US1242540A - Aeroplane. - Google Patents

Description

W. R. FULLER.

AEROPLANE.

' Patented oat. 9,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET wm z l nventor 1 Attorneys M Z w N h a L Patented 001;. 9,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 r I Attorneys w. R. FULLER.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8. 1915.

WMZ/ ZRWMM Witnesses W. R. FULLER.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION mzo Nov. 8. I915.

Witnesses Attorneys WALTER R. FULLER. OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

AEROPLANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

Application filed November 8, 1915.. Serial No. 60,367;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER R. FULLER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Aeroplane, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to aeroplanes and 'has for an object the provision of sustaining planes arranged above and below the car of the machine and which are maintained normally in a state of equilibrium by reason of the fact that the greater weight of the car and its contents is disposed below the center of gravity of the machine and thus acts to hold the planes in proper positions relative to the horizontal under normal conditions, so that overturning of the machine is prevented.

A further object is to provide sustaining planes either or both of which are capable of shifting laterally relative to the car, thus to yield momentarily to sudden and unexpected side pressures, thereby relieving the structure of the dangerous strains often resulting from these causes, the position of the car relative to the planes bein such that said planes will be automatica ly returned to their initial positions relative to the car immediately after the laterally exerted force has been removed. 7

A further object is to provide sustaining planes each of which is capable of warping throughout its length, mechanism being provided for shifting any one of the corner portions of the planp or for elevating any two diagonally opposed corner portions of the plane, the upper and lower sustaining planes beingso connected that the two will be correspondingly warped. 1

A still further object is to provide planes capable of being bodily tilted throughout their lengths, I thus to change the angle of incidence and permit head-on divin or volplaning, as when it is desired to o tain suflicient momentum to insure a safe land ing in the event of the motor becoming stalled, an angular adjustment or tilting of theplanes being also necessary in order to direct the machine upwardly.

A further object is to rovide simple and efficient mechanism un er the control of the aviator and whereby either the warping or tilting of the planes can be quickly and accurately effected.

planes relative to the car can be obtained.

With the foregoing and other objects in view 'which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention. Inthe accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a perspective View of an acreplane embodying the prescnt improvements, only certain of the ribs of the sustaining planes being shown and the'driving mechanism being eliminated.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the aeroplane, parts of the machine being broken away.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the two sustaining lanes and a portion of the warping mec anism combined therewith.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing one of the universal joints used in connecting the various movably connected parts of the structure, the joint being somewhat exaggerated for the sake of clearness.

Fig. '5 is a front elevation of the aeroplane in diagram and showing how the upper plane is capable of shifting laterally relative to the car and lOWer plane.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 and showing how the lower sustaining plane is capable of shifting laterally relative to the car and to the upper sustaining plane.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing, in diagram, how the sustaining planes can be warned by tilting one end of each plane.

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the other end of each plane tilted.

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the two ends of each plane oppositely tilted, thus to produce a double warp of each plane.

Fig. 10 is a like view showing both planes tilted bodily out of their normalpositions, as when it is desired to direct the machine upwardly or downwardly.

. Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a stream-line body or car provided with a tail plane 2 adaptedto be tilted to control the upward and downward flight of the machine. Extending in opposite directions from the car 1 are alining independently revoluble shafts 3 adapted to be rotated in any manner desired. For example, eachshaft may be provided, near its inner end, with a sprocket 4 engaging an endless chain 5 mounted on a sprocket 6. The sprocket 6 may be shifted by means of levers 7 within convenient reach of the aviator.

such as shown at 12 in Fig. 1 may be utilized. Obviously the ribs can be attached tothe strips 10 in any other manner proferrcd, it being merely necessary to so connect the parts as to permit the plane to warp without breakage of any of the parts or their connections. Struts 13 connect the strips 10 of the upper and lower planes and are attached thereto by universal joints such, for example, as shown in Fig. 4:. Any

desired number of-these strut-s may be employed and it will be obvious that they eonstitute loose connections between the two planes while holding the planes properly spaced apart at all times. Separate Wires 14 or the like may be provided wherever. desired between the two planes so as to constitute efiicientbraces. In the present structure only two sets of these bracing wires have been illustrated, such sets being provided between the ends of the two planes. The wires are extendedradially from blocks 14 so as to be free to shift relative to each other. I

Pivotally connected to the sides of the car 1 at the top and bottom thereof or at any other points, desired, are crossed links 15 disposed in pairs, two pairs being located at the upper ends of the sides of the car, while two pairs are located at the lower ends of said sides. The upper ends of the uppermost links are connected to the strips 10 by universal joints such as shown at 12 I in Fig. 4 while the lower ends of the lower links 15 are similarly-connected to the strips 10 of the lower plane. Suitable loo'se connections between the links and the car are utilizedso that the links are free to move in,

any direction relative to the frames of the planes and relative to the car 1'.

Arranged above and below the car 1 are rollers 16 each made up of sections connected by a universal joint 17. Secured to one side of the car 1 at the top thereof is a pair of flexible elements 18 such as steel cords or the like, these flexible elements being extended over and wrapped about the upper roller 16 and being extended outwardly and secured to the corners of the frame of the top plane, at one side of the machine. Similar connections 18 are mounted on the roller 16 and eonnectthe other side ofthe car to the opposite corners of the top plane. ranged under the car as before-stated and is similarly connected to the end portions of the lower sustaining plane.

. Another like roller 16. is an '7 The shafts 3 can extend any desired dis-.

tances from the car 1. They may terminate approximately midway between the ear and the ends of the plane or, as shown in Fig. 1, they can be extended to points between the extremities of the planes. Suitable means are employed whereby the rotation of one or both of the shafts 3 will result in the warping of the planes. One of these means includes a block 19 carried by each. shaft 3 and normally vertical. 'Diverging upwardly from each of the blocks 19 are connections 20 secured to the front and rear strips 10 of the upper plane, while diverging downwardly from the blocks on each shaft are connections 21 secured to the strips 10 of the lower plane. All of these connections are normally taut.

' A propeller 22 is arranged at each side of the car 1 close to the back edges of the sustaining planes and the two propellers may be mounted in any manner desired. For

example, shaft-s 23 can be journaled in brackets 2st extending laterally from the car and between the planes. The mechanism for driving the propellers has not .been illustrated as it does not constitute any part of the present invention;

In order that the machine may be enabled to float upon the surface of a body of water, a float or pontoon 25 is connected to the car 1 in any manner desired and supported be low the lower sustaining plane. It is pre--' ferred to connect this car to a beam 26 extending under the lower plane and'w'hich forms the bottom of a substantianlly triangular frame 27 the upper portion'of which is secured 'to the car 'l'and extendsover t.helower'plane. A wheel 2-8 is connected to the front portion ofbeam 26'a'nd frame 27 while spaced sup 'iorting' wheels '29 are connected to'the rear portion of thefraine 27. Supplemental floats 30 are connected to the end portiops of the lower sustaining. plane. By providin mechan'ism s'uch as hereinbefore describe it will be a par nt-3 It will be noted that the motor, passenge'r,

and in fact the greater portion of the combined' weight of the car and its contents is located below the center of gravity. Consequently the car tendsto remain upright under normal conditions and acts as a stabilizing means for'preventing the machine from overturning and for automatically righting the machine after it has been shifted out of its normal position from any cause, while in flight. It will be noted, furthermore, that the car may be properly designated a floating car inasmuch as it is connected to the sustaining planes solely through movable connections whereby relative movements of the car and planes is permissible.

As before pointed out, the control of flight is effected by means of the levers 7 and the parts actuated thereby. In the construction illustrated, when the levers 7'are thrust forwardly simultaneously the two shafts 3 are rotated and the upper corners of the blocks 19 will swing forwardly while the lower corners will swing rearwardly. Thus the upper corners will pull upon the upper rear connection 20 and pay out the upper front connection 20, while the lower corners will pull upon the front-lower con-i nection.21 and pay out the rear lower con-- nection 21. This action will result in pulling upwardly upon the front portion of the lower plane throughout the length of said plane, and pulling downwardly on the rear portion of the upper plane throughout the length thereof. Theupward thrust of the front portion of the lower plane will be transmitted through the front strut 13 to the front portion of the upper plane, while the downward thrust exerted by the rear portion of the upper plane will be transmitted through the rear strut 13 to the rear portion of the lower plane. Consequently the angle of incidence of both lanes will be changed simultaneousl and t e machine will be directed upward y while in flight. This ascent can of course be assisted by manipulatin the tail plane 2 in the usual manner. 0 viously by drawing the levers 7 rearwardly, the tilting of thesustaining planes can be reversed, thus to produce a forward dive or volplane, thereby enabling the aviator to attain sufficient momentum to insure a safe and easy landing should the propelling mechanism become ineffective from any cause. The lateral balance of the machine and the steering thereof is effected by warping the two sustaining planes throughout their lengths. Some of the warping actions which can be produced have been illustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 7 8 and 9. For example, byholding one lever 7 stationary and thrusting forwardly on the other lever, the planes will be held fixed at one end while the. other ends of the two planes will be tilted, as shown for example in 'Fig. 7, thus producing a warped effect throughout the-length'of the planes. By holding the other lever stationary and thrusting the first mentioned lever forwardly, the warping action can be reversed, as shown in Fig. 8. A double warp can be produced as shown in Fig. 9 by moving the two levers 7 in opposite directions s'im'ulta-' nec-usly. By having the planes so mounted and constructed as to be capable of warping throughout their lengths, greater efliciency" is attained and-a more prompt response to the action of the levers 7 results than where a limited area only can be warped.

The loose connections'between the links 15 and the sides of the carand the upper and lower planes permit lateral shifting of the planes relative to the car as shown in diathlS lateral movement of the parts, such adjustment being permitted by reason 'of the. factthat the connections 'are wound about the rollers 16 andsaid rollers will thus shift laterally as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 during the lateral shifting of theplanes', Obviously should the bracing connections 1.8 be extended directly from each side of the car to the corresponding ends of'the planes, this relative lateral movement of the parts could not be attained. However, by extending the connections 18 about the rollers 16 at intermediate points, the parts 18 not only serve as braces but also permit the relative movement necessary to secure the result mentioned. It has been found desirable to have the rollers 16 made up of sections so that they will not interfere with the warping action of the planes hereinbefore described.

Although two propellers have been shown for the purpose of driving the machine, it is to be understood that one or more may be employed.

What is claimed is z 1. In an aeroplane, upper and lower sustaining planes, a car extending between the middle portions of the planes, crossed flexible connections between the sides of the top portion of the car and the ends of the upper sustaining plane, like connections between the sides of the bottom of the car and the ends of the lower sustaining plane, and a roller supported by each-set of crossed flexible connections, said connections being wrapped there around.

2. In an aeroplane, upper and lower sustaining planes, a carextending between the 7 sustaining plane,"a roller supported by each set of connections, said connections being wrapped therearound, said roller being fiexlble.

i 3. In an aero )lane a sustainin lane a car thereunder, a set of crossed flexible eonneetions between the sides of the car and the ends of the sustaining plane, a roller supported by said crossed connections, the con nections being'wrapped about the roller, and means controlled from within the car for warping the sustaining plane throughout the length thereof.

i. In an aeroplane, a car, a sustaining plane thereab ove and adapted to slide transversely across the car, means for tilting the sustaining plane relative to the car and irrespective of said sliding motion, and means for warping the plane throughout the length thereof.

5. In an aeroplane, an upper and a lower sustaining plane, a car extending between the middle portions of the planes, movable connections ietween the car and planes, and means for simultaneously and correspondingly warping both planes throughout their lengths, said planes being independently shiftable relative to and transversely of the car independently of the warping action.

6. In an aeroplane, the combination with a car, of sustaining planes extending above and below the car, each plane extending belinks connecting the sides 0 the car with.-

the upper and lower planes, separately r'evoluble elements carried by the car, means for actuating the respective elements, and connections between each of said elements and the adjacent end portions of the sustaining planes for shifting said planes bodily 5" relative to the car to tilt or to warp the planes.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' WALTER R. FULLER.

Witnesses:

O. H. PUCKETT, JAs. L. GIRARDE U.

Images