US1742808A - Helicopter - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 7, 1930. J. E. HESS HELICOPTER Filed Feb. 9, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATT OR NEYS Jan. 7, 1930. I J, E, S 1,742,808

HELICOPTER Filed Feb. 9, 1928 2 ShetS-Sheet 2 INVENTOR domv E. Hess Patented Jan. 7, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT or-m HELICOPTER Application filed February 8, 1928. Serial No. 253,143.

My invention relates to; improvements in helicopters the objects df'which are to provide means whereby the machine is capable of rising from a running takeoff or vertically as desired, whereby the machine may function by gliding in a manner substantially similar to an aeroplane of conventional type, or may descend with'safety either vertically or in a volplane with its engine stopped.

The invention consists essentially of a fuselage which is adapted to be raised by apair of propellers mounted for. rotation about vertical axes, which propellers are concavo convex in cross section and are provided at'the trailing edge of each blade with a flap which is adapted to have its rear edge'brought into contact with the following blade adjacent its forward edge that the propeller may serve as a parachute, as will be more fully described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the invention.

Fig. 2'is a front elevational view of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the position of the horizontal rudders when travelling in difi'erent directions.

- Fig.4 is a diagrammatic View showingvarying positions of the tail skid and its ef-.

fect.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the manner of controlling the horizontal rudders. Fig. 6 is a detail view of'the horizontal rudder control levers.

Fig. 7 .is a fragmentary view of the propelger blade arrangement and the gap closing aps.

indicate corresponding parts in each fi re.

The numeral 1 indicates generally 'a uselage having a cockpit 2 and mounted upon a suitable landing gear 3, fitted with wheels 4. The rear end of thetfuselagel is fitted- In the drawings like characters of reference levers generally indicated by the numeral 8 convemently located in the cockpit, which levers are shown in detail in Figures 5 and 6. The-horizontal rudders 6 and 7 are secured to suitably. journalled rotatable pivot pins 9 and 10 respectively, which are fitted with sheaves 11 and 12, corresponding sheaves 13 and 14 are freely mounted upon a shaft 15 and endless control wires extend between these sheaves and those of the horizontal rudders,'one of said wires numbered 16 being crossed and extending from the sheave 13 to the sheave 11, and the other wire numbered 17 extending as a straight drive from the sheave 14 to the sheave 12, so that when both sheaves 13 and 14 are turnedin the same direction, the rudders 6 and 7 will be inclined in opposite directions; The levers 8 consist of two members, one numbered 18 being operatively connected to the sheave 13 and the other numbered 19 being similarly connected to the sheave 14. The upper ends of each of the ? lever members 18 and 19 are offset as at 20 and are provided with lugs 21 for the purpose of hingingly sup- 75 porting handles 22 which are held in horizontal position by any suitable spring ten- -sion. The inner end of each of the handles 22 passes through an aperture in the upper end of its lever member and terminates with. 89

., a pron'ged member 23 so arranged as to interlock when aligned as shown, and to be detached. from each other, as-shown in dotted line, when either of the handles 22' are de pressed, so that when the handles arelinter- 35 locked the movement ofone of them will impart movement 'through'both lever members 18 and 19 to both sheaves 13 and 14s in a sin gle direction and opposed movement to the rudders 6 and 7 but if a similar direction of inclination is required with both horizontal rudders one of the handles 22 may be depressed to disengage it. from its fellow and 0th lever members 18 and 19 be moved in opposite directions.

.- Secured to the underside ofthe fuselage 1- is a forked-bracket 24 in which a tail skid 25 is pivotally mounted, the forward end of which is fitted with a cable=26 leadingoversuitable pulleys to a position convenient to to side slipping when travelling in bumpy atmosphere and to assist in a similar manner when descending vertically with the propellers stationary.

Extending transversely from the fuselage is a pair of lattice frames 30 each having a vertical member 31 at its outer extremity supporting bearings 32 in which a vertical shaft 33 is mounted. The vertical shafts 33 are adapted to be driven in opposite directions through mitre gears 34 and a pair of aligned transverse shafts 35 which are adapted to be rotated from a suitable motor, not shown, carried within the fuselage. At the upper extremity of each shaft 33 is a propeller 36 which is formed with blades or planes 37 carried upon a suitable spider or frame work 38. The inner end of the planes terminates at an appreciable distance from the axis of the spider 38 so as to provide a central aperture 39. Each plane is concavo convex in cross section and in longitudinal section, the whole of the blades or planes being so disposed as a unit about the vertical axis of the propeller as to be concavo convex also, thus conforming substantially to the contour of a parachute. The planes or blades 37 each have an upper or leading edge 40 and a trailing edge 41, see Figure 7, and to the trailing edge of each is hingedly connected a series of flaps 42 which in normal flight assume an angle parallel to the trailing edge of the plane to which they are attached, as shown in Figures 1' and 2, and are forced into an upward and rearwardly inclined angle on the propeller ceasing to rotate when in fli ht, as shown in Figure 7, where their'traihng edges come into contact with the underside of the next following plane 37 adjacent its forwardedge as at 43, thus closing the gap between the upper or leading edge of one plane andv the trailing edge of the next preceding plane of the propeller, converting it automatically from a propeller having a vertical lifting effort dur ing rotation into an extended parachute ondescendingsubsequent to'the cessation of rotation.

Having thus described the several parts of my invent-ion I will now briefly explain its function.

Prior to rising vertically from the ground the tail skid 25 is set at such an angle as is shown in diagram A in Figure which will dispose the propellers 36 in a horizontal position to direct the air current produced thereby vertically downwards. The air stream will obviously converge as it leaves thepropellers so that a portion of it will strike the rear portion of the forward rudders 7, which would be inclined upwards and forwardly after leaving the ground, so that the air striking it would be deflected rearwardly as shown in diagram E of Figure 3, on a suflicient altitude being reached the rear rudder 6 would be set in a corresponding opposite direction to that of the rudder 7, thus inducing a slight downward tendency at the rear of the machine, which is counteracted by the portion of air flow from the propeller which impinges upon the forward rudder, so that the total air force is directed to maintaining the machine at a substantially constant elevation and to impart to it a forward motion as indicated. If it is desired to rise from a running takeo-fl", the tail skid 25 is set in the position shown in diagram B of Figure 4, thus disposing the propellers in a forwardly inclined plane, so that the lifting tendency thereof isboth upward and forward. On reaching the ground,

-the tail skid is lowered to the. position shown ary, such as in making a forced landing, the

horizontal rudders are disposed vertically or at such an angle as to overcome any forward or rearward motion, lateral movement being counteracted by means of the vertical fin 29.

When it is desired to tilt the machine downwards, it suffices to set the forward rudder 7 in a horizontal position and the rearward rudder 6 as shown in diagram F of Figure 3, when some of thelifting efiect of the propellers is counteracted by the air stream impinging upon the upper surface of the forward rudder, while the rearward rudder is serving to elevate the rear end of the fuselage 1. v

It will be obvious that by providing means whereby the horizontal rudders may be actuated individually or jointly in either direction that any desired effect may be obtained to the pitch of the machine when in flight, so that forward movement may be had, or the machine so adj usted-that it will remain withou longitudinal movement if desired.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. 'In ahelicopter, a vertical shaft having a propeller concavo convex in cross section and formed with blades spaced apart extending driven from a source of power, a forward and a rearward horizontal rudder, a lever member for imparting motion to each rudder, and,

means for connecting said lever members together for simultaneous movement. 4 Dated at Vancouver, B. (3., this 30th day of January, 1928.

JOHN E. HESS.

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