US1112110A

US1112110A - Aeroplane.

Info

Publication number: US1112110A
Application number: US52146209A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph E Bissell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1909-10-07
Filing date: 1909-10-07
Publication date: 1914-09-29
Anticipated expiration: 1931-09-29

Description

J. E. BISSELL.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7, 1909.

1 1 1 2, 1 1 O, Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. E. BISSELL.

AEROPLANB,

APPLICATION FILED OOT.7,\1909.

1, 1 1 2, 1 1 O. Y Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

fly. Z

WIT/VESS'ESI- I EIWOR JOSEPH E. BISSELL, or PITTSBURGH, rniqNsYLvAivIA.

AEEOPLANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

Z '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Josnrrr E. BISSELL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in the means of aerial navigation, and has particular reference to that type of aerial vessels which is termed the aeroplane-class. 1

One of the objects of the invention is to utilize the principles of the aeroplane com-, bined with the principles of gyration, whereby the aerial navigation isrendered practicable and safe.

. the invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide an aeroplane with a poiseror gliderframe in the form of a parachute, having means, in the nature of rotary propellers, for causing said aeroplane to ascend; said means being adapted to control the flow of the air whereby the aeroplane descends.

safely.

A further object of the invention is to provide the aeroplane with a combined single propelling and steering apparatus, in the form of an ordinary screw propeller, which propels and guides the vessel in all directions.

Astill further object of the invention is to retain the advantages of the aerial vessels of the heavier than air type, while simplifying and reducing the weight, and to provide more effective y, than in thedevices heretofore in use, against certain-contingencies..-

With the objects enumerated and with others in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists of certain novel features'of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any advantages of One of the many possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the aerial l. Application filed October 7, 1903. Serial No. 521,462.

vessel, partly in section; Fig. 2 a plan view of the same; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 aredetails of construction;.and Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modification of a detail of construction. The herein described embodiment of the aerial vessel comprises a main frame 10, made of a suitable, rigid and light material, and being provided, preferably, with a plurality of rollers or wheels 11, facilitating the transportation of the apparatus and aiding the ascent-of the same. Upon thisframe is mounted a suitable source of power for actuating the oising, propelling and guiding-means, whic comprises in the present case an internal combustion engine 12, having aplurality of cylinders, the number of which may vary according to the requirements. There is furthermore arranged upon said frame a tank 13 containing the liquid fuel for said motor, the connections therebetween having been omitted as the same are obvious, and may be made by anybody skilled in the art. Part of the tank 13 mi be used for storing the lubricating material for the motor. Above the motor 12 is arranged the operators seat 14, in front of which are located the actuating levers for the different devices upon the vessel. The fuel tank may be arranged around the operators seat, as shown at 13' in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

The cylinders of the motor are arranged horizontally, its vertical crankshaft being connected with a, preferably, tubular shaft 15, which is rotatably journaled in a tubular support 16, fixedly attached to the main frame 10 of the apparatus. To the upper end of the shaft 15 is attached a flange 16.,

to which is fastened a, preferably, parachute-shaped poiser or glider-wing 17, made of or covered by a light and preferably '1 rigid material, such as, for instance, aluminum. The frame is provided with radial and outwardly widening openings 18. '18, extending from the flange 16. substantially to the rim of the parachute-shaped wing.

nected in a similar manner-with a

ring

22,2, slidably arranged upon'th'e'shaft 15. The

ring 22 is in'engagement with a" ring 28, which is connected by means of arod 24 with an operating lever 25,? arranged front of the operators seat 14, and pivoted at 26 to a support 27, fixedly attached to the tubular member 16 of the main frame of the apparatus. Near to the pivot 26 is arranged a stationary notched segment 28, the notches of which are adapted to be engaged by a latch 29, slidably mounted upon the lever 25, whereby the

rings

22 and 23 may be kept upon the shaft 15 in any predetermined positions, and thus the inclination of the

blades

19, 19 with respect to the plane of the poiser wing adjusted as the particular circumstances will require. It will be observed that, when the poiserwing rotates, the blades 19, when set open, will act in the manner of an ordinary screw propeller with a lifting power limited only by the size of said blades and by the size of the motor and the speed thereof. Of course, the lifting power of these blades depends also upon their angle of inclination, which may be predetermined as hereinbefore mentioned.

The combined propelling and steering means of the aeroplane comprises a screw propeller 30 of suitable size and pitch, which is fixedly attached to a shaft 31, rotatablymounted upon a cross-shaped support 32, connected with and supported by the main frame of the apparatus in a manner hereinafter to be described. The propeller is actuated from the main shaft of the machine by a belt 33, preferably, of steel wire, running over a pulley 34, mounted upon the propeller shaft 31, and a pulley 35, fixedly attached to the tubular shaft 15, said steel wire being guided by

idle pulleys

36, 36, rotatably mounted upon a spindle 37, attached to a supportin rod 38, which is connectcd by a un1versal oint 39 with the crossshaped member 32. The inner end of the supporting rod 38 carries fixedly attached thereto a sleeve 40, slidably arranged upon a rod 41, which is attached to the support 27. The rod 41 and the sleeve 40 are provided with flanges 42 and 43, respectively, against which bears a spring 44, forcing the supporting rod'38 and the parts carried thereby outwardly, keeping thus the belt 33 taut. The rod 41 is provided near to the support 27 with a spherical member '45, either secured to said rod or, preferably, made inte al therewith. Upon thismemher is artlculated by a universal joint a cross-sha ed body 48, the legs of which are connecte -with the corresponding legs of the cross-shaped member 32 by means of

guide wires

49, 49, for holding the screw propeller 30 in the desired positions.

The 0 eration of the device is as follows: In startlng the lide of the machine, the

blades

19, 19, which operate to levitate the device are set by means of the operating lever 25 at an angle to the plane of the poiserwing 17 and then the motor is put in operation, which gives the desired speed to the poiser-wing, the blades 19 and the screw propeller 30, the shaft 31 of which is arranged, when starting, in a horizontal plane. The operation of the blades 19 and the propeller 30 cause at once an air disturbance of such character that the atmospheric pressure is changed so as to create a partial vacuum above the machine, and by reason of the expansive force of the atmosphere below the poiser-wing, the machine is floated with the parachute-shaped poiserwing gyrating, whereby the vessel is kept in an upright position. It is, of course, obvious that, in order to prevent the rotation of the main frame of the apparatus with the main ,shaft thereof, the propeller 30 may be set so as to produce a current of air, which counteracts to some extent that generated by the propeller blades 19. When the desired height or level it attained, the blades 19 in the poiser-wing are set so as to close the openings 18 in the same. The frame is, however, left to rotate, increasing thereby the stability of the machine, and serving at the same time as a fly-Wheel of the motor 12.

Obviously the poiser-wing serves also as a parachute, its action being governed by the blades 19 and openings 18; more particularly with fully closed openings the frame acts in the manner of an ordinary parachute, wh1le wlth free or partially free openings the parachute action thereof is decreased. The machine is propelled and guided in its movement by the propeller 30, the movement being entirelydependent upon the angle at which the propeller shaft 31 is arranged relative to its pivot. If the shaft 31 is arranged in a horizontal lane, the aeroplane Wlll move horizontall its direction depending upon the angle at which the plane of the propeller 30 is arranged rela tive to the supporting shaft 38. The propeller may, of course, be set in the horizontal plane by shifting the horizontal legs of the cross-shaped member 48 in the horizontal plane. When the propeller shaft 31 1s set'inthe vertical plane at an angle to the supporting shaft 38 by shifting the vertical legs of the cross-shaped member. in the vertical plane, the aeroplane will proceed in a plane inclined to the horizontal, rise or descend, depending upon the position of the propeller shaft 31 in the vertical plane.

In the drawings, a general arrangement of the aeroplane, constructed in accordance with the invention, has been illustrated, but no particular proportions or sizes of the invention have been specified, since the said proportions and size must depend upon the machine in the diflerent planes, have been described, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous other devices can be employed to attain the desired adjusting effect without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

It should be stated that the essential features of the invention lie in the peculiar formation of the poiseror glider-wing in connection with the lifting blades arranged in the same, in the manner in Which the aeroplane is guided in its movement, that isin the provision of an ordinary screw propeller adaptedto vary its position in all directions around a point, and in the parachute action of the poiser.

l'Vhat I claim is: 1. In an aeroplane the combination of a frame, a gyroscopic poiser-Wing including.

an extended and substantially undistortable membrane rotating in a general'plane of its extent, the continuity of such membrane being interrupted by a radially extending opening a levitator-blade extending adjacent sucli opening and movable to close such opening, meansfor moving said levitator blade, and means for rotating said poiserwing, substantially as described.

2. In an aeroplane the combination of a main frame, an outwardly extensible arm carried by said frame, a supplemental frame pivoted on said arm, a propeller shaft rotatable in and carried solely by said supplemental frame, amotor carried in the said main frame, and flexible operative connections between said motor and the propeller shaft carried in said supplemental frame, substantially as described. a

3. In an aeroplane, the combination of a frame, a motor carried in said frame having its power shaft extending in a vertical direction, a gyroscopic poiserwving secured directly to said power shaft and including an extended and substantially undisto-rtable membrane rotating in a general plane of its extent, the continuity of such membrane being interrupted by a radially extending opening, a levitator blade extending adjacent such opening and movable to close such opening, means for moving said levitator blade, and a relatively heavy rim forming the periphery of said membrane and serving as a fly-wheel for said motor and a gyro- ,scopic balance for said aeroplane.

Signed at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, this 25th day of September, A. D. 1909.

' JOSEPH E. BISSELL.

Witnesses:

W. D. KING, W. C. 0001:, WALTER Norms.

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