Patent ID: 6036442
Filing Date: 2000-03-14
Classification: B64C

Abstract:
A device for the manual folding of a blade of a rotor of a rotary wing aircraft, said rotor having at least four blades each of which is integral in rotation with a hub of the rotor by means of a connecting member which is substantially radial with respect to a hub axis which is an axis of rotation of the rotor, an outer radial end of said connecting member being conformed as a yoke in which a corresponding blade has a root retained by two blade pins each traversing aligned bores in the yoke and the blade root, the two blade pins being substantially parallel with each other, at least one blade being foldable along one side of the rotary wing aircraft and having two removable blade pins such that the withdrawal of a pin from the blade root and from the yoke of the connecting member makes it possible to pivot the blade about the other blade pin, the device comprising at least one detachable distance-piece for separating the root of the foldable blade with respect to the corresponding connecting member, the distance-piece having a first part forming a pivot and traversed by a first bore and a second part forming a yoke with a second bore, the distance-piece being, after the withdrawal of a first blade pin and the pivoting of the blade with respect to the connecting member and about the second blade pin, capable of being mounted in rotation on the connecting member by the retention of the distance piece pivot in the yoke of the connecting member by means of a pin engaged in the first bore of the distance-piece and in the bore previously traversed by the first blade pin in the yoke of the connecting member, and the distance-piece being capable of retaining the blade root in rotation in the distance-piece yoke by the engagement of another pin in the second bore of the distance-piece and in the bore of the blade root previously traversed by the first blade pin such that after the withdrawal of the second blade pin the blade can be folded by pivoting the blade root in the distance-piece yoke and pivoting the distance-piece by the distance-piece pivot in the yoke of the connecting member, wherein the second bore of the distance-piece has a part formed in at least one branch of the distance-piece yoke which part is an oblong bore allowing said other pin retaining the blade root in the distance-piece yoke to be inclined with respect to said pin retaining the distance-piece pivot in the yoke of the connecting member in such a way as to modify the trajectory of the blade in its folding by pivoting about said other inclined pin.