Patents by Inventor John Elton Brunken, Jr.

John Elton Brunken, Jr. 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: 10752333
    Abstract: An airframe for a tiltrotor aircraft includes a wing airframe including a rib, a fuselage airframe including a fore-aft overhead beam and a cradle support assembly. The cradle support assembly includes a forward wing support coupled to the fore-aft overhead beam and the wing airframe and an aft wing support coupled to the fore-aft overhead beam and the wing airframe. The rib, the fore-aft overhead beam, the forward wing support and the aft wing support are substantially aligned to form a wing-fuselage integrated airframe beam assembly to support the wing airframe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: John Elton Brunken, Jr., Andrew G. Baines, James Everett Kooiman, John Richard McCullough, Brett Rodney Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 10464684
    Abstract: An engine mount assembly for coupling an engine to an airframe. The engine mount assembly includes a torsion bar coupled between the engine and the airframe. The torsion bar has upper and lower tapered bosses. Upper and lower arm assemblies couple the engine to the torsion bar. Each arm assembly has an end bell crank with a tapered socket that is adapted to receive a respective tapered boss therein to secure the end bell cranks to the torsion bar such that the end bell cranks rotate with the torsion bar responsive to movements of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Bell Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Bennett Bacon, John Elton Brunken, Jr., Tyler Wayne Baldwin
  • Patent number: 10407152
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an aircraft features a fuselage, a wing member, and two fuselage beam. The fuselage features a first plurality of structural supports, a second plurality of structural supports, a first opening disposed between the first plurality of structural supports, and a second opening disposed between the second plurality of structural supports. The wing member is disposed above the first opening and above the second opening. The wing features a plurality of ribs including a first rib and a second rib. The first fuselage beam couples the first rib of the wing member to the fuselage and has an elongated body portion extending across the first plurality of structural supports. The second fuselage beam couples the second rib of the wing member to the fuselage and features an elongated body portion extending across the second plurality of structural supports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC.
    Inventors: James Everett Kooiman, Mark Loring Isaac, John Elton Brunken, Jr., John McCullough
  • Patent number: 10384790
    Abstract: An engine mount assembly for coupling an engine to an airframe includes a torsion bar, a lateral movement control assembly and a vertical movement control assembly. The torsion bar has a torsional stiffness and is coupled between the engine and the airframe such that torsional movement of the engine causes torsion in the torsion bar. The lateral movement control assembly has a lateral stiffness and is coupled between the torsion bar and the airframe such that lateral movement of the engine causes rotation of the torsion bar which reacts on lateral movement control assembly. The vertical movement control assembly has a vertical stiffness and is coupled between the engine and the airframe such that vertical movement of the engine reacts on the vertical movement control assembly. The engine mount assembly, thereby enables torsional, lateral and vertical movement of the engine to be independently controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Bell Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Tyler Wayne Baldwin, John Elton Brunken, Jr., Matthew Carl VanBuskirk, Bart Marcus Shafer, Bruce Bennett Bacon
  • Patent number: 10377502
    Abstract: An engine mount assembly for coupling an engine to an airframe. The engine mount assembly includes a torsion bar coupled to the engine and a lateral movement control assembly coupled between the torsion bar and the airframe. The lateral movement control assembly includes a spring having a lateral stiffness. The torsion bar rotates in response to lateral movement of the engine such that the lateral movement of the engine is controllable based on the lateral stiffness of the spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Bennett Bacon, John Elton Brunken, Jr., Michael Edwin Rinehart, Nick Pravanh
  • Publication number: 20190100297
    Abstract: An airframe for a tiltrotor aircraft includes a wing airframe including a rib, a fuselage airframe including a fore-aft overhead beam and a cradle support assembly. The cradle support assembly includes a forward wing support coupled to the fore-aft overhead beam and the wing airframe and an aft wing support coupled to the fore-aft overhead beam and the wing airframe. The rib, the fore-aft overhead beam, the forward wing support and the aft wing support are substantially aligned to form a wing-fuselage integrated airframe beam assembly to support the wing airframe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventors: John Elton Brunken, JR., Andrew G. Baines, James Everett Kooiman, John Richard McCullough, Brett Rodney Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20180354602
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an aircraft features a fuselage, a wing member, and two fuselage beam. The fuselage features a first plurality of structural supports, a second plurality of structural supports, a first opening disposed between the first plurality of structural supports, and a second opening disposed between the second plurality of structural supports. The wing member is disposed above the first opening and above the second opening. The wing features a plurality of ribs including a first rib and a second rib. The first fuselage beam couples the first rib of the wing member to the fuselage and has an elongated body portion extending across the first plurality of structural supports. The second fuselage beam couples the second rib of the wing member to the fuselage and features an elongated body portion extending across the second plurality of structural supports.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventors: James Everett Kooiman, Mark Loring Isaac, John Elton Brunken, JR., John McCullough
  • Patent number: 10040534
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an aircraft features a fuselage, a wing member, and two fuselage beam. The fuselage features a first plurality of structural supports, a second plurality of structural supports, a first opening disposed between the first plurality of structural supports, and a second opening disposed between the second plurality of structural supports. The wing member is disposed above the first opening and above the second opening. The wing features a plurality of ribs including a first rib and a second rib. The first fuselage beam couples the first rib of the wing member to the fuselage and has an elongated body portion extending across the first plurality of structural supports. The second fuselage beam couples the second rib of the wing member to the fuselage and features an elongated body portion extending across the second plurality of structural supports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC.
    Inventors: James Everett Kooiman, Mark Loring Isaac, John Elton Brunken, Jr., John McCullough
  • Publication number: 20170217595
    Abstract: An engine mount assembly for coupling an engine to an airframe includes a torsion bar, a lateral movement control assembly and a vertical movement control assembly. The torsion bar has a torsional stiffness and is coupled between the engine and the airframe such that torsional movement of the engine causes torsion in the torsion bar. The lateral movement control assembly has a lateral stiffness and is coupled between the torsion bar and the airframe such that lateral movement of the engine causes rotation of the torsion bar which reacts on lateral movement control assembly. The vertical movement control assembly has a vertical stiffness and is coupled between the engine and the airframe such that vertical movement of the engine reacts on the vertical movement control assembly. The engine mount assembly, thereby enables torsional, lateral and vertical movement of the engine to be independently controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Tyler Wayne Baldwin, John Elton Brunken, JR., Matthew Carl VanBuskirk, Bart Marcus Shafer, Bruce Bennett Bacon
  • Publication number: 20170217597
    Abstract: An engine mount assembly for coupling an engine to an airframe. The engine mount assembly includes a torsion bar coupled to the engine and a lateral movement control assembly coupled between the torsion bar and the airframe. The lateral movement control assembly includes a spring having a lateral stiffness. The torsion bar rotates in response to lateral movement of the engine such that the lateral movement of the engine is controllable based on the lateral stiffness of the spring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Bennett Bacon, John Elton Brunken, JR., Michael Edwin Rinehart, Nick Pravanh
  • Publication number: 20170217598
    Abstract: An engine mount assembly for coupling an engine to an airframe. The engine mount assembly includes a torsion bar coupled between the engine and the airframe. The torsion bar has upper and lower tapered bosses. Upper and lower arm assemblies couple the engine to the torsion bar. Each arm assembly has an end bell crank with a tapered socket that is adapted to receive a respective tapered boss therein to secure the end bell cranks to the torsion bar such that the end bell cranks rotate with the torsion bar responsive to movements of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Bennett Bacon, John Elton Brunken, Jr., Tyler Wayne Baldwin
  • Publication number: 20170158306
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an aircraft features a fuselage, a wing member, and two fuselage beam. The fuselage features a first plurality of structural supports, a second plurality of structural supports, a first opening disposed between the first plurality of structural supports, and a second opening disposed between the second plurality of structural supports. The wing member is disposed above the first opening and above the second opening. The wing features a plurality of ribs including a first rib and a second rib. The first fuselage beam couples the first rib of the wing member to the fuselage and has an elongated body portion extending across the first plurality of structural supports. The second fuselage beam couples the second rib of the wing member to the fuselage and features an elongated body portion extending across the second plurality of structural supports.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventors: James Everett Kooiman, Mark Loring Isaac, John Elton Brunken, JR., John McCullough
  • Patent number: 7109619
    Abstract: A support system, a bracket assembly, and a damping member for use in supporting a rotating shaft. A support system including a fixed bracket; a bracket assembly; and a bearing. The bracket assembly having a first damping member having a first fixed end and a second movable end, the first fixed end being securably attached to the fixed bracket and the second movable end being movable in a first plane aligned with the shaft. The bracket assembly further having a brace securably attached to the second movable end of the first damping member. The bracket assembly further having a second damping member having a first end and a second end, the first end being securably attached to the brace and the second end being movable in a second plane that is aligned with the shaft and is generally perpendicular to the first plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventor: John Elton Brunken, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6427308
    Abstract: A support assembly for supporting a rotating shaft relative to a structure in which a first magnetized member is attached to the shaft for rotation therewith, a support member is connected to the structure and at least one damper member connects the support member to a second magnetized member for supporting the second magnetized member in a portion relative to the first magnetized member. The respective magnetic fields of the first and second magnetized members are such that radial deflective movement of the shaft, and therefore the first magnetic member, causes corresponding radial movement of the second magnetized member which is dampened by the damping member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc.
    Inventor: John Elton Brunken, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6425568
    Abstract: A support assembly for supporting a rotating shaft relative to a structure in which a first magnetized member is attached to the shaft for rotation therewith, a support member is connected to the structure and at least one damper member connects the support member to a second magnetized member for supporting the second magnetized member in a portion relative to the first magnetized member. The respective magnetic fields of the first and second magnetized members are such that radial deflective movement of the shaft, and therefore the first magnetic member, causes corresponding radial movement of the second magnetized member which is dampened by the damping member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventor: John Elton Brunken, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6268676
    Abstract: A support assembly for supporting a rotating shaft relative to a structure in which a first magnetized member is attached to the shaft for rotation therewith, a support member is connected to the structure and at least one damper member connects the support member to a second magnetized member for supporting the second magnetized member in a portion relative to the first magnetized member. The respective magnetic fields of the first and second magnetized members are such that radial deflective movement of the shaft, and therefore the first magnetic member, causes corresponding radial movement of the second magnetized member which is dampened by the damping member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventor: John Elton Brunken, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6057618
    Abstract: A support assembly for supporting a rotating shaft relative to a structure in which a first magnetized member is attached to the shaft for rotation therewith, a support member is connected to the structure and at least one damper member connects the support member to a second magnetized member for supporting the second magnetized member in a portion relative to the first magnetized member. The respective magnetic fields of the first and second magnetized members are such that radial deflective movement of the shaft, and therefore the first magnetic member, causes corresponding radial movement of the second magnetized member which is dampened by the damping member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc.
    Inventor: John Elton Brunken, Jr.