US1166367A - Hydroaeroplane. - Google Patents

Description

W. S. HART.

HYDROAEROPLANE. APPLICATION FlL-ED APR- 6. ms.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. S. HART. H YDROAEROPLANE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1915- Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WILLIAM S. HART, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA:

HYDROAEROPLANE.

Speeification'of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

Application filed April 6, 1915. Serial No. 19,451.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. HART, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at 'Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydroaeroplanes, of which the following is a, specification.

The present invention relates to a hydroaeroplane, that is more particularly a vehicle that can be propelled through the air, upon the ground, upon the water and partially submerged, one object of the invention being the provision of a novel form of warcraft, which is provided with swingingly mounted planes, so that the same may be collapsed or closed during the partial 'submergence of the vehicle, and which can be readily extended when it is desired to take to flight.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a vehicle of this character which can be readily-controlled by an occupant or occupants to cause the same to be propelled in the various ways above enumerated, it bein also intended that the vehicle be operate as a hydroplane, when it will not be necessary to partially submerge.

With the foregoing and other objects in view and which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the present invention resides in the details as set forth, and as more particularly claimed, many changes in construction, however, being possible within the scope of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:-Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the complete hydro-aeroplane. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the hydro-aeroplane with the planes extended. Fig. 4 is a similar view with the planes collapsed or withdrawn. Fig. 5'

is a section taken on line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the steerlng and control mechanism. Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views of the clutch. Fig. 9 is a view illustrating a modified form of plane mounting and operating means.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates the envelop or buoyant body, which is preferably made fish-shaped, and is constructed of a light metal, as aluminum, or infact any material that may be suitable. The same is divided into any number of compartments 11, some of which are for machinery, such as the explosive engine 12, electric motor 13, and fuel battery containers 14:, and ballasts, these being arranged in the most convenient places for permitting the necessary even balancing of the body 10 under all conditions of travel.

The opening 15 is'controlled by the door 16, so that the occupantsmay have access to and be permitted to be released, while the chamber 17 is provided at the forward underside for releasing bombs, and is closed by the lower door 18 and the upper door 1.9, both of which make the body water-tight when closed. The body 10,- has a normal buoyant capacity sufficient to establish a certain displacement and maintain the body submerged in water to a degree substantially half the depth of said body.

At the forward end of the body is the torpedo tube 20, of usual construction, which is forwardly and upwardly inclined from substantially the normal water line of the body 10, while journaled through the nose of the body is the shaft 21, for driving the pulling air propeller 22, which when the tube 20 is, being used is moved out of the path of the outlet of the tube, so that the disclzharged torpedo will not strike the proe er. p The inner end of the shaft 21 is connected through the clutch 23 to the engine 12 or the electric motor 18, this control as will later appear being under the supervision of the operator, who sits upon the seat 24 in the compartment 25, and can observe the surroundings through'the observation window 26 when the body is being propelled in the atmosphere, or through the periscope '27, when the body is partially submerged.

At the rear exterior of the body 10 are attached the guiding planes 28 and the elevating planes 29, while depending therefrom and supported by the framework 30, are the floats 31, which are similar in construction to the hydroplane floats now in general use. These floats 31, serve to lift the tail end of the body 10, and maintain the bow downwardly while the planes29, serve to resist the lifting action of the water in the advance of the body therethrough to sustain said body submerged to the normal depth.

' ployed to propel the body as a hydroplane or aeroplane. The balancing planes are also provided upon the tail end of thebody 10.

a Two parallel plates or supports 36 and 37 are attached to the underside and top of the body 10 near the nose or forward end thereof, and carry the spacing and journaling members 38, in each one of which is journaled the shaft 39, which carries each a wing plane 40, which is preferably concave-convex in cross-section. The various sets 41 of braces or stays are provided for insuring the proper positioning of the w planes 40, and for also strengthening them under the various conditions to which they are subjected. The shafts 39 are the axes upon which these planes swing to assume the positions as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, this as operation being accomplished through the instrumentalities of the flexible connections 42, which are led rearwardly through the stuffing boxes 43 into the interior of the body 10. These connections 42 are held as taut at all times by meansof the spool or spools 43, which are fixed upon the tubular shaft 44, controlled by the wheel 45, in ready access to the operator. Fitting telescopically within the shaft 44 is a longer shaft 46, operated by the wheel 47 while upon its lower end is the oppositely extending arms 48, to which the rudder controlling cables are attached. The shaft 49 provided with the operating wheel 50 has upon at) its lower. ends the two oppositely extended arms 51 to which is attached the cables for controlling the elevators, thus making it possible for the operator to actuate the shafts 44 and 46 and the shaft 49 while in a as seated position.

In the construction as shown in Fig. 9, the planes 40, are operated through a gear mechanism, instead of cables, the reduced inner edges of the planesbeing provided so with gear teeth 52, which through the intermediate small gears 53 are operated by the drive gear 54, carried upon the outer end' of the drive shaft 55, which is operable from within the body 10.

A shaft 56, carrying a water propeller 57 is mounted inclinedly through the underside of the tail of the body 10, and through the clutch 58 and the gears 59, receive motion from the engine 12 or the electric motor 13,

so this being, as are also the other two clutches, controlled through the levers 60. Wheels 61 are also provided to assist in supporting the hydro-aeroplane upon land, as when alighting, at rest, or beginning a flight from 65 land.

clude the fixed clutch member 61, the slidable splined clutch member 62 and the oper-' ating lever 63,.the opposed faces of the members being such as to readily engage and disengage, and when engaged make a ri 1d connecti0n between the members. his invention is'designed for use with rapid fire guns of small caliber and also torpedoes. I

This hydro-aeroplane is intended to be submerged slightly below the waters surface when in motion, and to besuificiently buoyant to float upon the surface when at rest, or gliding slowly. It is also to be provided with water ballast, of the submarine type, so that the buoyancy may be regulated, as desired andthe water expelled entirely before taken to flight in the air.

When the device is used only as ahydroplane or aeroplane, the periscope, water ballast and the water propeller are not provided.

There is also mounted in the body 10 an air compressor 64 which supplies air to the tanks or reservoirs 65, these being used when the device is constructed for submarine work.

What I claim as new is 1. A hydro-aeroplane comprising a buoyant cigar shaped body having a normal buoyant capacity sufficient to establish a certain displacement and maintain the body submerged in water to a degree substantially half the depth thereof, a torpedo discharge tube arranged at the bow of the body and inclined forwardly and upwardly from substantially the normal water line of the body, floats depending from the spaced relative to the tail end of the body and acting as hydroplanes to lift said tail end and maintain the bow end downwardly, and horizontally dis-- posed vertically adjustable planes exteriorly of the body and serving to resist the lifting action of the water in the advance of said body therethrough to sustain the body submerged to the normal depth.

2. A hydro-aeroplane comprising a buoyant cigar shaped body having a normal 11" buoyant capacity sufficient to establish a certain displacement and maintain the body submerged in water to a degree substantially half the depth thereof, a torpedo discharge tube arranged at the bow of the body and in- 12 clined forwardly and upwardly from sub-' "stantially the normal water line of the body, floats depending from and spaced relative to the tail end of the body and actingas hydroplanes to lift said tail end and mamtainthe 12 how end downwardly, horizontally disposed -vertically adjustable planes exteriorly of the body and serving to resist the lifting action of the water in the advance of said body therethrough to sustain the body submerged 11 to the normal depth, vertically and horizon- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature tally arranged balancing planes on said body in presence of two witnesses. rearwardly of the first named planes, ad- WILLIAM S. HART. justable wing planes on the body, and pro- Witnesses:

5 peller means fore and aft of the body for VICTOR M. BRIAN,

driving the same through air and water. GEO. S. MARSHALL.

Images