US1063432A - Flying-machine. - Google Patents

Description

E. D. GREEN. FLYING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN.16,1911. I

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Patentd June 3, 1913.

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Illinois, have invented new and useful lm-v provements in` FlyingM'achines, of which the following 'is a specification.

l This invention relates 'to tlying machines of the aeroplane type, the object -loeing to A provide improved means tor maintaining the machine in a state of balance or equilibriuxn While in iight, whereby the danger of toppling over when the momentum is lost, may be partially if not wholly avoided. lt

is well known that considerable momentum must he attained to enable an aeroplane to loe sustained 1n the air, and that when such momentum 1s lost the machine 1s 1n llnnnnent danger of a fall.

2o vThis invention designs to :maintain the machine in perfect balance, either` While ilying in a horizontal direction or in inclined. directions, While in light and in fact when its momentum is sped'while in the air. i

To these ends this invention consists iu an aeroplane having one or more gyroscopes or gyroscopic Wheels mounted thereon, and arranged to hold the machine, inn balanced condition, said gyroscopie wheel or Wheels being driven from the motor but capable of independent relative rotation.

1t further consists in shifting mechanism,v

operatively connected with thegyroscope forchanging the angle of inclination ofy the planes with respect to the plane of rotation of the gyroscope, whereby the direction of movement otv the machine maj,r be controlled 'independently of other steeringmeehanism. l The invention Jfurther. consists in the novel features oli construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereafter 'described and claimed. f

'In the drawings furnished herewith Figure 1 is a side elevation of an aeroplane embodying 'my invention, Fig. Q is aface View of a lgyroscopiel Wheel and propeller employed, Fig. 3. is a detail cross section taken on line 3 3 Fig. 2, Fig. l is a detail vertical cross section taken on line 4;4 Fig. 1,' Fig. 5 is a detailcross section through a `shaft and Fig. 6`is a diagrammatic view showing a pair of gyroscopes and propellers. Referring to said drawings, an aeroplane of ordinary construction will -be seen at A, the same being illustrated, for the sake of convenience, in the form of a bi-plane havpecication of Letters Fatent.

lot the gyroscopic Wheel hub 22.

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. Applicain illed January 16, 1911. Serial No. 602,757.

ing upper andloiver horizontal planes l0, 11, 'connected by uprights 12. If desired, steering mechanism, comprising vertical and horizontal rudders 14, 15, may he employed as usual. One or more propellers 16, are emploved for driving the machine, which propellers may he driven from a suitable `motor 17, through operative connections, as for instance, a shaft 18, upon which the propellet is keyed.

`Opeintively connected with the motor, is a gyroseo-pic Wheel 20, wiich preferably rotates on a horizontal axis and is here shown as mounted upon the shaft 18, -and connected -thereto hy clutch mechanism, whereby itv may revolve with the shaft 18, but he capable of revolution independent thereof. The clutch mechanism is shown as comprising rolls 21, circumferentially. arranged around the propeller 'shaft and lying in notches 23, formed in the wall of the hearing 'aperture The notches have tapered faces 24, which Wedge the rolls against the .tace of the shaft when the latter is rotated in the proper direction to drive the propeller. The Wide portions of the notches receive therol'ls and permit` them to run freelyl hetiveen the relatively movable parts when the gyroscopic `Wheel revolves independently of the shaft and in the same direction as its proper direction of movement. lt is preferable to make the wheel 20, oit large diameter and l have shown it encircling the propeller and comprising heavjgr rim 20a, connected to the huh by tivo sets of spokes 20h.'

For effecting the tilting ('flthe whole machine with Irespect tethe plane of rotation of the gyroscope, 'the shaft 'tlrer'eotl is journaled in a longl rocking-hearing @incapable of being tilted either upward or downward, or rather the base or plane upon which the bearing is mounted may he tilted with respect to the axis of the shaft. To produce this result the'hearing 25, is 'tulcrumed upon a transverse horizontal axis at QC, a cratlle` for the simple-form shown and described.

shaft is shown as having, unusual joints 3l,

therein between ywhich joints the shaft is divided and each halfslidably secured upon the other, so as to rotate therewith. For

instance one shaft may besquared as seen in Fig. 5, and tted in a square hole in the other.- Obviously, many other forms of devices for changing the angular relation of the planes with respect to the lane of revolution of the ,gyros'cope, maye substituted In operation, the motor drives the pro- '.peller as usual, and the machine is manipulated and controlled as is well known to those skilled in 'the art. Rapid rotation of down, or the propeller ceases to revolve from any cause, the gyroscopic wheel, on account of its momentum, will continue to revolve independently of the propeller, thereby re- A sisting any effort on the part of the machine to topple over andby changing its course of movement to a downward one, the momentum (which is usually lost when the propeller stops) may be reacquired and the machine safely. landed by allowing it to glide down to the ground. In Fig. 26 two gyroscopes 20, and propellers 16, are illustrated graphically, which arrangement may be substituted for the single gyroscope and propeller. In this case the two run in opposite directions, as shown by the arrows.

I realize that various `alterations and modifications of this` device are possible, without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not therefore desire to limit myself to the exact form of construction shown and described.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. In a flyingv machine, the combination lilith a body to be sustained in the air, of a motor driven propeller, a gyroscopic wheel LOBABE -rotatively mounted on van axis coincident with the axis of said propeller and having 5c a rim encircling said propeller, and a unidirectional clutch mechanism coupling said f gyroscopie wheel and propeller.

2. In a iiying machine, a propeller, a motor driven shaft secureddirectly to said propeller, a gyroscopic wheel, rotatively mounted on said shaft, and having a rim encircling saidpropeller and uniderectional clutch mechanism directly coupling said gyroscopic Wheel to said shaft but permitting said wheel to revolve independently thereof.

3. In a liying machine, the combination with an aeroplanefof a motor, aiexible motor shaft, a propeller rigidly mounted on said shaft, a vgyroscopic wheel driven by said motor shaft but capable of independent, relative revolution. in the same direction, a bearing. supporting one end of said motor shaftand capable of arocking movement, and a controlling device, including mecha.

lnism for changing the angular relation between the aeroplane body and one' section of said motor shaft. n 4. In a iying machine, the combinationwith an aeroplane, of a motor, a liiexible motor shaft, a propeller driven'thereby, a gyroscopic wheel driven by. said motor shaft but capable of independent, relative revolution in the same direction, a bearing supporting one end` of said motor shaft andb capable of a rocking movement, a {ixed'support on'the aeroplane upon which said bearing is fulcrumed, a movable support on the aeroplane secured to the free endfof the bearing, and a controlling device for shifti ingsaid movable support to vary the angular relation between theaeroplan'e body and i' vone section of said motor shaft.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto'ee` signed my name at Chicago,'Cook county,l Illinois, this 9th day of January, 1911.r

'EDWARD D; GREEN.,

.VVitnessesc l THos. J 'I*"LANAGA1\I,I *l* A. J. BROWN.

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