US1651956A - Sounding line for aircraft - Google Patents

Description

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UNITED STATES HENRY E. KRAMMER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.y

SOUNDING LINE FOR AIRCRAFT.

Application led April 16, 1920. Serial No. 374,268.

The invention relates in general to a lead the obstacle which cause the signal to funeline device for ascertaining and measuring vertical distances and specifically relates to such a device designed to be carried on an 'aeroplane or similar' vehicle for the purpose of making soundings to ascertain how far the faeroplane is above the ground or Water over which it is flying.

In such devices heretofore used on ships yfor making soundings the bob or other 'weight on the end of a flexible cable has Y been permitted to fall slowly by gravityun- 1 til it strikes bottom. However, it is obvious` that should such a device be utilized on an aeroplane, frequently moving at extremely high speeds, the drag of the bob while it is passing vertically at relatively slow speed through the air would introduce material errors in the indicated reading on the indicators registering the amount of played out cable. This would obviously result in serious consequences to the machine especially when flying at high speeds and low Y altitude. j 25, Accordingly, one of the objects of the invention is to provide va lead line device which is shot at high velocity downwardly from the machine so as to minimize the time element of transit and thus tend, as far as possible, to cause the cable to register the shortest line between the aeroplane and the ground or water over which it is flying.

I attain this invention broadly by positioning the bob deiining the end of the cable within a downwardly pointing gun so arranged that the firing of the gun will forcibly project the bob which thus constitutes a projectile and cause the projected bob t-o draw with it the cable, unwindi-ng from a freely turning reel and indicating the length of drawn oif cable on a suitable indicator.

Still featuring accuracy in measurements,

another object of the invention'is to provide .a simple form of automatically actuating signalling device which will promptly indicate to the operator the instant that the falling bob has struck an obstacle.

It can readily be appreciated that it is objectionable, if not dangerous, to have a cable from the aeroplane dragging on the ground evenfor a short period of time, and accordingly another object of the invention is to provide a means for quickly rewinding the cable onto the carrying reel which rewinding movement will be inaugurated instantaneously by the contacting of the bob with tion.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for automatically disconnectlng the winding means from the reel when the bob has reached its fully raised position and for reset-ting the parts automatically in position for a quick succeeding resounding.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part Will bev more flly set forth in the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying my invention, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings The figure is a single sectional view taken through an aeroplane structure and through a preferred embodiment of my invention with certain parts shown in elevation and with the electric conductors shown diagrammatically. a i

In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience of expression but they are intended to be'as generic in their application to similar Vparts as the art will permit.

There is shown an aeroplane structure 10 ofa type such as is more fully disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 243,- 564, filed July 6, 1918. A gun 11 constitutes a part of the aeroplane structure and includes a vertically disposed projectile guiding tube 12, into the upper end of'which is telescoped an explosive chamber 13. The lower end of the chamber 13 is formed slightly conical to receive the conical head l14 of a bob or projectile 15 which is attached to the free end of a cable 16. The cable is passed through a stuffing box 17 defining the upper end of the chamber 13 and is coiled about a horizontally disposed take up reel 18. The gun is featured by a relatively long barrel and is directed either straight downwardly or preferably is inclined at a slight angle forwardly so as to compensate, at least to some extent, for the air resistance introduced bythe forward drift of the 'niachine during the two or three seconds that the projectile is in the air. is loaded with an explosive charge intro- The gun the cable thereon. The free end of the armaflanges 24 between which is positioned the` wound up portion of the cableio. Y* Aportion of the hub is hollow and into the hollow portion is 'telescope'd a shaft sleeve 25 iXed in the bearings 21 by means of the mit 26.

The cable is wound'on the reelbymeans" of an electric motor 27 which acts through a one-way clutch 28 and squared sha-ft 29 inserted in the adjacent end of the hub '23. The teeth 30 of the one-way clutch are Aarranged so that the reel in .unwinding can turn freely without the load 'of the dead' motor and so disposed thatv when the motor is energized it will promptly pick up lthe reel .and turn ritin the ldirection `to wind ture shaft is 'provi-ded with a. squared head 31 designed to be engaged by a hand crank 32, shown in dotted outline, so that the cahle may be wound on the reel manually in case the electrical features of the disclosure become inoperative `for any reason. y

An odometerl 33,401* .other measuring instrument is positioned on the bea-'ringr22 and is operatively connected tothe reel by a meshed geared connection`84. 'The yodometer is so organized that theplayed out length of the. ca-ole is indicated Ain feet or other linear units of measurement.

v f There :are disclosed two lelectric circuits so" connected that the movement ofthe projec- 'tile out of 4the gun closes one circuit and the Contacting of the bob with the obstacle below the machine wili -close'another circuit and the succeeding coaction of these two circuit closers will cause thev motor to become active.

Referring irst'to the elements which go 4to make up a circuit, hereinafter identified as n a motor circuit, there is shown a sour-ce of electric energy' 3.5 one side of which is grounded by means of the conductor 36 on the frame of the machine. The other side leads by means of the conductors 37l and 38 to one Vend of afpivoted switch 89,

which switch constitutes the -armature `of an electromagnet 40 `hereinafter more fully described. The movement of theswitch into 7 circuit closing position kis under the `influence of the electromagnet whichV effects a closing of the circuit through a. contact 41 and conductor 42 to one side of the motor A27.

The other side ofthe motor is grounded on the machine by means of the conductor 43. `The switch 89 is provided with ya finger 44 which vprojects through the side of the gun and into the path of the bob 14.

By this construction itis understood that the presence of the bob in the gun maintains the motor circuit opened so thaty the motor jed on thev hub oit' the reel.

is inactive as long as the bolo is in its elei Yvated position. A spring pressed stop but- Y stop however is sufficiently weak to permit the switch to be positively pushed away romfthe electrom-agnet and into a circuitv breaking position by the action of the bob on the ringer 44 and to permit the electromagnet to draw the switch int-o its circuit closing posit-ion in which positionit is held'by the button 45. 'The second circuit, hereinafter identifiedas the contr-ol circuit, includes a conductor 46 which leads off from the conductor `37to one side of the. electromagnet- 40, a con-ductor 47' which leads from the 'other side of the electromagnet to -a signalling device48,` herein shown toA be an electric Vlight bulb, and from the electric light bulb throughv a conductor 48a, and through the shaft sleeve' 25 -to the relatively stationary elements 49 of -afrotary commutator 50. 1

The cable is' provided with two Aconductors, yone of which-51 has one end connected to theV rotary element 50 of the commutator and the yother conductor 52 whichis ground- 'and terminate in depending Contact Apoints 53 and 54. lThe circuit is closed through The opposite or f these points by means oi a horizontally dis-v` f posed contact plate 55 which is held in position spacedvbelow the contact points by means of the coii spring 56.-

4-'I`helower end lof the explosive chamber i 13 'is defined by ast-op ring 57 designed to have its'fiower side'engaged by a stop plate 58` and having a'resilient connection with the bob through the interposed spring 59 soV arranged that the bob is cushioned in. moving into its elevated position shown in the drawings.

In operationand' assuming that the parte are in the position shown in the drawing and that it is desired to :ascertain how far the aeroplane is above the land or sea, the opera- Y tor hres the gun. The bob is shotdownwardly and the lcable isunwound ilom the @reel at high speed. On iiring `theguii the operator watches the yodometer and the :dashing of theV signal permits him to taire his reading, and he can then ignore the further action of the device except to load the gun iu casca succeeding` reading is desired.V y It will be appreciated that the movement of the bob out gof the path oit the iinger 44 f permits the electromagnet 40 when energized '125 to draw the switch 39 into circuit closing position engaging the contact 41 as hereinafter:

described.

The movement of the plate '55 into engagement with the ground, sea or other ob- I ject, will momentarily close the circuit .engagement with the Contact l1 completes the motor circuitand the button 45 acts to hold the switch in its circuit closing position. It will thus be seen that the signal is ffiashed the instant t-he bob strikes the obstacle and the motor will promptly begin to wind up the cable onto the reel. This will continue so long as the switch 89 is maintained in circuit closing position. The movement of the bob into its final position in the gun will act through the arm 4a to force the switch 39 into the open position shown in the drawings and the parts are then in position ready to receive a new charge of explosive and to repeat the operation described.

By means of a device of this character it is possible to take rapidly succeeding read ings and when once inaugurated each succeeding operation is entirely automatic except for the reloading and firing. It is possible to take rapid soundings while travelling in the dark at high speeds and thus feel the way cautiously over strange territory. There is no-loose slack to the cable for the cable begins to re-wind the moment contact is made with the obstacle which might otherwise hold the bob. The bob is not dragged horizontally for any appreciable distance and there is thus eliminated the possibility of catching.

While I have shown and described, and have pointed out in the annexed claims, certain novel features of my invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substr tutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with an aeroplane, of a. lead line mechanism mounted on the aeroplane and including a reel, a flexible cable wound on said reel and provided with a bob at its free end, and a. gun for projecting the bob .with high velocity through the air relatively to the fiight of the aeroplane, and drawing the cable off said reel.

2. The combination with an aircraft of a device for measuring distances including a reel having a iieXible cable wound thereon, a gun for projecting the bob and cable with high velocity relatively to the flight of the airplane, a motor adapted to be connected to the reel to re-wind the cable thereon, signaling means, control means for the motor, circuit means adapted to-be closed upon impact by the bob for operating said two last named means, and means actuable by the bob on reaching its return position to operate said control means whereby to open the circuit means throughy the motor.

3. In a device for -measuring' vertical distances from an aircraft in flight, the combination of a. reel having a flexible cable wound thereon, a gun, a projectile for the gun con-' nected to the free end of the cable to constitute a bob, and means for firing the gun whereby to unwind the cable with relatively highvelocity from the reel.

4. In a device of-the class described, the

combination of a supportincluding a pair of bearings, a reel including a hub journaled in one of said bearings, a cable wound on said reel and containing an electric conductor, power means operatively connected to said hub to wind the reel in one direction, a hollow shaft carried by the other bearing and constituting a bearing for the other end of the hub, a commutator carried by the hub, a conductor connecting the rotary element of the commutator with the conductor in the cable and another conductor leading through said hollow shaft to make a sliding contact with the commutator.

5. The combination with an air craft of a high pressure gun, a cable including a bob on one end thereof constituting a projectile for the gun, a reel for said cable, a motor acting on said reel for placing the bob in its raised position in the gun, and means for cushioning the bob as it is moved into position.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a gun, of a cable including a bob on one end thereof constituting a projectile for the gun, a reel for said cable, an electric motor acting on said reel for placing the bob in its raised position in the gun, means for cushioning the bob as it is moved into position and a switch operatively controlled by the movement of the bob into its raised position to intercept the action of the motor.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a gun, of a cable having a bob on one end thereof constituting a projectile for the gun, means for forming an electric circuit including a source of electric energy, a motor in said circuit for elevating the bob, and an electromagnetical'ly controlled switch for completing the circuit, said switch being moved into an open position by the movement of the bob into the gun thereby to intercept the bob lifting movement of the motor.

8. In a device oflthe class described, the combination of a cable having a. bob on the free end thereof, a receptacle for containing the bob when in elcvatingposition, an organization of elements for forming an electric circuit, including a motor for elevating the bob and two controlling .switches arranged to close thev circ-uit through the motoi` only whenA the bob, the'otliei' switch carried bythe bob and adapted to be moved into closed position by the Contact of the bob with an ob-y Y Steele.y

9, The 'combination with an an `aircraft ofV fa ,lead line having a bob on one end, means for Projecting the bob with high Velocity relatively to the Hight of the air omit, and

mea-ns .controlled the engagement of ythe ,bob with an obstacle for raising the bolo.

10. The kcombination with an ztrcralft of a i lea-d line having a bob on one end thereof,

means for projecting the bob with'higli vey locity relatively to the ight ofthe air craft,

powel1 meansfor'misng the bob, antlmeans controlled by the respective terminal posi-- tions of the bob for starting and stopping .the

action of said power means.

Signed at New York city, inthe county of lNew Yorltand State of N ew York, this 10th Y clay of April, A. D. 1.920.

' HENRY E; KRAMMER;

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