Screen apparatus for air inlet

Claim 1

Screen apparatus for attachment over the air inlet of a turbine engine, comprising: screen means connected to the engine in fixed relation surrounding the engine air inlet and extending to a forward location extending outwardly and in front of the engine air inlet, said screen means having a generally smooth exterior surface presenting an oblique angle to the direction of relative movement between the engine air inlet opening and the surrounding air; an imperforate arcuate frontal surface carried by said screen means at said forward location, said frontal surface having a blunt leading edge provided substantial resistance to oncoming air flow; said screen means comprising a plurality of structural support members connected to said turbine engine in surrounding relation to the engine air inlet and extending outwardly to terminate at said forward location, with each of said support members being spaced apart from the adjacent support members to provide respective open spaces therebetween; means connecting together said support members at least at one location spaced apart from said engine air inlet so that siad support members comprise a rigid skeletal support; and said screen means including perforate means carried by said support members in surrounding relation thereto to comprise a perforate shell covering said open spaces and presenting said oblique angle, said perforate means having airflow perforations which are individually too small to admit engine damaging articles, the total aggregate area of all of said airflow perforations being at least as great as the airflow area of the engine air inlet.