US1312686A - Puanograpk co - Google Patents

Description

1 1 l Examinezi L. B. DORR.

AIRPLANE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.6.19I8 v I 312,686. 1 Patented Aug. 12,1919. 4 I 5 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Tu: COLuMmA PLANQOBAPII cm. wAsumu'rou, n. c

L. B. DORR.

AIRPLANE.

APPLICATION man nus. 6 1918;

Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

.0 all whom it may concern." 1 Be it known that 1, Loans BRADLEY Donn,

m m STATES PAT NT a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and. State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Airplanes, of which the following is a specification; v This invention relates to airplanes.- It

i i embraces certain of the principles and dis coveries disclosed in my pending applica-' tion, Serial No. 228,831, filed April 16, 1918, and it embraces certain principles and discoveries which will beunderstood bythose skilled in the -art from the following speci fication. a

"The objects of my invention are to provide an airplane of great lifting and sustaining power and adaptable to high speed;

an airplane which may. be constructed Q i Fig. 3 is a plan view.

chiefly of metal, and which may be equipped with a unit or' units of power greatly in excess of that hitherto used. Another object is to materially shorten the ground run in getting up. These and other objects will bewunderstood from. this specification, the claims, and the drawings herewith,

' which are diagrammatic and illustrative,

r 1. Figure 1- is a side elevat1on, partly in sectlOIl; 1 i f. Y A: .2; .Fig. 2,-is a front elevation. 11' 1 Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a modified form of construction. Fig. 5 1s a front elevation of such modified form of construction.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, it will be seen that the body is boat-shaped and has a longitudinal trough or depression 2. This form of construction of the body 1 is preferable, but is not the only form which may be successfully used. The tail or rudder'3 may be of any desired form, and may have both vertical and horizontal rudder blades, as shown. The sides 4, referably of sheet metal properly reinforce are rigidly secured to the body 1. Pivotally mounted inside of and bearing against the side walls 4 are carrying plates 5', the pivotal points being shown at 6. Rigidly secured to the plates 5 are the aerofoils, 7, 7, 7 7 7, and 8. The engines and pros. pellers are mounted upon the body 1 and within the area or partial inclosuro formed AIRPLANE.

" want-u aerofoils 7, 7, etc., as'indicated in broken outline in Fig. 1. 5-; w *Rigidly secured to theplates 5 near their rear ends are chains 9, which pass down under sprockets 10 and 11, and thence up and are secured to the forward ends of the plates 5. By rotating either pair of sprocket wheels, '10 or 11, by any'desired means, the chains 9 will tilt'the'plates 5 up or down on the pivots '6,- and thus change the angle of inclination of each of the aerofoils. The chains ;9 and the sprockets 10 and 11 and their bearings should be strong enough practically to carry the entire load','the lift upon the pivots 6 being thus reduced to the minimum. 'f VVith this general description I will now refer to the aerofoil or multiplane construction more particularly' The aerofoils 7, 7 7", 7,and 7' are secured to the'plates 5 preferably equidistantly with reference to their front or cutting edges, but unequally, as will presently appear, with reference to their rear edges. Let it be assumed 7 is positioned twenty degrees from the normal horizontal. Then the angle of aerofoil 7 would be about eighteen degrees; the aerofoil 7 about sixteen degrees; the aerofoil 7 about fourteen degrees," and the aerofoil 7 about twelve degreesi In other words, the aero- 'mcmsmmz Donn, OFBUFFALO, ironic if 1 foils (eXceptingB) progressively approach more-nearly to the normal horizontal. This necessarily makes between any two aerofoils a progressively-increasing cross-section of space; and it also is to be noted that, as the sides 4 and plates 5" diverge rearwardly, there is transverse as'well as vertical increase of these cross-sections of space. The object of" this construction is two-fold. First, itreduces the pressure upon the under sides of the aerofoils and consequently reduces the friction' Second, it increases the vacuum action upon the upper sides of the aerofoils, and thus increases the lifting efi'ect. Y a

The construction and function of the aerofoil 8 is somewhat difierent. It is preferably bull-nosed on the cutting edge and is ogee-curved rearwardly and is much wider than the other aerofoils. Furthermore, its rearportion extends down to the rear of the propeller blades and reduces, somewhat, the discharge area at the rear of the pro pellers. Hence, while the aerofoil 8 has the lifting .eflect ex ending substantially over its entire upper surface, the rear portion of iin e the air 11 on-diiferent lanes or strata thus giving them a multiplane effect; and

the number of aerofoils and their lengths may be varied asdesired, or a multiple unit constructionone structure above another with corresponding increase of power for propulsion may be employed. Also it is to be noted that the air fiowingover'the' front edgeor noseof the body has, in manner similar to the aerofoils, a substantial lifting effect; and the bottom of the body, built upon modified streamlines, has comparatively small resistance but a considerable lifting power. ,Thus the purpose of providingwhat may be termed aninclosed area upon the underside ofthe. aerofoils is threefold: 1) to reduce the air friction, (2) to increase'the vacuumeffect, (3) to increase the density of the air against which the propellerblades act. IVhile theaerofoils may be'made of equal ,length, so that the side. plates will be parallel, the double angle construction as shown, and as above indicated,

' is preferable for the reason that it increases and is therefore not movable.

the air cross-sectionhorizontally rearwardly as well as vertically, with the result that the vacuum effect is increased.

In Figs. 4: and 5 I have shown a modified form. of construction relating to the means for effecting change of angle of the aerofoilsthe other features being substantially as already shown and described. Instead of -employing the plates 5 pivotally connected to the sides of the body, the aerofoils 7, 7*, 7}, 7, 7*, are pivoted on their ends and adjacent to their cutting edges directly to the side plates l. The aerofoil 8, in this construction. is rigidly secured to the plates 4, The rear edges of the aerofoils 7 7 7 7?, 7 d are C0115. nected by chains or cables 9 which pass over sprockets or drums 10 10 and 11 'By movement of such chains or cablesby rotation of a pair of sprockets or drums by any desired means, the aerofoils (excepting aerofoil 8) are uniformly moved to change their angle. This is a typical modification, and it will. be understood by those skilled in the art that such change of angle maybe otherwise effected without departing from: my invention,-as, for example, by pivoting. the rear ends of the plates 5 to the sides 4 and using any desired means for raising and. lowering the front ends of the plates 5; or such. pivoting ,and raising and; lowerin means may be reversedin position.

In. connection with, the modified form of, Constructionshown ilrFigs. 4. and-5, I have shown stabilizing wings 12, which upon their front edges are rigidly secured and webbed to tubular shafts 13, which shafts are journaled through the side walls d, as shown at 14, and are connected interiorly of the body with any well-known control means (not shown). In normal equal angle of inclination these wings 12 act as stabilizers; and by change of angle, one with the other,

-correction, or control, or banking may be effected. Such wings obviously maybe applied to the construction shown in Figs; 1

to 3,; and, while these are-advantageous, I.

sides adaptedto engage with a plurality ofaerofo'ils, a plurality of aerofoils mounted within said sides upon progressively decreasing angles of impactand having their cutting edges progressively higher from front to rear, mechanism for simultaneously, changing the angle of said aerofoils with reference to said body, and an aerofoilat the rear. of said haul; of aerofoils of greater width and extending down into the rear interior area to reduce the size of the discharge opening, a source of power and propellers mounted within said area formed by said body, sides and bank of aerofoils.

2. In an airplane, a plurality of aerofoils arranged in upwardly receding formation, a bottom and vertical sides connecting said bottom and said aerofoils and, propelling means therefor. v

8. In an airplane, a plurality of aerofo-ils arranged in upwardly receding formation withprogressively decreasing angles of impact from front to rear, sides anda bottom therefor forming a semi-closed area underneath said aerofoils anda motor and pr0- peller therefor.

4. In an airplane, a. arranged in upwardly receding formation with progressively decreasing angles of impact from front to rear, a body and sides thereon, plates rigidly secured to said aerofoilsand pivoted to the sides of said body and means ,for moving said plates upon their pivots to change the impact angles of said aerofoils and means for propelling the airplane. r I

5. In an airplane, a body, sides rigid with said body and in vertical diverging planes from front to rear, a plurality of aerofoils carried by said sides and arranged upon progressively decreasing angles and having their cutting edges arranged progressively plurality of aerofoils ploy 1t 1n the same or k ndred constructmns,

higher from front to rear and means for propelling the airplane.

6. In an airplane, a body, sides rigid with said body and in vertical diverging planes from front to rear, a plurality of aerofoils carried by said sides and arranged upon progressively decreasing angles of impact and having their cutting edges progressively higher from front to rear, means for simultaneously changing the angle of said aerofoils with reference to said body and means for propelling the airplane.

7. In an airplane, a body, sides rigid with said body and in vertical diverging planes from front to rear, carrying-plates pivoted to said sides, a plurality of aerofoils rigidly secured to said carrying-plates and arranged upon progressively decreasing angles of impact and progressively impinging higher strata of air, means for tilting said carrying-plates upon their pivots to simultaneously change the angle of said aerofo-ils with reference to said body and means for propelling the airplane.

8. In an airplane, a floody, sides rigid with said body and in vertical diverging planes from front to rear, a plurality of aerofoils arranged up'on progressively decreasing an-' gles of impact and having their cutting 30 edges progressively higher from front to rear and having their ends pivotal-1y connected to said sides, means for simultane ously changing the angle of said aerofoils with reference to said body and means for propelling the airplane.

9. An airplane comprising a body and vertical sides, a plurality of aerofoils mounted within said sides upon progressively decreasing angles of impact and having their cutting edges progressively higher from front to rear, mechanism for simultaneously changing the angle of said aerofo ils with reference to said body, and an aerofoil at the rear of said 'bank of aerofoils of greater width and extending down into the rear interior area to reduce the size of the discharge opening, a source of power and propellers mounted within said area formed by said body, sides and bank of aerofo-ils.

10. An airplane comprising a body, rearwardly-diverging sides, and a bank of aerofoils arranged progressively rearwardly one above the other and upon decreasing angles of impact from front to rear to reduce the friction and to increase the vacuum effect upon said aerofoils, a motor and propeller Within the area thus formed, and an aerofoil extending downwardly to the rear of said propeller to reduce the air exit and increase the driving effect of said propeller, and means for simultaneously changing the angle of said bank of aerofoils with reference to body.

11. In combination with the elements set forth in claim 10, stabilizing means comprising wings pivotally secured to said sides and means for moving said wings, the one independently of the other, upon said pivots to effect correction, banking, or balance of the airplane. r

12. In an airplane, a plurality of aerofoils having their cutting edges arranged in a plane extending upwardly and rearwardly and the impact surfaces of said aerofoils arranged upon progressively reduced angles to the normal horizontal, an inclosing body underneath said aerofoils, whereby the friction upon their undersides is reduced and whereby the vacuum effect is increased, and means for propelling the airplane.

Ll BRADLEY DORR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- v Washington, D. 0.

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