초록 ▼

A helicopter rotor blade to hub arm attachment configured to react centrifugal loads from the blade through a blade cuff, spindle, and elastomeric bearings utilizes a pre-loaded bolt through the spindle for load sharing therewith and a spindle integrity monitoring indicator to provide a visual showi

A helicopter rotor blade to hub arm attachment configured to react centrifugal loads from the blade through a blade cuff, spindle, and elastomeric bearings utilizes a pre-loaded bolt through the spindle for load sharing therewith and a spindle integrity monitoring indicator to provide a visual showing of a deviation from the normal load sharing proportion.

대표청구항 ▼

A helicopter rotor including a hub member mounted for rotation about an axis of rotation and having at least one hub arm and related helicopter blade projecting substantially radially therefrom for rotation therewith and an improved spindle assembly comprising: a hollow spindle shaft extending radia

A helicopter rotor including a hub member mounted for rotation about an axis of rotation and having at least one hub arm and related helicopter blade projecting substantially radially therefrom for rotation therewith and an improved spindle assembly comprising: a hollow spindle shaft extending radially from within the hub arm and outwardly therebeyond and having a radial inner end, a radial outer end and a central bore extending the full length of said shaft, said radial outer end shaped to define an enlarged chamber contiguous with the spindle bore and being adapted to be operatively connected to a helicopter blade, bearing means operatively connecting the spindle shaft inner end to the hub arm and operative so as to support said spindle shaft and hence the blade from the hub so that blade centrifugal loading during rotor operation will be passed through said spindle shaft and said bearing means to said hub, a thru-bolt extending through the spindle shaft bore for the full length thereof and having an inner end comprising a bolt head abutting said spindle inner end and having an outer end extending beyond the radially outer end of the shaft bore and into said spindle outer end enlarged chamber, said thru-bolt having an outer diameter selectively smaller than the spindle shaft bore so as to define a substantially annular chamber therebetween extending for substantially the full radial dimension of said bore, means to operatively connect the thru-bolt outer end to the spindle shaft outer end to serve as a redundant centrifugal load path in the event of spindle shaft failure, means to seal opposite ends of said annular chamber adjacent the radial inner and outer ends of the spindle bore, and means to provide fluid dye under pressure into said sealed annular chamber so as to escape through any crack which might develop in the spindle shaft wall and then be aided by centrifugal force to flow along the outer surface of the spindle shaft to an area external of the hub arm for visual detection.