Helicopter rotor droop stop mechanism

Abstract

A droop stop mechanism is provided for controlling droop of a rotor assembly in both static and dynamic states. The droop stop mechanism includes a U-shaped pendulum having a pair of spaced apart arms interconnected by a stepped base. One end of each of the arms is pivotally coupled to a body of the rotor hub assembly by a pin. A stop plate is coupled between the arms of the pendulum. A spring seat is coupled to the body of the rotor hub assembly opposite the stop plate. A coil spring is coupled between the spring seat and the stop plate. The stepped base includes a first striker portion for abuttingly engaging a tie bar housing of a rotor blade assembly in a static mode position, and a second striker portion for abuttingly engaging the tie bar housing in a dynamic mode position. The bias of the spring urges the pendulum between the static mode position and the dynamic mode position as centrifugal forces acting on the pendulum change. The spring seat doubles as a stop by abuttingly engaging the stop plate when the pendulum is in the dynamic mode position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.