Patent US1528686A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3662978A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Aircraft ejection seat vehicle stowed rotor
Assignee: Kaman Aerospace Corp
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Filing: 1970-10-22
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Granted: 1972-05-16
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Expires: 1990-10-22
Abstract
Abstract A rocket powered aircraft ejection seat is equipped with a stowed helicopter type rotor, and with a stowed anti-torque tail plane, both of which can be deployed after the seat, together with its occupant, has been ejected from a disabled aircraft. The rotor blades are conventionally mounted on a rotor hub, which hub is pivotally mounted to a mast. The mast is movably mounted to the back of the seat so that the hub and blades are movable from a stowed position behind the seat to a deployed position wherein the rotor hub is disposed above and forwardly of the head of the seat occupant. A small drogue or pilot chute is connected to the rotor hub, and when released from its stowed position between the blades serves to swing the rotor hub and blades from their respective stowed positions to intermediate or trail positions wherein the blades can be allowed to rotate and to unfold by centrifugal force. A first actuator moves the mast to its deployed position, and the rotor is positioned for gliding flight with an associated control column being automatically moved into position between the pilots knees to control the cylic pitch of the rotor blades through a suitable control linkage. The tail plane structure includes a pair of parallel booms each of which carries a stabilizer fin, and these booms are stowed, one on either side of the back of the seat, with these fins being conveniently stowed on either side of the seat portion of the overall structure. A second actuator is drivingly connected to a rock shaft at the upper end of the seat back, which rock shaft is pivotally mounted on the seat for rotatably supporting the booms for rearward and upward movement to deploy the tail plane in response to operation of the second actuator. A small gas turbine engine is stowed in the back of the seat between these booms, and is moved to its deployed position by the second actuator through a collapsible engine mount linkage.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard H Hollrock
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 13:41
CPC Classifications
B; B64; B64C; B64C27/00; B64C27/02; B64D; B64D19/00; B64D19/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
285 words
An escape system for aircraft comprising an ejection seat adapted for mounting in the aircraft cockpit on guide rails or the like for upward ejection in case of emergency with the occupant facing in the direction of aircraft flight, said seat including a back portion and a seat portion, a mast having one end pivotally connected to the upper portion of said seat back portion behind the head of the seat''s occupant, an opposite end of said mast normally located rearwardly of said one end, a rotor hub pivotally carried by said opposite end of said mast, at least one rotor blade carried by said hub and normally located in a folded condition for being stowed behind the seat back portion, a drogue chute connected to said rotor hub by a cable somewhat longer than said rotor blade, means for deploying said drogue chute for decelerating said seat following ejection and for stabilizing said seat so that it follows a predetermined flight path which is generally aligned with the back portion of said seat, said drogue chute also serving to move said mast from said normal position into a trail position wherein said mast is also aligned with said seat flight path, and said rotor blade being pivotally carried by said hub also tending to align itself generally with said mast, means for unfolding said folded rotor blade so that the hub rotates on its axis, and linkage means connecting said rotor hub to said seat back portion to assure that the axis of rotation of said hub and its unfolding blade passes through the center of gravity of the seat and the seat occupant at least when said mast is in its trail position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
285 words
An escape system for aircraft comprising an ejection seat adapted for mounting in the aircraft cockpit on guide rails or the like for upward ejection in case of emergency with the occupant facing in the direction of aircraft flight, said seat including a back portion and a seat portion, a mast having one end pivotally connected to the upper portion of said seat back portion behind the head of the seat''s occupant, an opposite end of said mast normally located rearwardly of said one end, a rotor hub pivotally carried by said opposite end of said mast, at least one rotor blade carried by said hub and normally located in a folded condition for being stowed behind the seat back portion, a drogue chute connected to said rotor hub by a cable somewhat longer than said rotor blade, means for deploying said drogue chute for decelerating said seat following ejection and for stabilizing said seat so that it follows a predetermined flight path which is generally aligned with the back portion of said seat, said drogue chute also serving to move said mast from said normal position into a trail position wherein said mast is also aligned with said seat flight path, and said rotor blade being pivotally carried by said hub also tending to align itself generally with said mast, means for unfolding said folded rotor blade so that the hub rotates on its axis, and linkage means connecting said rotor hub to said seat back portion to assure that the axis of rotation of said hub and its unfolding blade passes through the center of gravity of the seat and the seat occupant at least when said mast is in its trail position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
177 words
The escape system of claim 1 further characterized by a pair of tail surfaces normally stowed one on either side of the seat portion of said ejection seat, a tail boom for each tail surface normally stowed on the corresponding side of said ejection seat back portion and supporting its associated tail surface in its stowed position, means for deploying said tail booms so that they extend rearwardly from the seat back portion, and means for swinging said rotor hub supporting mast forwardly and downwardly relative to said seat back portion to a gliding flight position so that said seat and rotor are stabilized by said tail surfaces for gliding flight at a substantial angle to said seat back portion, and said linkage means connecting said motor hub to said seat back portion serving to hold said hub relative to said mast so that the axis of rotation of the hub passes through the center of gravity of the seat and its occupant at least when said mast and rotor hub are in said gliding flight position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
83 words
The escape system of claim 2 further characterized by thrust producing means normally stowed in a cavity defined in the back portion of said ejection seat, and means for movably mounting said thrust means to said seat back portion and for linking the thrusT means to said tail booms for deploying the thrust means with said tail surfaces, said thrust means when deployed having its thrust axis oriented on a line passing through the center of gravity of the seat and its occupant.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
The escape system of claim 3 wherein said tail booms are pivotally mounted to said seat back portion and on either side of said stowed mast, said stowed rotor comprising at least two blades, both of which are stowed behind the stowed thrust means and between said stowed tail booms.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
93 words
The escape system of claim 4 and further characterized by a control column pivotally mounted to the seat for movement from a normally stowed position adjacent the underside of the seat portion to a deployed position between the knees of the seat occupant, and control linkage between said control column and said linkage means to vary the orientation of said rotor hub axis in a vertical plane in response to fore and aft movement of the control column to permit the seat occupant to control the longitudinal cyclic pitch of the rotor blades.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
73 words
The escape system of claim 1 wherein said linkage means includes a first laterally extending rock shaft for pivotally supporting said mast, crank arm means on said first rock shaft, push rod means pivotally connected at one end to said crank arm means and at an opposite end to said rotor hub for altering the angular orientation of said rotor hub with respect to said mast as the mast moves upwardly and forwardly.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
177 words
The escape system of claim 6 further characterized by a pair of tail surfaces normally stowed one on either side of the seat portion of said ejection seat, a tail boom for each tail surface normally stowed on the corresponding side of said ejection seat back portion and supporting its associated tail surface in its stowed position, means for deploying said tail booms so that they extend rearwardly from the seat back portion, and means for swinging said rotor hub supporting mast forwardly and downwardly relative to said seat back portion to a gliding flight position so that said seat and rotor are stabilized by said tail surfaces for gliding flight at a substantial angle to said seat back portion, and said linkage means connecting said rotor hub to said seat back portion serving to hold said hub relative to said mast so that the axis of rotation of the hub passes through the center of gravity of the seat and its occupant at least when said mast and rotor hub are in said gliding flight position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
83 words
The escape system of claim 7 further characterized by thrust producing means normally stowed in a cavity defined in the pack portion of said ejection seat, and means for movably mounting said thrust means to said seat back portion and for linking the thrust means to said tail booms for deploying the thrust means with said tail surfaces, said thrust means when deployed having its thrust axis oriented on a line passing through the center of gravity of the seat and its occupant.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
50 words
The escape system of claim 8 wherein said tail booms are pivotally mounted to said seat back portion and on either side of said stowed mast, said stowed rotor comprising at least two blades, both of which are stowed behind the stowed thrust means and between said stowed tail booms.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
93 words
The escape system of claim 9 and further characterized by a control column pivotally mounted to the seat for movement from a normally stowed position adjacent the underside of the seat portion to a deployed position between the knees of the seat occupant, and control linkage between said control column and said linkage means to vary the orientation of said rotor hub axis in a vertical plane in response to fore and aft movement of the control column to permit the seat occupant to control the longitudinal cyclic pitch of the rotor blades.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
The escape system of claim 10 wherein said control linkage between said control column and said linkage means comprises second crank arm means on said first rock shaft movable in response to forward aft movement of sAid control column.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
79 words
The escape system of claim 11 wherein said rotor hub is pivotally connected to said mast by a universal joint to permit lateral tilting movement of said rotor hub at least in the gliding flight position thereof, and a pair of linear actuators for restraining said rotor hub against lateral tilting movement, said control column being operatively connected to said linear actuators for achieving differential displacement of said actuators in response to angular lateral displacements of said control column.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
80 words
The escape system of claim 12 wherein said push rod means comprise a pair of push rods and said first crank arm means comprises a pair of crank arms symmetrically arranged on either side of the mast, said linear actuators comprising a pair of telescoping actuators having movable portions connected to laterally spaced locations of a non rotating portion of the rotor hub, and said pair of actuators having relatively fixed portions carried by said pair of push rods respectively.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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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) | 1975-05-16 | 1975-11-15 | 1976-05-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-05-16 | 1979-11-15 | 1980-05-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-05-16 | 1983-11-15 | 1984-05-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |