Throttle linkage control

A throttle linkage control for use on an aircraft for controlling the flow of fuel from a fuel source aboard the aircraft to an aircraft mounted engine wherein the aircraft includes a throttle lever movable through a limited stroke defining a plurality of positions corresponding to a preferred fuel flow rate command for controlling engine conditions, comprising:

• throttle input means operably associated with said throttle lever and including:
• a throttle input axle and spur gear assembly rotatable about a throttle axis in response to movement of said throttle lever to a preferred fuel flow rate command position;
• trim input means rotatable about a trim axis in response to a trimming fuel flow rate command for altering said fuel flow rate command from that demanded by the position of said throttle lever;
• planet gear means operably associated with said throttle input means and trim input means, said planet gear means being revolvable about a central axis in response to rotation of said throttle input means, and rotatable about a planet axis in response to rotation of said trim input means;
• rotatable sun gear and mixer axle means operably associated with said planet gear means and rotatable about a mixer axis in response to rotation or revolution of said planet gear means for combining said preferred and trimming fuel flow rate commands into a single resultant output command;
• output means operably associated with said engine and said mixer axle means and rotatable about an output axis in response to rotation of said mixer axle for conveying said resultant fuel flow rate command to said engine;
• fixed cam means for neutralizing the effects of said trimming fuel flow rate command upon said resultant output command when said preferred fuel flow rate command is near engine idle or full forward thrust and in reverse thrust positions;
• movable cam means for modifying the effects of said trimming fuel flow rate command upon said resultant output command when said preferred fuel flow rate command is in selected ranges of forward thrust positions, allowing maximum trim input effect upon resultant output command when said throttle lever commands half forward thrust.

A throttle linkage control for controlling the flow of fuel from a source thereof to an engine for use in a fuel control system having a throttle lever movable through a limited stroke defining a plurality of positions corresponding to a preferred fuel flow rate command including engine idle, half and full forward thrust, and reverse thrust, comprising:

• throttle input means operably associated with said throttle lever and including:
• a throttle input axle and spur gear assembly rotatable about a throttle axis in response to movement of said throttle lever to a preferred fuel flow rate command position, said throttle input axle and spur gear assembly suitably journaled for said rotation by support means;
• trim input means rotatable about a trim axis in response to a trimming fuel flow rate command for altering said fuel flow rate command from that demanded by the position of said throttle lever including:
• gear means for rotating in response to rotation of a worm gear, said worm gear rotatable about a worm axis in response to said trimming fuel flow rate command;
• a central axle supported by support means for rotation about a central axis in response to rotation of said throttle input axle and spur gear assembly, said central axle including:
• input spur pinion means operably associated therewith for rotation therewith, said input spur pinion being in constant toothed engagement with said input spur gear for complimentary rotation therewith;
• and carrier block means affixed to said central axle for rotation therewith, said central axis being perpendicular to said trim axis;
• planet gear means rigidly affixed to a planet yoke assembly, said planet yoke assembly being journaled to said carrier block for rotation with said planet gear means about a planet axis in response to rotation of said trim input means and revolvable with said planet gear means about a central axis in response to rotation thereof;
• interconnected rotatable sun gear and mixer axle means supported for rotation about a mixer axis by support means for combining said preferred and trimming fuel flow rate commands into a single resultant output command, said sun gear means being in constant toothed engagement with said planet gear means to rotate about said mixer axis in response to rotation or revolution of said planet gear means, said mixer axle including output spur pinion means rotatable therewith and said mixer axis being coincident with said central axis;
• output means operably associated with the engine and rotatable about an output axis in response to rotation of said mixer axle for conveying said resultant fuel flow rate command to the engine, including:
• output spur gear and axle means supported for rotation by support means, said output spur gear means being in constant toothed engagement with said output spur pinion means for complimentary rotation therewith;
• fixed cam means for neutralizing the effects of said trimming fuel flow rate command upon said resultant output command when said preferred fuel flow rate command is near engine idle or full forward thrust and reverse thrust positions, said fixed cam means including:
• fixed cam race means generally symmetrically distributed about said central axis and bordering a generally semi-circular void distributed about said central axis, said fixed cam means including beveled edges near its ends;
• movable cam means for modifying the effects of said trimming fuel flow rate command upon said resultant output command when said preferred fuel flow rate command is in selected ranges of forward thrust positions, allowing maximum trim input effect upon resultant output command when said throttle lever commands half forward thrust, including:
• a movable cam plate secured to said trim means gear and supported for rotation therewith about said trim axis by support means, said movable cam plate including movable race means movable with said cam plate, and bordering a movable cam plate void, said movable cam plate void being contiguously distributed along said trim axis in a semi-circular form, said planet gear means, planet yoke assembly carrier block and central axle being suspended by said support means in said fixed and movable cam means voids, said movable cam plate including depending skirt means for fitting over the ends of said fixed means to align said trim axis with the leading edge of said fixed cam means to cooperate with said beveled edges of said fixed cam means to allow generally interference free limited rotation of said movable cam plate about said trim axis;
• stop means operably associated with said movable cam plate to limit rotation thereof about said trim axis;
• and
• gimbal block means rotatable about a gimbal axis and secured to said planet yoke assembly for revolution about said central and planet axes, said gimbal block including cam follower means spaced a fixed distance from said central axis to ride in said fixed and movable cam means races, said gimbal axis being perpendicular to said planet axes and intersecting said central axis at a common point with said trim and planet axes, wherein a given movement of said movable cam means in response to said trimming fuel flow rate command causes a greater effect upon said resultant output command when said cam follower means is in contact with said movable cam means race, and, said cam follower means approaches its greatest distance in said movable cam means race from said trim axis, said cam follower means reaching said greatest distance from said trim axis when said throttle lever demands half forward thrust, thereby placing said gimbal axis in a perpendicular orientation to said trim axis.

A throttle linkage control for use in a system for controlling the flow of fuel from a source thereof to an engine comprising:

• throttle input means rotatable about a throttle axis in response to a preferred fuel flow rate command;
• trim input means rotatable about a trim axis in response to a trimming fuel flow rate command for altering said preferred fuel flow rate command;
• planet gear means operably associated with said throttle input means and trim input means, said planet gear means being revolvable about a central axis in response to rotation of said throttle input means, and rotatable about a planet axis in response to rotation of said trim input means;
• rotatable sun gear mixer means operably associated with said planet gear means and rotatable about a mixer axis in response to revolution or rotation of said planet gear, for combining said preferred and trimming fuel flow rate commands into a single resultant fuel flow rate output command;
• rotatable output means, operably associated with said mixer means and the engine, said output means rotatable about an output axis for transmitting said resultant output command to the engine;
• fixed cam means for neutralizing the effects of said trimming command upon said resultant output command when said preferred fuel flow rate command is in selected critical value ranges;
• and
• movable cam means rotatable about said trim axis to modify the effects of said altering trim command upon said resultant output command when said preferred fuel flow rate command is in other selected value ranges.