Pitch change actuation system for a counter-rotating propeller
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorRobert H. Perkinson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for adjusting the pitch of a counter-rotating propeller has a propeller shaft, a forward propeller driven by the propeller shaft, and an aft propeller connected with the forward propeller. The forward propeller has a hub, blades mounted within the hub, and an actuator connected with an end of the blades. The aft propeller has a hub, blades mounted within the hub, and a cam assembly connected with an end of the blades. The actuator of the forward propeller has a forward end and an aft end, wherein the aft end is connected with the cam assembly of the aft propeller. Thus, when the actuator moves in an axial direction, the cam assembly moves relative to the actuator and the pitch of the forward propeller blades and the pitch of the aft propeller blades are simultaneously adjusted.
Claims20
A system for adjusting pitch of a counter-rotating propeller, the system comprising:
- a propeller shaft;
- a forward propeller driven by the propeller shaft, the forward propeller having a forward hub, forward propeller blades mounted within the forward hub;
- and
- an aft propeller connected with the forward propeller, the aft propeller having an aft hub, aft propeller blades connected to the aft hub, and a cam assembly within the aft hub connected with an end of the aft propeller blades;
- and
- an actuator within the forward hub connected with an end of the forward propeller blades, the actuator having a forward end and an aft end, wherein the aft end is connected with the cam assembly and, when the actuator moves in an axial direction, the pitch of the forward propeller blades and the pitch of the aft propeller blades are adjusted simultaneously.
A system for adjusting pitch of a counter-rotating propeller, the system comprising:
- a propeller shaft;
- a forward propeller driven by the propeller shaft and rotating in a first direction, the forward propeller comprising:
- a forward hub;
- and
- forward propeller blades mounted within the forward hub;
- an actuator within the forward hub connected with an end of the forward propeller blades;
- an aft propeller driven by a gear train having a gear mounted to the propeller shaft, the aft propeller rotating in a second direction and comprising:
- an aft hub;
- and
- aft propeller blades connected to the aft hub;
- a cam assembly within the aft hub connected with an end of the aft propeller blades;
- and
- a push-rod connecting the cam assembly with an aft end of the actuator, wherein when the actuator moves in a first axial direction, the push-rod moves the cam assembly in the first axial direction to simultaneously decrease the pitch of the forward propeller blades and the pitch of the aft propeller blades, and when the actuator moves in a second axial direction, the push-rod moves the cam assembly in the second axial direction to simultaneously increase the pitch of the forward propeller blades and the pitch of the aft propeller blades.
A method of adjusting the pitch of a counter-rotating propeller, the method comprising:
- driving a propeller shaft to rotate a forward propeller in a first rotational direction and an aft propeller in a second rotational direction, wherein the forward propeller includes a hub, blades, and an actuator connected with the forward propeller blades and the aft propeller includes a hub, blades, and a cam assembly connected with the aft propeller blades;
- moving the actuator in a first axial direction;
- moving a cam assembly at an aft end of the actuator in the first axial direction while the actuator moves in the first axial direction to simultaneously decrease the pitch of the blades of the forward propeller and the pitch of the blades of the aft propeller;
- moving the actuator in a second axial direction;
- and
- moving the cam assembly in the second axial direction while the actuator moves in the second axial direction to simultaneously increase the pitch of the blades of the forward propeller and the pitch of the blades of the aft propeller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.