Patents by Inventor Thomas T. Griffith

Thomas T. Griffith 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: 6241325
    Abstract: A low-speed antiskid control for a multigain hydraulic valve brake system for an airplane is disclosed. The antiskid control includes low- and high-pressure bias modulation (PBM) high step thresholds. At high speeds the low PBM threshold is used to control a PBM high step firing. At low speeds, the high PBM threshold is used to prevent a PBM high step firing unless a deep skid is occurring. The use of a high threshold at low airplane speeds prevents a low speed control loss due to PBM high step firing reducing brake pressure to below minimum brake contact pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: John J. Gowan, Thomas T. Griffith
  • Patent number: 6142585
    Abstract: At low speeds, an antiskid/autobrake control system applies a brake release current to the antiskid valves of the brake system associated with selected wheels of an airplane to prevent brake shudder caused by gear walk. The control system obtains a measured wheelspeed value from each of the selected wheels and calculates a reference wheelspeed based the measured wheelspeed. Tests are made to determine if the reference wheelspeed is below some predetermined magnitude, e.g., 15 knots, and if the airplane ground speed is below some predetermined magnitude, e.g., 50 knots. If the tests are passed, the value of a low-speed brake release current to be applied to the antiskid valves of the airplane's brake system is determined. In order to prevent an abrupt change in braking, the low-speed brake release value ramps off as the airplane slows to a stop. Releasing some of the brakes results in the pilot increasing pressure on the remaining brakes, thereby eliminating brake shudder due to gear walk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: John J. Gowan, Trent D. Miller, Jay S. Kallaher, Thomas T. Griffith
  • Patent number: 5505531
    Abstract: An aircraft autobrake system utilizes a hydraulic fluid pressure sensor to provide a signal proportional to brake hydraulic fluid pressure magnitude to a control system. The control system uses closed loop feedback of this pressure signal to control autobrake application. Such control avoids pressure or deceleration overshoot or undershoot caused by not achieving brake stack closure when deceleration control is applied. Upon landing, if autobrake control command plus the change in autobrake control command necessary to eliminate deceleration error is less than a specified minimum, then brake stack closure needs to be maintained. In that case, the control system determines hydraulic fluid pressure error and adjusts hydraulic fluid pressure to eliminate such pressure error, using closed loop feedback. Upon elimination of pressure error, indicating brake stack closure, deceleration control then applies autobraking to slow the aircraft without pressure or deceleration overshoot or undershoot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1996
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Thomas T. Griffith, David T. Yamamoto