US1570742A - Flying machine - Google Patents

Description

W. HOFMAN FLYING MACHINE Jan. 26,1926. 1,570,742

Filed Feb. 6, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [/vvE/vmR W. HOFMAN FLYING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 35 f/vvE/v 70/? W By V 50 Figure Patented Jan. 26, 1926.

STATES WINCENTY HOFMAN, OF SOUTH CHICAGO 'ILLINOIS.

- FLYING MACHINE.

Application filed February 6,-.1925. Serial No. 7,328.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that .I', lVINoEN'rY HOFMAN,-

a citizen of Poland, residing at South Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of 5 Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flying Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to flying machines of the type propelled by wings and the chief object of the invention is the provision of economical means for propelling the wings.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a turbine driven by a fluid such as compressed air for propelling the wings.

Another object of the invention is to utilize the pressure of the air during the horizontal flight of the machine for the auxiliary motive power of the turbine. Q

A still further object of the invention is the provision of improved steering means of the flying machine."

With the above general objects in view flared end as seen on Figure 4. The bowl and others that willappear as the nature'of the invention is better understood, the sameconsists in the novel construction, combination and arrangemet of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application, and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a sideele'vational view of the device with a sectional view of the housing inclosing a part of the device;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the rear portion of the device broken on an irregular 'ti'ansversal line from the mainbody of the on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3.is-a transversal sectional view of a portion of the platform and of the wing taken on line 3 -3 of Figure 1;

of a portion of the machine taken on horizontal plane indicated by line 4'-4 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;.and s is a transvers'al sectional view of the turbine'taken on line 5+5 of Figure 1. Referring to the drawings, there is shown 'a platform 10 with a landing device aflixed therebelow and consisting of landing device '11 at'the front end of said platform-and of a support 12 at the rear endthereof."

device, the'figurebeing taken substantially v Figure 4! is a longitudinal sectional view Longitudinally of the platform disposed thereabove' is the main shaft 13 supported on the platform by means of upright beam 14 which at its upper end is provided with a bearing 15 within which the shaft rotates. Forwardly of said bearing 15 and adjacent thereto a thrust bearing 16 is rigidly mounted upon said shaft preventing the rearward shifting of the shaft.

Rearwardly of said support 14 a cone shaped drum 17 is positioned on the shaft and rigidly secured thereto by means of spider 18.

The forward wider end of the drum is open for receiving the air during flight of the machine. Vane or blade 19 is spirally arranged within the cone-shaped drum. The rear narrower end of the drum is flared as at 20 as plainly seen on Figure 4.

Bowl 21 is positioned rearwardly of drum 17. The flared end 20 of the drum is? positioned within the mouth of the bowl so that the forward end of the bowl overlaps said being stationary the drum rotates with the shaft therewithin, and owing tothe connection between the bowl and the drum as hereinabove described no air will escape from the bowl. As already mentioned the bowl remains in a stationary position and is rigidly secured to support 22 mounted on platform 10 as seen on Fig. 1.

The rear end of the bowl is covered by plate 23 which isriveted to the bowl as seen on Figs. 1 and 3, said plate 23 being provided with a central aperture accommodating shaft 13 and within which the shaft freely rotates. To strengthen the structure bearing 24 is rigidly securedby the front end to plate 23,. said bearing being also provided with a bore which is in alinement with the aperture in plate 23. The other end'of bearing an auxiliary driving power in addition to, the primary power. v

For the purpose of illustration merely I have shown a turbine comprising an outer cylindrical casing 28 with a front cover 29 and rear cover 30, said casing being stationary and being supported on the platform by means of support 31. An inner revolving barrel 32 is positioned within said casing and rigidly secured to the shaft 13 by means of spiders 33. A series of longitudinal blades 34 is provided upon the barrel and rigidly mounted thereon. Said blades remain interposed between the barrel and the casing as seen on Fig. 5.

Transversely of the barrel and of said blades a series of partition walls is posi-- tioned which walls are also rigidly secured to the barrel. Said blades and partition walls will form a purality of pockets of substantially square formation as is obvious. On the-drawings there are shown four rows of pockets transversely disposed in respect of the barrel as is seen on Fig. 4.

Above the nozzle 27 another nozzle 36 is provided through which the compressed air is supplied to the turbine from the air compressing machine. Both nozzles are set at an incline in the direction of the rotation of the barrel so that the compressed air passing through each nozzle may strike directly and substantially at right angle each blade 34 as it passes the inner opening of the nozzle. Thus a thrust upon each passing blade will be im arted by the compressed air and consequent y a rotary movement of the barrel will be effected.

The above mentioned air compressing machine comprises an engine 37 and airco'm-- pressor 38 which is connected with the engine by means of driving belt 39. The air compressing machine is further provided with air tank 40. It should be mentioned that the air compressing machine may be of any known type and the type shown on the drawings is for the purpose of illustration only. 7

The compr (1 air passes to the turbine through pipe 41 and hose 42. Said pipe 41 is provided with a valve and crank 43 which connects to arm 44, the other end 1 of the arm being'pivoted tolever 45 by means of which the valve in pipe 41 is operated as is obvious.

tion an adjacent the first transversal serles of pockets formed by blades 34 and partition walls 35' is provided with vent 46 permitting the exhaust of the compressed air in ,the said pockets as the revolving barrel rotates. The air exhausted therefrom passes through the U-shaped tube 47 into'the next transversal series of pockets. The other end of said tube is disposed at an incline, as-seen on Fig. 5, so that the air may 'squarely'hit blades 34 in said next series of pockets.

of pockets throu h vent 48 and tube 49 and 15 led to the t ird transversal series of The air exhaustsfrom the second series pockets. The other end of said tube '49 is disposed at an incline and leads to the third series of pockets. The air exhausts therefrom through vent 50 and tube 51 and is led into the fourth series of the pockets until exhausted to the atmosphere through vent 52. Thus it will be seen that the force of ,the compressed air driven into the turbine through hose 26 or hose 42 is successively utllized to drive the revolving barrel of the turbine before it is exhausted into the atplatform and hinged thereto as at 57. Said wings are comprised of inner planes 58 to which arms 56 are connected, and of outer sections 59 which are hinged tosaid inner planes by hinges 60 as illustrated on Fig. 3. The inner edges of planes 58 are tapered as at 61 so that the wings may have unimpeded upward movement.

Fig. 3 shows the position of one of the wings when making a downward stroke with the outer section open. On upward movement of each wing the outer section will drop on its hinges as is apparent. It is therefore clear that the air during the down- 1 ward movement of the wings will afford greater resistance than during the upward movement of said wings. Thus it will be possible for the machine to ascend.

The operation of the machine is as follows: the compressed air from the air tank 40 is let into the turbine on opening of valvev 43. The turbine rotates the main shaft 13 which in turn operates crank shaft 55, the latter shaft being supported on the platform by braces 62. Said crank shaft reciprocates wings 58 through arms 56 causing the upward movement of the machine. The c lindrical casing 28 at its lower por- Drum 17 on the main shaft rotates simultaneously with the revolving barrel of the turbine. On horizontal forward flight of the machine the air collects and concentrates in said drum reaching a degree of compression in bowl 21 wherefrom it is passed into the turbine through hose 26. During a rapid horizontal flight of the machine the pressure of the air increased by its resistance will be very great and the degreeof its compression in the bowl will be corresponding. Blade 19 in the drum is not absolutely necessary, although it forces the air into the bowl and tends to increase the degree of compression.

Whenever expedient the supply of the compressed air from the air compressing machine may be shut ofl by closing valve 43. Then the air in the bowl alone will be sufficient to operate the turbine and the wings at least to the extent of levitation or gradual descent of the machine. I

Housing 63, shown in section in Fig. 1, provides shelter for the hereinabove described mechanism.

For the lateral steering of the machine rudder 64 is provided at the rear end of the platform and is pivoted in the rudder-post 65 by means of pin 66. -The lower end of said pin is bent to form crank 67. Pin 66 being rigidly secured to the rudder-stock 68 by means of pin oriscrew 69 enables the rudder to turn with the pin. Arm 7 O is pivotally connected at its rear end to said crank 67 and at its forward end to crank 71 formed at'the lower end of steering post 7 2. Steering wheel 73 is provided at the upper end of said steering post. is rigidly secured to the platform and the steering post turns therewithin; Rearwardly of said steering posta chair 75. for the operator is positioned upon the platform.

For the upward and downward steering of the machine a pair of horizontal planes 76 is .provided 'rearwa'rdly of the platform,

each plane being positioned laterally of the rudder. Each of the said planes is of sub.- stantially trapezoid formation and by its longer parallel side is attached to the platform by means of hinges 77. The forward leaves of said hinges are rabbeteil in the platform and the. rear leaves thereof are rabbeted in the planes as plainly seen on Fig. 1. i A single rod 78 provides a pivotal connection forthe two series'of the leaves of said hinges, the leaves rabbeted in the planes being rigidly secured to the said rod by pins 79 as seen on Fig. 2. Owing to this arrangement the movement imparted to only one plane will be transmitted by said rod to the other plane. Said rod by its central portion passes through an aperture made in the rudder-post 65 and in such manner does not 'interferewith the o eration of the rudder.

Plate 80with pro ecting lug 81 is rigidly mounted upon the upper surfaceofone of the said planes. Arm 82 at its rear endis pivoted 13058316. lug and by its forward end is pivoted to lever 83. Said lever atitslower' end is pivoted to the platform as at'84 and has an arcuate rack bar v85 disposed-laterally thereof where the ratchet bar 86 engages From the description made it will be apparent that on turning one plane by lever '83 the other plane will turn also since both planes 'are' rigidly connected by means of rod 78.

While there is described herein a preferred embodiment o'fthe present invention,

Steering column 74 it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without'departing from the spirit and scope of the 1nvention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a flying machine having a platform, a main shaft disposed thereabove,'an air turbine rotating said shaft, a drum upon said platform for compressing the air on forward horizontal flight of the machine, hose connection between said drum and-said turbine, a crank shaft in operative engagement with said main shaft, wings pivotally mounted upon said platform, and connecting arms between said crank shaft and said wings.

2. In a flying machine having a platform, a main shaft disposed thereabove, an air turbine rotating said shaft, a drum upon said platform for collecting theair on forward horizontalfflight of the machine, a bowl in association with said drum wherein the collected air is compressed, hose connec-. tion'between said bowland said turbine, a crank shaft in operative engagement with said main shaft, wings pivotally mountedupon said platform, and connecting arms between said crank shaft and said wings.

.3. In a flying machine having a platform,

-a main shaft disposed thereabove, an air ondary means for operating said turbine, a.

crank shaft in operative engagement with i said main shaft, wings upon said platform, and connecting arms between said. crank. shaft and said wings.

5. In a flying machine havin a platform, a main shaft disposed therea ove, an air turbine rotating said shaft, means supplying the motive power to said turbine, a crank shaftin operative engagement with said main shaft, wings upon said platform, and connecting arms between said crank shaft and aid wings.

6. Ina flying machine having a platform, a main shaft disposed thereabove, an air turbine rotating said shaft, fluid compressor snpplyin the motive power to said turbine,

a crank s aft in operative engagement with

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