Patents Examined by Barry L. Kelmachter
  • Eddy current nutation damper with progressive damping factor
    Patent number: 4168048
    Abstract: A nutation damper apparatus capable of damping small nutation angles in a satellite. A permanent magnet mounted on the free end of a pendulum arm oscillates back and forth parallel to an adjacent conductive plate in the form of a circular segment having a cross-sectional area that increases from the center to its lateral ends, and induces in the plate a magnetic flux which is proportional to the deviation angle of the pendulum from its rest position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1978
    Date of Patent: September 18, 1979
    Assignee: Organisation Europeenne de Recherches Spatiales
    Inventor: Udo Renner
  • Aft cargo door for aircraft
    Patent number: 4167258
    Abstract: A rotary segment aft cargo door for aircraft is geometrically defined by an arcuate slice through the aft fuselage or other nacelle. The door is rotated to an open position, for example and preferably by a cable drive system. The door is suspended by tracks mounted on its inner surface and roller carriages attached to the aft fuselage or nacelle structure. The track and carriage configuration prevents binding as it is a three-point suspension with predetermined clearances in the closed position. Hydraulically actuated interconnected hooks along with lock pins at the pressure door hold the door in the locked position. One-half of the pressure bulkhead is fixed to the aircraft and the other half is carried by the aft cargo door providing automatic pressure door opening with aft cargo door opening. Inflatable pressure seals are used to seal the door in the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1978
    Date of Patent: September 11, 1979
    Assignee: Lockheed Corporation
    Inventor: Arthur J. Robertson
  • Variable lift advancing wing aircraft
    Patent number: 4166595
    Abstract: An aircraft comprised of a pair of spaced apart interconnected air-frame members and a cargo compartment supported therewithin is provided with a plurality of expansible airfoils mounted for peripheral movement around the air-frame members as driven by a motor and associated drive, movement of the airfoils along the frontmost perimeters of the air-frame members providing the aircraft with forward thrust, and movement thereof along the uppermost perimeters of the air-frame members accentuating the lift provided by the airfoils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1978
    Date of Patent: September 4, 1979
    Inventor: Alvino J. Ango
  • Airship power turbine
    Patent number: 4166596
    Abstract: Power is mechanically transmitted from a tethered airship carrying wind turbines to electrical generators on the ground at the anchor point of the tether, by the use of endless power-transmission cables bridging between drive sheaves at the turbine wheels and driven sheaves at the generators. Tether adjustments, cable tensioning, and wind direction changes are provided for the ground apparatus. A tubular aircraft with recess in the tube wall, carrying bearings on which the rims of the turbine wheels ride, is also claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1978
    Date of Patent: September 4, 1979
    Inventors: William J. Mouton, Jr., David F. Thompson
  • Combination air brake and engine shield for aircraft
    Patent number: 4165849
    Abstract: A combination air brake and engine shield for a jet powered aircraft. A hydraulically operated, hinged shield member, shaped so as to conform to the surface of the aircraft fuselage when in its retracted position, may be swung outwardly therefrom so as to be disposed in front of the air intake of the jet engine powering the craft, to thereby divert any foreign objects from being drawn into the intake and damaging the engine. The same arrangement may also serve as an air brake to effect deceleration of the aircraft. Spring loaded louvers are provided in the shield to permit sufficient air to reach the engine such that problems due to cavitation are avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1979
    Inventor: Anthony Fox
  • Rotary thrust device including axially elongated rotor rotatable in casting having elongated fluid intake and discharge slots
    Patent number: 4165848
    Abstract: A fluid flow device comprises a rotor housed in a casing having slot-like intake and outlet openings. Groups of such devices can be used to form an aircraft propulsion system by drawing-in air from above through the intake openings and forcing the air downwardly through the outlet openings to provide lift and horizontal thrust, the effect being similar to that produced by the wing of a bird.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1979
    Inventor: Alfredo Bizzarri
  • Wind driven hydrofoil watercraft
    Patent number: 4164909
    Abstract: The invention concerns a water craft comprising a hull, a front hydrofoil and a rear hydrofoil depending downwardly from the hull, a hydrofoil depending outwardly from each side of the hull at an angle below the horizontal, a sail wing or the like for enabling the hull to move forwards and control members for altering the position of at least some of the hydrofoils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1978
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1979
    Inventor: James S. Ballard
  • Tandem wing airplane
    Patent number: 4165058
    Abstract: A tandem wing aircraft is provided having two independent spaced apart fuselages and two wings of similar area, a lower forward wing and a higher aft wing. The lower forward wing is attached to the forward region of each of the spaced apart fuselages; the higher aft wing is aerodynamically spaced apart from and located above the aft region of the spaced apart fuselages. An aft strut member is disposed between the aft wing and each of the fuselages; each aft strut member has a length sufficient to cause the wing tips of the lower forward wing and the upper aft wing to be vertically spaced apart by a distance of at least 25% of the span of either of the wings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1979
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Philip C. Whitener
  • Flexible rail roller system
    Patent number: 4164338
    Abstract: The invention is in an aircraft provided with a flexible rail roller construction adapted to be positioned on the deck of a cargo space to provide for movement of cargo thereover and arranged to be quickly and easily moved to a storage position below the deck. To accomplish this the rollers are provided in a flexible track movable through a 180.degree. arc at one end of the deck by engagement with a curved arcuate guide surface to extend in an inverted position beneath the deck. In a preferred embodiment roller supporting axles extended between midpoints of rigid plate-like links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1978
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1979
    Assignee: Brooks & Perkins, Incorporated
    Inventor: Clayton E. Myron
  • Environmental protection system
    Patent number: 4164339
    Abstract: Sheets of metal foil superalloy heat-resisting metal foil, aluminized mylar or other thermal insulators are superposed one upon the other and deployed over the surface to be protected. A "dead space" thermal insulation such as a vacuum or simply a high resistance physical separation, is provided between surfaces. Physical separation between surfaces may be effected by flaps, integral to the insulator material, which are actuated by an aerodynamic or forced airstream or by the static energy stored in uncoiled flaps. Deployment is effected, only when needed, either by automatic or manually controlled reels which dispense the insulating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1979
    Inventor: Carl O. McClenny
  • Canted spar with intermediate intercostal stiffeners
    Patent number: 4162777
    Abstract: An aircraft wing box construction including canted sheet metal spar webs continuously tied to the upper and lower skins. Sheet metal intercostal stiffeners of substantially triangular configuration are spaced spanwise along the web to provide shear stiffening for the web and intermittent stabilization for the upper skin. Both the shear web and intercostal stiffeners are fastened to spanwise continuous spar caps which are attached to the upper and lower skins. These caps, supported by the intercostals and webs, provide sufficient stabilization to prevent upper skin buckling up to ultimate design stress with a minimum of shear webs thereby providing significant weight savings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1978
    Date of Patent: July 31, 1979
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: William W. Gilbert, III, Eduardo W. Gomez
  • Deployment apparatus for stores from vehicles
    Patent number: 4161301
    Abstract: This apparatus proposes to sequentially deploy stores, such as mines or missiles, from a moving vehicle, such as an airplane or ship, at a predetermined rate and velocity. It includes modular palletized stowage of these stores, limited in size and shape only by vehicle weight and/or space considerations, devices to lock the pallets together and to the vehicle, a cradle to support and facilitate propulsion of the stores prior to launch, a drive mechanism to propel the stores through the pallets, and devices to properly release each store from the vehicle and from its cradle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1978
    Date of Patent: July 17, 1979
    Assignee: Lockheed Corporation
    Inventors: Richard G. Beardsley, Norman S. Currey
  • Operating station for aircraft refueling boom
    Patent number: 4160534
    Abstract: A refueling boom operator's seat located within the lower rear portion of the aircraft fuselage, the seat positioning the operator in a moderately reclining sitting position facing rearwardly to view the operating area of the refueling boom. Two rearwardly and outwardly diverging leg well structures provide recesses to accommodate the operator's legs, and a viewing window is positioned between the operator's legs at approximately the position of the operator's knees. These components are so arranged relative to the main rear pressure bulkhead and other components of the fuselage that the operator has a direct unobstructed view of the boom's normal refueling envelope. A pair of mirrors at the upper and lower portions of the window provide an indirect view of an upper portion of an extreme envelope, into which the boom is able to move above its normal refueling area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1979
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Thomas H. White
  • Variable camber flap
    Patent number: 4159089
    Abstract: A variable camber leading edge flap and linkage mechanism for allowing two different extended operating positions of the flap, i.e. a landing position whereat an aerodynamic slot is formed between the aft edge of the flap and the fixed leading edge of the wing, coupled with a relatively steep flap angle relative to the wing chord plane; and a take-off position whereat the aerodynamic slot is closed and the flap angle is less than at the landing position. Also, a pair of cam mechanisms are interposed between linkages and sequenced in their operating functions to alternately restrain and release certain of the linkage members in order to open or close the aerodynamic slot and change the flap angle in a manner that insures that air loads acting on the variable camber flap do not cause linkage oscillation and flap instability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1979
    Assignee: Boeing Commercial Airplane Company
    Inventor: James B. Cole
  • Aircraft landing gear assembly
    Patent number: 4155523
    Abstract: An aircraft landing gear assembly includes a strut and tire arranged for load-bearing contact with an underlying surface. A weight transfer shoe interposed between the tire and support surface at touchdown and arranged to pivot to a clear position after touchdown cushions the impact between the tire and the support surface to extend the service life of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1979
    Inventors: Earl S. Morford, Dave Heerboth
  • Overload release apparatus for aircraft landing gear or the like
    Patent number: 4155522
    Abstract: A landing gear assembly mounted to a trunnion for movement about a transverse horizontal axis to a stowed position. The trunnion is mounted to an intermediate member which is in turn mounted to the aircraft structure for rotation about an axis skewed with respect to the trunnion axis. The intermediate member is releasably held to the aircraft structure by a fuse pin which gives way under conditions of excessive loading on the landing gear assembly, so that the landing gear assembly is able to rotate about its skewed axis to an out-of-the-way location clear of the cargo compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1979
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Francis Sealey
  • Modulating vernier flap control system
    Patent number: 4154415
    Abstract: A slat and modulatable flap control system for an aircraft having slats in the leading edge of the wing and having flaps in the trailing edge of the wing. A detent pin on a control handle, and any one of four detent slots on a detent crank, can be engaged to selectively, and automatically, set the flaps and the slats (because of the cooperative action of other constituent components of the control system) in optimum positional relationship for takeoff/"go-around," cruising, approach, and landing of aircraft. The control system is ideally suited for aircraft used in "short takeoff-and-landing" situations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1979
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Charles V. Harris, George A. Schlanert
  • Aircraft engine installation
    Patent number: 4150802
    Abstract: An aircraft engine installation is disclosed wherein a gas turbine engine is supported within the interior of a tubular cowling that is affixed to the aircraft and all other components of the engine installation such as an air inlet and exhaust system structurally depend from the cowling rather than being mounted to the gas turbine engine. To permit access to the engine for inspection, repair or removal. the lower portion of the cowling is linked to a stationary upper portion of the cowling by a set of jackscrew assemblies spaced apart along each axial boundary of the upper and lower cowling units. The jackscrew assemblies are operable to lower the lower cowling unit to a position at which integral locks, included in one set of the jackscrews, can be released to permit the lower cowling unit to be swung open about integral hinges that are included in the second set of jackscrews.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1979
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: George B. Evelyn, Varnell L. James
  • Protective screen for jet-engine intake
    Patent number: 4149689
    Abstract: The forwardly open intake end of a jet engine, powering an aircraft, is screened against birds and other airborne objects by a conical cage formed from an array of metal rods converging on the engine axis, the rods being held together at the vertex of the cone by a solid tip and in an intermediate plane as well as at the cone base by a pair of metal rings. In flight, they are free to vibrate so as to shake off adhering ice particles. De-icing can be further promoted by feeding back exhaust gases from the rear of the engine to the interior of the cage through an external pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1979
    Inventor: John McDonald
  • Controllable stunt kite having a pair of symmetrical bridles
    Patent number: RE30073
    Abstract: A stunt kite comprising a first horizontal spar member, a second vertical spline member, third and fourth diagonal spar members, the members being formed into a fixed frame, a covering disposed on the frame and having a lateral dimension which is greater than its dimension corresponding to its longitudinal axis and being symmetrical in shape about the longitudinal axis, .[.a bow string forming the first member into a bowed shape such that the covering is bowed into a generally convex configuration,.].
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1979
    Inventor: Lynn M. Worsham