Patents by Inventor Paul Wayne Woolbright

Paul Wayne Woolbright 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: 11447242
    Abstract: A rotor assembly includes a pitch spider, rotor blade assemblies, and pitch horn joints. The pitch spider has a body and pitch spider legs extending from the body. Each blade rotor assembly includes a rotor blade, a pitch adapter joined to the rotor blade and connecting the rotor blade to the rotor hub, and a pitch horn. Each pitch horn joint joins one of the rotor blade assemblies to a corresponding pitch spider leg. Each pitch horn joint includes a pitch horn joint bolt extending from the pitch horn of the rotor blade assembly to the pitch spider leg along a pitch horn joint axis, the pitch horn joint bolt fixed to the pitch horn; a spherical bearing having an inner ring and an outer ring; and a slider sleeve coupled to the spherical bearing, the slider sleeve enabling the pitch horn to translate along the pitch horn joint axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Paul Haldeman, Paul Wayne Woolbright, Bryan Baskin
  • Patent number: 11440651
    Abstract: A spherical bearing centrifugal force retention link includes an inboard spherical bearing to attach to a rotor hub and an outboard spherical bearing to attach to a rotor blade. In use, the inboard spherical bearing and the outboard spherical bearing react centrifugal force radially and a torsional moment of the centrifugal force link is substantially constant throughout the rotor blade pitch range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Paul Haldeman, Paul Wayne Woolbright, Timothy McClellan Mosig, George Matthew Thompson
  • Publication number: 20220274692
    Abstract: A spherical bearing centrifugal force retention link includes an inboard spherical bearing to attach to a rotor hub and an outboard spherical bearing to attach to a rotor blade. In use, the inboard spherical bearing and the outboard spherical bearing react centrifugal force radially and a torsional moment of the centrifugal force link is substantially constant throughout the rotor blade pitch range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Paul HALDEMAN, Paul Wayne WOOLBRIGHT, Timothy McClellan MOSIG, George Matthew THOMPSON
  • Publication number: 20220126991
    Abstract: A rotor system includes a drive hub, a set of rotor blades extending radially from the drive hub, and a set of tension-torsion straps connecting the rotor blades to the drive hub. The drive hub has a rotor mast opening extending along a mast axis. The rotor system is configured to rotate about the mast axis. The drive hub further has a set of mounting slots for mounting the tension-torsion straps. The mounting slots are arranged along a circle around the drive hub, each mounting slot extending through the drive hub along a respective mounting axis. The mounting axis of each of the mounting slots is biased relative to the mast axis. The tension-torsion straps are mounted to the drive hub at their corresponding mounting slots.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Aaron Alexander Acee, Andrew Paul Haldeman, Paul Wayne Woolbright, Timothy McClellan Mosig
  • Publication number: 20220126993
    Abstract: A rotor assembly includes a pitch spider, rotor blade assemblies, and pitch horn joints. The pitch spider has a body and pitch spider legs extending from the body. Each blade rotor assembly includes a rotor blade, a pitch adapter joined to the rotor blade and connecting the rotor blade to the rotor hub, and a pitch horn. Each pitch horn joint joins one of the rotor blade assemblies to a corresponding pitch spider leg. Each pitch horn joint includes a pitch horn joint bolt extending from the pitch horn of the rotor blade assembly to the pitch spider leg along a pitch horn joint axis, the pitch horn joint bolt fixed to the pitch horn; a spherical bearing having an inner ring and an outer ring; and a slider sleeve coupled to the spherical bearing, the slider sleeve enabling the pitch horn to translate along the pitch horn joint axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Andrew Paul Haldeman, Paul Wayne Woolbright, Bryan Baskin