Variable-pitch multi-blade propeller incorporating individually dismountable blades made of composite materials, process for manufacturing such blades and blades thus produced

• US 4,626,172 A
• Filed: 04/24/1985
• Issued: 12/02/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aerospatiale Societe Nationale Industrielle
• Original Assignee: Aerospatiale Societe Nationale Industrielle
• Inventors: Jalaguier, Jean-Pierre, Jaugey, Bernard, Declerco, Marc, Mouille, Rene L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garrett, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/726,640
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 416/226, 416/230 A, 416/229 R, 416/239, 416/168 R, 416/230 R, 416/134 R, 416/134 A, 416/135
• US Class Current: 416/134.00A
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0025 Producing blades or the like, e.g. blades for turbines, propellers, or wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 11/26 Fabricated blades
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2027/4736 from composite materials
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2027/8254 Shrouded tail rotors, e.g. "Fenestron" fans
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/473 Constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/82 characterised by the provision of an auxiliary rotor or fluid-jet device for counter-balancing lifting rotor torque or changing direction of rotorcraft
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/282 Selecting composite materials, e.g. blades with reinforcing filaments
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2200/31 odd
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/103 Encasing or enveloping the configured lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1043 Subsequent to assembly

Abstract

Each blade is fixed to the hub by the root part of the spar, arranged in the form of a loop surrounding a connection element bolted on the hub, with the interposition of rigid rings by a pin simultaneously fixing the hub on a drive sleeve transmitting thereto the driving torque of the central shaft. The hub comprises two coaxial cylindrical walls in each of which is pierced, for each blade, a circular opening in which the member for controlling the angle of attack which is fast with the blade root is mounted to rotate via self-lubricating rings. The invention is particularly applicable to helicopters.

Claims

1. A blade for equipping a multi-blade propeller and in particular a propeller for being used as a tail rotor or a rotorcraft, comprising:

a shell with aerodynamic profile, constituted by at least one layer of fiber fabrics with high mechanical resistance agglomerated by a polymerized synthetic resin for impregnation,

a preformed filling body made of a cellular or foam synthetic material and disposed in said shell,

a spar having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the blade and constituted by a single elongated leaf of rovings of fibers with high mechanical resistance agglomerated by a polymerized synthetic resin, and of which a major part is fixed in said shell whereas an end part of said spar is emerging from said shell and forms a twistable and bendable spar root part from connecting said spar to a hub, and

a metal leading edge cover integrated in said shell, wherein said elongated leaf forming said spar is constituted by a single bundle of rovings which is folded on itself in a zone of fold to define two equal halves having inner parts adjacent said zone of fold and outer parts remote from said zone of fold, said inner parts constituting said spar root part having an inner end arranged as a loop surrounding a tubular connecting element for connecting the blade to said hub, and said outer parts being coupled to each other and constituting said spar major part received in said shell and bonded, on one hand, in a cut-out provided in one face of said preformed filling body and whose cross-section corresponds substantially to that of said spar major part, and, on the other hand, directly on an inner face part of said shell opposite said cut-out of said filling body, and said shell comprises an inner end turned towards said spar root part and arranged as a blade root which is traversed by said spar root part and made with extensions of each layer of fiber fabrics constituting said shell and covering a stack of reinforcing fiber fabric layers.

2. The blade as in claim 1, wherein said cut-out of said preformed filling body extends over the whole length of said filling body and opens in a face of said filling body which is turned towards an upper surface part of said shell, and said spar major part housed in said cut-out is directly fixed against said shell upper surface part by a spar face turned towards this latter.

3. The blade as in claim 1, wherein said blade root includes a hollow cylinder having an end turned towards said spar root part and presenting a truncated form, and an opposite end turned towards said spar major part and connected by a transition zone to a general part of the blade.

4. The blade as in claim 3, wherein said blade root includes a blade pitch control sleeve forming a bearing covering said hollow cylinder and bonded to it.

5. The blade as in claim 1, wherein said shell is constituted by a stack, from the outside to the inside, of two layers of fabrics of fibers chosen in the group including the glass and KEVLAR fibers, which are crossed and inclined by 45°

with respect to said blade longitudinal axis, and of two layers of carbon fiber fabrics likewise crossed and inclined in similar manner.

6. The blade as in claim 1, wherein it further comprises a reinforcing V-shaped yoke constituted by fabrics of carbon fibers agglomerated by synthetic resin and having inner faces covering a rear edge of said filling body and bonded to said rear edge whilst said yoke has outer faces by which it is connected by adhesion to an inner face part of said shell constituting fabrics.