Patents by Inventor Frank Douglas Sauer

Frank Douglas Sauer 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).

  • Compliant tail structure for rotorcraft
    Patent number: 11603183
    Abstract: A compliant tail structure for a rotorcraft having rotating components and a fuselage. The tail structure includes a tail assembly having first and second oppositely disposed tail members. A tail joint connects the tail assembly to an aft portion of the fuselage. The tail joint includes at least four tail mounts configured to establish a nodding axis for the tail assembly. At least two of the tail mounts are resilient tail mounts that are configured to establish a nodding degree of freedom for the tail assembly relative to the fuselage about the nodding axis, thereby detuning dynamic fuselage responses from excitation frequencies generated by the rotating components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: George Ryan Decker, Andrew G. Baines, Frank Douglas Sauer
  • Compliant Tail Structure for Rotorcraft
    Publication number: 20220227478
    Abstract: A compliant tail structure for a rotorcraft having rotating components and a fuselage. The tail structure includes a tail assembly having first and second oppositely disposed tail members. A tail joint connects the tail assembly to an aft portion of the fuselage. The tail joint includes at least four tail mounts configured to establish a nodding axis for the tail assembly. At least two of the tail mounts are resilient tail mounts that are configured to establish a nodding degree of freedom for the tail assembly relative to the fuselage about the nodding axis, thereby detuning dynamic fuselage responses from excitation frequencies generated by the rotating components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Applicant: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: George Ryan Decker, Andrew G. Baines, Frank Douglas Sauer
  • Compliant tail structure for rotorcraft
    Patent number: 11319055
    Abstract: A compliant tail structure for a rotorcraft having rotating components and a fuselage. The tail structure includes a tail assembly having first and second oppositely disposed tail members. A tail joint connects the tail assembly to an aft portion of the fuselage. The tail joint includes at least four tail mounts configured to establish a nodding axis for the tail assembly. At least two of the tail mounts are resilient tail mounts that are configured to establish a nodding degree of freedom for the tail assembly relative to the fuselage about the nodding axis, thereby detuning dynamic fuselage responses from excitation frequencies generated by the rotating components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: George Ryan Decker, Andrew G. Baines, Frank Douglas Sauer
  • Compliant Tail Structure for Rotorcraft
    Publication number: 20210061440
    Abstract: A compliant tail structure for a rotorcraft having rotating components and a fuselage. The tail structure includes a tail assembly having first and second oppositely disposed tail members. A tail joint connects the tail assembly to an aft portion of the fuselage. The tail joint includes at least four tail mounts configured to establish a nodding axis for the tail assembly. At least two of the tail mounts are resilient tail mounts that are configured to establish a nodding degree of freedom for the tail assembly relative to the fuselage about the nodding axis, thereby detuning dynamic fuselage responses from excitation frequencies generated by the rotating components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.
    Inventors: George Ryan Decker, Andrew G. Baines, Frank Douglas Sauer