US3612402A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Thrust-controlling apparatus with variable axial flow area for differing flight regimes and thrust reversal
Assignee: Rohr Inc
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Filing: 1969-12-22
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Granted: 1971-10-12
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Expires: 1989-12-22
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus includes shroud positioned at rear or jet nozzle to surround and control gas stream. Shroud includes forward fixed section secured to engine at outlet flange or tailpipe and aft section axially movably mounted to fixed section. In stowed position aft section cooperates with forward section to define shroud as substantially imperforate conduit in continuation outlet or tailpipe. In deployed position, one or more gaps are formed between forward end of aft section and rearward end of forward section for reverse thrust gas flow. Diversion plug coaxial with shroud varies axial flow area for differing flight regimes. Swingable flaps or blades form trailing edge of aft section and vary shape of outer wall. Blades and plug are operable independently to produce all necessary outlet combinations. For reverse thrust, plug is expanded and aft section deployed. Blocker doors on inner wall of aft section are caused to swing into engage-expanded plug and block axial rearward flow of gas, forcing it through reverse thrust openings.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard H Timms
- 👤 Leonard Holman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 23:33
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02K; F02K1/00; F02K1/54; F02K1/56; F02K1/62; F02K1/625; B; B64; B64C; B64C9/00; B64C9/38; F02K1/06; F02K1/08; F02K1/085; F02K1/12; F02K1/1207
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
Thrust controlling apparatus for use in combination with a jet engine having a rearwardly discharging exhaust outlet or tailpipe, comprising: a shroud carried by said engine and located rearwardly of the exit end of said outlet or tailpipe and coaxial therewith to surround and control the exhaust gas stream issuing from said outlet or tailpipe; and a streamlined diversion plug mounted coaxially within the shroud to define the inner wall of the flow path for the exhaust gas stream; the intermediate portion of the plug being expandable and contractable to vary the flow path area for differing flight regimes; said shroud including means to provide lateral flow path means through its wall and means to coact with the expanded plug to block rearward flow of the exhaust gas stream and redirect it through the lateral flow path means to produce reverse thrust.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
142 words
Thrust controlling apparatus for use in combination with a jet engine having a rearwardly discharging exhaust outlet or tailpipe, comprising: a shroud carried by said engine and located rearwardly of the exit end of said outlet or tailpipe and coaxial therewith to surround and control the exhaust gas stream issuing from said outlet or tailpipe; and a streamlined diversion plug mounted coaxially within the shroud to define the inner wall of the flow path for the exhaust gas stream; the intermediate portion of the plug being expandable and contractable to vary the flow path area for differing flight regimes; said shroud including means to provide lateral flow path means through its wall and means to coact with the expanded plug to block rearward flow of the exhaust gas stream and redirect it through the lateral flow path means to produce reverse thrust.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
90 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1; said shroud including a fixed forward section and an aft section axially movably mounted on the forward section and adapted in its stowed, forward position to cooperate with the forward section to define said shroud as an elongate substantially imperforate conduit; said aft section being movable rearwardly to a deployed position in which at least part of its forward end is spaced rearwardly from the rearward end of the fixed section to define said lateral flow path means through the wall of the shroud.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 2; the means to coact with the expanded plug comprising a series of peripherally arranged blocked doors pivotally mounted to the inner wall of the aft section of the shroud sand swingable into engagement with the expanded plug; said doors being formed and arranged to completely close the rearward flow path in fully deployed position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 3; said doors being provided with linkage means adapted to cause their deployment and stowage in response to movement of the aft section tO deployed and stowed positions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
49 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1; the intermediate portion of said plug comprising a forward cone section diverging rearwardly and an aft cone section diverging forwardly; the bases of said cone sections meeting in a plane transverse to the nozzle axis and defining a throat zone of variable area.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
92 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 5; the trailing portion of the aft shroud section comprising a plurality of circumferentially arranged blades, each connected at its forward edge to a pivotal mounting on the aft shroud section; said pivotal mountings, when the aft shroud section is in stowed position, lying in said transverse plane at the throat zone; and means to swing said blades in unison to selected angular positions independent of the condition of expansion of the diversion plug to modify the shape of the outer nozzle wall for differing flight regimes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 6; the lateral margins of said blades having sealing means in slidable engagement with adjacent blades to produce a substantially imperforate continuation of the outer nozzle wall in all positions of adjustment.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
217 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1; the intermediate portion of said diversion plug comprising a forward cone section diverging rearwardly and an aft cone section diverging forwardly; the bases of said cone sections meeting in a plane transverse to the nozzle axis and defining a throat zone of variable area; a first support member at the forward end of said forward cone section; said forward section comprising a plurality of fore and aft extending elongate petals arranged in laterally overlapping and sliding relation; said petals being pivotally mounted at their forward ends on said first support member; a second support member at the aft end of the aft cone section; said aft section comprising a plurality of petals similar to those of the forward section and pivotally mounted at their aft ends to the second support member; a peripherally arranged series of straight line motion linkages located in the general transverse plane of the throat zone and each having an outer free end movable radially in said plane; the adjacent ends of the petals of the forward and aft cone sections being pivotally connected in pairs to the outer free ends of said linkages to move radially therewith and vary the base diameters of the cone sections; and means to actuate all of said linkages in unison.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 8; said first and second support members being axially movable to provide for changes in the axial lengths of the cone sections in response to changes in their base diameters.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 9; a fixedly mounted tapered nose member extending forwardly ahead of the forward cone section; and a tapered tail member extending rearwardly of the aft cone section and mounted on said second support member for axial movement therewith.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
106 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 8; including a plurality of peripherally spaced radially extending struts within said shroud and having their outer ends fixedly secured to the inner wall thereof at its forward end; and elongate support tube arranged coaxially in said shroud and fixedly secured at its forward end to the inner ends of said struts; said support members comprising rings axially slidably mounted on said tube; said straight line motion linkages being mounted on the outer wall of said tube intermediate its ends; said means to actuate said linkages being mounted within said tube; and actuator links connecting said actuating means to said linkages.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
215 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 8; including an elongate support tube fixedly mounted coaxially in said shroud; a first ring fixedly mounted on said tube; a second ring mounted for axial sliding movement on said tube forward of said first ring; each of said straight line motion linkages comprising a first link pivotally connected at its inner end to said second ring and pivotally connected at its outer end to a set of fore and aft petalS and a second shorter link pivotally connected at its inner end to the first ring and pivotally connected at its outer end to an intermediate point of the first link; both of said links being swingable in a plane containing the axis of the tube and so proportioned and connected that axial movement of the second ring will cause radial movement of the outer end of the first link substantially in the plane of the throat zone; said means to actuate the linkages including a cylinder coaxially mounted in said tube; a piston rod axially movably carried by said cylinder; a force transfer member carried at the outer free end of the piston rod; and a plurality of actuator links connected at one end to the force transfer mechanism and at the other end to the second ring.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
135 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1; said shroud including a fixed forward section and an aft section axially movably mounted on the forward section; the trailing portion of the aft shroud section comprising a plurality of circumferentially arranged blades, each connected at its forward edge to a pivotal mounting on the aft shroud section for swinging toward and away from the axis of the shroud to modify the shape of the outer nozzle wall for differing flight regimes; axially movable means adjacent to said pivotal mountings to cause said blades to swing in unison; force applying means carried by said forward section; and variable length force-transmitting means extending between said force-applying means and said axially movable means operable to vary the axial position of the latter in any stage of deployment of the aft section.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
199 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1; said shroud including a fixed forward section and an aft section axially movably mounted on the forward section and adapted in its stowed, forward position to cooperate with the forward section to define said shroud as an elongate substantially imperforate conduit; said aft section being movable rearwardly to a deployed position in which at least part of its forward end is spaced rearwardly from the corresponding part of the rearward end of the fixed section to define said lateral flow path means through the wall of the shroud; the means to coact with the expanded plug comprising a series of peripherally arranged blocker doors pivotally mounted at their forward ends to the inner wall of the aft shroud section and swingable inwardly to positions in which their inner ends are in substantial adjacency with the surface of the expanding plug; a drive link pivotally connected at its first end to each of said blocker doors; actuating means axially movable with respect to the aft section and connected to the second end of said drive link to apply force along the length of said drive link to swing the door to its deployed position.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
54 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 14; said drive link and actuating means being so arranged with respect to the door that the force of the exhaust gas stream on the door will force the door and the aft shroud section toward stowed position in the event of failure of the aft section deploying means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 14; said actuating means being movable with the aft shroud section during the first part of its deploying movement; and stop means to limit the travel of the actuating means and cause it to urge the door to deployed position.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 14; track means secured to the forward shroud section and extending axially rearward into the aft shroud section; said actuating means comprising an actuating ring slidable on said track means; and stop means associated with the track means to limit rearward movement of the actuating ring.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
83 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 14; said actuating means being fixedly mounted with respect to the forward shroud section; a pair of toggle links connected at one end to the actuating means and at the other end to the aft shroud section; an intermediate portion of one of the toggle links being connected to the second end of said drive link; the relative movEment of the aft section and the actuating means causing folding of the toggle links and deployment of the door.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
123 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 14; said actuating means comprising an actuating ring located intermediate the ends of the aft shroud section; an anchorage at the forward end of the aft shroud section; and a pair of toggle links lying in stowed position generally parallel to the axis of the shroud; the forward toggle link at its free end being pivotally connected to said anchorage and laterally spaced from the door, with its intermediate portion connected to the second end of said drive link; the aft toggle link at its free end being pivotally connected to the actuating ring; rearward movement of the aft shroud section with respect to the actuating ring causing folding of the toggle links and deployment of the door.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
55 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 19; the arrangement and dimensions of the links being chosen to cause gradual opening of the lateral flow path means at a greater rate than the gradual closing of the axial flow path means to prevent any reduction of the total outlet area for emission of the exhaust gas stream.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-10-11 | 1975-04-12 | 1975-10-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-10-11 | 1979-04-12 | 1979-10-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-10-11 | 1983-04-12 | 1983-10-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |