Patents Examined by Everette A. Powell, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4789303
    Abstract: A marine emergency spare propeller kit includes a plastic floating spare propeller (4) mounted on a carry handle (20) having an axial shaft (22) extending through the propeller hub (10) and retained thereon by a plastic floating nut (8) which is threaded identically to the propeller drive shaft (6) of the marine drive (2). Carry handle 20 also conveniently transports the damaged propeller after replacement by the spare.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1988
    Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
    Inventors: Michael E. Frazzell, Roger E. Koepsel, William J. Gius
  • Patent number: 4789297
    Abstract: A wind drive mechanism (10), comprising a housing (16) with a wind entry opening (25) and a wind outlet opening (26). In the housing (16) a rotor (30) is arranged with a vertically extending rotor shaft (31). The rotor shaft (31) is offset from the middle and is provided with rotor rotating arms (37). The rotor rotating arms (37) are slidable relative to the rotor shaft (31). Sails (32) are fixed to the rotor shaft (31) and to the take-up shafts (35), the sails being rolled in and out during each rotation of the rotor (30) with the help of electric motors (29).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1988
    Inventor: Wilhelm Mrasek
  • Patent number: 4789302
    Abstract: A propeller shroud or nozzle, made with airfoil section of high lift to drag ratio, increases thrust, speed and efficiency of a fixed or controllable pitch propeller operating inside the shroud. Shroud section is designed with continuously curved inside and outside surface to create maximum lift and minimum drag. For the larger propellers used on ships, and for lower cost of construction, shroud is fabricated using plates of steel and stainless steel or other suitable material, built as a number of straight airfoil segments forming a polygon approximating circular ring. Low shroud drag makes possible improving thrust and speed of vessels, even when operating at high speed, compared to optimally designed propeller without the shroud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1988
    Inventor: Josip Gruzling
  • Patent number: 4789304
    Abstract: A propeller blade is insulated to withstand the high temperature exhaust of a gas turbine engine. The blade has a spar, a skin covering the spar and forming a contour of the blade, and an insulating layer disposed between the spar and the skin along the portion of the blade operating within the high temperature exhaust of an engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1988
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Gustafson, David P. Nagle
  • Patent number: 4789305
    Abstract: A controllable lifting rotary wing for an aircraft wherein each rotor blade is mounted in such a manner that it has freedom to oscillate in pitch about its feathering axis. The aerodynamic center on each rotor blade is displaced forward of this feathering axis over at least a portion of the span. Cyclic aerodynamic forces on this spanwise portion cause the blade to change pitch sinusoidally once-per-revolution of the rotor whenever the rotary wing aircraft experiences a change in flight attitude or velocity. The result is that the rotor blades automatically and continuously change pitch to cancel out cyclic lateral flapping moments which are normally produced on a helicopter rotor blade by such a flight disturbance. This rotary wing has greatly improved stability by virtue of this self-feathering action. Cyclic pitch control moments are applied to the rotor blades by indirect means which do not interfere with automatic blade feathering. Means for control of collective pitch of the blades are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1988
    Inventor: Jack F. Vaughen
  • Patent number: 4787819
    Abstract: A windmill device is provided having a windmill tail pivotally attached to a rear end of the fan or rotor assembly, to swing upwardly from alignment therewith, a laterally extending arm attached to the fan assembly to pivot therewith, and a depending flap vane hingedly attached at the top to a portion of the arm outside the wake thereof and urged to tilt forwardly in a downward direction towards the wind. The flap vane gradually swings the fan assembly away from pointing into the wind as the wind speed increases until a predetermined wind speed is reached when the fan assembly is held out of the wind with the arm extending parallel with the tail. A rear vane may be provided attached to the flap vane and forming an inverted V-shape therewith. An intermediate vane may also be provided extending downwardly between the flap vane and the rear vane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1988
    Inventor: Michael G. A. Bond
  • Patent number: 4787820
    Abstract: A turbine plant compressor disc is formed from two halves which are welded together near the rim and define an internal cavity in which a centripetal accelerator is mounted for inducing cooling air to flow from the compressor through inclined passages in the rim on the downstream side of the blades carried by the rim, through the cavity of the disc, and towards the turbine to be cooled in the vicinity of the turbine shaft. The centripetal accelerator is composed of sectors which are removably mounted in the cavity of the disc, the sectors forming a perforated ring disposed in the central bore of the disc and each sector having a flat web extending radially outwards in the inner cavity of the disc to form radial centripetal channels communicating with the air passages in the rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1988
    Assignee: Societe Nationale D'Etude Et De Construction De Moteurs D'Aviation "S.N.E.C.M.A."
    Inventors: Jacques M. P. Stenneler, Jacky Naudet
  • Patent number: 4786235
    Abstract: A wind-engine of the type consisting of several wind devices rotatably mounted at several independent stages, which comprises the combination of vertical props (1) disposed within a circle (4); at each stage (2), crossbeams (5) connected, on one hand, to the vertical props (1) and meeting, on the other hand, at the center of the said circle (4); a vertical axis (7) situated at the center of the said circle (4) and, at each stage, a wind device rotatably mounted about the said vertical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1988
    Assignee: Gemaro A.G.
    Inventor: Germaine Van der Veken
  • Patent number: 4786236
    Abstract: A helicopter rotor with foldable blades has, in the hub and blade roots, holes for mounting the blade roots to the rotor hub with connecting bolts passing through these holes in the operating position of the blades. Additionally, at least one blade of two blades and the hub have aligned holes for holding the respective foldable blade in a folded position, whereby one of the regular connecting bolts passes through the aligned holes, which are located as close as possible to the pivoting point connecting a pitch angle control rod to a pitch angle control sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1988
    Assignee: Messerschmitt-Boelkow-Blohm GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Hahn, Gerald Kuntze-Fechner
  • Patent number: 4784571
    Abstract: A steam turbine of the type employing a plurality of axial entry, integral shroud blades comprises spring means resident in a slot machined in at least one face of each shroud. The spring means urge against the adjacent shroud and reduce relative motion between adjacent blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1988
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Jurek Ferleger
  • Patent number: 4784572
    Abstract: A rotor has an inner disk member including a web and a circumferential widened outer portion. A blade member has a continuous circumferential inner edge. At least one of the members has a plurality of axially spaced circumferential rings extending toward the other member. The two members are diffusion bonded together. A stiff lightweight assembly is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1988
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Rudolph J. Novotny, Larry D. Hamner
  • Patent number: 4784568
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a combination of a vertical axis Savonius-type rotor (20) and a deflector assembly (100) which serves as an augmentation apparatus which considerably increases the power output of the Savonius-type rotor and also improves its self-starting ability and smoothness of operation. The invention also provides a fantail member (120) to properly position the deflector assembly. In connection with the rotor-deflector combination, the present invention also teaches a simple, automatic speed control apparatus (130) which allows the combination to withstand high speed winds and produce power at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1988
    Inventor: Alvin H. Benesh
  • Patent number: 4781522
    Abstract: Turbomill apparatus and method allowing power generation at low velocities of ambient medium, with an anti-stall characteristic of continually rising power output with rising speed at input medium at the same time being rugged to withstand high velocity ambient medium wherein a main rotor receives an input from an ambient medium travelling at a low velocity, a secondary rotor is impacted at least by the ambient medium for the purposes of rotating a tertiary rotor disposed in traveling relationship with regard to the main rotor, the tertiary rotor serving to exhaust the space proximate the output of the main rotor, thereby lowering the pressure at the output of the main rotor, whereby the main rotor can achieve start-up and maintenance of rotation at velocities of the ambient medium which, absent the apparatus of the invention, would be insufficient to cause start-up and continuance of rotation of the main rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Inventor: Norman E. Wolfram
  • Patent number: 4781534
    Abstract: A steam turbine of the type employing a plurality of axial entry blades has a first annular plate juxtaposed one side of the disc that overlays the grooves in the disc and faces of the platforms of the blades. If desired, a second similar annular plate may be provided on the other side of the disc. The annular plates reduce windage and leakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Jurek Ferleger
  • Patent number: 4781532
    Abstract: In the case of saddle-type rotor blades of axial-flow turbomachines, the locking blade (6a), without its root part engaging in the fir trees (2) on the radially outer part of the rotor disk (1), is located under a large prestress between its neighboring blades (6b, 6c). It is fastened in the root part by means of axial pins (7). The blade root (4') of the locking blade (6a) is dimensioned more narrowly in the region of its fir trees (2') in its axial extension than that (4) of the neighboring blades (6b, 6c). By this means, a removal recess (10) is produced on both the inlet and outlet sides, in each of which a compression jack (11) can be introduced for pressing apart the neighboring blades (6b, 6c). The locking blade, relieved of loads in this manner, can be removed without being destroyed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Assignee: BBC Brown, Boveri & Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Peter Novacek, Paul Slepcevic, Toni von Arx
  • Patent number: 4781523
    Abstract: A fluid energy converter having a squirrel-cage-like rotor in which blades peripherally distributed about a horizontal axis of rotation are in a plane generally parallel to the axis of rotation. An entry at one end of the rotor is arranged to face the oncoming fluid for receipt thereof. A contoured deflector on the interior of the rotor forms an annular path or duct for redirecting the predominantly axial flow of fluid from the entry outwardly to the peripherally distributed blades and through the slots therebetween. The total area of the slots exists through which the fluid passes is preferably made less than either the entry area of the cross-sectional area of the duct leading to the blades such that the blades act as a constriction in the fluid passageway, somewhat as a venturi restriction in the flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Inventor: Elmo E. Aylor
  • Patent number: 4781533
    Abstract: An actuating system for a controllable pitch propeller comprises a hydraulic servomotor arranged in the propeller hub and being connected mechanically to the propeller blades. Pressure medium is delivered to the servomotor, under the control of a control valve, from a pressure-medium source, which is connected to a stationary pressure-medium chamber which embraces a rotatable shaft connected to the propeller and which is sealed against the outer surface of the shaft and communicates, via a radial pressure-medium channel in the shaft, with an axial pressure-medium channel located in the shaft and extending to the hydraulic servomotor. The system further comprises an additional stationary pressure-medium chamber which embraces the shaft and seals against the outer surface thereof and which, via an additional radial pressure-medium channel in the shaft communicates with the axial pressure-medium channel in the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Assignee: Kamewa AB
    Inventor: Sven-Ola Andersson
  • Patent number: 4780066
    Abstract: The centrifugal pump has a pump rotor unit which is housed within an impeller chamber and which is driven by a permanent magnet coupling having magnetic pole units and pole shoes outside the impeller chamber. The pole shoes define a gap into which an annular part of an end cover of the pump housing projects and into which a magnetizable annular part of the pump rotor unit projects to complete the magnetic flux circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1988
    Assignee: Sulzer Brothers Limited
    Inventors: Ulrich Bolleter, Erich Klaui
  • Patent number: 4778344
    Abstract: A variable pitch mechanism for a propeller comprises a crank pin on each rotatable blade of a propeller, or fan impeller, rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof, a translational member having a crank pin engagement element for each crank pin, an actuating device connected to the translational member for causing the translational member to be moved in a desired direction resulting in movement of each crank pin means to cause each blade to rotate on its longitudinal axis in unison with and in the same sense as the other blade or blades of the propeller or fan impeller to cause variation in pitch of the blades. The propeller blade root assembly may have a housing, a blade root mounting rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the blade in the housing, an end cap fixed to the blade root mounting and having a thrust bearing engaging the housing to resist centrifugal force acting on the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Inventor: Abraham Water
  • Patent number: 4778343
    Abstract: In order to avoid a negative coupling between blade lead-lag movements and lade angle adjustment movements in a helicopter rotor, the angle (.beta.) between a control rod (5) for the blade angle adjustment and an effective damping plane (M) of the rotor is increased as compared to the respective angle in conventional rotors. This increase of the angle (.beta.) is accomplished by arranging a damping device (9) having the effective plane (M) for suppressing blade lead-lag movements in such a way on a blade angle control sleeve (4), that the effective plane (M) of the damping device (9) encloses an angle (.alpha.) with the lead-lag plane of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: Messerschmitt-Boelkow-Blohm Gesellschaft mit beschraenkter Haftung
    Inventors: Michael Hahn, Gerald Kuntze-Fechner