US3036540A

US3036540A - Displaceable fin for vehicles

Info

Publication number: US3036540A
Application number: US2513A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gregor Wilhelm
Original assignee: Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH
Current assignee: Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH
Priority date: 1959-01-29
Filing date: 1960-01-14
Publication date: 1962-05-29
Anticipated expiration: 1979-05-29

Description

May 29, 1962 w. GREGOR DISPLACEABLE FIN FOR VEHICLES r m 1 2 a ,NN m a R m m m .r N w a v H. m 1 w 2 J MN N LL NN Q 4/ F ml: 1l|| Nv 0 ii N N m Emuwx E. o :2 MW 1 5 L. M, QN N V M 6 uN m N Q F \N May 29, 1962 w. GREGOR DISPLACEABLE FIN FOR VEHICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 14, 1960 1/1 van/or:

W/LHELM GREGOR United States atent fifice 3,936,540 Patented May 29, 1962 3,036,540 DISPLACEABLE FIN FOR VEHICLES Wilhelm Gregor, Achim, Bezirk Bremen, Germany, as-

signor to Licentia Patent-Verwaltungs G.m.b.H., Frankfurt am Main, Germany Filed Jan. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 2,513 Claims priority, application Germany Jan. 29, 1959 Claims. (Cl. 114-126) The present invention relates to rudder fins of vehicles such as ships, airplanes or the like. More in particular, the present invention relates to a new and useful rudder fin for vehicles such as ships or airplanes and the like which is adapted for being pivoted into and out of the body of the vehicle and which is tiltable with respect to the direction of flow of the medium through which the vehicle passes.

It is known in the art to provide rudder fins capable of displacement in two different ways, a first, pivoting displacement moving the rudder fins into or out of the body of the vehicle so as to assume its inoperative or operative position, respectively, and another, tilting displacement, starting from the operative position of the rudder fin, so as to assume positions at various angles of inclination relative to the direction of flow of the medium (e.g. air or water) through which the vehicle passes.

In most of the known displaceable rudder fins of this type the tilting and pivoting movements are effected by mechanical driving and transmission means comprising a plurality of gears, Worm gear couplings and the like which require considerable space and are complicated and heavy. In other constructions the fins are hydraulically operated. However, the combination of a rotary with a tilting movement is rather difiicult to effect hydraulically and this arrangement is heavy and susceptible to disturbance.

It has, therefore, already been proposed to provide rudder fins positioned in the body of vehicles such as airplanes or vessels comprising a known rotary wing drive and to position this drive and thus the rudder fin on pivots which are fixedly connected with the non-rotary or elon gated portion of the rotary wing drive. While this arrangement is far simpler and requires less space than the known constructions it suffers from the disadvantage of requiring adaptation to the considerable transverse forces transmitted by the fin proper to the wing drive, in order to assure the operation of the latter under all pressure conditions. This calls for particular structures adapted to various vehicles operating under different conditions and results in an undesirably great weight and dimension of the wing drive.

With the foregoing in mind it is an object of the present invention to provide a rudder fin for vehicles such as particularly ships, airplanes or the like, which is adapted for both pivoting and tilting movements and has a comparatively simple structure which requires comparatively little space.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a rudder fin for vehicles such as particularly ships, airplanes or the like, which is adapted for both pivoting and tilting movements and which can be used in a variety of operating conditions without requiring particular adaptation.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a rudder fin for vehicles such as particularly ships, airplanes or the like of the type comprising wing drive means, wherein the latter are relieved from transverse forces applied to the rudder fin.

These objects are achieved by the rudder fin of the present invention which can be pivoted about pivot studs and which can be tilted relative to the direction of flow of the medium through which the vehicle is passing, and

which comprises a hollow hub mounted on the pivot studs transversely relative to the longitudinal extension of the studs; the hollow hub supports the fin and receives a shaft fixedly connected with the fin at one end, and connected at its opposite, outer end with the rotary part of the fin tilting drive means. The pivot studs and hollow hub and eventually also the rotary part of the fin tilting drive means and the shaft within the hollow hub may consist of one integral piece of material. Furthermore, the hollow hub and the rotary part of the fin pivoting drive means can be disposed at opposite ends of the pivot studs.

The invention will be better understood upon the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein FIGURE 1 is a longitudinally sectional view of the horizontally disposed fin of the invention;

FIGURES 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d are cross-sectional views taken along lines 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d, respectively in FIG. 1.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the fin of the invention.

More in detail, FIGURE 1 shows the vertical pivot studs 1, 2, which are pivotally positioned in bearings 3 and 4 secured to body 2t) of the vehicle. A casing 18 is mounted on bearing 3; elements 3, 4 and 18 are illustrated as being stationary with respect to body 20. As also shown in the drawings, the pivot studs 1 and 2 can form a portion of an integral piece of material also constituting the horizontally disposed hollow conical hub 5. The hub 5 is provided with bearings 6 and '7 on which fin 8 is rotatably positioned. A shaft 11 extends interiorly through hollow hub 5, the outermost left-hand end of which is connected with the rotary wing portion of the flu tilting drive means 1213 for tilting the fin relative to the direction of flow of the medium through which the vehicle is passing. At its opposite right-hand end the shaft '11 is connected with fin 8 by means of a wedge 9 and screw 10. The casing 13 of the fin tilting drive is fixedly mounted on the integral piece constituting the hub 5 and the vertical pivot studs 1, 2, and houses the rotary wing portion 12. Flexible conduits 15 and borings 16 are provided in pivot stud 1 for conveying the control pressure medium to the rotary wings 12. The distribution of the control pressure medium is effected by structure and in a manner known per se and described, for example, in British patent specification 477,779.

FIGS. 20 and 2d illustrate cross-sections along the lines 2c and 2d in FIG. 1, respectively, and they show

ring channels

25 and 25 communicating with lines 16 on the one hand and with pressure chambers 24" via openings '26 on the other hand, for rotatably driving shaft 11 relative to casing 13 and the stationary part of rotary Wing drive 12, in a manner known per se for rotary wing types.

A further drive '17-18 is provided for eifecting the pivoting movement of the fin 8 horizontally into and out of the vehicle body, i.e. from the operative position into the inoperative position and vice versa. It comprises the casing 18 fixedly mounted on bearing 3 and housing the rotary wing portion 17.

FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate cross-sections of pivot drive 17, along lines 2a and 217 (FIG. 1). This pivot drive 17 is also of the rotary wing type and it is substantially similar to the rotary wing drive 12. There are also provided

ring channels

22 and 22, respectively, communicating via ducts 23 and 23' with pressure chamber 214.

Reference numerals

21 and 21 denote feeder lines for

ring channels

22 and 22, respectively.

The pivoting drive 1718 returns the fin 8 to the vehicle body by swinging pivot studs 1, 2, hub 5, the tilting drive 12-13 and fin 8 about the vertical longitudinal axis of pivot studs 1 and 2, with the fin 8 retaining its horizontal position illustrated in FIGURE 1 during the pivoting movement.

The fin 8 is tilted relative to the direction of flow of the medium through which the vehicle is passing by means of the fin tilting drive 13. The latter drive rotates shaft 11 about its axis, thereby tilting fin 8 connected with shaft 11 via wedge and screw connections 9, 10, with the pivot studs 1 and 2 and hub 5 remaining stationary during this tilting movement.

The transverse forces applied to fin 8 are transmitted to hub 5 via the bearings 6 and 7, rotary Wing portion 12 thus being relieved from these forces.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order to adapt it to different usages and conditions and, accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A rudder fin arrangement for vehicles comprising a fin, pivoting drive means for causing a pivoting movement of said fin into and out of the body of the vehicle, rotary wing means in said pivoting drive means, and tilting drive means for causing a tilting movement of said fin relative to the direction of flow of the medium through which the vehicle is passing, rotary wing means in said tilting drive means, a plurality of pivot studs, a hollow hub connected With said pivot studs extending transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of said pivot studs and supporting said fin, and a shaft interiorly extending through said hollow hub, said shaft being connected at one end with said rotary wing means in said tilting drive means and at its opposite end with said fin.

2. A rudder fin arrangement for vehicles comprising a fin, pivoting drive means for causing a pivoting movement of said fin into and out of the body of the vehicle, rotary wing means in said pivoting drive means, and tilting drive means for causing a tilting movement of said fin relative to the direction of flow of the medium through which the vehicle is passing, rotary wing means in said tilting drive means, a plurality of pivot studs, a hollow hub, forming one integral piece of material with said pivot studs, extending transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of said pivot studs and supporting said fin, and a shaft interiorly extending through said hollow hub, said shaft being connected at one end with said rotary wing means in said tilting drive means and at its opposite end with said fin.

3. A rudder fin ararngement for vehicles comprising a fin, pivoting drive means for causing a pivoting movement of said fin into and out of the body of the vehicle, rotary Wing means in said pivoting drive means, and tilting drive means for causing a tilting movement of said fin relative to the direction of flow of the medium through which the vehicle is passing, rotary wing means in said tilting drive means, a plurality of pivot studs, a hollow hub connected with said pivot studs extending transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of said pivot studs and supporting said fin, and a shaft interiorly extending through said hollow hub, said shaft forming one integral piece of material with said rotary wing means in said tilting drive means, being connected at one end with said rotary wing means in said tilting drive means and at its opposite end with said fin.

4. A rudder fin arrangement for vehicles comprising a fin, pivoting drive means for causing a pivoting movement of said fin into and out of the body of the vehicle, rotary wing means in said pivoting drive means, and tilting drive means for causing a tilting movement of said fin relative to the direction of flow of the medium through which the vehicle is passing, rotary wing means in said tilting drive means, a plurality of pivot studs, a hollow hub connected with said pivot studs extending transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of said pivot studs and supporting said fin, said hollow hub and said tilting drive means being disposed at opposite sides of said pivot studs, and a shaft interiorly extending through said hollow hub, said shaft being. connected at one end with said rotary wing means in said tilting drive means and at its opposite end with said fin.

5. A rudder fin arrangement for vehicles comprising a fin, pivoting drive means for causing a pivoting movement of said fin into and out of the body of the vehicle, rotary wing means in said pivoting drive means, and tilting drive means for causing a tilting movement of said pin relative to the direction of flow of the medium through which the vehicle is passing, rotary wing means in said tilting drive means, a plurality of pivot studs, a hollow hub connected with said pivot studs extending transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of said pivots studs and supporting said fin, and a shaft interiorly extending through said hollow hub, said shaft being connected at one end with said rotary wing means in said tilting drive means and at its opposite end with said fin and conduit means in one of said pivot studs for conveying a pressure medium to said tilting drive means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,210,935 Giliberty Aug. 13, 1940 2,848,971 Kollenberger Aug. 26, 1958 2,937,608 Vandersteel May 24, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 477,779 Great Britain Jan. 6, 1938 534,372 Italy Oct. 14, 1955 1,153,990 France Oct. 21, 1957 1,154,259 France Oct. 28, 1957 802,105 Great Britain Oct. 1, 1958