Braking systems and tires for small lightweight aircrafts and large heavy aircrafts

Description

[0001] Braking Systems and Tires for Small Lightweight Aircrafts and Large Heavy Aircrafts

[0002] Here in this invention, small, lightweight aircrafts achieve effective braking using a single disc keyed or bolted to each wheel of the landing gear. As the wheel turns, so does the disc. Braking is accomplished by applying friction to both sides of the disc from a non-rotating caliper bolted to the landing gear axle flange. A mechanical piston in the caliper housing under hydraulic pressure forces the brake pads or linings against the disc when the brakes are applied. Note that a hydraulic master cylinder is connected to the rudder pedals which supply the pressure when the upper halves of the rudder pedals are pressed.

[0003] For larger and heavier aircrafts we use segmented multiple-disc brakes by using dedicated caliber housings which employs stationary, high friction type brake linings that make contact with respective rotating segments. Further the brake assembly consists of a carrier, a piston and piston cup seal, a pressure plate, an auxiliary stator plate, rotor segments, stator plates, automatic adjusters, and a backing plate. The carrier assembly, or brake housing with torque tube, is the basic unit of the segmented rotor brake. It is the part that attaches to the landing gear shock strut flange of the large heavy aircraft upon which the other components of the brake are assembled. Further multiple individual cylinders are machined into the brake housing into which fit their corresponding actuating pistons. Also, the above cylinders have dual sources of hydraulic fluid which are admitted via external fittings into the brake housing. A bleed port is also present so that we can open up to vent air that escapes. Further there is a pressure plate which is a flat, circular, high-strength steel, non-rotating plate notched on the inside circumference to fit over the stator drive sleeves or torque tube spines. The brake actuating pistons contact the pressure plate. Also an insulator is used between the piston head and the pressure plate to impede heat conduction from the brake discs. The pressure plate transfers the motion of the pistons to the stack of rotors and stators that compress to slow the rotation of the wheels. Further brake lining material is attached directly to the pressure plate contacting the first rotor in the stack to transfer the motion of the piston(s). Any number of alternating rotors and stators are sandwiched under hydraulic pressure against the backing plate of the brake assembly when the brakes are applied. The backing plate is a heavy steel plate bolted to the housing or torque tube at a fixed dimension from the carrier housing with brake lining material attached to it contacting the last rotor in the stack. Further we have stators that are flat plates notched on the internal circumference to be held stationary by the torque tube spines. They have wearable brake lining material riveted or adhered to each side to make contact with adjacent rotors. The liner has isolated blocks of heat dissipation elements. Also we have rotors that are slit or segmented discs that have notches or tangs in the external circumference that key to the rotating wheel. Slots between sections of the rotor are isolated segments that consists of heat dissipation elements. Further we use retraction spring assemblies with auto clearance adjusters to pull the backplate away from the rotor and stator stack when brake pressure is removed. This provides clearance so the wheel can turn unimpeded by contact friction between the brake parts, but keeps the units in close proximity for rapid contact and braking when the brakes are applied. Further note carbon fiber materials will be used to construct the brake rotors which are much lighter in weight compared to steel but also have substantial structural strength.

[0004] Now aircraft tires unlike an automobile or truck tire, do not have to carry a load for a long period of continuous operation. However, an aircraft tire must absorb the high impact loads of landing and be able to operate at high speeds even if only for a short time. The deflection built into an aircraft tire is more than twice that of an automobile tire. This enables it to handle the forces during landings without being damaged. Here in this invention, we use high-strength carbon steel wire bundles encased in rubber as tire beads. One or more bead bundles may be found on each side of the tire depending on its size and the load it is designed to handle. Further radial tires have a single bead bundle on each side of the tire. The bead transfers the impact loads and deflection forces to the wheel rim. The bead toe is closest to the tire center-line and the bead heel fit against the flange of the wheel rim. Further an apex strip which is an additional rubber formed around the bead to give a contour for anchoring the ply turn-ups. Layers of fabric and rubber called flippers are placed around the beads to insulate the carcass from the beads and improve tire durability. Chafers are also used in this area. Chafer strips made of rubber are laid over the outer carcass plies after the plies are wrapped around the beads. The chafers protect the carcass from damage during mounting and demounting of the tire. They also help reduce the effects of wear and chafing between the wheel rim and the tire bead especially during dynamic operations. Further carcass plies made of nylon sandwiched between the two layers of rubber are used with ends of of each ply are anchored by wrapping them around the bead on both sides of the tire to form the ply turn-ups. Further the angle of the fiber in the ply is manipulated to create a bias tire or radial tire as desired. Typically, radial tires require fewer plies than bias tires. Once the plies are in place, bias tires and radial tires each have their own type of protective layers on top of the plies but under the tread of the running surface of the tire. On bias tires, these single or multiple layers of nylon and rubbers are called tread reinforcing plies. On radial tires, an under-tread and a protector ply do the same job. These additional plies stabilize and strengthen the crown area of the tire. They reduce tread distortion under load and increase stability of the tire at high speeds. The reinforcing plies and protector plies also help resist puncture and cutting while protecting the carcass body of the tire. Further for the tread which is the crown area of the tire designed to come in contact with the ground. Here in this invention, aircraft tire tread is a rubber compound comprising of natural or synthetic rubber, filler materials like carbon black and fibre- reinforced polymer formulated to resist wear, abrasion, cutting, cracking and to resist heat build-up. Here in this invention, aircraft tire tread is formed with circumferential grooves that create tire ribs. The grooves provide cooling and help channel water from under the tire in wet conditions to increase adhesion to the ground surface. Further the aircraft tires might be designed with a cross-tread pattern. Further under-tread layers and extra reinforcement is sometimes accomplished with breakers. These are layers of nylon cord fabric under the tread that strengthen the tread while protecting the carcass plies as mentioned earlier. The sidewall of an aircraft tire is a layer of rubber designed to protect the carcass plies. Here in this invention, it contains compounds designed to resist the negative effects of ozone on the tire. The tire sidewall imparts little strength to the cord body and its main function is protection. Here in this invention, the inner sidewall of a tire is covered by a tire inner dual-liner. Further a tube-type tire in this invention will have a dual thin rubber liner adhered to the inner surface to prevent the tube from chafing on the carcass plies. Tubeless tires have a thicker, less permeable dual rubber liner. This replaces the tube and contains the nitrogen or inflation air within the tire and keeps from seeping through the carcass plies. The inner dual liner does not contain 100 percent of the inflation gas. Small amounts of nitrogen or air seep through the liners into the carcass plies. This seepage is released through vent holes in the lower outer sidewall of the tires. Further tubetype tires also have seepage holes in the sidewall to allow air trapped between the tube and the tire to escape. Further note nose wheels of the aircrafts have their tire sidewalls mounded to form a chine which is a special built-in deflector to divert the runway water to the sides and away from the intake of the engines.

Claims

Following are the claims for this invention :-1. Here in this invention, small, lightweight aircrafts achieve effective braking using a single disc keyed or bolted to each wheel of the landing gear. As the wheel turns, so does the disc. Braking is accomplished by applying friction to both sides of the disc from a non-rotating caliper bolted to the landing gear axle flange. A mechanical piston in the caliper housing under hydraulic pressure forces the brake pads or linings against the disc when the brakes are applied. Note that a hydraulic master cylinder is connected to the rudder pedals which supply the pressure when the upper halves of the rudder pedals are pressed. For larger and heavier aircrafts we use segmented multiple-disc brakes by using dedicated caliber housings which employs stationary, high friction type brake linings that make contact with respective rotating segments. Further the brake assembly consists of a carrier, a piston and piston cup seal, a pressure plate, an auxiliary stator plate, rotor segments, stator plates, automatic adjusters, and a backing plate. The carrier assembly, or brake housing with torque tube, is the basic unit of the segmented rotor brake. It is the part that attaches to the landing gear shock strut flange of the large heavy aircraft upon which the other components of the brake are assembled. Further multiple individual cylinders are machined into the brake housing into which fit their corresponding actuating pistons. Also, the above cylinders have dual sources of hydraulic fluid which are admitted via external fittings into the brake housing. A bleed port is also present so that we can open up to vent air that escapes. Further there is a pressure plate which is a flat, circular, high-strength steel, non-rotating plate notched on the inside circumference to fit over the stator drive sleeves or torque tube spines. The brake actuating pistons contact the pressure plate. Also an insulator is used between the piston head and the pressure plate to impede heat conduction from the brake discs. The pressure plate transfers the motion of the pistons to the stack of rotors and stators that compress to slow the rotation of the wheels. Further brake lining material is attached directly to the pressure plate contacting the first rotor in the stack to transfer the motion of the piston(s). Any number of alternating rotors and stators are sandwiched under hydraulic pressure against the backing plate of the brake assembly when the brakes are applied. The backing plate is a heavy steel plate bolted to the housing or torque tube at a fixed dimension from the carrier housing with brake lining material attached to it contacting the last rotor in the stack. Further we have stators that are flat plates notched on the internal circumference to be held stationary by the torque tube spines. They have wearable brake lining material riveted or adhered to each side to make contact with adjacent rotors. The liner has isolated blocks of heat dissipation elements. Also we have rotors that are slit or segmented discs that have notches or tangs in the external circumference that key to the rotating wheel. Slots between sections of the rotor are isolated segments that consists of heat dissipation elements. Further we use retraction spring assemblies with auto clearance adjusters to pull the backplate away from the rotor and stator stack when brake pressure is removed. This provides clearance so the wheel can turnunimpeded by contact friction between the brake parts, but keeps the units in close proximity for rapid contact and braking when the brakes are applied. Further note carbon fiber materials will be used to construct the brake rotors which are much lighter in weight compared to steel but also have substantial structural strength.

3. Now aircraft tires unlike an automobile or truck tire, do not have to carry a load for a long period of continuous operation. However, an aircraft tire must absorb the high impact loads of landing and be able to operate at high speeds even if only for a short time. The deflection built into an aircraft tire is more than twice that of an automobile tire. This enables it to handle the forces during landings without being damaged. Here in this invention, we use high-strength carbon steel wire bundles encased in rubber as tire beads. One or more bead bundles may be found on each side of the tire depending on its size and the load it is designed to handle. Further radial tires have a single bead bundle on each side of the tire. The bead transfers the impact loads and deflection forces to the wheel rim. The bead toe is closest to the tire center-line and the bead heel fit against the flange of the wheel rim. Further an apex strip which is an additional rubber formed around the bead to give a contour for anchoring the ply turn-ups. Layers of fabric and rubber called flippers are placed around the beads to insulate the carcass from the beads and improve tire durability. Chafers are also used in this area. Chafer strips made of rubber are laid over the outer carcass plies after the plies are wrapped around the beads. The chafers protect the carcass from damage during mounting and demounting of the tire. They also help reduce the effects of wear and chafing between the wheel rim and the tire bead especially during dynamic operations. Further carcass plies made of nylon sandwiched between the two layers of rubber are used with ends of of each ply are anchored by wrapping them around the bead on both sides of the tire to form the ply turn-ups. Further the angle of the fiber in the ply is manipulated to create a bias tire or radial tire as desired. Typically, radial tires require fewer plies than bias tires. Once the plies are in place, bias tires and radial tires each have their own type of protective layers on top of the plies but under the tread of the running surface of the tire. On bias tires, these single or multiple layers of nylon and rubbers are called tread reinforcing plies. On radial tires, an under-tread and a protector ply do the same job. These additional plies stabilize and strengthen the crown area of the tire. They reduce tread distortion under load and increase stability of the tire at high speeds. The reinforcing plies and protector plies also help resist puncture and cutting while protecting the carcass body of the tire. Further for the tread which is the crown area of the tire designed to come in contact with the ground. Here in this invention, aircraft tire tread is a rubber compound comprising of natural or synthetic rubber, filler materials like carbon black and fibre-reinforced polymer formulated to resist wear, abrasion, cutting, cracking and to resist heat buildup. Here in this invention, aircraft tire tread is formed with circumferential grooves that create tire ribs. The grooves provide cooling and help channel water from under the tire in wet conditions to increase adhesion to the ground surface. Further the aircraft tires might be designed with a cross-tread pattern.Further under-tread layers and extra reinforcement is sometimes accomplished with breakers. These are layers of nylon cord fabric under the tread that strengthen the tread while protecting the carcass plies as mentioned earlier. The sidewall of an aircraft tire is a layer of rubber designed to protect the carcass plies. Here in this invention, it contains compounds designed to resist the negative effects of ozone on the tire. The tire sidewall imparts little strength to the cord body and its main function is protection. Here in this invention, the inner sidewall of a tire is covered by a tire inner dual-liner. Further a tube-type tire in this invention will have a dual thin rubber liner adhered to the inner surface to prevent the tube from chafing on the carcass plies. Tubeless tires have a thicker, less permeable dual rubber liner. This replaces the tube and contains the nitrogen or inflation air within the tire and keeps from seeping through the carcass plies. The inner dual liner does not contain 100 percent of the inflation gas. Small amounts of nitrogen or air seep through the liners into the carcass plies. This seepage is released through vent holes in the lower outer sidewall of the tires. Further tube-type tires also have seepage holes in the sidewall to allow air trapped between the tube and the tire to escape. Further note nose wheels of the aircrafts have their tire sidewalls mounded to form a chine which is a special built-in deflector to divert the runway water to the sides and away from the intake of the engines.