GB143591A - Improvements in or relating to aerial craft - Google Patents

Abstract

143,591. Cotton, J. H. Jan. 28, 1919. Planes and the like, arrangement of; propelling; land wheels; shock of landing, deadening.-Relates to aeroplanes with folding wings and with means for driving the landing-wheels when on the ground, and consists in providing two motors,one for the propeller and one for the driving- wheels. A swivelling retractable rear wheel is connected up for steering when on the ground. The planes b, c, Fig. 1, are connected by struts the rear one d of which is mounted on a rod c, Fig. 9, carried by braekets f from the fuselage, so that the wings may be folded back when not used for sustenta. tion. The fixed centre plane is supported by a strut g. The propeller is driven by an engine which can be started up by a second motor j. The motor is adapted to drive the landing wheels r through a gears, universal joint m, cardan shaft l, differential gear o, cross-shafts with chain sprockets at the ends, and chains to sprockets on the wheels. The wheel-axle casings are connected by adjustable struts or radius-rods with the differential casing, and the movement of the wheels is in an arc about the differential gear as centre, the movement being constrained by brackets on struts s. The rear spindle v is carried by a frame w with a spindle 10, which is freely mounted in a socket x in a second frame 21 pivoted to the fuselage, so that the wheel can be into the fuselage when the machine is in flight. A laminated spring z, anchored to the same pivot as the frame 21, takes road shocks when the wheel is let down. Steering is effected by arms 9, which are operated by cables attached to arms 11 on a vertical spindle 12, Fig. 7, in the cockpit. The tiller 14 has a spring-controlled pin connexion with the column 12, which, when withdrawn, allows the tiller to be set up into the vertical position when not required. Rigid with the spring z are arms 18 with spring- controlled pins 19 adapted to lock into depressions in quadrants 20 on the fuselage. The Provisional Specification states that the rear wheel or wheels may also be power-driven, the skid may be retractable, the front wheels may be constructed for steering, and the folding planes may have an horizontal pivoting axis in addition to the vertical axis, with means for locking the planes in the folded and out-stretched positions.