Patents by Inventor Jack F. COLEBROOKE

Jack F. COLEBROOKE 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: 11473526
    Abstract: Disclosed is an exhaust nozzle for a gas turbine engine, the exhaust nozzle comprising an outer frame extending along a longitudinal direction, a convergent petal pivotably attached to the frame and extending axially downstream and radially inward from the pivot, radially within the frame, and a sealing hinge arrangement between an upstream member and a downstream member of the exhaust nozzle. One of the upstream member or the downstream member defines a cylindrical socket having an opening along a cylinder axis which receives a corresponding cylindrical hinge element the other of the downstream member or upstream member, where the upstream member is defined by the frame and the downstream member is the convergent petal; or the exhaust nozzle further comprises a divergent petal downstream of the convergent petal and pivotably attached to the convergent petal, the upstream member being the convergent petal and the downstream member being the divergent petal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Jack F. Colebrooke
  • Patent number: 11319896
    Abstract: There is disclosed an exhaust nozzle for a gas turbine engine, the exhaust nozzle comprising a frame extending along a longitudinal axis. The exhaust nozzle comprises a convergent petal pivotably attached at a convergent pivot point to the frame and extending axially downstream and radially inward from the frame, a follower roller fixed to the convergent petal on a radially outer side of the convergent petal, and a cam defining a working surface configured to engage the follower roller to react a force from the convergent petal. The cam is movable along a travel in an axial direction to actuate radial movement of the follower roller to pivot the convergent petal. The cam defines a concave working surface such that a contact angle between the follower roller and the cam varies along the travel to thereby vary a radial component of the force reacted by the cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Jack F. Colebrooke
  • Patent number: 11306680
    Abstract: There is disclosed an exhaust nozzle for a gas turbine engine. The exhaust nozzle comprises a frame extending along a longitudinal axis, and a convergent petal pivotably attached at a convergent pivot point to the frame and extending axially downstream and radially inward from the frame. The exhaust nozzle comprises a follower roller fixed to the convergent petal on a radially outer side of the convergent petal, and a cam defining a working surface configured to engage the follower roller to react a force from the convergent petal. The cam is movable along a travel in an axial direction to actuate radial movement of the follower roller to pivot the convergent petal. The cam defines a convex working surface such that a contact angle between the follower roller and the cam varies along the travel to thereby vary an axial component of the force reacted by the cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Jack F. Colebrooke
  • Publication number: 20210222647
    Abstract: There is disclosed an exhaust nozzle for a gas turbine engine. The exhaust nozzle comprises a frame extending along a longitudinal axis, and a convergent petal pivotably attached at a convergent pivot point to the frame and extending axially downstream and radially inward from the frame. The exhaust nozzle comprises a follower roller fixed to the convergent petal on a radially outer side of the convergent petal, and a cam defining a working surface configured to engage the follower roller to react a force from the convergent petal. The cam is movable along a travel in an axial direction to actuate radial movement of the follower roller to pivot the convergent petal. The cam defines a convex working surface such that a contact angle between the follower roller and the cam varies along the travel to thereby vary an axial component of the force reacted by the cam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Jack F. COLEBROOKE
  • Publication number: 20210131379
    Abstract: Disclosed is an exhaust nozzle for a gas turbine engine, the exhaust nozzle comprising an outer frame extending along a longitudinal direction, a convergent petal pivotably attached to the frame and extending axially downstream and radially inward from the pivot, radially within the frame, and a sealing hinge arrangement between an upstream member and a downstream member of the exhaust nozzle. One of the upstream member or the downstream member defines a cylindrical socket having an opening along a cylinder axis which receives a corresponding cylindrical hinge element the other of the downstream member or upstream member, where the upstream member is defined by the frame and the downstream member is the convergent petal; or the exhaust nozzle further comprises a divergent petal downstream of the convergent petal and pivotably attached to the convergent petal, the upstream member being the convergent petal and the downstream member being the divergent petal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Jack F. COLEBROOKE
  • Publication number: 20210131378
    Abstract: There is disclosed an exhaust nozzle for a gas turbine engine, the exhaust nozzle comprising a frame extending along a longitudinal axis. The exhaust nozzle comprises a convergent petal pivotably attached at a convergent pivot point to the frame and extending axially downstream and radially inward from the frame, a follower roller fixed to the convergent petal on a radially outer side of the convergent petal, and a cam defining a working surface configured to engage the follower roller to react a force from the convergent petal. The cam is movable along a travel in an axial direction to actuate radial movement of the follower roller to pivot the convergent petal. The cam defines a concave working surface such that a contact angle between the follower roller and the cam varies along the travel to thereby vary a radial component of the force reacted by the cam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Jack F. COLEBROOKE
  • Patent number: 10662896
    Abstract: A nozzle for a gas turbine engine. An array of convergent petals hingedly coupled to a nozzle exit of fixed diameter. An array of divergent petals, each divergent petal hingedly coupled to one of the array of convergent petals. A cam surface associated with the array of convergent petals. A pivot point coupled to the array of divergent petals by a first linkage and to a fixed point by a second linkage. A cam follower coupled to the second linkage by a third linkage, the cam follower arranged to abut and travel in contact with the cam surface. An actuator coupled to the cam follower and arranged to translate the cam follower along the cam surface to move the convergent and divergent petals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Jonathan V Watson, Jack F Colebrooke
  • Publication number: 20200025129
    Abstract: A flap for a variable area exhaust nozzle of a gas turbine engine, having a support structure and a gas shield having a plurality of gas shield segments connected to the support structure and adjacently arranged along a longitudinal direction of the flap corresponding to flow through the nozzle. Each of the gas shield segments has a flowpath section arranged to cooperate with a corresponding flowpath section of an adjacent gas shield segment to define a flowpath surface of the gas shield to bound flow through the nozzle. The gas shield segments are configured to permit the respective flowpath section to move longitudinally relative the support structure in response to thermal expansion of the gas shield.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Jack F COLEBROOKE
  • Patent number: 10385805
    Abstract: A variable geometry exhaust nozzle arrangement includes a plurality of hingable exhaust petals defining a perimeter of an exhaust duct and an annular ring slidably engagable against a radially outer surface of each petal. The annular ring is coupled to a plurality of circumferentially spaced actuator arrangements, each including first and second circumferentially spaced parallel actuator arms pivotably coupled to the annular ring at a first end and to a slide arrangement at a second end. Each slide arrangement is mounted for linear sliding movement relative to the annular ring, such that sliding movement of each slide arrangement causes pivoting of the first and second actuator arms to thereby translate the annular ring in one or both of a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Jack F Colebrooke
  • Publication number: 20190226423
    Abstract: There is disclosed a flap for a variable area exhaust nozzle of a gas turbine engine. The flap comprises a support structure and a gas shield connected to the support structure, wherein the support structure is corrugated to accommodate thermal expansion of the gas shield in a direction of corrugation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2019
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Jack F. COLEBROOKE
  • Publication number: 20190226424
    Abstract: A flap for a variable area exhaust nozzle of a gas turbine engine. The flap includes a support structure and a gas shield retained thereto. The support structure and the gas shield include a pair of grooves extending in a longitudinal direction of the flap and a pair of corresponding tongues that engage the pair of grooves so as to retain the gas shield to the support structure and to allow movement of the gas shield by thermal expansion along the support structure in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Jack F COLEBROOKE, David STEELE
  • Publication number: 20180171931
    Abstract: A nozzle for a gas turbine engine. An array of convergent petals hingedly coupled to a nozzle exit of fixed diameter. An array of divergent petals, each divergent petal hingedly coupled to one of the array of convergent petals. A cam surface associated with the array of convergent petals. A pivot point coupled to the array of divergent petals by a first linkage and to a fixed point by a second linkage. A cam follower coupled to the second linkage by a third linkage, the cam follower arranged to abut and travel in contact with the cam surface. An actuator coupled to the cam follower and arranged to translate the cam follower along the cam surface to move the convergent and divergent petals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Jonathan V. WATSON, Jack F. COLEBROOKE
  • Publication number: 20180119641
    Abstract: A variable geometry exhaust nozzle arrangement includes a plurality of hingable exhaust petals defining a perimeter of an exhaust duct and an annular ring slidably engagable against a radially outer surface of each petal. The annular ring is coupled to a plurality of circumferentially spaced actuator arrangements, each including first and second circumferentially spaced parallel actuator arms pivotably coupled to the annular ring at a first end and to a slide arrangement at a second end. Each slide arrangement is mounted for linear sliding movement relative to the annular ring, such that sliding movement of each slide arrangement causes pivoting of the first and second actuator arms to thereby translate the annular ring in one or both of a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Jack F. COLEBROOKE