US3594851A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fail safe hinge and mounting
Assignee: Boeing Co
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Filing: 1970-05-04
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Granted: 1971-07-27
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Expires: 1990-05-04
Abstract
Abstract A hinge and mounting for connecting one structural member to another and particularly applicable in hinging a control surface to an aircraft structure. Two interlocked control surface brackets are interconnected by a bolt with two brackets extending from the aircraft structural member. A concave double roller bearing is housed within the brackets with the bolt passing through the center thereof. One-half of the bearing is confined between the structural member brackets and is not free to rotate. The other half of the bearing is restrained between the two control surface brackets and an enclosing spool which encircles the bearing and is held between the two control surface brackets. The outer half of the bearing is free to rotate by means of rollers with respect to the stationary inner half and bolt. An alternative version provides a second dry-bearing interposed between the spool and the outer half of the first bearing to permit fail safe operation of the hinge in case of seizure of the roller bearing.
Inventors
- 👤 Sidney C Swatton
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 19:02
CPC Classifications
B; B64; B64C; B64C9/00; B64C9/02; F; F16; F16C; F16C11/00; F16C11/04; F16C11/045; F16C19/00; F16C19/22; F16C19/34; F16C19/38; F16C23/00; F16C23/06; F16C23/08; F16C23/082; F16C23/086; F16C2326/00; F16C2326/43; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T403/00; Y10T403/32; Y10T403/32606; Y10T403/32861; Y10T403/32893; Y10T403/32909
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
129 words
A hinge for connecting a first member to a second member to permit relative movement therebetween and comprising in combination a first pair of hinge brackets mountable on said first member, a second pair of hinge brackets mountable on said second member, coupling means interconnecting said four brackets, universal bearing means comprising inner bearing means captured between said first pair of brackets and surrounding said coupling means and being stationary therewith and outer bearing means capturEd between said second pair of brackets, and housing means captured between said second pair of brackets and housing said inner and outer bearing means, whereby said second pair of brackets, said housing and said outer bearing means are adapted to move together relative to said bearing means and said first pair of brackets.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
129 words
A hinge for connecting a first member to a second member to permit relative movement therebetween and comprising in combination a first pair of hinge brackets mountable on said first member, a second pair of hinge brackets mountable on said second member, coupling means interconnecting said four brackets, universal bearing means comprising inner bearing means captured between said first pair of brackets and surrounding said coupling means and being stationary therewith and outer bearing means capturEd between said second pair of brackets, and housing means captured between said second pair of brackets and housing said inner and outer bearing means, whereby said second pair of brackets, said housing and said outer bearing means are adapted to move together relative to said bearing means and said first pair of brackets.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
A hinge of claim 1 wherein said second pair of brackets is adapted to be positioned between said first pair of brackets, and wherein said housing means is a spool which is adapted to provide transfer load paths for transferring loads from one side of said hinge to the other side.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
A hinge of claim 1 wherein the bases of said second pair of brackets are adapted to be joined together so that one base overlays the other and is held in rigid contact therewith.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
A hinge of claim 1 wherein said inner and outer bearing means together comprise a concave double roller bearing.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
57 words
A hinge of claim 2 wherein interposed between said spool and said outer bearing means is another bearing surface for permitting movement of said spool and said second pair of brackets with respect to said outer bearing means when said outer bearing means becomes inoperative and is not free to move relative to said inner bearing means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
A hinge of claim 1 wherein said second pair of brackets are positioned between said first pair of brackets and spaced therefrom to permit lateral movement of said second pair of brackets with respect to said first pair of brackets to aid in enabling said hinge to self-align under load.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
143 words
A hinge for connecting a control surface to a structural member of an aircraft and comprising in combination two brackets attached to and extending from said member, two brackets attached to and extending from aid surface, coupling means comprising a bolt coupling said brackets to form two beams between said surface and said member, a spool mounted between said surface brackets, a concave double roller bearing within said spool, said bolt passing through the center of said bearing, said bearing comprising an inner stationary first section confined about said bolt and captured by said member brackets, roller members, and a rotatable outer section adjacent said spool and captured between said surface brackets, said outer section being rotatable with respect to said stationary inner section by means of said roller members to enable said surface brackets to rotate with respect to said member brackets.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
143 words
A hinge for connecting a control surface to a structural member of an aircraft and comprising in combination two brackets attached to and extending from said member, two brackets attached to and extending from aid surface, coupling means comprising a bolt coupling said brackets to form two beams between said surface and said member, a spool mounted between said surface brackets, a concave double roller bearing within said spool, said bolt passing through the center of said bearing, said bearing comprising an inner stationary first section confined about said bolt and captured by said member brackets, roller members, and a rotatable outer section adjacent said spool and captured between said surface brackets, said outer section being rotatable with respect to said stationary inner section by means of said roller members to enable said surface brackets to rotate with respect to said member brackets.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
A hinge of claim 7 wherein said spool is riveted to said surface brackets to provide means for transferring loads across said hinge from said side to the other.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
156 words
A hinge comprising, in combination: a first pair of brackets mountable to a first member; a second pair of brackets mountable to a second member; coupling means passing through holes in said bracket pairs and interconnecting them to form two substantially parallel sides of said hinge; universal bearing means comprising a first and a second section; said first bearing section being captured by said first pair of brackets and being stationary with said coupling means; said second bearing section being captured by said second pair of brackets and rotatable with respect to said first bearing section to enable said second pair of brackets to rotate relative to said first pair of brackets; housing means surrounding and enclosing said universal bearing means and attached to said second pair of brackets and held therebetween; and bearing surface means interposed between said second section of said universal bearing and both said housing means and said second pair of brackets.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
156 words
A hinge comprising, in combination: a first pair of brackets mountable to a first member; a second pair of brackets mountable to a second member; coupling means passing through holes in said bracket pairs and interconnecting them to form two substantially parallel sides of said hinge; universal bearing means comprising a first and a second section; said first bearing section being captured by said first pair of brackets and being stationary with said coupling means; said second bearing section being captured by said second pair of brackets and rotatable with respect to said first bearing section to enable said second pair of brackets to rotate relative to said first pair of brackets; housing means surrounding and enclosing said universal bearing means and attached to said second pair of brackets and held therebetween; and bearing surface means interposed between said second section of said universal bearing and both said housing means and said second pair of brackets.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
49 words
A hinge of claim 9 wherein said bearing surface means is a metallic dry bearing adapted to permit rotation of said housing means and said second pair of brackets with respect to said universal bearing means and said first pair of brackets upon failure of said universal bearing means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
A hinge of claim 10 wherein said dry bearing is made of a composite plastic maTerial.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
A hinge of claim 9 wherein said universal bearing means is a concave double roller bearing and said housing is a spool rigidly attached to said second pair of brackets.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
66 words
A hinge of claim 9 wherein said universal bearing means is a concave double roller bearing, said second pair of brackets is positioned between and spaced from said first pair of brackets whereby said second pair of brackets are free to move laterally when subjected to loads and whereby said hinge is adapted to self-align with an adjacent hinge mounted between said first and second members.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-07-26 | 1975-01-25 | 1975-07-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-07-26 | 1979-01-25 | 1979-07-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-07-26 | 1983-01-25 | 1983-07-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |