Patents Assigned to Rolls-Royce Limited
  • Fuel burners for gas turbine engines
    Patent number: 4222243
    Abstract: Fuel is injected through very fine holes normally into a swirled airstream. A finally atomized fuel results and a solid cone of fuel and air passes into the combustion chamber. The injector gives high combustion efficiency at idle conditions reduces smoke at high power conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1978
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1980
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventor: John A. Mobsby
  • Solar radiant energy heat exchanger
    Patent number: 4222369
    Abstract: A radiant energy heat exchanger for use in a solar energy power plant comprises one or more banks of heat exchange ducts, the or each bank of ducts having an inlet and an outlet manifold to receive and discharge respectively the medium to be heated, the ducts all being curved along their length between the inlet and outlet manifolds so that the amount of radiant energy falling on the ducts per unit area of duct decreases between the inlet and outlet manifolds at such a rate that the duct temperature is substantially constant between the manifolds while the temperature of the medium being heated increases, the radiant energy falling on the ducts being substantially unidirectional.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1978
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1980
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventors: Albert Jubb, Eric W. Stansbury
  • Gas turbine jet propulsion engine
    Patent number: 4221114
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has three turbines, the intermediate and high pressure turbines running at substantially constant corrected speed. The low pressure turbine has variable nozzle guide vanes and the low pressure compressor has variable stators so as to enable its speed to be varied, while its mass flow is arranged to be large at low speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1976
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1980
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventors: Geoffrey L. Wilde, Jack Britt
  • Isothermal aerofoil with insulated internal passageway
    Patent number: 4218179
    Abstract: An aerofoil blade for a gas turbine engine is in the form of a heat pipe. The aerofoil blade has an internal passageway adapted to contain a secondary structure and to thermally insulate that secondary structure from the remainder of the aerofoil blade by, for instance, the provision of a cooling air passage between the internal passageway and secondary structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1978
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1980
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventors: Brian Barry, David W. Artt
  • Sealing means for bladed rotor for a gas turbine engine
    Patent number: 4218189
    Abstract: A bladed rotor for a gas turbine engine comprises a rotor disc having a plurality of blade retaining slots in its periphery and a rotor blade mounted in each slot, and sealing means between the rotor and the adjacent static structure comprising an annular projection from adjacent the disc periphery adapted to coact with an annular feature on the static structure. The annular projection is made up of a plurality of abutting segments, alternate ones of which project from the disc and one of the rotor blades respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1978
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1980
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventor: George Pask
  • Brake mechanism for rotary parts
    Patent number: 4216909
    Abstract: In a thrust reverser translating mechanism, a drive shaft and a driven shaft are connected so as to permit a small degree of relative rotation. A pawl is pivotally connected to the driven shaft and an annular ratchet surrounds it. If the drive shaft controls the speed of rotation, it takes up the free movement and in so doing, moves the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet. If the driven shaft attempts to rotate faster than the drive shaft, it takes the pawl away from its engagement with the drive shaft and allows resilient means to urge the pawl into engagement with the ratchet thus stopping rotation of the driven shaft until the drive shaft catches up and disengages the pawl from the ratchet again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1978
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1980
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventor: Robert N. Carlin
  • Marine vessel noise attenuating structure
    Patent number: 4212259
    Abstract: The exhaust or the inlet duct of a marine gas turbine engine power plant installation comprises a porous duct, a plurality of circumferentially arranged non-porous channel members attached to and axially spaced along the porous duct, the channel members and the porous duct together defining a plurality of annular noise attenuating cells, and at least one layer of heat insulating material surrounding the channel members, the insulating material being contained with a cover and attached to the porous duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1978
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1980
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventors: Victor A. Webb, Arthur D. Wells, Geoffrey C. Clarke, Charles P. R. Peecock
  • Rotary mounting for use especially with measuring apparatus
    Patent number: 4209206
    Abstract: A rotary mounting for supporting a workpiece for rotation has a number of support members which are small in relation to the workpiece and each of which forms an aerostatic bearing with a flat surface of a table. The support members are connected by respective links to a radial bearing connected to the table and supporting the mounting for rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1978
    Date of Patent: June 24, 1980
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce Limited, Renishaw Electrical Limited
    Inventors: David R. McMurtry, Lionel J. Ackery
  • Turbine stator aerofoil blades for gas turbine engines
    Patent number: 4207027
    Abstract: A stator aerofoil blade for a gas turbine engine is manufactured in the form of a heat pipe so that during engine operation, the blade remains substantially isothermal. Localized thermal gradients within the blade are minimized thereby reducing the possibility of blade distortion or cracking.A shroud ring for a gas turbine engine is manufactured in the form of a heat pipe so that during engine operation, the ring remains substantially isothermal. Localized thermal gradients within the ring are minimized, thereby reducing the possibility of ring distortion occurring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1980
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventors: Brian Barry, David W. Artt, Susan M. Allen
  • Flanged joint structure for composite materials
    Patent number: 4205927
    Abstract: A flanged joint structure for enabling a first member made from a fibre re-inforced composite material to be bolted to a second member includes means defining on the first member a continuous flange extending at right angles to the member, and an intermediate connecting portion which is bonded to the first member and which is bonded to the flange along a line which alternately passes above and below the mean plane of the loads applied by the bolts. This construction minimizes bending loads in the flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1978
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1980
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventor: Roy Simmons
  • Combustion systems
    Patent number: 4204403
    Abstract: The disclosure of this invention pertains to an annular combustion chamber for a gas turbine engine. The chamber has at its upstream end an annular array of baffles defining inlet passages for air or air/fuel mixture. The baffles overlap in the circumferential sense so that air or air/fuel mixture entering passages is directed by the baffles into a circumferential swirl. Those surfaces of the baffles which are open to the interior of the chamber are swept by the fluid emerging from the passages to be cooled thereby.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1978
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1980
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventor: David M. Howe
  • Brush seal and a method of manufacture
    Patent number: 4204629
    Abstract: A method of manufacture of a brush for use as a seal includes the steps of winding a filament or filaments of bristle material onto a mandrel which carries on each side thereof a side-plate of the brush so that the bristle material overlies an exposed face of each side-plate at an angle of 45.degree.. After winding, a second side-plate is made to overlie the bristle material to sandwich it between the two plates and the side-plates and bristle material are welded or fused together at one edge thereof. The bristle material is then cut and the plates removed from the mandrel to produce two brushes with bristles projecting from the other edge at an angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1978
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1980
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventor: Stuart A. Bridges
  • Brush seals
    Patent number: 4202554
    Abstract: A brush seal which comprises a plurality of tightly-packed bristles (3) sandwiched in a space between a pair of axially-spaced annular side-plates (1,2). In order to minimize the gaps between the bristles at the outer radius of the seal the cross-sectional area of the space, and/or the bristles is varied, or alternatively the bristles are formed in an involute shape, and the cross-sectional area of the space is constant at all radii.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1979
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1980
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventor: Leonard S. Snell
  • Fuel systems for gas turbine engines
    Patent number: 4201044
    Abstract: A fuel system is provided with two filters between the L.P. pump and the H.P. pump, both of which are used (in parallel) when the temperature of the L.P. fuel is above 0.degree. C. When the temperature of the fuel drops below 0.degree. C., all the L.P. fuel is passed through the first filter, and a small supply of warm H.P. fuel is passed through the second filter. Ice collects in the first filter until a predetermined pressure drop across it causes all the L.P. fuel flow to be switched to the second filter. The first filter is then de-iced by a small supply of warm H.P. fuel. This cycle is repeated continuously while the temperature of the L.P. fuel is below 0.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1978
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1980
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventor: Alec G. Dodd
  • Shroud ring aerofoil capture
    Patent number: 4199300
    Abstract: A turbine for a gas turbine engine is provided with a rotary stage comprising an annular array of rotor blades surrounded by an annular shroud member. The shroud member is hollow, the hollow interior being provided with a heat transfer medium which, in operation, functions as a condensable vapor and liquid whereby the shroud member is a heat pipe. The shroud member is further provided with a wall adjacent the aerofoil blade which is adapted to be penetrable by a detached blade or blade portion. The wall of the shroud member is dimensioned so that any such detached blade or blade portion which penetrates the wall enters the hollow shroud ring and is retained within it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1980
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventor: Henry Tubbs
  • Inspection apparatus
    Patent number: 4198852
    Abstract: Apparatus suitable for inspecting the positional accuracy of a hole or passage in a workpiece comprising workpiece support means and a probe assembly. The probe assembly comprises two parallel tubes; one provided with a thermistor bead maintained at a temperature higher than ambient and the other provided with a nozzle adapted so as to direct a jet of air on to the thermistor bead. The tubes are positioned on each side of a workpiece to be inspected so that as the tubes are traversed across the workpiece, the jet of air is prevented from impinging upon the thermistor bead. However when a hole or passage in the workpiece is spanned by the nozzle and thermistor bead, the air jet will impinge upon the thermistor bead, thereby cooling it and hence providing a signal that a hole or passage has been encountered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1980
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventors: John M. Osman, Michael P. Martin
  • Rotor support structure for a gas turbine engine
    Patent number: 4197702
    Abstract: A rotor support structure for a gas turbine engine comprises a rolling element bearing adapted to carry the rotor, a structurally strong ring adapted to carry the rolling element bearing, and two pairs of supporting struts for the ring, extending substantially tangentially from the ring, each pair joining at a mounting, the two mountings being diametrically opposed with respect to the ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1980
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventor: John M. Robertson
  • Control system
    Patent number: 4197577
    Abstract: A control system of the non-linear type which behaves in a substantially `proportional` manner. The system comprises an error detector which compares the input and output of a plant to obtain an error value, and a control unit which derives from the error value a continuous control signal for the plant. The control signal comprises a linear term which is a linear function of the error signal and a nonlinear damping term which is a continuously variable function comprising the ratio of the rate of change of the error signal and the error itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1980
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventors: Christopher L. Johnson, Peter J. Stratton
  • Plasma welding
    Patent number: 4195216
    Abstract: In plasma welding apparatus controls are provided which regulate the rates of increasing and decreasing the welding parameters e.g., welding current, gas flow and wire feed to prevent the formations of craters in the weld at the end of a welding run. Improved welds are formed if the wire feed rate is increased prior to the start of the decrease in welding current but after the gas flow to the plasma arc has begun to decrease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1978
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1980
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventors: Derek J. Beauchamp, Donald L. A. Weston
  • Combustion apparatus
    Patent number: 4193260
    Abstract: A combustion apparatus for a gas turbine engine comprises a combustion chamber having primary and secondary combustion zones, a fuel injector having a series of primary fuel nozzles and a series of secondary fuel nozzles, and primary and secondary fuel and air duct means to direct fuel and air mixtures to the primary and secondary combustion zones respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1980
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventors: Denis R. Carlisle, Andrew R. Grun