Helicopter tail boom and tail rotor drive shaft supports

Claim 1

IN A HELICOPTER, AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING POWER FROM MOTIVE MEANS IN THE BODY TO A TAIL ROTOR IN THE TAIL BOOM, SAID IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: (A) A DRIVE SHAFT EXTENDING FROM THE MOTIVE MEANS TO THE TAIL ROTOR ALONG THE UPPER PORTION OF THE TAIL BOOM; (B) A PLURALITY OF BEARING ASSEMBLIES ON SAID SHAFT, EACH OF SAID ASSEMBLIES BEING ADAPTED TO FIT ON THE SHAFT AT ANY DESIRED BEARING POINT WITHOUT REDUCTION IN SHAFT DIAMETER AND COMPRISING: A SLEEVE OF LOW FRICTION MATERIAL FITTING ON SAID SHAFT; AN ANNULAR RECESSED PORTION ON THE EXTERIOR OF SAID SLEEVE; AN ANNULAR BEARING MEMBER FITTING INTO SAID RECESSED PORTION; A RESILIENT COLLAR AROUND SAID BEARING MEMBER; AND A SPLIT HOUSING MEMBER FOR RETAINING SAID COLLAR AND BEARING ON SAID SLEEVE; (C) A TROUGH-SHAPED MEMBER IN THE BOOM EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE LENGTH OF THE SHAFT AND SUPPORTING THE BEARING ASSEMBLIES; AND (D) A COVER MEMBER CO-EXTENSIVE WITH THE TROUGHSHAPED MEMBER AND ADAPTED TO HOLD THE BEARING ASSEMBLIES FIRMLY AGAINST THE TROUGH-SHAPED MEMBER, SAID COVER MEMBER BEING HINGED TO THE BOOM AND FORMING A PORTION OF THE UPPER SURFACE THEREOF.