Acceleration-Sensitive Friction Device

This invention concerns an acceleration-sensitive friction device for damping undesired acceleration-induced movements of a control member. Although it is not so restricted, the invention will hereafter be described with reference to a useful application thereof wherein the control member is a throttle lever or a throttle lever box of a rectilinearly activated aircraft throttle and a pendulum forming part of the device is mounted for oscillation about a horizontal axis so as to be sensitive to fore-and-aft accelerations.

A problem with existing aircraft throttle control levers is that they may be moved unintentionally by high `g` forces. The present invention seeks to overcome this problem by the provision of a relatively simple device which may be retrofitted to existing aircraft or incorporated into new aircraft and which is effective to reduce or prevent undesired or uncommanded movement of e.g. linear throttle control levers of military aircraft subjected to high fore-and-aft accelerations.

According therefore to one non-exclusive aspect of the present invention, there is provided an acceleration-sensitive friction device for damping undesired acceleration-induced movements of a control member, comprising:

a bearing;

a pendulum mounted for oscillation in said bearing about an axis so as to be bi-directionally sensitive to longitudinal `g` forces;

an element which is displaceable as a function of the amplitude of pendulum movement and which is one of: a part of said bearing, and a discrete part connected to said bearing;

at least two braking members disposed one on each side of said axis; each braking member being:

(i) connected to said element such that in use an increase in said amplitude is effective to vary the displacement of said element; and

(ii) adapted frictionally to engage a surface of said control member with a frictional force, the magnitude of which is functionally related to the displacement of said element and thus to the increase, in either longitudinal direction, of said amplitude.

Preferably, there are at least two braking members disposed symmetrically about the said axis and being operative to engage said control surface in g-proportioned friction in both directions of movement.

There may be a resilient connection provided between said displaceable part and said braking member(s), which connection or spring is expediently adjusted to provide a preset force of frictional engagement of the brake members in the absence of any acceleration.

Optionally, said resilient connection or spring is adjusted to provide a preset force of frictional engagement of the brake members in the absence of any acceleration.

Preferably, said pendulum is constituted by a first pair of levers engaging weight means adjacent one end and being pivotally connected adjacent the other end to said brake members, a second pair of levers pivotally connected at one end thereof to said first pair of levers intermediate the said ends of the latter, the other ends of said second pair bearing against an adjustably biased spring carried on a boss which in turn is pivotally connected to said second pair of levers intermediate the ends of the latter and which includes a mounting pivot for the said device, the arrangement of said pairs of levers being symmetrical about a plane passing through said mounting pivot parallel to the axes of oscillation of the levers of said first pair.

Preferably, said first pair of levers engage in recesses in a housing constituting a pendulum weight.

The first pair of levers may each carry a weight adjacent one end.

The weights may face each other with a predetermined-sized gap therebetween into which then, preferably, extends a pillar connected to said boss so as to limit acceleration-induced angular movement towards said plane of one of the levers of said first pair.

In an expedient embodiment, said control member is a throttle lever or a throttle lever box of a rectilinearly activated aircraft throttle and said pendulum is mounted for oscillation about a horizontal axis so as to be sensitive to fore-and-aft accelerations.

Optionally, the control member is mounted on a supporting structure that includes a wheeled carriage mobile on rails.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a device according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the device of FIG. 1, taken in the direction of the arrow `A` in the latter;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a second preferred embodiment of a device according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is an end elevation of the device shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view on arrow `B` of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of a device according to a third embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 8 is partly an end elevation of the device according to FIG. 7 and partly a cross-section taken along the line C--C in FIG. 7.

Referring first to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, the device 10 comprises a pendulum 12 mounted for oscillation about a horizontal axis. It has a threaded stem 14 carrying a weight 16 adjustable along its length to balance the different masses of control handles (not shown) that may occur in practice.

The pendulum 12 is arranged to oscillate along the directions shown by curved arrows 13 on a suitable bush bearing assembly including the bearing 18 itself, which has an outer, displaceable part 20 which is a bifurcated end piece of a control handle in a throttle box (not shown). A spring 22, made, for example, of beryllium copper for strength, is accommodated in a groove in the bearing 18, the groove having a curvature which substantially follows that of the spring 22, and passing through the bearing 18 but not a member 19 referred to below. The two ends 24, 26 of the spring 22 are secured to respective friction pads 28, 30. The bearing assembly includes the member 19 which is a cylindrical member (FIG. 3) fixed to the bearing 18, and the bearing 18 rotates about the member 19. The friction pads 28, 30 constitute brake shoes that bear against a rubbing strip 32 on the side of the said throttle box with a certain bias or pre-load. The part 20 extends on each side of the rubbing strip 32, spring 22 and bearing 18. The said bias allows a certain basic friction `feel` to the handle (not shown) when operated by a pilot and also provides sufficient hold of the handle to allow the pendulum acceleration under gravity (`g`) to be greater than the `g` acceleration of the handle. Movement of the pendulum 12 results in rotation of the bearing 18 about its axis axis and thus causes increased pressure to be applied to that one of the friction pads 28, 30 which is the leading shoe in whichever longitudinal direction the `g` force is acting. The forward direction is indicated by a straight arrow in FIGS. 1 and 3.

Referring now to FIGS.4 and 6 illustrating a more highly-developed embodiment of the invention, the `g`-proportioned friction device 100 shown therein is mounted on a pivot 105 by way of a boss 101. This mode of mounting allows some angular movement about that point to ensure an even distribution of pressure on the two brake shoes (not shown) which are mounted on pivots 106. In operation, the brake shoes travel in a linear manner along a friction surface 120 when commanded to do so.

Basic friction is applied and adjusted by means of a nut 107 acting on a (preferably beryllium copper) spring 104. Screwing the nut 107 along its threaded pillar 122 towards pivot 105 increases basic friction and away from pivot 105 reduces it.

To increase basic friction, the bias of the spring 104 is applied to a respective pair of levers 102, each of which includes a bifurcated end portion that curves through approximately 45.degree. at a pivot 108 located on the boss 101 (see FIG. 6) and then terminates in a connection to a further pivot 109. Thus the bias of the spring 104 causes the levers 102 to rotate slightly about pivot points 108 thus causing further pivot points 109 to be moved nearer to the friction surface 120, each lever and its pivot constituting a mechanical amplification device. Levers 103, being pivoted at pivot points 109, at which they curve through approximately 45.degree. are also moved closer to the friction surface 120. As these levers 103 carry the non-illustrated brake shoes pivoted at points 106, it follows that pressure on the brake shoes will increase, consequently increasing the basic friction.

The application of longitudinal `g` along the path of normal travel indicated by arrows 140 would cause uncommanded movement to whatever the device 100 is attached. To prevent this, the preset basic friction causes sufficient delay to enable the levers 103 to pivot about pivot points 109 (thus constituting respective mechanical amplification devices) under the influence of weights 110, thereby increasing the force on the leading shoe in proportion to the `g` applied.

The pillar 122 of boss 101 to which the nut 107 is attached is carried through to extend into the gap 130 between the mutually facing weights 110, in order to prevent the lever 103 supporting the trailing shoe from pivoting substantially beyond the vertical: to allow it to do so would undesirably remove the basic friction from this trailing shoe.

Turning now to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, wherein parts functionally similar to those of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 6 have been allotted reference numbers increased by 100, the `g`-proportioned friction device 200 includes a horizontally mounted pendulum 222 having a main body portion 224, a neck 226 and a journal bearing 228. The bearing 228 surrounds an eccentric, internally splined bush 230 journalling a splined pin 205. The splined interconnection between the parts 205, 230 is for enabling the height of the pendulum to be adjusted.

The body portion 224 is hollow and its cavity is filled with a lead insert 232 to increase its mass. On either side of the lead insert 232 a respective recess 234 in the body portion 224 accommodates a lever 203. The free end portion of each lever 203 is formed with a nose 236 for frictional engagement with a wall of the respective recess 234.

Each lever 203 is pivotally connected by way of lever pivot pins 209 to two corners of a generally inverted triangular-section boss or plate 201 which surrounds the bearing arrangement 228, 230 and 205 of the pendulum. From pins 209 a further portion of each lever 203 extends at an angle and terminates in a pivotal connection 206 to friction pads 229, 231 bearing against a braking surface 220.

The bearing arrangement is connected to a carriage structure 250 that supports a throttle lever 251. This structure 250 runs on wheels 252 rolling on rails 254. The rails 254 and the braking surface 220 may be levelled by adjustable bolts 256. The lever 251 is secured for longitudinal movement in a throttle box 253 having a cover plate 255 with a longitudinal slot 257 to permit movement of the lever 251.

In this embodiment, no spring like the spring 104 in FIGS. 4 to 6 is provided. However, in a non-illustrated variant, an unrolled coil spring may be secured at each end of, and extending the full length of, the underside of the braking surface 220 and passed under the brake pads 229, 231 so as to exert a resilient force on the underside of the pads 229, 231.

In use of the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8, longitudinal, fore-and-aft acceleration causes the pendulum to oscillate, in turn causing the levers 203 to move up-and-down in the recesses 234. This lever movement is transmitted via lever pivot pins 209 and pivotal connections 206 to cause the appropriate one of the pads 229, 231 to be pressed more strongly against the braking surface 220.

Although in the embodiments of FIGS. 4 to 6 and FIGS. 7 and 8 the levers 103, 203 and friction pads are disposed symmetrically about the axis of oscillation of the pendulum, in a non-illustrated variant one lever or brake may operate in one direction in a `g`-proportioned way but in the opposite direction may operate in a manner which is not `g`-proportioned.