US1686806A - Mooring means for airships - Google Patents

Description

OctB, 1928. 1,686,806

R. P. FOX

MOORING MEANS FOR AIRSHIPS Original Filed March G, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR MMM ATTORNEY Oct. 9, 1928.

R. P. FOX

MOORING-MEANS FOR AIRSHIPS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 6. 1926 ,NN/w.

ATTORNEY zw/Mi O Oct. 9 1928. 1,686,806

R. P. Fox

MOOYRING MEANS FOR AIRSHIPS original Filed March 6. 1926 s sheets-sheet `s INVENTOR lit) Patented Oct. 9, 11928.

AUNITED ,STATES RALPH P. rox, oF HABRISBRG, PENNsirnviipii infA MooRrNG iiifnixiisl non 'nIRsHIPs Original application filed March 6, 1926, Serial No.` 92,821. vDivided and this-application filed ugust 10,

was.i Serial Nb. 193,436.

The object of this invention is to provide particular mean-s for mooringan airship of the dirigible type to a mast or 'pluralityof masts,'-this case constituting a division'of my application for patent liledMarch v6, 19526,y

Serial No. 92,827. Y

A. further object is to provide, in connection with a mast to which thejnose. portion of the vessel may lbe secured, a second mast so positioned that it vmay be engaged by a cable extendingl from l.either side of the air craft, n at a point forwardly ofthe stern, and furtherV to provide an intermediate structure by means y of which access may be obtained to the inte rior of the ship, when inooiedin the manner indicated.

A further object plurality of cables extending frontiv windingN devices within the. structure to points on theV to be carried ,byV the air craft,- other cables to' which the cables tirstnamed are adapted' to be connected, the second named cables' extendingupwardly thru thelinasts and over pulleys or thelike at the top of each mast, 'thelower ends of the second named cables being accessible from the ground, these cables being* n yillustrated at 13,*and the 'sternstructure 14:'` 'carrying payed out, asoccasion may require in con-v nection withl 'themooringl operation, or lin connection with thefrelease of the`vess'el.- `With the foregoing anda-other objects in view, the inventioncoiisists in the. novel con#r struction and arrangement of elements de-r` scribed, illustrated and claimed., it being unfy derstood that .modifications may be made within the scope of the 4claims witliout depart-r t ing from the spirit ofthe invention. .Y

In-the drawings forming part offthis application,` y `1 f Figure 1 is a'view of ythe complete structure so far as the stationary elements are concerned, the Yair craft being :shown .somewhat conventionally, but the latter being, of the general type illustrated in the applic-ation above referred to. Figure 2 is a plan view is t0 provide, in connection'` with mooring means for the nose portion, a

` mooring or Yreleasing operations.

v y ofthe ground.A "ofthe structure of; Figure 1, andshowing especially theuse ofVK the rear mooring cable at each side ofthe'ma' chine, so that connectionmaybe'vetlectil with a rear mooring mast,it being assumedr that .ence to the mast on either side thereof, ascii'-A cumstances maydetermine.` n

Figure 3 is 'a view in elevation, with a porthe vessel `may come into positionwith refer-v tion in vertical section', showing the forward;r

vportion of the machine.y f v." Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section on 'line of F igurie 2', showing especially the relative position ofthe rear 'mooring' cables.. lFigure 5 isa detail -invs'e'ctiom showing one of the drums on which thej cables are to be" wound, lthe drums being controlled 'in art by ratchet mechanism at one end,ai1d a band brake at the other end thereof: 1,

Figure 6 is a' section on line ovfFig'ure k5, this' view showing the ratchet I'I'iechanisn1,l

including a Weightedlpawl adapted 'to bere-l f tained in operative or inoperative positionin view ofthe positionof the Weight andthe point of pivotal mounting ofthe pawlror ball'. f Figure 7 shows the lband brake, and the View, constitutes-asection on line 7-7 of Figure 5.

VFigure 8 is adetail view showing one-,of the Pulleys .over Whihrhe cahier@ @ab ma Passes the Pulley being Carried by a swiveiea c bracket including av central tubular portion,

Figure k9`is asejction" on line 99 of Figure 8'.`

,The main portion of the'. machine mamies the structure 10',`and the suspended keel andv gondola structure 11 andlQ, propellersbeing verticalV blade `i5 andv horizontal blade or? elevator 16. y

Ay forward mooring-mast is designated 18 a platform QOsuriounde'd',by a railing 21, forv thegprotection of, those assisting inthe Carried byea'cli mast i's a swiveled bracke,t 23 including a tubular portionnll, the bracket being mounted in ball bearings as i'ndicated' .atl 25, and a flanged annular element 26 serving to retain the bracket in aA Vposition centrally of The cable asses over upper pulleywheelj. v29.1n'cn'int'ed in bracket'23, and has connection with` a hook or other lengaging device'4 30 and inclf'udesa main structure, a base 19, andv CTI ' tion ofy heavy constructiony and illustrated at 49, Channelfelenients or curved. tubes() itisso positionedv that foi-Van aircraftof a V,f: ,'iven'siZe, the vessel Awill, when moored at the nose portion in the inannerindicated in Figure V,lvcoiiies `to rest, oi:v lbe `brought to anchoring1 position alongside of inast'BS, the latter being forwardly,of` the stern and rudder construction, so that danger of .injury to the Alatter ii'iay be avoided. s f

.Betiveenvtheforward and rear ,inasts is a stationaiyfstructure including a platform lO,

a supporting portion el, andan inclined portion 42, this structure asl a whole affording f access to a main door 44 servingas an entrance to the interior of the aircraft. v

,Ain-.important feature is vthat a plurality of reaij'inooring cables tfand il? are, providel,v there being but'one rear inooiiiigll anast,y andeither cable i6 or t7 inay bey brought into use, as circumstances may der,

termine.. These cables 46. and 4?' are each provided with a heavy ringsuch as 48 at the" outer end, and thecables 33, A16, and l? each pass thru a cable guiding element or eye poraiid 51 Vextend around ythe sides of the lower portion of the, structure l0, and protect the ycablesj 46 and 47 yfrom ,injury, and these cables are controlledv by winding and paying out devicesv of'a type similar to that cinploycd for the forward mooring cable V The cables on i6 47 ina f be wound onli 1 Y l 7 7 f J1. L diiuin oit the type shown in fr igure han d'elsewhere, the drinn 55 being' rigid withv shaft brake wheel is shown at, 67,. and the paying out ofthe cable may be ,controlled in an ob-,

or axle56'operated by meai'is of or thru gear whee1 Y I Cooperating with bracket wheel V59 yrigid with axle 56 is a dog 60, pivoted 'at' 6l, and

a Crank 57,

weighted as shown -at 62so that the dogg-will b 'eretained either inengagingposition, as indicated in full lines in Figui-'e 6, or in release position as shown in dotted line in Figure 6, astop 63 serving an obvious purpose..

"killllien vthe dog or pawl 60 is thrown out, andparticular maneuveringis resorted to, in

effecting a proper positie-inthe brake of llig-v ures'5 and 7 may be made use of, this brake including a rband 64 tightenedl by means of element 65 connected withtlieends of the bandand controlled by hand lever 66. lfhe vious manner. e

provided for,

`ll7h'en mooring the vessel, the cable will be released, and allowed-to pay by the weight of the heavy ring 32, and the accuinulated `weight of the'suspended cable as the drum vunwinds, and "the cable carried by the mastinay be released from a cleat or the like shown at 28, and the upper end of the cable A28Y allowed ,tov drop vdownwardlye to va point at o r'nearuthe `surface of the ground, so that connection mayl be leffected between hook 30 and ring rl-he cablesinay then beinanipulatedl as required, in order to secrirelhe,

vessel in abouttheposition of Figure l. j

` Having described theinvention what isA f V 1 S0 l. In a device of the class described,a cavble for mooring an air craft, devices for winding, retaining and releasing the cable,-

and a channeled guardniounted on. and exi tending partlyparound the hull of the; craft,

the cabley passing thru the guard and being protected thercbl @.In a device of the 'classdescribed,a cable for mooring ariair.` craft, anapertured element on the lhullof the craftthi'u which` the cable passes, a channeled guard extending from th-e apertured element to a. point jon the lower side of the hull, andrdevices for.

winding andretaining fthe cable.V

3. In a device of the class.- described,.a `caq ble Ior mooring an aircraft, an apertured SJ ii element on the hull ofthe craft thru vwhichU he cable passes, a channeled guard extending` from theapcrturedelement toa point onthe lower side of the hull, and devices for winding and retaining `the-cable, theretainingdevice including y a gravity controlled .dog and Va toothed dcvice,ythedog maintaining an4 position v,with yreference Y engaging Vor release to the toothedr device, i s

1 e., lin a deviceof the class describechfa plu-i ralityof cables 'for retaining an air craft 'oneE of the cables being looselyconnected-withtlie nose portion ofthe craft, retaining ineansafor `this cable, and devices for mounting and retaining the other cable andeffecting engage-V ment :with the, craft, partlyaround the hull .l i

thereofand between vthe side and thelower forward of, the sternI thereof.-

portionrof the hull of the craft,- at apoiiit 5. In a device of the classl described, aplurality of 'cablesy for retaining an air craft-,1 oncof'the cables being` loosely connected with the,V nose portion of the craft, retaining means for' i this cable, and, devices for mounting and re# taining the other cables on opposite sides ofL the lower portion of the hull of ythe craft, at a point forward of the stern thereof, and channeled devices for protecting thecables, these devices last named extending partly'around the surface of the hull ybeing secured thereto.

l6. The combination of a plurality ofmastsv ,i

for an air craft, cables connected respectively with the nose portion of ltliecraft ,and the'` lower portion ofthe hullon opposite sidesl thereof and forwardly of the stern, the cables last named being adapted respectively for connection with one of the vmasts on either side thereof when tlie cable at the nose por tion is connected with the other mast.

7. The coinpination of a'plurality of masts `for mooring an air Craft, cablesfextending downwardly tliru tlie 1nasts,-1nea'ns for securing the cables at the base of the masts, cables carried by the craft, at the nose portion thereof and on opposite sides of the liull forwardly of the stern,` and means for winding, retaining, and releasing thecables last named, these cables being adapted for detachable connection with the cables first named.

8. Tlie cmbinationof a plurality of mastsV i for mooring an air craft, tubular swiveled cable 'guiding means eacli including a pulley wheel, carried by the masts, cables extending downwardly thru the masts, means for securing thecables at the base of the masts, cables carried by the craft, at the nose portion thereof and on opposite sides of thehull forwardly v of the stern, andmeans forl winding, retaining, Vand releasing the cables lastnamed, these cables-being adapted for detachable connection witlithe cables first named. v

I In testimony whereof I 'affix my signature.

RALPHP. Fox.

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