US2951313A - Free-flying toy with propeller drive - Google Patents

Description

Se t. 6, 1960 r H. BRoss 2,951,313

FREE-FLYING TOY wna PROPELLER DRIVE Filed April 23, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 )1 INVEN elmut Brass Sept. 6, 1960 H. BRoss 2,951,313

FREE-FLYING TOY wm-x PROPELLER DRIVE Filed April 23, 1957 i Y 2 She ets-Shee tz ./N VE/v TOR Heimut Brass FREE-FLYING TOY WITH PROPELLER DRIVE Helmut Bross, Hannover, Germany. (40 Weichselgarten Strasse, Albenberg-Nurnberg, Bavaria, Germany) Filed Apr. 23, 1957, Ser. No. 654,568

Claims. (Cl. 46-44) The invent-ion relates to a free-flying toy with propeller drive, the driving power of which is supplied, not as hitherto by a clockwork mechanism, a small rubber motor or the like, but by an air current which is blown against the propeller for a short time. The new method of drive is extremely simple, a fact which is of great importance for manufacturing toys in mass production, and the toy is therefore cheap to produce and enables surprising effects to be obtained, which were not possible with the known driving arrangements under similar conditions.

According to the fundamental idea of the invention, the propeller or the part of the toy carrying it, is so arranged or the whole toy is so constructed that the propeller or the part carrying it or the entire toy is not propelled by the air current blowing against it, but that, after the current of air is stopped or interrupted, and after the propeller has attained a sufiiciently high speed of rotation, the propeller, while continuing to rotate, has an air foil which generates an air current the power effect of which, at least at the beginning, is greater than half the specific weight of the flying toy, so that a flying 'movement takes place.

The propeller is preferably given a diameter which corresponds substantially in size to the diameter of the driving air current. For toys, the propeller of which is rotated by air blown from the mouth, it has been found advantageous to make the diameter of the propeller smaller than 5 cms., because a free blast air current produced with the mouth has, at a distance of about 30 cms., a diameter of only about 3 to 4 cms., as experience has shown. For obtaining a maximum degree of efficiency, the propeller diameter should not be greater than the mean diameter of the blast air current.

The propeller, fitted on the toy, is caused to rotate by a free blast of air produced, for example, directly with the mouth and, after the blast is stopped, the toy is Patent propelled in the opposite direction to the blast by a reverse propeller action. It has been found that, in order to attain a satisfactory degree of efficiency both when blowing against the propeller and also when the propeller continues to run after the blast ceases to act and translates the stored up energy into propelling force, it is advantageous to make the propeller in trefoil shape with propeller blades increasing in width in outward direction and formed by flat surfaces set at an angle to the plane of rotation.

In a simple form of construction to demonstrate the theory of operation, the toy consists of a propeller with a hub and a rod-shaped starting holder which latter is provided with a free stub axle onto which the propeller can be slipped so that it can rotate freely. The starting holder may, however, also be constructed as a handle with an axle mounted thereon so that it can rotate freely and provided on its free end with a coupling member for establishing a rotary connection with the propeller.

In order to increase the attraction of the toy, it can, according to a modified form of construction, be made in 2,951,313 Patented Sept. s, 1960 the form of a helicopter comprising a fuselage with an undercarriage and a propeller. This toy can beprovided on its supporting points of the undercarriage with suitable frictional materials or points which hold the toy when it is being blown upon. Preferably, however, the flying toy is provided with a special starting holder, e.g in the form of a small airfield which, according to the arrangement of the supporting points of the undercarriage of the toy, has depressions which are shaped in such a manner thatthey prevent the toy helicopter from veering sideways and falling over. 7

According to another proposal, the toy can also be made in the form of a rigid-winged aircraft for horizontal flight comprising a fuselage, a propeller rotatably mounted between two collars, rotatable runner wheels, and locking means preventing the toy aircraft from moving backwards. If said aircraft is blown upon from the front it will, when the blast ceases to act, move forwards in counter-direction to the blast and, provided the propeller is brought to a suificiently high speed of rotation, carry out flights over short distances. The locking means can, in combination with a rough supporting surface, such as a tablecloth or the like, consist of a rearwardly inclined point which digs into the supporting surface. However, in order to prevent the aircraft from moving backwards when exposed to the blast, it can also be provided with a special starting holder.

The starting holder for the rigid-winged aircraft has an abutment which prevents the aircraft from running backwards and abutments which hold down the aircraft on the starting holder when subjected to blast and prevent the aircraft from bucking yet do not prevent the subsequent forward movement thereof. So as to *exclude the possibility of the fuselage turning with the blades about the axle of the propeller under bearing friction, owing to the light weight of the propeller and the fuselage, it is advisable to provide the rigid-winged toy aircraft with wings set in I-shape.

In a preferred form of construction of the invention, a starting holder is provided both for the helicopter and also for the rigid-winged aircraft, in the form of a stand, airfield or a transportable starting frame which is provided with a suitably arranged nozzle from which an air current is directed on to the propeller. The nozzle can be connected by an air conduit, which may be in the form of a tube or hose, to a mouthpiece for blowing. To prevent the formation of eddy currents, a curved guide wall is preferably fitted in a curved section or the air conduit.

The propeller can be operated by an air current produced by the mouth or, under greater pressure, by an air compressing device, such as a pump or pressball. Propeller and aircraft must then be constructed to conform with the different conditions resulting from the stronger air blast and dimensioned in accordance with actual requirements.

In a further development of the idea according to the invention, the starting holder and blowing device may be made in form of an airfield which can be so constructed that it incorporates a possibility for the take-01f of a toy helicopter or rigid-winged aircraft. In this case either a common air conduit may be provided which can be selectively switched over from one to the other of two nozzles or a separate air conduit, if necessary capable of being switched on and off, can be provided for each nozzle.

Several preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated byway of example in the accompanying drawings, in which I Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a simplified flying toy illustrating the theory of operation and comprising .a starting holder and a propeller;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the propeller shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a toy helicopter comprising a fuselage, an undercarriage and a propeller, for which a separate starting holder is provided;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of a toy comprising a toy helicopter and an airfield stand with a nozzle fitted near the top of a structure on the stand for directing an air current onto the propeller and cooperating with a compressible ball drive for producing the air current;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a toy rigid-winged aircraft placed on an airfield with a nozzle and pressure ball drive arranged in the airfield;

Fig. 6 is a cross section on line VI--VI of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 shows an arrangement similar to Fig. 5, partly in section, for air blast drive;

Fig. 8 shows in perspective view a toy aircraft of the type illustrated in Fig. 7 which is separated from the starting holder incorporating the blower tube, and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view, .partly in section, of the starting holder shown in Fig. 7.

In Fig. 1, 1 designates a starting holder consisting of a rod-shaped handle and 2 a stub axle mounted on the starting holder, onto which axle a propeller 3, which is provided with a hub and in Fig. 2 is shown as of trefoil shape, is loosely slipped until the propeller hub bears against the starting holder, and on which the propeller is freely rotatable. The propeller has blades which are formed from flat material widening in outward direction and set at a suitable angle in relation to the plane of rotation. The propeller is caused to rotate at a high speed, for example by blowing with the mouth. When the current of air blown in the direction indicated by arrows 4 is stopped, the propeller, provided it has attained a snfliciently high speed of rotation, rises into the air.

Diflfering from the example illustrated in Fig. l, the starting holder 1 can also consist of a tube into which a central stub axle on the propeller can be introduced.

In the form of construction illustrated by way of example in Fig. 3, the propeller 3 is rotatably mounted on a stub axle 6 mounted in vertical position on the fuselage of a toy helicopter 5. A collar 7 prevents the propeller 3 from separating from. the stub axle 6. The flying toy is placed on a starting holder 10 so that at least three supporting points, for example wheels 8, engage in suitably shaped recesses 9 in the starting holder, which represents, for example, an airfield. The recesses 9 are so dimensioned and so shaped that they prevent the aircraft from slipping out sideways during the blowing operation.

Fig. 4 shows a toy, also in the form of a helicopter, with a propeller 3 freely rotatable about a vertical stub axle 6 on the helicopter 5 and held on the stub axle by a collar 7. The toy helicopter is placed, as in the example illustrated in Fig. 3, on a starting holder 11 representing an airfield, provided with recesses 9. At the upper end of a structure 12 representing a building or a tower on the airfield, a nozzle 13 is fitted at an incline directed towards the propeller 3 of the helicopter 5 placed on the airfield. The nozzle is connected by a flexible conduit 14 to a pressure ball 15 which has a valve aperture 16 which can be covered with the thumb. The axis of the nozzle is so inclined to the plane of rotation of the propeller 3 that the structure 12 will not impede the takeoff of the helicopter as soon as the propeller 3 has been brought to the speed of rotation necessary for producing the flying movement by means of the air current produced by the pressure ball 15, and this air current has been interrupted.

In Fig. 5, 17 designates a rigid-winged aircraft for horizontal flight with a freely rotatable propeller 3 and V-shaped wings 17a on a fuselage consisting of a thin vertical plate mounted on two wheels 21.

An airfield 18 serves as starting holder and has an abutment 19 against which the tail end of the aircraft fuselage bears so that the aircraft is prevented from moving backwards in the direction of the air current during the blowing operation. When the propeller is subjected to the blast, the aircraft is secured against bucking by angular abutments 20, the horizontal arms of which engage the wheels 21 from above, as is clearly shown in Fig. 6. A nozzle 22 is formed in the airfield 18 and through this nozzle a free air current is directed against the propeller 3 of the aircraft held in starting position. The axis of the nozzle forms an obtuse angle with the axis of rotation of the propeller and the nozzle is connected up with a pressure ball 23 provided with a valve aperture 24 which can be covered with the thumb.

Instead of the pressure balls 15 and 23, air pumps or other suitable air compressing devices can be provided, and, in the case of smaller toys for which a less powerful air current is suflicient to impart to the propeller 3 the speed of rotation necessary for producing the flight movement, a blowing mouthpiece can be pro vided for the forms of construction illustrated by Way of example in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 7 shows an example of this construction.

In Fig. 7 the starting holder consists of a blow tube 25 one end of which is bent back through an angle of almost and provided with a nozzle 26. A guide surface 27, fitted or formed in the bend of the blow tube 25 and bent almost in semicircular shape, serves to prevent the formation of eddy currents in the air current passing through the tube bend. On the upper side of the blow tube 25 a plate 29 is fixed on a bracket 28 at an incline rising towards the nozzle 26 and provided with a continuous longitudinal aperture 30 which is open on its full width on the end directed towards the nozzle 26 whereas it is closed on the other end by rising side walls 29a at the edge sections (see Fig 9). A wall portion 29b of the plate closing the upper side of the aperture 30 is provided with a slot '31 extending the entire length of the plate and the boundary edges of this slot are flush with the inner edges of the rising walls 29a.

The upper part of the aircraft fuselage and the wings are made from a plate 32 of plastic material or the like, the side sections of which are bent up to form wings 32a standing in V-shape. The section of the plate 32 forming the tail end 3212 is also bent upwards. On the underside of the middle section of the plate 32, a body 33 of plastic material or the like, of U-shape in side elevation and of T-shape in front elevation, is fixed by rivets 34, by welding or other suitable means. In bores in two brackets 33a of the body 33 which constitutes the main part of the aircraft fuselage, an axle 35 is mounted so that it can rotate freely and secured against axial displacement by collars 36. The rotary axle 35 has a thickened, square front end 35a on which the propeller 3 is fixed.

The aperture 30 and the slot 31 in the plate 29 are shaped to correspond to the T-profile of the body 33 so that the latter can be slipped therein until it comes into contact with the transverse wall 29a. In this manner the toy is hold while air is being blown on it through the blow tube 25. When this blast of air is interrupted, the aircraft will be moved forwards by the rotating propeller, the body '33 becomes detached from the holding plate 29 and the flying toy rises into the air. The V-position of the wings 32a prevents the aircraft fuselage from following the turning movement of the propeller due to bearing friction while the aircraft is in flight. For this same purpose V-shaped wings are also provided for the toy aircraft in the form of construction illustrated in Fig. 5.

From the above detailed description of the invention, it is believed that the construction will at once be apparent, and while there are herein shown and described preferred embodiments of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A free flying toy comprising an aircraft body, a propeller rotatably mounted on the body, a starting holder on which the toy is supported, means for directing a shorttimed air blast stream in a direction towards the propeller opposite to the direction of flight with the propeller producing a lifting force, the reaction force of said lifting force at the take-off corresponding to more than half the specific weight of the toy, said aircraft body being in the form of a rigid-winged aircraft capable of flying and comprising a fuselage, the starting holder having an abutment engaged with the fuselage for preventing the fuselage from moving backwards when in starting position and at least one abutment preventing the aircraft from rearing when subjected to the blowing operation without interfering with the subsequent forward movement of the aircraft.

2. A flying toy comprising a fuselage, a propeller journaled for free rotation on said fuselage and having an air foil developing suflicient lift upon a predetermined speed of rotation of said propeller to make the fuselage air borne in a predetermined direction of flight, fuselage holding means removably retaining said fuselage thereon and including means permitting movement of said fuse lage only in said predetermined direction of flight due to rotation of said propeller at said predetermined speed, and fluid pressure means directed toward the axis of rotation of said propeller and in a plane in advance of and out of the path of flight of said fuselage, said fluid pressure means having suflicient force to impart an inertial speed of rotation to said propeller at least equal to said predetermined speed whereby said fuselage becomes air borne upon cessation of said fluid pressure, said air foil producing a reactive force more than one-half the specific weight of said toy.

3. The structure of claim 2; said fluid pressure means comprising a discharge nozzle connected to said fuselage holding means and being directed toward the axis of rotation of said propeller.

4. The structure of claim 3; said discharge nozzle comprising an orally engageable tube, the fuselage holding means being mounted on said tube, said tube including a reverse curved end portion directed toward said fuselage holding means.

5. The structure of claim 2; said fuselage holding means including an abutment portion conforming to a portion of said toy.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,359,406 McCarty Nov. 16, 1920 1,383,795 Fowler July 5, 1921 1,613,982 Cohn Jan. 11, 1927 2,119,133 Hogan May 13, 1938 2,198,509 Burke Apr. 23, 1940 2,731,769 Holt Jan. 24, 1956

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