Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Lift engine auxiliary thrust system for stop fold aircraft
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Application No.: US16792997Application Date: 2020-02-18
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Publication No.: US11325719B2Publication Date: 2022-05-10
- Inventor: Christopher Edward Foskey , Colton Gilliland
- Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.
- Applicant Address: US TX Fort Worth
- Assignee: Bell Textron Inc.
- Current Assignee: Bell Textron Inc.
- Current Assignee Address: US TX Fort Worth
- Agency: Fogarty LLP
- Main IPC: B64D35/04
- IPC: B64D35/04 ; B64C29/00 ; B64C11/28 ; B64C27/26

Abstract:
Embodiments are directed to a selectable drive system that allows a rotor gearbox to send torque to a proprotor assembly and/or through a multiplier planetary gear set to a pylon-mounted ducted fan thrust unit. The rotor drive system may be a stop-fold system in which rotor blades can be folded when not rotating. This allows a normally idle lift engine to provide additional aircraft thrust during cruise where an aircraft is typically using only a dedicated thrust engine for high speed flight. An inline engage/disengage actuator or “shift fork” on the rotor gearbox is used to select the torque-output direction. The multiplier planetary gear set increases the output RPM that is received from the rotor gearbox and that is applied to the thrust fan unit.
Public/Granted literature
- US20210253233A1 LIFT ENGINE AUXILIARY THRUST SYSTEM FOR STOP FOLD AIRCRAFT Public/Granted day:2021-08-19
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