US1239155A - Apparatus or device to control safe night landing of aeroplanes. - Google Patents

Description

C. H. BROCKELBANK.

APPARATUS 0R DEVICE T0 CONTROL SAFE NIGHT LANDING 0F AEROPLANES. APPLICATION FILED FEB-12.1917.

, 1 39 155 PatentedSept. 4,1917

Jay 1 lmveni am' UNITED PATENT CLARENCE HARTREE BBOCKELBANK, 0F SHOREHAM-BY-SEA, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS OB DEVICE T0 CONTROL SAFE NIGHT LANDING OF AEROPLANES.

Patented Sept. 41, ILJJIJE.

Application filed February 12, 1917. SerialNo. 148,295.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE HARTREE BROCKELBANK, a subject of His Majesty the King of England, and resident of Shorehamby-Sea, in the county of Sussex, Kingdom of England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus or Devices to Control Safe Night Landing of Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus or devices for indicating to aviators, when descending for the purpose of landing at night, their respective altitudes above the landing ground at given points of their descent when nearing that ground.

The invention consists of an apparatus or device comprising a fixed or movable vertical mast or other convenient or suitable erection supportingany desired number of superimposed tiers of horizontal or substantially horizontal frames and screens at respectively predetermined known standard heights, each frame carrying a set of lights of any convenient number which may be arranged in the form of a triangle or other suitable form or combination, which may, in respect to one another, he alike or different in one or more or allof the frames, and re spectively of different colors, or so that there may be different colors, difierent combinations in form, or the combination of differences in both color and form, or any one or more of them. Attached to the said frames are screens extending a convenient distance horizontally upon or beyond the said frame and in such manner that the said lights, projecting slightly below or above the horizontal surface of the said screens. can only be seen respectively at or below or at or above an imaginary indefinite horizontal projection or extension of the said surfaces in the direction of the point or points from which the lights are intended to be visible. The frames may be movable around the said mast or the like, so that a combination of any of the lights composing a set may point in any desired direction, as well as upward and downward, and their plane may be adjustable parallel to the incline. if any, of the landing-ground, and the whole or any part of the apparatus may be in parts or sections suitable for transport. 1

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood it is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a detail plan view illustrating the arrangement of thelights; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a mast supporting three planes.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating on an enlarged scale one of the lights secured thereto.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating in section one of the lamps which are surrounded by funnels.

By Way of example an apparatus according to the invention may consist as shown in Fig. 2 of a mast a supporting three tiers of frames 6, 0 and of parallel to the level of the landing-ground g or to any slope or incline thereof 9 at respectively 30, 20 and 10 feet above the ground, each frame having affixed four lights so arranged as to form an equi lateral triangle, as shown in Fig. 1, where of three lights e equidistant one from another represent the base, t'. 0., one at each end of the base line and the other in the center, hereinafter called base-lights and one 6 represents the apex, hereinafter called the pilot-light. may consist of white lights in surface line with the upper surface of the horizontal screen or screens 7, attached to that frame, in' such manner that they are visible from any point of an are from vertically above the apparatus to any point on the line of an imaginary horizontal projection or extension of the said surface, but not below. The second or 20 ft. tier, and the third or 10 ft. tier, may consist respectively of green and of red lights in surface line with the lower surface of the horizontal screen or screens respectively attached to those frames, and in such manner as to be visible only at any point on a like horizontal projection or extension of the said surface or below it, but not above it. The upper tier may display other lights 71!, visible only vertically and within a given area, being set in funnels Z above the apparatus, for the purpose of indicating the nature of the ground, distance available for landing or similar or other information; and the frames may be set or trimmed in such direction around the mast as to indicate by an imaginary line drawn through the center base and pilot lights The upper or 30 ft. tier the direction of the ground wind, the pilot light being toward the direction to which the wind is blowing.

The lamps used are preferably of that type in which the glass bulb is of substantially turnip shape and in which the filament is supported in a plane at right angles to the axis of the lamp. The funnels Z of the lights I: throw the light upward so as not to be confused with the lights from the lamps e and e. The screens 7 prevent the upper lights e and 6 being visible below their respective level or horizontal projection and the intermediate and lower screens prevent their corresponding lamps being visible above their respective levels. screens thereby prevent the separate sets of lamps on the three separate frames being confused with one another.

In operation the apparatus is designed to be used in the following manner, viz :An aviator desiring to land at night with the aid of the apparatus or control having first ascertained the nature of the landingground as described, would proceed to descend till the 30 ft. level be reached, during which descent the pilot light 6, would appear to rise upward toward the base lights E, and merge into horizontal line with them at the moment of his reaching the 30 ft. level 'at which point he would prepare to flatten out or level his machine. Loss of view of these lights (white) would indicate that he is below the 30 ft. level,

and no lights are then visible to him until, J

a moment later, the green lights become visible, indicating that he has reached the 20 ft. level. At this point he all but flattens out and prepares to do so completely at sight of the lights on the lowest tier (red) at which point his landing wheels are, ac-

cording to the machine in use, 2 to 4 ft.

The sets oftions above the ground, a plurality of lights secured to said frames, the lights of one frame having a color different from the lights of the other frames, and a plurality of screens on each frame cooperating with the respective lights.

2. Landing apparatus for aeroplanes and the like, comprising a mast, a plurality of triangular frames adjustably securedto the mast and arranged parallel with the ground and at different elevations from the ground, alight supported on each frame, and a screen cooperating with each light to shield the latter from the view of an aviator at certain elevations from the ground.

3. Landing apparatus for aeroplanes and v the like, comprising amast, a plurality of frames secured to the mast, a plurality of screens secured to each frame, the frames being arranged at different elevations above the ground, a plurality of lights secured to each frame, the lights of the uppermost frame being visible by the aviator only from above such frame and the lights of the low-' ermost frames being visible by the aviator only from below said frames.

l. Landing apparatus for aeroplanes and the like, comprising a mast, a plurality of spaced triangular shaped frames secured to the mast and arranged parallel to the ground at difierent elevations above the ground, a plurality of triangular shaped screens secured to each frame, a plurality of lights mounted on each frame in cooperative relation with the respective screens, the lights of one frame being visible by the aviator only from above such frame and the lights of the other frames being visible by the aviator only from below said frames.

5. Landing apparatus for aeroplanesand the like, comprising a mast, a plurality of frames adjustably secured to the mast and arranged parallel with the ground and at different elevations from the ground, a light supported on each frame, and a screen eooperating with each light to shield the latter from the view of an aviator at certain elevations from the ground.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

CLARENCE HARTREE BROOKELBANK.

Images