Aircraft propeller and vibration damper assembly

Claim 2

An aircraft propeller assembly, comprising a propeller hub including an outwardly projecting radial flange, a plurality of propeller blades projecting generally radially outwardly from said hub, means for rigidly connecting said radial flange of said hub to the shaft of an aircraft engine, an annular weight member concentrically surrounding said propeller hub and positioned at an axial location between said blades and said radial flange, a radially disposed annular support plate, means for securing the inner portion of said plate to said propeller hub, a plurality of circumferentially spaced and axially extending openings within said annular weight member, a fastener projecting through each of said openings and secured to the outer portion of said support plate, a resilient bushing disposed within each of said openings and mounted on the corresponding said fastener for supporting said weight member for slight angular movement relative to said propeller hub in response to sensing vibrational energy from the engine shaft, a friction pad positioned between said support plate and said weight member, and a set of springs mounted on said fasteners and positioned to urge said weight member towards said support plate, for substantially eliminating the transfer of vibrations from the aircraft engine shaft to said propeller blades.

Claim 3

An aircraft propeller assembly, comprising a propeller hub including an outwardly projecting radial flange, a plurality of propeller blades projecting generally radially outwardly from said hub, means for rigidly connecting said radial flange of said hub to the shaft of an aircraft engine, an annular weight member concentrically surrounding said propeller hub and positioned at an axial location between said blades and said radial flange, said weight member having an annular recess defined by an inner cylindrical surface and a radial surface, a radially disposed annular support plate disposed within said recess and having an outer cylindrical surface of substantially the same diameter as said inner surface of said recess, means for securing the inner portion of said plate to said propeller hub, a plurality of circumferentially spaced and axially extending openings within said annular weight member, a fastener projecting through each of said openings and secured to the outer portion of said support plate, a resilient bushing disposed within each of said openings and mounted on the corresponding said fastener for supporting said weight member for slight angular movement relative to said propeller hub in response to sensing vibrational energy from the engine shaft, a friction pad positioned within said recess between said support plate and said weight member, and a set of springs mounted on said fasteners and positioned to urge said weight member towards said support plate for substantially eliminating the transfer of vibrations from the aircraft engine shaft to said propeller blades.

Claim 4

An aircraft propeller assembly, comprising a propeller hub including an outwardly projecting radial flange, a plurality of propeller blades projecting generally radially outwardly from said hub, means for rigidly connecting said radial flange of said hub to the shaft of an aircraft engine, an annular weight member concentrically surrounding said propeller hub and positioned at an axial location between said blades and said radial flange, said weight member having an annular recess defined by an inner cylindrical surface and a radial surface, a radially disposed annular support plate disposed within said recess and having an outer cylindrical surface of substantially the same diameter as said inner surface of said recess, means for securing the inner portion of said plate to said propeller hub, a plurality of circumferentially spaced and axially extending openings within said annular weight member, a fastener projecting through each of said openings and secured to the outer portion of said support plate, a resilient bushing disposed within each of said openings and mounted on the corresponding said fastener for supporting said weight member for slight angular movement relative to said propeller hub in response to sensing vibrational energy from the engine shaft, a friction pad positioned within said recess between said support plate and said weight member, and a set of springs mounted on said fasteners and positioned to urge said weight member towards said support plate for substantially eliminating the transfer of vibrations from the aircraft engine shaft to said propeller blades.

Claim 5

An aircraft propeller assembly, comprising a propeller hub including an outwardly projecting radial flange, a plurality of propeller blades projecting generally radially outwardly from said hub, means for rigidly connecting said radial flange of said hub to the shaft of an aircraft engine, an annular weight member concentrically surrounding said propeller hub and positioned at an axial location between said blades and said radial flange, said weight member having an annular recess defined by an inner cylindrical surface and a radial surface, a radially disposed annular support plate disposed within said recess and having an outer cylindrical surface of substantially the same diameter as said inner surface of said recess, means for securing the inner portion of said plate to said propeller hub, a plurality of circumferentially spaced and axially extending openings within said annular weight member, a fastener projecting through each of said openings and secured to the outer portion of said support plate, a resilient bushing disposed within each of said openings and mounted on the corresponding said fastener for supporting said weight member for slight angular movement relative to said propeller hub in response to sensing vibrational energy from the engine shaft, a friction pad positioned within said recess between said support plate and said weight member, a set of annular resilient seals adjacent said recess and connecting said support plate to said weight member to form a fluid-tight enclosure for said friction pad, and a set of springs mounted on said fasteners and positioned to urge said weight member towards said support plate for substantially eliminating the transfer of vibrations from the aircraft engine shaft to said propeller blades.

Claim 6

An aircraft propeller assembly, comprising a propeller hub including an outwardly projecting radial flange, a plurality of propeller blades projecting generally radially outwardly from said hub, means for rigidly connecting said radial flange of said hub to the shaft of an aircraft engine, an annular weight member concentrically surrounding said propeller hub and positioned at an axial location between said blades and said radial flange, said weight member having an annular recess defined by an inner cylindrical surface and a radial surface, a radially disposed annular support plate disposed within said recess and having an outer cylindrical surface of substantially the same diameter as said inner surface of said recess, means for securing the inner portion of said plate to said propeller hub, a plurality of circumferentially spaced and axially extending openings within said annular weight member, a fastener projecting through each of said openings and secured to the outer portion of said support plate, a resilient bushing disposed within each of said openings and mounted on the corresponding said fastener for supporting said weight member for slight angular movement relative to said propeller hub in response to sensing vibrational energy from the engine shaft, a friction pad positioned within said recess between said support plate and said weight member, a set of annular resilient seals adjacent said recess and connecting said support plate to said weight member to form a fluid-tight enclosure for said friction pad, and a set of springs mounted on said fasteners and positioned to urge said weight member towards said support plate for substantially eliminating the transfer of vibrations from the aircraft engine shaft to said propeller blades.

Claim 7

An aircraft propeller assembly as defined in claim 1 including a dome-shaped spinner housing surrounding said propeller hub, an annular bulkhead wall secured to said hub between said blades and said support plate, and said bulkhead wall includes a generally cylindrical outer portion surrounding said weight member and secured to a surrounding portion of said spinner housing.

Claim 8

An aircraft propeller assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein each of said fasteners comprises a spacer member having a head portion and an internally threaded bore, a screw extending through said support plate into said bore to secure said spacer member to said support plate, and the corresponding said spring is disposed between said head portion of said fastener and said weight member.

Claim 9

An aircraft propeller as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said fasteners comprises a headed spacer member having an internally threaded bore, and a screw extending into said bore and rigidly securing said spacer member to said mounting plate.

Claim 10

An aircraft propeller as defined in claim 1 wherein said weight member includes means defining a circumferential recess, and said mounting plate is annular and seats within said recess.

Claim 11

An aircraft propeller as defined in claim 1 including flexible seal means between said weight member and said mounting plate and cooperating therewith to form a fluid-tight enclosure for said friction pad.