US1158195A - Propeller-feathering means. - Google Patents

Description

D. FORD. PROPELLER FEATHER'ING MEANS. APPLICATION FILED sEP Ths. I914.

1,1;19. 'Patnted Oct. 26, 1915.

,2 SHEETS-SHEET lvzwi m m D. FORD.

PROPELLER FEATHERING MEANS- APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8. 1914.

' Patented Oct. 26

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

II N VV///////// 1 mEMZiifi/f/A?! DAVID FORD, OF ELDORADO, OKLAHOMA.

PROIPELLER-FEATHERING MEANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented met. 26, 1915..

Application filed September 8, 1914.. Serial No. 860,712.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID FORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Eldorado,

in the county of Jackson and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Propeller-Feathering Means; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,'and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

llhis invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in propeller feathering means and has for its primary object to provide a device of this character which will be of simple construction and operation and by means of which the inclination of the propeller blades may be readily varied or reversed, as desired, to

control movement of the machine.

Another object is to provide a device of this character in which the feathering means will be slidably mounted upon the propeller shaft and connected with the opposite propeller blades, whereby movement in one direction of the feathering means uponthe propeller shaft will change the angle of inclination of the blades while movement in a reverse direction of said feathering means will reverse the position of the blades and properly regulate the inclination thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide a feathering means of this character which will be composed of a minimum number of parts of simple formation and which may be readily assembled and adjust-- ed and easily operated by a hand lever within convenient reach of the operator.

A still further object of this invention is to generally improve and simplify the construction and operation of devices of this character and increase the efficiency thereof lowing description and accompanying drawlngs, in which- I Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my device in use, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof, Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on the line 4l of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a detail cross sectional View on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates the propeller shaft which has the collar 2 keyed upon its outer end, as shown in 3, and provided with oppositely directed and parallel sockets 4 formed on its opposite sides, in which are rotatably mounted the reduced and rounded inner ends 5 of the propeller blades 6, said blades 6 being prevented from working out of the sockets 4, by means of the threaded screw 7 secured in the inner extremities thereof and having their heads bearing against the inner ends of the sockets 4, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and two smaller screws 7 extending through the heads of the screws 7 and into the adjacent ends of the blades 6.

It will be understood that the main portions of the blades 6 are oppositely directed and the inclination or direction of the blades 6 may be readily regulated by proper movement of the rods 8, which have their outer ends looselv connected to the blades 6, adj acent the inner ends of the main portions thereof, while the inner ends of said rods 8 are pivoted to diametrically opposite parts of the adjusting member 9, which is threaded upon the sleeve 10, adjacent the outer end thereof.

It will be understood that the rods 8 are connected with the flanged portion of the adjusting member 9 which may be turned upon the sleeve 10 which sleeve is slidably keyed to the shaft 1 to retain the blades 6 in the desired position. A second adjusting member 11 is threaded upon the sleeve 10 a spaced distance from the adjusting member 9, and between the adjusting members 9 and 11 is positioned a non-rotating sleeve. 12, which has an inwardly directed flange 13, for engagement between said members 9; and 11, for a purpose which will presently appear.v To reduce friction to the minimum,

I have provided two sets of bearing balls 14 engaged upon opposite faces of the inwardly directed flange 13 and resting in the annular channels 15 formed in the adjacent faces of the members 9 and 11.

The bearing members 9 and 11 are properly adjusted upon the sleeve 10 so that upon inward movement of the non-rotating sleeve 12, the adjusting members 9 and 11 and the slidable sleeve 10 will be drawn inwardly to draw the rods 8 inwardly and thereby reverse the inclination of I the propeller blades 6.

The non-rotating sleeve 12 has two connecting arms 16; said arms 16 and sleeve 12 being made in one and the same piece. The inner ends of the connecting arms 16 are pivoted at diametrically opposite points to the divided'lever 18, preferably at the central portion thereof, by the pivot pins 19, said divided lever 18 having elongated longitudinal slots 18 for the pivot pins 19.

The divided lever 18 is preferably formed of a pair of bars bowed outwardly at their central portion and connected at their opposite ends by the bolts 20 and 21. The bolt 20 passes through the upstanding portion of the supporting bracket 22 which issecured to the frame 23 of the flying machine or other device upon which the propeller is employed, said bracket 22 being secured to the frame 23, as shown at 24. The supporting bracket 22 serves to space the ends of the bars through which the bolt 20 projects, from one another, and the pivoted divided lever 18 is adapted to swing upon the bolt 20 as a pivot. Mounted upon the bolt 21 between the opposite ends of the bars forming the divided lever 18, is a pivoted auxiliary lever 25 which serves to separate said ends of the bars and which is fulcrumed intermediate its ends upon the fulcrum pin 26 mounted in a suitable supporting bracket 26'.

Pivoted to the opposite ends of the auxiliary lever 25, are the parallel operating rods 27, which are pivoted at their inner ends to the hand lever 28, to opposite sides of the fulcrum pin 29 which serves to fulcrum the hand lever 28 upon the rack segment 30, with the teeth 31 of which is normally engaged the latch member 32 which may be readily disengaged from the teeth 31 by pressing the finger 33, with which the latch member 32 is connected, toward the free end of the hand lever 28. It will therefore be seen that by disengaging the latch member 32 from the teeth 31 and swinging the hand lever 28 in one direction upon the fulcrum pin29,the auxiliary lever 25 will be swung in the proper direction upon its fulcrum pin 26 to draw the divided lever 18 toward the frame 23 and thereby draw inwardly the non-rotatable sleeve 12, the adjusting members 9 and 11, the slidable sleeve 10 and the rods 8 to reverse the blades 6. By again engaging the latch member 32 with the teeth 31, the hand lever 28 will be locked against movement, thereby securing the blades 6 of the propeller in the desired adjusted position and inclination. It will also be evident that by moving the hand lever 28 in the reverse direction, the direction of movement of the slidable sleeve 10 andparts engaged around the same, as well as the arms 8 and 16 will be changed, thereby again reversing the position of the blades 6 of the propeller, and it will therefore be apparent that the inclination of the blades 6 may be readily regulated as desired, to control the movement and speed of the flying machine "or other vehicle by which the propeller is carried.

This feathering means for propeller blades will be especially desirable upon aeroplanes and the like, as the propeller blades may be quickly reversed to reverse the action of the propeller and change the speed of movement of the machine when ascending or descending,. especially in a small space. It will also be evident that owing to the construction and arrangement of the parts of this device, they may be readily assembled or taken apart and any of the parts replaced should they become worn or broken.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is 1. A device of thev class described comprising the combination .with a propeller shaft, blade carrying means mounted upon the outer end of said propeller shaft, and propeller blades mounted in said propeller blade carrying means, a sleeve slidable and keyed on said shaft, a non-rotating member mounted upon said sleeve, said non-rotating member provided with inwardly directed flanges, ball bearings carried by the inwardly directed flanges of the non-rotating sleeve, bearing members mounted upon said sleeve and positioned on opposite sides of the non-rotating sleeve, connecting means between one of said bearing members and the propeller blades and means for moving the sleeve longitudinally of the shaft to turn the blades and vary the inclination of the same.

2. A device of the class described comprising the combination with a propeller shaft, blade carrying means mounted upon said propeller shaft, said blade carrying means provided with oppositely disposed sockets, propeller blades mounted in said sockets, a sleeve slidably mounted and keyed upon said shaft, bearing members rotatably mounted upon said sleeve, a non-rotatable member provided with inwardly directed flanges mounted between said bearing members, said non-rotating member provided with ball hearings to engage the inner faces of the bearing members, connecting links between one of said bearing members and the propeller blades for bearing the inclination of' the same upon movement of the 10 sleeve. 1

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 1n presence of two Witnesses.

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