Patents by Inventor James McCollough

James McCollough 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).

  • Publication number: 20240017824
    Abstract: A propeller system for a tail section of an aircraft includes a propeller hub located at the tail section of the aircraft, a plurality of propeller blades mounted to and extending outwardly from the propeller hub, a propeller shaft coupled to the propeller hub and operable to rotate the propeller hub about an axis of rotation, and a propeller gearbox connected to the propeller shaft. The propeller gearbox is fluidly cooled by an airflow within the tail section. A spinner assembly surrounds the propeller hub. The spinner assembly includes at least one outlet opening formed therein downstream from the propeller hub relative to the airflow. The spinner assembly is rotatable to draw the airflow into at least one cooling flow inlet formed in the tail section and across the propeller gearbox to cool the propeller gearbox and out the at least one outlet opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: James Breen Orbon, James McCollough, Evan S. Tobin, Xiaole Xie, Jonathan Frydman
  • Patent number: 11772784
    Abstract: A propeller system for a tail section of an aircraft includes a propeller hub located at the tail section of the aircraft, a plurality of propeller blades mounted to and extending outwardly from the propeller hub, a propeller shaft coupled to the propeller hub and operable to rotate the propeller hub about an axis of rotation, and a propeller gearbox connected to the propeller shaft. The propeller gearbox is fluidly cooled by an airflow within the tail section. A spinner assembly surrounds the propeller hub. The spinner assembly includes at least one outlet opening formed therein downstream from the propeller hub relative to the airflow. The spinner assembly is rotatable to draw the airflow into at least one cooling flow inlet formed in the tail section and across the propeller gearbox to cool the propeller gearbox and out the at least one outlet opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: James Breen Orbon, James McCollough, Evan S. Tobin, Xiaole Xie, Jonathan Frydman
  • Publication number: 20220017214
    Abstract: A propeller system for a tail section of an aircraft includes a propeller hub located at the tail section of the aircraft, a plurality of propeller blades mounted to and extending outwardly from the propeller hub, a propeller shaft coupled to the propeller hub and operable to rotate the propeller hub about an axis of rotation, and a propeller gearbox connected to the propeller shaft. The propeller gearbox is fluidly cooled by an airflow within the tail section. A spinner assembly surrounds the propeller hub. The spinner assembly includes at least one outlet opening formed therein downstream from the propeller hub relative to the airflow. The spinner assembly is rotatable to draw the airflow into at least one cooling flow inlet formed in the tail section and across the propeller gearbox to cool the propeller gearbox and out the at least one outlet opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Inventors: James Breen Orbon, James McCollough, Evan S. Tobin, Xiaole Xie, Jonathan Frydman
  • Patent number: 10501174
    Abstract: A rotor hub assembly includes an open rotor hub assembly with an open rotor hub and a mounting plate. The open rotor hub includes an annular base portion with periphery and a plurality of rotary member portions arranged about the annular base portion that each define an aperture for receiving a rotor blade. The mounting plate spans the annular base portion and is coupled to the annular base portion by a resilient member to accommodate radially expansion and contraction of the annular base portion according to loads exerted on the rotor hub by rotor blades seated in the apertures of the rotary member portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stephen Johnston, James Mccollough
  • Publication number: 20190009896
    Abstract: A rotor hub assembly includes an open rotor hub assembly with an open rotor hub and a mounting plate. The open rotor hub includes an annular base portion with periphery and a plurality of rotary member portions arranged about the annular base portion that each define an aperture for receiving a rotor blade. The mounting plate spans the annular base portion and is coupled to the annular base portion by a resilient member to accommodate radially expansion and contraction of the annular base portion according to loads exerted on the rotor hub by rotor blades seated in the apertures of the rotary member portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: Stephen Johnston, James McCollough
  • Patent number: 9196168
    Abstract: A collision avoidance and warning system for a helicopter uses a type of emitted energy, for example radio frequency radar, from a transceiver positioned to cover a selected field of view for detecting an object or pedestrian in the vicinity of the helicopter. For helicopters that include a tail rotor assembly, the selected field of view can include a region around the tail rotor assembly so that when the helicopter is running on the ground, an alarm can be issued to persons approaching the tail rotor assembly. When the helicopter is in flight, the collision avoidance and warning system can alert the pilot when a portion of the helicopter outside of the pilot's field of view is in danger of a collision with an object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: James McCollough, Christos Bais
  • Publication number: 20100299067
    Abstract: A collision avoidance and warning system for a helicopter uses a type of emitted energy, for example radio frequency radar, from a transceiver positioned to cover a selected field of view for detecting an object or pedestrian in the vicinity of the helicopter. For helicopters that include a tail rotor assembly, the selected field of view can include a region around the tail rotor assembly so that when the helicopter is running on the ground, an alarm can be issued to persons approaching the tail rotor assembly. When the helicopter is in flight, the collision avoidance and warning system can alert the pilot when a portion of the helicopter outside of the pilot's field of view is in danger of a collision with an object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Applicant: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC.
    Inventors: James McCollough, Christos Bais