Patents by Inventor Thomas L. Tully, Jr.

Thomas L. Tully, 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: 10415475
    Abstract: A gearbox oil cooling assembly for a gearbox driving a drive shaft having a drive shaft coupling. The assembly includes a heat exchanger to receive and cool an oil from the gearbox and having an inlet. Also included is an impeller axially disposed between the heat exchanger and the drive shaft coupling, wherein the impeller is operatively coupled to, and rotated by, the drive shaft operatively coupled to the drive shaft coupling. Further included is an exhaust duct operatively coupled to the heat exchanger and disposed radially outwardly around the impeller and defining an airflow pathway through which air passes through the inlet, the impeller and through the exhaust duct according to the rotation of the impeller to cool the oil in the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel Vincent Brown, Thomas L. Tully, Jr., Yuriy Gmirya
  • Patent number: 9951825
    Abstract: A multi-plate clutch apparatus is provided and includes a multi-plate clutch disposed to occupy clutch and non-clutch positions at which rotation of an input shaft is and is not transmitted to an output shaft, respectively, a drive element disposed about the multi-plate clutch and configured to generate rotational energy and a linear actuator disposed to convert the rotational energy of the drive element to linear movement by which the multi-plate clutch is controllable to occupy one of the clutch and non-clutch positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: David A. Darrow, Thomas L. Tully, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20170167383
    Abstract: A gearbox oil cooling assembly for a gearbox driving a drive shaft having a drive shaft coupling. The assembly includes a heat exchanger to receive and cool an oil from the gearbox and having an inlet. Also included is an impeller axially disposed between the heat exchanger and the drive shaft coupling, wherein the impeller is operatively coupled to, and rotated by, the drive shaft operatively coupled to the drive shaft coupling. Further included is an exhaust duct operatively coupled to the heat exchanger and disposed radially outwardly around the impeller and defining an airflow pathway through which air passes through the inlet, the impeller and through the exhaust duct according to the rotation of the impeller to cool the oil in the heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Inventors: Daniel Vincent Brown, Thomas L. Tully, Jr., Yuriy Gmirya
  • Patent number: 9567871
    Abstract: An impeller retention apparatus is provided. The impeller retention apparatus includes a bearing element, a rotatable gear shaft rotatably supported within an outer body by the bearing element, an impeller disposed about and coupled to the rotatable gear shaft to rotate with the rotatable gear shaft, a preload spacer and a flexible coupling. The preload spacer is disposed along the rotatable gear shaft between the impeller and the bearing element and includes a forward preload spacer end abutting an aft end of the bearing element, an aft preload spacer end abutting a forward face of the impeller and an elastic element that biases the impeller away from the bearing element in an axial direction along the rotatable gear shaft. The flexible coupling is coupled to the rotatable gear shaft such that the outer body and the flexible coupling cooperatively define an annulus from which the impeller receives an airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Thomas L. Tully, Jr., Daniel Vincent Brown, Yuriy Gmirya
  • Publication number: 20160208864
    Abstract: A multi-plate clutch apparatus is provided and includes a multi-plate clutch disposed to occupy clutch and non-clutch positions at which rotation of an input shaft is and is not transmitted to an output shaft, respectively, a drive element disposed about the multi-plate clutch and configured to generate rotational energy and a linear actuator disposed to convert the rotational energy of the drive element to linear movement by which the multi-plate clutch is controllable to occupy one of the clutch and non-clutch positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Applicant: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: David A. DARROW, Thomas L. TULLY, JR.
  • Publication number: 20150308288
    Abstract: An impeller retention apparatus is provided and includes a bearing element, a rotatable shaft, which is rotatably supported within an outer body by the bearing element, an impeller disposed about and coupled to the shaft to rotate with the shaft and a preload spacer disposed along the shaft between the impeller and the bearing element, the preload spacer comprising an elastic element which biases the impeller away from the bearing element in an axial direction along the shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas L. Tully, JR., Daniel Vincent Brown, Yuriy Gmirya
  • Patent number: 8303208
    Abstract: An exemplary lock out assembly includes a lock nut defined about an axis. The lock nut defines inner apertures along an inner diameter and outer apertures along an outer diameter. The inner apertures are at least partially threaded. The outer apertures are at least partially threaded. The inner apertures are radially spaced from the outer apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas L. Tully, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7967239
    Abstract: A drive system for a high speed rotary-wing aircraft includes a combiner gearbox in meshing engagement with a main gearbox. The combiner gearbox is driven by one or more engines such that a main rotor system and a translational thrust system are driven thereby. The engine drives the combiner gearbox and thus the main gearbox through an overrunning clutch. The drive system permits the main rotor system RPM to be controlled by offloading power to the translational thrust system during a high speed flight profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Bryan Saxon Cotton, Thomas L. Tully, Jr., Yuriy Z. Gmirya
  • Publication number: 20100270421
    Abstract: A locknut which defines a multiple of inner apertures about an inner diameter and a multiple of outer apertures about an outer diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Inventor: Thomas L. Tully, JR.