Bobweight assembly for establishing a force feedback on a manually movable control element
AssigneeMcDonnell Douglas Corporation
InventorJohn G. Pohling
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pilot-operated lever assembly for adjusting control surfaces of an aircraft including a bobweight for creating inertia forces that simulate a force feedback due to aerodynamic forces on the control surfaces. The bobweight effect is variable as a function of airspeed and other operating variables. An actuator for adjusting the geometry of the lever assembly creates a variable bobweight effect. The mass of the actuator acts as a bobweight mass.
Claims8
An actuator linkage mechanism for transmitting motion from a manually operable control member to a driven member comprising:
- a fixed fulcrum element, the manually operable control member being pivoted at a pivot point on the fulcrum element;
- a motion output portion of the control member being drivably connected to the driven member on one side of the pivot point, a manual force input portion of the control member being spaced from the output portion and the pivot point;
- a bobweight lever pivoted on the fulcrum element at a point intermediate one end and the other end of the bobweight lever;
- an actuator comprising an extendable actuator shaft, a first link connecting one end of the actuator shaft to one end of the bobweight lever and a second link connecting the one end of the actuator shaft to the control member;
- the actuator being fixed to the bobweight lever near the other end thereof whereby movement of the control member effects movement of the bobweight lever.
A pilot-operated aircraft control surface adjustment mechanism comprising:
- a pilot-operated lever, one end of the pilot-operated lever being connected to the control surface and the other end thereof being manually engageable by the pilot;
- a fulcrum member pivotally supporting the pilot-operated member;
- a bobweight lever pivoted on the fulcrum member;
- an actuator mounted on the bobweight lever at one end thereof;
- an extendable actuator shaft;
- a first link connecting an extended end of the actuator shaft to the other end of the bobweight lever;
- a second link connecting the extended end of the actuator shaft to the control member;
- movement of the pilot-operated lever effecting movement of the bobweight lever with a motion transmitting ratio that is variable as a function of the extended length of the actuator shaft whereby bobweight inertia forces transmitted to the pilot-operated lever are varied between pre-designed limits.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.