Turbine engine drive and mounting assembly for fixed wing aircraft

• US 4,531,694 A
• Filed: 10/18/1982
• Issued: 07/30/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Soloy Corporation
• Original Assignee: Soloy Conversions, Ltd.
• Inventors: Soloy, Joe I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barefoot, Galen L.
• Application Number:
  US06/435,094
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 244/54, 244/53 R, 244/60, 248/554-557, 464/92, 60/39.3-39.32
• US Class Current: 244/54
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/14 within, or attached to, fuselages
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

A turbine engine drive and mounting assembly for a propeller-driven, fixed-wing aircraft includes an open support frame resiliently mounted to and cantilevered from an air frame portion of the aircraft. A gearbox is rigidly mounted to the free end of the open support frame and is adapted for mounting and driving a propeller. A turbine engine is positioned within the support frame in spaced relation to the gearbox. The turbine engine is suspended from a ring member of the support frame so as to enable expansion and contraction of the engine relative to the support frame and pivoting of the engine on the ring member for maintenance. The engine is drivingly connected to the gearbox through flexible couplings. High torque loads at the gearbox are transmitted through the support frame directly to the air frame, bypassing the engine.

Claims

1. The method of mounting a turbine engine in a fixed-wing aircraft or the like for driving a propeller comprising the steps:

providing a unitary open rigid support frame having a frame ring and rigid support sturts rigidly connected to the ring and extending forwardly therefrom,

detachably but rigidly connecting a gearbod for driving the propeller to the free ends of said struts, with the input shaft of the gearbox extending toward the ring,

nonresiliently suspending the turbine engine from the frame ring inwardly of the ring and independently of the gearbox and in a position spaced from the gearbox with an output shaft of the engine axially aligned with, but spaced from an input shaft of the gearbox using inelastic suspension means which enable thermal expansion and contraction of the engine relative to the frame ring while restraining the engine against any substantial bodily movement relative to said ring,

flexibly coupling the output shaft to the input shaft to drivingly interconnect the engine output shaft and the gearbox input shaft and to accommodate both slight axial misalignments and slight relative axial movement of said shafts,

and resiliently connecting the frame ring to an airframe portion of the aircraft.

2. A gas turbine engine power plant assembly for installation as a unit in a fixed wing aircraft or the like comprising:

an open cage-like structural support frame, including a rigid frame ring, frame struts rigidly connected at one set of ends to said ring and extending forwardly therefrom,

a gearbox having a rearwardly directed input shaft at the other forward set of ends of said frame struts,

fastening means on said gearbox and forward set of ends for detachably but rigidly connecting said gearbox to said struts,

a turboshaft gas turbine engine positioned within said frame and in inwardly spaced relation to said ring and in rearwardly spaced relation to said gearbox, said engine having a forwardly directed output shaft,

inelastic engine suspension means interconnecting said ring and engine to inelastically suspend said engine within said frame with said output shaft aligned with said input shaft, said suspension means enabling the thermal expansion and contraction of said engine relative to said frame while restraining said engine against any substantial bodily movement relative to said frame,

a drive shaft extending between said output and input shafts,

and coupling means interconnecting the opposite ends of said drive shaft with the adjacent ends of said input and output shafts, said coupling means being both laterally and longitudinally flexible to accommodate the linear expansion and contracton of the drive train and slight axial misalignment of said shafts.

3. An assembly according to claim 2 wherein said engine suspension means comprises suspension struts extending rearwardly from said frame ring and detachably but rigidly connected at the free ends thereof to said engine, at least some of said struts accommodating thermal expansion and contraction of said engine through bending.

4. An assembly according to claim 2 wherein said engine suspension means comprises pin-and sleeve type rigid coupling means connecting said engine to said frame ring.

5. An assembly according to claim 3 wherein said suspension struts extend inwardly toward said engine from the plane of the frame ring at an angle of greater than 45°

to facilitate flexing of said suspension struts upon the thermal expansion and contraction of said engine.

6. An assembly according to claim 2 wherein said frame ring includes frame mounting means integral with said ring for resiliently mounting said ring to the air frame structure.