Patents by Inventor Daniel B. Robertson

Daniel B. Robertson 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).

  • VTOL aircraft with tilting rotors and tilting ducted fans
    Patent number: 12466553
    Abstract: An exemplary tiltrotor aircraft having a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) flight mode and a forward flight mode includes tiltable rotors located at forward boom ends, tiltable ducted fans located at wings aft of the forward boom ends, and aft rotors located on aft boom portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2025
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2025
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk L. Groninga, Daniel B. Robertson
  • VTOL AIRCRAFT WITH TILTING ROTORS AND TILTING DUCTED FANS
    Publication number: 20250171138
    Abstract: An exemplary tiltrotor aircraft having a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) flight mode and a forward flight mode includes tiltable rotors located at forward boom ends, tiltable ducted fans located at wings aft of the forward boom ends, and aft rotors located on aft boom portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2025
    Publication date: May 29, 2025
    Applicant: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk L. GRONINGA, Daniel B. Robertson
  • VTOL aircraft with tilting rotors and tilting ducted fans
    Patent number: 12246827
    Abstract: An exemplary tiltrotor aircraft having a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) flight mode and a forward flight mode includes tiltable rotors located at forward boom ends, tiltable ducted fans located at wings aft of the forward boom ends, and aft rotors located on aft boom portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk L. Groninga, Daniel B. Robertson
  • Dual motor input with overrunning clutch
    Patent number: 11970283
    Abstract: A dual-motor system includes a first motor rotationally coupled to a first drive shaft. The first drive shaft is coupled to a common shaft couplable to a rotationally driveable member. The dual-motor system also includes a second motor rotationally coupled to a second drive shaft. The second drive shaft is coupled to the common shaft. The first motor and the second motor are coaxially aligned with the first drive shaft passing through the second drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk L. Groninga, Daniel B. Robertson
  • VTOL aircraft with tilting rotors and tilting ducted fans
    Patent number: 11873085
    Abstract: An exemplary tiltrotor aircraft having a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) flight mode and a forward flight mode includes tiltable rotors located at forward boom ends, tiltable ducted fans located at wings aft of the forward boom ends, and aft rotors located on aft boom portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk L. Groninga, Daniel B. Robertson
  • DUAL MOTOR INPUT WITH OVERRUNNING CLUTCH
    Publication number: 20230202668
    Abstract: A dual-motor system includes a first motor rotationally coupled to a first drive shaft. The first drive shaft is coupled to a common shaft couplable to a rotationally driveable member. The dual-motor system also includes a second motor rotationally coupled to a second drive shaft. The second drive shaft is coupled to the common shaft. The first motor and the second motor are coaxially aligned with the first drive shaft passing through the second drive shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2023
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Applicant: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk L. GRONINGA, Daniel B. ROBERTSON
  • Dual motor input with overrunning clutch
    Patent number: 11613375
    Abstract: An exemplary dual motor input includes a common shaft for coupling to a member to be rotationally driven, a first motor rotationally coupled to a first drive shaft, the first drive shaft coupled to the common shaft, and a second motor rotationally coupled to a second drive shaft, the second drive shaft coupled to the common shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk L. Groninga, Daniel B. Robertson
  • Ducted rotor blade tip extension
    Patent number: 11286036
    Abstract: A rotor system is provided in one example embodiment and may include a rotor duct; at least one rotor blade, wherein the at least one rotor blade comprises a tip end; and a tip extension affixed at the tip end of the at least one rotor blade, wherein the tip extension is comprised, at least in part, of a flexible material and the rotor blade has a fixed extended length based on the tip extension. The tip extension may provide a clearance distance between the tip extension and the rotor duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk L. Groninga, Daniel B. Robertson, Matthew Edward Louis, Robert Glenn Vaughn, Michael J. Ryan, Brent Randal Achttien
  • Ducted rotor blade tip extension
    Patent number: 11286037
    Abstract: A rotor system is provided in one example embodiment and may include a rotor duct; at least one rotor blade, wherein the at least one rotor blade comprises a tip end; and a tip extension affixed at the tip end of the at least one rotor blade, wherein the tip extension comprises a plurality of flexible elements and the rotor blade has a fixed extended length based on the tip extension. The tip extension may provide a clearance distance between the tip extension and the rotor duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Glenn Vaughn, Michael J. Ryan, Brent Randal Achttien, Kirk L. Groninga, Daniel B. Robertson, Matthew Edward Louis
  • VTOL AIRCRAFT WITH TILTING ROTORS AND TILTING DUCTED FANS
    Publication number: 20210331793
    Abstract: An exemplary tiltrotor aircraft having a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) flight mode and a forward flight mode includes tiltable rotors located at forward boom ends, tiltable ducted fans located at wings aft of the forward boom ends, and aft rotors located on aft boom portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk L. GRONINGA, Daniel B. ROBERTSON
  • Counter-rotating tail rotor
    Patent number: 11117655
    Abstract: An exemplary tail rotor includes a first blade assembly configured to rotate in a first direction about an axis of rotation and a second blade assembly configured to rotate in a second direction about the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Bell Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk L. Groninga, Daniel B. Robertson
  • Duct with optimized horizontal stator shape
    Patent number: 11097838
    Abstract: An exemplary ducted fan with an optimized stator includes a duct surrounding a rotor hub from which blades radially extend and the stator having a stator span extending horizontally across an inside diameter of the duct, the stator having a stator chord extending from a leading edge to a trailing edge, wherein a length of the stator chord varies across the stator span.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Bell Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk L. Groninga, Daniel B. Robertson, Matthew E. Louis
  • VTOL aircraft with tilting rotors and tilting ducted fans
    Patent number: 11091258
    Abstract: An exemplary tiltrotor aircraft having a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) flight mode and a forward flight mode includes tiltable rotors located at forward boom ends, tiltable ducted fans located at wings aft of the forward boom ends, and aft rotors located on aft boom portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Bell Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk L. Groninga, Daniel B. Robertson
  • VTOL AIRCRAFT WITH LEADING EDGE TILTING DUCTED FANS
    Publication number: 20200391859
    Abstract: An exemplary ducted fan includes a circular duct surrounding a rotor hub from which blades radially extend, a stator having a stator leading edge and a stator trailing edge, and a stator chord line extending from the stator leading edge to the stator trailing edge, the stator chord line substantially equal to a duct radius from the rotor hub to an outer surface of the duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk L. GRONINGA, Daniel B. ROBERTSON, Matthew E. LOUIS
  • DUCT WITH OPTIMIZED HORIZONTAL STATOR SHAPE
    Publication number: 20200391861
    Abstract: An exemplary ducted fan with an optimized stator includes a duct surrounding a rotor hub from which blades radially extend and the stator having a stator span extending horizontally across an inside diameter of the duct, the stator having a stator chord extending from a leading edge to a trailing edge, wherein a length of the stator chord varies across the stator span.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk L. Groninga, Daniel B. Robertson, Matthew E. Louis
  • VTOL AIRCRAFT WITH TILTING ROTORS AND TILTING DUCTED FANS
    Publication number: 20200391862
    Abstract: An exemplary tiltrotor aircraft having a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) flight mode and a forward flight mode includes tiltable rotors located at forward boom ends, tiltable ducted fans located at wings aft of the forward boom ends, and aft rotors located on aft boom portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk L. GRONINGA, Daniel B. ROBERTSON
  • COUNTER-ROTATING TAIL ROTOR
    Publication number: 20200385111
    Abstract: An exemplary tail rotor includes a first blade assembly configured to rotate in a first direction about an axis of rotation and a second blade assembly configured to rotate in a second direction about the axis of rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk L. GRONINGA, Daniel B. Robertson
  • DUAL MOTOR INPUT WITH OVERRUNNING CLUTCH
    Publication number: 20200361622
    Abstract: An exemplary dual motor input includes a common shaft for coupling to a member to be rotationally driven, a first motor rotationally coupled to a first drive shaft, the first drive shaft coupled to the common shaft, and a second motor rotationally coupled to a second drive shaft, the second drive shaft coupled to the common shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk L. Groninga, Daniel B. Robertson
  • Biplane tiltrotor aircraft
    Patent number: 10836481
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a tiltrotor aircraft may comprise a fuselage; a biplane wing coupled to the fuselage, wherein the biplane wing comprises an upper wing structure and a lower wing structure; a plurality of tiltrotors coupled to the biplane wing; and at least one engine to power the plurality of tiltrotors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC.
    Inventors: Kirk L. Groninga, Frank B. Stamps, Daniel B. Robertson, Matthew E. Louis
  • Personal air vehicle with ducted fans
    Patent number: 10730622
    Abstract: In a first aspect, there is a personal air vehicle including a body having a forward portion, a central portion and an aft portion; a first ducted fan supported by the forward portion of the body; a second ducted fan supported by the aft portion of the body; and third and fourth ducted fans supported by the left and right sides of the body and pivotable relative to the body. An aspect provides a method of flying the personal air vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk L. Groninga, John Lloyd, Daniel B. Robertson