US1050601A

US1050601A - Flying-machine.

Info

Publication number: US1050601A
Application number: US54267910A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alexander Graham Bell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1910-02-08
Filing date: 1910-02-08
Publication date: 1913-01-14
Anticipated expiration: 1930-01-14

Description

- A. a. BELL@ FLYLNQ MAGBINE.- ArrLbATIo'H FILED rms. 8,' 1910.

' Paume@ Jan. 14, 1913.

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A. G. BELL. FLYNG-MACHINE APPLICATION FILED. PEB. 8,1910.

1,050,601 y Patented Jan. 14,1913.

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aaaxaanaa aannam aar-ic, or encaminan, hieraan er com anni.

:ranno-Macmillan f .application inea February s, ieia aerial no. sciare.

To all wwfm, i' may concern.' A

Be it known. that l, ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL, of lTiradainggton, District of Columbia,

`have invented a 'new and i'ieetul kImprovement in FlyingMachines, which' invention is fully forth in the following specification. This invention relates to flying machines,

andA more particularly to the means employed for maintaining vor restoring vthe lateral equilibrium of such machines.-

vIt has heretofore been proposed to eiect the lateral balance of flying machines by forming the' supporting surfaces flexible at their lateral marginal portions, and by properly flexing or warping theae'surfaces to preserve the balance of the machine or restore auch balance Whenit has become dietufbadur l i i lBy the4 present invention, the' supporting' surfaces are preferably made rigid and nontlexible, so that they could not be readily Warped, and a balancing device lor balancing;`

rudder is employed' consisting of a vertical rudder lying approximately in the medial vertical fore and aft plane of the machine when such machine is in a normal horizontal. position. Such balancingrudder may be placed either above or below the supporting of the machine, which axis surface of the machine, though preferably as a matter of convenience in'manipulating the machine, it is placedy above the same. The balancing rudder is mounted on an'upright axis Within the medial'vertical plane is preferably located approximately at the center of pres ysure of the air acting to support the mathe same chine. When the machine is on :in l even keel, that is, when the lateral equilibrium isi. undisturbed, the balancing rudder yor device lies within the/fore and aft medial plane, but. when the balance of the machine is is-. turbed, the balancing rudder is turned about its axis by suitable means provided for this purpose, so as to incline the rudder'to that side of the axis toward the lower side of the machine. The effect of the resistance oiiered by the yair as the machine is moving rapidly forward is eral balance of the machine, whereupon the balancing rudder is returned to its normal position. It a rudder of this kind were placed to ,the rear of the center of pressure ,of/t ewmachine, the veiect of employing would be to alter the direction of movement of the machine, turning the same toward the same side of the machine as that l or other similar structures.

the balancing rudder, and the surface@ omitted; Fig. 3 is a to again restore the flat f ordinary steering; rudder. Likewise, if the rudder were placed in advance of the center of pressure of the machine, the e'ect would beto alter the line eef movement ci the nur chine, turninpjthe same to the opposite eide Afrom Avvlliclfi the rudder is inclined. When,

however, my balancing rudder is employed, and the anis of the same ie ired 'at or approxlmately at the center oit pressure of the in aclfine, there ia no tendency to alter the. direction' of movement of the' machine, the effectbeing to eiiect and-maintain the bal ance of the machine. Y

My balancing device is not limited in ite application to any particular torni of porting surface or lso-called aeroplane. may be employed with inoncplan'e, biplane'a,

' ia liileviiee applicable to powen'drivcn machinee or soaring machines. Neither is the inventionlimited to any particular form or outline of? y of the rudder may he either dat plane surfaces, or if desired may be slightly convex or concave.

The inventive idea is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions, one of which,- for the purpose of illustrating the invention, is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which# f y 1 Figure l is a top plan `View of a iiying machine with my balancing rudder in ite normal position, that is,.the position which it occupies when the machine is evenly balanced; Fig. E2 is a front elevatign'of Fig.I l, with the elevating and depressing rudder side elevation of lig. l; Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are details showing diiierent forms of the balancing rudder; Fig. 7 is a perspective View showing one form ot' means for controlling the inclination ofthe rudder; and Figs. 8 and 9 are diagrammatic outlines showing the manner in which the balancing rudder is inclined to restore the lateral equilibrium of the machine when it has become disturbed.

Referring to the drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate like parte, l is a flying machine of any suitable construction, here shown as a machine having tivo rigid supporting surfaces 2I and 3, and propelled byany suitable motor l drivingthe'lpropeller. yngfllie rear steering rudder is indicated at 6, and the forward elevating` and depressing rudder at 7, these devices. ing manipulated by salta-hie ,connect-aune Specification of Lettetixlatent. @gagn-,9d $5,331, juzjlz, Magg n i tovwhich the rudder ie inclined as inv the from a steering wheel 8, controlled by the aviator sitting on a seat 9, the whole ma- The particular machine here described does not form any part of the present invention,- and is merely shown and described for the purpose of facilitating the description of my ybalancing apparatus, it being distinctly understood thatsaid balancing rudder or device is in no way dependent on the particularor specific form of flying machine to which it is applied.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, 12 is an upwardly projecting shaft turning in suitable bearings on,the machine, and as here' shown, extending -above the upper support.

ing surface of the machine, and havin r1g idly attached thereto a framework 1 ered with any light, tightly drawn material, .as oil silk 14. As shown'in Fig. 3, this balancing rudder or device is approximately rectangular, but it will be understood that it mayessume other forms, such for example, as those shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

The vertical shaft 12, constituting the axis for the steering rudder or device, is preferably placed in or ap roximately in the center of pressure of t e'air acting to support the machine when the same is in fiight, this being for the purpose of avoiding any tendency to change the direction of forward movement of the machine, which would result if the axis of the balancing rudder or device was either infront of or behind the center of pressure. In the machine chosen for illustration, the center of pressure 1s approximately near the forward edge of the machine as shown.

.Any suitable means may be employed for turning the balancing rudder or device on its axis when it is desired to manipulate the same for restoring the lateral balance of the machine. As' shown in Figs. 1 to 6, such dmeans consist of a fork 15 carried on an arm 16, rigidly secured to the shaft12 and projecting forward in such shape that the fork 15 embraces the body of the aviator. When the lateral balance of the machine is disturbed, the aviator naturally inclines his bodytoward the upper or higher side of the machine, thus acting to throw the fork, and with it thelever arm 16, toward such upper side, thereby turning the balancing rudder or devicev tothe opposite side, as clearly illustrated inFigs. 8 and 9, and as the ma chine isrestored to'its normal balance, the aviators body returns to normal central position, thus swinging the forki15 to the center, and with it the balancing rudder or l device 13, as clearly shown in'Figs. 1 and 2.

If desired, any other mea'ns for turning the balancingrudder or device upon its axis may be employed. For example, the fork cov- 15 may be mounted on a lever 17 (Fig. 7), pivoted at 18, and having a rearwardly pro-T jecting arm 19, with controlling wires or cables 20 and 21 extending from opposite sides thereof, and through

suitable pulleys

22, 23, 24 and 25, to the framework of the balancing rudder, the wires or cables 20, 21, being crossed, as clearly shown in Fig. 7. The result of this construction is the samt? as thatshown in other figures of the drawings, viz., when the aviator shifts his body to the upper side of the machine, the balancing rudder 4or device is shifted toward the lower side thereof, and acts to restore the lateral balance of the machine. Other devices may be vemployedfor controlling the balancing rudder or device, but those shown are sufiiclent to illustrate the inventivev idea involved.

It `will bel apparent to those skilled in the art that various -modifications and changes in form and proportion of parts may be employed Without departing from the inventive idea involvQd. Thus, for example, the balancing rudder or device might be placed below the supporting surfaceV or surfaces, rather than above the same, though manifestly, while the balancing rudder or device in4 this position would be eilicient for effectingthe desired purposg, it would -be an inconvenient position, and preferably is placed above the machine, as shown.

1. In a flying machine, the combination of a supporting surface, and unitary means ,for balancing said machine pivoted above said l supporting surface in a plane normal thereto along the medial fore and aft line of said surface and at approximately the center `of pressure of `the machine.

"2. In a flying machine, the combination of a supporting suiface, and a unitary device for balancing said machine` turning on anaxis normal to said supporting surface at approximately the center of pressure of the machine.

3. In a iying machine, the combination of a supporting surface, and a .unitary balancing device turning on anaxis normal to the medial fore `and aft line` of said supporting surface at approximately the center of pressure of the machine, and means for lturning said device about said axis.

4. In a flying machine, the combination of a supporting surface, and unitary means for balancing said machine turning on an axis normal to said supporting surface at approximately the center of pressure of the machine, and means for turningvsaid balancing means about said axis.

5. In a'liyifg machine, the combination of propelling means, a supportin surface, a steering rudder, an elevating an depressing rudder, and a unitary balancing device turning on an axis normal to said supporting surface at epproximetey the cen-ter of pressure of he machine.

6. :in a, ying machine, the. combination of e supportng'surfeee, Wth' e uniery belzmcing rudde or device lyngwn a. lime passim treugh the medial fore and a line of sai surfeee at approximately the center of pressure of the' machine, which plane is vertical when the machine is balenced laterey, and means opegatve bythe aviator for -tumnsv said ruddef'or devlce on an axis Wit-hin seid g'lane'.

a, propelling means, a supporting sulfface, a steering rudder all en elevetnef and depressing rudder, one oY se ruders being at the front and the otbel et the reet', with e `unitfuy balancing rudder or device l0- cated between seid first-named ludcers, in e.

20 plane nofma tothe medial fore and aft ine of said suppopfinghsurface end at approg; matel the entexj of fessure ef the malh@ 8. nei'yng mec ine, the eombina'tioi'ef ta leropeing meeusyed supporting surface, e- .unitmy balancing ruder 0 1' devlce above seid surface a. plane that is vertical when Said surface 1s int e state of lateral balance of the machine, and; Ineens lner commi 0* the 'aviafm' for tui'ning .said rudde or def. vlce about its axle to restore or mamtem the' and et approximately the center of pressure