US1462531A - baumann - Google Patents

Description

July 24, 1923.

M. C. BAUMANN RUDDER CONTROL Filed Aug. 23, 1920 {Sheets-Sheet 1 QM MK #W' & M

I ama-v1?- July 24, 1923.

M. c. BAUMANN RUDDER CONTROL Filed Aug. 23, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [TIL/277227? a w &

Patented July 24, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILTON C. -BAU1VIANN, 0F DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO DAYTON-WRIGHT COMPANY,

OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

, RUDDER CONTROL.

Application filed August 23, 1920. Serial No. 405,391.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON C. BAUMANN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Dayton, county of Montgomery, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rudder Controls, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention relates to improvements in aeroplane control and more particularly to a control for the rudder, a preferred formof which has been chosen as convenient for the purposes of description and explanation.

It is a well known fact that considerable difficulty has been experienced in the aeroplane art with control devices for the rudadapted to be manipulated by the operators feet. With this type, there have been occasions when the operatorls feet have slipped from the treads of the control, often catching in the control cables and other mechanism with deleterious results. It is desirable, therefore, to have a control with the treads constructed so as to overcome any tendency for the operators feet to slip off. Further, it is evident that it would be very desirable to adjust the control at times so that, with the rudder in its normal position, the treads mightbe moved closer or farther from the'operators seat. to suit the different lengths of limb of different operators.

It is among the objects of. the present invention, therefore, to provide a control which is safe, sure, and sufficient in operation and which is adapted for adjustment so that its treads may be set at different distances from the operators seat.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings: I I Fig. 1 is a view of the control device in elevation, looking in the direction of the rudder.

Fig. 2 is, a-side elevation of the control showing, more particularly, the position of the control levers for normal position of i and nuts.

pins 41.

the rudder, and means for connecting the control to the rudder.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the control partly insection along the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic top view of the control showing the treads adjusted for difierent distances from the operators seat.

In the drawings, and more particularly in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the control device, designated as a whole by the numeral 20, comprises a lever 21 to be operated by the .left foot of the operator, and the lever 22 to be operated by his right foot. The lever 21 is provided with a shaft 23 and the lever 22 with acorresponding shaft 241.. These shafts are separate from each other and act as axes for the levers.

der, wherein the general type of control is The levers are supported by brackets 25 1 two pairs of which are secured to the framework 26 of. the aeroplane by suitable bolts Each pair of brackets is adapted to form'suitable bearings for the shafts.

: Thus the shafts are adapted for rotation but arecaused to have afixed position in the j aeroplanerelative to aeroplane structure,

and more particularly to the operators seat.

The shafts 23 and 24 are provided with suitable intermeshing gears 30 and 31 respectively, secured firmly thereon, for example by means of pins 32. These gears are located, preferably, between the pairs of brackets in order to economize space. Outside the brackets the shaft 24 extends on the right and the shaft 23 on the left for securing the levers thereto. These levers have socket members d0, fixed on their. lower ends. to enable their being secured to the shafts, utilizing for example, the

At a point intermediate the ends of the levers, are secured connecting straps 50 having extended portions 51 adapted for connecting to the links 527 These links have attached thereto flexible cables or cords connected at their other ends tothe-rudder (not pivoted in the extended the shaft 62 of.pedal will remain substantially parallel to shaft 63 of pedal 61 and that both shafts 62 and (53 will remain substantially parallel to shafts 23 and 2'1. The pedals are provided with rubber treads 64: and guides 65. The fact that the pedals are so constructed and installed will prevent the operators feet from slipping off the treads, since as stated, the shafts of the pedals remain substantially parallel, and the rubber treads present friction surfaces of contact, and further, the guides 65 retain the operators feet in firm contact with the treads.

The control is adapted for adjustment whereby the pedal 60 and 61 and consequently the treads 6 may be set at different distances from the operators seat 70. This is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 wherein 71 is the fuselage of the aeroplane and 72 is the cock-pit in which the control 2.0 is installed. The c0ntr0l is shown in three different positions: A, B, and C. Position A isfor an operator of average length of limb; position B is for an operator of long length of limb; position C is for an operator of short length of limb. In order to adjust for these different positions, it is sufficient that the gears 30 and 81 be separated in some suitable manner, for example by removing pin 32 from either of the gears, permitting sliding of this gear on the shaft and unmeshing'it from the other gear. The levers then may be moved to any desired position, for instance, for a short limbed operator, toward the seat, and for a long limbed operator away from the seat. The gears are then remeshed and the length of the cables is changed to correspond to the new position of the levers for normal rudder position, thus completing the adjust ment.

In operating the rudder, as lever 21 is pushed forward the lever 22 will be pushed back, or in the opposite direction. by the action of the gears 30 and 31. Correspondingly, if the lever 22 is pushed forward the lever 21 will be thrown in the opposite direction by the action of the gears.

-It is thought that further description of the operation of the control is unnecessary in view of the above description and explanation. Further. from the description set out above, it is evident that a control has been devised which is safe, sure and suflicient in operation; which gives positive motion to the rudder; which is simple and compact in structure; and which permits satis factory adjustment of the treads for setting them at different distances from the oper ators seat. It is also obvious that other forms of controls may be devised without differing in any way from the fundamentals of the construction set out above.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described, constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow:

1. In an aeroplane, a rudder control comprising a pair of operating levers substantially in lateral alignment for normal rudder position; pivotal mounting for each lever; and means positively interconnecting said levers and permitting the adjustment of the position of both levers relative to the operators seat, whereby the lateral alignment in the new posit-ion, for normal rudder position, is retained.

2. In an aeroplane, a rudder control comprising pair of operating levers substantially in lateral alignment for normal rudder position; a pivotal mounting for each lever; and means, positively connecting the levers, permitting the adjustment of the position of both levers relative to the operators seat, whereby the lateral alignment in the new position, for normal rudder position, is re tained.

3. In an aeroplane, a rudder control comprising a pair of operating levers substantially in lateral alignment; a shaft secured to each lever, and forming an axis therefor; and means, operably connecting the two shafts, permitting the adjustment of the position of both levers relative to the operators seat, whereby the lateral alignment in the new position, for normal rudder position, is retained.

4. In an aeroplane, a rudder control comprising a pair of operating levers substantially in lateral alignment; pedals for the levers; a shaft secured to each lever and forming an axis therefor; and gears, opera bly connecting the two shafts, adapted for disengagement to permit the adjustment of both levers about their axes, relative to the operators seat, whereby the lateral alignment in the new position, for normal rudder position, is retained.

5. In an aeroplane, a rudder control comprising a pair of operating levers substantially in lateral alignment; pedals for the levers; means secured to each lever for connecting to the rudder, a shaft secured to each lever and forming an axis therefor; fixed bearings for the shafts; gears secured to and operably connecting the two shafts; and means adapted to disengage the gears for permitting the adjustment of the position of both levers about their axes, relative to the operators seat, whereby the lateral alignment in the new position, for normal rudder position, is retained.

6. ln an aeroplane having a control surface, an operating mechanism for said control surface including a pair of operating levers having pivotal mounting and being positively interconnected to rotate in. opposite directions, and means independent of the positive interconnection for transmitting opposite directions, and-means for adjust ing the positive interconnection whereby the position of the levers for the normal position of said control surface may be varied.

8. In an aeroplane having a control sur face, an operating mechanism for said'control surface including a pair of manual levers positively interconnected to rotate 1nopposite directions and in substantially parallel planes, and means for adjusting the positive interconnection whereby the posi tion of the levers for the normal position of said controlsurface may be varied.

9. In an aeroplane having a control surface an operating mechanism for saidcontrol surface including a pair of manual levers having pivotal mounting, toothed-gear means between said levers for positively r0- tating the levers in opposite direct-ions, and

means for adjusting said toothed gear means whereby the position of the levers for the normal position of said control surface may be changed.

- In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

' MILTON C. BAUMANN.

Witness:

H. C. MANGEY.

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