Rotor hub elastomeric bearings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10196139-B2
Application number	US-201815986219-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2018
Priority date	Mar 13, 2013
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a drivelink comprising a housing including a socket, wherein the socket comprises a cross-sectional area, and a bearing cartridge disposed within the socket, wherein a cross-sectional area of the cartridge is less than the cross-sectional area of the socket. An apparatus comprising a drivelink comprising a housing having a socket, and a bearing cartridge positioned within the socket and comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is configured to undergo compression when a load is applied to the drivelink, and wherein the second portion is configured to not be in tension when the load is applied to the drivelink.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
manufacturing two trunnion races and a housing of a drivelink, wherein the housing comprises two sockets, one of the trunnion races corresponding to each socket;
inserting each trunnion race within the sockets to which the trunnion race corresponds of the housing;
introducing uncured rubber into each socket between each trunnion race within the socket to which the trunnion race corresponds and the housing, the uncured rubber in each socket separated by one or more spacers within each socket and extending from the trunnion race within each socket to which the trunnion race corresponds to a surface of the housing;
adding a curative to the uncured rubber to cure the rubber; and
removing the one or more spacers from the cured rubber in each socket.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
assembling the drivelink into a rotor hub; and
operating the rotor hub comprising the drivelink.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising orienting each trunnion race in a center of the socket to which the trunnion race corresponds in the housing.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising orienting the one or more spacers in each socket to perpendicularly align with a direction of expected compressive loads exerted on the drivelink.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sizing the one or more spacers in each socket such that the cured rubber does not experience tensile forces during operation of the drivelink.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cured rubber is configured to fill a portion of the one or more spacings when the cured rubber undergoes compression when a load is applied to the drivelink.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cured rubber comprises:
a first rubber member configured to undergo compression when a load is applied to the drivelink; and
a second rubber member configured to not be in tension when the load is applied to the drivelink.

8. A method comprising:
inserting a pair of trunnion races within a pair of sockets of a housing, each trunnion race corresponding to one of the sockets;
introducing two or more uncured elastomeric members into each socket of the housing, wherein the trunnion race and one or more spacings are disposed between the two or more uncured elastomeric members;
inserting one or more spacers within each spacing;
curing the two or more uncured elastomeric members; and
removing all the spacer(s) from the spacing(s) disposed between the two or more cured elastomeric members.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising manufacturing the pair of trunnion races and the housing having the pair of sockets.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the two or more uncured elastomeric members are substantially equal in size, or different in size.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the two or more uncured elastomeric members are made of a same material or different materials.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the two or more cured elastomeric members have a same resiliency or different resiliencies.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein introducing the two or more uncured elastomeric members into each socket of the housing further comprises locating the one or more spacings along an axis substantially perpendicular to an exerted load, or not along the axis substantially perpendicular to the exerted load.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein curing the two or more uncured elastomeric members comprises separately curing each uncured elastomeric member with a different curative or a different amount of a same curative.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein curing the two or more uncured elastomeric members causes the two or more uncured elastomeric members to bond to an interior of the socket, or the trunnion race, or both.

16. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
assembling the drivelink into a rotor hub; and
operating the rotor hub comprising the drivelink.

17. The method of claim 8 , wherein inserting the pair of trunnion races within the pair of sockets of the housing further comprises orienting each trunnion race in a center of the socket to which the trunnion race corresponds to in the housing.

18. The method of claim 8 , wherein inserting the one or more spacers within each spacing further comprises orienting the one or more spacers in each socket to perpendicularly align with a direction of expected compressive loads exerted on the drivelink.

19. The method of claim 8 , further comprising sizing the one or more spacers in each socket such that the cured elastomeric members do not experience tensile forces during operation of the drivelink.

20. The method of claim 8 , further comprising configuring the cured elastomeric members to fill a portion of the one or more spacings when the cured elastomeric members undergoes compression when a load is applied to the drivelink.

21. The method of claim 8 , wherein the cured elastomeric members comprise a first cured elastomeric member and a second cured elastomeric member, and further comprising:
configuring the first cured elastomeric to undergo compression when a load is applied to the drivelink; and
configuring the second cured elastomeric configured to not be in tension when the load is applied to the drivelink.

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc

Inventors

• Schofield Emily
• Jarrett Chad Lewis
• Sottiaux Daniel P
• Stamps Frank Bradley

Classifications

• B64C27/35 Primary

  having elastomeric joints · CPC title

• B64C27/41

  with flapping hinge or universal joint, common to the blades · CPC title

• F16D3/62

  the links or their attachments being elastic · CPC title

• F16C11/083

  by means of parts of rubber or like materials · CPC title

• Y10T29/49643

  Rotary bearing · CPC title