GB1267340A - Adjustable rotary hydraulic energy absorber - Google Patents

Abstract

1,267,340. Arresting aircraft. GULF & WESTERN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS CO. 19 June, 1970 [19 June, 1969], No. 29871/70. Heading B7G. [Also in Division F2] A rotary hydraulic energy absorber, particularly for arresting landing aircraft A, has a casing J to which are fixed non-rotary stators 30 forming stator pockets which interact with rotor vanes 32 rotatably attached to shafts 34 fixed to a shaft 26 coupled to reels E, around which are located cables H for engaging the aircraft, the vanes 32 being automatically adjustable to provide a constantly retarding torque with decreasing reel speed. To provide adjustment of vanes 32 a ring member M is positioned to slidably receive in guide channels 38 followers 35 secured to the vanes, rods 44 attached to pistons 42, Fig. 4 (not shown), of hydraulically connected cylinders N being fastened to the member M. Pistons 42 are spring- biased and are held in their uppermost positions in which vanes 32 are parallel to the plane of ring M to provide minimum retardation by hydraulic pressure passed through a line 60 from a master cylinder S coupled through a rod 56, a cam R, reduction gearing P and bevel gear 52, 54 to shaft 26. Cam R rotates once during each arrestment cycle so that at its commencement rod 56 causes master cylinder S to supply fluid to cylinders N to maintain minimum retarding torque, but as the cam rotates the fluid pressure in cylinder N decreases and the vanes 32 rotate to increase the torque. A plurality of interconnected master cylinders S may be provided bolted to baffles T, Fig. 3 (not shown), which are moved into any desired position in the pocket by operation of a valve (76) in the line connecting the master cylinders to adjust the depth of the pockets so that the absorber may be preset for a predetermined aircraft weight. The reel E may be reset by a motor K and a one-way clutch (82) provided so that no torque is transmitted to shaft 26 during resetting. In another embodiment the rotor vanes 32 automatically assume the maximum retardation position on loss of hydraulic pressure to the adjustment device by providing a second cylinder hydraulically coupled to cylinder N.