초록 ▼

A structural support comprises inner and outer elements which are telescopingly engaged, a cage secured to the inner element and having apertures in which balls are disposed which are disposed radially between the two elements, and a frangible connection securing the two elements against relative ax

A structural support comprises inner and outer elements which are telescopingly engaged, a cage secured to the inner element and having apertures in which balls are disposed which are disposed radially between the two elements, and a frangible connection securing the two elements against relative axial movement. In the locked relative positions of the elements, the outer element has locally an increased internal diameter portion and the balls are radially disposed in this position or are moved into the portion on being subjected to an axial force which breaks the frangible connection, so that the relative axial movement of the elements results in the ball plastically deforming the outer element and absorbing energy from the force to protect the body carried by the support. The support can be used to provide a brace operating as a strut and/or a tie, or a shock absorber, or, by mounting a damping piston slidably in the inner tubular element can provide a shock absorbing piston and cylinder unit. The outer tubular element may itself form an external cylinder or may be a liner in an external cylinder.

대표청구항 ▼

1. Main landing gear for aircraft comprising a plurality of ground engaging elements each of which is carried by a leg in the form of a substantially vertical structural support; said support comprising a tubular outer element, an inner element telescopingly engaged in the outer element, one of whic

1. Main landing gear for aircraft comprising a plurality of ground engaging elements each of which is carried by a leg in the form of a substantially vertical structural support; said support comprising a tubular outer element, an inner element telescopingly engaged in the outer element, one of which elements is capable of plastic deformation, a cage secured to the other of the elements at a location within the tubular outer element, a plurality of rolling members located in respective apertures in the cage and disposed between the inner and outer members, means on said other of the elements for locating the rolling members in a radial position to deform said one element plastically, and a frangible connection between the inner and outer elements which connection locks the inner and outer elements against relative axial movement but is adapted to fracture under a predetermined axial loading applied between the inner and outer elements, whereby fracture of the connection allows relative axial movement of the inner and outer elements which causes the rolling elements to deform said one element plastically and dissipate energy from the force producing the movement, the inner element being tubular and having a tubular piston member mounted therein, and the support further comprising a closure member sealing one end of said inner element, the tubular piston member extending through the other end of the inner element, a transverse wall member in the tubular piston member which wall member has therein a throttling aperture for throttling flow of a fluid between a chamber within the end portion of the inner element closed by the closure member and a second chamber formed in the tubular piston member at the side of the transverse wall remote from the closure member, and an external cylinder member within which said outer tubular element is mounted; and further comprising a balance beam pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the lower end of the leg, the ground engaging element being mounted on one end of the beam, a ring encircling and located against axial movement relative to the external cylinder member, a radius link pivotally connected at its ends to the other end of the beam and the ring about respective horizontal axes, a radially-extending frangible pin securing the ring rotationally to the external cylinder member which pin is adapted to shear when a force above a predetermined value is applied to the ground-engaging element in a direction to swivel the ground-engaging element about the lengthwise axis of the leg. 2. Main landing gear for aircraft comprising a plurality of ground engaging elements each of which is carried by a leg in the form of a substantially vertical structural support; a first support comprising a first tubular outer element, a first inner element telescopingly engaged in the first outer element, one of which elements is capable of plastic deformation, a first cage secured to the other of the elements at a location within the first tubular outer element, a first plurality of rolling members located in respective apertures in the first cage and disposed between the first inner and outer members, first means on said other of the elements for locating the first rolling members in a radial position to deform said one element plastically, and a frangible connection between the first inner and outer elements which connection locks the first inner and outer elements against relative axial movement but is adapted to fracture under a predetermined axial loading applied between the first inner and outer elements, whereby fracture of the connection allows relative axial movement of the first inner and outer elements which causes the first rolling elements to deform said one element plastically and dissipate energy from the force producing the movement, the first inner element being tubular and having a tubular piston member mounted therein, and the first support further comprising a closure member sealing one end of said first inner element, the tubular piston member extending through the other end of the first inner element, a transverse wall member in the tubular piston member which wall member has therein a throttling aperture for throttling flow of a fluid between a chamber within the end portion of the first inner element closed by the closure member and a second chamber formed in the tubular piston member at the side of the transverse wall remote from the closure member, and an external cylinder member within which said first outer tubular element is mounted; and further comprising a horizontal fixed shaft having an end to which the leg is pivotally connected at an intermediate point in the length of the leg, and a second structural support pivotally connected between a fixed part of the aircraft and a point on the leg above the horizontal shaft, which second support member operates to support the leg against displacement and to rotate the leg about its pivotal connection to the horizontal shaft to raise and lower said ground engaging element, said second support comprising a second tubular outer element, a second inner element telescopingly engaged in the second outer element, one of which elements is capable of plastic deformation, a second cage secured to the other of the elements at a location within the second tubular outer element, a second plurality of rolling members located in respective apertures in the second cage and disposed between the second inner and outer members, second means on said other of the second elements for locating the second rolling members in a radial position to deform said one element plastically, and a frangible connection between the second inner and outer elements which connection locks the second inner and outer elements against relative axial movement but is adapted to fracture under a predetermined axial loading applied between the second inner and outer elements, whereby fracture of the connection allows relative axial movement of the second inner and outer elements which causes the second rolling elements to deform said one element plastically and dissipate energy from the force producing the movement; the leg is further connected to said horizontal shaft for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis at right angles to the axis of the shaft, and further comprises a brace connected by its respective ends to the leg at a point above the horizontal shaft and to a fixed point for pivotal movement relative to the leg and the shaft about horizontal axes at right angles to the axis of the horizontal shaft whereby the brace resists rotation of the leg about said horizontal axis at right angles to the axis of the shaft, said brace comprising a third tubular outer element, a third inner element telescopingly engaged in the third outer element, one of which elements is capable of plastic deformation, a third cage secured to the other of the elements at a location within the third tubular outer element, a third plurality of rolling members located in respective apertures in the third cage and disposed between the third inner and outer members, third means on said other of the elements for locating the third rolling members in a radial position to deform said one element plastically, and a frangible connection between the third inner and outer elements which connection locks the third inner and outer elements against relative axial movement but is adapted to fracture under a predetermined axial loading applied between the third inner and outer elements, whereby fracture of the connection allows relative axial movement of the third inner and outer elements which causes the rolling elements to deform said one element plastically and dissipate energy from the force producing the movement. 3. Main landing gear for aircraft comprising a plurality of ground engaging elements each of which is carried by a leg in the form of a substantially vertical structural support; said substantially vertical structural support and also an actuating support and a bracing support each comprising a tubular outer element, an inner element telescopingly engaged in the outer element, one of which element is capable of plastic deformation, a cage secured to the other of the elements at a location within the tubular outer element, a plurality of rolling members located in respective apertures in the cage and disposed between the inner and outer members, means on said other of the elements for locating the rolling members in a radial position to deform said one element plastically, and a frangible connection between the inner and outer elements which connection locks the inner and outer elements against relative axial movement but is adapted to fracture under a predetermined axial loading applied between the inner and outer elements, whereby fracture of the connection allows relative axial movement of the inner and outer elements which causes the rolling elements to deform said one element plastically and dissipate energy from the force producing the movement; and further in said substantially vertical structural support, the inner element being tubular and having a tubular piston member mounted therein, and the support further comprising a closure member sealing one end of said inner element, the tubular piston member extending through the other end of the inner element, a transverse wall member in the tubular piston member which wall member has therein a throttling aperture for throttling flow of a fluid between a chamber within the end portion of the inner element closed by the closure member and a second chamber formed in the tubular piston member at the side of the transverse wall remote from the closure member, and an external cylinder member within which said outer tubular element is mounted; the ground-engaging element connected to the tubular piston member, and further comprising a wishbone link having its oppostee ends connected to a fixed structure and the end of the cylinder member remote from the ground-engaging element for pivotal movement about respective parallel horizontal axes, the actuating support connected between the fixed structure and an intermediate point in the length of the wishbone link about respective axes parallel to said parallel horizontal axes, the actuating support connected between the fixed structure and an intermediate point in the length of the wishbone link about respective axes parallel to said parallel horizontal axes, the lengthwise axes of the leg, the wishbone link and the actuating support defining a common substantially vertical plane, and the bracing support pivotally connected between the fixed structure and the external cylindrical member and extending at an angle to said plane.