US1084024A - Automatic balancing device for flying-machines. - Google Patents

Description

A. G. MATTESON.

AUTOMATIC BALANCING DEVICE FOR FLYING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1912.

1,08%,024, Patented Jan. '13, 1914.

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PATENT OFFICE.

ARGHIBALD G. MATTESON, 013 LOS ANGEL'ES, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC BALANCING DEVICE FOR FLYING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

Application filed September 12, 1912. Serial No. 720,072.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARGHIBALD G. MATTE- sox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angelcs and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Balancing Devices for Flying- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates generally to an improvement in automatic balancers for aeroplanes, being more particularly directed to means whereby the longitudinal and lateral balance of an aeroplane may be maintained simply through the weight of the aviator.

The main object of the present invention is the utilization of duplicate power means, and the mounting of such means to permit the propellers to be shifted in vertical planes, combined with mechanism whereby the lateral inclination of the aeroplane will automatically adjust the relative vertical position of the propellers to overcome such inclination.

A further object is the connection of the front or rear elevating plane of the aeroplane with the control mechanism for the lateral balancer, whereby the longitudinal inclination may be automatically corrected.

With the above objects in View the invention consists in" certain details of construction and combinations of arts which will be'first described in the to lowing specification and then pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation of an aeroplane, all supporting planest bemg omitted.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig.

3 is a side elevation illustrating the automatic control for the balancing plane. Fig. 4 is an end view of tl1e-same, the balancing plane being omitted.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawings the present improvements are designed for use with any type of aeroplane for which they may or can be adapted, and for the purpose of the present description I shall designate the entire framework of such aeroplane as 1, it being understood in this connection that, although not shown, all necessary supporting planes and other fixed and movable parts not specifically described herein, which are necessary to the particular type of aeroplane used, are to be included in the designation of frame.

In the present instance I have shown four propellers arranged in front and rear pairs, one pair of propellers, -as 2, constituting front or tract-or propellers, and the other pair, as 3, constituting the rear or thrust propellers.

All propellers being of identical construction and arrangement, it will be sufficient for the purpose of the present invention to say that the shaft 4, constituting the shaft of each propeller, is mounted in bearings 5 fixed to the frame and each pair driven from its independent engine 6 through intermediate shafts 7 and suitable gearing (not shown).

Mounted in bearing blocks 8 depending from a suitable overhead portion of the frame is a shaft 9 on which there is centrally fixed a transversely extending balancing lever 10. Secured approximately centrally of the shaft 9 is a second transversely disposed shaft 11, and rotatably mounted on the ends of the shaft 11 are the side bars 12 of a seat carrying frame 13. Including theside bars 12 the seat frame 13 has an upper cross bar, and at the lower end is provided with a platform 14 on or secured to which is arranged the aviators seat. By this construction the seat frame 14 is pivotally mounted or swung in the frame of the aeroplane so that such seat frame is capable of movementeither longitudinally or laterally of the aeroplane frame. connected by brace wires 15 with the ends of the balancing lever 10.

The inner ends of the propeller shafts -1- are connected through themedium of links 16 with a control lever 17 pivotally mounted upon a frame 18 rising from the main frame 1, and the appropriate end of such control lever 17 is connected by a link rod 19 with that end of the balancing lever 10 disposed thereabove, as will be clear from Fig. 2 0f the drawings.

Arranged in the seat frame 13 between the side bars 12 thereof and preferably mounted upon the shaft 11 is a drum 21 integrally formed with or having secured thereon a sprocket wheel 22. Mounted in the side bars of the seat frame above the shaft 11 is another shaft 23 on which there is disposed a pulley 24 in vertical alincment with the drum 21. A third shaft 25 is arranged below the shaft 11 and carries a pulley 26 also in alinement. with the drum. The drum 21 is of such width as to permit the The seat frame is.

' pulleys 24 and 26 to be in vertical alinement therewith and yet in ofiset vertical planes, as clearly shown in Fig. 4-. A control cable 27 is coiled once about the drum 21, beingpreferably fixed thereto and one length of said cable extends to and over the upper pulley 2-4: to the upright 28 of the balancing plane 29 of the aeroplane, while the other length of said cable extendsto and beneath the lower pulley 26, and to the opposite end of said bufier.

If a front and a rear balancing plane are both used for the aeroplane structure a second cable 30 has one terminal, as 31', con-- nected to the cable 27 beyond the pulley 26 and the opposite terminal, as 32, connected to said cable beyond the pulley 24. From the connections 31 and 32 the cable 30 extends to the opposite balancing plane or if desired to the different ailerons. In other words the cables 27 and 30 are beyond the seat frame to be connected to the balancing plane, or elevator, where one only is used, or to front and rear elevators, where such are used, or to both the particular elevator and ailerons.

Mounted upon one of the side bars 12 of the seat frame is a shaft 33 carrying a hand Wheel 34 within convenient reach of the aviator, and on such shaft, or integral with the hand wheel, is a sprocket Wheel 35 connected by a chain 36 with the sprocket wheel 22 on the shaft 11.

As thus constructed and arranged it will be obvious that without regard to the lateral or longitudinal tilting of the main frame the seat frame will by reason of the weight of the driver or aviator maintain a vertical position due to its pivotal connection and it is through. this relative movement of the seat and main frame that the automatic balancing control is secured. For the lateral balancing control it will be un derstood that asthe machine tilts to one side or the other a corres onding but 'op-- posite movement of the ba ancing lever 10 is had, such movement of the balancing lever being secured through the relative op- T posite movement of the seat frame to that of the main frame. Under such movement the link rods 19 at the respective ends of the balancing lever will operate. through the control lever and link 16 upon the propeller shafts. 'Assumin the tilt downward at the end illustrate in Fig. 2, it will be seen that in the operation just described, the tractor propellers 2 will be elevated and the thrust propellers depressed or lowered. As the tractor propellers tend to pull the machine and the thrust propellers push the machine, it will be obvious that the arrangement described will operate to elevate the lowered end of the machine and thus restore the lateral equilibrium of the aeroplane. For the longitudinal balance it will be obvious that in the longitudinal inclination of the aeroplane the seat frame swinging on the shaft 11 will maintain its normal vertical position. This through the swinging of the pulleys 24 and 26 about the drum as acenter will induce a movement of the cables 27 and 30, which when properly connected to the elevators or to the elevators and ailerons will so operate said parts as to position them in a manner Well understood for adjusting the longitudinal balance of the aeroplane.

It will thus be obvious that through the mounting of the seat frame in the manner described and the various connections therefrom an automatic correction of a lateral or v necessary in ascending ,or descending or in setting the elevators for particular purposes.

It is to be understood that While preferring the construction herein disclosed, the details thereof are not in a precise form absolutely essential to a perfect result, and that I contemplate such variation from details described, asmay fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention,

what is claimed as new is:--.

1. The combination with the main frame ofan aeroplane, of'a shaft carried thereby, of a drivers seat pivotally mounted on said shaft, a drum loosely arranged on said shaft, pulleys carried bythe seat above and below the drum, an elevator plane, and a cable terminally connected to said plane, passed about the respective pulleys and wound about the drum.

2. The combination with the main frame of an aeroplane, of a shaft carried thereby. of a drivers seat pivotally mounted on said shaft, a drum loosely arranged on said shaft, pulleys carried by the seat above and below the drum, an elevator plane, a cable terminally connected to said plane, passed about the respective pulleys and wound affect all of said means in one relative nections between said seatand balancing plane to control the latter in the other relative movement of the seat and aeroplane.

4. The combination with an aeroplane, of propelling means arranged on each side of the aeroplane, and including independent pushing and pulling propellers, a balancing plane, a drivers seat pivotally mounted on the frame of the aeroplane for free movement in each of two directions, lever connections intermediate said seat and. all of said propelling means to simultaneously afiect all of said means 1n one relative movetions between said seat and balancin ment of the seat and frame, cable connecplane to control the latter in the other relative movement of the seat and aeroplane, and

manually operable means carried by the seat for operating the balancing plane cables independently of the seat movements.

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

ARCHIBALD G. MATTESON. Witnesses:

M. H. THO PsoN,' G. M. HU'roHINsoN'.

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