Patents by Inventor Michael E. Rinehart

Michael E. Rinehart 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: 10539180
    Abstract: A door roller mechanism for cooperation with a roller track including a carriage member having a door attachment feature; at least one roller disposed for rotation on a first side of the carriage member when the carriage member moves in the rolling direction; at least one roller disposed for rotation on an opposite second side of the carriage member when the carriage member moves in the rolling direction; a first rub member disposed on the first side of the carriage; a second rub member disposed on the second side of the carriage; and at least one biasing element disposed on the carriage member for resiliently biasing the first rub member and the second rub member in opposite lateral directions so as to contact a respective first track surface and a second track surface in a manner to dampen lateral vibration of a door connected to the roller mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Nick Pravanh, Michael E. Rinehart, Bart Shafer, Clegg Smith, Jeffrey M. Williams
  • Patent number: 10533603
    Abstract: A door track assembly for cooperation with a door roller mechanism, including a housing having a longitudinal channel along a length of the housing, wherein the channel descends at an end of the housing to form a stowage recess for the door roller mechanism, and a first track and a second track that are disposed on the housing along a length of the channel and that descend into the stowage recess and along which the door roller mechanism traverses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Nick Pravanh, Michael E. Rinehart, Bart Shafer, Clegg Smith, Bruce B. Bacon
  • Publication number: 20190389571
    Abstract: A tiltrotor aircraft includes a propulsion system with a fixed engine and a rotatable proprotor. The engine is located below the wing of the tiltrotor aircraft, and the rotatable proprotor assembly is mounted on the top surface of the wing. The engine and proprotor assembly are connected via a series of one or more gearboxes that route the engine output from the engine to the proprotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Colton Gilliland, Jeffrey Williams, Michael E. Rinehart, James Kooiman, Mark Przybyla, Clegg Smith, Eric Stephen Olson, George Ryan Decker, David Russell Bockmiller
  • Publication number: 20190389572
    Abstract: A tiltrotor aircraft includes a propulsion system with a fixed engine and a rotatable proprotor. The engine is located on the top surface of the wing of the tiltrotor aircraft, and the rotatable proprotor assembly is also mounted on the top surface of the wing. The engine and proprotor assembly are connected via a series of one or more gearboxes that route the engine output from the engine to the proprotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Colton Gilliland, Jeffrey Williams, Michael E. Rinehart, James Kooiman, Mark Przybyla, Clegg Smith, Eric Stephen Olson, George Ryan Decker, David Russell Bockmiller
  • Publication number: 20180251227
    Abstract: An aircraft including a nacelle disposed at a fixed location relative a wing member; a proprotor housing coupled to the nacelle, the proprotor housing configured to selectively rotate between a horizontal orientation and a non-horizontal orientation; a door pivotably coupled to the proprotor housing; and a linkage to connect the door and the nacelle, the linkage configured to move with the door from a closed position when the proprotor housing is in a horizontal orientation to an open position when the proprotor housing is in a non-horizontal orientation. In some embodiments, there can be a hinge member for hingedly coupling the door to the proprotor and/or nacelle. In other embodiments, the door includes a flexure portion. In some embodiments, the nacelle includes a plurality of doors. In other embodiments, proprotor includes a forward portion and a stationary aft portion; wherein the forward portion is configured to selectively pivot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2017
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Brent C. Ross, Michael E. Rinehart, Jeffrey M. Williams, Clegg Smith, Nick Pravanh
  • Publication number: 20180252264
    Abstract: A door roller mechanism for cooperation with a roller track including a carriage member having a door attachment feature; at least one roller disposed for rotation on a first side of the carriage member when the carriage member moves in the rolling direction; at least one roller disposed for rotation on an opposite second side of the carriage member when the carriage member moves in the rolling direction; a first rub member disposed on the first side of the carriage; a second rub member disposed on the second side of the carriage; and at least one biasing element disposed on the carriage member for resiliently biasing the first rub member and the second rub member in opposite lateral directions so as to contact a respective first track surface and a second track surface in a manner to dampen lateral vibration of a door connected to the roller mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Nick Pravanh, Michael E. Rinehart, Bart Shafer, Clegg Smith, Jeffrey M. Williams
  • Publication number: 20180252263
    Abstract: A door track assembly for cooperation with a door roller mechanism, including a housing having a longitudinal channel along a length of the housing, wherein the channel descends at an end of the housing to form a stowage recess for the door roller mechanism, and a first track and a second track that are disposed on the housing along a length of the channel and that descend into the stowage recess and along which the door roller mechanism traverses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Nick Pravanh, Michael E. Rinehart, Bart Shafer, Clegg Smith, Bruce B. Bacon
  • Patent number: 9889927
    Abstract: An aircraft includes a first rotor assembly, a second rotor assembly, and a rotor phase angle control system. The system includes a phase adjustor operably associated with the first rotor assembly and the second rotor assembly. The method includes sensing vibrations exerted on the aircraft and offsetting a phase angle of the first rotor assembly and the second rotor assembly to minimize the vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Modrzejewski, Ken Shundo, Frank B. Stamps, David Popelka, J. Scott Drennan, Michael E. Rinehart