US 5,868,351 AGranted

Rotor blade stowing system

AssigneeBell Helicopter Textron Inc.

InventorsFrank B. Stamps, Joe J. Zierer, Cecil E. Covington, Charles L. Baskin, Glenn Shimek

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Abstract

Rotor blade stowing system for stowing rotor blades that conserves storage space without adding significant weight or cost to the aircraft. The system includes a rotary actuator disposed on a blade grip member. A rotor blade is pivotally connected to the blade grip member. The rotary actuator is operably coupled to a blade pivoting cam and a locking cam. The system includes a cam follower linkage which has a first end which includes a blade pivoting cam follower and a locking cam follower and a second end. The blade pivoting cam follower follows the blade pivoting cam. The locking cam follower follows the locking cam. The second end of the cam follower linkage is coupled to the blade grip member. The system includes a shaft rotatably coupled to the blade grip member, a locking linkage bell crank operably coupled to the shaft, a delay cam coupled to the blade grip member, and a locking linkage idler operably coupled to the locking linkage bell crank. The locking linkage idler includes a delay cam follower that follows the delay cam. The system includes a locking linkage which has a first end coupled to the locking cam and a second end coupled to the locking linkage idler.

Claims39

Dependent claims

A rotor blade stowing system for stowing a rotor blade comprising:

a rotary actuator for pivoting a rotor blade between folded and deployed positions, said blade being pivotally connected to a blade grip member, said rotary actuator being disposed on said blade, said rotary actuator being operably coupled to a blade pivoting cam and a locking cam, said blade pivoting cam having a shoulder portion, said locking cam having a detent;
a cam follower linkage having a first end and a second end, said first end of said cam follower linkage having a blade pivoting cam follower and a locking cam follower, said blade pivoting cam follower on said first end of said cam follower linkage following said blade pivoting cam, said locking cam follower on said first end of said cam follower linkage following said locking cam, said second end of said cam follower linkage being coupled to said blade grip member;
a locking linkage having a first end and a second end, said first end of said locking linkage being coupled to said locking cam;
a shaft rotatably coupled to said blade grip member;
a locking linkage bell crank operably coupled to said shaft;
a locking linkage idler operably coupled to said locking linkage bell crank and said second end of said locking linkage, said locking linkage idler having a delay cam follower;
a shaft support housing;
and
a delay cam coupled to said shaft support housing with said shaft extending through said delay cam, said delay cam including an arcuate portion such that said delay cam follower of said locking linkage idler can follow said arcuate portion of said delay cam without causing rotation of said shaft.

6 more elements

A blade stowing mechanism for moving a rotor blade between folded and deployed positions, the mechanism comprising:

a blade tang receptacle carried by a blade grip, the blade tang receptacle for receiving a tang portion of the rotor blade;
a blade lock assembly for rigidly locking the tang portion in the blade tang receptacle;
a rotary actuator coupled between the tang portion of the rotor blade and the blade grip, the rotary actuator for pivoting the blade relative to the blade grip;
a locking cam carried by the rotary actuator and rotatable relative to the rotor blade;
a pitch lock assembly for selectively locking the rotor blade against a change in pitch angle;
a locking link bell crank pivotally carried on a shaft by the blade grip and operably coupled to the blade and pitch lock assemblies, the locking link bell crank including a delay cam follower following a delay cam;
a shaft support housing;
said delay cam being coupled to said shaft support housing with said shaft extending through said delay cam:
a blade pivoting link extending between and coupled to the locking cam and the blade grip, wherein rotation of the locking cam by the actuator causes selective rotation of the rotor blade relative to the blade grip;
and
a locking link extending between and coupled to the locking cam and the delay cam, wherein rotation of the locking cam by the actuator selectively causes movement of the locking link, locking link bell crank, and actuation of the pitch lock and blade lock assemblies;
wherein rotation of the actuator in a first direction moves the locking link and locking link bell crank to lock the pitch lock assembly and unlock the blade lock assembly, further rotation of the actuator in the first direction causing the blade to disengage from the blade tang receptacle and pivot relative to the blade grip to the folded position.

9 more elements

A blade stowing mechanism for moving a rotor blade between folded and deployed positions, the mechanism comprising:

a rotary actuator coupled between a tang portion of the rotor blade and a blade grip, the rotary actuator for pivoting the blade relative to the blade grip;
a blade lock assembly for locking the tang portion to the blade grip;
a locking cam carried by the rotary actuator and rotatable relative to the rotor blade;
a locking link bell crank pivotally carried on a shaft by the blade grip and operably coupled to the blade lock assembly, the locking link bell crank including a delay cam follower following a delay cam;
a shaft support housing;
said delay cam being coupled to said shaft support housing with said shaft extending through said delay cam;
a blade pivoting link extending between and coupled to the locking cam and the blade grip, wherein rotation of the locking cam by the actuator causes selective rotation of the rotor blade relative to the blade grip;
and
a locking link extending between and coupled to the locking cam and the delay cam, wherein rotation of the locking cam by the actuator selectively causes movement of the locking link, locking link bell crank, and actuation of the blade lock assembly;
wherein rotation of the actuator in a first direction moves the locking link and locking link bell crank to lock the pitch lock assembly and unlock the blade lock assembly, further rotation of the actuator in the first direction causing the blade to disengage from and pivot relative to the blade grip to the folded position.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.