GB282938A - Improvements in or relating to control mechanism for aircraft - Google Patents

Abstract

282,938. Camm, S., and Hawker Engineering Co., Ltd., H. G. Nov 3, 1926. Steering, balancing, and regulating altitude.-In control mechanism for aeroplanes comprising a handwheel 2 for controlling the ailerons mounted in a horizontal bearing 10 at the upper end of a pivoted control column 13, a push member 5, 6 for firing a gun, is positioned relatively to the wheel 2 so as to be operable readily by the thumb or fingers without removing the hand from the wheel. As shown, the shaft 1 upon which the wheel 2 is fixed, is made hollow and slidable within it is a rod 3 on the rearwardly-projecting end of which is rotatably mounted a boss 4 carrying two radial arms 5 the outer ends of which are formed as thumb buttons 6 disposed a short distance within the rim 7 of the wheel 2. Guide pins 8 project forwardly from the buttons 6 through holes in the spokes or disc 9 of the wheel so that as the latter is. turned the arms 5 retain their relative position without rotating the rod 3. The forward end of the rod 3 is pivoted to one arm of a bell-crank lever 11 pivoted to a bracket 12 mounted on the column 13, the other arm of the bell-crank lever being connected by a. Bowden wire 14 to the gun mechanism, so that when the rod 3 is pushed forward by pressure on the buttons 6 the gun is fired. A returning spring 16 is provided. For locking or freeing the subsidiary control device, a fork 18, Fig. 3, slidable radially into and out of engagement with a recess 19 in the rod 3, is carried on a rod 21 which slides in a tube 22 mounted on the wheel 2 and terminates in a plate 23 located just within the rim 7 of the wheel so as to be operable conveniently by the fingers. The, rod 21 is held in its in and out positions by a spring-pressed ball 25. If the connection between the end of the shalt 3 and the bell-crank lever 11 comprises a ball and socket joint the arms 5 may be fixed directly to the shaft 3. The guide pins 8 may be dispensed with if in place of the two arms 5 several arms or an annular ring is used.