US1272211A - Launching mechanism for aircraft. - Google Patents

Description

G. L. CABOT.

LAUNCHING MECHANISM FOR AIRCRAFT,

APPLICATION men AUG-l3. [9|].

1 @7231 1 Patented July 9, 1918.

3 SHEETSS'HEET I.

WITNESS H INVENTOR J WW .Z.Ca Foil 5' A TTORNEYS e. L. CABOT. LAUNCHING MECHANISM FOR AIRCRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-I3. I917.

1 372,21 1 Patented July 9, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m ATTORNEYS G. L. CABOT.

LAUNCHING MECHANISM FOR AIRCRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJS, 1911.

1,272,211. Patented July 9,1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- If 'I'IIYESS 3 LY! ENTOR J {i 6.1,. Ca hi1,

for use on henrnnr LowELL CABOT, or nosrou, MASSACHUSETTS.

ILAUNCHIN G MECHANISM FOR AIRCRAFT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1918.

Application filed August 13, 1917. Serial No. 186,012.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Goormir L. Cnno'l, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Launching Mechanism for Aircraft; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for launching aircraft such as aeroplanes and hydroaeroplanes, the principal object being to provide magnetic means for holding the aircraft upon the lunching apparatus until the required speed has been attained, and for then releasing it.

A further object is to provide electric means for operating the launching apparatus and means for simultaneously cutting off the current from said operating means and the electro 'magnetic holding means when the ship is traveling at a safe speed for flight.

Yet another object is to provide a track for the catapult carriage upon which said carriage and aircraft move forward under the power of the latter or of both for a predetermined distance, the electric propelling means of the carriage and the electric magnet being then automatically thrown into action so that the craft is gradually driven faster until a safe flying speed is attained.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus well adapted for launching torpedo carrying aeroplanes and hydroaeroplanes, and to this end, an additional object is to cause the torpedo or torpedoes to act as the sole connecting means between the airplane and the car on which it is launched into the air.

Another object is to provide a launching apparatus which is adaptable equally well the deck of a vessel or on land.

Still another object is to provide a novel and eflicient method for launching numerous types of airplanes, even though the features of construction hereinafter described, be radically changed.

With the foregoing general objects in view, the invention. resides in the novel construction and combination and in the launching method here nafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter cation and in which:-

being supplemented by the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specififor launching;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the launching track;

Fig. 4 is a for releasing and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on the plane of the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Heretofore the use of airplanes for carrying torpedoes has been restricted to comparatively small torpedoes, and for the reason that seaplanes have alone been used for this purpose, and the weight of the pontoons, without which the seaplane could not ascend from the'water, has added a very considerable weight, and also reatly increased the head-on resistance of the air to the passage of the flying machine through it.

Under the proposed plan, all four (4:) pontoons with their attachments are 'dispensed with, and their weight is added to the weight of the torpedo, which can be carried by the airplane.

Furthermore, inasmuch as the torpedo causes very little head-on resistance, a saving in the powerrequired to propel the airplane at flying speed is also made, and the power thus saved becomes available for the suspension of additional weight.

There also are minor savings in that the wings can be built lighter in certain portions Where in the usual type they have to be strengthened to support the attachment of the various pontoons. The net result is that nearly ten times as much weight can be carried on an airplane by the method of construction herewith described, and in excess of the water, asolene, etc., needful for practical military operations, as by methods heretofore in use.

Briefly speaking, the improved mechanism comprises a car G, electro-magnetic means E for holding an airship thereon, electric plan view of the mechanism the torpedo from the airship;

driving means D for the car, and means M for simultaneously cutting off the current of the electro-magnetic means E and the driving means D, when the car and airplane carried thereby have attained a required speed.

The car C includes a suitable carriage 1 having flanged wheels 2 traveling on a pair of rails 3 which are laid in theform of a common type of track. The electric driving means D is in the form of an electric motor operatively connected to the. wheels of. the

I carriage 1, by suitable gearing 4, the current being supplied to said motor from the rails 3 and a third rail 5 which is illustrated 1n Figs. 2 and 3. A current conducting wire (3 leads from a suitable brush or the like,

y from. said means, and a shoe 11 electricall connected with said second wire and trave ing on the third rail 5. It is to be'understood that the means shown for supplying the current to the electro-magnetic means E and the driving means D are for illustrative purposes only, and that any preferred arrangement could well be em loyed. Furthermore, although a thirdrail will in most cases be employed, any other suitable arrangement such asa trolley wire might well be employed in some inflances.

The means M for simultaneously cutting off the current of the electro-magnetic means E and driving means 1), is referably in the form of a' common t pe of r eostat. By this means, the speed 0 the driving mechanismmaybe gradually increased as the carriage travels forward and then, at the pro er time, the circuit may be broken so that 1%e driving means and the airship holding means 'will be released and permit the craft to leave the catapult.

It is to be observed that the rear end of the third rail 5, terminates short of the rear ends of the rails-3, it being intended that the carriage 1 shall travel forward a predetermined amount upon said rails 3, before the shoes 8 and 11 come into engagement with the third rail. By this arrangement, the carriage and the aircraft carried thereby may move forward under the power of the latter until the shoes and third rail come into con tact. When this takes place, however, the

electric driving means D is automatically set in operation so that theship ma be caused to travel at a. safe flying speed, efore it is permitted to leave the carriage. 1 en such a and he -will immediately operate t e rheostat M tobreak the circuit of the propelling means and the electro-magnetic holding means E, the ship beingnthen free to rise from the carriage. The arrangement employed for permitting the airshi to move. orward under its own power, efore the driving means'of the carriage comes into play, is highly advantageous, since by this arrangement the aviator will not start upon a flight, until his propeller is rotating at an operative speed.

It will be appreciated that the mechanism so far described may be employed to equal advantage for launchin airplanes, whether the latter be of'the usual type, or constructed 3 to carry self-propelled torpedoes to b6 dropped into the water in an attack on an enemy craft it being understood, that slight changes in the form of the several elements will necessarily be made according to the type of ship to be launched by the mechanism. In all cases, the electro-magntit E will 7 preferably be surrounded by a using 12 and saidhousing and ma et will be located in a, longitudinal channe 13 formed in the top of the carriage 1; and when the apparatusis to be used for launching torpedo;

carrying aircraft, the top of the magnet E and the upper edge of the casing 12,-will be provided, respectively with'seats 14 and 15. within which the torpedo T rests and serves as the sole connection. between the airplane 'S and the catapult C, the torpedo being retained in place by the action of the electromagnetic. means provided. Tnmost cases, the underside of the torpedo T will be provided with an auxiliary keel 16 which is receivable. in keyways 17 formed in the top of the magnet and in the-front wall of the casing 12. This construction prevents any undesirable movement of the torpedo rela:

tive to the car, yet at the same'time permits it to rise and travel forward from'the car at the proper time.

ln-operation, the carriage 1 is placed at the rear end. of the'tracks 3 with the, airplane resting thereon, the shoes 8 and 11 eing out of contact with the third rail 5. The switch M is now actuated to turn on the current and the propeller P of ,the airship S is set in motion. When this" ropelleris traveling at a requisite speed, t1 e carriage and ship arereleased sothat the action of a said ropeller moves the two until theshoes f8 an 11 come into contact with the third rail 5. When this takes place, the driving means, i) of the carriage '1 is automati-' current.'- When the circult is now broken bv the means M, the magnetic attraction at E ceases ;so-;that-tl 1e airship is free to rise from thecarriage 1; at the same time the driving means D is. thrown out of action,

but the carriage will glide, due to its 1110- mentum, and thus the ship may leave said carriage without any fluctuation in its speed. Obviously, the carriage 1 may be brought to a standstill in any preferred manner and although such an arrangement is not illustrated I prefer to equip the carriage in question with automatically operated brakes which come. into action in ample time to bring it to a standstill before the end of the trackway is reached.

In the foregoing, 1 have stated that the third rail 5 terminates short of the rear end of the track rails 25, and that the current pickup shoes 8 and 11 do not touch said rail until the airplane and the carriage upon which it is mounted are initially set in motion by the propeller of the former. I wish it understood, however, that I do not wish to be restricted to this exact arrangement, since the three rails could well be of the same length, permitting the circuit of the mechanisms D and E'to remain broken un til it is required that the carriage be driven under its own power. The circuit could then be completed so that the same result would be obtained. Furthermore, I consider it fully within the scope of the pres ent invention to provide independent circuits for the means D and E, so that the holding means E may become operative before the driving means D is set in motion, thus rigidly holding the airship upon the 'carriage while its propeller is initially starting the craft.

It willyof course, be understood that any preferred means may be employed for releasing the torpedo T from the ship 8, at the proper time, a pair of turn buttons 18 being shown in Figs. 4 and 5 for holding the torpedo in place upon the ship until it is required to drop the same. When this moment occurs, the two buttons 18 may be turned to a released position by pushing forward upon a foot pedal or the like 19 which is operatively connected with the turn buttons by wires or other suitable connections 20. Furthermore, although the improved launching mechanism may be constructed for launching all types of flying ships, the type preferably employed in connection therewith, will be of such construction as to permit it to remain floating on the surface of the water until the mother ship arrives to again take, it on board, that is, if the device be used upon a battleship or the like, it being for this use that the invention is primarily intended, although it may; be employed to equal advantage on lan be obvious thatmy invention may be well employed under greatly varying conditions, and will be highly eflicient. On account of From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will.

the several advantages flowing from the specific detailsof construction shown and described, such details are by preference employed, but I wish it understood that within the scope of the invention as claimed numerousminor changes may well be made.

I claim 1. A launching mechanism for aircraft comprising a car, and an electro-magnet on said car for holding the craft thereon until the required speed has been attained, said craft having an armatureattracted by said magnet. 3 2. A launching mechanism for aircraft comprising a car having electric operating means, electro-magnetic means for-holding the craft upon said car-until the required speed has been attained, and means for then cutting off said operating means and said electro-magnetic means.

3. A launching mechanism for torpedo sof carrying aircraft comprising a car and an electro-magnet on torpedo by preventing flight of the aircraft until the required speed has been attained. 1

4. A launching mechanism*for torpedo carrying aircraft comprising'a car, and "an electro-magnet on said car for holding a torpedo of the craft, having a seat to receive the torpedo, thus preventing flight of the aircraftnntil the required speed is attained.

5. A launching mechanism comprising a track, a carriage thereon, means for connecting an aircraft to said earria-gepmeans for propelling said carriage, and means for automatically throwing said propelling means into action when the aircraft propeller has started the ship and the carriage forward.

6. A launchin mechanism for aircraft comprising a trac a carriage movable from one end of said track to the other, electric means for propelling said carriage, and means for supplying current to said propelling means includingl a rail starting at a point spaced toward t e end of the track from the starting point of the carriage, and a shoe on said carriage adapted to engage said rail when the propeller of the aircraft starts the carria e forward.

7. An aircra t launching mechanism comprising a carriage, electric means for propelling said carriage, and electro-magnetic means on said carriage for holding the aircraft thereon by magnetic attraction, the

said, electro-magnet for aircraftsaid car for holding the}, magnetic attraction and thus circuits of both of said means being sevof the front and rear Walls of said housing and the upper end of said magnet, havin alined'depressions forming seats for sai torpedo. 9. A structure as specified in claim 8 the upper side of said carriegehaying a pit in 10h said magnet and said housing are located, the front and rear walls of said pit havin depressions in their upper edges to clear t1 e torpedo.

1D. A launching-mechanism for torpedo carrying aircraft ocomprising a carriage" having a pit in its upper side, and an electro-magnet in said pit for holding a torpedo of thecraft the upper edges of the front and rear we. of the pit and the upper end of said magnet having alined depressions, the

for said torpedo. 11. A launching mechanism for torpedo carrying air craft comprising a car, and an electro-magnet carried by the upper part ofsaid car for holding a torpedo o the craft,

the ugper end of said magnet having a channel s aped depression extending inthe di rection of movement of the car and forming a seat te receive said berpedo.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set depression ofsaid magnet forming a seat m hand in the presence of two subscribing I

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