US1180347A - Sustaining and stabilizing attachment for aeroplanes. - Google Patents

Description

1 v G. F. WARREN.

SUSTAiNING AND STABILIZING ATTACHMENT FOR AEROPLANES.

T APPLICATION FILED 1UNE15, l9l5- 1,10,347. Patented Ap1'.-25,1916

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

amuembz 6 2'5 Mime,

SUM/nu APPLICATION FILED JUNE l5, 19H).

7 PZITGIltPd Apr. 25, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET21 mww awuemto'a l m- Memes orincn GEORGE F. WARREN, 0F DOUBLE BAYOU, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 ELTON L.

-MITCHELL, OF DOUBLE BAYOU, TEXAS.

susmmme AND sminmzme ATTACHMENT roa annoPLAnne.

Application filed June 15, 1915. Serial Iva 34,186.

ing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to, make and use the same.

This invention relates to a sustaining and stabilizing attachment for aeroplanes, contemplating particularly the provision of an auxiliary propeller designed to be driven from an auxiliary motor and to be thrown into action either upon the failure of the propelling mechanism employed or the plunging of the machine ina downward and forward direction, to sustain the machine in the air and at the same time correct any instability so that a safe landing may be made.

One object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the character specified embodying a lifting and stabilizing propeller, a normally inactive motor for driving the same, and means for throwing the said mo tor into action when occasion requires.

A further object of the invention is to provide a safety appliance of the designated character in which the propeller, when in active, is disposed horizontally upon the body of the machine so as to offer minimum headresistance, and in which means are pro vided for simultaneously adjusting said propeller to an operative position and throwing its motor into .action.'

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel construction and arrangement of means for adjusting the propeller and controlling the auxiliary motor, whereby. the propeller may be instantly thrown which will appear as the nature of the ininto action whenever danger exists in order that the aviator may maintam or regain complete controlv over the machine.

With these and other objects in View,

vention is better disclosed, the invention consists of the features of construction, combin'ation and arrangement ofp arts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, in

which Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, rate.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a flying machine of the monoplane type embodying my invention, and showing the auxiliary pro- Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section sho wing the mode of constructing and mounting the auxiliary propeller; and Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, illustrating a modification .in the controlling mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the stream-line body or nacelle of anaeroplane of the monoplane type, which-body is mounted upon a' suitable launching and alighting base 2 and is equipped with the usual stability fins or tailspiece 3, a horizontal rudder 4, andua vertical rudder 5, which rudders may be operatedthrough any suitable style of controlling gear. As shown in the present instance, the machine is provided at the rear with a driving propeller 6 mount ed on a shaft 7 extending longitudinally through the tail portion of the body, which shaft receives motion fromadriving motor 8 arranged within the body. The body 1 carries a supporting surface consisting of wings orplanes 9 of any ordinary type, and is provided with the usual cockpit 1'0. 7

While I have described a type'of monoplane to which the invention is shown applied for purpose of exemplification, it will,

of course, be understood that the invention may also be applied to'biplanes or other mulwith a gear casing oryoke 14 mounted to swing longitudinally on a horizontal transverse shaft 15. The shaft 15 is journaled in suitable bearings 16 upon the top of the body 1, at a point adjacent to and immediately in rear of the cockpit 10, and is so arranged as to permit the propeller to be normally swung downwardly and rearwardly to a substantially horizontal position upon the top of lthebody, as indicated in dotted lines in-Fig.

I 3, sothatwhen out. of use it Will lie out of 7 within tliebody, which shaft 22 also carries a "beveled gear 23 meshing with a beveledthe course of theair stream and consequently will opposev but aminimum amount of addedresistance to the progress of flight of the-machine 1 Y The shaft 12 carries at its end withinthe igear 'casing a beveled gear 17 meshing with a similar gear 18 ontheshaft 15, and on said shaft l is arranged'asprocket gear 19 connected by a chain ,20-with a sprocket gear 21 one horizontal transverse shaft locked drivingfgear2 on the ,shaftof an auxiliary .mo'tor 2 5." It'will beevident that this-construction of driving gearing permits the propeller to be swung from anorm'al horizontal positionupwardly and forwardly to a verticalworking position. as illustrated in a Fig, 3, iii-which working position the blades "ofthe' propeller revolve in a horizontal path ilandfact togive a lifting impulse to sustain the fmachine in theair. V

" Preferably, the lifting propeller'jis so arranged that when. adjusted to working positionits sustaining actionwvill be aboutin line withfthe centers of gravity-and pressure, or a little in advancethereofljso that'in theevent j of the derangement of the 'normal driving (o1; propelling mechanism of the machine the ,propeller. 11 may be thrown-into action and driven from themotor 25, said propeller operating. when in action to sustain the whole or' a greater. proportion of. the wpight -ofthe machine as-well as to maintain longi- 1 tudinal stabilitygflThemotor 25'may be'ia coinparatively lightmotor of less power than the motor 8,- but of sufiicient power to drive a sustaining propeller of the character de scribed. As, sh0WIi,the motor 25 is provided with anautomatic starting. device. 26having.

,a'. trip' proje'ction 27 whereby it may: be

thrown" into operation. v p

The mechanism for adjusting the propeller 11' andth-rowing-the motor 25 into action '1 maybe ofsuch a; type as to be automatically or manu'al'ly' operated, and, if desired,'to be operated automatically. by an {instinctive movement-of the ope'rator, such as occurs when the machine begins to fall head first.

' Inthe present instance I have shown a pri mary operating device consisting of the back 28 of the aviat'o rs seat 29. which back'28 is pivoted to swing ina fore and aft direction on an aXis 30 and has connected "therewith a crankarm 31 limited in its forward movement bya stop 32 and coupledby means of a connecting .rod 33 with a crank arm 34 on a shaft 35,- which 'shaftis providedwith an-' other crank arm36, connected by a link 37 "wiiththe propeller sleeve 13, theconstruction be ng such that a backward movement of the seat 28will throw the arm 3l..forward and in so doing "transmit motion to the bell crank formed by the arms 34: andSGand the link 37 to'swing the propeller 11 to an upright position for operation, the link 37 being in such position self-locking to, hold the propeller in its Working position. By

manually swinging the seat 28 forwardly or swinging the propeller backwardly after breakingthe lock joint between the .lever 37 and arm 36, the propeller may be returned to normal position after having performed its intended sustaining andstabilizing function. The connectingi-od 33 is provided with a projection 39 adapted on-its forward movement to engage the trip member 27, so

"that when the propeller is adjusted toworking positionthe motor 25 will also be set into action to drive the gearing whereby the propeller is operated. I

It will thus be understood that if the ordinary propelling mechanism of the machine should stop or'beco'me inoperative from any cause, the aviator may throw the propeller .11 intogaction, sothat themachine will be sustained and its stability maintained, allowing a safe descent to be made. If, for any cause, the machine shoultflose its fore and aft balance and tilt downwardly and forwardly, .aninstinctive backward movement of the aviator will throw the propeller 11 and motor 25 "into action, the propeller serving to resist further loss of stability and to sustain thelmachine and lift the forward end thereof until the-longitudinal stability ,is regained. The invention thus provides a safety v attachment which maybe applied to any ordinary flying machine for the purpose of sustaining the machine in the event of the derangement of its propelling mechanlsm, as well as preventing the maehme froni turning over, as whepjifi a "'air' hole ljis encountered or the-machine plunges? downwardly and forwardly from any othqr cause.

It will, of course, be understood th'h'tm odifications in the construction and arra 'ge" struction of the attachment being otherwise the same as that previously described;-

Havmg thus described my invention, I

, claim:

1. A flying machine including a body, a lifting and sustaining propeller normally arranged in a horizontal position and adapted for adjustment to a vertical position for action, afnormally inactive motor for (l -i mg said propeller, and means for simultaneously ad usting the'propeller to operanormally inactive motor in gear with the propeller, and means operative by the aviator for simultaneously shifting the propeller to Working position and starting the motor. I

l. A flying machine including a body, a lifting and sustaining propeller movable from a normally inoperative to an operative I position, a normally inactive motor, and a means for simultaneously shifting the propeller to Working position and starting the motor.

5. In a flying machine, a body, propelling mechanism, an auxiliary lifting and sustaining propeller pivotally mounted for move ment from a normally inactive to aworking position, an auxiliary motor in gear With said propeller, a starting device associated with said motor, a movable element provided with means for throwing said starting device into action, and a connection between said element and the propeller for adjusting the propeller to working position simultaneously with the actuation of said starting device.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE F. WARREN.

Witnesses:

EUGENE Benson, Mrs. E. BEESON.

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