Patents by Inventor Alan Shepherd

Alan Shepherd has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11254449
    Abstract: A method and portable apparatus for servicing a shock absorber on a landing gear assembly of an aircraft in a weight-on-wheels state is disclosed. The shock absorber includes at least one chamber containing both hydraulic fluid and a gas in fluid communication with each other. The apparatus includes a source of gas and a source of hydraulic fluid. The amount of hydraulic fluid in the chamber is corrected, preferably such that the chamber is then filled with a known amount of degassed hydraulic fluid. A pre-set mass of gas is then delivered into the chamber under the control of a gas delivery system of the portable apparatus. More accurate servicing of a shock absorber may thus be provided since account is additionally taken of gas dissolved in hydraulic fluid. By delivering a pre-set mass of gas into the chamber, there is no need to rely on a measure of gas pressure or H-dimension (h) when servicing the shock absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: Oliver Pountney, Alan Shepherd
  • Patent number: 11254448
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for servicing a shock absorber on a landing gear assembly of an aircraft in a weight-on-wheels state is disclosed. The shock absorber includes at least one chamber containing both hydraulic fluid and a gas in fluid communication with each other. The apparatus includes a source of gas and a source of hydraulic fluid. The amount of hydraulic fluid in the chamber is corrected, preferably such that the chamber is then filled with a known amount of degassed hydraulic fluid. The process may be at least semi-automatically performed, for example under the control of a control unit. By delivering a pre-set mass of gas into the chamber, there is no need to rely on a measure of gas pressure or H-dimension (h) when servicing the shock absorber, and more accurate servicing of a shock absorber may thus be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: Oliver Pountney, Alan Shepherd
  • Publication number: 20190329908
    Abstract: A method and portable apparatus for servicing a shock absorber on a landing gear assembly of an aircraft in a weight-on-wheels state is disclosed. The shock absorber includes at least one chamber containing both hydraulic fluid and a gas in fluid communication with each other. The apparatus includes a source of gas and a source of hydraulic fluid. The amount of hydraulic fluid in the chamber is corrected, preferably such that the chamber is then filled with a known amount of degassed hydraulic fluid. A pre-set mass of gas is then delivered into the chamber under the control of a gas delivery system of the portable apparatus. More accurate servicing of a shock absorber may thus be provided since account is additionally taken of gas dissolved in hydraulic fluid. By delivering a pre-set mass of gas into the chamber, there is no need to rely on a measure of gas pressure or H-dimension (h) when servicing the shock absorber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Inventors: Oliver POUNTNEY, Alan SHEPHERD
  • Patent number: 10358236
    Abstract: A method and portable apparatus for servicing a shock absorber on a landing gear assembly of an aircraft in a weight-on-wheels state is disclosed. The shock absorber includes at least one chamber containing both hydraulic fluid and a gas in fluid communication with each other. The apparatus includes a source of gas and a source of hydraulic fluid. The amount of hydraulic fluid in the chamber is corrected, preferably such that the chamber is then filled with a known amount of degassed hydraulic fluid. A pre-set mass of gas is then delivered into the chamber under the control of a gas delivery system of the portable apparatus. More accurate servicing of a shock absorber may thus be provided since account is additionally taken of gas dissolved in hydraulic fluid. By delivering a pre-set mass of gas into the chamber, there is no need to rely on a measure of gas pressure or H-dimension (h) when servicing the shock absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: Oliver Pountney, Alan Shepherd
  • Publication number: 20190152622
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for servicing a shock absorber on a landing gear assembly of an aircraft in a weight-on-wheels state is disclosed. The shock absorber includes at least one chamber containing both hydraulic fluid and a gas in fluid communication with each other. The apparatus includes a source of gas and a source of hydraulic fluid. The amount of hydraulic fluid in the chamber is corrected, preferably such that the chamber is then filled with a known amount of degassed hydraulic fluid. The process may be at least semi-automatically performed, for example under the control of a control unit. By delivering a pre-set mass of gas into the chamber, there is no need to rely on a measure of gas pressure or H-dimension (h) when servicing the shock absorber, and more accurate servicing of a shock absorber may thus be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventors: Oliver POUNTNEY, Alan SHEPHERD
  • Patent number: 10260994
    Abstract: A method for servicing a landing gear strut in service supporting an aircraft including: determining a current amount of damping fluid in the landing gear strut; determining a required amount of the damping fluid for correct servicing of the landing gear strut; and adjusting the current amount of damping fluid in the landing gear strut so that the current amount of damping fluid complies with the required amount of damping fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventors: Alan Shepherd, Julian Duncan
  • Patent number: 10232958
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for servicing a shock absorber on a landing gear assembly of an aircraft in a weight-on-wheels state is disclosed. The shock absorber includes at least one chamber containing both hydraulic fluid and a gas in fluid communication with each other. The apparatus includes a source of gas and a source of hydraulic fluid. The amount of hydraulic fluid in the chamber is corrected, preferably such that the chamber is then filled with a known amount of degassed hydraulic fluid. The process may be at least semi-automatically performed, for example under the control of a control unit. By delivering a pre-set mass of gas into the chamber, there is no need to rely on a measure of gas pressure or H-dimension (h) when servicing the shock absorber, and more accurate servicing of a shock absorber may thus be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: Oliver Pountney, Alan Shepherd
  • Patent number: 9846068
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for measuring the volume of fluid in a variable volume vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: Alan Shepherd, Julian Duncan
  • Publication number: 20170016792
    Abstract: A load measuring sensor set on an aircraft is used under the control of a control unit on the aircraft. The load measuring sensor set is calibrated and there is calibration data associated with it. A code is retrieved which identifies uniquely the sensor set, so that a remote database can be interrogated using the code to retrieve the correct calibration data for the sensor set, for use by the control unit. The sensor set may utilise an optical-fibre having a Fibre Bragg Grating arrangement which provides optical signature characteristics that provide the unique code and having a Fibre Bragg Grating arrangement configured to measure loads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Alan SHEPHERD, Mark HEALEY
  • Publication number: 20170008647
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for servicing a shock absorber on a landing gear assembly of an aircraft in a weight-on-wheels state is disclosed. The shock absorber includes at least one chamber containing both hydraulic fluid and a gas in fluid communication with each other. The apparatus includes a source of gas and a source of hydraulic fluid. The amount of hydraulic fluid in the chamber is corrected, preferably such that the chamber is then filled with a known amount of degassed hydraulic fluid. The process may be at least semi-automatically performed, for example under the control of a control unit. By delivering a pre-set mass of gas into the chamber, there is no need to rely on a measure of gas pressure or H-dimension (h) when servicing the shock absorber, and more accurate servicing of a shock absorber may thus be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventors: Oliver POUNTNEY, Alan SHEPHERD
  • Publication number: 20170008648
    Abstract: A method and portable apparatus for servicing a shock absorber on a landing gear assembly of an aircraft in a weight-on-wheels state is disclosed. The shock absorber includes at least one chamber containing both hydraulic fluid and a gas in fluid communication with each other. The apparatus includes a source of gas and a source of hydraulic fluid. The amount of hydraulic fluid in the chamber is corrected, preferably such that the chamber is then filled with a known amount of degassed hydraulic fluid. A pre-set mass of gas is then delivered into the chamber under the control of a gas delivery system of the portable apparatus. More accurate servicing of a shock absorber may thus be provided since account is additionally taken of gas dissolved in hydraulic fluid. By delivering a pre-set mass of gas into the chamber, there is no need to rely on a measure of gas pressure or H-dimension (h) when servicing the shock absorber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventors: Oliver POUNTNEY, Alan SHEPHERD
  • Publication number: 20160101877
    Abstract: A method for servicing a landing gear strut in service supporting an aircraft including: determining a current amount of damping fluid in the landing gear strut; determining a required amount of the damping fluid for correct servicing of the landing gear strut; and adjusting the current amount of damping fluid in the landing gear strut so that the current amount of damping fluid complies with the required amount of damping fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Alan SHEPHERD, Julian DUNCAN
  • Publication number: 20150101403
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for measuring the volume of fluid in a variable volume vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventors: Alan Shepherd, Julian Duncan