GB2123780A

GB2123780A - Improvements to aircraft

Info

Publication number: GB2123780A
Application number: GB08312177A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Francis Williamson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-05-05
Filing date: 1983-05-04
Publication date: 1984-02-08
Also published as: GB8312177D0

Abstract

Cyclone consists of a static disc 1 which may be flat, convex upwards or cone shaped, above which is rotated vanes 2, the mean planes of which are at 90 DEG to the top surface of the disc causing a drop in pressure while the centrifugally accelerated air is deflected downwards by a shroud 3 having the surface form of a horizontally truncated cone, apex upwards, held static about the periphery of the disc-vanes-unit, with an annular opening 9 between periphery of the disc and the inside surface of the shroud having an area equal to that of the opening 10 in the top of the shroud, while the shroud and disc are suitably attached to each other and also to the airframe or hull so that the combined effect of suction above the disc and reaction between the deflecting air and shroud will provide lift, hover and movement in any desired direction to a flying machine, without the use of wings, where pitch is achieved by weight shift, yaw and roll by adjustable vanes and flaps positioned within the shroud as indicated in figure 1 of the drawings, while gain and loss of altitude by use of the engine throttle. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements to aircraft Cyclone is a device which develops and uses the cyclonic action of air, to lift, lower or move a machine in horizontal flight in any desired direction and consists of a statically fixed disc which may be flat, convex upwards or cone shaped, apex upwards, above which is rotated vanes in the form of a centrifugal impellor, the mean planes of which are normal to the surface of the disc to cause the pressure to drop towards a vacuum, while the air that is centrifugally displaced is redirected by a shroud or skirt resembling the surface form of the lower part of a horizontally truncated cone, held static about the periphery of the disc-vanes-unit and is built into and attached to a suitable hull or airframe, which will be more fully understood from the following specification in which:: Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section in which 1 indicates the static thrust take up disc. 2 is one of the 6NO centrifugal impellor blades. These blades may be of any number and configuration, the mean planes of which are at 900 to the upper surface of the disc and are suitable for centrifugally accelerating air. 3 is the static deflector shroud or skirt which is attached to the airframe or as an integral part of the hull. 4 shows the power transmission shaft which may be driven by any suitable motor capable of accelerating the impellor to the revolutions necessary to cause the required pressure drop above the disc, which when combined with the effect of the reaction between shroud and centrifically displaced air, will produce the desired lift. 5 is the gear box through which the transmission is turned through 900. 6 indicates the impellor drive shaft to which the impellor blades are fixed and projects through the center of the disc at 900 to the plane of the disc. 7 shows an anti torque vane, also used to produce clockwise or anticlockwise rotation to the unit airframe machine about the plane of the disc. 8 shows disc locating and retaining members. 9 indicates the annular opening between disc and shroud, equal in area to the inlet opening in the top of the shroud. 10 indicates the inlet opening in the top of the shroud, and is equal in area to the annular opening, 9 between disc and shroud. 11 indicates the forward part of the hull or cabin. 12 is the stern part of the hull where the movable motor is located.The motor would be used to change the centre of gravity to give pitch control and trim adjustment. 13 indicates a position of the motor. 14 is one of 2 vanes or flaps used for roll control and would be positioned in the airflow to the right inside and left inside bottom edge of the shroud. 7 and 14, are shown as vanes or flaps in the air stream, but; the power needed to perform the functions of anti torque, clockwise anticlockwise rotation and roll about the lateral axis could be air ducted from inside the shroud, to suitably placed outlets via control valves, Fig. 2 in which a, b and c indicates suitably positioned duct inlets used to take some of the accelerated air from within the shroud, to be exhausted at suitably placed and controlled outlet points around the periphery which would be directed into the appropriate planes to give pitch, yaw and roll as well as trim to the unit-airframe-machine.

d, e, f and g indicate the directions taken by the ducting to their outlet points or positions around the periphery of the machine-airframe-unit.

Claims

1. A disc which is held in a static position and attached to the airframe with a centrifugal impellor consisting of a number of vanes, the mean planes of which are at 900 to the surface of the disc over which they rotate causing a reduction in the air pressure towards a vacuum over this surface while the air which is displaced centrifically by the rotating vanes is deflected downwards by a shroud that resembles the-lower surface of a horizontally truncated cone that is held in a static position apex upwards and is also attached to the airframe, there being an annular opening between the periphery of the disc and the inside of the circumscribing shroud similar in area to the opening in the apex of the shroud, and the resulting reaction between the centrifically accelerated air and inside surface of the shroud, when added to the force created by the suction above the disc, will provide lift for an aircraft as fig. 1.

2. All as claim 1 wherein an adjustable vane or vanes located in position in the airflow within the shroud and below the disc, would be used to counter the effects of torque and give the unitairframe-machine, clockwise and anticlockwise rotation as viewed from above, while the pitch control (nose up, nose down) is achieved by a centre of gravity shift by moving pilot or motor unit and roll control by movable vanes or flaps attached to the port and starboard lower edge of the shroud as fig. 1.

3. All as claim 1 wherein the control functions in claim 2 above are achieved by ducting air flow from within the shroud, to suitably place and controlled outlet points around the periphery of the pitch, yaw and roll axis of the unit-airframe machine as fig. 2.

4. All as claim 1 wherein the control functions are a composite mix of the methods outlined in claim 2 and 3 above, and indicated in fig. 1 and 2.

New claims filed on 8 Aug 1983 Superseded claims 1-4 New or amended claims: 1. An apparatus for the generation of vertical lifting forces comprising a static disc, which may be flat, convex (convex upwards) or cone shaped apex upwards above which is rotated a centrifugal impellor to reduce the air pressure towards a vacuum above its upper surface.

2. All as claim 1, wherein the disc and impellor unit as substantially contained within a truncated conical shroud so that the shroud and disc are

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Improvements to aircraft Cyclone is a device which develops and uses the cyclonic action of air, to lift, lower or move a machine in horizontal flight in any desired direction and consists of a statically fixed disc which may be flat, convex upwards or cone shaped, apex upwards, above which is rotated vanes in the form of a centrifugal impellor, the mean planes of which are normal to the surface of the disc to cause the pressure to drop towards a vacuum, while the air that is centrifugally displaced is redirected by a shroud or skirt resembling the surface form of the lower part of a horizontally truncated cone, held static about the periphery of the disc-vanes-unit and is built into and attached to a suitable hull or airframe, which will be more fully understood from the following specification in which:: Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section in which 1 indicates the static thrust take up disc. 2 is one of the 6NO centrifugal impellor blades. These blades may be of any number and configuration, the mean planes of which are at 900 to the upper surface of the disc and are suitable for centrifugally accelerating air. 3 is the static deflector shroud or skirt which is attached to the airframe or as an integral part of the hull. 4 shows the power transmission shaft which may be driven by any suitable motor capable of accelerating the impellor to the revolutions necessary to cause the required pressure drop above the disc, which when combined with the effect of the reaction between shroud and centrifically displaced air, will produce the desired lift. 5 is the gear box through which the transmission is turned through 900. 6 indicates the impellor drive shaft to which the impellor blades are fixed and projects through the center of the disc at 900 to the plane of the disc. 7 shows an anti torque vane, also used to produce clockwise or anticlockwise rotation to the unit airframe machine about the plane of the disc. 8 shows disc locating and retaining members. 9 indicates the annular opening between disc and shroud, equal in area to the inlet opening in the top of the shroud. 10 indicates the inlet opening in the top of the shroud, and is equal in area to the annular opening, 9 between disc and shroud. 11 indicates the forward part of the hull or cabin. 12 is the stern part of the hull where the movable motor is located.The motor would be used to change the centre of gravity to give pitch control and trim adjustment. 13 indicates a position of the motor. 14 is one of 2 vanes or flaps used for roll control and would be positioned in the airflow to the right inside and left inside bottom edge of the shroud. 7 and 14, are shown as vanes or flaps in the air stream, but; the power needed to perform the functions of anti torque, clockwise anticlockwise rotation and roll about the lateral axis could be air ducted from inside the shroud, to suitably placed outlets via control valves, Fig. 2 in which a, b and c indicates suitably positioned duct inlets used to take some of the accelerated air from within the shroud, to be exhausted at suitably placed and controlled outlet points around the periphery which would be directed into the appropriate planes to give pitch, yaw and roll as well as trim to the unit-airframe-machine. d, e, f and g indicate the directions taken by the ducting to their outlet points or positions around the periphery of the machine-airframe-unit. Claims 1. A disc which is held in a static position and attached to the airframe with a centrifugal impellor consisting of a number of vanes, the mean planes of which are at 900 to the surface of the disc over which they rotate causing a reduction in the air pressure towards a vacuum over this surface while the air which is displaced centrifically by the rotating vanes is deflected downwards by a shroud that resembles the-lower surface of a horizontally truncated cone that is held in a static position apex upwards and is also attached to the airframe, there being an annular opening between the periphery of the disc and the inside of the circumscribing shroud similar in area to the opening in the apex of the shroud, and the resulting reaction between the centrifically accelerated air and inside surface of the shroud, when added to the force created by the suction above the disc, will provide lift for an aircraft as fig. 1. 2. All as claim 1 wherein an adjustable vane or vanes located in position in the airflow within the shroud and below the disc, would be used to counter the effects of torque and give the unitairframe-machine, clockwise and anticlockwise rotation as viewed from above, while the pitch control (nose up, nose down) is achieved by a centre of gravity shift by moving pilot or motor unit and roll control by movable vanes or flaps attached to the port and starboard lower edge of the shroud as fig. 1. 3. All as claim 1 wherein the control functions in claim 2 above are achieved by ducting air flow from within the shroud, to suitably place and controlled outlet points around the periphery of the pitch, yaw and roll axis of the unit-airframe machine as fig. 2. 4. All as claim 1 wherein the control functions are a composite mix of the methods outlined in claim 2 and 3 above, and indicated in fig. 1 and 2. New claims filed on 8 Aug 1983 Superseded claims 1-4 New or amended claims:

1. An apparatus for the generation of vertical lifting forces comprising a static disc, which may be flat, convex (convex upwards) or cone shaped apex upwards above which is rotated a centrifugal impellor to reduce the air pressure towards a vacuum above its upper surface.

2. All as claim 1, wherein the disc and impellor unit as substantially contained within a truncated conical shroud so that the shroud and disc are attached to each other to form an unrestricted annular opening between disc and shroud which is equal in area to the truncated inlet in its apex.

3. All as claims 1 and 2, wherein there are rotatable vanes positioned in the air stream within the shroud and below the disc, the axis of rotation of these vanes is normal to the shroud to provide torque, clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation of the machine about its vertical axis.

4. All as claims 1, 2 and 3 wherein two adjustable flaps positioned adjacent to one another in the lower peripheral edge of the shroud to provide roll control about the longitudinal axis of the machine.

5. All as claims 1, 2, 3 and 4 wherein trim and pitch control is achieved by centre of gravity shift brought about by moving ballast, an engine or engines forwards or backwards.

6. Wherein all the control functions in claims 3, 4 and 5 are produced by exhausting from suitably valved, controlled and positioned jet outlets about the three axis of rotation of the machine; airflow taken from within the shroud below the disc.

7. An apparatus for the generation of vertical lifting forces substantially as herein before described with reference to and as shown in figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.