Blade opening filler
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorDavid A. Ouellette
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides an apparatus for minimizing the blade opening between the blade shank of propeller and spinner in order to improve the overall efficiency of an aircraft and propeller system. The present invention consists of a two piece blade opening filler; the bulkhead insert which attaches to the bulkhead, and the spinner insert which maybe attached to bulkhead insert after installation of the propeller blade. The blade opening filler fills the blade opening between the spinner and blade shank while facilitating maintenance of the system.
Claims20
In a propeller system having a contoured spinner with a blade opening therethrough, and a propeller blade which is rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the propeller blade, having a blade shank which extends through the blade opening, said spinner releasably attached to a bulkhead, a blade opening filler comprising:
- (a) a spinner insert for generally filling a first portion of the blade opening between the spinner and the blade shank of the propeller blade;
- and
- (b) a bulkhead insert for generally filling a second portion of the blade opening between the bulkhead and the blade shank of the propeller blade, wherein said bulkhead insert is directly releasably attached to the bulkhead to secure said bulkhead insert in said second portion of the blade opening, wherein said bulkhead insert cooperating with said spinner insert for releasably mounting within the blade opening, wherein said bulkhead insert and said spinner insert form a continuation of an exterior surface of the contoured spinner for all degrees of rotation of the propeller blade about the longitudinal axis of the propeller blade.
Opening filler for a contoured surface having an opening, through which extends a rotatable member rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the member, said contoured surface releasably attached to a second surface, the opening filler comprising:
- (a) a first insert to generally fill a first portion of the opening between the contoured surface and the rotatable member;
- (b) a second insert for generally filling a second portion of the opening between the second surface and the rotatable member, wherein said second insert is directly releasably attached to the second surface to secure said second insert in said second portion of the opening, said second insert cooperating with said first insert for releasably mounting within the opening, wherein said second insert and said first insert are arranged to form a continuation of the contoured surface for all degrees of rotation of the rotatable member about the longitudinal axis of the rotatable member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.