US1646586A - Aeroplane safety device - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 25, 1927.

B. LOTH AEROPLANE SAFETY DEVICE Filed Margh 17, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

[3 7 (II E0 10 H- INVENTOR- I \DEN L wr H A TTORNE Y.

' Oct. 25,1927.

, B. LOTH AEROPLANE SAFETY DEVICE Filed March 17, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

BEN LOTH BY AT ORNEY.

Patented Oct, 25, 1927.

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" -'AEnorr.aNn -sAFE rY 'pnjvIcE. f

App lication filed March'17,1926." Serial No. 95,260.

" 'The invention relates to -safety devices particularly intended-toibe' utilized incom bination with means which are described-in my application, Serial Number 56,290, filed September 14, 1925, PatentlNo. 1,584,876

granted'May 18th,"'1926,"on similar appliancesfto decrease the velocity at which an aeroplane will fall mwardjthe earth." I

The objects of the inventions are to "provide simple, eflicient, economical and durable means adapted to maintain the equilibrium of an aeroplane, equipped with spread wings orfsimilarattachments,- during-its descent to earth; and toprovide means wherebyfa jweight, as the engine of the aeroplane, or

other object, may, be quickly and conveniently lowered below said aeroplane.

Withthe foregoing and other; objects in view, "which will appear apparenta'sthe'de scription proceeds, the invention resides 'in certain novel features, the combination, ar-

rangement of the parts and in thedetails I of the construction, as will be more'fully hereinafter described and claimed. j

*Figs l' is'a bottom View taken-in a'nfups'pondin'g 1116 6111 Fig. 3;a nd i In the drawings ward vertical direction of fan aeroplane equippedwith'the'invention and shown in operative position during the downward def 'scentwiththe wings in" open relation i {"Fig. 2-;is a seotiontaken'on -a 1ine corres'ponding to22 in Fig; 1; v

" Y, Fig. "is a plan .viewbf "one wing in spreaded position and showing the aeroplane in parts broken awayg' *"fFigq l is the samefa's Fig. 3, but showing, 'the wing in foldedpo'sition; j Fig.6 'is a section takenfon a line' 'c 'r're,-..v

f, Fig. 6 is a sectlon' taken on'a" linecorre- The invention is exemplified onaeroplan'e 'or heavier than air mach ne 1 havlng usua'l.

upper and lower planes '2 and-3 suitably secured to' body4; The folding wingsb, 6,

- 7 and 8, respectively, have their'inner edges 9,10, 11 and 12 secured in close contactwith the adjacent sides of body 45 of theaeroplane. Suitable means are employed for maintaing the W g in spread position, irrespective iof theair'pressure. The covering'13 the open wings; V. L e,

Suitable ineans'are provided for quickly" and conveniently enabling the operator of .the." aerop'lanemtos'pread the wings." The ofiltheiwings preferably consists of 'very thinand hght weight material which has j wasuficient tensile strengthto'withstand" the strains to which it {issubjected.

. Theihollowtubes 1 f have their inne-r" i V pivota-llyv connected. with" the sides of the body-of the aeroplane and are suitably semadeof extremely light: weight materiah'as aluminum. Therouter ends of "thetubes-are curved downwardly soathat when, the wings are 'I1n .spreadflposition a iconvexo-concave zoured to the covering -13. *The tubes are form -15 is represented by the wings HIlClithG :bottomlG ofthe aeroplane, whereby as the aeroplane falls toward :the earth the air pressure within the concave side at form 15 con-' if .siderably decreases the velocityat which the aeroplane travels, when not equipped with preferred means comprise aspring'op'erated I rotatable drum adapted to wind ropes or dines-17 fixed to the outer ends of outer tubes :i18 -of"the respective wings; whereby by simple operative meansthe wings are caused to spread from the 'position' shown :in Fig.4

to the positiongshownin? Fig. 3'. cThis form of the device, however, is fully described provide gblottom' l6 'ofithe': aeroplane With "trap-door 20 upon which is. mounted 1 suitable 'heavy robject 2l. w-Pivotally connected,ias 1 sl1'ownin Fig.7, bypin22, to each outeriend 23 ofouter tubes or rods 18' is arm 24;. adapted to remain in the horizontal position, beneath tube 18', shown in Fig. :5,'-duringthe period 1 that' -th'e wings are in folded p'osition, wherethe apparatus is unadapted to interfere "with -the regular and; 'usual operation of flight of the aeroplanef' To further facilitate a neat and desirable; storage of -the wings,

' the folded wings 5, 6, 7 and 8, and arms 24:.

The trap-door is maintained in closed position by bolt 25 slidably mounted in staples 27 and 26, respectively, secured in the upper sides 28 and'29, respectively, of bot tom 16, of the aeroplane, and trap-door 20.

The ends 30 of lines 31 are connected with inner ends 32 of arms 24. The outer ends 33 of the lines are connected With'object 21, whereby simply removing bolt 25 from engagement with staple 26 permits the ob e.ct

' 21 to fall, by gravitation, through opening 34: thereby pivoting arms 24 to the position shown in Fig. 2.

It is very important to provide convenient means whereby. bolt 25 may be removed from engagement with staple 26 to permit object 21 and arms "24 to drop to the position shownin Fig. 2, during the operation of the spreading of the wings, or immediately thereafter. For this purpose the staff is slidably mounted in hole 36 in bottom 16 of the aeroplane. Attached to the lower-end of the staff is cable 37 having connection with end 88 of bolt 25, whereby downward movement of the staff by the foot of the operator of the aeroplaneslides the bolt from engagement with staples 26, thereby permit.- ting the trap-door to open, whereby the force of falling object 21 forces arms '24: downwardly and thereby lowers the heavy object a considerable distance below the aeroplane. It is important .that object 21 is of sufficient weight to lower the center of gravity of the unit 1- far enough below the'aeroplane to prevent the ordinary currents of air from turning the aeroplane upside downduring the gradual descent. v

If desired the staif my be connected with the means employed to spread the wings, so that the same operation of the op erator of the aeroplane may effect spreading the wings and lowering object 21. Furthermore, it is preferred that staff 3 5 is positioned near the feet of the; operator of the By the useof the means herein described an aeroplane may be caused to gently float to the earth without injury to the aeroplane or its occupants,'whereas in the past, if for any reason the engine of a fiying'aeroplane failed-to actuate,'the only chance to bring the aeroplane safely to the earth'was to glide at a very high rate of velocity. and land on a smooth and level'surface. For this reason, the

. danger of personal injury is great while flying in an aeroplane, not equipped with a safety appliance. But persons may fly with safety provided my invention, in combination with the wings 5, 6, 7 and 8, is attached thereto simply becauseif the aeroplane engine fails it ismerely necessary-for the operator to press a button, lever or staff for actuating mechanism for unfolding the wings and dropping object 21, and the aeroplane and the persons therein will float to the earth without mishap,

The object 21, as exemplified herein, is merely a heavy object, as iron, but it is understood that any suitable article, thing, device or mechanism may be utilized for the purpose. For instance, by arranging the usual engine of the aeroplane with flexible connections and detachable .supports, the engine maybe substituted for object 21, or in certain types or kinds of aeroplanes, or other heavier than air machines, the fuel or gasoline storage tanks may be substituted for object 21, or in bombing aeroplanes the bombs may be substituted for object 21, and in freight carrying aeroplanes, which soon may be universally used, the freight may be substituted for object 21.

To further facilitate in forming a concave material, whereby object 21 is adapted tov bend the wings downwardly, although of course, when the weight of the object is removed from the wings, the tubes will regain their original shape so as to not interfere with the wheels of the usual carriage (notL shown) contacting the ground.

It is apparent that I have invented a I thoroughly practical device for the purposes intended and which may be advantageously utilized for preventing the destruction of falling aeroplanes as Wellas saving thelives of the occupants.

While Ihave chosen to illustrate certain forms of the preferred construction of the invention by the herein drawings and; the" explanations, it is understood that certain changes may be made, and I desirethat it thoroughly understood that the invention resides in the combination, arrangement of the parts and'in the details of the construc tion, as hereinafterclaimed. For example the construction shown and described of the object and the trap-door, together with the means for permitting .the object'and "the arms to be lowered is merely one simple form of the parts forvaccomplishing the desired purpose; The f important .thing,

among others, is theuse of a relatively heavy ob-- ject by Whichthe center of the gravity of" the unit 1 may be lowered to enable the wings to be practical and dependable to perg 2 form the intended functions without the likihood of the aeroplaneturning over or permitting the air pressure, within the concave portion of the form 15, to escape therefrom entirely. I have found by pactical tests that the use of object 21 in the form o a hea y ig l ai t i th equilibrium of a falling aeroplane which is having downwardly curved wings capable ofbein opened and closed, of a trap-door in said ottom, a relatively heavy object mounted on said door, arms pivotally mounted on said wings, lines connecting said arms and said Ob ect, and means to permit said door to open for dropping said object below said aeroplane and pivoting said arms downwardly, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

v 2. The combination with an aeroplane having wings adapted to be opened, of arms pivotally connected withthe'outer ends of. I

said wings, lines connected with said arms,

a relatively heavy object connected with said, lines, means to retain said object adjacent said aeroplane during the normal operations of said aeroplane, and means tolower sald object below said aeroplane in cooperation with said wings in open position, substam tiallyas and for the purposes'spe'cified.

3. Thefcombination with an aeroplane I having wings capable of being opened and closed, of a heavy object, arms connected said wings, and means to permit said heavy whereby said aeroplane is adapted to'remain right side up during thefdescent.

BEN Lo rrr.

30 v with said heavyobject and the outer ends of 1 object 'to be lowered below said aeroplane i

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