MURRAY COHEN, P.E.
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Every design problem has a unique solution
August 12, 2007
605 Spring Lake Drive Middle Island, NY 11953-2663
T: 631-345-6586 F: 631- 345-2284 E: murcoh@msn.com
Press Release For Immediate Release
Middle Island, New York
Press Release – New Patent Issued:
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently issued a new patent to Murray Cohen, P.E., a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of New York and the owner of substantial patent rights.
Murray Cohen, P.E. proudly presents a new, extraordinary failsafe, rod-end locking device, and entitled Integrated Locking Device (ILD). It was designed for use on aircraft flight control actuators, landing gear actuators, feel springs, bungees and other control system linkages to prevent rotation after installation in the aircraft and during the flight regime. The ILD is composed of four (4) components, a housing, a special nut, a sinusoidal spring and a retainer pin blended into a unique integrated assembly, and is truly a positive locking device as well as being in strict compliance with commercial and military specifications. Two (2) independent locking features replace the unreliable method of using safety wire to prevent the jam nut from backing off. The primary lock is a nut that contains a special internal thread form that is highly resistant to vibration. The secondary lock is a sinusoidal spring that prevents the nut from backing off if it is not tightened properly. The ILD is adaptable to all new vehicles as well as existing installations, and does not require reworking existing hardware. The ILD can replace all existing locking devices, including female rod end applications, and thus reduce large inventories for a substantial cost savings. The ILD is the ultimate design for optimum reliability. A second patent proposal was recently submitted to the USPTO as a CIP (Continuation in Part) of the original patent that included several improvements and refinements, and is currently pending.
Existing standard locking devices consist of several separate components such as a locking device, a jam nut and secured by safety wire to prevent the nut from backing off and disengaging from the linkage. Unfortunately, the existing locking devices have been known to be installed incorrectly, the jam nut not tightened with sufficient torque or safety wire omitted inadvertently or broken. Failure of a locking device caused a military aircraft, a Grumman E-2C Hawkeye, to lose control of the elevator system, and a catastrophic crash occurred that resulted in the death of five crewmembers, and the vehicle was completely demolished. Another accident occurred on a commercial vehicle, a Reims/Cessna F406 with a failed locking device that caused the collapse of the nose landing gear during the takeoff mode, resulting in extensive damage to the nose landing gear doors, forward fuselage and the propellers. A Bell Helicopter Textron, Model 205A-1 incident occurred in which a damaged locking device allowed the rod end to detach from the collective actuator causing loss of collective control of the main rotor. The current locking devices are subjected to mechanical damage and failure, which allows the actuator piston to unthread itself from its rod end. This condition, if not corrected, could cause the loss of control of the main rotor and, subsequently, loss of the helicopter.
Drawings of ILD Assembly and typical Installation will be sent to interested parties. Additional information is available by telephone or e-mail noted above.
NEW AIRCRAFT INTEGRATED ROD END LOCKING DEVICE
