTY LIMITED
    Inventors: Ian Bennett, Richard C. Lang, Robert A. Menezes