US1341202A - Propeller mud-guard for aeroplanes - Google Patents

Description

N. A. STRAND. PROPELLER MUD GUARD FOR AEROPLANES, APPLICATION FILED A PR.3. 1920.

1,341,202. Patented May25, 1920.

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PATENTIOFFICE.

, NEIL rem srnann, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PBOPELLER MUD-GUARD FOR AEROPLANES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1920.

Application filed April 3, 1920. Serial No. 371,023.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it 'known that I, NEIL ALFRED STRAND, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Brookl n, in the county of Kings and State of ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Propeller Mud-Guards for Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to propeller mud guards.

Its primary object is to devise a protector for the propeller against mud or dirt thrown toward it by the landing wheels of an aeroplane, when startin or terminating a flight.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide a device of this kind which will cause as little resistance to the flying as possible and at the same time accomplish the desired results.

In order to make more clear the above and other objects a short explanation of my device and the importance of its application is necessary.

It very often occurs in flying that the aviator is forced to land onor ascend from muddy, sandy or other grounds unfavorable for such purposes. V i

The landing wheels invariably bury themselves partially into the ground and throw up earth in the" general direction of the travel of the aeroplane and tangentially to the upper part of the wheels circumference. The thrown up mud, sand and often stones of considerable weight come in contact with the propeller spinning at a high rate and inflict serious injuries to the propeller blades which may prove fatal to the aviator. It is well known that a slightly cracked propeller will cause a considerable deviation in the course of flying, and that a broken-out blade will unbalance the propeller and render it, if not incapable,'at least very dangerous for use.

In order to prevent the throwing off of injuriousgroundparticles from the wheels against the propeller my device is attached in near proximity with and above the land companying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an aeroplane with my device attached.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the aeroplane showing my device in place above the landing wheels.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of myiidevice.

eferring to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates the aeroplane body, 11 the upper wing or plane, 12 the lower plane or planes, below and somewhat in front of which the landing wheels 13 are provided.

Ahead of the engine housing 1 1 the propeller 15 may be observed. Attached to the front edge 16. of the lower planes 12 my device, indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 at 17, is disposed, as shown, above the landing wheels 13, so as to provide a shield between them and propeller 15.

..A preferred construction of my device is shown in Fig. 3 in detail. It consists of a pair of beams 18 having the shape of a form of the frame is U-shaped. Its connected portion, the bracket 20, abuts with the wing ends, while its parallel free ends face the propeller. 1

At the bottom portion of the frame a guard 24, made preferably of wire nettin is provided, spreading from its free ends back to the lower part22 of the bracket.

The wire netting not only prevents large earth particles or stones from being thrown against the propeller blades, but it cleanses itself of adhering mud when passing through the air. In addition the netting causes comparatively little head resistance. While the above specification deals with a preferred form of my device it is obvious that frequent changes will be required to meet variousconditions arising from different aeroplane construction.

I reserve for myself, therefore, the right tions of my device, I claim:

1. In combination with an aeroplane having landing wheels in close proximity with its propeller, a propeller mud guard provided above said wheels, comprising a substantially U-shapedframe composed of two parallel double beams reinforced at substantially their centers by a web-connection, a V-shaped double bracket adapted to be fastened to the aeroplane wings above said wheels, said double-beams attached to said bracket, and a wire netting spread between said beams and extending to the lower end of said bracket.

2. In combination with an aeroplane having landing wheels, propellers and wings, a propeller mud guard compriisng a generally U-shaped frame open at the unconnected end and adapted to be attached to said wings above said wheels, a wire netting spreading between its legs from the unconnected front end to the attaching end.

3. In combination with an aeroplane, a propeller mud guard comprising a frame open at one end and connected at the other end, a wire netting spread between and attached to said frame, said mud guard adapted to be attached above the wheels, and between the wheels and the propeller of an aeroplane.

4. In an aeroplane, a propeller mud guard composed of a pair of reinforced, parallel, curved beams, an attachment member, said beams secured to said member, and a wire netting spread between and attached to said beams and said attaching member.

5. A propeller mud guard comprising a frame open at one end and connected at the opposite end, a wire netting spread within said frame from the open end to the connected end, said guard adapted to be attached above the landing wheels and facing the propeller of an aeroplane.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 15th day of March, A. D. 1920.

NEIL ALFRED STRAND.

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