US 3,977,631 A · Aircraft wheel drive apparatus and method

Abstract

In order to drive the wheels of an aircraft with an auxiliary, ground handling drive, a wheel drive motor is selectively coupled to the aircraft wheel through a rotatably mounted aircraft brake assembly. The normally nonrotating stator portion of a conventional aircraft brake assembly is rotatably mounted about the wheel axle and is rotatably driven through a planetary gear system by the wheel drive motor. During ground handling, the brake assembly is actuated to cause a clutch-like engagement between the rotatably mounted brake stator elements and the conventional brake rotor elements, mounted on the aircraft wheel, to couple the motor to and for driving the wheel. Disengagement of the brake stator elements and wheel rotor elements decouples the motor drive and allows the aircraft wheel to freely rotate for the high rotational velocities occurring during take-off and landing. To utilize the brake assembly for its normal braking function, the rotatably mounted brake stator elements are locked against rotation by an auxiliary brake applied to a drive shaft coupling the motor to the planetary gear system.

Claims7

Dependent claims

In an apparatus including an aircraft wheel axle, an aircraft wheel rotatably mounted on said axle, and a brake assembly having first and second braking element means and actuator means therefor, the combination therewith comprising:

rotatably drivable brake carrier means rotatably mounted on said axle concentrically with said wheel, said first braking element means being mounted on said carrier means and said second braking element means being mounted on said wheel and said first and second braking element means being relatively movable by said actuator means between a condition of disengagement therebetween allowing relative rotation between said wheel and carrier means, and a condition of engagement therebetween restraining relative rotation between said wheel and carrier means;
drive means coupled to said brake carrier means and having selective drive and nondrive conditions, said drive means being operable in its drive condition to rotate said carrier means;
and
controllable means coupled to said carrier means and having a restraint condition restraining relative rotation of said carrier means with respect to said axle and a nonrestraint condition in which said carrier means is free to be rotatably driven by said drive means in its drive condition.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Aircraft wheel drive apparatus and method

Life of this patent

Aircraft wheel drive apparatus and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims7