Patents Examined by Eric Acosta
  • Patent number: 11427351
    Abstract: A carrier and operational frame system and methods of assembling a structure are presented. The carrier and operational frame system comprises a plurality of panel carriers, each panel carrier comprising a frame configured to act as a strongback to a panel and indexing features configured to interface with at least one other panel carrier of the plurality of panel carriers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Lane W. Fuglevand, Brian M. Capobianco, Joseph M. Gholami, Kory K. Dehart, James F. Hammond, Aaron A. Denning
  • Patent number: 11420748
    Abstract: A galley structure for an aircraft cabin includes double-depth cart bays capable of stowing an outer full-size cart in front of an inner fell-size cart. An extraction and retention (E&R) system is mounted to a sidewall of the double-depth cart bay and includes a stowable retainer arm and fixed extractor arm coupled to and articulable via an extraction handle that may be pulled or pushed out of or toward the cart bay. When the outer cart is removed, the inner cart can be brought forward for extraction via the extractor arm (the inner cart extractable once the retainer arm is stowed) and returned to its inner stowed position via the retainer arm (in both cases, by pulling or pushing the extraction handle). The extraction handle includes a retainer actuator for stowing or deploying the retainer arm as needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher L. Tracey, Daniel H Wall
  • Patent number: 11414185
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a propulsion assembly for an aircraft. The propulsion assembly comprises a mast, a hub assembly coupled to the mast and having a gimballing degree of freedom relative to the mast, the hub assembly having an inner hub wall spaced part from the mast, a gimbal lock positioned about the mast, the gimbal lock configured to fit between the inner hub wall and the mast in an engaged position, and an over-center locking mechanism coupled to the gimbal lock. The gimbal lock is movable between a disengaged position and the engaged position relative to the hub assembly. The gimbal lock enables the gimballing degree of freedom in the disengaged position and disables the gimballing degree of freedom in the engaged position. The over-center locking mechanism is configured to move the gimbal lock between the engaged position and the disengaged position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventor: Kyle Thomas Cravener
  • Patent number: 11414212
    Abstract: Launch and land system for a tethered aircraft (in connection with FIG. 1) The invention provides for a launch and land system (1) for a tethered aircraft (90) comprising a runway (12) for the aircraft and a winch (62) for the tether (92), wherein the runway comprises a funnel-shaped target area (14) with a wide end oriented towards one end of the runway and a narrow end opposite of the wide end, wherein said target area is laterally bordered by restriction devices (80) extending from one end of the target area to the other for preventing the aircraft to roll out of the target area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: AMPYX Power B.V.
    Inventor: Marcos Paz Duart
  • Patent number: 11407518
    Abstract: An aircraft and propulsion system are provided. The aircraft includes an airframe including one or more of a fuselage, a wing, or an empennage. The aircraft includes an aircraft propulsion system including a front frame and an aft frame. A front mount link is connected to the airframe and the front frame, and the aft frame is selectively connected to the airframe by an aft mount link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Timothy Leo Schelfaut, Anthony Michael Metz, Jonathan Edward Coleman, Thomas P. Joseph, Brian Michael Dixon
  • Patent number: 11352119
    Abstract: A linking part for an aircraft is disclosed having an elongated section including an internal longitudinal seat and a tenon mounted in the seat. The tenon includes a linking element at a free longitudinal end thereof and configured in a retracted position in which the tenon is fully inserted in the seat and does not create an obstruction, enabling the linking part to be easily moved towards the support element, or a deployed position (P2) in which the free longitudinal end of the tenon is outside the seat and is able to be linked using the linking element to the support element, thereby enabling a link to be made simply and quickly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS (S.A.S.)
    Inventor: Bernard Guering
  • Patent number: 11292605
    Abstract: A system for mounting a gas turbine engine to a pylon on a wing of an aircraft. A temporary forward link, being length-adjustable, and at least one temporary rearward link, being length-adjustable, are provided. These are for temporarily attaching the gas turbine engine to the pylon. The temporary forward link and the temporary rearward link are each adapted to resist tension and compression, to maintain a positional relationship between the gas turbine engine and the pylon in the absence of adjustment of the lengths of the temporary forward link and the temporary rearward link. Adjustment of the length of the temporary links brings engine mounts into alignment with pylon mounts for service attachment of the gas turbine engine to the pylon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventor: Joseph B. Cooper
  • Patent number: 11260955
    Abstract: An apparatus and its method of use provide a preload to the assembly of large structures, for example the assembly of an aircraft wing panel to an aircraft wing frame. The apparatus and its method of use preloads the aircraft wing panel of the aircraft wing structure and presses the aircraft wing panel against the aircraft wing frame of the aircraft wing structure, temporarily securing the aircraft wing panel against the aircraft wing frame and indexing the aircraft wing panel to the aircraft wing frame for the installation of permanent fasteners securing the aircraft wing panel to the aircraft wing frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Jerry D. Chungbin
  • Patent number: 11254447
    Abstract: A system for mounting a gas turbine engine to a pylon on a wing of an aircraft. At least one temporary forward link, being length-adjustable, and at least one temporary rearward link, being length-adjustable, are provided. These are for temporarily attaching the gas turbine engine to the pylon. The temporary forward link and the temporary rearward link each comprise a respective winch operable to adjust pay out of a respective tension member thereby to provide length adjustment. The temporary forward link and the temporary rearward link maintain a positional relationship between the gas turbine engine and the pylon in the absence of adjustment of the lengths of the temporary forward link and the temporary rearward link. Adjustment of the length of the temporary links brings engine mounts into alignment with pylon mounts for service attachment of the gas turbine engine to the pylon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Inventor: Joseph B. Cooper
  • Patent number: 11214377
    Abstract: A mounting arrangement for mounting a rotary engine to an aircraft structure, wherein the engine has a three orthogonal axes comprising: a roll axis; a pitch axis; and a yaw axis. The mounting arrangement comprises: one-degree-of-freedom links with reaction axes passing through the roll axis. A separate roll constraint has a moment reaction about the roll axis to decouple the torque roll mode from the other one-degree-of-freedom links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Nathan Tomes, David Gagnon-Martin
  • Patent number: 11208215
    Abstract: A method for mounting an aircraft pylon connected to a wing includes: a step of pre-positioning first and second contact surfaces respectively provided on the wing and the pylon, a step of installing and tightening temporary connection elements, so as to keep the first and second contact surfaces clamped against one another, a step of installing and expanding at least one radially expandable element in at least one pair of first and second receptacles respectively provided on the wing and the pylon, a step of installing and tightening final connection elements connecting the pylon and the wing in the mounted state, a step of removing the radially expandable element(s) and the temporary connection elements, and of installing the remaining final connection elements and shear pin(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Inventors: Pascal Martinez, Olivier Pautis