GB441445A - Improvements in or relating to aircraft - Google Patents

Abstract

441,445. Controlling aircraft. MANGOLD, S., 13, Gonzagagasse, Vienna. July 5, 1935, No. 19312. [Class 4] An aircraft has at least three forward propelling or lifting airscrews arranged at the apices of a polygon and driven from a common driving means through at least two differential gear means in series, means being provided whereby the airscrews may be differentially braked individually or in groups under control of a universally movable control lever whereby air screws or groups of airscrews to which no braking effect is applied are speeded up to the extent to which the others are slowed down in order to effect lateral steering in the case of forward driving airscrews and to maintain the craft in a horizontal position in the case of lifting airscrews. Fig. 1 shows an aircraft having lifting airscrews 1, 2, 3 disposed at the apices of an isosceles triangle symmetrically disposed with relation to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. A single engine drives the crown bevel wheel 7, Fig. 3, of a differential gear comprising sun-wheels 10, 11 of which 10 is coupled to airscrew 1 and wheel 11 to a shaft 12 driving a pair of planet wheel 13, 14 which latter transmit drive through wheel 15 to airscrew 2 and through wheel 16 to airscrew 3. Brake drums 17, 18, 19 are provided on the shafts of the three airscrews, and a fourth drum 20 on shaft 12. It is thus possible to speed up airscrew 3 and slow down airscrew 2 by acting on brake drum 18 or effect the reverse by acting on brake drum 19. Similarly airscrew 1 may be slowed down and airscrews 2 and 3 speeded up by acting on drum 17 or the opposite result obtained by acting on drum 20. Control means are shown diagrammatically in Fig. 5, in which 21 is a lever universally pivoted at 22 and is arranged when swung backwards and forwards to pivot a yoke member 23 about bearings 24 so that by means of cranks 25 and connecting rods a double cone element is shifted either backwards or forwards to brake either drum 17 or drum 20. Hand lever 21 has a downwardly projecting arm 30 engaging a member 33 connecting rods 31, 32 connected to brake shoes 36, 37 acting on drums 18, 19 respectively. Separate forward propelling means may be provided or the shafts of airscrews 1, 2, 3 may be arranged to tilt into any position intermediate between the horizontal and vertical. Actuation of the brakes may be effected automatically by loaded lever or gyroscopic means. The main supporting surface may be made rotatable, be formed with adjustable louvres or may comprise adjustable trailing edge parts. Fig. 6 shows an arrangement of four lifting screws 40, 41, 42, 43, adapted to be controlled by means such as shown in Fig. 5. In this arrangement either airscrews 40, 41 or 42, 42, or 40, 42, or 41, 43 may be braked simultaneously. The braking effort may be applied by fluid pressure means. Lever 21 may be the controlling lever for the elevator and ailerons.