US1331593A - Aeroplane - Google Patents

Description

J. A. SOWELL.

AEROPLANE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3, 1918.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

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AEROPLANE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. s, |918.

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TOEN A. SOWELL, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA, .ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO ERNEST E. SOWELL, 0F SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

AERPLANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

Application iled December 3, 1918. lSerial No. 265,098.

-Joaquin, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes; and I do declare the following .to be a clear, full, and eXact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to im. rovements in aeroplanes, the principal object being to produce an aeroplane which will control the air instead of the machine being controlled by the air.

A second object has been to so construct the aeroplane that the air currents or air pressure against opposite sides of "the ma- ,chine will be' equalized and the aeroplane Awill thereby have great stability. In this respect, ,the aeroplane is so constructed that the air pressures from opposite sides on meeting or coming together are forced upward, thus being utilized to help raise the niachine.

By means of a construction hereinafter described the resistance atA the forward end I have also provided a means whereby' the resistance of the airl is distributed equally over all parts of the machine, thereby giving the same vlateral stability and asf suring Y positive balance.

By means of other construction, I am en` i abled to shut of the driving power and remain stationary in the air or ascend and descend at will thereby, and in a vertical plane.

I have also constructed my aeroplane so that the center of gravity will at all times be on the same vertical line as the center of pressure.

Asa further object, I have produced a device which is simple of construction and operation and yetexceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects, I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of the parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

On the drawings, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several v1ews.

Figure l is a-perspective elevation, de-

'and lower wing plane.

Fig. l is a fragmentary cross sectional view of anelevating and depressing mechanism, taken on a line 1 -4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is Ya fragmentary view, partly broken away of a steering mechanism.

Referring now more particularly to the numerals of reference on the drawings, the numeral l designates the fuselage, which is of cigar-shape form,l but larger at the rear than the forward end, on both sides of which and positioned on a horizontal line halfway up the sides thereof are lower wings 2. These wings are fiat, or, in other words, lie in one horizontal plane, and are provided with large fore and aft openings 3 for a purpose as will appear.

Projecting upwardly from these planes or wlngs are suitable struts 4, to which are secured upper wings 5. These wings overhang the planes 2 along the sides thereof, are substantially parallel thereto, and are warped conveXly in a fore and aft direction, the

edges thereof near the longitudinal center of Vthe aeroplane being suitably spaced apart' and bent upward at an angle 'for a certain distance as shown at 6.

These edges and the space between the wings is covered by atube or tunnel 7 of substantially cylindrical cross section, but has a peak 8 arising centrally therefrom and extending longitudinally thereof.

The lower edges of this tube terminate somewhat short of the wings 6, leaving a longitudinal opening 9 therebetween on both sides.

A cylindrical tank 10 may be positioned in the tube,l so as to keep the fuel as far from the engine as possible.

A corkscrew pro eller 11 is positioned in 'the forward end o the tube, this propeller suitable type of bearing as for instance, that Y depicted at 1,5, this bearing being covered by a hood 16 so that the air will be deflected therefrom. This rudder may be operated directly by a handle 17, or it may be controlled by a cable mechanism such as is indicated at 18, p

At the rear ofthe fuselage is the driving propeller 17, driven by a power plant suitably positioned, but preferably an independent plant from the one driving the forward corkscrew propeller.

Positioned in the orifices 3 are wide bladed propellers 20, these being mounted in a horizontal plane and pivotally mounted on shafts 21 which span these orifices transversely. These propellers are driven through suitable gearing 22 arranged about the intersecting point of the vertical propeller shaft and the transverse shaft, the transverse shaft'v being in driving lrelation with the power plant 12a. A suitable casing 23 covers the gearing 22 on each propeller, which casing is adapted to turn on the shaft 21. An arm 24 projects upward from each of the casings 23, and each pair is operatively connected to a lever 25 suitably' positioned within reach of the aviator, whereb the propellers 2O may be swung on the sliafts 21 to alter the angle 0f the propellers with the planes 2 in alongitudinal direction.

Shields 26 are sitioned under and partly around the ori ces 3, whereby the' air thrown against them will be deiiected and 4 thrown down into the ath of the air curvrent caused by the turning of the propeller. The principles of operation and Yconstruction are as follows i The forward cork screw propeller 11 being ositioned in the center and forward end of t e tube breaks the atmospheric pressure caused by the advancing motion of the aeroplane and forms a vacuum or trough at this 4 point whereby the machine has a tendency to rise at the forward end. This also eases up the strain on the rear driving propeller 19 and stabilizes the upper portions of the aero lane.

Tige fuselage 1 being positioned one half below the lower wings 2, this has its greatest weight under these wings, thus giving the aeroplane a very low center of gravity.

The horizontal propellers 20 positioned in the lower wings 2 being controllable as to their fore and aft angle with the planes or wings 2, provide a means for giving perfect balance to the aeroplane, taking the place of the usual ailerons, and also form a .said up naartoe l means for lifting the machine directly upy'ward against the loweripressure of air. The

equally, giving the aeroplane great lateral` stability. Longitudinal stability is gained as described by the aileron action of the propellers 2G and by the corkscrew propeller 11. Also, the propellers 20 exert their force against the pressure of the air beneath the aeroplane, and by holding these propellers all on a horizontal plane the machine may be held stationary in the air, and prevented from falling, by merely cutting off the power from the driving propeller 19, and rotating the propellers 20 at a speed sucient to just counteract the force of gravity, or they may be speededup so as to cause the aeroplane to risehdirectly from the ground in a vertical at p Thus it will be seen that I have made great improvements over the type of aeroplane now used, in that I have overcome head resistancefam not dependent on high speed for air staying qualities, I have gained great stability, both longitudinal and lateral, and amy enabled to stand indefinitely, in one position in the air and can ascend or descend in a vertical plane.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, stilll in practice, such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention as dened by the appended claims. i,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to lsecure by Letters Patent is 1. An aeroplane comprising in combina-` .the upper planes being convexly warped transversely` whereby the air striking the outside of said wings will be thrown against the central tube to stabilize the aeroplane.

2.v An aeroplane comprising a fuselage,

flat planes extending lengthwise and on each side thereof, a driving propeller on the rear end of the fuselage, horizontall positioned lift propellers mounted on said at planes in orifices provided therein, upper planes spaced from thellower planes, and parallel t er'eto, the upper planes being "-'convexly warped longitudinally, and the inner edges thereof being angled upwardl and spaced apart, and a tube extending engthwise of er planes and covering said angled edges, t e tube having a slot on each side thereof opening onto said angled edges, 130

Iwhereby the air pressure on the outer surface of the upper planes will pass through the slots and be diverted by the angled edges of the upper planes and be thrown upward against the inner Walls of the tube.

3. An aeroplane comprising a fuselage, liat planes extending lengthwise and on each side thereof, a driving propeller on the rear end of the fuselage, horizontally positioned lift propellers mounted on said Hat planes in orifices provided therein, upper planes spaced from the lower planes, and parallel thereto, the upper planes Ibeing* convexly warped longitudinally, an open ended tube extending lengthwise and Central of said upper planes, and a Corkscrew propeller positioned in the lorvvard end of the tube and projecting therefrom, whereby the air pressure caused by the Jforward motion of the aeroplane is attacked and controlled.

In testimony whereof I ailiX my signature .in presence of two witnesses.

JHN A. SOVVELL. Witnesses:

BERNARD PRIVAT, VERADINE WARNER.

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