US1047865A - Flying-machine. - Google Patents

Description

A. G. WATKINS.

I FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED rmm4, 1912.

Patented Dec. 17,1912,

2 sums-skim 1.

amen H701 A. G. WATKINS.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED PEB.24, 1 912.

H Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

".U TED. STATES PATENT osn "anrriun e. wa'rxnvs, or mncn'amcseune, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR or one,

rounrn ro DAVID J. BErrznL, or uncnamcsnvne, PENNSYLVANIA.

I Innate-Macrame.

Applicationiiled February 24,1912.) Serial No. 679,570.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR G. WATKINS,

a.citiz'en. of the United States, residin at Mechanicsburg, in the county of Cum erland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Flying-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to flying machines of the heavier-than-air class, and particularly to means for automatically 'maintain ing the lateral stability of such machine. The object of the invention is to provide a machine in which the body of the machine, including the supporting surface, is pivotally mounted upon its carriage or chassis, .whereby the latter is adapted to serve as astabilizing pendulum, suitable connections between said body and carriage being provided, whereby the lateral swing of the body in either direction islimited and the body controlled to automatically restore and maintain its lateral equilibrium.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine. structure'of the character described in which the controlling connec- 'tions between the body and carriage are adapted to oppose a yielding resistance to a pivotal motion of the body in either direction, and in which cooperating. means controlledby said connections are employed to return the body to a balanced position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide fenders for supporting the body against tilting motion beyond a predetermined extent when'the machine is upon the ground, which fenders are adapted to yield "to permit the body to swing to a sufiicient .construction, combination and arrangement. of parts, hereinafter fully described and extent to compensate for jars, vibrations, etc. .The invention consists of the features of claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 1s a front elevation of a flying I I machine of the biplane type embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is acentral vertical longit'udinal section of the same on the line 22iof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan viewof the machine with portions broken away to disclose the balancing devices. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view of one of the bed rails, showing the reinforcin longitudinal section through the foremost bed rail, lead edge of the-supporting surface and the adjacent portion of the carriage. Fig. 6 1s a diagrammatic View of the balancing device and controllingcables. Fig.

7 is a detail section on the line 77 of Fig.

1, showing the mode of mounting one of the supporting fenders;

In the illustrated embodiment I have shown the application of the invention to a biplane structure, although it is to be understood that it may be applied to other multiplane structures or to machines of the mono- .plane type. v

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the body of the machine, including the mainframe and supporting surface or surfaces, -which body is provided on opposite sides of its longitudinal center. with balancing devices 2 and 3, herein shown in the form of ailerons, although other suitable balancing agents may be employed.

Secured to the underside of the frame of the body-is a series of, preferably three, bed

rails 4, which are arranged equidistantly betweenv the fore and aft. edges of the body and in parallel relation. Each of. these bed railsis preferably made of a body of wood having strength and lightness and provided with grooves or recesses 5 in which are fitted reinforcing plates 6. These plates are secured in position in any suitable manner andare provided wlth central enlargements,

through which enlargements and the center of the body of the rail are formed register:

ing openings 7 and 8. In practice, after the strips are secured in position, each bed rail ispreferably given a coat of bronze and then provided with a film of copper by electrodeposition, so that the strip will be reinforced against transverse strains and provided with a surface coating which will be ruptured whenever the rail is split or broken,

The

reinforcing strips in thebed rails are. so dis: posed that the force or pressure to which the to give visual evidence of such fact.

'.-The openings 7 and 8 in the reinforcing plates removed therefrom. Fig. 5 is a detail.

strips and bed rails are provided for the passage of a longitudinally extending shaft 9 mounted upon the apex of a stubstantially triangular carriage or chassis 10, whereby the body as awhole is pivotally mounted 'normally maintain a position perpendicular to the earths' surface, and to thereby perfoym the function of a pendulum weight 6r le er to control the pivotal motion of the body and maintain the lateral stability thereof through suitable connections, which I will now proceed to describe.

Extending from the right and left hand sides of the carriage and connecting the same with the corresponding sides of the body are flexible controlling cables or connections 12 and 13, which are coupled at their inner ends to the body at points between the base and top thereof and thence incline laterally outwardly and upwardly and are attached at their outer ends to the body at suitable points between the axis 9 and the lateral margins of the body, wheresion, so that when the'body tilts laterally in either direction the cables at the descending side will, through the arc of motion of their outer ends, which will be eccentric to the axis of motion of the body 1, be placed under a constantly increasing tension, where by said cables will be'caused to set up a resistance to the tilting of the body and limit its tilting motion to a determined extent, as will be readily understood. It will be understood fromthe foregoing description that aseith'er side of-thebody is forced upward by excess air pressure or by a decrease" in the supporting effect of the air on the opposite side of the body, the cables at the lifting side will be placed under tension and operate to' oppose a determined resistance to the tilting of the body, which will be all that is necessary under normal'conditions to prevent the body from tilting laterally to an excessive degree and: to return it to itsnormal position whereby an automatic equi librium will be maintained. In order, how, ever, to render the balancingaction more certain and effective and to provide for a balancing action under abnormal conditions,

the balancing devices 2 and 3 are suitably coupled to the connections 12 and 13 so as tobe operated therebywhen the body tilts to cooperate therewith in efi'ecting'a return ofthe body toastate of equilibrium,

shown, suitable connections 14 lead from the cables-12 at the right hand side over guide pulleys 15 to the balancing device 3 at the left hand side, while similar connections 16 extend from the cables 13. at the left hand side o-ver suitable guide pulleys 17 todthe balancing. device 2 at the rlght hand s! e.

vbe in the form of wires or cables, .cross and extend at an intermediate point transversely of the" carriage, but'out of contact therewith so as to avoid interference in the shifting of the parts.

movement in unison, so that when one is positively operated in one direction the other will, be actuated'thereby to move in the reverse direction. The cables 14, 16 and 18 are coupled to crank arms 19 carried by V the balancing devices, which latter normally These connections 14 and 16, which A wire or cable 18 also connects the two balancing devices for lie at a negative angle of incidence and are pivotally mounted in advance of their transverse centers in such manner that a pivotal motion of either balancing device in which its forward edge moves upwardly and its rear edge moves. downwardly will increase the angle of incidence thereof to secure a; lifting' efiect, while a reverse motion of the balancing device will. position it for a depressing effect. by the swinging motion of the body is con- It" will be observed that the arrangement of thecables 16 is suchthat when the cables '13 are tensioned to a certain degree by the upward movement of the left hand'side of the body, said cables 16 will'bedrawn upon to adjust the balancing device 2 for a lifting action, while at-the'same time the cables 14 will slacken with the cables 12, to allow the balancing-device 3 to beadjusted for a de-" pressing effect, which ;will be accomplished by the pull thereon from the cable 18 tensioned by the adjustment of the balancing device 2. You the other hand, when the cables 12 are tensioned to a certain degree by the upward movement of the right hand side of the body, the cables 15 will be tens'ioned and caused to adjust the balancing device 3 fora lifting action, while the cables 13 and 16 will slacken to permit the balanc ing device 2 to be adjusted for a depressing effect, which will be accomplished through the tensioning of the cable 18 by the balancing device 3. .Hence when the machinetilts laterally in either direction, the-controlling cables connecting the carriagefwith the lifting side of the machine will oppose a resistance to such motion of saidmachi'ne and tend to draw it backward to normal position, while at the same time, when such tilting motion of the machine tensions said controlling cables to a predetermined degree, the operating wires or cables associated therewith will be actuated to adjust the balancing. device at the ascending sid fora, depressing effect and the balancing part of the present invention. The machine may be equipped with any desired type of propelling mechanism and power plant and suitable vertical and horizontal rudders, controlled by any preferred type of controlling mechanism. Also the parts may be varied in form,character' and arrangement as circumstances may require in the application of the invention to different types of machines. are'held to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

In order to prevent undue lateral motion of'the supporting surface from shocks, jars or vibrations, I provide at each endor lateral margin of the body one or more fenders 19. These fenders, which may consist of rods or bars, are pivotally attached tothe body, as at 20, to swing rearwardly from a normally perpendicular position, stop surfaces 21 and22 on the fender and body being provided to prevent the fender from swinging forward beyond a perpendicular position. WVhen the machine is at rest and the body normally horizontal, the fenders stand vertical and support the ends of the body and hold the same from tilting motion. Then the machine is in motion on the ground, during the act of launching or landing it, the fenders drag along the, ground surface and prevent the body from tilting unduly under the running shocks and jarsp If the machine should tilt in either direction, the fender at the descending side is permitted by its pivotal mounting to swing rearwardly at a suflicient angle to prevent damage to the parts, while at the-same time opposing'a resistance to the depression of such side of the machine beyond a predetermined extent.

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

1. In-a flying machine, the combination of a body, a carriage, said body and carriage being pivotally connected to swing laterally with relation to each other, balancing devices upon the body, elastic connections between the carriage and the body for limiting the swinging motions of the latter, and flexible connections between the first named flexible connections and the balancing devices for controlling thelatter when the body swings out of laterally balanced position. 1

' 2. In a flying machine, the combination Copies of this patent may be obtained for These and other modifications of a body, a carriage, said body and carrlage being p votally connected to swing laterally with relation to each other, balancing devices upon the body, elastic connections between the carriage and opposite sides of the body for controlling the pivotal motions of the latter, and flexible connections between the balancing devices and elastic connections and adaptedto be tensioned when the elastic connections are tensioned to a determined degree for adjustment of the balancing devices, when the body movesiout of a laterally balanced position to a predetermined degree.

3. In a flying machine, the combination of a body, a carriage, said body and carriage being pivotally connected for lateral swinging movements with relation to each other, balancing devices upon the body, elastic controlling connections between the sides of the carriage and opposite sides of the body and adapted to be tensioned by the swinging movements of the. body to limit suchmovements thereof, andfiexible connections leading from the balancing devices to said elastic connections, the flexible connection from the balancing device at-each side of the body being. coupled to the elastic connection at. the opposite side of the vbody, saidflexible connections being tensioned when said elastic connections are tensioned to a predetermined degree to adjust said balancing devices,

4. In a flying machine, the combination of a body, balancing devices upon the body, bed rails secured to the under side of the body and each having a reinforcing plate embedded therein and extending edgewise in a vertical direction, a pivot bolt passing through the bed rails and reinforcing plates, a carriage pivotally mounted upon said bolt, so as to permit the body to swing laterally with relation thereto, and controlling connect-io'ns between the carriage and body.

5. In a flying machine, a carriage, a body pivoted to tilt laterally thereon, elastic cables connecting the carriage with the opposite sides of the body-and adapted to be respectively tensioned by the upward motion of the adjacent side of the body to limit the swinging motion of the body, lateral balancing devices up pn the body, and connections between the first-named connections and the balancing devices for adjusting the latter five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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