US1637389A - Aerial propulsion - Google Patents

Description

' Aug, z, 1927. 1,637,389

P. PETERSON AERIAL PROPULsIoN Filedv Deo. 1`, 1925 ATTORNEYS.

Puma Pbmeam Patented Aug. 2,l 1927.

UNITED-STATES PATENT OFFICE.

:PETER PETERSON, F BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

AERIAL PROPULSION.

Application led December This invention relates to aeronautics and moreparticularly to the construction of a propeller and the`means for operating the y same to be applied in aerial propulsion. With the developments ofthe gas engine it becamepossible on account of the light.

weight of the engine proper and fuel therefor to successfully operate flying machines of both heavier than air'. and lighter than air types. Both of these types of iying machines have become highly developed with the use of the gas'engine but an electric ignition system is required as a part of their means of propulsion.

An aeroplane depending upon the ignition system of its engine for ythe operation of its propelling means becomes useless and dangerous should anything happen to the ignition system to cause it to fail` to function Z0 properly. The army aeroplane has become a recognized unit for both combat and defense purposes in the armies of the world, and a recent discovery in the' electrical art has made it possible to disorganize or render inoperative ignition system such as employed in` the present day aeroplanes, the effect of which can be transmitted to a great distance andvin time of war would render aeroplanes employing gas engine with ignition systemfuna le to operate against the possessor of such new discovery.

Itis an object of this invention to provide a means for propelling aeroplaneswhich will operate independently of electric ignition, or other employment of electrical power, sothat an aeroplane equipped with this invention will not be affected in its operation by any means which would ordinarily affect an aeroplane driven by apower dependin upon-some form of electricity in its prope ling means.

With the development of the gas engine in the automobile industry, ,the steam engine y'has also been. reduced in wei ht and with the present day water tube boi er producing `steam from an oil or hydrocarbonv flame 'the weight of the fuel required for the operation of such a steam engine has been correspondingly greatly reduced. This invention contemplates the employment of an oil burning steam engine for producing the power required tooperate an aeroplane of either-lighter than air or heavier than Iair e.' f

4 Flle the preferred form of 4this inventhe y present type of 1, 1925. Serial N0. 72,471.

tion is illustrated upon the accompanying set of drawings, yet it is to be understood that minor detail changes may be made therein without departing from the scope thereof.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a preferred form of aeroplane propeller constructed vin accordance with this invention.

`Figure 2 is a similar viewwith the outer blade removed.

Figure 3 is a central horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Figure l, with parts broken awa and illustratin the connections between t e propeller an the source of driving power.

Figure 4. is a view in transverse section taken upon the line 4-4 on Figure 2.

This invention contemplates the omission of the'conventional 'steam engine employing pistons reciprocating in steam cylinders for applying power to the driving shaft of the propeller by utilizing steam under high pressure to apply the driving power directly to the propeller. InA carrying out this invention, the shaft l carrying' the propeller is mounted in the customary hearings 2 upon the framework of the aeroplane and is formed with a central Vpassage 3 therethrough, the inner or end farthest from the propeller being directly -connected to the source 4 of steam under high pressure. The propeller carried on the free end of the shaft is -of the conventional approved form and it is preferably made of metal having a central hollow portion 5 'connecting with the central bore 3 in the driving shaft and extending into each blade.. It is preferable to construct the propeller of two plates, 6 and?, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, secured to each other with steam ti ht joints by the use of gaskets or other pac ing, not shown, and held together with series of bolts about the periphery ofthe plates and hub. The conduits or hollow pbrtions 5 in communication with the source of steam under high pressure through the propeller shaft are preferably 'constructed in the manner shown in Figure 2, `that is, the conduit in each blade 'being provided with a plurality of tangential branches 8 extending through the rear edge of each blade. These tangential branches 'are reduced in cross section as they approach the edge of the blade and are then. provided with e/nlarging Afunnel shaped discharge openln 9 to the atmosphere, forming steam no es, whereby the impact of the steam under high pressure against the surrounding atmosphere will impart rotation to the propeller blades of sufficient rapidity to propel the aeroplane in the manner. desired.

It is preferable to construct the conduits 5 and branches 8 circular in cross section -adapted to the other, and tangential branches from said zle, and the branches are arranged tan enl tial to the main conduit 5 in order that t ere' be as little resistance aspo'ssible overed to.

the passage of the steam therethrough;-

What I claim is:

An aeroplane propeller comprising twov separable plates secured to each other having a steam conduit in each *blade and a chamber in the hub fclsed on one side and conduits leading to the rear edges ofthe propeller blades each having a restricted pori' an enlarging funnel disthe edge of the blade. PETER PETERSON.

tion'opening into charge nozzle on open into the propeller shaft on

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