Abstract: A ram air turbine assembly includes a governor shaft rotatable about an axis and a stop shaft coupled for rotation with the governor shaft. A rotatable housing portion surrounds at least a portion of the stop shaft. A lock plunger extends through an opening in the rotatable housing portion to prevent rotation of the rotatable housing portion and minimize vibration impact loading when stowed.

Abstract: A ram air turbine assembly includes a governor shaft rotatable about an axis and a stop shaft coupled for rotation with the governor shaft. A rotatable housing portion surrounds at least a portion of the stop shaft. A lock plunger extends through an opening in the rotatable housing portion to prevent rotation of the rotatable housing portion and minimize vibration impact loading when stowed.

Abstract: An improved ram air turbine (RAT) prevents release of its turbine blades due an over-speed condition by detecting an over-speed condition with a trigger mechanism and rotating the blades to a fixed coarse pitch position with a release mechanism.

Abstract: A stow abort mechanism for a ram air turbine (RAT) with a strut that rotates a turbine with associated blades from a stowed position to a deployment condition comprises a stow abort lock plate with an aperture that rotates with the strut and a stow abort lock pin that engages the aperture in the stow abort lock plate when the blades do not align properly for rotating the strut back into the stowed position.

Abstract: A ram air turbine (RAT) prevents release of its turbine blades due an over-speed condition by detecting an over-speed condition with a turbine hub-mounted centrifugally operated trigger mechanism and rotating the blades to a fixed coarse pitch position with a release mechanism that responds to the trigger mechanism.

Abstract: A wing fold actuation system (24) is provided for folding an outboard wing section (18) relative to an inboard wing section (16) between a deployed position (20) and a stored position (22). The system (24) includes an actuator (26) in the form of a geared rotary actuator (30) in combination with a four-bar linkage (32). A locking mechanism (28) is provided to lock the outboard wing section (18) in the deployed position (20), and includes a catch on the outboard wing section (18) that is engageable with a rotary latch (42) on the inboard wing section (16). A timing transmission (46) connects the rotary actuator (30) with the rotary latch (42) to time the rotation of the rotary latch (42) with respect to the movement of the outboard wing section (18) between the deployed and stored positions (20,22).

Abstract: An improved braking apparatus having a jaw type clutch coupled to an electrical solenoid through a ball spline mechanism provides significantly greater braking capacity in a given volume than other types of braking devices. The ball spline is configured to significantly reduce the internal friction load which the electrical solenoid must overcome to apply or release the brake, resulting in a smaller physical size and current draw of the solenoid. The jaw clutch and ball spline are also configured to reduce or absorb shock loads on various internal components of the braking apparatus when the brake is engaged. By configuring the ball spline and jaw clutch to function as shock absorbers in addition to performing their primary functions, the need for separate elastomeric shock absorbers, etc., is eliminated.

Abstract: An electrical mechanical blow-down mechanism for use with an aircraft spoiler avoids possible damage due to high inertial loading when a power failure occurs as the spoiler (10) is moving toward or is at an extended position by means of a structure including a ball screw mechanism (18) adapted to be connected to the spoiler (10) and including an input gear (34) adapted for rotation about an axis (36). The mechanism is ultimately driven by an electrical motor (20) having a rotary output (22) with at least one gear (26, 28) interconnecting the input gear (34) and the rotary output (22). A pawl (36) is mounted for movement between positions engaged with and disengaged from the input gear (34) and a spring (78) is utilized to normally bias the pawl (36) toward the engaged position. A solenoid (50) is operable to move the pawl (36) against the spring (78) toward the disengaged position and a motion sensor (90) is associated with the input gear 34 to determine the direction of rotation thereof.

Abstract: A radially compliant gear is provided to reduce transmitted shock loads and/or resist jamming as a result of debris entering its mesh with another gear. The radially compliant gear includes a hub adapted to rotate about an axis, and a compliant rim. The hub includes a first surface that faces radially inwardly. The rim includes external gear teeth and a second surface that faces radially outwardly. The rim is mounted to the hub through the first and second surfaces to allow localized radial deflections of the rim relative to the hub. The first and second surfaces are configured to provide a predetermined minimum radial preload between the rim and the hub.

Abstract: A linear ballscrew type actuator including a bi-directional no-back device having both primary and secondary no-back features is provided. The secondary no-back features only become active following a failure of the primary no-back features, thereby ensuring maximum reliability by precluding wear or fatigue of the secondary no-back components during normal operation of the actuator. The secondary no-back features are provided by secondary pawl mechanisms mounted at the distal end of an articulated eccentric arm. The angular position of the eccentric arm is utilized to annunciate the operational condition of the no-back device. Angular motion of the eccentric arm is utilized to trigger engagement of a secondary locking device, upon failure of the primary no-back features.

Abstract: In order to prevent serious damage to a flight control system in a failure mode, a failure protection unit includes an input shaft connected to a shaft of the flight control system with the input shaft normally being operably associated with a plunger having a brake hub integral therewith for rotational driven movement of the plunger and the brake hub through the input shaft. The plunger and the brake hub are movable relative to the input shaft, and a brake reaction plate is positioned within a housing in normally spaced relation to the brake hub. The brake hub is biased by a spring in a direction toward the brake reaction plate and the plunger is biased by the spring in a direction away from the input shaft. The plunger is normally locked against movement by a detent which resists movement of the plunger away from the input shaft and movement of the brake hub toward the brake reaction plate.

Abstract: Weight and complexity concerns in geared rotary actuators and stop mechanisms for aircraft or the like may be minimized in the structure including a housing (18) adapted to be fixed to another structure, a rotatable input shaft (14) journalled by the housing (18), an output shaft (22, 28) journalled by the housing and a coupling between the input shaft (14) and the output shaft (22, 28) including at least one rotatable gear (42). The system includes a mechanical sensor (66) for sensing when the gear (42) has rotated close to an overtravel position and a first stop element (82) is associated with the input shaft (14) to be rotatable therewith. A second stop element (80) is movable into interfering relation with the first stop element (82) to stop rotation thereof and is carried by a gear part (19). Also included is an actuator (60, 62, 68, 70, 72) responsive to the sensor (66) for moving the second stop element (80).

Abstract: A brake stop for limiting the rotation of a rotating member to a predetermined amount comprises a brake which is actuable for stopping rotation of the rotating member and an actuator mechanism responsive to the rotation of the rotating member for actuating the brake after a predetermined amount of rotation of the rotating member. The actuator mechanism includes a differential counter gear set and a ball-ramp mechanism which converts rotary motion of the rotating member by way of the differential counter gear set into linear motion for actuation of the brake. Provision is made for sufficient lost motion or backlash in the differential counter gear set upon reversal of gear rotation to allow release of the brake from a braked condition upon reversal of the direction of rotation of the rotating member.

Abstract: A geared rotary actuator (1 or 1') and method of assembling the same, with the geared rotary actuator (1 or 1') including a plurality of one-piece planetary gears (12 or 12'), each including a first set of gear teeth (19) meshing with a sun gear (11), and at least two additional sets of gear teeth (17, 18 or 17') respectively forming an inboard set of gear teeth and an outboard set of gear teeth respectively adapted to mesh with sets of gear teeth (13 or 13', 14 or 14'), of outboard and inboard ring gears. At least one tooth of the sets of gears (17, 18, 19 or 17', 19') are axially aligned along a length of the one-piece planetary gears (12 or 12') so as to enable the inboard ring to be moved axially past the outboard set of gear teeth (17 or 17') to mesh with the inboard set of gear teeth (18 or 17').

Abstract: A timing mechanism (10) is provided in which input gear (11) is fixed on one shaft (12) for operating one system such as a door to move between two positions. A differential nut (14) is also provided on the shaft (12) for axial movement therealong. The differential nut (14) meshes with a first translating nut drive gear (2) rotatably arranged on a second shaft (19) which also contains a second translating nut drive gear (36) rotatably arranged thereon. The second gear (36) meshes with a differential nut (32) axially movable along a third shaft (26) for actuating a second system such as a pallet between two positions. The timing mechanism (10) is utilized in a system in which the output of each differential nut (14,32) is caused to operate a brake so that only one system will be in operation and the brake in the other system will not be released until the one system has completed its movement to a desired position.

Abstract: An improved system (10 and 100) is disclosed in which a plurality of actuation systems (12 and 14) are activated in a timed sequence by a single prime mover (16). The prime mover is coupled to a transmission (18) which drives the first and second actuation systems for moving the first and second actuation systems between the first and second positions and back to the first position. A timer (34) is provided for controlling the timing of activation systems between the first and second positions and back to the first position. The present invention maintains precise synchronism in the actuation of the first and second actuation systems without separate power units.

Abstract: A mechanical mode shifter is provided including an input and first and second outputs, which rotate simultaneously during a first portion of operation. The first output is coupled to the input for providing a continuous drive to the first output. Timing means including sector gears are coupled to the first output. At a preselected point in time, the timing means cause the engagement of the sector gears with other gears for the purpose of disengaging a jaw clutch and decelerating a shaft on the second output, such that the second output is driven cyclically while the first output is driven continuously.

Abstract: An intermittent motion transmitting and timing system for actuating an uplock latch device or the like to provide for high speed, timed power transmission at maximum load requirements. An inverse geneva drive mechanism is coupled between a rotational input drive and a rotatable output drive. A drive train between the input drive and the inverse geneva drive mechanism includes at least a pair of meshed elliptical gears for maximizing output torque for a given input torque. A drive train between the inverse geneva drive mechanism and the rotatable output includes a regular geneva drive mechanism and a shift mechanism.

Abstract: A motion transmitting and timing mechanism including an input gear 36, a timing gear 44 rotatable about an axis 50 and meshed with the input gear 36, and an output gear 64 rotatable about the axis 50 and shiftable along the axis into positions in and out of a plane including the input gear 36. The output gear 64 has a toothed sector 66 and an untoothed sector and a spring 76 and detent 72 arrangement normally maintain the untoothed sector in axial alignment with the input gear 36. A threaded connection 46, 70 between the timing gear 44 and the output gear 64 effects axial movement of the output gear 64 upon relative rotation between the two and a jaw 82 carried by the timing gear 44 is engageable with the output gear 64 for moving the toothed sector 66 into mesh with the input gear 36.

Abstract: A hinge connection for a wheel supporting, segmented cross shaft of a winged implement permits the wing to be folded to a transport position in any raised or lowered position of the implement. The hinge connection includes a pin carried by a laterally outer end of the main frame segment of the cross shaft which cooperates with a pair of slots in legs extending from the adjacent end of a wing frame segment of the cross shaft.