Reduction drive and torque-limiting clutch for autogyro aircraft
AssigneeCartercopters, L.L.C.
InventorJay W Carter, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotary wing aircraft has an engine, an engine-driven shaft and a main rotor. A rotor drive shaft is mounted to the main rotor and extends substantially 90 degrees to the engine-driven shaft. A drive pulley is mounted to the engine-driven shaft. A driven pulley is operatively coupled to the rotor drive shaft. A drive belt extends around the drive and driven pulleys. A fluid cylinder has one end stationarily mounted to the engine and another end operatively coupled to the driven pulley to selectively move the driven pulley away from the drive pulley. This movement applies tension in the belt to cause the drive pulley to rotate the main rotor.
Claims18
In a rotary wing aircraft having an engine, an improved apparatus for connecting an engine-driven shaft to a main rotor, comprising:
- a rotor drive shaft which is attached to the main rotor;
- a drive pulley attached to the engine-driven shaft and having a circumferential groove;
- a driven pulley attached to the rotor drive shaft and having a circumferential groove;
- a drive belt passing around and engaging the grooves of the drive pulley and the driven pulley;
- a fluid cylinder having one end stationarily mounted to a selected part of the aircraft and another end positioned to selectively apply tension to the belt when supplied with fluid pressure to cause the drive pulley to rotate the driven pulley, the fluid cylinder creating slack in the belt when the cylinder is not under pressure to cease causing the drive pulley to drive the driven pulley;
- a drive pulley belt retainer extending partially around the drive pulley for holding the belt centered and near but not touching the groove of the drive pulley when the belt is slack;
- and
- an arcuate driven pulley belt retainer extending partially around the driven pulley for holding the belt centered and near but not touching the groove of the driven pulley when the belt is slack.
In a rotary wing aircraft having an engine, an engine-driven shaft extending on a longitudinal axis, and a main rotor, the improvement comprising:
- a rotor drive shaft which is mounted to the main rotor substantially 90 degrees to the longitudinal axis;
- a bearing which supports the rotor drive shaft, the bearing having a nonrotating sleeve;
- a drive pulley mounted to the engine-driven shaft;
- a driven pulley mounted to the rotor drive shaft in a plane substantially perpendicular to a plane containing the drive pulley, the driven pulley being translationally movable a short distance relative to the drive pulley;
- a pair of idler pulleys stationarily mounted to the engine;
- a drive belt passing around the drive pulley, the idler pulleys and the driven pulley;
- and
- a fluid cylinder having one end stationarily mounted to the engine and a piston rod coupled to the sleeve of the bearing to selectively move the driven pulley away from the drive pulley to apply tension in the belt to cause the drive pulley to rotate the driven pulley and to move the driven pulley toward the drive pulley to remove tension in the belt and prevent the drive pulley from driving the driven pulley.
In a rotary wing aircraft having an engine, an engine-driven shaft extending on a longitudinal axis, and
- a main rotor, the improvement comprising:
- a rotor drive shaft which is mounted to the main rotor substantially 90 degrees to the longitudinal axis;
- a drive pulley mounted to the engine-driven shaft;
- a driven pulley operatively coupled to the rotor drive shaft;
- a drive belt extending around the drive and driven pulleys;
- and
- a fluid cylinder having one end stationarily mounted to the engine and another end operatively coupled to the driven pulley to selectively move the driven pulley toward and away from the drive pulley to remove and apply tension in the belt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.