US1287910A - Protecting-armor for airplanes. - Google Patents

Description

H. J. DE ROSA.

PROTECTING ARMOR FOR AIRPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. I918.

1,287,91 O. Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

HUMIBERTO J. DE ROSA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PROTEGTING-ARMOR FOR AIRPLANES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1'7, 1918.

Application filed February 23, 1918. Serial No. 218,888.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HUMBERTO J. DE Rosa, a citizen of the Uni-ted States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Protecting-Armor for Airplanes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to war aircraft, and the main object of the same is to provide aircraft of the airplane type intended for war services with means for protecting the same against serious damage or injury from the missiles ejected by the rifles, machine-guns and other anti-aircraft devices of the enemy.

Another object of the invention is to provide the airplane with protector devices adapted'to yield limitedly under the explosive forces of shells, bombs and the like, so that the same are less likely to become damaged in such manner as to seriously interfere with the flight of the craft, so that the force or brunt of nearby explosions will be absorbed and diminished to a great extent before reaching the supporting planes and body portion of the machine.

,With these objects and others in view, the invention resides in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which 2- a V Figure 1 is a perspective underneath view of an airplane, showing the same equipped with my protector devices.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental side elevation, partly in section, the view being taken approximately in the direction of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view, but taken approximately in the direction of the line 3-3 of Fig.1.

In the accompanying drawings, I illustrate an airplane of the biplane type including an elongated body portion 10, with the usual main superposed supporting planes or wings 11 and 12. Into any suitable stout and rigid elements of the skeleton frame structure of the body portion, preferably longitudinal strip or girder elements as 13, I thread or otherwise secure in spaced apart position, as will be hereinafter made manifest, depending bolts as 14 having relatively large integral heads as 15 formed on their lower ends. These bolts are thus secured spaced apart in pairs, alined transversely of the body portion, each'pair being so spaced from the adjacent pairs that the protector plates as 16, when applied, are held in edge to edge position, with portions of the longitudinal edges of each over-- lapping the adjacent longitudinal edge portions of its neighbor.

Thus in Figs. 2 and 3, it will be bestobserved that the oppositely longitudinal edges of the plates 16 are formed alternately with recesses as 17 and tongues as 18, so that they tongue of one edge is adapted to fit in the recesses of the adjacent edge; and also it will be observed in this connection that the plates 16 are supported intermediate their widths by said bolts, which project through relatively large eyes or apertures as 19 pro vided for the purpose in the plates. the heads 15 of the bolts being considerably larger than the openings 19, to engage the underneath surfacesof the plates, whereby the same are supported. The plates 16 are normally forced against the heads 15 of the bolts by means of spiral springs as 20, which are mounted around the bolts, the opposite ends of the springs bearing, respe7-- tively, against the underneath side of the supporting elements as 13, and against the top side of the supported plates 16 around the eyes or apertures 19.

Thus supported, these plates 16, under a sufliciently vigorous explosion from below to produce the compression of the springs 20, are adapted to be forced upwardly for a limited distance upon their bolts in an obvious manner. These plates 16 are made preferably of steel of such grade and of such thickness as to prevent the missiles of the average rifles, machine-guns and anti-aircraft guns from penetrating them at any considerable distance above the surface of the earth. The whole body as 10 of the airplane is thus protected underneath by the steel plates 16, arranged for yielding movement, in edge to edge formation, the longitudinal sides of the adjacent plates overlapping, as described as shown.

To the skeleton framework of the lower main supporting wing 11 are secured on its underneath side in any appropriate manner, fixed stout strip elements or girders as 21. In the embodiment of the invention herein shown, these strips or girders are supported from ri 'd elements of the skeleton frame parts 0 the wing as 22, by means of the short block connections 23 and obliquely inclined braces 24:. These longitudinal strips 21 are employed to support in edge to edge formation, transverse the width of the plane,

steel plates as 16, by means of the headed bolts 14, and the spiral springs 20, in pre cisely the same manner as such plates are used to protect the body portion 10. Appropriate openings ase25 are provided through the plates 16 for the proper underneath projection in the usual way, of the frame elements 26 for the support of the running gear 27, there also being provided through the proper plates at the rear of the machine, an opening 28 to accommodate the projection of the runner 29.

It is pointed out in this connection that when the airplane is in flight, the plates 16 occupy invariably an angular position with respect to'any particular part or region of the surface of the earth, and that the line of incidence will be sufficient to cause or to tend to cause the deflection of the attaching missiles. ejected from the anti-aircraft guns upon the surface of the earth. The'main exception to this is, of course, where the airplane hovers perpendicularly over an attacking force or in such position that the projected missiles can strike the plates at right-angles. But in this latter case it will be obvious that as soon as the aviator finds he is passing over an attacking party, he can steer his airplane in -a zig-zag course, first upwardly and then downwardly, in such manner as to bring his machine, and according the plates 16 at an angle with respect to the position of the attacking party for the purpose of deflecting the missiles.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In an air lane, the combination with the body of t e machine and supporting planes carried thereby, of metallic protector plates yieldably supported from the underneath side of the body and from the underneath side-of the supporting planes thereof, said protector plates being so supported in edge to edge formation transverse the body and transverse said planes, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an airplane, the combination with the body of the machine and lower supporting planes carried thereby, of metallic protector plates yieldably supported intermediate their widths from the underneath side of the body portion and from the underneath side of the lower planes thereof, the meeting edges of said protector plates being alternately formed with coiiperating recesses and tongues so that the tongue of each plate projects into the recess of the adjacent plate, said protector plates being so supported and arranged transverse the body portion and transverse said lower planes, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In an airplane, the combination with the body of the machine and supporting planes carried thereby, of bolt supports depending by sets spaced from each other from fixed elements of the body and supporting planes upon the underneath side thereof,

said bolts being formed with enlarged inte-' gral heads on their lower ends, metallic protector plates mounted intermediate their widths upon said bolts and supported upon the enlarged heads thereof, spring means mounted upon said bolts to yieldably hold said plates tight upon said heads, said protector plates being supported in edge to edge formation, as and for the purpose specified. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HUMBERTO J DE ROSA.

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