Patents by Inventor Barry A. Ridgewell

Barry A. Ridgewell 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: 5462406
    Abstract: The present invention provides an offset control mechanism and a variable blade-pitch mechanical kinematic system for cycloidal propellers. This is achieved by the concentric positioning of the drive shaft, the variable offset circular guide track, the eccentric X-Y slide plates, the propeller hub and the variable blade-pitch kinematic linkages, all about the axis of propeller rotation. The control actuation system is free-flooded in water and non-rotating, yet in close proximity to the rotating propeller hub. The pitch of each propeller blade is cyclically varied by the kinematic levers on each blade following a circular guide track during each revolution. Additionally, the circlar track swivel guide in the blade lever kinematics can also lever a trailing blade-flap to provide additional cyclic propeller lift in the direction of motion. The propeller improvements include a low-drag propeller hub and a variable-pitch blade ground plane ring about the ends of the blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Assignee: Vitron Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Barry A. Ridgewell, Miles Fenton