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).
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Patent number: 11254449Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 18, 2019Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITEDInventors: Oliver Pountney, Alan Shepherd
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Patent number: 11254448Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 25, 2019Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITEDInventors: Oliver Pountney, Alan Shepherd
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Publication number: 20190329908Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2019Publication date: October 31, 2019Inventors: Oliver POUNTNEY, Alan SHEPHERD
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Patent number: 10358236Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 7, 2016Date of Patent: July 23, 2019Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITEDInventors: Oliver Pountney, Alan Shepherd
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Publication number: 20190152622Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2019Publication date: May 23, 2019Inventors: Oliver POUNTNEY, Alan SHEPHERD
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Patent number: 10260994Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 9, 2014Date of Patent: April 16, 2019Assignee: Airbus Operations LimitedInventors: Alan Shepherd, Julian Duncan
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Patent number: 10232958Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 7, 2016Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITEDInventors: Oliver Pountney, Alan Shepherd
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Patent number: 9846068Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for measuring the volume of fluid in a variable volume vessel.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2013Date of Patent: December 19, 2017Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITEDInventors: Alan Shepherd, Julian Duncan
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Publication number: 20170016792Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2016Publication date: January 19, 2017Inventors: Alan SHEPHERD, Mark HEALEY
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Publication number: 20170008647Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2016Publication date: January 12, 2017Inventors: Oliver POUNTNEY, Alan SHEPHERD
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Publication number: 20170008648Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2016Publication date: January 12, 2017Inventors: Oliver POUNTNEY, Alan SHEPHERD
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Publication number: 20160101877Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2014Publication date: April 14, 2016Inventors: Alan SHEPHERD, Julian DUNCAN
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Publication number: 20150101403Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for measuring the volume of fluid in a variable volume vessel.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2013Publication date: April 16, 2015Applicant: Airbus Operations LimitedInventors: Alan Shepherd, Julian Duncan