US1342145A

US1342145A - Starting and landing mechanism for aeroplanes

Info

Publication number: US1342145A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1920-06-01
Anticipated expiration: 1937-06-01

Description

. J, H. LA'K'IN.

- summav mo LANDING. MECHANISM FOR AEROPLANES.

- APPLICATION mp0 111N526. 191.9.

Patented June 1,1920,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' J. H. AKIN, STARTING AND LANDIN G MECHANISM FOR AEROPL'ANES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, I919.

- Patented June 1, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Elvwzutoz J. Milli/L.

l. H. AKIN.

.STARTING AND LANDING MECHANISM FOR AEROPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE26, 1919.

342 145 Patented June 1, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- JI/Z 10 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. AKIN, OF AMES, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 JAMES E. ADAMSON, OF AMES, IOWA.

STARTING AND LANDING MECHANISM FOR AEROPLANES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1920.

Application filed June 26, 1919. Serial No. 306.880.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN H. AKIN citizen of the United States, residing at Ames, in the county of Story and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting and Landing Mechanism for Aeroplanes, of which the followin is a specification.

ihis invention relates to improvements in aeroplanes and more particularly to mechanism whereby an aeroplane ma make a safe landing in a restricted lan ing space and likewise may make a safe start or getaway in a restricted space.

The invention has as a further object to provide mechanism whereby an aeroplane may drop gently to the ground in a relatively vertical course and similarly may rise from the ground in a relatively vertical course.

A further object of the invention is to provide mechanism employinglifting propellers upon the aeroplane and wherein the lifting action of said propellers may, without changing the speed of rotation of the propellers, be controlled or varied at will.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism employing a pair of lifting propellers upon one of the wings of the aeroplane, one of said propellers being disposed at each side of the fuselage, and to further provide a lifting propeller upon the tail of the aeroplane and wherein all of said propellers will be coupled with the aeroplane engine.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide slides arranged to normally overlie said propellers and adapted to control the lifting action thereof and wherein all of said slides may be operated from the pilots seat.

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing a conventional type of aeroplane equipped with my improved lifting and landing mechanism,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the aeroplane, I

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing the structure for operating the wing slides of the mechanlsm,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a typical mounting of the slides,

a conventional type of aeroplane.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View showing the manner in which the struts of the aeroplane are widened to carry the slides,

Fig. 6 is a detail view illustrating the controller shaft for operating all of the slides,

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section showing the manner in which the worm racks employed are connected with the slides,

Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the mounting of the propeller in the tail of the aeroplane.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan view showing the clutch employed for controlling rotation of the lifting propellers.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I have, for convenience, shown my improved mechanism in connection with The fuselage of the aeroplane is indicated at 10 and this fuselage 10 is provided with the usual pilots seat 11. As will be ob served, the aeroplane illustrated is of the three wing type and the uppermost of these wings is indicated at 12. Within the forward portion of the fuselage is the engine of the aeroplane and connected with the crank shaft of this engine is the main propeller 13.

Coming now more particularly to the subj ect of the present invention, I form through the upper wing 12 of the aeroplane, at sultable points upon opposite sides of the fuselage, openings 14. These openings are preferably oblong and are disposed adjacent the forward edge of the wing. At the outer ends of the openings are wing struts 15. Similar struts 16 are arranged at the inner ends of the openings and disposed in inward spaced relation to the struts 16 are similar struts 17. Suitably connected to the struts l5 and 16 to extend beneath each of the openings 14 is a supporting frame or bracket 18 and journaled through these brackets are, as particularly shown in Fig. 4, vertical propeller shafts 19 to the upper ends of which are connected lifting propellers 20 disposed medially with respect to the openings 14. Depending from the brackets 18 are arms 21 and journaled at their upper ends through these arms are drive shafts 22 to the upper terminals of which are fixed beveled pinions 23 meshing with similar pinions 24 upon the lower ends of the shafts 19.

The shafts 22 converge dowuwardly into the fuselage 10 and, as particularly shown in Fig. 10, enter a transmission casing at opposite sides thereof. This gear casing may be mounted in any approved manner within the fuselage and entering the casing at its forward side is a power shaft 26 from the aeroplane engine. Formed through the tail portion of the fuselage is a suitably located opening 27 similar to the openings l l but of less size. At the outer end of this opening is a strut A similar strut 29 is disposed. at the inner end of the opening and arranged in. inwardly spaced relation. to this strut is a similar strut 30. Suitably secured to the struts 2S and 29 to extend. beneath the opening is a supporting frame or bracket 31 corresponding to the brackets 18 and journaled through this bracket 31 is, as particularly shown in Fig. 8, a vertical propeller shaft 32 carrying a lifting propeller 83 disposed medially with respect to the opening. Depending from said bracket is an rm 3% and journaled through said arm is the rear end of a drive shaft 35 to the rear terminal of which is fixed a beveled pinion 36 meshing with a similar pinion 3? upon the lower end of the propeller shaft. The shaft 35 extends forwardly through the fuselage and, as particularly shown in Fig. 10, enters the gear casing 25 at its rear side. Any suitable type of transmission gearing may be employed whereby the speed of rotation of the shafts 9 2 and 35 may be changed and a suitable clutch is preferably associated with said gearing so that when desired the lifting propellers may be allowed to stand. idle.

The struts 15, 1G and 17, as well as the struts 28, 2S) and 30 are, as particularly shown in Figs. land 5, widened somewhat and formed in the struts as well as in the strut 28 are sockets Each pair of

struts

16 and 17 is slotted to receive a slide 39. Likewise, the pair of struts 29 and 30 is slotted to receive a similar slide 40. Secured to the inner ends of the Slit 39 are, as particularly shown in Fig. 5 worm racks ll connected with said slides by webs 4:9; and, as will be observed, these webs are movable through suitable slots in the

struts

16 and 17. The slide 40 is similarly equipped with a. worm rack l-3. lllounted upon the fuselage ll) in front of the pilot seat ll is a vertical control shaft 4-4-v provided with a h and wheel 4:? and fixed to the upper end of said shaft is a worm all while a similar worm 47 is carried by the lower end of the shaft. Extending in opposite directions from the worm l-(i beneath the upper wing 12 of the aeroplane are hori- Zontal shafts 18 journaled through suitable hangers depending from appropriate struts of the wing. Fixed to the inner ends of said. shafts are Worms 49 meshing with the worm 4:6 and lined to the outer ends of said shafts are worms 5O meshing with. the worm racks 4M. Extending rearwardly through the fuselage at substantially right angles to the shafts 4:8 is a shaft 51 suitably journaled upon. the fuselage. ill} its forward end the shaft carries a worm 5Q, meshing with the worm il T upon the shaft lrfl: while at its rear end the shaft Til carries a worm 53 meshing with the worm rack 4:3 upon the slide 40. Thus, as will be readily understood, the hand. wheel 4L5 may be manually turned. for simultaneously opening the slides 39 and 4,0 or closing said slides to engage within the sockets 38, it being also possible to dispose the slides at a intermediate position of adjustment. Furthermore, this operation of the slides may be accomplished from the pilots seat.

Normally, all of the slides will be closed. However, as will now be understood in view of the preceding description, when the aeroplane is in flight and it is desired to make a landing, the lifting propellers 20 and 33 may be coupled with the engine of the aeroplane and thus set in motion when, by opening the slides, the aeroplane may be allowed to descend in a relatively vertical course, the lifting propellers sustaining the major portion of the weight of the aeroplane so that the aeroplane will gently come to a landing. In this connection it should be explained that the lifting propellers have, If course, suflicient lifting power to more than sustain the aeroplane and, in fact, are adapted to bodily lift the aeroplane. However, the effective lifting action of the lifting propellers is controlled by the slides, such action being increased by opening the slides and, of course. being diminished by closing the slides. Thus, it will be possible, by properly manipulating the hand wheel 45, to allow the aeroplane to gently descend in a relatively vertical course so that the aeroplane may accordingly land in a restricted space. Likewise, by opening the slides sufficiently, the lifting propellers will act to raise the aeroplane from the ground so that the aeroplane may also start or make a getaway in a correspondingly restricted space. I accordingly provide a highly advantageous type of landing and starting mechanism.

Having thus described what is claimed as new is:

1. In an aeroplane, the combination of a lifting propeller upon a wing of the aeroplane, a lifting pIQpGllGl upon the tail of the aeroplane, means for coupling said propellers with the aeroplane engine to be driven thereby, and means for varying the speed of rotation of said propellers.

2. ln an aeroplane, the combination of an aeroplane wing and tail g arovided with openings therethrough, propellers mounted op tl ie invention,

posite said openings, means for driving said propellers, and means for adjustahly closing said openings simultaneously.

3. In an aeroplane, the combination of an aeroplane wing provided with spaced openings therethrough one at each side of the fuselage, there being an opening tl'irough the tail of the aeroplane, lifting propellers mounted opposite said openings, means for driving said propellers, slides mounted upon said wing one adjacent each of said openings therein, a slide mounted upon the tail of the aeroplane adjacent the openin in the tail, and means for adjustably shi ing all of said slides simultaneously to close said openings.

4:. In an aeroplane, a Wing having an opening therethrough, a strut of the wing adjacent said opening being provided with a slot therethrough, a slide reciprocable through said slot for closing the opening, and means for actuating the slide.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN H. AKIN. 1 8.]