Michael Eugene Trantham, 43Denton, TX

2022021, Jul 7, 2022

Nov 1, 2021

17/516093

- Providence RI, US
David Andrew Prater - Hurst TX, US
Eric Stephen Olson - Fort Worth TX, US
David Bryan Roberts - Bedford TX, US
Chia-Wei Su - Lewisville TX, US
Michael David Trantham - Arlington TX, US
Charles Eric Covington - Colleyville TX, US

Textron Innovations Inc. - Providence RI

B64C 27/12
B64D 35/08
F16D 41/04

A multimode clutch assembly is positioned in a powertrain of a rotorcraft. The clutch assembly includes a freewheeling unit having a driving mode in which torque applied to the input race is transferred to the output race and an overrunning mode in which torque applied to the output race is not transferred to the input race. A bypass assembly has an engaged position that couples the input and output races of the freewheeling unit. An actuator assembly shifts the bypass assembly between engaged and disengaged positions. An engagement status sensor is configured to determine the engagement status of the bypass assembly. In the disengaged position, the overrunning mode of the freewheeling unit is enabled such that the clutch assembly is configured for unidirectional torque transfer. In the engaged position, the overrunning mode of the freewheeling unit is disabled such that the clutch assembly is configured for bidirectional torque transfer.

2021040, Dec 30, 2021

Jun 29, 2020

16/915877

- Fort Worth TX, US
Randall Lee JOHNSON - Grapevine TX, US
Hunter Barton NELSON - North Richland Hills TX, US
Michael David TRANTHAM - Arlington TX, US

Bell Textron Inc. - Fort Worth TX

B64C 27/00
B64C 27/57

A rotorcraft comprising a rotor blade designed to flap about a hinge point, a measurement system designed to measure blade flapping, and a processing system designed to alter blade flapping measurements. The processing system further comprises a correction process to alter a blade flapping measurement dependent on rotor RPM or rotor torque.

2021026, Aug 26, 2021

May 11, 2021

17/317657

- Fort Worth TX, US
Michael David TRANTHAM - Arlington TX, US
Paul David RUCKEL - Fort Worth TX, US

Bell Textron Inc. - Fort Worth TX

B64C 13/16
B64C 29/00
B64C 13/50

A system and method for preventing a maximum asymmetric condition between pylon tilt angles due to a degraded pylon in a fly-by-wire tiltrotor aircraft during transitions between airplane mode and helicopter mode includes a conversion system for imparting movement on a right and left pylon. A flight control computer is operatively connected to a set of transducers for measuring pylon angles. The flight control computer is further connected to a set of actuators which are attached to each pylon. The flight control computer receives flight dynamics input from the set of transducers and/or the pilot and sends pylon command to the set of actuators. The conversion system measures the difference between the pylon angles during the transition and provides a pylon command adjustment if the difference exceeds a preset threshold.

2021007, Mar 11, 2021

Oct 5, 2020

17/063712

- Fort Worth TX, US
David Andrew Prater - Hurst TX, US
Eric Stephen Olson - Fort Worth TX, US
David Bryan Roberts - Bedford TX, US
Chia-Wei Su - Lewisville TX, US
Michael David Trantham - Arlington TX, US
Charles Eric Covington - Colleyville TX, US

Bell Textron Inc. - Fort Worth TX

B64C 27/12
B64D 35/08
F16D 41/04

A multimode clutch assembly is positioned in a powertrain of a rotorcraft. The clutch assembly includes a freewheeling unit having a driving mode in which torque applied to the input race is transferred to the output race and an overrunning mode in which torque applied to the output race is not transferred to the input race. A bypass assembly has an engaged position that couples the input and output races of the freewheeling unit. An actuator assembly shifts the bypass assembly between engaged and disengaged positions. An engagement status sensor is configured to determine the engagement status of the bypass assembly. In the disengaged position, the overrunning mode of the freewheeling unit is enabled such that the clutch assembly is configured for unidirectional torque transfer. In the engaged position, the overrunning mode of the freewheeling unit is disabled such that the clutch assembly is configured for bidirectional torque transfer.

2020029, Sep 17, 2020

Nov 8, 2019

16/678009

- Fort Worth TX, US
Michael David TRANTHAM - Arlington TX, US
Evan Butler BENNETT - Fort Worth TX, US

Bell Textron Inc. - Fort Worth TX

G01M 5/00
B64C 27/00
B64C 27/02
B64C 27/51

An example of a rotor-state determining method for a rotor system includes, by a flight control computer, collecting data from a first sensor positioned on a first component of the rotorcraft, wherein the first sensor is isolated from movement of a rotor blade, collecting data from a second sensor positioned on a second component of the rotor system, wherein the second sensor detects movement of the rotor blade, filtering the data collected by the first sensor to remove noise from the data collected by the first sensor, filtering the data collected by the second sensor to remove noise from the data collected by the second sensor, calculating a difference between the filtered first data and the filtered second data to determine a parameter of the rotor blade, and responsive to the motion of the rotor blade, taking a corrective action.

2019022, Jul 25, 2019

Jan 22, 2018

15/876420

- Fort Worth TX, US
Michael David TRANTHAM - Arlington TX, US
Paul David RUCKEL - Fort Worth TX, US

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. - Fort Worth TX

B64C 13/16
B64C 29/00
B64C 13/50

A system and method for preventing a maximum asymmetric condition between pylon tilt angles due to a degraded pylon in a fly-by-wire tiltrotor aircraft during transitions between airplane mode and helicopter mode includes a conversion system for imparting movement on a right and left pylon. A flight control computer is operatively connected to a set of transducers for measuring pylon angles. The flight control computer is further connected to a set of actuators which are attached to each pylon. The flight control computer receives flight dynamics input from the set of transducers and/or the pilot and sends pylon command to the set of actuators. The conversion system measures the difference between the pylon angles during the transition and provides a pylon command adjustment if the difference exceeds a preset threshold.

2014012, May 8, 2014

Nov 2, 2012

13/667441

- Fort Worth TX, US
Areian A. Kouros - Keller TX, US
Christopher Cawelti - Keller TX, US
Curtis L. Moore - Lewisville TX, US
Michael D. Trantham - Arlington TX, US

BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC. - Fort Worth TX

G06F 17/00
G01M 15/14
G01K 13/00
F02C 9/28
G01P 3/00

701100, 60 39281, 60773, 702145, 702130, 702 35

The system for mitigating an overspeeding condition of a turbine engine can include a sensor for measuring an actual speed of a gas generator turbine of the turbine engine and a processor for deriving a delta, the delta being a comparison between the actual speed of the gas generator turbine and a predicted gas generator turbine speed. The system is configured for detecting the overspeeding condition when delta is higher than a predetermined threshold. A method of detecting an overspeeding condition during operation of a turbine engine can include measuring an actual speed of a gas generator turbine, then evaluating a delta between the actual speed of the gas generator turbine and a predicted speed of the gas generator turbine, then comparing the delta to a threshold value.