Fail-safe aircraft engine mounting apparatus
View Patent ↗A mounting apparatus for an aircraft engine that provides load path redundancy includes a forward mount that attaches the aircraft engine to a pylon at a forward position of the aircraft engine, an aft mount that attaches the aircraft engine to the pylon at an aft position of the aircraft engine and a thrust assembly connected to the forward mount, and the aft mount. The forward mount includes an aircraft engine attachment assembly and a fail-safe assembly. The aft mount includes an aircraft engine attachment assembly and a fail-safe assembly.
1. A mounting apparatus for an aircraft engine that provides load path redundancy, the mounting apparatus comprising:
a forward mount for attaching the aircraft engine to a pylon at a forward position of the aircraft engine, the forward mount including an aircraft engine attachment assembly and a fail-safe assembly;
an aft mount for attaching the aircraft engine to the pylon at an aft position of the aircraft engine; and
a thrust assembly connected with the forward mount, wherein the thrust assembly is configured to attach with the pylon at an aft position, to attach to the aircraft engine, and to constrain relative movement between the forward mount and the thrust assembly in an inward and outward direction toward and away from a rotational axis of the aircraft engine and in a forward and aft direction relative to the aircraft engine.
2. The mounting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fail-safe assembly of the forward mount further comprises a pair of spaced-apart walls defining a channel and a pin-receiving hole.
3. The mounting apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the thrust assembly further comprises a thrust fitting assembly including a pin-receiving hole and a forward mounting flange, the forward mounting flange positioned within the spaced-apart channel of the forward mount and having a pin-receiving hole axially aligned with the pin-receiving hole of the forward mount assembly.
4. The mounting apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a fastener disposed within the pin-receiving hole of the thrust fitting assembly and the pin-receiving hole of the forward mount.
5. The mounting apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the axis of the pin-receiving hole is generally parallel with the major axis of the aircraft engine.
6. The mounting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fail-safe assembly of the forward mount further comprises a pair of spaced-apart flanges wherein the spaced-apart flanges each have a pin-receiving hole.
7. The mounting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the aft mount further comprises a fail-safe assembly including two upstanding spaced-apart flanges defining a channel and mounting tongue, each of the flanges including an axially-aligned pin-receiving hole and the mounting tongue including a pin-receiving hole.
8. The mounting apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the thrust assembly further comprises an elongated thrust link assembly having a pin-receiving hole at an end, the pin-receiving hole axially aligned with the pin receiving hole of the mounting tongue.
9. The mounting apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the aft mount and the link assembly are symmetric about an axis parallel with the major axis of the aircraft engine and the forward mount is symmetric about an axis transverse to the major axis of the aircraft engine.
10. The mounting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft engine attachment assembly of the forward mount comprises a clevis, lug, ball joint, or rod end.
11. The mounting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the aft mount further comprises an aircraft engine attachment assembly including a clevis, lug, ball joint, or rod end.
12. A mounting apparatus for an aircraft engine that provides load path redundancy, the mounting apparatus comprising:
a forward mount assembly operable to attach to the aircraft engine and a pylon and including spaced-apart walls defining a channel, each wall including a pin-receiving hole;
a thrust fitting assembly configured to be positioned between the forward mount and the aircraft engine, the thrust fitting assembly including a pin-receiving hole and a forward mounting flange, the forward mounting flange positioned within the spaced-apart channel of the forward mount assembly and having a pin-receiving hole axially aligned with the pin-receiving hole of the forward mount assembly;
a first fastener for securing the thrust fitting assembly in the forward mount assembly and positioned within the pin-receiving holes of the forward mount assembly and the pin-receiving hole of the forward mounting flange;
a thrust link assembly pivotally connected to the thrust fitting assembly at a first end of the thrust link assembly; and
an aft mount assembly operable to attach to the aircraft engine and pivotally connected to the thrust link assembly at a second end of the thrust link assembly with a second fastener, the aft mount assembly including two upstanding spaced-apart flanges defining a channel, each of the upstanding flanges having an axially-aligned pin-receiving hole.
13. The mounting apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the forward mounting assembly further comprises:
an elongated arcuate yoke assembly; and
a forward mounting link assembly.
14. The mounting apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first fastener is a bolt, a pin, a lug, or a screw.
15. The mounting apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the second fastener is a bolt, a pin, a lug, or a screw.
16. The mounting apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the thrust link assembly includes a clevis, lug, ball joint, or rod end at the first and second ends.
17. The mounting apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the forward mount assembly further comprises a plurality of attachment points for the aircraft engine.
18. The mounting apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the aft mount assembly further comprises a plurality of attachment points for the aircraft engine.
19. The mounting apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the forward mount assembly is symmetric about a vertical axis.
20. The mounting apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the aft mount assembly is symmetric about a horizontal axis.