Patent ID: 6065933
Filing Date: 2000-05-23
Classification: B63H,B64C

Abstract:
A propulsion blade deploying and pitch control apparatus for an airborne or water-borne craft comprising:a hollow primary drive shaft having first and second ends,a pitch control gear housing mounted to said first end of primary drive shaft,a radially spaced array of pitch control stub shafts mounted to, in cooperation with, said pitch control gear housing so as to extend generally perpendicularly relative to said primary drive shaft, and so as to be selectively rotatable about corresponding pitch control stub shaft longitudinal axes upon selective actuation of gears cooperatively mounted in said pitch control gear housing,propulsion blades pivotally mounted to said pitch control stub shafts, at ends of said pitch control stub shafts radially distal from said pitch control gear housing,primary drive means mounted to said primary drive shaft for rotation of said primary drive shaft, said pitch control gear housing, said pitch control stub shafts and said propulsion blades about a primary drive shaft longitudinal axis,a selectively actuable strut mount plate rigidly mounted on a first collar, said first collar slidably mounted on said primary drive shaft, said strut mount plate rotatably mounted on a first supporting base, said strut mount plate, said first collar and said first supporting base selectively translatable by a first selective actuator so as to slide along said primary drive shaft by said first collar sliding on said primary drive shaft, said first selective actuator rigidly mounted to said craft,said collar having a key-way, parallel and cooperating with said primary drive shaft for preventing relative rotational movement between said first collar and said primary drive shaft about said primary drive shaft longitudinal axis,strut members having first and second ends, said strut members pivotally mounted at said first ends thereof to said propulsion blades, and pivotally mounted at said second ends thereof, to said strut mount plate, whereby selective translation of said strut mount plate and first collar along said primary drive shaft selectively pivots said propulsion blades relative to said pitch control stub shafts so as to selectively forcibly deploy and retract said propulsion blades,a coaxial nested pitch control drive shaft, having first and second ends, and rotatably coaxially journalled so as to be nested within, and co-axial to, said hollow primary drive shaft, said pitch control drive shaft selectively rotatable relative to said primary drive shaft, said first end of the pitch control drive shaft engaging said gears in said pitch control gear housing,a second collar having an inclined slot on an inner cylindrical surface thereof, said second collar slidably mounted on said second end of said pitch control drive shaft, a rigid protrusion mounted to said second end of said pitch control drive shaft so as to protrude therefrom for mating engagement with said inclined slot in said second collar, said inclined slot defining an inclined translation path inclined relative to said primary drive shaft longitudinal axis,a second selective actuator for selectively sliding said second collar axially along said second end of said pitch control drive shaft, said selective sliding of said second collar forcing rotation about said primary drive shaft longitudinal axis of said rigid protrusion so as to translate said rigid protrusion along said translation path thereby rotating said pitch control drive shaft relative to said primary drive shaft, whereby pitch of said propulsion blades is selectively adjusted while said propulsion blades are rotating about said primary drive shaft longitudinal axis,said second collar having a second keyway, parallel and cooperating with said pitch control drive shaft for preventing relative rotational movement between said second collar and said pitch control drive shaft about said primary drive shaft longitudinal axis,said second selective actuator rigidly mounted to said craft.