GB125695A - Improvements in and relating to Aeroplanes. - Google Patents

Abstract

125,695. Lewis, F. J. March 20, 1918. Planes, arrangement of; land-wheels; steering.-In an aeroplane with folding wings and means for driving landwheels from the engine so that the machine may be used as a motor-car, the driving landwheel is arranged between the undercarriage and the tailskid. The wings 1 are hinged to a central plane section or the fuselage so that they can fold backwards, and a driven land-wheel 7 is located between the front wheels 6 and the tail-skid so as to be normally out of contact with the ground, but is brought on to the ground by lowering the fuselage 3 on the undercarriage 15. The undercarriage is arranged to slide on guides 11, Fig. 4, hinged at 12 to the fuselage, and is moved vertically by means of screw gear 9. The wheel 7 may be driven by means of gearing 28 - - 31, Fig. 7, adapted to be coupled to a wheel 27 on the engine shaft by means of a pinion 26. Instead of lowering the fuselage, the wheel 7 alone may be lowered about the axis 30. The front wheels 6 may be steered from the rudder bar 19, Fig. 4, by means of cords 20, 20<x>. Small wheels 4, Fig. 2, may be fitted at the wing-tips. A cable extending from tip to tip in front of the wings may serve to hold them in the extended position. The wings may be stayed to upward extensions of their hinge-pins. Shock of landing, deadening.-The fuselage is slung from the undercarriage by means of rubber cord or steel springs. Propelling.-The propeller shaft is non-rotatably jointed to the engine shaft at 23, Fig. 8, but may be coupled therewith by means of a clutch 24.