Patents by Inventor Dalton T. Hampton
Dalton T. Hampton 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: 11585400Abstract: An aircraft, has an airframe, a transmission, and a liquid inertia vibration elimination (LIVE) system disposed between the airframe and the transmission via spherical bearings of two legs and via a central spherical bearing.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2020Date of Patent: February 21, 2023Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventors: Michael Scott Seifert, Frederick Sullivan Gay, Dalton T. Hampton, Frank Bradley Stamps
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Patent number: 11214363Abstract: An example of a hub for a tail rotor includes a body configured to couple to a mast of a rotor system, a trunnion disposed within the body, first and second shafts disposed on opposite sides of the trunnion, first and second end plates secured to the body, and first and second end bearings, the first end bearing disposed between the first shaft and the first end plate and the second end bearing disposed between the second shaft and the second end plate.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2020Date of Patent: January 4, 2022Assignee: Bell Textron Inc.Inventors: Timothy Kent Ledbetter, Thomas Parham, Dalton T. Hampton, Frank Stamps, Zachary Edwin Dailey, Robert L. Milliken
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Patent number: 11027465Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and may include positioning at least one nozzle within a hollow portion of a rotor blade at a distance associated with a span of the rotor blade and providing, via the at least one nozzle, a liquid foam mixture in the hollow portion, wherein the liquid foam expands and becomes a solid foam material that fills the hollow portion of the rotor blade. Another method is provided in another example embodiment and may include providing a plurality of openings for a rotor blade that are positioned proximate to a hollow portion of the rotor blade and providing a liquid foam mixture in the hollow portion of the rotor blade through at least one opening of the rotor blade, wherein the liquid foam mixture expands and becomes a solid foam material that fills the hollow portion of the rotor blade.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2018Date of Patent: June 8, 2021Assignee: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.Inventors: James A. Cordell, Suvankar Mishra, Andrew Paul Haldeman, Jesse J. Wrabel, Dalton T. Hampton
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Patent number: 10940944Abstract: A transmission tilt control device includes a transmission rotatably coupled to an airframe of a helicopter, a rotor mast coupled to the transmission, and an actuator coupled between the transmission and the airframe. The actuator being configured to rotate the transmission fore and aft about a tilt axis that is perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the rotor mast.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2018Date of Patent: March 9, 2021Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventors: Andrew Paul Haldeman, Zachary Edwin Dailey, Charles Owen Black, Dalton T. Hampton, Aaron Alexander Acee
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Publication number: 20210024205Abstract: An example of a hub for a tail rotor includes a body configured to couple to a mast of a rotor system, a trunnion disposed within the body, first and second shafts disposed on opposite sides of the trunnion, first and second end plates secured to the body, and first and second end bearings, the first end bearing disposed between the first shaft and the first end plate and the second end bearing disposed between the second shaft and the second end plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 12, 2020Publication date: January 28, 2021Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.Inventors: Timothy Kent LEDBETTER, Thomas PARHAM, Dalton T. HAMPTON, Frank STAMPS, Zachary Edwin DAILEY, Robert L. MILLIKEN
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Patent number: 10814971Abstract: Systems and methods include providing an aircraft with a tail rotor system having a tail rotor housing that forms a cambered airfoil between an upper cambered surface and a lower cambered surface of the tail rotor housing. The cambered airfoil design of the tail rotor housing is capable of providing sufficient lifting force of an aircraft to offload the tail rotor during forward flight, thereby eliminating the need for a traditional vertical stabilizer or fin. The tail rotor blades of the tail rotor system are disposed within an aperture in the tail rotor housing, which minimizes or preferably eliminates exposure of the tail rotor blades to edgewise airflow typically encountered during forward flight, thereby allowing rigid rotor hubs, both in-plane and out-of-plane, to be used in the tail rotor system while also reducing noise output of the tail rotor system.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2018Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventors: Dalton T. Hampton, Andrew Paul Haldeman, Aaron Alexander Acee, Matthew John Hill
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Patent number: 10800518Abstract: An example of a hub for a tail rotor includes a body configured to couple to a mast of a rotor system, a trunnion disposed within the body, first and second shafts disposed on opposite sides of the trunnion, first and second end plates secured to the body, and first and second end bearings, the first end bearing disposed between the first shaft and the first end plate and the second end bearing disposed between the second shaft and the second end plate.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2019Date of Patent: October 13, 2020Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.Inventors: Timothy Kent Ledbetter, Thomas Parham, Dalton T. Hampton, Frank Stamps, Zachary Edwin Dailey, Robert L. Milliken
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Patent number: 10773798Abstract: An aircraft rotor assembly has a yoke and a plurality of rotor blade assemblies coupled thereto. Each of the rotor blade assemblies include a rotor blade, a bearing, and a blade grip coupling the rotor blade to the bearing. Each of the rotor blades is rotatable about a lead-lag axis, flap axis, and a pitch change axis, wherein all the axes intersect within the bearing. Adjacent pairs of rotor blade assemblies are coupled together via a damper assembly that is coupled to the pitch change axis of each of the rotor blade assemblies.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2017Date of Patent: September 15, 2020Assignee: Bell Textron Inc.Inventors: Andrew Paul Haldeman, Dalton T. Hampton, Bryan Marshall, Frank Bradley Stamps
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Patent number: 10752349Abstract: An exemplary rotorcraft includes a power train with an engine coupled to a gearbox, a main rotor blade having a mast coupled to the power train, a control input linkage in communication between a pilot input device and the main rotor blade configured to communicate a control input force from the pilot input device to the main rotor blade, and a counterweight system in connection with the control input linkage and the power train to apply a centrifugal force to the control input linkage.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2018Date of Patent: August 25, 2020Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.Inventors: Andrew Paul Haldeman, Zachary Edwin Dailey, Aaron Alexander Acee, Dalton T. Hampton
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Patent number: 10752346Abstract: A rotor assembly has a composite driveshaft extending between a transmission and a yoke for providing torque from the transmission to the yoke to cause rotation of the yoke and a plurality of rotor blade assemblies attached thereto. The rotor hub also has a composite static mast coupled to the yoke and a frame. The static mast being configured to carry the lift and thrust forces from the yoke to the frame.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2017Date of Patent: August 25, 2020Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventors: Andrew Paul Haldeman, Dalton T. Hampton, Frank Bradley Stamps, John Lloyd, Gilberto Morales
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Publication number: 20200255133Abstract: An example of a hub for a tail rotor includes a body configured to couple to a mast of a rotor system, a trunnion disposed within the body, first and second shafts disposed on opposite sides of the trunnion, first and second end plates secured to the body, and first and second end bearings, the first end bearing disposed between the first shaft and the first end plate and the second end bearing disposed between the second shaft and the second end plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2019Publication date: August 13, 2020Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.Inventors: Timothy Kent LEDBETTER, Thomas Parham, Dalton T. Hampton, Frank Stamps, Zachary Edwin Dailey, Robert L. Milliken
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Publication number: 20200198781Abstract: A duct configured with a fan to increase thrust. The duct includes an interior surface configured to surround a rotation axis of the fan. The interior surface includes a nozzle portion configured to be located upstream of the fan and a diffuser portion configured to be located downstream of the fan. The interior surface defines an opening configured to introduce additional airflow along the diffuser portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2018Publication date: June 25, 2020Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.Inventors: Andrew Paul Haldeman, Frank Bradley Stamps, John Lloyd, Aaron Alexander Acee, Dalton T. Hampton, Albert Gerard Brand
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Publication number: 20200173512Abstract: An aircraft, has an airframe, a transmission, and a liquid inertia vibration elimination (LIVE) system disposed between the airframe and the transmission via spherical bearings of two legs and via a central spherical bearing.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2020Publication date: June 4, 2020Applicant: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventors: Michael Scott Seifert, Frederick Sullivan Gay, Dalton T. Hampton, Frank Bradley Stamps
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Publication number: 20200130823Abstract: An exemplary rotorcraft includes a power train with an engine coupled to a gearbox, a main rotor blade having a mast coupled to the power train, a control input linkage in communication between a pilot input device and the main rotor blade configured to communicate a control input force from the pilot input device to the main rotor blade, and a counterweight system in connection with the control input linkage and the power train to apply a centrifugal force to the control input linkage.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2018Publication date: April 30, 2020Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.Inventors: Andrew Paul HALDEMAN, Zachary Edwin Dailey, Aaron Alexander Acee, Dalton T. Hampton
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Patent number: 10633084Abstract: In one embodiment, a method may comprise coupling a plurality of reinforcement fibers to a plurality of spherical components; inserting the plurality of spherical components into an enclosure; and heating the enclosure to cause the plurality of spherical components to expand, wherein the plurality of spherical components expands to form a geodesic structure, wherein the geodesic structure comprises a plurality of polyhedron components configured in a geodesic arrangement.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2017Date of Patent: April 28, 2020Assignee: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC.Inventors: Dalton T. Hampton, Timothy Kent Ledbetter, Drew A. Sutton, Bryan W. Marshall, Paul Sherrill, Frank B. Stamps, James Donn Hethcock, Andrew Paul Haldeman, Paul K. Oldroyd
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Publication number: 20200094450Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and may include positioning at least one nozzle within a hollow portion of a rotor blade at a distance associated with a span of the rotor blade and providing, via the at least one nozzle, a liquid foam mixture in the hollow portion, wherein the liquid foam expands and becomes a solid foam material that fills the hollow portion of the rotor blade. Another method is provided in another example embodiment and may include providing a plurality of openings for a rotor blade that are positioned proximate to a hollow portion of the rotor blade and providing a liquid foam mixture in the hollow portion of the rotor blade through at least one opening of the rotor blade, wherein the liquid foam mixture expands and becomes a solid foam material that fills the hollow portion of the rotor blade.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2018Publication date: March 26, 2020Inventors: James A. Cordell, Suvankar Mishra, Andrew Paul Haldeman, Jesse J. Wrabel, Dalton T. Hampton
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Patent number: 10597150Abstract: A rotor system includes a yoke, a plurality of blade grip assemblies and a plurality of centrifugal force bearings coupling the blade grip assemblies with the yoke. A plurality of rotor blades are coupled to the blade grip assemblies such that each rotor blade has a coincident hinge and such that each rotor blade has three independent degrees of freedom including blade pitch about a pitch change axis, blade flap about a flapping axis and lead-lag about a lead-lag axis. A blade-to-blade damping ring includes a plurality of damper anchors each coupled to one of the blade grip assemblies along the respective pitch change axis and a plurality of lead-lag dampers each coupled between adjacent damper anchors. During blade pitch operations, each blade grip assembly is operable to rotate relative to the respective damper anchor, such that the blade-to-blade damping ring is operable to provide pitch independent lead-lag damping.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2018Date of Patent: March 24, 2020Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventors: Andrew Paul Haldeman, Dalton T Hampton, Frank Bradley Stamps
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Publication number: 20200039641Abstract: An abrasion strip and method of manufacturing the same. The abrasion strip being composed of INCONEL® alloy 718SPF™ and being shaped by superplastic forming.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2018Publication date: February 6, 2020Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.Inventors: Andrew Paul Haldeman, Dalton T. Hampton, Aaron Alexander Acee, James Adrain Cordell
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Patent number: 10550907Abstract: A liquid inertia vibration elimination (LIVE) system having an upper end cap, a lower end cap, a spindle located between the upper end cap and the lower end cap, and an external tube connected between the upper end cap and the lower end cap.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2016Date of Patent: February 4, 2020Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventors: Michael Scott Seifert, Frederick Sullivan Gay, Dalton T. Hampton, Frank Brad Stamps
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Publication number: 20190329878Abstract: A transmission tilt control device includes a transmission rotatably coupled to an airframe of a helicopter, a rotor mast coupled to the transmission, and an actuator coupled between the transmission and the airframe. The actuator being configured to rotate the transmission fore and aft about a tilt axis that is perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the rotor mast.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2018Publication date: October 31, 2019Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.Inventors: Andrew Paul Haldeman, Zachary Edwin Dailey, Charles Owen Black, Dalton T. Hampton, Aaron Alexander Acee