Patent GB-821468-A (GB)
Title: Control line regulator
IPC: B64C13/30
Filed: 1957-01-25
Abstract: 821,468. Wire tensioners. PACIFIC SCIENTIFIC AEROPRODUCTS. Jan. 25, 1957 [Jan. 30, 1956], No. 2866/57. Class 45. [Also in Groups XXX and XXXIII] In a tensioning device for automatically compensating for variations in length of control cables between controlled and control devices resulting, e.g. from temperature changes, and for use particularly in aircraft and comprising a spring tension regulator coupled between the two control lines to maintain thereon a uniform rig loading with locking means operating in response to a control tension upon either of the lines to lock the regulator against further operation, there is provided means for taking up, when the regulator is locked, slack in the untensioned line. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3 control lines 11, 12 are secured at 11<SP>1</SP> ,  12<SP>1</SP> to arcuate shoes 8, 9 so that when the lines are pulled concurrently the shoes 8, 9 move oppositely to pay out the lines while the regulator springs 32, 33 tend to rotate the shoes in the opposite or take-up directions through a lock-bar 22 and connector links 24, 25, to maintain uniform cable tension, the lock-bar 22 sliding along a lock shaft 19 of a frame 13 and rods 29, 31 moving in telescopic fashion in tubes 27, 28 pivoted on the ends of lever 26 pivoted in turn on an arm 18 of the frame 13 secured fixedly on the mounting member 1 mounted for rotation on a shaft 5. The lock-bar 22 has a locking washer sliding on the shaft 19 so that as tension is put on only one of the lines 11, 12 the washer frictionally locks with the shaft and locks the shoes 8, 9 to rotate together with the frame 13 as a unit about the shaft 5 thereby transmitting the movement to arms 15, 16 of frame 13 and so by the lines 34, 35 to the controlled member. In these conditions and supposing the tension to be on the line 11, any undesired slack in line 12 is taken up by the tension spring 38, Fig. 3, attached at one end to the shoe 9 and at the other end to the link 24, this latter being pivoted at one end to the lock bar 22 and slidably coupled by means of a bolt 37 and slot 36 to the shoe 9 at the other end, the spring 38 causing rotation of the shoe 9 alone, in the direction in which said shoe 9 rotates during the unitary movement of the two shoes. In another embodiment shown in Figs. 7, 8 the regulator device comprises a stationary stack of spaced elongated leaves 41 and a regular locking assembly comprising a movable stack of spaced elongated leaves 42 interleaved with the stack 41 and slidable longitudinally thereon, and being adapted to be frictionally locked against the leaves 41 by a tilting lock assembly secured on one end of the stack leaves 42, and comprising a pair of pressure plates 46, 47 and a pair of associated locking bars 48, 49 mounted transversely of the leaves, and, sandwiched between the locking bars and pressure plates, a plurality of small steel balls 51, the whole being held together by a bolt 52 which is prevented from tightening or loosening by spring clips 53. The control lines 68, 69 are slidably seated in opposite ends of the locking bars 48, 49 as by apertured blocks 62<SP>1</SP>, 63<SP>1</SP> and the regulator spring 59, housed in telescoping tubes 54, 56 are coupled at one end to the leaves 41, as by straps 55 securing the casings 54 and stack 41 together, and at the other end to the locking bars 48, 49 and to the leaves 42 as by a pin 58 securing thereto a bracket 57 fixed to the casings 56. The locking bars 48, 49 and the stack 42 slide longitudinally back and forth on the stack 41 (which is secured to the controlled member 40<SP>1</SP>) thereby exerting uniform tension upon the control lines 68, 69 and when the tension in one control line, e.g. 69 exceeds that in the other control line 68 the locking bars 48, 49 which taper in depth, turn or cant on the bolt 52 and lock the two stacks 41, 42 together. Any slack occurring in the untensioned line 68 is taken up by a compressed spring 67 bearing on a collar 66 which will cause the line 68 to slide to the right as seen in Fig. 7, through the block 62<SP>1</SP>. In a third embodiment shown in Fig. 11 the " inline " regulator device is of the synchroniserscrew type having a synchroniser screw 85 oppositely threaded at its ends to engage with elongated nut members 86, 87 over which sleeve members 88, 89 are slidably mounted and coupled each to a control line 72, so that equal tension forces on the opposing lines 72 urges the sleeves 88, 89 to move endwise outwardly against regulator springs 101, 102 compressed between seats 103, 104 secured to the ends of sleeves 88, 89 and a bearing member 95 secured in the casing 78, 79 thereby tensioning the control lines, and a compression spring 94 is compressed between the sleeve 88, 89 and the nut member 86, 87 to move the nut members endwise inwardly and outwardly to and from each other as the sleeves move and the screw 85 revolves as the nuts so move, the brake disc 84 integral with the screw rotating freely in the space between the braking members 81, 82 fixed in the casings 78, 79 secured together by collar 76. When control tension is applied to one control line, e.g. left-hand line 72 by movement of the device to the right by means of trunnions 77 and lever 74, the braking member 81 is forced against the disc 84 and prevents the screw 85 from rotating thereby locking the screw 85 and nut 86 together thereby transmitting the pull on the collar 76 to the control line 72. A key 97 prevents relative rotation between the bearing 95 and the sleeve 88, and the nut 86. Assuming the pull on the device is to the left to tension the line on the right and the control line 72 on the left is then loose, then the braking member 82 is forced against the disc 84 to lock from rotational movement the screw 85, sleeve 89 and nut 87 in the right hand portion of the device the compression spring 101 in the left hand portion will take up the slackness, urging the sleeve 88 inwardly moving relatively to the nut 86 and the follow-up spring 94 is compressed between the sleeve via the end plug 92 and the nut 86 until release of the control tension and unlocking of the screw 85 and nut 86 when the nut 86 is moved by spring 94 inwardly until its end engages with the indented end 105 of the sleeve 88. Specification 557,293 and U.S.A. Specification Re-issue, 23,933 are referred to.