US1438685A - Internal brace construction for aeroplanes - Google Patents

Description

APPLICATION FILED MARZI. I921.

Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

In z/enfor Patented Deco l2,

STATES OSMOND THERON BELGHER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO BELCHER AERIAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPDRATION OF CALIFORNIA.

INTERNAL BBACE CONSTRUCTION FOR AEROPLANES.

Application filed March 21, 1921.

T (ZZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I. Osaroxn THnRoN BnLcHnn, a citizen of the United States. residing at Los Angelesin the county of Los Angeles and State of ialit'ornia, have 1nvented new and useful Improvements in Internal Brace Constructions tor Aeroplanes, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to aeroplane construction and is directed more particularly to the improvement of the internal bracing of wing and fuselage structures: the objects being to provide a method of internal bracingwhich has great strength and lightness of weight; a bracing which is continuone and without joints even tho angular in form and a bracing which is asstrong at the points of contact with the members it supports as it .is between those points.

lVith reference to the drawings Figure l is an enlarged view, in side elevation of a section of the novel means of bracing which forms the subject matter of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation show: ing a cantilever wing spar-construction.

Figure 3 illustrates the cross-Section ot a monoplane wing in which the present invention is embodied.

Figure 4 shows in end View the bracing disposed in a zigzag manner from cord members common to two individual brace elements.

Figure 5 is a top view of the structure shown in end viewvin Fig. at.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a pair of blocks used in the joints between the bracing and the members which they support.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of the blocks shown in Fig. 6.

Figure 8 shows in a top view a block used in the construction disclosed in Figs. 4 and 5.

In the prior art in the internal bracing of aeroplane wings and fuselage, with reference more particularly to monoplane con-= struction, the zigzag or diagonal bracing has been carried use of short out with the sticks of wood joined angularly at 'their ends and with the cord are intended to brace using screws, reenforcing members which they 7 bolts, plates and the like, the weakest Serial No. 454,269. I

thin enough to admit their being bent to substantially right angles having quite a sharp turn at the bend without breaking the fiber of the wood.

A strip of wood, ha in; been first pre-' pared steaming. is then bent intoia continuous zigzag brace member with sharp bends l and straight intermediate sections 2 between the bends. A second wood strip is then bent and glued against the first and so on until a continuous laminated angular brace element 3 is built up. Should the wood strips not be long enough they may be lengthened indefinitely by shaving off the ends and lap-gluing other strips'to them.

in mounting: such a continuous brace element between two cord members 4 and 4, as in Figs. 1. 2 and 3. seats 5 may be formed in the cord members 4- and 4 adapted to receive the bends of the brace 3 or better, in order to retain the full strength of the cords the necessary seats may be formed in upraised portions milled on the cord members or by gluing" thereto a couplet of blocks 6 such as are shown in Fig. 6, or a single block '7 having a thin connecting back such as is shown in Fig. 7. The bends of the brace being seated in the seats 5 on the cords with. glue are then wound with thread 8 to the cords thus forming a brace construction that is as light and as strong at the points of connection with the members which it supports as it is in the tween those points.

In the construction of a spar, as shown in Fig. cords t and 4 ol the spar are heavier at the base than at the tip and the brace element may be made heavier at the base end of the cantilever by dropping a lamination of that element at intervals as shown at B, C, and D. thus decreasing the weight. and strength of the brace element outwardly; or the b ace element may be formed twice the average cantilever wine" straight connecting sections 2 be I 2, the upper and lower width necessary and sawed diagonally. from end to end. thereby making two zigzag brace elements of an evenly decreasing strength and weight just the cord members decrease in size from base to tip.

In the development of cantilever spars tor wing construction and tor use elsewhere the form of bracing shown in Figs. --;land 5 may be adapted. In this form of construction the lower cord members are disposed between the upper cord members, relative to a vertical alignment and the continuous brace elements 3 are mounted anglingly be tween the cord members, there. being two brace elements fixed-to each cord member.

In assembling such a structure blocks 9 such as are shown in Fig. 8 are used, the blocks having two seats 5, 5 properly -faced to receive the two brace elements. Such a structure has not only great strength along the line of the cords but also great lateral rigidity.

It is to be understood that the brace construction herein set forth adaptable to the fuselage structure as well as the longitudina and transverse bracing of wings.

The present invention may be constructed of many kinds of wood or other like material and the number of laminations in the brace and the angularity of the brace sections may be widely varied spirit of the invention as claimed.

Claims:

1. A brace construction for aeroplanes comprising thin strips of wood bent and glued together to form a wood lamination having sharp bends and straight intermemeans for seating without departing from the,

diate sections, cord members adapted toextend on each side. of the angular lamination,

the bends ot the lamination against the cord members and means for holding the bends of the lamination into the seating means above mentioned.

A brace construction for aeroplanes comprising cord members, brace seats formed at intervals along the cord members and. adapted to receivethe an les of a zigzag brace element, the zigzag race element formed of continuous wood strips glued one upon. another and bent to form proper arr gles and straight intermediate sections and adapted to be mounted between the cord members with the angles seated in the brace seats of the cord members and means for positively holding the angles of the brace element in the seats on the cord members.

A method of internal bracing for aeroplanes and the like consisting of bending wood strips, glued one upon another, into a continuous zigzag brace element having as sharp bends as can be made without breaking the fiber of the wood and having substantially straight intermediate sections between the bends, of forming adequate seats upon the members intended to be supporte by the zigzag brace element adapted to receive the bends thereof. of gluing the bends into the seats and of binding the bends into the. seats with thread wound around the supported members and through the bends of the brace element.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

OSMOND THERON BELCHER.

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