US1031807A - Air-navigating machine. - Google Patents

Description

B. MOLNAR. y AIR NAVIGATING MACHINE. Y APPLIUTION'FIILED DBO; 27, 1910.

y 1,031,580?. mma .my 9,1912.

' lE. MOLNAR.. AIR NAVIGATING MACHINE.

APPLITION FILED 10110.27, 1910.

Pateneaquly 9, 1912 A 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2',

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B. MOLNAR; 'AIR NAYIGATING MACHINE. APPLIATION FILED DEO. 27, 1910.

1,031,807. Patented my 9,1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

En MOLNAR.

AIB NAVIGATING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEU; 27, 1910.

LGSLSG?. v Patented July 9, 1912.

A SHEETS-SHEET 4.

ERNEST MOLNAR, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

einen AIR-NAVIGATING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1912.

Application filed December 27, 1910. Serial No. 599,338.

My inventionrelates to air navigating machines and the invention consists in a machine having a pair of wings with portions corresponding to feathers in the wings of birds and adapted to open and close rotarily according as the wing` is on the down or up stroke, and both wings operate exaetly alike and' in unison, so that a description of one wing and its associated mechanism will serve for both.-l

ln the accompanying drawings, Figui-e1 is a perspective view ofthe machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the wings and its body connections -with the wing open, as Whenit is on its up stroke and the feathers or vanes arev rotated to edgewise position vertically. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts seen in Fig. 2 but considerably, enlarged over the same and with the feathers or vanes of the wing closed, as Iin itsdown stroke. Fig. l is a sectional View on line 4 4, Fig. 5, looking` to the left but showing the wing tilted up. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a part of the machine showing the -vanes spread at vdifferent angles to a horizontal plane. Fig. 6 is a front elevationof one side of the machine with the wing at the left in horizontal position-therefrom and presumably on the up stroke as the vanes are open in full lines and are shown-A raised in dotted lines and about to be closed for-descent of the wing. Fig. 7 shows the parts in full lines substantially'where they Figs. 8 and 9 are details of the vane stems or Shanks.

As thus shown the respective wings *as* such, one on each side, are represented by W, and each wing-has a series of feathers or feather shaped vanes V. These vanes are substantially feather shaped like the feathers on a fowl a-nd constitute Wingsof approximately butterfly shape in plan. Each vane has a stem or shank 2 of the requisite strength and slightly flexible in its outer portion, and any suitable webbing or ribhing can be used with said stems to extend more or less laterally therefrqln'andaford an outline 'skeleton toearry th domina and j thereof.

or other thin covering 3. As to this covering it may be of any suitable light material whether metallic or other kind;

Each vane isrotatably mounted in a wing trame F of sector shape in the portion carrying said vanes and in which the said stem's are radially disposed with axial rotation, or more definitely in the segmental portions Otherwise frame F 'has parallel sides and is pivotally mounted on the ends of the shaft S'2 and adapted to l swing thereon substantially half a full circle. rlhatis, when the wings are raised as high as they will go they are vin approximately perpendicular position, and when they are loweredl or down they assume asubstantially opposite position, thus describing about a half circle from one position to the other. The said vanes are tach axially rotatable in frame F about a quarter turn,

or from open to closed position, being open'- when they. rise so as to'cut the .air and get back to closed carrying position as easily and'quickly as possible for the down stroke when they are automatically closed andv remain closedv during the down stroke,

as will presently be seen.

The machine has "a rigid `main frame'B which of courseis as light as consistent with the strength necessary for carrying the engine and the operating mechanism and such load as it may. be built to carry, say one or more persons. Otherwise than for these particulars the said frame may have any suitable size and form, it being seen, however, that a passenger cage or carriage E is provided within this frame while there are runners g at the bottom thereof, and said runners may have wheels if preferred. A suitably constructed and arranged tail T is supported between said wings rearward.

Now, having the' wings W operatively mounted in a natural positie-n and relation in respect to the body frame B, the actua,- tion of said wings proceeds from shaft SP as will presently be seen. The said shaft S2 is fixed and carries the two loosely mounted gears 6 and 7 which are providel with the arms 8 and S', respectively, sai 'arms being adapted alternately to engage with a.

shaft 'S' and geared and arranged to make power connections with the engine shaft S, anda .latter gearwis fixed on. each end of portion ofthe wing franjie, wherebyh the same 1s successively raised and lowered. A sprocket wheehG is mounted on a countersaid shaft S. The two other miter gears, 6 and 7, are loosely mounted onshaft S2 as just described and both mesh in gear from opposite sides, one to raise the wings and- Ithe other to lower them, to make carrying 4`or beating strokes. Thegear 6 has to do with the raising of the wings, which is'an idle movement so far as buoyancy or carrying is concerned, but the change is so It) /quickly made and the active stroke of the .wings is so effective that the result of the complete action as it is repeated is like the corresponding action of the wings of a bird. Thel net effect of the operation is substantially equivalent to what a continuous down stroke would be. This works out through said gears 5, Ki. and 7 as follows: Thus, assuming that the wings are downoutof action they are raised by means of the lift finger 8 rigid with said gear 6 and adaptf ed to reach beneath a slide 9 on the frame F in position to be engaged on its-bottom side by said fingerand whereby the said wing is carried upward under power to a vert-ical position. As the wing approaches this latter position a pair of outwardly and downwardly curved horns 10 come beneath the edge of said slide and press it back far enough to release lift finger 8 therefrom,

Fig. 7. As this occurs the wing is instantly .be engaged again by the liftlnger 8 and raised, and so on successively. Thus the wings are under constant power one way or the other and alternately as to the` up and down strokes. Both the gears 6 and 7 and arms 8 and 8' respectively at the sides thereof revolve continuously in appropriate direction under power delivery through gear v5, as above described, and horn 10 below ieleases slide 9 as horn 10 releases slide 9. All the foregoing parts are alike as to both wings. The said slides 9 and9 have springs 92 to press them .back to normal position wheii'rclcased from the horns 10 and l0', and the fingers 8 and S have spring pressed portions a, Fig. 7, which project beyond the finger proper and really make the engagement with said slides Sl and 9.

This is in order to cushion the contact'. with said slides.

Now, the wings rise to what may he termed stroke position they are designed to open by a quarter rotation ol' their valles 8, and to effect this result at the right lime au well as to restore the vanes again ,to ahori- Zontal positionf I employ twoarms, 12 and 12, respect-ivef, but built in one piece as shown and-extending outward' in curved lines into position to trip said vane control-f ling mechanism in veach up and down movement successively. Thus, each wing is provided with avane controlling segment 14,- Fig. 3, having short radial projections niet` open vslotted lugs' its outer edge `'engaging in or project-ionsl m, Fig. 8, on the Shanks of the vane stems 2. The, said stems extend between the two segments f and f on the wing frame F. One of the outer vanes hasA extending through the a shank or stem 2 front segment f into segment f and a short lever 0,`F 3,1is fixed rigidly on the outer end of sai shank 2 and adapted to be en gaged by said arms 12 and 12 alternately in the extremes of movements of the wing up and down. 'Hencewhuen the wing is down and being raised by finger 8 the arm -12 with its hook end will engage lever Q' and rotate the said Vane s'liank `or shaft 2 andv this will communicate a quarter turn to all the other vanes to an -open `p'o.s'ition,fsiich change occurring through a swinging movement of segment 14 on its pivot arm '15. In fact the l,raising ofthe wings alone will have the tendency to open said lvanes or feathers 3, and said vanes also4 tend naturally `to assume the closed or horizontal position on the down stroke, but to make su'r'e of this the arm 12 is adapted to engage the projection o', which positively closes the vanes as.. i

the wing'starts to descend, Opening and cilosin of the wingsfthus loccurs yautomatically and` positively as a necessary ei'ect in vthe operations, and the hooks at the ends of said ariiis 12 and' 12 alike engage arm o in both positions." The closingaction for the vanes is shown in dotted llines in the upper portion of Fig. 6. y l l Now, having the machine provided withv power driven Awings ,andv operating parts as described, it is of course .desirable to have complete control of thev wings for movements in the air, so that they can'be ma-` nipulated for. steering and flight, and by vwhich theelevation and directions of travel can be changed. For example, to fly in a circle a certain position or positions of the wings is required which differs from the requirements of a direct flight, and to rise or descend requires still other and different positions and manipulationsv of the wings. To these ends the wing controlling mechanism on each side is supported ona separate substantially rectangular" open work -frame' D carried in part on shaft S by means of a yoke 20 sleeved on shaft S at its middle, Figs. 4'and 6, and having arms rigid with the ends ,ol said frame D inside, so that said l'rnme is rotatable on said shaft as a center oll rotation and support and in its segmentaliy shaped side bearings 30, Fig. 4.' Levers "L extend downward'from the said frames D into controlling position by thel operator from his seat and through these he can give any desired deflection, tiltor other move ment to either wing separately that a desireddirection or change of flight may require. All the mechanism having to do with the operation of the wings is mounted in or upon the said frames D.` Suitable means confine said frames D rotatably in respect to or on main frame B, and said frames have each a slot 22 in one end and a set screw through same in frame B to set or tix frame D in any desired position if this he preferred. Otherwise the said slot atl'ords a limited free movement of frame D and the screw helps to confine the frame on frame B as described. Ax tiltedl position of frame D isshown in Fig. 4. The taill'l` of course serves the usual function for steer ing and buoyancy and coperates with the wings in flight.

l claim:

1. ln aerial machines, a machine having wings at its sides provided with individually rotatable vanes and means to operate said wings comprising a supporting shaft for each wmg and arms operatively mounted on each shaft adapted to act successivelyv and give strokes to said wings in combination with means to axially rotate the said vanes ,to open position in their upward stroke and to close the same on their downward stroke.

2. An a-erial machine with wings at its sides provided each with radially disposed v-.ines having axially rotatable ribs, in combination with means to rotate said vanes to open position on the up stroke and to closed position on the down stroke comprising a pivotally mounted segment 14 4for each wing operatively engaged with said ribs, and means to oscillate said segment.

5l. machine to navigate the-air having a pair of pivotally mounted wings and a separate shaft on which each wing is mounted, two gears on each of said shafts for each wing and one of ,said gears having an arm to raise the wing and the other an arm to depress the wing and produce a stroke.

xt. A; machine as described having a pair olf wings consisting each of separate rotatahle varies and frames in which said vanes are mounted.' a shaft on which said frame is pivoted, and power driven arms on said shat't adapted to engage said wings succes- ,sively and produce a flying n'ioven'lent.

5. .t flying machine having a main frame, a pair of wings and frames carrying the said wings pivotally mounted at the sides on said unain trame, in combination with power `driven mechanism to -vihrate said wings lcomprising a supporting shaft for cach wing,'and means on .sa/'id shafts to produce each side and means \to actuate the same comprisingfa fixed shaft for each Wing and means on said shaft` to raise and lower said wings comprising a plurality of gears and means therewith to vibrate the wings, and.

.means adapted to reverse the movements of 35 the wings located at the ends of their strokes and further adapted to throw one and thenl the other-of said gears into action.

8. A machine adapted to Hy having Wings provided each with a rigid frame at its base and rotatable vanes mounted'in said frames,

4power actuated means to raise and lower said wings comprising a shaft Whereon each wing frame is pivoted, gears on each shaft and arms thereon to raise and lower .the wings, and means at theend of each stroke of a wing to reverse its movement.

-9. An aerial machine having Wings constructed each with a series of radially disposed feather-like vanes, a Wing frame in 10Q which said vanes are individually rotatavble, and means to rotate said .vanes to open and closed positions successively comprising a sector shaped part having projections operatively engaged with said vanes and 105 pivotally mounted on said wing frame,A and means to actuate said sectorin opposite'direet ions alternately.

it). An aerial machine having wingsv conf sisting each of radiallyv disposed feather 110 vanesrotatahly mounted each upon its`own y i axis, an arm adapted to carry each Wing' upward on its idle stroke and means to'rba tate said vanos axially to open position as said' arm begins to raise said wing, said' 115 means comprising a laterally swinging yoke provided with means engaging cach" of 'said vancs.

il. .'\n aerial machine comprising a main trame, side frames mounted on the sides of: 120

-said main frame on. a tixed -axis and adapted v to he tilted and a flying wing Amounted on each side frame` in combinationv with means on said mam frame adapted to cause said wings to vibrate comlv rising a supporti/'lg 125' shaft mounted on eacl VAside frameand separate devices thereon adapted ttfreaeh/'each wing and actuate the same successively in opposite directions.

1Q. An aerial machine having a main 130 VYedfinl Saidside frames,

mounted on Asaid shaftsand alllmountedframe, side frames adapted .to be turned edgewis'e in said main frame, shafts mount- Wings pivot-ally on` said shafts adapted to surc'essively raise and loWei` said Wings.'

13. An aerial machine having lyin wings with rigid frames at their.base and slidable plates thereon, a shaft and projections .fixed to rota'te on saidshaft and ladapted to engage s aid plates, and means to press said plates backout of engaging relation with said arms at the respective ends of the strokes of said Wings.

14. In aerial machines, flying Wings having rigid base frames, a shaft and separate driven gears rotatable thereon and an arm fixedvto rotate with each gearand adapted vand means operatively vconnecting said vanes to turn the same collectively to open and closed position comprising a rotatable. shaft having a lateral projection at its outer end and fixed means adapted to en age 4said projection upon each ilapping stro ce of the .\W1ngs. -V In testimony whereof I aX my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

. ERNEST MOLNAR.

Witnesses: y

HENRY BARNES, E. M. FISHER.

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