US1050980A

US1050980A - Aerodrome.

Info

Publication number: US1050980A
Application number: US12537602A
Authority: US
Inventors: Samuel D Mott
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1902-09-30
Filing date: 1902-09-30
Publication date: 1913-01-21
Anticipated expiration: 1930-01-21

Description

S. D. MOTT.

AERODROME. APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1902.

Patented Jan. 21, 1913.

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APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1902,

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WITNESSES S. D. MOTT.

ABRODROMB.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1902.

Patented Jan. 21, 1918.

5 SHEETSSHEET 3.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

S. D. MOTT.

ABRODROME.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1902.

Patented Jan. 21, 1913.

5 SHEETSSHEET 4 msm w \WITNESSES: INVENTOR @Mm w 270% S. D. MOTT.

AERODROME.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1902.

Mtented Jan. 21, 1913.

5 SHBETS-SHEET 5.

WITNESSES:

ShHUEL D. HOTT, 0F PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY.

AERODROME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

App on led September so, wna- -Serie1No- 125,3 5-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL D. Morr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Passaic, in the county of P-assaic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aerodromes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming part of the same.

My invent-ion relates to .aerodromes or mechines for navigating the air pertaining to the art of aviation and consists of improvements in that class of machines which are heavier than the air displaced by them, and which it is proposed to provide with means for sustaining them in the air against the force of gravity and coincidentally controlling and directing their movements.

' Exclusive of motive power, my aerodrome has the elemental simplicity of a bicycle, in that it comprises in its organization only two wheels and a frame. The latter .I have adapted to support the machine on the surface and the load when poised in the air. The design is largely of wire-tension construction giving it the important characteristics of low cost, compactness, great strength, simplicity, lightness and ample factor of safety. Should the power fail the machine would descend slantingly like the apparatus used for gliding flight. The machine requires no starting or landing arrangements and is capable of all necessary maneuvers in the air without devices which add weight and need handling such as tail, rudder or wing appendage, or gas-bag impediment. It is dismantable and transportable and therefore especially adapted to army and navy use; for travelers and explorers, for geographical, meteorological and kindred sciences, and the general uses of man. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section through the apparatus, parts being shown in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the lower portion of the apparatus, the upper part being shown in section. Fig. 3 isa planof the aeroplane. Fig 4 is a plan of a-modified shape of aeroplane. Fig. 5 is a plan of the machine with the top portion removed.

In working on the problem of aerial navigation I have developed as a practical solution of the same an apparatus embodying machine.

1 principle or natural the compass,

novel features of construction tending to inherent stability, and novel principles of operation insurlng automatic control, all Work ng to simplify the problem of mechanlcal flight. For example I have. reduced the heretofore considered separate Patented Jan. 21, 1913. i

and independent functions of sustentation J -and propulsion to one fundamental function that of lift or the power toeflect levity; that is to say, when I provide the power for the machine to lift itself and its operator or operators into the air against the force of grav ty its design is such that 'sustentation and controllable propulsion or translation through the air follows as a natural sequence of shape. This accomplishment, which is the foundation of my system, is based upon and eriplainable by the law of resultant or compound forces known to physicists asthe parallelogram of forces. For example, referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the arrow a indicates the direction of thrust of the driving wheels or dynamic component of the Arrow 1) indicates the constant pull or component of gravity, and arrow 0 (the horizon) the resultant .or intermediate direction of motion. The machine, in obedience to this law, 'will therefore be impelled as though it were acted upon by a single force in the direction of horizontal arrow 0. Hence the path in the air of the machine is the resultant of two component forces, the artificial force residing in the machine, and the natural force of gravitation, by controlling the first I utilize the second and thus substitute for working parts, which add weight and need skilful handling, a physical law. And further to make my machine dirigible to any point of it is provided with suitable means for shifting the center of gravity around the axis, for mals its direction of motion is based upon and determined by the center of gravity; the center of gravityor the angle of the axis of the machine to the horizon is determined, from the design, by the load displacement, and the ator or operators. Hence in taking my position when startingl determine the direction of flight, and by shifting my position I change the direction of flight accordingly.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation and part section of an apparatusembodying my invention. The posltion .15 as normal load is the oper-i like. man and land aniit would appea i the air traveling to the right in the direction of arrow 0, which, for this assumptlon must be considered the horizon.

Similar reference letters and numerals indicate like parts in the different views.

The general features will be understood by inspection of Figs. 1, 2, and 3. .The driving wheels or screw propellers A and B are mounted on ball or roller bearings at the apex of a spider-like dependent structural frame C, and are arranged to be driven in opposite directions at right angles to the axis of the machine by motor or motors ,1. Provision is made for the operatorto readily shift his seat 20 around the circumference of the machine on the

ways

18 and 19 whereby he may displace the center of gravity to any point of the compass to control the direction of his movements through the air. The driving wheels A and B have

double rims

2, 3 and 2, 3, of wood or light tubing and for strength and lightness are fashioned after the, manner of cycle wheels having direct or tangent wire spokes or' both. Mounted on the

rims

2, 3 and 2, 3 are

tiers

4, 5, 6, and 4t, 5, 6 respectively, and series 7, 8, 9, etc., (Fig. 3) of aerocurves or aeroplanes made of aluminium, celluloid or like light and strong material havin the proper shape and pitch to form an e cient aerial screw propeller. These propellers, constituting by their thrust when in motion the plane of buoyancy, are driven in opposite directions by the active and reactive elements of the motor, in order that (1) the action and reaction of the motor, when free from a fixed base, shall be absorbed in the driving, and (2) the depending andsupporting part C of the machine together'with the operators shall be stationary relative to the motion of the driving wheels A and B on their axes. These wheels together with their motors revolve freely on their bearings 10 mounted at the top 'of the motive agent retainer 10 and are readily removable for any purpose. The upper and lesser diameter propeller A is usually made of higher pitch thanB and (may have a greater aeroplane surface so as auto balance or equalize as much as may be the inertia or resistance to motion of the two.

The backbone of the machine is the retainer 10 of the depending structure C. This retainer contains alcohol or gasolene or other suitable hydrocarbon which is permitted to drip into the carbureter 11 by the pipe 12 and the cook 13. The carbureter in this instance consists of coiled porous piping 14. The air is drawn by the suction of the engine through the saturated porous tubing and carbureted in its passage (indicated by arrows) into the upper part of chamber 10 of the retainer 10 to act as a motive agent for the motors 1. The throttle is seen at 15 and may be manipulated from obstruction.

named rims 18 and 19 are suitably formed to serve as a circular railway to support the seat or seats 20, thereby permitting the occupant free bodily movement around the axis to shift the center of gravity to any point.

of the compass desired as has been hereinbefore referred to. To further strengthen and complete the wire-tension depending, frame at the upper part of retainer 10 is another wheel-like frame consisting of rim 21- and spokes 22 and between rims 21 and foot rest rim 17, are stay wires 23 to which is fixed a circular hand-rail 24 conveniently positioned for the person or persons using the machine. r

In the motive power illustrated it is assumed that the parts are so proportioned and constructed that the speed andpower of the motor when directly'geared to the pro pellers is sufficient for their purposes. It will be understood, however, that gearing or its equivalent may be used between the motor and the driving wheels for changing the speed ratio between them'as may be desired. The weight and load of this aerodrome being wholly below the plane of buoyancy, the machine in theory is more stable than a yacht or other water craft. In case of breakage when navigating provision is readily made, if desired, to brake or stop the driving wheels to take full or partial advantage of their parachute action when descending. The initial lift from the surface of the earth is vertical; the normal position in the air is oblique to the surface or horizon; and the normal direction of lift a tangent to the horizon. The ascent and descent generally speaking, is governed by the throttle valve which regulates the power. If it is desired to go over an-object the ascensional force is increased; if it is desired to go under an object the buoyancy is diminished. Anoperator would go around an obstruction by shifting right or left at right angles or approximately thereto to the sight-line of the Progress is checked as by a brake by the operator shifting his position opposite to the direction of flight thereby reversing the resultant of driving wheels but not of course their motion. Similarly the speed is increased by greater velocity of propellers and greater inclination of the vertical axis to the horizon, both of which expedients are in the immediate control of the operator. By checking the speed of the drivers the machine will descend; if in a strong wind at the point of settling or landing the operator will shift his position to the windward; if in a calm a position in line with the vertical axis will cause the machine to alight with precision and safety.

It will thus be seen that my invention eliminates from the problem of mechanical flight the confusing devices usually considered indispensable for giving direction, maintaining equilibrium, etc., and that to navigate and perform all necessary or desirable evolutions in e air it is only requisiteto give sufficient d sk area and aeroplane surface to my driving wheels, supplemented with sufficient power in my motor to yield the dynamic thrust to overcome gravity when starting and just neutralize gravity when navigating; requiring some experience but really less skill than riding a bicycle, sailing a boat or maneuvering an automobile.

Having described my invention I declare my claims as follows:

1. In an aerodrome, the combination of a rotary propeller mechanism having a normally vertical thrust, a frame pendant from and having a swiveling relation to said propeller mechanism, and a load carrying device mounted on said frame eccentrically of the axis of rotation of said propeller mechanism and adapted to be shifted circumferentially about the axis of rotation of said Propeller mechanism, whereby the horizontal traverse of the aerodrome will result from the overbalancing of the entire machine and the direction of traverse will be controlled by the shifting of the center of gravity.

2. In an aerodrome, the combination of a rotary propeller mechanism having a normally vertical thrust, a frame pendant from and having a swiveling relation to said propeller, and extending about the axis of rotation thereof, a circular track carried by said frame and extending circumferentially about the axis of rotation of said propeller, and load carrying means mounted upon said track and adapted to traverse same, whereby the load on said means will normally overbalance the machine to give a horizontal component of motion to the machine and the direction of traverse may be controlled by the shifting of the load.

3. In an aerodrome, the combination of a plurality of oppositely rotated propellers acting in parallel planes and having a normally vertical thrust, pendant concentric shafts for said propellers respectively, a momay tor simultaneously rotating said shafts but in opposite directions, a frame pendant from and havin a swiveling relation to said propeller shafts, load carryin means carried by said frame adjacent to said shafts, whereby a low center of gravity is afforded the machine and the load will be disposed upon one side of the machine to normally tilt it from the vertical to cause a resultant horizontal component of motion of said propellers, and

means whereby said load carrying means may be shifted circumferentially about said shafts to permit the changing of the center of gravity of the machine to control the direction of traverse thereof.

4:. In an aerodrome, the combination of a plurality of superposed rotatable propellers, a motor mounted on the shaft of one of said propellers and acting on the shaft of the tion to the machine, and the load may be shifted circumferentially of the propellers to vary the direction of traverse.

5. In an aerodrome, the combination with a rotary propeller having a normally vertical thrust, a frame pendant from and having a swiveling relation to said propeller, a track extending circumferentially about the axis of rotation of said propeller, a seat for the operator extendin at an angle-downwardly and outwardly re ative to the axis of rotation of said propeller, whereby the machine will be overbalanced to.,give a horizontal component of motion to the machine while causing the operator to remain upright, said seat being mounted on said track whereby it be moved circumferentially about the axis of rotation of said propeller to shift the center of gravity to change the direction of the horizontal traverse of the machine.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL D. MOTT.

Witnesses:

F. R. HUTTON, FRANK H. DAVIS.