US1836432A

US1836432A - Ice adhesion breaker for aeroplanes

Info

Publication number: US1836432A
Application number: US221462A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lester P Barlow
Original assignee: McCord Radiator and Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: McCord Radiator and Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1927-09-23
Filing date: 1927-09-23
Publication date: 1931-12-15
Anticipated expiration: 1948-12-15

Description

Dec. 15, 1931. L. P. BARLOW ICE ADHESION BREAKER FOR AEROPLANES Filed Sept. 23, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 15, 1931. L. P. BARLOW ICE ADHESION BREAKER FOR AERO PLANES Filed Sept. 23, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IHHlHHId l ll I l I I lllllnl w H Rvefl leLsZerfjarZozg 1 Q, I r L NW Q mm m r PU Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE warm P. BAR-LOW, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO mcoo-an RADIATOR & EI'G.

60., O1 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A COBIOELTION' 0F MAINE IC'E ADHESION BREAKER FOB AEROPLANES Application filed September 28, 1927. Serial No. 221,482.

This invention relates to aeroplanes, and more particularly to means whereby the lifting and control surfaces of the plane may be quickly and readily heated whenever deslred to break the adhesion of any ice which may form or collect thereon, and thus free such surfaces of this parasite. load by allowing it to fall free of the plane.

One object of my invention is to utilize the heat of the motor dissipated through the cool ing system in the form of steamfor heating such surfaces, and control the distribution of the steam to said surfaces at the will of the aviator.

A further object of my invention is to con- .trol the distribution of steam to these various surfaces through the medium of a valve, by means of which the steam may be transferred from one surface to the other, and thus require merelyenough heat to break the ice adhesions, and not to maintain any of the surfaces constantly heated above the freezing temperature. It is my intention not to prevent the forming of ice upon the surfaces of the plane, but to break the adhesions of the ice after it has formed so that it may fall free of the plane. In this way only a relatively small amount of heat is required, mak ing available the utilization of the steam generated in the cooling system of the motor.

It is a further object of my invention to provide tubular hinges for the movable control surfaces of the plane, and to pass steam through these tubular hinges whenever desired to break the adhesions of any ice thereon, and thus keep the hinge connections free.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for returning the condensate from the heated surfaces to the cooling system of the motor.

My invention consists further in the matters hereinafter described and. claimed.

In the accompanying drawings-- Fig. 1 is a front view of,,an aeroplane equipped with the improvements'of my invention, the wing of the plane being shown in section on line 11 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the plane taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and illustrating in diagram the various conduits and connections of my invention;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view'of the wing of the plane and showing the ailerons;

Flg. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the distributing valve;.

Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view through said valve taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan view through the tubular hmFge at one of the ailerons; and

1g. 7 is a plan view'showing the rudder end of the machine.

In the drawings, I have shown m heating system applied to an aeroplane of t e monoplane type having a cantilever win 1 extendin across the body or fuselage 2 o the plane ad acent its forward end and braced on opposite sides of the body by struts 3,.3, as usual in such constructions. he propelling motor of the plane is mounted at the front end of the body 2 and has a propeller 4, as in these designs. At the rear or tail end of the bod are the usual horizontal and

vertical stabi izers

5, 6, elevators 7, and rudder 8. The main wing 1 is provided with'the

usual ailerons

9, 9

atthe opposite ends of the wing on the rear side thereof, as shown in Fig. 3. The propelling motor is equipped with a steam cooling system of any preferred design. This system includes a steam dome 10 arranged 1 above the cylinders 11, 11 of the motor and suitably connected with the water jackets of the cylinders by

conduits

12,12, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. I

The wing 1 and the control members 5 to 9' are all made hollow, and, in accordance with my invention, steam from the cooling system of the motor may, at the will of the aviator, be let into these hollow members for heating the inner surfaces of the same and thus free said members of any ice that may form or collect on the outer surfaces thereof by breaking the adhesion of the ice with said members and thus permit the ice to drop or slide off the same. One way to accomplish this result is shown in the drawings. A pipe 13 connects the dome 10 with a control and distributing valve 14, which may be of the turning plug type. The plug 15 of this valve has an L shaped passage 16 therein leading from the center of one end of the valve to a its cylindrical periphery, as shown in Fig. 4. The pipe 13 is in constant communication with thls passage 16 at the end of the plug, while the other end of the passage, in the turning of the plug, may be brought into registration with any one of a number of ports which are provided in the casing of the valve about the cylindrical periphery of the plug, as shown in Fig. 5. The plug is turned through the medium of a shaft 17 which extends back to within reach of the aviator in the cockpit of the plane, and there has a crank handle 18, by means of which the shaft may be turned. In Fig. 5, the ports just referred to are marked 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23. Ports 19 and 22 are connected by

short pipe sections

24, 25 with portions of the wing -1 on opposite sides of the valve 14, the latter being preferably located in the wing and approximately midway between the ends of the same. The wing 1 is divided internally into substantially half sections by

partitions

26, 26, which are vertically arranged on opposite sides of the valve. The

pipe sections

24, 25 extend through these partitions and open into their associated wing sections. Port 20 is connected with the ailerons 9 by a pipe 27 and its

branches

28, 28, as shown in Fig. 3.-

Each aileron is flexibly connected to the main body of the wing 1 through the medium of a tubular hinge, as shown in Fig. 6. This hinge comprises a tubular axis member 29 which is fixed by brackets 30,- 30 to theadjacent portion of the wing along the inner edge of the aileron. The aileron has hinge

members

31, 31 which are rotatably mounted on the axis member 29 between the brackets 30, as shown.. The pipe 28 is coupled to the tubular axis members 29 at the ailerons and serves as steam conveyors therefor. The axis member 29 is preferably held stationary and has-its outer end connected with the hollow interior of the aileron by an elbow 32. The latter is connected by a suitably packed union 32 whereby the elbow may turn with the aileron about the pipe 29 in the operation thereof. Port 21 of the valve 14 has a conduit connection 33 with the several control members 5 to 8, as shown in Fig. 2.

Port 23 is connected by pipes 34 with the half-sections of the wing 1, as shown in Fig. 1. Under ordinary flying conditions the valve plug 15 is turned to a position with its passage 16 in registration with port 23, so that both sections of the wing will receive steam simultaneously from the cooling system of the motor and thus serve as the condenser therefor. The condensate from the wing sections drains into a tank 35 which is suitably supported beneath the body of the plane, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The tank 35 is connected with thewing sections by

conduits

36, 36 which extend upward along and are supported by the

struts

3, 3 and have po1nt on

A branches

37, 37 at their upper ends, which open into the associated wing sections at condensate' collected in the tank will be returned to the jackets. The tank 35 is preferably streamline, so as to offer low head resistance in the flight of theplane.

The vertical stabilizer 6 is connected with both horizontal stabilizers 5 by conduits 40 so that the vertical stabilizer may drain into the horizontal ones. The latter are connected by conduit 41 with the tank 35 so that the condensate from all the stabilizers may drain to the tank. The elevators 7 and the rudder 8 and the ailerons 9 are not connected with the tank 35 but have vents 42 to the atmosphere. The elevators 7 are flexibly connected with their respective stabilizers 5 by hollow hinges similar to that heretofore described for the ailerons 9, and the same type of hollow hinge is employed for flexibly connecting the rudder 8 to the vertical stabilizer 6 and the adjacent tail portion of the body of the plane, so that steam may be supplied to these movable control members. By conveying steam to these members through hollow hinges, the latter will also be heated to break the adhesions of ice thereon and prevent freezing up of the hinges.

If duringa flight the pilot notices ice forming or collecting on any of the lifting or control surfaces of the plane, he can quickly turn the valve plug 15 into position to supply steam to the particular surfaces on which it has formed. The steam vapors will heat the inner sides of these surfaces and break the adhesions of the ice on their outer sides and thiis permit the ice to drop from the plane and not cause it to descend by adding a para site load, as heretofore. With respect to those members which are connected with the tank 35, the condensed steam will drain to the tank and the condensate be returned to the cooling system, as heretofore described. The valve plug 15 may be turned from one port to the other so as to free the various surfaces of ice and then be returned to the port 23 so that the full wing surfaces may be employed as a condenser for the cooling system of the motor.

The details of structure and arrangement of parts shown'and described may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

' 1. In an aeroplane, a propelling motor.

therefor, a steam cooling system for the m0- tor, a movable control member for the plane, a hollow hinge connecting the control member to the adjacent part of the plane, and

. means connecting the hollow hinge with the cooling system whereby steam may be supplied to the hollow hinge for heating the same to break the adhesion of any ice which may form or collect thereon.

2. The combination with an airplane including a wing member having passageway chambers therein, of hollow ailerons associated with said chambers for the delivery of heating medium therethrough, and an apertured hinge member connecting said ailerons with said chambers.

3. In an aeroplane, an internal combustion propelling engine forthe plane, a steam coolmg system for the engine having a steam collecting chamber, hollow wing and hollow movable control members for the plane, hollow hinge means for the hollow control members, conduit means connecting the chamber with the hollow win and hollow control members through the ollow hinge means therefor for supplying steam to said members to heat'the same to prevent the accumulation of ice thereon, and valve means in the conduit means for controlling the sup ply of steam from the chamber to the hollow wing and control members.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LESTER P. BARLOW.