US1046895A - Flying-machine. - Google Patents

Description

B. B. STUBBLEFIELD. FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19,1912. 7

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.-

anucnfo'o B. B. STUBBLBPIELD. FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN.19, 1912.

4 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

Witmeooe'o B. B. STUBBLEFIELD'.

FLYING MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 10, 191'2.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 19, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

zw z ewd .Bmvzard B wmem 6 would,

B. B. STUBBLEFIELD. FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1912 Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

q/viiumo BERNARD B. S TUBBLEFIELID, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

f FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. 'Patented Dec; 10, 1912,

. Application filed ianuai-y s, 1912. Serial No. 672,062.

To all whom itmay concept: Y Beit known that I, BitizNAnn B. STUBBLE- FIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashville, inthe county ofDavidsen and State of Tennessee, have invented iiew and useful Improvements in Flying-Machines, of which. the following is a s ecification.

This invention relates to ying machines of the heavier-thamair type, the main object of the invention being to provide a machine which is adapted to rise directly from the ground and to descend in a substantially straight path without the usual gliding action, and'which is further adapted to be supported in a substantially stationary position above any given point, so that observations of the surface below may be readily and conveniently made.

A further object of the invention is to, provide a novel construction and arrangement of motors and ropelling and steering gear, whereby sa ety in the operation of the machine is secured, and the machine is adapted to be balanced and controlled in a ready and eflicient manner.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter rnore fully described' and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Flgure 1 is a side elevation of a fly ng machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1'. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section on the'line 55 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail section on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

The frame of the machine may be of any preferred type, but is shown in the form of a substantially. oblong rectangular car or platform 1, mounted at its four corners upon launching and landing wheels 2, which may be constructed and mounted in any suitable manner. Rising from the platform are suitable uprights 3, carrying, a supporting plane or surface 4, reinforced from the said car or platform by suitable stays. 5, the construction being such as to secure the requisite strength, durability and rigidity. 7 The supporting lane or surface 4 is of the same general orm as the car or platform 1, but of preferably eater dimensions, so as to provide a sustaining surface ofproper area.

This supporting plane or surface comprises a suitable frame'liaving a covering of any desired fabric. Formed in the plane adjacent its respective corners are openings 6, and arranged within these respective open- 1ngs are series of propelling, steering and stabilizing vanes or small planes 7. In the present instance, I have shown four vanes or small planes in each series, each of which extends at right angles to the line of flight and smounted to tilt vertically. on a shaft the supporting plane or surface 4.

The ,IIIIIBI ends of the shafts 8 of each ser1es of vanes 7 carry double grooved pulleys 9, which ,pulleys are connected for movement in unison by cables 10, said cables being connected with the pulleys in such manner 'as to adapt the vanes 7 to move simultaneously in the same direction within an arc of 90, more or less, so that the vanes Y or axis 8 journaled in the frame structure of I may be turned from a horizontal to a sub;-

being hollow to receive the shaft 16 whichextends therethrough. The shafts 15 and 16 of the controlling devices on opposite sides' of the longitudinal center of the machine are provided with operating handles or levers 17 and 18, arranged in juxtaposition to the aviators seat 19, which is preferably supported upon the radiator 20, but may be located behind the radiator or insuch relation to the motors as to provide for the proper balancing of the machine. The lever 17 is provided with a spring actuated pawl or dog 21 to engage and interlock with a rack 22 on the adjacent standard 3, while the lever 18 is provided with a similar pawl or dog 23 to interlock with a rack 24 on the lever 17. It will be observed that the two sets of levers, controlling the fore and aft series of vanes 7 on opposite sides of the longitudinal center'of the machine, are arranged at opposite sides of the aviators seat, in a convenient position to be simultaneously or independently operated by the hands of that the vanes at either .the right or left ,hand side of the machine may be independently adjusted, or adjusted in unison, and that the vanes on both sides of the machine may be operated in conjunction for the adjustment of all the vanes in the same direction'or some of the vanes in one direction and others in the reverse direction at will. In practice, the said vanes 7 normally lie. at an angle of 20 more or less to the line of flight within the openings 6 and form a part of the supporting plane or surface 5, and it will be understood that by tilting to a reater angle of incidence either the two ront sets of vanes in advance of the transverse center of the machine, or the two following sets of vanes in rear of the'transr.

verse center of the machine, the machine may be balanced in a fore and aft direction or steered either upward or downward, and that, on the other hand, by adjusting the vanes on opposite sides of the lon 'tudinal center of the machine in opposite irections the machine may be'steered to the right or left or balanced to maintain its lateral equilibrium. By the described normalarrangement of the vanes beneath the propellers 31 the air impelled downward by the pro peller blades passes through the spaces between the vanes and exerts pressure on the rear inclined surfaces of the blades to impart a forwardpushin'g or propelling fi'ect.

Arranged at a suitable po1'nt upon the car or platform 1, preferably in advance of the radiator and aviators seat, is a pair of motors 2% and 26, arranged at an angle 'or'in V formation. The shafts 27 and 28 of these motors extend in front and rear thereof and diagonally or obliquely to the line of flight o the machine, said shafts thus being arranged in crossing relation and having their en s terminating respectively beneath the centers 'of the openings (3 and provided with beveled gears 28 The gears 28 mesh with corresponding gears 29 on the lower ends of vertical. transmission shafts 30, suitably journaled on the frame and main plane and preferably extending at their upper ends through the openings 6 above the sets of vanes 7. Upon the upper endsof the shafts 30 are mounted lifting and sustaining propellers 31, which are thus arranged to rotate above the respective sets of vanes 7. Theshafts 27 and '28 revolve in opposite directions, and it will be seen that by the described arran ement of the gearin the forward prope er driven by each s aft is arranged above the front set of vanes at one side of the machine, while the other ropeller driven by said shaft is arranged a ove the rear set of vanes at the $10 posite side of the machine. The respecjtive' sets of front and rear propellers are 5 "thus disposed to revolve in opposite d1rec-.

tions so that the side thrustof each will be counteracted by the other. It will thus be seen that if the motor of one power series or either of the propellers thereof should become inoperative from any cause, the propellers of'the other series will serve to sustain the machine, and by their described arrangement, in which the propellers of each series have a counteracting ivorking thrust, will maintain the machine in a straight course and prevent lateral deflection thereof.

As before described, the aviators seat IQ is preferably mounted upon or in rear of the radiator '20, which is disposed in ad-.

vance of the fuel supply tank 32 and in rear of the motors, so as to reduce the liability of an explosion or conflagration from overheating of the tank or in the event of fuel leakage. Preferably a driving propeller 33 is employed for direct forward propulsion, and this propeller may be arranged at either the front or rear of the machine. In the present instance I have shown said propeller arranged at the rear of the machine and driven m any suitable manner from a motor 34, but it may be drlven from the motors 25 and 26 through suitable'clutch-, controlled gearing or' suitable direct clutch connections. While the vanes may be employed to steer the machine horlzontally, I may (provide a series of pivoted laterally swinging vertical rudders or steermg planes 35, located beneath the openings 6 and sets of steering and stabilizing vanes in order to lie within the zone of the air deflected downward therefrom, in order that said rudders may act uponcondensed or compressed air to .increase their thrust efliciency. These rudders 35 may be-operated in any preferred manner. In the present instance I' have shown their shafts or axes provided with sprocket pinions 36, the pinions'of the rudders at each side of the longitudinalcenter -of the machine bein connected by a chain 37 the stretches of w ich are in engagement at an-intermediate point with a pinion 38 on a vertical transmission shaft 39, which also carries a sprocket wheel or pinion 40.

The sprockefiwheelsfor pinions 40 of the gearing of each longitudinal set of vanes are connected by a transverse chain 41, the

stretches of which engage a s rocket wheel or pinion 42 on a control sha 43 arran ed adjacent the -aviators seat and 'provl ed with asteering or controlling wheel 44.

Through this system of gearing the vanes of each set may be simultaneously turned in the same direction and the two sets of vanes simultaneously turned in opposite directions will, as will be readily understood.

From the foregoing description, the construction and mode of o eratlon of my improved flying machine will be readily understood, and it will be seen that the invention to steer the machine to the right or left at provides a machine which is adapted to ascend directly from the ound, to descend with an desired speed y regulating the speed 0 the propellers '31, and to be sustained so as to hover in the air over any given point for making observations, etc. It will, of course, be apparent that the altitude of the machine may be controlled by the propellers 31, and that when the desired alt-itude is reached the speed of said propellers may be reduced simply to sustentation speed, so that the machine mzdy be driven forward in a strai ht horizontal line by the propeller v 33 in con unction with the vanes 7 when said vanes are set at the proper angle for forward propulsive efiect.

It is evident that the arrangement of the I propellers -31 causes increased safety, while the vanes 7 permit effective longitudinal and lateral control and that, in the event of the complete stoppa e of the motive power, the vanes may be adjusted so that the supporting surface will perform the function of a1 parachute, allowing a safe landing to be ma e.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A flying machine embodying a frame,

a supporting surface provided 'with openings at or near the corners thereof, sets of vertically tilting vanes mounted in said openings, connections between the vanes of each set for operating the same in unison, and sets of controlling devices for operating the fore and aft sets of .vanes on each side of the longitudinal center of the ma chine independently or in unison.

2. A H ing machine embodying a supporting ame, a supporting sur ace provided with openings at or near the four corners thereof, sets of vertically tilting vanes arranged within the respective openings, connections between the vanes of each set to adapt them to tilt in unison, concentrically journaled shafts at each side of the longitudinal center of the frame, and operating connections between said shafts and the corresponding side of the machine, controllin devices connected with said shafts, an

a supporting surface carried thereby and provided with openings at or near its four corners, sets-of vertically tilting vanes arranged within the said openings, means for controlling said vanes, direction rudders mounted below the respective sets of vanes, and means for simultaneously operating said rudders.

4. A flying machine embodying a supporting frame, a supporting surface earned by the frame and provided with openings at or near its four corners, sets of vertically tilting vanes movable within said openings, means for adjusting said vanes, front and rear pairs of oppositely rotating propellers disposed above the sets of vanes, means for driving said propellers, direction rudders dis osed below the vanes, and means for adjusting said rudders in unison.

5. A flying machine including a supporting frame, a supporting surface provided with o enin at or near the four corners thereo vertical shafts extending upwardly through and above said openings, propellers mounted upon the upper ends of said shafts,

sets of vertically tilting vanes arranged within'the respective openings, means for tilting the vanes of each set in unison, a

pair of motors arranged below the support.

mg surface in V-relation, the shafts of said motors being diagonally arranged, gearing between the respective motor shafts and the respective vertical propeller shafts, whereby the front propeller of each pair is coupled to the-rear propeller of the other pair, and

machine independently of the tilting vanes at the opposite side of the longitudinal cen ter thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, BERNARD B STUBBLEFIELD. Witnesses: A. C. Fnnmss,

Loms FELDMAN.

means for .ad'usting the tilting vanes on Y each side of t e longitudinal center of the

Images