Patent ID: 11964757
Assignee: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  F | IPC B  F

Claim 0:
1. A lockout system for an aircraft having a rotor assembly, the lockout system comprising:
a drive shaft coupled to and rotatable with the rotor assembly;
a nonrotating airframe structure disposed proximate the drive shaft; and
a lock assembly having first and second lock members, the first lock member coupled to and rotatable with the drive shaft, the second lock member coupled to the nonrotating airframe structure, the first lock member including a plurality of bearing assemblies, the second lock member including a cradle having a plurality of asymmetric slots, each asymmetric slot including a leading ramp having a curved upper profile with a progressively decreasing angle and a trailing stop having a surface that is substantially parallel with a central axis of the second lock member;
wherein, the lock assembly has a plurality of positions including a disengaged position in which rotation of the drive shaft is allowed and an engaged position in which each of the bearing assemblies is seated within one of the asymmetric slots to prevent rotation of the drive shaft;
wherein, the lock assembly is actuatable between the disengaged and engaged positions;
wherein, each of the bearing assemblies has a diameter and each of the asymmetric slots has a height; and
wherein, the height is greater than the diameter.