US1110895A - Aeroplane. - Google Patents

Description

H. L. GOAKLEYg AEEOPLANE. APPLICATION FILED 311.7, 1914.

Patented Sept 15, 1914.

1 WITNESSES ATTORNEYS H. L. GOAKLEY.

ABROPLANE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 7, 1914.

1,1 10,895 Patented Sept. 1519M 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

H. L. GOAKLEY.

AEROPLANE. APPLmATIpN FILED-APR. 7, 1914,

1,11%895 Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

f A TTOR/VEVS SAT HEN I. GOAKLEY, OF NEW YORK N. Y.

AEROPLANE.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914. Application filed April 7, 1914. Serial No. 830,313.

ll,llll,895. Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom z'tmay concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L. CoAKLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have'invented a new and Improved Aeroplane, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to aerial navigation, and has particular reference to aeroplanes. a

Among the objects of the invention is to improve the construction of aeroplanes with reference especially to the controlling devices.

More definitely stated, by this invention I am enabled to control by a single and simple expediency all of the movements of the aeroplane while 'in the air. trolling devices including a plurality of controlling planes are arranged preferably at the rear, said planes being journaled on substantially horizontal axes extending transversely of the line of flight but at an angle to each other.-

A further object of the invention .is to provide a controlling means for the steering devices which will be of such nature as to respond naturally to all of the movementsof the aviators body in accordance with the desire or necessity at any particular time, as for instance, in ascending or descending or turning to the right or left.

The foregoing and other objects of the in vention will hereinafter be more fully set forth and claimed, and'illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a biplane involving the principles of this invention; Fig. 2 is a side view of the same; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a slightly modified f rm of biplane; Fiat. 4 is a perspective view in diagram of the controller connections; Figs. 5 and 6 are front elevations of other modifications of biplanes; and Fig. 7 is a plan view of a monoplane, all of said views being more or less diagrammatic in nature.

The several parts of the device may be made of any suitable inaterials, and the relative sizes and proportions, as well as the general design of the mechanism, may be varied to a considerable extent without The conto each other and of the same size.

departing from the spirit of the invention hereinafter more fully described and specifically claimed. 1

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I show in Figs. 1 and 2 a biplane having upper and lower planes 10 and 11 connected by any suitable braces 12 and guys 13. At the rear end of the machine and supported by diagonal braces 14 are controlling planes 15 and 16 each mounted upon a substantially horizontal axis and movable upwardly or downwardlyaround the same by any suitable means. As shown herein, the supporting axis for each controlling plane is in the nature of a shaft 17 bentv or turned at an angle 17 andhence serving for the axes of both planes. Each controlling plane is provided with a pair of hinges or straps 18 extending around the shaft 17 and each plane, furthermore, is provided with a lever 19 connected at any desired place intermediate its ends and preferably along its front edge, said lever ex with a hand wheel 24 or the equivalent thereof, whereby the aviator may either rotate the shaft 22 alone or rock the shaft 20 without rotating the shaft 22, or he may combine the two motions, rotating both the shaft 22 and the rock shaft 20.

A pair of wheels or pulleys 25 and 26 are secured rigidly to the shaft 22 above and below the bearing 23 respectively and preferably at equal distances therefrom. These pulleys 25 and 26 are preferably parallel It will be understood that the aviator will be seated on any convenient seat (not shown) just in the rear of the hand wheel 24.

At 27 and 28 I provide a pair of flexible non-elastic connections, such as high grade wire cables or the like, operating respectively over the pulleys 25 and 26. The ends of the cable'27 are connected at 29 to the lower ends "f the two levers 19 above described. The ends of the cable 28 are con- I positions with the rotation of the shaft 22 as nected at 30 to the upper ends of said levers 19, the intermediate portions of the cable 28, however, being crossed-at 28' between the pulley 26 and the points of connection 30'.

'As viewed in Fig. 4, the full lines indicate the normal positions .of the several parts. The dotted lines indicate changed indicated by the arrows above the hand wheel but without rocking the shaft 20. Itotation of the hand wheel, as shown, it being understood that the cables 27 and 28 are always maintained substantially taut, will cause the cable 27 to pull forwardly on the point 29 of the lever connected to the controlling plane 16, and at the same time the cable 28 will draw forwardly upon the point 30 of the lever connected to the plane 15. This will cause the plane 16 to swing downwardly on its axis and the other plane to swing in the opposite direction. This will .cause the machine as a whole to rotate around its longitudinal central axis and thereby tilt downwardly on the right hand side, and upwardly on the left hand side. The effect of this action will be to cause the machine to turn to the right without affecting its elevation. .80 long, therefore, as the hand wheel is turned in the direction indicated, the tendency for the machine will be to circle toward the right. A rotation of the hand wheel inthe opposite direction from the normalwould have a similar effect upon the machine, guiding it in a circle toward the left. These movements of the hand wheel are, as above intimated, according to the aviators natural inclination when he wishes to-steer in any direction.

If it be desired to ascend, the aviator will tilt his body backwardly, pulling rearwardly upon the hand wheel 24, and without rotating the shaft 22, causing the rock shaft to rotate and causing the cable 28 to pull forwardly on both the points 30, swinging both of the controlling planes 15 and 16 upwardly around their axes. The cable 27 will be relievedin the same proportion as the cable 28 as drawn upon, allowing such movement of the levers 19. Likewise, the descent will be effected by a forward thrust on the hand wheel and draft through the cable 27 upon the points 29, causin the planes 15 and 16 to swing downward y. Since the rotation of the shaft 22 and that of the rock shaft 20 are'independent of each other, it is obvious that the two motions or two efiects upon the steering mechanism may be combined in a single movement; that is to say, the aviator. for instance, by rotating the hand wheel toward the right and at the same time pullng rearwardly upon itso as to rotate both of the shafts 22 and 20, the machine will be steered both tothe right and upwardly.

It will be notedthat the axes of the two controlling planes 15 and 16 are arranged directed somewhat rearwardly.

I at an angle to each other which maybe more or less obtuse according to the design of the builder of the machine. This arrangement.

of the supporting shaft for the controlling planes and their action therearound make it impossible for. the aviator to operate the planes too far in either direction, which has heretofore caused much difficulty when steering planes connected for simultaneous move-,

ment have been employed. In other words, the planes 15 and 16 being pivoted on angu-' larly disposed axes are adapted to partake,

somewhat of the nature of a screw when rotated in opposite directions; that is to say, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, viewed longitudinally or along the central axis of ,the machine, the effect is that of .a right handed spiral orscrew. If these planes should be rotated to their maximum extent.

they still present the nature of a screw and hence at no time-ofi'er a positive obstruction to the movement of the machine through the air. .If, however, the planes were to be mounted on a -'single horizontal axis and each' swung through an angle of degrees, there would be an enormous resistance to the.

machine due to the disposition of the planes perpendicularly to the line of movement of the aeroplane. Such resistance proves disastrous.

It is obvious that the number and form of the main planes may be varied to a large extent. In Figs. 1 and2, I show a pair of planes- 10 and .11 which are substantially straight. in plan but diverging from each other v toward their ends. In Fig. 3 I show a biplane in which the upper planes 10 has a nose or point at the front and with its ends The plane 11 is somewhat of the same shape butarranged with its sides or ends projecting indicating the appearance of the biplaneof Fig. 1 as seen from the front, and in Fig. 6 I show a similar view of a machine in which the lower plane. 11 is substantially straight throughout. f

As above premised. the amount of angul'arity of the shaft 17 may vary greatly in rhfierent constructions, depending upon the size of the .machine and the shape of the mam planes. In Fig. 7, for instance, I show a monoplane, the supporting plane 10 of which has its ends inclined toward the rear, and straight lines a and b drawn through the centers of the ends of the main plane intersect each other between the main plane and the controlling planes 15 and 16 and also mtersect the controlling planes on opposite sides of the machine. Corresponding llnes a and b drawn on Fig. 3 perpendicularly to the centers of the front edges of thecontrolling planes intersect each other comparatively close to the main planes and consequently do not pass through the centers I furthermore, the left opposite wing of the same ame prises two wings extending laterally from the longitudinal center of the machine and said wings at their outer portions are arranged at an obtuse angle to each other. More specifically, the ends or wings of the main plane 10 extend upwardly and the ends or wings Ofthe lower main plane 11 extend downwardly. It will be noted,

furthermore, that the angles formed by these upwardly and downwardly extending wings are substantially equal, and, hence, either of the upwardly projecting wings of the upper plane lies in a plane substantially parallel to the downwardly projecting wing of the lower plane on the other, side of the machine. The efiect of this peculiar. construction is important and may be appreciatedby reference especially to Fig. 1. A great source of trouble and accident in aeroplane practice lies in the tendency for the machine to guide, skid or oscillate laterally. Especially is the oscillation a common source of annoyance and danger. By this term is meant the tendency for the aeroplane to swing to and fro laterally around the imaginary center above the machine in the nature of a clock pendulum. When this trouble takes place, especially when the machine is vfalling, there is an extreme ten dency for the oscillation to increase in amplitude and speed due to the combined oscillating and gravitating motions; hence, the machine is most certain under ordinary conditions to turn upside-down at the end of one of the oscillating movements. In my improvement, however, the tendency'to lat.

eral movement, either as a gliding or an oscillating motion, is resisted effectively by the cooperation of the two wings of the upper and lower planes which, lying on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the machine, present the maximum surface to the air. In other words, when the machine .is being operlatedyand on atilt, such as may be presumed tojbe shown by Fig. 1, with the left hand wing of the upper plane presenting considerable resistance surface and the plane more nearly horizontal, the wing of the lower plane on the right hand side of the machineextending downwardly presents substantially as much surface to the air in proportion to its length asdoes the wing first mentioned, and, hand wing of the lower plane s subsi'antlally horizontal. It is true,

as stated hereinbefore, however, that the over-main plane is shorter preferably than the upper plane, but nevertheless the Wings are of suliicient length to provide the resistance desired to prevent the oscillating of the machine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, I claim l. The herein described biplane comprising upper and lower main supporting planes, the upper plane being longer than" the lower plane, each plane comprising a pair of laterally extending wings arranged at an angle to each other, the wings'of the upper plane projecting upwardly, the wings of the lower plane pro ecting downwardly, and each 7 wlngon one side of the machine lying in a plane substantially parallel to the wing on the other plane on the opposite side of the machine, a main supporting frame, a pair of controlling planes adjacent each' other and journaled upon the main supporting frame at the rear of the main planes, and means to manipulate the controlling planes so as to produce either a right or left hand spiral effect uponthe entire machine with respect to its longitudinal axis.

2.-In an aeroplane, the combination of a frame, a rigid main supporting plane secured thereto, a pair of controlling planes in the rear ,of the main supporting plane journaled upon the frame on axes at an angle to each other, a horizontal rock shaft journaled in the main frame, a shaft journaled. in the rock shaft perpendicular thereto, a hand device to rotate either the shaft or the rock shaft or both at the same time, and cables extending from the perpendicular shaft to the controlling planes whereby the controllingplane's are made responsive to the rotations of the two shafts aforesaid.

3. In a controlling device for aeroplanes, the combination of a horizontal rock shaft, a rotary shaft journaled in the rock shaft and perpendicularly. thereto, a pair of pulleys connected to the rotary shaft on opposite sides of the rock shaftand in parallel planes, apair of controlling planes remote from the rock shaft and pivoted on axes at an angle to each other and lying in substantially the same plane as. the'rock shaft, a lever arranged perpendicularly with respect to each controlling plane extending to both sides thereof, and a pair of cables operating over said pulleys, the ends of one cable being connected to the lower ends of said controlling plane levers and the ends of the other cable being 'connected to the upper ends of said levers.

4:. In a controlling device for aeroplanes, the combination of a rock shaft journaled on a fixed horizontal axis transversely of the machine, a rotary shaft journaled in the rock shaft and perpendicularly thereto, a

hand wheel secured to'the upper end of the rotary shift, a pair of pulleys of equal size arranged parallel to each other at equal distances on opposite sides of the rock shaft and secured to the rotary shaft, a pair of controlling planes mounted on horizontal axes in the rear of the rock shaft, a lever secured to each plane perpendicularly thereto 4 and extending above and below its axis, a

cable extending around one of said. pulleys and having its ends connected to the lower ends of the controlling plane levers, and

.1 another cable extending around the other HENRY L. CQAKLEY.

Witnesses:

G120. L. BEELER, .C. E. HOLSKE.

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