US1743962A

US1743962A - Dirigible airship mooring mast

Info

Publication number: US1743962A
Application number: US283338A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ralph P Fox
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1928-06-06
Filing date: 1928-06-06
Publication date: 1930-01-14
Anticipated expiration: 1947-01-14

Description

Jan. 14, 1930. R. P. FOX

DIRIGIBLE AIRSHIP MOORING.MASTS Filed June 6, 1.928 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Jan. 14, 1930. R. P. FOX

DIRIGIBLE AIRSHIP MOORING MASTS Filed June 6, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Jan. 14, 1930. R; P. Fox 1,743,962

DIRiGIBLE AIRSHIP MQORING MASTS Filed June 6, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR a v Q WM ATTORNEY WITNESS:

.- Patented Jan. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RALPH r. rox, or HARRISBURG, ZPENNSYLVANIA DIRIG-IBLE AIBSHIP Moonme MAST Application filed June ,6, 1928. Serial No. 283,338.

hull, and means accommodating aircraft of different sizes, or where the cable channels are difierently spaced, these means permitting the cables to be drawn taut so that the structure will not be damaged by wind under ordinary conditions or during storms.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of elements described, illustrated and claimed, it being understood that modifications may be made within the scope ofthe claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

' In the drawings forming part of this application:-

Figure 1 is a plan view showing an airship moored at the nose portion to a mast appearing at the left of the View, and showing two other masts, although one mast at the side would under many conditions provide ample sec ring means.

igure 2 shows a mast in yertical section. Figure 3 is a plan view of the upper portion of the mast, showing especially the lat-- eral extension, having a curved edge portion against which thehull of ,the ship rests, the cable channel on the hull being received by the groove shown at the right of Figure 3.

Flgure 4 is a view partly in horizontal section, and partly in plan, showing the winding 0 means, and the motor by which said means is driven.

Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of Figure 4, and shows means for controlling the clutch and the brake band.

Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Figure 4 and shows the gearing between the motor shaft and the remainder of the mechanism of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a view chiefly in plan showing a 5. mast extension similar to that of Figure 3,

a is surrounded by conventionally an but including two grooved portions for accommodating cable channels when the masts are so spaced that the channels on the sides of a particular ship do not correspond with the spacing which would be provided by the use of a single grooved extension on each mast.

Figure 8 is a plan view showing a modification in which the device against which the ship is to be directly moored is movable lengthwise for the purpose of efiecting correct spacing of the cable channels with reference to the grooves of the moored means.

Figure 9 is a section on line 99 of Figure 8 showing a part of the gear for engagement with the rack construction of Figure 8.

In the plan view constituting Figure 1,

the hull of the aircraft is designated 10, the

elevator or horizontal rudder being shown at 11, and the latter having an opening 12 for the rudder l3 movable about vertical axis 14. Cable guiding means, guards or channels are provided in a plurality of, places, and two of these devices may be on the lower side portion of the hull, at 15 and 16, and one at the nose portion 17, the landing cables, such as cable 18 atthe nose portion being assumed to have been secured on the under side of the ship, and having the outer end provided with a ring or thelike 19 adapted for engagement by hook 20 of the winding cable 21.

Each mast includes a main vertical structure of concrete or the like, suitably reinforced and designated 25, the base portion being designated 26. An upper platform 27 (protecting means, shown designated 28,-and extending upwardly thru the central portion of each mast, a stairway 30 is provided.

A central tubular element or shaft 31 is supported by means of transverse brackets or spider like devices 32 each carrying or including a hub portion, collar or the like designated 33, the latter directly supporting the tube 31. The lower-end of the element 31 is outwardly flared as indicated at 35 and the winding cable 21 thus is permitted the required play or movement incident to the operation of the winding drum 38. l

This drum is to be driven bymeans of motor 39, the armature shaft of which carries a pinion 4O meshing with pinion 41 on shaft 42. This shaft last named carries a worm 43 meshing with worm Wheel 44 on shaft 45 of the winding drum 38. The shaft 45 is mounted in bearings such as '46, and splined to said shaft is a clutch element 47 controlled by lever 48 having yoke portion'49, the latter being connected with a collar 49 adapted to shift the clutch element 47 A brake wheel 50 is engaged by a brake band 51, and element 50 is carried by one flange 52 of the.winding drum. Lever 54 controls the element 55 by means of which the brake band is tightened.

Cable 21 passes over an upper sheave or pulley 60, and has connection with hook 20 as before mentioned.

An important feature of the invention is the lateral extension at 111118 upper portion of each mast. In Figure 3 a curved element 62 is provided with groove or channel 63 adapted to receive one of the cable channels or guides carried bythe side portion of the hull of the aircraft. is placed as shown in Figures 2 and 3, outer bracinr elements being designated 64, and interme iate bracing elements being shown at 65. The structure of Figure 3 is especially adapted for the mast against which the nose portion of the aircraft is to be moored, it may also be used in-the position of either of the other masts of Figure 1, but in order to provide for the accommodation of airships the hulls of which carry cable guides such as 15 and 16, (these guides being differently spaced on ships of different sizes or makes) ,it is desirable to provide two or more grooves 63 as shown in Figure 7, and these may be utilized according to the circumstances existing at agiven time.

It is especially desired to moor the ship as securely as possible and for this reason the cable channels 15 and 16 should fit under given conditions the grooves 63, provided in the lateral extensions of the mast.

In Figure 7 the curved portion of the extension against which the hull rests, is designated 66, and the latter is supported by the intermediate structure 67 carried directly by the upper portion 27 of the mast.

A modified arrangement is shown in Figure 8, wherein three grooves '63 are illustrated as being provided in curved element 66, and carried by the element last named, or the mooring extension per se, is a rack bar 68 adapted to be engaged by gear wheels such as 69 rotated by gear wheels 70 on shaft 71. The latter carries a wheel 80 driven by chain 81 passin over wheel 82. on shaft 83 controlled by the vertical shaft 84 rotated by hand wheel 85.

It will thus be observed that the hand Wheel just referred to may be employed for shifting the device 66' longitudinally in order to efiect correct spacing of the elements 66 on The said element 62- the adjacent masts, and especially the grooves 63 on said elements.

Having described the invention what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a mast including an upper portion providing a platform, a lateral extension projecting from the platform, movable in a straight path perpendicularly of the vertical axis of the mast, and having a curved surface to fit the hull of an airship, said curved surface being channeled in a direction at an angle with the upper and lower edges thereof, and means for connecting a landing cable with the mast.

2. In a device of the class described, a plurality of masts and lateral extensions therefor, constructed as specified in claim 1 and having channeled portions spaced to accomlarly of the vertical axis of the mast, means near thebase of the mast for winding a cable passing over the guiding means and downwardly thru the mast, aclutch and brake connected with the winding means, and means for rotating said Winding means.

4. In a device of the class described, a mast including an upper lateral extension proportioned to engage the hull of an airship in a direction approximately parallel with the side of the hull, along which it extends when the ship is moored, said element being movable in a straight path perpendicularly of the vertical axis of the mast.

5. In a device of the class described, a mast including an upper supporting element, a longitudinally movable element proportioned to engage the hull of an airship in a direction approximately parallel with the side of the hull, along which it extends when the ship is moored, said element being mounted to operate near the upper portion of the mast and in an approximately horizontal direction, a rack bar carried by the longitudinal element,'and means for imparting movement to the rack bar and longitudinal element.

6. In a device of the class described, a mast includingan upper supporting element, a longitudinally movable element proportioned to engage the hull of an airship in a direction approximately parallel with the side of the hull, along which it extends when the ship is moored, said element being mounted to operate near the upper portion of the mast and channeled intermediate of its ends, from the upper to the lower edge portion, a rack bar carried by the longitudinal element, and means engaging the rack bar and imparting movement thereto and to the longitudinal element.

7. In a device of the class described, a plurality of masts, each including an upper portion providing'a platform, a lateral extension projecting from each platform and having a curved surface to fit the hull of an airshi said curved surface being channeled in a 1- rection at an angle with the upper and lower edges thereof, and means for connecting a landing cable with each mast, the extensions and channeled portions being spaced to accommodate projecting cable guiding elements carried by the hull of the airship.

In testimony whereof I afl'ix my signature.

RALPH P. FOX.