Engine Driven Patents (Class 416/129)
  • Patent number: 10711791
    Abstract: A dual mode turbofan engine includes a jet engine portion having a compressor, a turbine disposed aft of the compressor, and a shaft coupled to the compressor and the turbine. The jet engine portion is configured to produce an exhaust. The system further includes an auxiliary turbine having a plurality of auxiliary turbine blades. The auxiliary turbine is disposed aft of the turbine and decoupled from the shaft. The system also includes a diverter disposed between the turbine and the auxiliary turbine. The diverter is configured to selectively direct the exhaust to an inner flow path bypassing the plurality of auxiliary turbine blades or to an outer flow path engaging the plurality of turbine blades. A plurality of propeller blades is hingedly connected to the auxiliary turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: United States as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: August J Rolling, Jeffrey K Wood
  • Patent number: 10669946
    Abstract: A gear system for a gas turbine engine includes a planet gear system which includes an output attached to a carrier for rotating a first fan assembly in a first direction. A star gear system includes an output attached to a ring gear for rotating a second fan assembly in a second direction. A sun gear of the star gear system is mechanically attached to a sun gear of the planet gear system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: William G. Sheridan
  • Patent number: 10661910
    Abstract: An aircraft comprising a fuselage and propelled by a turbine engine having two coaxial and contrarotating fans, the turbine engine comprising a power turbine having two contrarotating rotors, one of which drives a fan upstream from the turbine, the other a fan downstream from the turbine, each fan comprising a ring of blades, and the assembly of the fans and the power turbine being incorporated at the rear of the fuselage, in the extension of same. The aircraft comprises, for at least one of the fans, a device for blocking the rotation of the fan and a device configured to modify the pitch of the blades of the fan in such a way as to make it operate as a flow straightener with respect to the other fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventor: François Gallet
  • Patent number: 10654577
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a gas turbine engine defining a radial direction, a longitudinal direction, and a circumferential direction, an upstream end and a downstream end along the longitudinal direction, and an axial centerline extended along the longitudinal direction. The gas turbine engine includes a low pressure (LP) turbine defining an outer flowpath. The outer flowpath defines a first outer flowpath radius at an upstream-most end of the LP turbine, a last outer flowpath radius disposed at a downstream-most end of the LP turbine, a middle outer flowpath radius disposed therebetween along the longitudinal direction. The middle outer flowpath radius is greater than the last outer flowpath radius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brandon Wayne Miller, Thomas Ory Moniz, Monty Lee Shelton, Joel Francis Kirk, Jeffrey Donald Clements
  • Patent number: 10633987
    Abstract: A pitch actuation system for a turbine engine propeller, comprising an actuator, a movable part of which is designed to be connected to blades of the propeller so as to rotate said blades relative to blade pitch-setting axes, wherein the actuator is an electromechanical actuator and comprises at least two electric motors for driving a common rotor, and a transmission screw rotated by the common rotor, and in that the system further comprises a nut, through which the transmission screw passes and which is designed to cooperate with the blades so as to move them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventor: Huguette de Wergifosse
  • Patent number: 10618643
    Abstract: A rotor hub assembly is provided including an open rotor hub having a base plate and a plurality of rotor members mounted about a circumference of the base plate. The rotor members are configured to form a plurality of rotor blade openings between adjacent rotor members, and a central opening between all of the rotor members. A plate includes a central body portion and a plurality of arms. Each of the plurality of arms is configured to mount to one of the plurality of rotor members such that the central body portion is generally positioned within the central opening of the open rotor hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ron William Waldo, Eric Lucien Nussenblatt, Bryan Kenneth Baskin, David H. Hunter
  • Patent number: 10605257
    Abstract: A fan system includes a rotor having plurality of blades and a ring airfoil, the plurality of blades being rotatably joined to a hub and the ring airfoil. The fan system may include a second contra-rotationally disposed rotor having a plurality of blades and a ring airfoil. The first and second ring airfoils having a cambered shape and an angle of attack between about ?5 degrees and about 45 degrees, more preferably between about 5 degrees and about 30 degrees. Optionally, an outlet guide vane may be mounted rearward of the one or more rotors having a ring airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Bronwyn Power, Jonathan M. Rivers
  • Patent number: 10584642
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes first and second shafts rotatable about a common axis. A first turbine section is supported on the first shaft. Second compressor and turbine sections are supported on the second shaft. The gas turbine engine includes a fan. A first compressor section is arranged in an axial flow relationship with the second compressor and the first and second turbines. A geared architecture operatively connects the first shaft and the fan. An inducer operative couples to the gear train.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel Bernard Kupratis, Frederick M. Schwarz
  • Patent number: 10502088
    Abstract: A drive mechanism (10) for driving a first adjustment member (12) for adjusting the orientation of the blades (14) of a first turbomachine rectifier stage (16) and a second adjustment member (18) for adjusting the orientation of the blades (20) of a second turbomachine rectifier stage (22), which comprises a mechanism for simultaneously moving the two adjustment members (12, 18) in the turbomachine, characterised in that it comprises a single drive wheel (24) that simultaneously drives the first adjustment member (12) and the second adjustment member (18) and comprises two gear stages (26, 28) that are arranged between the drive wheel (24) and one or the other of the first adjustment member (12) and the second adjustment member (18) and that have different transmission ratios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventor: Pierre-Alain Francis Claude Sebrecht
  • Patent number: 10494084
    Abstract: A control system for controlling the pitch of a propeller, the system including a propeller shaft, a blade swivel device having a rotary control element suitable for placing the blades in an angular position corresponding to a desired propeller pitch, and a transmission presenting an outlet member coupled in rotation with the rotary control element of the blade swivel device. The transmission includes a variable speed drive having drive, control, and outlet rotors that are coupled in rotation respectively with the propeller shaft, with a control member, and with the outlet member of the transmission. With the variable speed drive, the speed of rotation of the outlet member of the transmission is a predetermined function of the speeds of rotation not only of the propeller shaft, but also of the control member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventor: Alain Pierre Garassino
  • Patent number: 10436213
    Abstract: An actuation system is provided for varying the pitch of the blades of a variable pitch fan or propeller. The actuation system includes a first actuator and a second actuator. The actuation system further includes a first linkage which operably connects the first actuator to the blades such that operation of the first actuator varies the pitch of the blades via the first linkage. The actuation system further includes a second linkage which operably connects the second actuator to the first actuator such that operation of the second actuator varies the pitch of the blades by series connection of the second linkage to the first linkage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Christopher M Grice
  • Patent number: 10400632
    Abstract: An airplane unducted propeller turboshaft engine having a gas generator and a receiver including a propulsion assembly carrying least one propeller, the engine including a first casing, a second casing, and a third casing, the third casing being provided between the first and second casings and surrounding at least a portion of the gas generator, a reinforcing shell presenting a first attachment zone mounted on the first casing, second attachment zone mounted on the second casing, and a wall provided between the first and second attachment zones and surrounding the third casing, wherein the reinforcing shell further includes at least one pipe segment integrated in the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Bruno Albert Beutin, Nuria Llamas Castro, Maria Natal, Bruna Ramos
  • Patent number: 10293918
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (12) for a non-streamlined propeller (6, 7) with blades (10) having variable pitch of a turbomachine (1), the device comprising a support (15) intended to support a blade (10) and including a cylindrical foot (17), a bearing comprising a radially internal annular section (20) and a radially external annular section (21) capable of pivoting with respect to each other, the foot (17) being mounted in said internal section (20) of the bearing. The device comprises a hub (27) mounted in the foot (17), said hub (27) including a rim (29) comprising a face (30) coming to bear on the radially internal annular section (20) of the bearing, the hub (27) and the foot (17) of the support (15) comprising complementary engagement elements (18, 28) interacting with a locking component (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Safran Aircraft Engines
    Inventors: Charles-Henri Michel Marie Derrez, Adrien Jacques Philippe Fabre, Christophe Paul Jacquemard, Régis Eugène Henri Servant, Sébastien Emile Philippe Tajan
  • Patent number: 10287976
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a fan section, a compressor section aft of the fan section, a combustor fluidly connected to the compressor section, and a turbine section fluidly connected to the combustor. The turbine section includes at least a first turbine and a second turbine. The second turbine operates at a higher pressure than the first turbine. A shaft is connected to the first turbine section such that the first turbine section is operable to drive rotation of the shaft. The shaft is a rotational input for a split gear and the split gear is connected to the fan and at least one of the multiple compressors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Gary D. Roberge
  • Patent number: 10240662
    Abstract: A power transmission gearbox having at least one driving gear with spur teeth presenting a large radius. The gearbox includes at least one mechanical outlet drive system suitable for driving an accessory, the mechanical outlet drive system having a gear with face teeth referred to as an “accessory pinion”, the accessory pinion presenting a “small” radius (R2) lying orthogonally between each face tooth and its axis of rotation, the small radius (R2) being smaller than the large radius (R1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
    Inventor: Lionel Thomassey
  • Patent number: 10156288
    Abstract: A hub planetary belt transmission (2) has a platform body (50) supporting a motor drive (8) having a motor drive shaft (6) coupled to a distributing and a collecting pulley (4, 18) attached to a first output shaft (22) coupled to a first propulsion element (40, 44). A housing (30) coupled to peripheral shafts (24) attached to tension arms (26) is concentrically rotatable about a common axis of the distributing and collecting pulleys and is coupled to a second propulsion element (42, 45). Transmitting pulleys (12, 14) are driven by distributing belts (10) and collecting belts (20) for rotating together with the peripheral shafts and tension arms about a common axis of the distributing and collecting pulleys so as to create a centripetal force which stretches the distributing belts and the collecting belts, thus regulating the coupling force between the belts and pulleys based on the rotation velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Inventor: Yefim Kereth
  • Patent number: 10118710
    Abstract: An unducted fan for an aircraft turbine engine, including a propeller having a hub and an annular array of blades extending substantially radially outwards from the hub, is provided. The hub includes an annular array of cowls, each of which is mounted between the radially inner ends of the blades and suitable for being fixed to an upstream collar and to a downstream collar of the hub. At least one cowl includes, at a circumferential end, a joint edge which is contiguous with a complementary joint edge of an adjacent cowl. The at least one cowl and at least one of the upstream and downstream collars are configured so that the cowl can be mounted and dismounted by a movement including a pivoting about an initial pivot axis circumferentially separated from the at least one joint edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignees: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES, AIRCELLE
    Inventors: Charles-Henri Michel Marie Derrez, Adrien Jacques Philippe Fabre, Sebastien Marcelino Juste, Cyril Roger Yves Le Pecheur, Michel Pierre Rognant
  • Patent number: 10113431
    Abstract: A fluidfoil is disclosed including a leading edge and a leading edge zone behind the leading edge. The leading edge zone extends spanwise for the full length of the fluidfoil. The leading edge zone includes one or more deflected regions which locally reduce the angle of attack of the fluidfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Howoong Namgoong
  • Patent number: 10053212
    Abstract: A coaxial, dual rotor system includes a first rotor assembly located at a rotor axis and rotatable thereabout and a second rotor assembly located at the rotor axis radially inboard of the first rotor assembly and rotatable thereabout. A rotationally fixed static mast is located radially between the first rotor assembly and the second rotor assembly. A transmission includes a rotor input shaft including a first sun gear and a second sun gear. A star gear arrangement is operably connected to the first sun gear and to the static mast to drive rotation of the first rotor assembly about the rotor axis and a planetary gear arrangement is operably connected to the second sun gear and to the static mast to drive rotation of the second rotor assembly about the rotor axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventor: William G. Sheridan
  • Patent number: 10041498
    Abstract: A turbofan engine is disclosed that includes a fan rotatable about an axis, a compressor section including a high pressure compressor, a medium pressure compressor and a low pressure compressor and a turbine section including a high pressure turbine, an intermediate turbine and a fan drive turbine. A fan drive gear system is driven by the fan drive turbine for driving the fan. A compressor drive gear system is driven by the intermediate turbine for driving the low pressure compressor. A gear controller controls rotation of at least one of the fan drive gear system and the compressor drive gear system relative to a static structure to vary an effective speed reduction ratio of one of the fan drive gear system and the compressor drive gear system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: John R. Otto, James B. Coffin, Jason Husband
  • Patent number: 9994310
    Abstract: Rotor assembly apparatus are disclosed. An example rotor assembly includes a twist actuator to drive a first rotation of a first shaft about a first axis, the twist actuator positioned at a center of rotation of the rotor assembly; and a first gear assembly to convert the first rotation into a plurality of second rotations of a plurality of second shafts, each of the second shafts to provide torque to a respective blade coupled to the rotor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Daniel M. Podgurski
  • Patent number: 9963211
    Abstract: Provided are a propulsion device for a ship and a ship including the same. The propulsion device for the ship includes: a rear propeller fixed to a rotation shaft; a front propeller that is rotatably supported on the rotation shaft in the front of the rear propeller; at least one bearing interposed in at least one of spaces between a hub of the front propeller and the rotation shaft and between the rotation shaft and a ship body; and an inverse rotation unit that inverts rotation of the rotation shaft, transfers the inverted rotation to the front propeller and includes a gearbox that is accommodated in an installation space formed in a tail of the ship body in a state in which a plurality of gears for implementing inversion of the front propeller are embedded, wherein at least one measurement unit for measuring operating states of the at least one bearing is mounted to the rotation shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG HEAVY IND. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Se-Myun Oh, Dong-Hyun Lee, Hyun-Sang Park, Sung-Wook Chung, Jae-Kwon Jung, Nam-Yong Heo
  • Patent number: 9909451
    Abstract: In one aspect, a bearing assembly for supporting a rotor shaft relative to a support structure of a gas turbine engine may generally include a bearing including an outer race and an inner race, an outer bearing housing configured to extend radially between the outer race of the bearing and the support structure of the gas turbine engine and an inner bearing support configured to extend radially between the inner race of the bearing and the rotor shaft. In addition, the outer bearing housing and the inner bearing support each include at least one radially extending spring arm such that the outer bearing housing and the inner bearing support collectively form two springs coupled in series between the support structure and the rotor shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bruce Alan Carter, Ravindra Shankar Ganiger, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal, Jacob Patrick Miller, Sivakumar Mahesh, Kevin L. Kirkeng, Veeraraju Vanapalli
  • Patent number: 9896189
    Abstract: The invention relates to the field of aerial propellers, in particular the field of variable-pitch propellers, specifically for unducted fans. More specifically, the invention relates to a pivot (15) for a blade (14) of a propeller (3a, 3b), the pivot including at least a proximal portion (15a) made of metal and suitable for being retained in a radial orifice of a propeller hub, while being capable of turning in said orifice about a longitudinal axis (Z) of the pivot (15), and a distal portion (15b) including a receptacle (20) suitable for retaining a blade root, and at least one arm (17) of organic matrix composite material extending laterally relative to said longitudinal axis (Z) and supporting a flyweight (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Sebastien Tajan, Adrien Jacques Philippe Fabre, Christophe Jacquemard, Adrien Laurenceau, Romain Boudier
  • Patent number: 9890704
    Abstract: In a gas turbine engine, the booster compressor is driven by both the low pressure or fan shaft and high pressure shaft through a differential gear arrangement. The rotational speed of the booster compressor is intermediate between the speed of the fan and the speed of the high pressure compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Derwent Aviation Consulting Ltd.
    Inventors: Trevor H. Speak, Robert J. Sellick
  • Patent number: 9885315
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rear casing for a turbine engine comprising a primary body generating a primary flow (10) to be ejected through a primary nozzle (6), said rear casing (7) being shaped so as to be positioned downstream from the primary body and to define, on the inside of the turbine engine, the path followed by the primary flow downstream from the primary nozzle (6). The tail cone is characterised in that it comprises a connection to a system for supplying a pressurised gas and at least one perforation (8) for injecting the pressurised gas through the perforation and into the primary flow. The casing preferably comprises at least one means for rotating same about the axis of rotation of the mobile elements of the primary body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignees: SNECMA, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (CNRS), UNIVERSITE DE POITIERS, ENSMA
    Inventors: Alexandre Alfred Gaston Vuillemin, Maxime Koenig, Peter Jordan, Pierre Comte, Yves Gervais
  • Patent number: 9869190
    Abstract: A pitch control mechanism includes: a rotor structure configured for rotation about a longitudinal axis; a row of blades carried by the rotor structure, each blade having an airfoil and a trunnion mounted for pivoting movement relative to the rotor structure, about a trunnion axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; a unison ring interconnecting the blades; an actuator connected to the unison ring and the rotor structure, operable to move the unison ring relative to the rotor structure; at least one moveable counterweight carried by the rotor structure, remote from the blades; and an interconnection between the blades and the counterweight, such that movement of the counterweight causes a change in the pitch angle of the blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel Alan Niergarth, Brandon Wayne Miller, Donald Albert Bradley
  • Patent number: 9862460
    Abstract: Disclosed are a propulsion system for a ship, a method of assembling the same, and a method of disassembling the same. The propulsion system for the ship includes: a rear propeller fixed to a rotary shaft; a front propeller that is rotatably supported on the rotary shaft in front of the rear propeller; a contra-rotating device that is mounted in an installation space at a rear end of a hull so as to reverse the rotation of the rotary shaft and transmit the reversed rotation to the front propeller; a propeller connecting member that connects the contra-rotating device and the front propeller to transmit a rotational force; and a thrust supporting device that is provided between the contra-rotating device and the propeller connection member to support thrust of the front propeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG HEAVY IND. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kwang-Jun Paik, Hyun-Sang Park, Jin-Suk Lee, Tae-Goo Lee, Ji-Nam Kim, Jin-Ho Kim, Jae-Ouk Roh, Tae-Sam Choi, Kwang-Kun Park, Hyoung-Gil Park, Chi-Su Song, Se-Myun Oh, Dong-Hyun Lee, Jeung-Hoon Lee, Jae-Kwon Jung, Tae-Sik Lee
  • Patent number: 9845848
    Abstract: A friction roller type reduction gear includes a first sun roller so mounted on an input shaft movably in the axial direction of the input shaft, a plurality of first cam grooves formed in the end face of the first sun roller, a cam plate so mounted on the input shaft as is opposed to the first cam groove side of the first sun roller, a plurality of second cam grooves so formed in the cam plate as are opposed to the first cam grooves, rolling elements interposed between the first and second cam grooves, and a cage for holding the rolling elements rollably, while a pitch circle diameter of the position for holding the rolling elements is different from pitch circle diameter of the first and second cam grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Kazutaka Tanaka, Yasuyuki Matsuda
  • Patent number: 9726039
    Abstract: A lubrication system for a device located between an internal shaft and an external shaft of an aircraft turbine, that are free to rotate, concentric and arranged at least partially one around the other, is provided. The lubrication system includes an annular element provided with an external groove and being mounted integral with the external shaft, the external groove being supplied with lubricant from a fixed part of the turbine; and a grooved element mounted integral with the internal shaft, the grooved element having a relief which directs a lubricant in contact with its external surface along a longitudinal direction when the internal shaft is rotating. The external groove is in fluid communication with an external surface of the grooved element through at least two conduits arranged through the external shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Olivier Belmonte, Serge Louis Antunes, Mathieu Perrier
  • Patent number: 9694887
    Abstract: Disclosed are a propulsion device for a ship and a ship having same. The propulsion device, according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a rear propeller fixed to a driveshaft; a front propeller positioned in front of the rear propeller, and supported rotably on the driveshaft; and a counter rotation device for reversing and transmitting the rotation of the driveshaft to the front propeller; a motor for rotating the driveshaft; and an housing, which extends from to the lower part of the hull, and which is installed so as to envelope the counter rotation device and the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Heavy Ind. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin Suk Lee, Ji Nam Kim, Hyun Sang Park, Hyung Gil Park, Kwang Jun Paik, Dong Hyun Lee, Tae Goo Lee, Sung Wook Chung, Tetsuji Hoshino, Jong Soo Seo, Seung Myun Hwangbo
  • Patent number: 9695703
    Abstract: A compressor rotor for a turbomachine including a shaft and at least two disks mounted on the shaft to hold a single set of vanes that are rotatably mobile about the rotational axis of the shaft, at least one first disk being mounted in a mobile manner on the shaft to be able to generate an angular gap in relation to the second disk and to trigger a rotation of the vanes about the radial axis of same, at least one of the two disks being shaped to receive at least one mechanism for attaching the vanes, the connection between the disk and the attaching mechanism enabling a rotation of the attaching mechanism about a radial axis, and connection is a ball-jointed connection that is tangentially and axially mobile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventor: Francois Gallet
  • Patent number: 9630704
    Abstract: A blade for a fan of a turbomachine, for example of unducted fan type, a corresponding fan, and a corresponding turbomachine. The blade includes a mechanism arranged, at a single location, to locally, as the fan rotates, disturb a distribution of flow around the blade so as to form two independent main vortices downstream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignees: SNECMA, ONERA
    Inventors: Laurence Vion, Gregory Delattre, Laurent Jacquin, Benoit Rodriguez, Ronan Boisard, Biel Ortun, Fabrice Falissard
  • Patent number: 9611788
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine is disclosed with a first spool having a first turbine connected to a first compressor through a first rotatable shaft; a second spool having a second turbine connected to a second compressor through a second rotatable shaft; and a gearbox having a power input port coupled to each of the first and second shafts and a power output port connected to a third shaft, wherein the rotational speed of the third shaft is lower than the rotational speed of each of the first and second shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventor: Dmitriy B. Sidelkovskiy
  • Patent number: 9518642
    Abstract: A hub reduction gear of a drive axle and a method of providing a hub reduction gear. The hub reduction gear may include a plurality of bevel planet gears in mesh with a bevel sun gear, a planet carrier adapted to drive a vehicle wheel; and an internal bevel gear annulus in mesh with the bevel planet gears and adapted for connection to an axle side shaft casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems Cameri SpA
    Inventor: Wagner Yukio Hirao
  • Patent number: 9429031
    Abstract: A helical ring including a polygonal body and a plurality of cylindrical radial housings arranged in the body is provided. Each housing includes a surface adapted to receive a support of a blade of a helix. The surface of each housing is arranged on a radially internal surface of a corresponding hub. Each hub is a separate piece attached to the body of the ring, intended to be received in a radial housing of the body of the ring. The hub includes two projecting pins relative to its external surface to be fastened to the edges of a housing of the annular body, the two projecting pins forming a centering axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Christophe Perdrigeon, Laurent Jablonski, Philippe Gerard Edmond Joly
  • Patent number: 9422044
    Abstract: A vessel propulsion apparatus includes a drive shaft that is rotationally driven by a prime mover, a drive gear connected to the drive shaft, a front gear that engages the drive gear, a rear gear that engages the drive gear and that is disposed behind the front gear, a dog clutch that selectively engages one of the front gear and the rear gear, and an oil passage that passes through the inside of the front gear and that guides oil from a forward space in front of the front gear to a rearward space behind the front gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daisuke Nakamura, Yoshihito Fukuoka
  • Patent number: 9420801
    Abstract: A food kneading appliance especially adapted to mix and knead bread or pizza dough or dough of other types includes a container, a central body located in the center of the container, kneading tools, and a drive unit to rotate the central body. The central body includes a stirring spindle and a kneading spindle which are positioned in the same axis and rotate in opposite directions in operation. The kneading tools include a dough hook disposed on the stirring spindle and a dough mixer disposed on the kneading spindle. The appliance can provide large torque and low speed operation so that the dough can be processed without overheating and deteriorating. Beyond that, the dough is easy to be thoroughly mixed and achieve high quality dough that is comparable to manual kneading. Another advantage of the invention is that the kneading process is stable and low in noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Inventors: Shu Sang Cheung, To Yin Pang
  • Patent number: 9416733
    Abstract: A sealing device for passing a connecting rod of a system for controlling a pitch of fan blades of a turboprop through a partition. The device includes a tube for fastening to the partition that is to be sealed, and a frustoconical sheath through which the connecting rod is to pass, the sheath configured to slide axially inside the tube and including, at its wider end, a sealing mechanism co-operating with the tube, and, at its narrower end, a leaktight fastener fastening to a corresponding end of the connecting rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventor: Francois Gallet
  • Patent number: 9410438
    Abstract: A rotor dual-blade for a gas turbine engine that has a first blade component extending radially between a root and a tip and a second blade component, separate from the first component, extending radially between a root and a tip, wherein the second blade component is downstream, in series, of the first blade component and at least the first blade component is made of metal while the second blade component is a light weight composite material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Hong Yu
  • Patent number: 9260973
    Abstract: A pump for driving a hydraulic fluid to adjust an angle of an airfoil has a transmission to be rotated to change the angle of incident of a plurality of airfoils. The transmission is driven through a rotating input to in turn rotate, and change the angle. The input is caused to rotate by a piston having engaging threads on the input, and the piston is mounted within a hydraulic chamber. Opposed chambers are on each of two opposed ends of the piston. A piezoelectric pump selectively delivers pressurized fluid into the opposed chambers to drive the piston, and to in turn cause the input to rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Brandon M. Petersen
  • Patent number: 9255583
    Abstract: A variable pitch blade propeller hub for a turbomachine with a longitudinal axis includes a polygonal ring supporting the blades, concentric with the longitudinal axis and including two spaced parallel annular end flanges between which are diametrically fastened, by root areas arising from the annular flanges, collars with cylindrical radial housings to receive the blades. The collars are equi-angularly distributed at the lateral periphery of the polygonal ring and separated from each other by intermediate areas with through-openings. The also includes connectors connecting the polygonal ring to a turbine rotor element of the turbomachine. The intermediate areas defined between two concentric collars and the annular end flanges include elements for reinforcing the collars that are arranged radially and/or tangentially and fastened at least to the lateral walls of two consecutive collars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Eric Jacques Boston, Michel Andre Bouru, Laurent Jablonski, Philippe Gerard Edmond Joly
  • Patent number: 9199729
    Abstract: To configure the yaw axis control mechanism of a coaxial counter-rotating unmanned helicopter to be able to accurately control the pitch angle of the upper rotor blade by a simple configuration even if the precise adjustment is not performed. A rudder control rod is inserted into a main mast of a coaxial counter-rotating helicopter, a lower end portion thereof is connected to an output lever of the rudder servo, and a mixing rod head is fixed to an upper end portion. A link mechanism connected to the upper swash plate is attached to a side surface portion of the mixing rod head, the vertical displacement of the mixing rod head moving up and down together with the rudder control rod is converted into a displacement for tilting an upper blade holder around the spindle via the link mechanism, thereby changing the pitch angle of the upper rotor blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Hirobo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takakazu Uebori, Shunichi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9017028
    Abstract: A turbine engine including two contrarotating unducted propellers of an upstream propeller and a downstream propeller, with a power turbine mounted axially between the two propellers, the turbine including an outer rotor constrained to rotate with the upstream propeller and an inner rotor driving rotation of an inlet shaft of a step-down gearbox, the gearbox includes an outlet shaft driving rotation of the rotor of the upstream propeller and an outlet shaft driving rotation of the downstream propeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Snecma
    Inventor: Adrien Jacques Philippe Fabre
  • Patent number: 8985946
    Abstract: A mounting system for mounting a blade to a rotor body includes a pitch control mechanism including an anchor and a pitch change rod extending radially outwardly from the anchor to join to a base of the blade. The anchor and the rod are rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the rod to vary the blade pitch. The pitch control mechanism further includes a torque-transmitting formation between the blade and the anchor such that pitch-varying torque can be transmitted to the blade through the torque-transmitting formation while allowing relative radial movement between the blade and the anchor. The system includes a primary bearing formation, which transmits blade centrifugal loads to the rotor body while accommodating variation of the blade pitch, and secondary bearing formation, which transmits pitch change mechanism centrifugal loads to the rotor body while accommodating rotation of the anchor and the rod during variation of the blade pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Kenneth F. Udall, Alexander V. Lavrenko
  • Publication number: 20150071780
    Abstract: Provided are a propulsion device for a ship and a ship including the same. The propulsion device for the ship includes: a rear propeller fixed to a rotation shaft; a front propeller that is rotatably supported on the rotation shaft in the front of the rear propeller; at least one bearing interposed in at least one of spaces between a hub of the front propeller and the rotation shaft and between the rotation shaft and a ship body; and an inverse rotation unit that inverts rotation of the rotation shaft, transfers the inverted rotation to the front propeller and includes a gearbox that is accommodated in an installation space formed in a tail of the ship body in a state in which a plurality of gears for implementing inversion of the front propeller are embedded, wherein at least one measurement unit for measuring operating states of the at least one bearing is mounted to the rotation shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: SAMSUNG HEAVY IND. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Se-Myun Oh, Dong-Hyun Lee, Hyun-Sang Park, Sung-Wook Chung, Jae-Kwon Jung, Nam-Yong Heo
  • Patent number: 8967967
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a propfan engine comprising: one or more rotor stages comprising a plurality of rotors; and an outer wall comprising an outer profile, at least a portion of the outer profile defining a substantially circular cross-section, wherein the diameter of the substantially circular cross-section increases in the direction of flow over the outer wall and downstream of a leading edge of the rotors, and the diameter increases at substantially all points defining the circumference of the substantially circular cross-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Richard G. Stretton, Nicholas Howarth
  • Patent number: 8926279
    Abstract: A hub of a propeller with variable-pitch blades for a turbine engine, for example for a propfan engine. The hub of the propeller includes a polygonal ring with substantially radial cylindrical recesses distributed about a central axis of the ring for receiving the blades, a turbine rotor element of the turbine engine, and a securing flange that is attached to the ring so as to connect the ring to the rotor element. The hub further includes a plurality of back-up hooks inserted with clearance in openings, the back-up hooks being connected either to the ring or to the rotor element, and the openings being connected to the other one of the two.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Eric Jacques Boston, Michel Andre Bouru, Laurent Jablonski, Philippe Gerard Edmond Joly
  • Patent number: 8899926
    Abstract: A gearbox assembly includes a first face gear driveable about a face gear axis in a first direction by at least one first pinion gear and a second face gear driveable about the face gear axis in a second direction opposite the first direction by at least one second pinion gear. A thrust bearing is located between the first face gear and the second face gear. The first face gear is configured to drive rotation of a first shaft in the first direction and the second face gear is configured to drive rotation of a second shaft in the second direction. Further disclosed is a power train for a rotary wing aircraft having a gearbox including a first face gear rotatable in a first direction and a second face gear rotatable in a second direction opposite the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventor: Todd A. Garcia
  • Patent number: 8882025
    Abstract: A fairing system according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a shaft fairing mounted for rotation about an axis of rotation and a planetary gear set configured to control a position of the shaft fairing about the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy Fred Lauder