Abstract: Provided is a weighing device for determining a property of a rotor blade of a wind turbine. The weighing device includes a first seat for receiving the rotor blade at a first radial position of the rotator blade, a second seat for receiving the rotor blade at a second radial position of the rotor blade, a first weight cell for quantifying a first weight which is acting on the first weight cell, a second weight cell for quantifying a second weight which is acting on the second weight cell, and a first counterweight which is configured to alleviate the first weight. Notably, the first counterweight is lifted up from the ground when the rotor blade is received by the first seat of the weighing device. Furthermore, a method of determining the weight, the mass or the torque of a rotor blade of a wind turbine is also provided.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for weighing an elongate object extending between a root end and a tip end thereof, said method including: providing a respective tip load measurement gauge and root load measurement gauge; and providing a suspending arrangement configured for suspending said elongate object from said tip load measurement gauge and from said root load measurement gauge; and suspending said object in a horizontal orientation; and recording a tip load and a root load from respective said load measurement gauges, said method being additionally characterised by: providing a weighing area; and fixing an inclinometer to said suspended blade and load gauge arrangement; and suspending said elongate object from said tip load gauge and from said root load gauge; and adjusting the horizontality of said elongate object in response to signals from said inclinometer prior to said step of recording said tip load and said root load.

Abstract: A gravity center neutral eccentric is provided. The gravity-center-neutral eccentric includes an axis of rotation and an eccentric region, wherein the center of mass of the eccentric lies on the axis of rotation. In another embodiment, a center of mass of the eccentric region also lies on the axis of rotation. A measurement device including a gravity center neutral eccentric is also provided.

Abstract: A rotating object dynamic balancing system and method for balancing a rotating object including a shaft by using centrifugal force on a plurality of weighted masses traveling along at least one race. The rotating object dynamic balancing system has an inner body, an outer body, a fastening body or fastening body, and a plurality of weighted masses. The inner body has a hollow interior area and an aperture in communication with the interior area and adapted to receive the shaft. The outer body has a hollow interior area defined therethrough, and at least one radial race defined in the interior area. The outer body is attachable to the inner body. The fastening body has a hollow interior area, and is configured to be received into the interior area of the inner body. The interior area of the fastening body assembly is adapted to engage with the shaft received through the inner body thereby securing the rotating object dynamic balancing system to the rotating object.

Abstract: A root-end of the blade is connectable to a fixation unit which is pivotably mounted around a first reference-point. A first static moment of the fixation unit without the blade connected is determined in reference to a first reference-point, while the first static-moment is acting on the fixation-unit at the first distance. A second static-moment of the fixation unit and the connected blade is determined at a second distance in reference to the first reference-point, while the second distance is allocated to a cross-section of the blade. The first and the second static-moment are used to calculate the static-moment of the blade.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fan blade assembly of a turbojet with fan and a fan blade damper, the fan blade comprising a root and a platform, the fan blade damper being suitable for being attached in a housing formed in the lower face of the platform, said housing comprising an upstream side perpendicular to the root of the blade. The damper comprises a front edge of which a first portion is parallel to the upstream side of the housing and of which a second portion is inclined relative to said upstream side. The invention also relates to a fan blade damper and a method for calibrating said damper.

Abstract: The balancing device includes static weights, equally distributed by mass in two housings elongated along the span of the blade, and dynamic weights distributed by mass in the two housings so as to ensure the dynamic adjustment of the blade while keeping the preestablished static adjustment, the weights being introduced into the housings and extracted from these latter through a single opening emerging simultaneously in the internal end, towards the blade root, of the two housings symmetrical relative to the pitch centring axis of the blade. This single access opening is able to be closed by a door opening in the extrados or intrados surface of the blade.

Abstract: The invention discloses a helicopter rotor blade static balancing fixture. First, the blade is rooted to provide a basis for accurate station or spanwise measurements. Then, weight information is measured by the load cells, and the distance from the weight measurement to the leading edge of the blade is measured by linear transducers, respectively, and communicated to a computer. The computer calculates the spanwise moment, compares the calculated value to the factory standard spanwise moment, and calculates and displays a recommended weight adjustment. The computer calculates the chordwise moment, compares the calculated value to the factory standard chordwise moment, and calculates and displays a recommended weight adjustment.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards an aircraft engine testing tool which facilitates the visual inspection of aircraft internal engine blades by permitting the automatic repositioning of the internal engine blades to an inspection orientation. The aircraft engine testing tool includes a power driver structured to selectively and in a precisely controlled manner turn internal engine and which includes a gear down assembly that produces substantial amounts of low speed torque, and a gear spline connected to the gear down assembly and structured to rotate at substantially low speeds in accordance with the low speed torque produced by the gear down assembly. A mounting plate secures the gear spline operatively within an aircraft engine gear socket such that the low speed rotation of the gear spline results in a corresponding rotation of a plurality of the internal engine gears of an aircraft engine's constant speed drive and therefore the internal engine blades.

Abstract: A blade balancer qualitatively determines imbalance of a lawn mower blade. The blade balancer comprises a tube that rotates on precision bearings about a horizontal axis. A sphere is slidingly captured in one end of the tube concentric with the axis of rotation. A spring biases the sphere partially out of the tube. The mounting hole of a lawn mower blade is placed over the sphere, and the lawn mower blade is pushed against the sphere to slide the sphere into the tube inner diameter until the blade contacts an annular magnet secured to the tube and surrounding the sphere. The blade is thus accurately located for rotation about the horizontal axis. Gravity rotates the lawn mower blade, tube, and sphere together to place any unbalanced mass of the blade at a lowermost point under the horizontal axis. In a modified embodiment of the invention, the sphere is replaced by a plug having a cylindrical section that is slidably captured in the tube inner diameter and a conical section.

Abstract: The rotor blades of a helicopter are balanced both in the chordal direction and in the spanwise direction in a static balancing assembly. The assembly includes a support surface on which there are four weighing scales. The scales are positioned in close proximity with the four corners of the rotor blade. The scales provide four cooperating pairs of blade spanwise and chordwise balancing reference data. The scales are operably connected to a microprocessor which is preprogrammed with desired balance data for the blades being tested. Deviations from the desired balance data detected by the scales and the microprocessor are corrected by selectively adding or subtracting weight on the blades at appropriate locations of the surfaces thereof.

Abstract: A blade balancer qualitatively determines imbalance of a lawn mower blade. The blade balancer comprises a tube that rotates on precision bearings about a horizontal axis. A sphere is slidingly captured in one end of the tube concentric with the axis of rotation. A spring biases the sphere partially out of the tube. The mounting hole of a lawn mower blade is placed over the sphere, and the lawn mower blade is pushed against the sphere to slide the sphere into the tube inner diameter until the blade contacts an annular magnet secured to the tube and surrounding the sphere. The blade is thus accurately located for rotation about the horizontal axis. Gravity rotates the lawn mower blade, tube, and sphere together to place any unbalanced mass of the blade at a lowermost point under the horizontal axis. In a modified embodiment of the invention, the sphere is replaced by a plug having a cylindrical section that is slidably captured in the tube inner diameter and a conical section.

Abstract: A blade of a built-up marine propeller is balanced by forming an open cavity of a predetermined size at a predetermined location proximate to the blade tip, conducting a spin-balancing test in which the blade being balanced and a calibration blade are assembled diametrically opposite each other on a dummy hub to form a simulated two-blade propeller, determining from the test the weight that must be added to the blade to balance the simulated propeller, and affixing a balance member of a predetermined weight in the blade cavity. A cover plate is secured in the cavity opening of the blade in sealed relation, and the external surface of the cover plate is ground to make it fair to the profile of the portion of the blade face adjacent the cavity opening.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a portable bicycle tire leak detector apparatus which is adapted to be attachable to a bicycle frame or conventional bicycle tire pump. The apparatus generally comprises a water bottle having a trough member releasably mounted thereto. The trough member is adapted to contain a quantity of water in a manner allowing an inner-tube of a bicycle tire to be submerged therewithin. The apparatus further includes bicycle tire repair elements which may be stored within the trough member when not filled with water.

Abstract: A leak testing tank for mounted vehicle wheel and tire assemblies, wherein a manually operable lever and depressor for submersion of the wheel and tire in a quieted condition inherently centers and levels the wheel and tire through its direct releasible engagement therewith.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for use in balancing the blades of ceiling fans, wherein the pitch angles of the blades and the dihedral angles of the blades are measured and corrected, if necessary, by use of a beam of light reflected from a mirror temporarily flushly affixed to each blade, and wherein indexes are provided for measuring and correcting, if necessary, the circular angularities between the blades. Blades may be tested both individually or in sets connected to a hub.

Abstract: A method for controlling the first torsional node line position in a rotatable blade of a turbomachine to improve its flutter stability including the steps of forming a first monolithic blade having a desired airfoil shape with convex and concave side walls; arranging several of the monolithic blades in a cascade array and subjecting the cascade array to an unsteady, supersonic, transonic and subsonic flow condition thereacross and thereafter determining the unsteady surface pressures acting on the monolithic blades; independently determining the first torsional mode vibration node line of each of the monolithic blades and comparing the resultant unsteady pressure force on the monolithic blades and its relationship to the first torsional mode vibration node line to determine whether or not the monolithic blade is absorbing or adding energy to the air flow thereacross; thereafter forming a plurality of first and thereafter modified composite blades by adding dissimilar material to the blade shape of a monolith

Abstract: A nondestructive method of applying and removing instrumentation on airfoils.

Abstract: In finishing the construction of a rotary wing, particularly helicopter rotor blade, the blade is weighed to determine the position of its static moment. The measured value is compared with a predetermined value and, if necessary, the static moment is adjusted by applying a high specific gravity filler material to the surface of the blade. The filler material has a specific gravity in a range of 6 to 10 p/cm.sup.3 and can be formed of a mixture of tungsten powder and epoxy resin. The weighing operation is performed on a three scale apparatus with one scale supporting the end of the blade attached to the rotor and the other two scales supporting the opposite end of the blade.

Abstract: An apparatus for locating punctures in a tubeless tire includes a lifting element for raising and lowering a tire into a tank of water and a power device operatively connected to a spider for urging the tire downwardly beneath the level of the water in the tank. A pressure regulator is suitably connected to the power device for controlling accurately the amount of pressure applied by the power device upon the tire. A pair of counterweights are also provided for connection to the power device for lifting the spider.