Patents by Inventor Keith Townsend

Keith Townsend 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: 11485474
    Abstract: Foldable aircraft wings are disclosed. An example aircraft includes a foldable wing having a fixed wing portion, a foldable wing portion and a hinge to pivotally couple the foldable wing portion relative to the fixed wing portion. The hinge includes a wing transition portion including wing hinge ribs and wing stub ribs, respective ones of the wing hinge ribs coupled to corresponding respective ones of the wing stub ribs. The hinge also includes a tip transition portion including tip hinge ribs, where respective ends of the tip hinge ribs positioned between corresponding respective ones of the wing hinge ribs and the wing stub ribs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Paul W. Dees, Eric Gruner, Michael Addington, David Douglas Boes, Eric Dwight Blohm, Matthew Scott Elenbaas, Rickie Hansken, Mark John Herzberg, Eric Sean Kamila, Jeffrey Michael Olds, Charuhas Soman, Keith Townsend, Steven Paul Walker
  • Publication number: 20200247526
    Abstract: Foldable aircraft wings are disclosed. An example aircraft includes a foldable wing having a fixed wing portion, a foldable wing portion and a hinge to pivotally couple the foldable wing portion relative to the fixed wing portion. The hinge includes a wing transition portion including wing hinge ribs and wing stub ribs, respective ones of the wing hinge ribs coupled to corresponding respective ones of the wing stub ribs. The hinge also includes a tip transition portion including tip hinge ribs, where respective ends of the tip hinge ribs positioned between corresponding respective ones of the wing hinge ribs and the wing stub ribs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Paul W. Dees, Eric Gruner, Michael Addington, David Douglas Boes, Eric Dwight Blohm, Matthew Scott Elenbaas, Rickie Hansken, Mark John Herzberg, Eric Sean Kamila, Jeffrey Michael Olds, Charuhas Soman, Keith Townsend, Steven Paul Walker
  • Patent number: 10370083
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of a wing fold system may include a latch assembly rotating an unfixed portion of a wing, with respect to a fixed portion of the wing, between a flight position of the wing and a folded position of the wing. A first portion of the wing may hold a rotating portion of the latch assembly. A second portion of the wing may hold a secured portion of the latch assembly. The rotating portion of the latch assembly may rotate between an open position and a closed position. A slot in the rotating portion may receive the secured portion of the latch assembly. A securing portion of the rotating portion may secure a secured portion of the latch assembly. The latch assembly may prevent rotation of the second portion when the wing may be in the flight position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Stephen John Fox, Jan A. Kordel, Keith Townsend, Matthew August Lassen, Mark John Gardner, Mark Steven Good
  • Patent number: 10215281
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a seal assembly for sealing a gap between a first component and a second component is disclosed. The second component is movable relative to the first component. The seal assembly includes a rub strip and a seal strip. The rub strip includes a seal strip engagement surface having a convex shape. Additionally, the rub strip includes a first component engagement surface that is opposite the seal strip engagement surface and has a concave shape. The seal strip includes a rub strip engagement surface having a convex shape. Furthermore, the seal strip includes a second component engagement surface that is opposite the rub strip engagement surface and has a concave shape. The seal strip engagement surface is harder than the rub strip engagement surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Charuhas M. Soman, Keith Townsend, Eric D. Blohm, Richard B. Tanner, Mark J. Herzberg, Ralph E. Hardin
  • Publication number: 20170321804
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a seal assembly for sealing a gap between a first component and a second component is disclosed. The second component is movable relative to the first component. The seal assembly includes a rub strip and a seal strip. The rub strip includes a seal strip engagement surface having a convex shape. Additionally, the rub strip includes a first component engagement surface that is opposite the seal strip engagement surface and has a concave shape. The seal strip includes a rub strip engagement surface having a convex shape. Furthermore, the seal strip includes a second component engagement surface that is opposite the rub strip engagement surface and has a concave shape. The seal strip engagement surface is harder than the rub strip engagement surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: Charuhas M. Soman, Keith Townsend, Eric D. Blohm, Richard B. Tanner, Mark J. Herzberg, Ralph E. Hardin
  • Patent number: 9783284
    Abstract: A rotary drive assembly is provided. The assembly includes a tip hinge box, a body hinge box pivotably coupled to the tip hinge box, a rotary actuator positioned within the body hinge box, and a linkage mechanism coupled between the rotary actuator and the tip hinge box, the linkage mechanism including a first linkage fixedly coupled to the rotary actuator, and a second linkage coupled between the first linkage and the tip hinge box, wherein rotation of the rotary actuator causes the tip hinge box to rotate relative to the body hinge box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Keith Townsend, Stephen J. Fox
  • Publication number: 20170066521
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of a wing fold system may include a latch assembly rotating an unfixed portion of a wing, with respect to a fixed portion of the wing, between a flight position of the wing and a folded position of the wing. A first portion of the wing may hold a rotating portion of the latch assembly. A second portion of the wing may hold a secured portion of the latch assembly. The rotating portion of the latch assembly may rotate between an open position and a closed position. A slot in the rotating portion may receive the secured portion of the latch assembly. A securing portion of the rotating portion may secure a secured portion of the latch assembly. The latch assembly may prevent rotation of the second portion when the wing may be in the flight position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Stephen John Fox, Jan A. Kordel, Keith Townsend, Matthew August Lassen, Mark John Gardner, Mark Steven Good
  • Patent number: 9469392
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of a wing fold system may include a latch assembly rotating an unfixed portion of a wing, with respect to a fixed portion of the wing, between a flight position of the wing and a folded position of the wing. A first portion of the wing may hold a rotating portion of the latch assembly. A second portion of the wing may hold a secured portion of the latch assembly. The rotating portion of the latch assembly may rotate between an open position and a closed position. A slot in the rotating portion may receive the secured portion of the latch assembly. A securing portion of the rotating portion may secure a secured portion of the latch assembly. The latch assembly may prevent rotation of the second portion when the wing may be in the flight position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Stephen John Fox, Jan A. Kordel, Keith Townsend, Matthew August Lassen, Mark John Gardner, Mark Steven Good
  • Publication number: 20150336657
    Abstract: A rotary drive assembly is provided. The assembly includes a tip hinge box, a body hinge box pivotably coupled to the tip hinge box, a rotary actuator positioned within the body hinge box, and a linkage mechanism coupled between the rotary actuator and the tip hinge box, the linkage mechanism including a first linkage fixedly coupled to the rotary actuator, and a second linkage coupled between the first linkage and the tip hinge box, wherein rotation of the rotary actuator causes the tip hinge box to rotate relative to the body hinge box.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Applicant: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Keith Townsend, Stephen J. Fox
  • Publication number: 20150298793
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of a wing fold system may include a latch assembly rotating an unfixed portion of a wing, with respect to a fixed portion of the wing, between a flight position of the wing and a folded position of the wing. A first portion of the wing may hold a rotating portion of the latch assembly. A second portion of the wing may hold a secured portion of the latch assembly. The rotating portion of the latch assembly may rotate between an open position and a closed position. A slot in the rotating portion may receive the secured portion of the latch assembly. A securing portion of the rotating portion may secure a secured portion of the latch assembly. The latch assembly may prevent rotation of the second portion when the wing may be in the flight position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Stephen John Fox, Jan A. Kordel, Keith Townsend, Matthew August Lassen, Mark John Gardner
  • Patent number: 5577116
    Abstract: An apparatus for echo characterization or measurement includes a frequency domain adaptive filter for converging a plurality of filter coefficients based upon transmit and receive frequency domain transforms. The frequency domain adaptive filter preferably determines least mean square differences between estimated receive frequency domain transforms and the respective corresponding actual receive frequency domain transforms. The apparatus also preferably includes an echo characterization output portion for generating an echo characterization value for the communications channel. The echo characterization value may be one or both of echo path loss and echo delay. The apparatus preferably includes a gain normalization portion operatively connected to the adaptive filter for generating normalized gains of respective filter coefficients based upon spectral power of the respective transmit frequency domain transforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1996
    Assignee: North Carolina State University
    Inventors: Keith Townsend, Harish Punjabi, Alexandra Duel-Hallen, Samuel T. Alexander