US1898764A - Flying machine - Google Patents

Description

T. A. BRING FLYING MACHINE Feb. 21, 1933 Filed June 6, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 T. A. BRING FLYING MACHINE Feb 23, 1933.

6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 6, 1929 Wwmw 45% Feb. 21, 1933.'

T. A, DRING FLYING MACHINE Filed June 6, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 T. A. DRING FLYING MACHINE Feb. 21, 1933.

Filed June 6. 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 T. A. DRING FLYING MACHINE Feb. 21, 1933.

Filed June 6, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 IQTIUIPNEY Feb. 21, 1933. v T, A. DRING 1,898,764

FLYING MACHINE Filed June 6, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 NM AN Patentecl Feb. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES THOMAS AUGUSTUS BRING, or mnewoon, ENGLAND FLYING MACHINE Application filed June 6, 1929, Serial No. 368,841, and in Great Britain June 14, 19 2 8.

The present invention deals with improve ments in flying machines whereby such machines may be caused to rise or descend in a vertical plane, sustained in the air, and also moved in a horizontal plane. 7

According tothe present invention there is provided a method of lifting or sustaining a flying machine by the expansive force of op- I posing streams of compressed air produced by non-feathering rotary propellers arranged well towards one end of the body of the machine, said streams acting on the underside of the body and/ or other supporting surfaces of the machine and producing a resultant act ing through the centre of gravity of the machine.

For lifting, or lifting and hovering flight, the forces acting are so arranged as to give no resultant in line with the longitudinal axis 0 of the machine, but for horizontal flight such a resultant may be given as, by way of example, hereinafter appears.

One important feature of this invention is that the same mechanism which produces the streams of air'th at give a vertical component to support the machine may also be used to produce backward or forward motion.

The machine is supported in the vertical plane by forces acting in an upward direction 0 onthe under side of the body, the resultant of which passes upwards through the centre of gravity, an even keel being maintained by the sum of the moments of these forces, acting to the rear of the centre of gravity, being equal to the sum of the moments acting to the front of the centre of gravity.

When, in order to travel-forward, the fans or revolving wings are thrown forward, the 4 angle of the air currents passing under the body to the rear of the centre of gravity becomes more acute with respect to the longitudinal axis of the machine, and, consequently, less powerful, but the resultant of the forces is applied at a greater distance from the centre of gravity. Conversely, the air currents in front of the centre of gravity becomes less acute, and therefore give a more powerful resultant which is applied however nearer to the centre of gravity; '7

The components of the moments alone are altered, but the moments remain the same.

- V The effect of the meeting of the two streams of compressed air is to produce a'pressureat the place of meeting greater than the normal. Further the air will expand from the neighbourhood of this place and uprushing streams will impinge on the underside of the body and/or wings'of the machine. In some cases these streams rushing upwards past the sides of the body may'produce by induction a decrease of pressure above the body and/or planes. 7 v

As many embodiments of the presentinvention maybe made and asthe parts here'- in described may be varied in many ways, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

In the drawings 1 Fig. 1 is a front elevation, Fig. 2 aside elevation with the vanes turned clockwise through 45 with respect to Fig. l, and Fig. 3

a plan View of the machine.

Figs. 4 and 5 arerespectively elevation and plan of the portside fans or vanes, and Figs. 6 and 7 similar views of the starboardside fans or vanes; i V Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view indicating in full lines the cone produced for forward flight, in dotted outline for hovering or lift, and in morse lines for backward flight.

' Fi s; 9, 10 and 11 are views of the'crown whee s hereinafter referred to.

Figs. 12 and 13 illustrate the control devices for the crown wheels and allied parts.

Fig. 14 shows a drive for the fans or vanes each fan having its own engine. x

According to one way in which itiispro- 9 posedto carry out the presentinvention a re-: volving shaft 1 ismounted transversely of the body of the aircraft to extend on opposite sides thereof, and so disposed as to lie at right-angles to both the longitudinal axis chine. V r

On the-opposite projecting ends of this shaft are vanes which produce and discharge pposing streams of compressed air whoselnand the vertical axis of the body of themanetic energy is in part destroyed on mutual impact thereby producing a lifting force.

The machine is supported in the air by the expansive force of opposing streams of compressed air in the form of truncated cones produced by the blades or vanes 2, which streams are intercepted beneaththe fuselage of the machine. V

The stream producing means shown take the form of a plurality of non-feathering blades or vanes 2 arranged welhtoivard one end of the body.

The fan shafts 3 as shown are arranged so as to be vadapted to bemoved-forwardto gether, but they might'be arranged 'so that one could hex-advanced some-whatsfanther -forward than the :other, for steering gpurzposes. Lifting. or hovering-flight is produced when the axes'ofzthe; fans arercoaax ial ;.with the axis Olfi"; thegirevolvingz shaft. 1 as shown in Fig; .9, an'cinclination: of; the'fa'n; shafts forwardly produces; fonward flight, and? an inclination rearm'ardly backward flight, theunagchizne be ing sustained during -::these flights Steeringby avertiealw rudder may also be a dopted, and this, HlQlihOdl-Off steening; is shown, the jrudden beingi indicatedi by; the reference numeral 4:. r

'Thesbody ofwthe machihev-asxshown is :provided with zpl anes; or; sustaining surfaces 5 and fi loeate'dibehind and/ or above the rotary fans 2 andrsimilan sustaining; surfaces: :may extend longitudinally oiirthe machine in .orden -to';ob struct:thmair-streams which-may; be diverted longitudinally beneath the-body. I

One way of driving the revolvingshaft 1 may;.-ber-as follows;:*w- V Eahh endhofthie shaft 1 passes? throughz'a bearing) into a: hinged-"easing :;7 whe're it' ter minates in a crowmwheeLSI: Grown wheels 9- imeshingn-iwithezthevcrown wheels: 8 are :attanh'ed 2 to the shaftsr3'fiandtpassing. through similanbearingsin the same casingW.

Vhen all four crown wheels2arew-fullyz" meshJanditheicasingsaclosed; the three shafts willrbeiirretheassume/straight line; and the crciwnowheelsawill revolve as solids. This; is the hoveringoi'aliftingflight(position; Hoveringeiis maintained by regulating the: pressures of the streams imbalanced-;relationship toitheiforeecof gravity.- v

For forward fiightithe-outer covers of the crown wheeli: casings, which are; hinged, are opened by levers'hereinafrter referred-to. ap-; plied efronritheacockpit; iandecarryrwithythem the .shortcfaimshafts and fanst The. :crown wheelsmrer-then stillnin mesh; on one side of thizirwcircumference; and: :are; :consequently driven at an angle-with theicentralwshaft.

The enginemay be mounted in suitable position andthe engine shaft which maybe provided with a clutch, carries a worm meshe ing with: a. -sworm ;wheel at ithe i centre; of the transverse shaftili.

Asstated each pai tofscrown wheels runs a hinged casing, or circular box, the inner half or the equivalent capable of a partial rotation in the vertical'plane, and-actuated from the cockpit bya hand-wheel l2 and worm 13, the

latter meshing with a worm-wheel 1& on the axis. of. the cross-head. or disc or the like.

When all "four crown wheels are in full mesh, the central transverse shaft andfthe two fan shafts-are in the same straight line and the crownwheels revol a e as solids. r

[n this positiomtlieinachine-isdifted;and

sustained in the verticalplane by anzincrease of ,a t n ospheric pressure against the lower part ofthe body. assisted it-may also be by a l'GdliGtlOtL-Of the-pressureabove) 1 due-to'the mutually. intercepting streams orintercepted streams of compressed-airbelow-the body of the machine,

The forces producedwby reaction against-the surfaces of; the .v-anes from the inertial of: the air, which givesresultants I acting; outwardly in line; with the rotating shafts neutralize one another. This is the hovering positioin. These lat-terforces are b rou ght in to play by swinging open thecrow-n wheel cases randthus obtaining aseeond resultant in linenvith the longgaxis of -the body of: the machine, whichse-rves to draw-the machine forward.-

This is done without-in -any- -way reducing the-forcessustaining-the body ofthe machine. In shape the :vanes' of-the revolving fans- Inay follow broadly thecontours of therwings of such .a' hovering insect as-cthea commondrone-fly m'stalz'atenam andi mayibe affixed at tlteir-= ba-sesato the surfaces of Littlangular or quadrangularrpyramid:15, theiinner .-edge;-of each wing vane being flushwith the edge of theisidemime-pyramid,- ;but the outer-e dgeproj ects-beyond the opposite edge: Ea eh Vane, therefore, zproj cots-rover the one/ ho. 10W? 1 V i i The angle which the-outer edge .ofrthe vane: makes with the shaftrdetenmines to some ex tent;- the anglecf the truncated-cone formed by- -thle outflowing currents-of air;- :but;this is also affected by the angularxvelooity,

The :-angle-% at: the apexof the 'pyramid by deterinining tli=e.-\ outward inolin ation the.

surface of -the--.v-ane,- idetermin'essalso-theforceoftheth-rust; orltattacldl, against-the air; and

the-. direction aof its-reactions The stronger:

the-attackthe rless -fa vourab'le the direction of; its i reaction jandavice ve-rsa i The-ianglero-f the coni ealpath' sweptby the outer edgeseof eache vane whenfirotatinggis about 35 with the axisiof rotationabutiex i periment would be necessar to determine the optimum form for any mac ine.

WVith all vertical flight machines there is danger should engine trouble occur. With the type shown the revolving fans will afford some assistance and if the centre of pressure is vertically in line with the centre of gravity the machine will tend to fall on an even keel. I have also shown in Fig. 3 an expanding or fan-like tail 16 to enable a pilot to plane down in a spiral in the event of engine failure. In ordinary flight the tail is closed. The expansion of the tail by shifting the centre of pressure a little more to the rear, gives the machine a downward inclination.

lVith two engines the risk of engine fail ure is enormously reduced, provided that the machinery is so arranged that either engine can drive both fans in the event of its fellow being put out of action. This can be arranged as follows, ancl is shown in Fig. 14.

Each of the two engines 17 and 18 is secured to a small platform, or bracket 19, capable of turning through an arc of 30 or 35 degrees in the horizontal plane about a vertical spindle 20 attached to the outside of the body of the machine. Each fan shaft 3 is carried on bearings 21 supported by such spindle and bracket. To the inner end of each fan shaft 3 is attached a crown wheel 22 of special form which, when the two fan shafts 8 are in the same straight line, lightly meshes with the corresponding crown wheel on the other shaft. In this position the two crown wheels revolve as asolid, each fan being driven by its own engine, and the speeds of both engines being synchronized by the coupling. The drives from the engines are through worms and worm-wheels, the latter beingmounted on free-wheel clutches. The drives are indicated generally by the reference 23.

The two engine platforms 19 are controlled by radius rods 24 from the cockpit by a handwheel and worm-wheel in a similar way to that shown in Figs. 12 and 13, which enable the pilot to draw towards him the two platforms, with all the machinery mounted thereon and thus throw forward the fans carried on the outside of the vertical spindles. This action gradually draws the crown wheels out of mesh, but sufficient of the teeth on one side of each wheel remains in mesh to carry on the drive up to an angle of 35 degrees. At a lesser angle the wheels are more closely engaged. Should either engine fail the wing shaft that it'had been driving would automatically take its drive from the other engine through the crown-wheel couplings.

The rotating fans are made right-hand and left-hand and are not interchangeable. Their motion as shown is Starboard side clockwise.

Port sideanti-clockwise.

They will not reverse or operate in the contrary direction.

The vanes may correspond to an aerofoil or flat board like form or more conforming toportio'ns of planes than to the more usual parts of helicoidal'surfaoes, or they may increase in pitch towards the boss and diminish in pitch towards the tips like or similar to a true pitch propeller. The vanes or blade may also be made concave towardsthe machine, or/ and convex away from the machine, or/ and as a straight-faced or true-pitch blade or as an increasing pitchblade to increase the angle of attack oftheiffollowing part of the blade.-

{Fixed wings or planes are not absolutely essential, but may be added for (a)- toprovide sufficient area to enable the craft to descend ins'afetyin case of'engine trouble, (6) in {the case of the lower plane to supplement the area subject to air pressure, and in the case of the upper planeto cut off any rising currents ofair. I "The centre of pressure on the under side of the body as well as the mean centre of pressure on the two fixed planes will be some little distance to the rear of the transverse shaft carrying the fans or vanes. The centre of gravity will beso arranged that it is in a vertical line 'with and betWeen'the mean centres of pressure.

"Cooling of the engines may be by of air ports in the sides of the body, and by gratings in the roof of the engine chamber through which the fans will create a circulation of cold air.

In both constructions described the control of the drives provides for slow backward flight, as well as hovering and forward flight.

It is to be understood that bracing systems will be provided at any necessary parts of a machine.

What I claim is 1. Apparatus for lifting or sustaining a flying machine by the expansive forces produced by mutual impact of opposing streams of compressed air, comprising non-feathering propellers arranged well towards one end of the body, mountings therefor, each propeller consisting of a plurality of blades rotating about a fixed axis with the inner and outer edges of the blades sweeping through conical paths so as to produce streams of compressed air, which streams are opposed in pairs and create expansive forces by mutual impact beneath the fuselage of the machine, means for rotating said propellers, and means for altering the axis of rotation of the propellers.

2. Apparatus for lifting or sustaining a flyingmachine by the expansive forces produced by mutual impact of opposing streams of compressed air, comprising non-feathering propellers arranged well towards one end of the body, mountings therefor, each propeller way i ns tin p re-nlme ty-zo b a esr ati about a fixed axis with the inner angl outer edges of the bladessweeping throughconical Q pa1?h$;sp asrtoproducestreams of compressed fair vhieh streamsrare opposed in pairs and create, expansive forces by mutual impact .bew

neaththe fuselage pithe; machine; meansior rotating said propellers,-- and means: for moy;-- in-g-gone p ropeller-=-baclqva rd org forggvarrlfto a, greater .extea tithapthe-othe to,effect steering ;t ize =ta *p1 es V Apparatus forl lifting; or; sustaining .a flying ;macl 1ine by% the exgpansiverforces pro: du cedw. by mutual; impact of opposing streams of compressed air, comprising non-feathering propellers arranged well towardsaonei:end of the-body,mountings therefor, each propeller consistingsof a plurahtmof blades rotating aboutafixed axis with therinnerandouter edges: ofithevblades sweepingthrou gh'gconical pathssoas-tmproducestream-s oi compressed air, which streamsgare-qopposecl in pairs and create expansive forces by mutualimpact be-- neath-thefusel-age of. the-macliineq, each blade substantially; following a the contour; of the wingswof; thecommomdrone-fly (Eristalis fenaw); and means for rotatingrsaid'propel-g In testimony-whereof l affix? my'signature,

THQMAS :AUGUSTUS; BRING..-

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