Patents by Inventor William D. Neathery
William D. Neathery 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).
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Patent number: 5215502Abstract: A constant velocity joint (10) is provided specifically for connecting a yoke (14) to a mast (12) in a helicopter and more generally (200) for interconnecting a first shaft (202) to a second shaft (204) for bidirectional drive. The constant velocity joint employs a carrier (40, 218) which is formed with a series of apertures for receiving elastomeric bearing assemblies (42, 80, 220). The elastomeric bearing assemblies are provided with a spherical elastomeric bearing (60) and a cylindrical elastomeric bearing (48). Certain of the elastomeric bearing assemblies connect the carrier to one of the rotating members while the remaining elastomeric bearing assemblies connect the other rotating member to the carrier. The axis of symmetry (67) of the carrier always bisects the angle of misalignment between the two rotating shafts or members to assure that a constant velocity joint is achieved.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 1987Date of Patent: June 1, 1993Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.Inventors: William D. Neathery, Willem Broekhuizen, Ernst C. Schellhase
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Patent number: 5059094Abstract: The system comprises a grip of composite material having belts, filament windings unidirectional material and fillers of off axis bias ply material for directing the CF exerted on the grip by the blade rotation to the clevis throat of the grip. The force is further directed through a CF fitting, a CF bearing and an OPCBA to the yoke, thereby maintaining the yoke in tension. Should this load path fail, the CF will be transmitted through the length of the grip to the IPCBA that will in turn load the yoke with the CF.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 1989Date of Patent: October 22, 1991Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc.Inventors: Madison K. Robinson, Martin H. Lufkin, William D. Neathery
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Patent number: 5031858Abstract: Folding and folding locking apparatus for rotor blades that includes a power actuator for rotating the blades and locking means for securing the blade in the deployed position and securing the blades against rotation of the pitch angle during and when the blades are folded. The apparatus also provides for the complete fairing of the blades at their connections with the rotary drive hub and provides a powered door in the fairing that can be opened and closed to permit the quick and easy folding and redeployment of the blades.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 1989Date of Patent: July 16, 1991Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc.Inventors: Ernst C. Schellhase, Dan Anastas, deceased, by Peggy Anastas, executrix, Paul E. Keefer, Cecil E. Covington, Joseph J. Zierer, William D. Neathery
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Patent number: 4734081Abstract: A constant velocity joint (200) for interconnecting a first shaft (202) to a second shaft (204) for bidirectional drive is provided. The constant velocity joint employs a carrier (218) which is formed with a series of apertures for receiving elastomeric bearing assemblies (220). The elastomeric bearing assemblies are provided with a spherical elastomeric bearing (60) and a cylindrical elastomeric bearing (48). Certain of the elastomeric bearing assemblies connect the carrier to one of the rotated members while the remaining elastomeric bearing assemblies connect the other rotating member to the carrier. The axis of symmetry of the carrier (218) will always bisect the angle of misalignment between the two rotating shafts to assure that a constant velocity joint is achieved.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 1987Date of Patent: March 29, 1988Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.Inventors: William D. Neathery, Willem Broekhuizen, Ernst C. Schellhase
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Patent number: 4729753Abstract: A constant velocity joint (10) is provided specifically for connecting a yoke (14) to a mast (12) in a helicopter and more generally (200) for interconnecting a first shaft (202) to a second shaft (204) for bidirectional drive. The constant velocity joint employs a carrier (40, 218) which is formed with a series of apertures for receiving elastomeric bearing assemblies (42, 80, 220). The elastomeric bearing assemblies are provided with a spherical elastomeric bearing (60) and a cylindrical elastomeric bearing (48). Certain of the elastomeric bearing assemblies connect the carrier to one of the rotating members while the remaining elastomeric bearing assemblies connect the other rotating member to the carrier. The axis of symmetry (67) of the carrier always bisects the angle of misalignment between the two rotating shafts or members to assure that a constant velocity joint is achieved.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 1985Date of Patent: March 8, 1988Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.Inventors: William D. Neathery, Willem Broekhuizen, Ernst C. Schellhase
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Patent number: 4427340Abstract: This invention relates to helicopter rotors and more particularly to rotor mounting involving a composite fiber-reinforced unitary yoke with resilient inplane restraints.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 1982Date of Patent: January 24, 1984Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.Inventors: Robert W. Metzger, William D. Neathery, Peter A. Reyes, Patrick R. Tisdale, Cecil E. Covington, Willem Broekhuizen
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Patent number: 4333728Abstract: A system for opposing helicopter blade flapping applies restraining forces at a low spring rate at low flap angles and at a high spring rate at flap angles greater than a predetermined angle. More particularly, bearings rotatably support the blade yoke on rotor hub trunnions which form a flapping axis. A resilient mechanical coupling between the blade yokes and the hub trunnion applies a restraining force having a characteristic linear with flapping angle. A second restraint mounted to rotate about the flapping axis with the rotor, applies a nonlinear restraining force which preferably rapidly increases beginning at a predetermined flap angle, and over the range short of hard flapping contact between the rotor and the rotor mast.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 1979Date of Patent: June 8, 1982Assignee: Textron, Inc.Inventors: Jan M. Drees, Larry W. Dooley, William D. Neathery
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Patent number: 4239455Abstract: A helicopter having a multiblade main rotor lift unit includes a plurality of pendulus mass units (48,60) mounted to oscillate in the plane of the rotor. The mass units (48,60) are connected to a rotatable shaft (24) which passes through a blade grip (14) for each blade (16). Vibrations generated in the plane of the rotor system are damped by the oscillating pendulums (22) which are tuned to minimize the vibrations in the lift unit.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 1978Date of Patent: December 16, 1980Assignee: Textron, Inc.Inventors: Willem Broekhuizen, Troy M. Gaffey, Mukund M. Joglekar, William D. Neathery
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Patent number: 4239456Abstract: A helicopter having a main rotor lift unit includes a plurality of pendulus mass units (44, 46) mounted to oscillate in a plane perpendicular to the chord plane of the rotor blade (10). The mass units (44, 46) are connected to a rotatable shaft (28) which passes through or adjacent the blade grip (12) for each blade (10). Hubshear vibrations generated parallel to the axis of the rotor mast (18) are damped by the oscillating mass units (44, 46) which are tuned to minimize the vibrations transmitted from the lift unit to the fuselage.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 1979Date of Patent: December 16, 1980Assignee: Textron, Inc.Inventors: Mukund M. Joglekar, Troy M. Gaffey, Willem Broekhuizen, William D. Neathery