Patents by Inventor Bertrand J. Howard

Bertrand J. Howard 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: 11453487
    Abstract: An aircraft rotor system includes a rotating pitch change shaft which rotates about an axis, a translating element disposed within the rotating pitch change shaft and movable along the axis and a pitch change bearing assembly which transfers movement of the translating element to the pitch change shaft. The pitch change bearing assembly includes a primary bearing and a secondary bearing coupled to the rotating pitch change shaft via the translating element when the primary bearing is in a first mode. A thrust shoulder is coupled to the translating element. The thrust shoulder is movable into engagement with the secondary bearing in response to failure of the primary bearing such that in a second mode, movement of the translating element is primarily transferred to the pitch change shaft via the secondary bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin M. Wittke, Bertrand J. Howard
  • Patent number: 11131347
    Abstract: A flexible coupling includes a first disc and a second disc arranged along a rotation axis. The first disc and the second disc each include a radially inner hub portion, a radially outer rim portion, and a diaphragm portion extending between the hub portion and the rim portion. The first disc rim portion is connected to the second disc rim portion and the first disc has a diametral response mode that is different than a diametral response mode of the second disc to limit deformation in the flexible coupling when communicating rotation between a drive member and a driven member connected to one another by the flexible coupling. Drive trains and methods of making flexible couplings are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Bertrand J. Howard, Christopher Briddell
  • Patent number: 10677343
    Abstract: A fluid distribution assembly for distributing a fluid, the fluid distribution assembly includes an inlet housing including a first conduit and a bypass conduit; a chip detector cavity in fluid communication with the first conduit such that the fluid can pass through the first conduit into the chip detector cavity; and an outlet housing in fluid communication with the chip detector cavity and the bypass conduit such that the fluid can pass into the outlet housing through the chip detector cavity and/or the bypass conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bertrand J. Howard, Eric James Hodgkinson
  • Publication number: 20200001992
    Abstract: An aircraft rotor system includes a rotating pitch change shaft which rotates about an axis, a translating element disposed within the rotating pitch change shaft and movable along the axis and a pitch change bearing assembly which transfers movement of the translating element to the pitch change shaft. The pitch change bearing assembly includes a primary bearing and a secondary bearing coupled to the rotating pitch change shaft via the translating element when the primary bearing is in a first mode. A thrust shoulder is coupled to the translating element. The thrust shoulder is movable into engagement with the secondary bearing in response to failure of the primary bearing such that in a second mode, movement of the translating element is primarily transferred to the pitch change shaft via the secondary bearing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Kevin M. Wittke, Bertrand J. Howard
  • Publication number: 20190293126
    Abstract: A flexible coupling includes a first disc and a second disc arranged along a rotation axis. The first disc and the second disc each include a radially inner hub portion, a radially outer rim portion, and a diaphragm portion extending between the hub portion and the rim portion. The first disc rim portion is connected to the second disc rim portion and the first disc has a diametral response mode that is different than a diametral response mode of the second disc to limit deformation in the flexible coupling when communicating rotation between a drive member and a driven member connected to one another by the flexible coupling. Drive trains and methods of making flexible couplings are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Bertrand J. Howard, Christopher Briddell
  • Patent number: 10233997
    Abstract: A planetary gear arrangement includes a planet carrier assembly defining a sun gear rotation axis for rotatably supporting a plurality of planetary gears about the sun gear rotation axis and a positioning element coupling a first of the planetary gears to the planet carrier. The planetary gear is movable between first and second positions for displacing a rotation axis of the first of the planetary gears relative to the sun gear rotation axis to change load share among the plurality of planetary gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bertrand J. Howard, David A. Binney, Vinicius Silva
  • Publication number: 20180031107
    Abstract: A fluid distribution assembly for distributing a fluid, the fluid distribution assembly includes an inlet housing including a first conduit and a bypass conduit; a chip detector cavity in fluid communication with the first conduit such that the fluid can pass through the first conduit into the chip detector cavity; and an outlet housing in fluid communication with the chip detector cavity and the bypass conduit such that the fluid can pass into the outlet housing through the chip detector cavity and/or the bypass conduit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Inventors: Bertrand J. Howard, Eric James Hodgkinson
  • Publication number: 20170030432
    Abstract: A planetary gear arrangement includes a planet carrier assembly defining a sun gear rotation axis for rotatably supporting a plurality of planetary gears about the sun gear rotation axis and a positioning element coupling a first of the planetary gears to the planet carrier. The planetary gear is movable between first and second positions for displacing a rotation axis of the first of the planetary gears relative to the sun gear rotation axis to change load share among the plurality of planetary gears.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Inventors: Bertrand J. Howard, David A. Binney, Vinicius Silva