Patents by Inventor Mark N. Simpson

Mark N. Simpson 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: 20230348111
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided that facilitate the maintenance of levered landing gears by monitoring the condition of the stop pads of such landing gears. One embodiment provides for calibrating a sensor for measuring a condition of a stop joint formed by a first stop pad and a second stop pad of a levered landing gear against a nominal condition of at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad; monitoring, by the sensor, a current condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad from the nominal condition; determining whether a non-conformance from the nominal condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad has been detected by the sensor for the current condition; and in response to determining that the non-conformance has been detected, generating an alert.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: John J. DONG, Mark N. SIMPSON, Roland HINTON, Naveed HUSSAIN
  • Patent number: 11731790
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided that facilitate the maintenance of levered landing gears by monitoring the condition of the stop pads of such landing gears. One embodiment provides for calibrating a sensor for measuring a condition of a stop joint formed by a first stop pad and a second stop pad of a levered landing gear against a nominal condition of at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad; monitoring, by the sensor, a current condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad from the nominal condition; determining whether a non-conformance from the nominal condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad has been detected by the sensor for the current condition; and in response to determining that the non-conformance has been detected, generating an alert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: John J. Dong, Mark N. Simpson, Roland Hinton, Naveed Hussain
  • Publication number: 20210362883
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided that facilitate the maintenance of levered landing gears by monitoring the condition of the stop pads of such landing gears. One embodiment provides for calibrating a sensor for measuring a condition of a stop joint formed by a first stop pad and a second stop pad of a levered landing gear against a nominal condition of at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad; monitoring, by the sensor, a current condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad from the nominal condition; determining whether a non-conformance from the nominal condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad has been detected by the sensor for the current condition; and in response to determining that the non-conformance has been detected, generating an alert.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: John J. Dong, Mark N. Simpson, Roland Hinton, Naveed Hussain
  • Patent number: 11104455
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided that facilitate the maintenance of levered landing gears by monitoring the condition of the stop pads of such landing gears. One embodiment provides for calibrating a sensor for measuring a condition of a stop joint formed by a first stop pad and a second stop pad of a levered landing gear against a nominal condition of at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad; monitoring, by the sensor, a current condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad from the nominal condition; determining whether a non-conformance from the nominal condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad has been detected by the sensor for the current condition; and in response to determining that the non-conformance has been detected, generating an alert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: John J. Dong, Mark N. Simpson, Roland Hinton, Naveed Hussain
  • Publication number: 20200122860
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided that facilitate the maintenance of levered landing gears by monitoring the condition of the stop pads of such landing gears. One embodiment provides for calibrating a sensor for measuring a condition of a stop joint formed by a first stop pad and a second stop pad of a levered landing gear against a nominal condition of at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad; monitoring, by the sensor, a current condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad from the nominal condition; determining whether a non-conformance from the nominal condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad has been detected by the sensor for the current condition; and in response to determining that the non-conformance has been detected, generating an alert.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventors: John J. DONG, Mark N. SIMPSON, Roland HINTON, Naveed HUSSAIN
  • Patent number: 10577128
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided that facilitate the maintenance of levered landing gears by monitoring the condition of the stop pads of such landing gears. One embodiment provides for calibrating a sensor for measuring a condition of a stop joint formed by a first stop pad and a second stop pad of a levered landing gear against a nominal condition of at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad; monitoring, by the sensor, a current condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad from the nominal condition; determining whether a non-conformance from the nominal condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad has been detected by the sensor for the current condition; and in response to determining that the non-conformance has been detected, generating an alert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: John J. Dong, Mark N. Simpson, Roland Hinton, Naveed Hussain
  • Publication number: 20190300204
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided that facilitate the maintenance of levered landing gears by monitoring the condition of the stop pads of such landing gears. One embodiment provides for calibrating a sensor for measuring a condition of a stop joint formed by a first stop pad and a second stop pad of a levered landing gear against a nominal condition of at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad; monitoring, by the sensor, a current condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad from the nominal condition; determining whether a non-conformance from the nominal condition of the at least one of the first stop pad and the second stop pad has been detected by the sensor for the current condition; and in response to determining that the non-conformance has been detected, generating an alert.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: John J. DONG, Mark N. SIMPSON, Roland HINTON, Naveed HUSSAIN
  • Patent number: 7118067
    Abstract: A water spray deflector to deflect water spray produced from aircraft landing gear from components of the aircraft. The water spray deflector has an inner diameter and an outer diameter. Coupled to the spray deflector are attachment arms that are adapted to couple with an outer portion of a rim of the landing gear. The attachment arms are also configured to support the water spray deflector position the water spray deflector a distance from a side wall of the tire to prevent the side wall of the tire from coming in contact with the water spray deflector under various loading conditions placed on the tire. In some versions, the water spray deflector is weakened in areas to encourage a failure mode of the water spray deflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Justin D. Cottet, Mark N. Simpson
  • Patent number: 6845943
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for preventing foreign object damage (FOD) to aircraft engines are disclosed. In one embodiment, a deployable blocker is coupled to a wing portion and/or a fuselage portion of the aircraft and is configured to prevent debris from travelling on a direct trajectory from a landing gear wheel to an engine air inlet. In other embodiments, the blocker can prevent debris from bouncing off the wing lower surface into the engine inlet, or sticking to the wing lower surface and falling into the engine inlet. The deployable blocker can cover at least a portion of the landing gear when the landing gear is retracted and the blocker assembly stowed. In another embodiment, the blocker can be mounted to the landing gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: David S. Chambers, Justin D. Cottet, David W. Foutch, Mark N. Simpson
  • Publication number: 20040222330
    Abstract: A water spray deflector to deflect water spray produced from aircraft landing gear from components of the aircraft. The water spray deflector has an inner diameter and an outer diameter. Coupled to the spray deflector are attachment arms that are adapted to couple with an outer portion of a rim of the landing gear. The attachment arms are also configured to support the water spray deflector position the water spray deflector a distance from a side wall of the tire to prevent the side wall of the tire from coming in contact with the water spray deflector under various loading conditions placed on the tire. In some versions, the water spray deflector is weakened in areas to encourage a failure mode of the water spray deflector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Applicant: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Justin D. Cottet, Mark N. Simpson
  • Publication number: 20040079836
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for preventing foreign object damage (FOD) to aircraft engines are disclosed. In one embodiment, a deployable blocker is coupled to a wing portion and/or a fuselage portion of the aircraft and is configured to prevent debris from travelling on a direct trajectory from a landing gear wheel to an engine air inlet. In other embodiments, the blocker can prevent debris from bouncing off the wing lower surface into the engine inlet, or sticking to the wing lower surface and falling into the engine inlet. The deployable blocker can cover at least a portion of the landing gear when the landing gear is retracted and the blocker assembly stowed. In another embodiment, the blocker can be mounted to the landing gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Inventors: David S. Chambers, Justin D. Cottet, David W. Foutch, Mark N. Simpson
  • Patent number: 6651931
    Abstract: Aircraft landing gear assemblies having multiple deployed static positions. In one embodiment, a landing gear assembly usable with a wing includes a wheel truck and a strut having a first strut end and a second strut end. The first strut end is configured to be pivotally connected to the wing, and the second strut end is configured to be pivotally connected to the wheel truck. In one aspect of this embodiment, the strut is configured to be connected to a first brace extending between the strut and the wing for positioning the wheel truck in a first deployed static position. In another aspect of this embodiment, the strut is further configured to be connected to a second brace extending between the strut and the wing for positioning the wheel truck in a second deployed static position different than the first deployed static position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Stephen J. Fox, Mark N. Simpson