US1314227A - Hydroaeroplane - Google Patents

Description

s. H. TOLMAN.

HYDROAEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10. 19!].

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

fizve7cz o7- ScaiiE fo Zyzzam S. H. TOLMAN.

HYDROAEROPLANE.

APPLICATION man JULY 10. 1911.

Patented Aug. 26,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- SCOTT H. TOLMAN, OF-BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HYDROAEROPLILNE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

Application filed July 10, 1917. Serial No. 179,633.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Sco'rr H. TOLMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hydroaeroplanes, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in some respects to aeroplanes generally, and some respects to hydroplanes generally, while in other respects it relates to hydroaeroplanes.

A craft embodying the present invention would have fore-and-aft troughs in the sustaining surface of the aeroplane portion, and would have one or more propellers arranged under said sustaining surface so as to act upon the sustaining air in said troughs, the propellers in such location being more effective than they would be elsewhere because the sustaining air is rendered relatively dense by the load of the craft. I prefer to provide the aeroplane with a body portion of relatively long and relatively narrow proportions, and to provide a sustaimng sur ace longer than the body portion and arranged to overhang the bow and stern of the latter, thereby giving the craft great longitudinal stability. I prefer to make the frame of the body portion and the frame of the aeroplane portion as one intogral frame, so that the sustaining surface of the aeroplane portion may be a continuation of the external surface of the body portion, and I therefore make such unitary frame structure of ribs, spacing members, struts and braces, all preferably of metal and each. preferably of channel-shape crosssection, and I arrange the ribs and spacing members in flush relation so as to form a grid to afford a suitable foundation for a sheathing of thin flexible sheet metal or other suitable material. The latter may be fastened to the frame structure by any suitable means, but, when made of metal, I prefer to fasten it by spot Welding.

The body portion is preferably made in the form of a car or boat, to provide a suitable housing for passengers, machinery, and in some cases for freight and to afford sufficient buoyancy to enable the craft to float on water. In respect to being sustained by water the body portion is preferably broader at the bottom than at its upper part, the intermediate portion that connects the hydroplane portion and the aeroplane portion being relatively narrow and constituting a hollow web. I

One of the characteristic features of the hydroplane portion is the trough-shape of its bottom, the latter comprising two runners and an intermediate gliding portion connecting said runners but being above the plane of the bottoms of the runners. The runners are buoyant in consequence of be ing hollow. They are adapted to run upon or in the water, and are separated from each other to afford the necessary degree of lateral stability according to the wellknown principle of a catamaran. The structurediffers from that of a catamaran in that the space between the runners is not open but is bridged by another gliding element, the trough formed by the runners and intermediate element serving to confine the water, air, or both upon which the intermediate element is traveling. The trough S0 formed is preferably deeper at the bow than elsewhere, and is graduated in depth toward the stern where its depth is least. The width of the trough, however, is substantially uniform throughout. In consequence of graduating the trough as aforesaid the craft gains buoyancy as its speed onthe water increases, because a greater volume of water or air or both can enter the trough at the bow than the volume that can pass through the restricted area of the trough at the stern. The difference in volume must find its escape elsewhere and'consequently it tends to lift the structure from the water in finding lateral escape under the runners.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

which show the present invention in what Fig. 4 represents a vertical cross-section in a plane at or about the mid-portion of the structure, looking aft.

bow and stern. The body of the craft comprises a hydroplane portion, indicated as a" whole at 11, and a web portion 12 connecting the hydroplane portion and the aeroplane ortion. The portions 11 and 12, conointly, form' a unitary hollow structure of sufficient proportions, and of suflicient buoyancy, to sustain the weight of the entlre craft when the latter is in water. The space within the body is suflicient to contain the engines and other elements of the propelling machinery, all the other necessary 1 equipment, accommodations for passengers, an

freight.

The hydroplane portion 11 has a troughshaped bottom including two substantially parallel flat runners 13, 13, and an intermediate gliding plane 14: above, between, and connecting the runners As shown best by Fig. 2 the trough is deeper at the bow than at the stern, and is graduated in depth throughout its len h, being thereby adapted to admit a re atively large volume of water or air or both at the bow, but affording a relatively restricted channel for. the escape of water and air at the stern. This formation is effective to overcome the tendency of the stern to settle deeply 1n the water when the craft is proceeding ahead, and it facilitates the rising of the craft when the latter is about to leave the water. As shown by Figs. 1 and 2 the intermediate flat gliding portion 14 extends beyond the stern limits of the runners, thus carrying out the principle .last explained, to a greater degree than if said ntermediate portion endedcoincidentally with the runners. The runnersare relatively narrow at] the bow as shown by Figs. 1 and 3, to enable them to cleave the water readily, and they increase in width toward the mid-section as shown by Figs. 3 and 4, and maintain their width to a considerable extent, if not entirely, to the stern, as shown by Figs. 1 and 5. 4

The aeroplane portion and body portion are formed by a unitary frame structure, and a thin sheathing inclosing the latter. The frame structure comprises a series of transverse frame members or ribs 15, and transverse frame members 16. The members 15 are within the fore-and-aft limits of the imam? traverses said portion to the web portion, 1

curving downwardly and traversing the. body portion on one side to'on'e of the runners, thence across thetrough-shaped bottom, thence upwardly onthe opposite side of the .body portion, thence curving outwardly to the opposite edge of the aeroplane portion. Within the fore-and-aft limits of the body portion the aeroplane portion is divided into two sections by the body portion, but beyond the said limits the aeroplane portion is not interrupted, and the frame members 16 therefore serve to form merely the bow and stern of the aeroplane portion. The frame members 15 are spaced and braced by frame members 17 that extend fore and aft, and are otherwise braced by struts 18 and 19, thelatter affording a support ,for flooring. The aeroplane portion includes transverse ribs or frame members 20, which are arranged above the members 15 and 16 but connected with the latter by struts 21. The depth of the aeroplane portion of the frame structure is greater in the middle than elsewhere, and diminishes toward the edges.

The frame structure is inclosed in a sheathing of thin sheet material 22, pref erably sheet steel, but the wing portions may be sheathed with any suitable material. This sheathing of whatever material is used is fittedclosely to the frame work-throughout the body portion of the craft, and upon the upper side of the aeroplane portion, but on the under side of the aeroplane portion it is divided into a plurality of arches or troughs by longitudinal ribs 23. The 101 11.,

frame structure are united substantially as shown by Fig. 6, with a view to affording a suitable bearing surface for the sheathing 22. The transverse frame members 15 and 1-6, and the spacing members 17 are of U- shape or channel cross-section, and they are alljpreferably arranged so that their edges face outwardly to engage the sheathing. The said edges are arranged in flush relation, the transverse frame members 15 and 16 each being continuous from tip to" tip, but the spacing members 17 being cutto short lengths each equal ,tothe space be tween two adjacent rib members, and curved at its ends to conform' to thelcurva-ture of the rib members. Thus, although a series of spacing members 17 may be arranged in alinement with each other as shown by Fig. 6 they are not continuous, and may be offset from alinement wherever necessary. The members 17 are united with the members 15 or 16, as the case may be, by welding them or otherwise regularly fastening them at the points of intersection, although the members 17 do not actually intersect the rib members. The frame structure is thus made substantially integral, and the walls are of uniform thickness Without any shoulders for which allowance would have to be made in fitting the metal portions of the sheathing to it. The sheathing are fastenedv to the frame structure at a sufficient number of points by spot welding, the frame structure being thereby reinforced by the sheathing, and a great degree of additional rigidity being conferred upon the frame structure in consequence thereof. Such reinforcing by the sheathing does not, of course, occur on the under side of the aeroplane \portion where the sheathing is held away from the main frame structure by the longitudinal ribs 23 that divide it into arches or troughs as hereinbefore explained, but throughout the upper side of the aeroplane portion, and throughout the body portion the sheathing affords such reinforcement. If sheet material other than metal be employed for the sheathing, it may be secured to the frame by any suitable means.

The craft is driven by propellers 24, and

the latter are preferably arranged adjacent the junctions of the body portion and the aeroplane portions that extend laterally in opposite directions therefrom. At these points the sustaining air is confined more than elsewhere, and, being compressed by the load, is relatively dense, and the propellers are more effective in said locations than they would be elsewhere. Although the curvature of the sheathing is not strictly that of an are at these points the propellers are nearly concentric to the curvature, and the cross-sectional contour of the sheathing is thus utilized toincrease the effectiveness of the propellers. There would preferably be a plurality of propellers on each side of the body portion, and they would be arranged in tandem relation as shown by Fig. 2. i x

A rudder 25 having trunnions 26 is mounted in bearings afiorded respectively by the projecting stern of the body portion and by the overhanging aeroplane portion. The bottom edge of the rudder is in as low a plane as the hydroplane surface 14 and is therefore adapted to be partly submerged in water when the craft is traveling on water. At the same time the greater portion of the rudder would be above the water level so that it could act upon the air that traverses the fore-and-aft troughs in which the propellers 24 are arranged. The forward edge of the rudder is a considerable distance forward of the axis, and is movable beyond the sides of the adjacent web portion 12 of the body, which is very narrow at the stern, as shownby Fig. 5. When the forward edge of the rudder is turned aside beyond the web portion 12 the air traversing one side of the web portion will be deflected by the opposite side of the rudder.

I claim:

1. A hydroplane consisting of a hollow buoyant body tapered at the bow, said body having along its bottom two parallel fiat hollow'ribs or runners and an intermediate reentrant trough which is deeper at the bow than at the stern and of substantially uniform width, the walls forming the sides of the trough and the inner sides of the runners converging upwardly, substantially as described.

2. A hydroaeroplane comprising a boat body having on its bottom parallel flat runners and an intervening trough, forming sustaining and gliding surfaces, an intermediate fore-and-aft web arranged centrally 'above the body, and curved lateral projections from said web constituting wings or planes said wings or planes extending beyond the bow and stern of said boat body.

3. A hydroaeroplane comprising a sheathed hydroplane portion having parallel runners and an intermediate gliding surface, a sheathed fore-and-aft web portion extending upwardly from the midddle thereof, and two arched aeroplane portions extending laterally in opposite directions from said web portion.

4. A hydroaeroplane comprising a hollow hydroplane portion, a hollow fore-and-aft web portion extending upwardly therefrom, said portions conjointly forming a single sheathed hollow structure, and an aeroplane portion adjoining the upper part of and constituting lateral-portions from said'web portion.

5. A hydroaeroplane comprising a hydroplane portion having a'trough-shaped bottom, a hollow web portion extending upwardly from said hydroplane portion in the middle thereof, and aeroplane portions extending laterally in op osite directions from said web portion and eyond the sides and ends of the hydroplane portion.

6. A hydroaeroplane comprising a hollow hydroplane portion, the body of which has parallel flat runners on its under side, a hollow fore-and-aft web portion extending upwardly from the middle thereof and merging into the body of the hydroplane, and aeroplane portions extending laterally 1n opposite directions from said web portion, said web portion being wider in the midle than at the bow and stern and tapering toward the bow and stern.

7. A hydroaeroplane comprising a substantially flat elongated hydroplane, wings or airplane portions, an intermediate hollow fore-and-aft centrally disposed-rib, the walls of the hydroplane being incurved and mergportions of the walls of the rib out-curving and merging in the under sides of the wings, and propellers arranged at the sides of the rib within the hollows formed by the curved sides of the body, rib and wings.

8. A hydroaeroplane comprising a frame 7 structure including a hydroplane portion, an

aeroplane portion, a Web portion connecting 7 them, said frame structure including a series of continuous transverse frame-forming ribs traversing said hydroplane portion, said web portion, and said aeroplane portion, and a sheathing inclosing said structure.

9. A hydroaeroplane comprising a frame structure including a hollow hydroplane portion having a trough-shaped bottom forming parallel flat runners, an aeroplane portion, and a web portion, connecting them, said frame structure including a series of continuous transverse frame-forming ribs traversing said hydroplane portion and said Web portion, and the trough-shaped bottom.

10. A hydroaeroplane comprising an intenames? mediate centrally-disposed hollow rib or w'eb,'said structure comprising a series of continuous frame-forming ribs and trans verse connecting ribs, and sheathing supported exteriorly thereon and constituting the walls of the body web and wing portions of said hydroaeroplane.

11. A hydroaeroplanecomprising a hollow hydroplane body havin a projecting stern, an aeroplane above sai 'body portion and overhanging said stern, an intermediate centrally-arranged hollow web less in length than the body and the aeroplane, a rudder arranged at the end of the Web between said stern and said overhanging portion, a top bearing for said rudder afforded by said overhanging airplane, and a bottom bearing for said rudder afiorded by said stern of the bod 11 1 testimony whereof Ihave aiiixed my signature.

SCOTT H. TOLMAN.

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