US1431129A - Flying machine - Google Patents

Description

L. SCHAEFFER.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE S. I92I.

Mtented (IGI. 39 IIQZ.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

L. SCHAEFFEH.

FLYING MACHINE. v APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8.1921.

l y L, 1 29 ,Panted Oct. 3, 1922,.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' able for causingl eac @aurea bei., 3, 1922.

- STAT LEoNsciaaErrnn., or BROOKLYN, NEW remi.

FLYING MACHINE.

Application led `lune 8, 1921. Serial No. 475,903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Laon SoHArirrnR, a citizen of the United States, and a. resident of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in a Flying Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact speciication.

This invention relatesniore particularly to a class of aeroplanes.

My invention has for its object primarily toy provide a ,flying machine or aeroplane adapted to be employed for carrying persons in the air, and which is of a type whereby the machine 4may be so operated that it will rise directly or rise on such an` incline from its landing that the requirement for driving it considerable ydistance on the landing to take the customary gradual climb will be avoided, the machine also being driven by pairs of propellers, in order to obtain unusual speed, besides serving to revent tendency of the machine from shifting to dangerous lateral inclines when moving through the air. The invention consists essentially of rotatably mounting on a flying machine of a suitable type one or more propellers adapted to be driven for lifting the machine in the air from its landing, and also mounted on the ship may be one pair or a number of pairs of propellers adapted to be operated in unison for driving the machine. The propellers for raising the machine are first driven independentl at a high speed and. when the machine is e evated to a desiredA height the driving propellers are operated. all these propellers being driven by mechanism operated by the engine of the machine. The mechanism has separately operable parts so that when the driving propellers are driven raising propellers may be reduced to prevent tendency to retard the forward movement of the machine while still serving to assist in maintaining the machine in the air. Associated with the' mechanism is a controller or switch which 'is manuallyadjustpart of the mechanism lto be cut-in and cut-out of operation bythe engine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flying machine of a simple, eilicient and durable construction.

With these and other objects in view, the

the speed of the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described with reference to the accompanying, drawings forming a part ofthis specification in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and will then be pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.

i'n the drawings, Figure 1 is atop plan, partly broken away, of one form o flying machine embodying my invention.-

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the machine, partly broken away and partly fragmentary, with the fuselage removed therefrom. y

Fig.` 3 is an enlarged top plan, partly fragmentary, of the mechanism employed in the machine inl conjunction with thc engine.

Fig. d is an venlarged plan of one of the propellers used for raising the machine.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged end-view et one o the propellers used' for driving the machine.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged end view of one or the steering propellers employed on the machine, and

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the steering propeller.

rThe machine may be in the form of an .aeroplane of the usual or any preferred type having a fuselage 10, one or two planes', as 11, 12, and at the rear of the machine may be the usual tail, as 13, while interiorly of the fuselage may be provided any suitable make of engine, as 13, for driving the machine through the air.

When the machine is provided with the two spaced superimposed planes 11 and 12 in the end parts of the upper plane 12 are journaled two vertically disposed shafts, as 14 and 15, both of which are of lengths so that their lower` ends extend in proximity to the lower plane 11, while the upper ends of the shafts extend considerable distances above the upper plane. 0n theparts of each of the shafts 14 and 15 above the plane 12 may be one or a number of propellers 16. 16a, 16". These propellers are of sizes and. their blades are arranged for serving when revolved to cause the machine to be raised from its landing, and on the lower ends of the shafts 1a and 15 are'bevel gears 17 and 17a. L v

In the forward endpart of the fuselage 10 is journaled a shat '18 having its ends extending laterally rom the sides of the fuselage, and on the protruding ends of this shaft are held a pair of propellers 19 and 20. In the rear end part of the fuselage is journaled a shaft 21 having its ends projecting also laterally from the sides of the fuselage, and on the extending ends of the shaft 21 are held another pair of propellers 22 and 23. The pairs of propellers 19, 20 and 22, 23 are of sizes as well as being of forms adapted to `propel the machine forward where revolved. l

Above the central part of the fuselage 10 may be rotatably mounted a shaft 24 'on which is held a propeller 25 of a form adapted when driven to cause the machine to travel rearwardly. All of the propellers are' adapted to be driven by the engine of the machine through the medium of a common mechanism, as 26.

The-mechanism 26 may be of any suitable type, though the form illustrated includes a Lmain drive shaft' 27 and an auxiliary drive shaft 28. The main shaft 27 is driven direct by the engine 14, and this shaft is vertically disposed as well as being of a length so that it extends above the fuselage 10 and above the plane 11. On the upper end of the main shaft is a bevel gear-29, and. in mesh with this gear is a bevel gear 30 held on one end of the auxiliaryk drive shaft 28 which isjournaled ina bearing 30 provided so that the auxiliary shaft is longitudinally disposed. The bevel gears 29 and 30 are of corresponding sizes so that the speed of the auxiliary shaft will be the same as 'the speed of the main shaft when driven. On the central part of the auxiliary shaft 28 is a large gear 31, and on the second end of this shaft 1s a wide gear or pinion 32. In spaced relation to the auxiliary shaft 28 is a longitudinally disposed shaft 33 -which is journaled in one or more bearings 34, and this shaft is of a length so that'it extends from spaced proxl imity to the bevel gear 29 of the main drive shaft 27 to close proximity to thebevel geark 17 of the vertical shaft 14 of the raising propellers. On one end 'of the shaft 33 is held a bevel gear 35 which meshes with the bevel gear 16 of the shaft 14, and on the second end of this shaft 33 is a gear 36 meshing with a gear 37 held on oneend of. a longitudinally disposed shaft 38 which extends in close proximity to the vertical shaft 15. The longitudinal shaft 38 is journaled in one or more bearings 39, and also on this shaft is a bevel gear 40 which is in mesh with the bevel gear 17a of the vertical shaft 15'. Slidably keyed on the central part of the shaft 33 is a pinion 41 and a large gear 42 which is of a diameter preferably corresponding to the diameter of the gear 31 of the auxiliary shaft 28. The pinion 41 is adapted to be moved into and out of mesh with the large gear 31 of the auxiliary shaft 28, and the large gear 42 is adapted to be moved into and out of mesh with the wide gear 32 of the auxiliary relation to the shaft 33, and on one end of the shaft 44 is a4 sprocket 45. The sprocket 45 carries a sprocket chain' 46 which also passes over a sprocket 47 held on a short shaft 48 which is journaled in the forward part of the fuselage 10, and also on theshaft` 48 are two grooved pulleys 49 and 50. On the shaft 18 of the pair of driving propellers 19 and 20 is a pulley 51, and over this pulley as well as over the pulley 49 passes a belt 52. Un the shaft 2l of the driving propellers 22 and 23 is a pulley 53 and passing over this ulley and over the pulley 50 is a belt54. En the shaft 44 is held a gear 55 which isof a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the Wide gear 32, and the gear 55 is also approximately one-half the width of the gear 32. The ears 32 and 55 are spaced apart suiiicient istance so that the large gear 42 may be moved into mesh with bothof the gears 32 and 55 at the'same time.` J ournaled in a bearing 56 is a shaft 57 which is 'spaced belovv7 the shaft 33 and under the pinion 40 and gear 42. 0n one end of the shaft 57 is a gear 58 which is one-half the width of the gear 32 as well as being on alinement with one-half of the gear 32 so that the large'gear 42 of the shaft 33 may be adjustably moved first into mesh with the gear 55 and with half of the gear32 and into mesh at the same time with the gear 58. At the other end of the shaft 57 is a pulley 59, and on the -shaft 24 of the propeller 25 is a pulley 60.

Passing overthe pulleys 59 and 60 is a belt 61, and by thisarrangement when the gear 42 is moved into mesh with the'gear 58 and with the second half of the gear 32 the art of the mechanismwhich drives the mac ine forward Will'be cut-out, and the propeller 25y y i drive gears that the sets of raisingpropel- 1ers 16, 16, 16'J will first b e driven at a high speed, then reduced in speed Awith the subsequent -driving of the pairs of propellers 19, 20 and 22, 23. In order to permit the pinion -one-half of the gear 32, after which the gear 42 may be moved into mesh with the other 41y and drive gear 42 to'be adj ustably moved ,on the shaft 33 for causing the parts ofthe mechanism 26 to be cut-in and cut-out a controller 62 is provided.' The controller 462 may be in the form of a bar or lever havin one of its ends pivotally held in anylwel known manner to. a sleeve 63 which' is attached to the pinion 41 and gear 42 so that this sleeve, the pinion 41 and gear 42 -may revolve with the rotation of the shaftl 33 without revolving the lever.

'.lo start the machine in motion from its landing the controller or lever 62 is manually shifted for causing the pinion 41 to mesh with the drive gear 31 after starting the engine 13a for driving the main shaft 27. rlhe rotation of the main shaft with driving of the bevel gear 29 will be imparted to the bevel gearv 30, auxiliary shaft 28, wide gear 32 and drive gear 31. The rotation of the drive gear 31 will then be imparted to the pinion 41, shaft 33, drive gear 42 and gear 36. 'lhe gear 36 will drive the pinion 37, shaft 38, and with the rotation of the shafts 33 and 38 in unison the bevel gears 35 and 40 of these shafts will revolvev the bevel. gears 17 and 17al for driving the vertical shafts 14 and 15. Both sets' of the propellers 16, 16a, 16" will thereby be driven at a high speed for causing the machine to rise in the air to a suitable height. The machine ypeller -25 in a is then operated to travel forwardly by shifting the controller 62,'pinion 41 and drive gear 42 on the shaft 33 so that the pinion is out of mesh with the drive gear 31V and so that the gear 42 is in mesh with one-half of they wide gear 32 and with the gear 55. The rotation of the main shaft 27 willthen be impartedto the bevel gears 29 and 30, au-xiliary shaft 28, lgear 31, wide gear 32, drive gear 42 and gear 55 which in turn will revolve the shaft 44, sprocket 45, sprocket chain 46, sprocket 47, shaft 48, pulleys 49 and 50, belts 52 and 54, pulleys 51 and 53, shafts 18 and 21, and both pairs of the propellers 19, 2O and 22, 23, will be simultaneously driven. The gear- 55 being considerably smaller than the gear 42 these parts of the mechanism for driving the propellers 19, 20 and 22, 23 will be operated at a high speed for causing fast forward travel of the machine, and the speed f the sets of the raising propellers 16, 16, 16b will be reduced by reason of freeing the enl gagement of the pinion 41 with the drive gear 31, the gear 32 being relatively smaller than the rgear 42 to accomplish the required reduction of the speed of the raising propellers, in order to assist in maintaining the machine in the air as well as tending to avoid possible lateral tilting of the machine. en it is desired to stop the forward travel of the machine and cause it to travel rear-p wardly, the controller 62 is adjusted to shift the drive gear 42 into mesh with the second Vhalf of the wide gear 32 and with the gear 58 of the shaft 57. The operationI of the main shaft 27 of the engine will then be imparted;l to the bevel gears 29 and 30, auX- iliary shaft 28, gear 31, wide gear 32,drive shaft 42, gear 58, shaft A57, pulley 59, belt 61, pulley" 60, and shaft 24 for driving the pro- I directionto cause rearward travel 'of the machine. To enable" the maalso extends to -machine of a type adapted to chine, to make a safe landing the engine is operated so that the parts of the mechanism 26 will drive sets of the propellers 16, 16", 16b at a speed for taking the air to counterbalance in part the weight of the machine, in order that it will descend gradually, the operation of the driving propellers 19, 20, 22, 23 being slowed or stopped entirely according to the requirement for making either a gradual or a direct descent. Encircling the fuselage 10 may be a chamber, as 63", in the form of a continuous pipe or shell for being lled with gas or air through the valve, as 63", to sufficiently od set the weight of the@ machine so that it will tend to readily rise in the air when the sets of the Y propellers 16, 16a, 16b are driven as well as serving to assist in permitting the machine to be maintained afloat in the air.

At the rear of the machine may be provided an apparatus, as 64, to allow the machine to be steered in right and left directions When desired. The apparatus 64 consists preferably of two spaced shafts 65 and 7 0, 70, 7 O", and as shown in Figl, the rudder blades are arranged so that each will take the air `in opposite directions when partly revolved. @n the tops of the hubs of the rudders 70, 70a, 70b are'held cross-arms 71 and 72 so that by swinging circumferentially the ends of the arms the rudders will turn accordingly. To the ends of the crossarm 71 are held the ends of a belt or cable 73 which is of a length so that its central part extends to the top of the fuselage 10 nproximity to-the mechanism 2 6, andthe central part of the belt passes over a pulley,

as 74, adapted to be revolubly moved/by a suitable handle, as 75. To cross-arm 72 are held the ends of a belt or the ends of 'the' cable 76 of a length so that its central part the top of the fuselagev 10 in proiimity to the mechanism 26, and this central part of pulley 77 adaptedy to be revolvably adjusted by a second handle 78. When it is desired to steer the mlachine to the right the handle 75 may be turned to cause the belt 73 to swing the arm 71 so' that the rudder V67 will revolve .for its blades to take theI air, and when it is desired to steer the machine to the left the handle 78 may be turned to cause theA belt 76 to swing the arm 72 so that the rudder 68 will revolve for its blades totake 'the air'. Thus I .provide a simple and eicient flying that-itv will rise directly or rise on such an incline from its landing that the necessity the belt is disposed over a be operated so bodied the preferred form of my invention,

but I -do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I am aware that miodi- ,Y fications may be made therein without departing froml the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, therefore I reserve to myself the rightv to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 1. The combination with a flying machine having an engine inv its fuselage, of r'evolv` able propellers on the machine for raising the machine from' its landing, pairs of propellers rotatable on the machine `for driving the machine forwardly, a rotatable propeller on the machine for driving the machine rearwardly, and mechanism having separately operative parts adapted to be operated by the engine and controlling means for said parts whereby the raising propellers will firstbe driven at a high speed and then at a reduced speed in unison with the propellers for driving the machine forwardly, and subsequently the forwardly ldriving propellers may be stopped and the propellers for driving the machine backwardly may be operated jointly with the operation ofthe raising propellers; L 4 l Y 2. The combination with a iiying machine having an engine in its fuselage, of revolvable propellers on the .machine for raising the machine from its landing, pairs ofpropellers rotatable on the machine lfor driving the machine forwardly, a rotatable propeller on the machinev for driving the machine rearwardly, mechanism having separately operativeY parts adapted to be operated by the engine, and controlling means for said parts whereby the raising propellers will first be driven at" a high speed, then at a reduced A speed in unison with the ropellers for driving the machine forward after which the forwardly driving propellers may be stopped and the propellers for drivingthe machine backwardly may be operated jointly with the operation of the raising propellers, and an adjustable controller for-shifting the operation of the part of the mechanism which drives the forwardlydriving propellers with the other parts of the mechanism.

, 3. The combination with a iiying machine having an en ine, of revolvable propellers on the machine or' raising the machine fromlitslanding, airs of propellers rotatable on the machine or driving the machine forwardly, gearing adaptedto be driven by the engine, gearing adapted to be driven for driving the propellers t0 raise the machine, and gearing adapted to be driven by the gearing for first driving the raising propellers at a high speed and afterward the propellers for driving the machine forwardly as fwell as causing the speed of the raising propellers simultaneously to be reduced. Y

4. The combination with a'iiying machine having anl engine, of revolvable propellers on the machine for raising the machine from its landing, pairs of propellers rotatable on the machine for driving the machine forwardly, gearing adapted to be driven by the engine, gearing adapted to be driven for driving the propellers to raise the machine, I

shiftable gearing adapted to be driven by the gearing driven bythe engine for first driv- -ing the raising propellers at a high Ispeed and afterward the propellers for driving the machineforwardly as well as simultaneously causing the speed of the raising propellers to be reduced, and a movable controller for adjusting the shiftable gearing with the gearing driven by the engine.

5. The combination with a flying machine having an engine, of revolvable propellers on the machine for raising the machine from its landing, pairs of propellers rotatable on A the machine for driving the machine forwardly, a rotatable propeller on the machine for driving the machine rearwardly, gearing adapted to be driven for driving the propellers to raise the machine, mechanism operable by the gearing driven by the engine for driving the propellers to cause forward travel of .the machine, means also operablel `ing adapted to be driven by the engine, gear-Y machine forwardly as well as maintaining rotation of the raising propellers at a reduced speed and subsequently moved for cutting-out of operation said mechanism and causing the power of the engine to be transmitted to the propeller for driving the machine backwardly.

6. The combination with a flying machine having an engine, of revolvable propellers on the machine for raising the machine from its landing, pairs of propellers rotatable'on the machine for driving the machine fprwardly, a rotatable propeller on the machine for driving the machine rearwardly, gearing adapted to be drivenkby theI engine, gearin adapted to be driven for driving the prope 1ers to raise the machine, mechanism operableby the gearing driven by the engine for driving ther propellers to cause forward ting-in and cutting-out the coaction of the pellers to raise mechanism operable f be iii'st moved to cause g engine to be transmitted to the i to canse the powerof the engine to be trans- Y pellers to drive the machine forwardly' as vof the machine,

raising propellers, `cause the power of the engine to be trans- L.propellers at a reduced speed and pairs of 4machine for drivingthe machine forwardly,-

travel of the machine, means also.. operable ,sociated withl by the gearing driven by the engine for raising propellers, adapted to be-iirst moved driving the propeller to cause backward to cause the power from the engine to be travel of the machine, shiftable gearing astransmitted to the gearing Jfor driving the sociated with the gearing for driving theA raising propellers and then afterward moved raising propellers, adapted to be first moved tocause the power of the engine to be transto cause the power from the engine to be mitted to the mechanism for driving the transmitted to the gearing for driving theW propellers to drive the machine forwardly as then afterward moved to well as maintaining rotation of the raising mitted to the mechanism for driving the propropellers at the rea-r of the machine, adaptpellers to drive the machine forwardly as ed to be separately adjusted rotatably for well as maintaining rotation of the .raising steering the machine to the rightd and to the propellers at a reduced speed and subseleft.F quently moved for cutting-out of operation 9.'l The combination with a flying machine said mechanism and causing the engine to be transmitted to the propeller the machine for raising the machine from its for driving the machine backwardly, and a landing, pairs of propellers rotatable on the lever associated with the shift'able gearing, machine for driving the machine forwardly, adapted to be moved for adjusting this gear a rotatable propeller on the machine for ing to cut-in and cut-out ofcoaction the'driving the machine rearwardly, gearing mechanism for driving the propellers which adapted to be driven by the engine, gearing drive the machine forwardly `and for cutadapted to be driven or driving'the prothe machine, mechanism operable by the gearing drivenv by the enshiftable gearing with the means for driv- `ne for driving the pro lilers to cause ing the propeller which drives the machine rearwardly. V orward travelof the mac ine, means alsd 7. The combination with a flying machine operable by the gearing driven by the enhaving an engine, of revolvable propellers gine for driving the propeller to cause backonthe machine for raising the machine from ward travel of the machine, shiftable gearits landing, pairs of propellers rotatable on ing associated with the gearing for driving the machine :for driving the machine' orthe raising propellers, adapted to be first wardly, gearing adapted to be driven by the moved to cause the power from the engine engine, gearing adapted to be driven for to be transmitted to the gearing for drivdriving the propellers to raise the machine, ing the raising ropellers, then afterward by the gearingdriven moved to cause t by the engine for driving the'propellers to be transmitted to the mechanism for drivcause Jforward travel of the machine, shifting the propellers to drive the machine for 4able-'gearing associated with the gearing for fxwardly as well as maintaining rotation of driving the raising propellers, adapted to xthe raisingpropellers at a reduced speed the power fromthe and subsequently moved for cutting-out of garing for operation said mechanism and causing the t en moved power of the engine to be transmitted to the propeller for driving the machine backwardly, and pairs of propellers at the rear adapted to be separately adwell as maintaining rotation of the raising justed rotatably for steering the machine to propellers at a reduced speed,vv and a lever the ri ht and to the left. v associated with the shiftable gearing, adapt- 10. he combination with a flying maed to be moved ttor adjusting this gearing vchine having an engine, of revolvable proto cut-in and cut-,out of coaction the mechpellers on the machine for raising the maanism for driving the propellerswlich drive chine from its landing, pairs of propellers the machine forwardly Vwith the gearing rotatable on the machine for driving the madrlven by the engine. Y chine forwardly, a rotatable propeller on 8. The combination with aiying machine the machine for driving the machine rearhaving' an engine, of revolvable propellers .on wardly, gearing adapted to be driven by the the machine for raising the machine from its engine, lgearing adapted to be driven for landing, pairs -of propellers rotatable on the driving the propellers to raise the machine, mechanism operable lby the` gearing driven gearing adapted to be driven by the engine, by the engine for .driving the propellers to gearinadapted to be driven for. driving the cause forward travel of the machine, means propel ers to raise the machine, mechanism operable by the gearing driven by the engine for driving the propellers to cause forward. travel .of the machine, lshiftable gearing asdriving the raising propellers,

mitted to the mechanism for driving the proengine for drlving the propeller backward travel of the machine, shiftable gearing associated with the gearing for drivthe gearing'for driving the e power o the-engine to also operable by the gearing driven by the .i

to cause ing ethe ,raising propellers, adapted to be first moved -to cause the power from the engine to be transmitted' to the gearing for driving the raising propellers, then afterward moved to cause the power of the engine to be transmitted to the mechanism for driving the 4propellers to drive the machine forwardly 'as well as maintaining rotation of the raising propellers at a reduced speed-and subsequently moved for 'cutting-out of operation said mechanism and causing the power of the engine to be transmitted to the propeller for driving the machine backwardly,

a lever associated with the shiftable gear. ingv adapted to be moved for adjusting this gearing to cut-in and cut-outof ooaction themechanism for driving the propellers which drive the machine forwardly and for cut; ting-in and cutting-out the coaction of the shiftable gearing with the means for driving the propeller which drives the machine rearwardly, and pairs of pnopellers at the rear ofthe machine, adapted to be separately adjusted rotatably for steering the machine to the right and to the left.

This specification Signed and witnessed this 7th day 'of June, A. D. 1921.

LEON SCHAEFFER.

Witnesses:

B. EMRIGH, J. FREDERICK CRYER.

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