US3087698A - Bridle for rotatable airfoil kite - Google Patents

Description

A ril 30, 1963 C. D. MULLINIX BRIDLE FOR ROTATABLE AIRFOIL KITE Filed July 11, 1961 CHARLES D. MULLINIX ATTOR'N E Y.

United States Patent 1 O Filed July 11, 1961, Ser- No. 123,158 6 Claims. (Cl. 244-153) I invention relates to rotatable airfoil kites and more particularly to improvements in bridles forthe kite that is, more specifically, the attachment means for holding and guiding the rotatable .airfoil while permitting it to rotate about its axis;

Rotatable airfoil kites are themselves now known in the art such as, for example, as shown in the patent of Donaldson, No. 2,501,442; The general nature of the device is known in the art as well as their aero-dynamic characteristics and general principles of operation. 'In one of the preferred forms of these kites, they take the form of an airfoil made of very light material having disks attached to its ends. In a preferred form of flying, guiding or maneuvering the airfoil kite, a bridle is used consisting of. strings of cords attached to the ends of the airfoil by means allowing for rotation of the kite with respect to the guiding and/or maneuvering or control means.

The primary object of this invention is to provide improved means in the bridle or control means for airfoil kites, making possible a very effective but simplified as sembly whereby the kite is rotatably mounted at the ends with a simplified form of attachment of the strings or cords of the bridle to the ends of the airfoil.

The realizationof the foregoing object makes possible an inexpensive, easily fabricated and produced assembly but yet one which is very effective and eificient for its purpose. The invention, as described herein, is exemplified in a particular form of rotatable airfoil kite wherein the airfoil itself and the circular end disks are, by way of example, made of a very light material, particularly Styrofoam. The airfoil is provided with bores at its ends and the end disks have bores and these bores receive a plug or dowel pin which holds the end disks in assembled relationship and provides for mounting in rotatable relationship attaching members to which the control cords or lines are attached. The said plugs or dowel pins preferably are provided with a rounded head or button and a narrower neck, the attaching members which may preferably be relatively light pieces of plastic, or the like, having openings which can be snapped over the heads or buttons so as to then be journalled on the narrow necks of the plugs or dowels. The plugs or dowels may be glued in or otherwise secured in ways described more in detail hereinafter. The assembly, as described, very effectively and economically provides for the rotary mounting of the airfoil kite and for attaching to it the guiding cords or strings. Further objects of the invention reside in the provision of the particular constructional arrangements whereby the aforesaid objects are realized.

Further objects and additional advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, claims and annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detail view partly in section of the improved bridle means of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a detail view of a modification.

As stated in the foregoing, the general nature and aerodynamic characteristics of rotatable airfoil kites are known in the art. The herein invention will accordingly be described in connection with a general description of an exemplary preferred form of rotatable airfoil kite.

3,087,698 Patented Apr. 30, 1963 Such a kite is shown in FIG. 1. 'In the form shown, it comprises a rotatable airfoil 10 having the cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. 2. The shape or cross-section shown is, of course, exemplary since the airfoil may have various other cross-sections. Attached to the ends of the airfoil are disks 13 and 14. The assembly of the airfoil with the disks when in flight rotates in the direction as shown by the arrows when the direction of the wind is that indicated by the arrow 16. The disks assist in stabilizing flight. p

The invention may be used with other kite configurations as,-for' example, as shown in Patent No. 2,5 01,442.

The air-foil and the end disks are made of a very light material and this may be of various types, such as, for example, Styrofoam, which is a very light composition material. Preferably, the airfoil 10 is inset into the cu disks as shown in FIG. 3. The parts have a smooth molded exterior and are secured together by suitable means. 7

,FIG. 1 of thedrawings shows a preferred form of bridle, or controlling or maneuvering assembly, for the kite. Numerals 20 and 21 designate a pair of attachment members or strips which may be made out of light gauge plastic material or similar material. To the ends of the strips are attached the controlling and maneuvering cords or strings 25 and 26, which are attached to the end of the control and maneuvering stick 29 which is held by the operator. The manner in which the kite flies and maneuvers is known in the art. The action of the air against the airfoil causes it to rotate, as described, and also providesan increment of lift so that the kite flies. The kite has stable characteristics due to the aero-dynamic qualities of the airfoil and also due to some extent to the gyroscopic effect of the rotating assembly. As is known in the art, the kite may be caused to execute various maneuvers by appropriate manipulation of the control stick 29 by means of which forces are applied to the ends of the kite through the control cord '25 and 26. That is, the

kite may be caused to climb, to descend, to turn, bank, dip, roll, loop, etc. and to otherwise execute -a large number of maneuvers similar or comparable to those executed by various types of aircraft. Preferably, the strips 20 and 21 have reinforcing ribs as illustrated at 22.

In the assembly, the kite itself is, of course, rotatable with respect to the attachment members 20 and 21. This attachment must, of course, provide for the rotation and still must be very light so as to not unduly increase the weight of the kite. In the preferred form of assembly of this invention, the airfoil 10 has bores at its ends as indicated by the numeral 31 in FIG. 3. Similarly, the end disks such as the disk 13, as indicated in FIG. 3, has a central bore as shown at 32. Preferably, each end disk may be formed with a circular boss or button on the outside, as shown at 33, the bore 32 extending through this button as well. Numeral 35 designates a plug or dowel having a stem part 36 of a size to fit into the bores 31 and 32. The dowel 35 has a circular button part 37 having rounded off edges, as shown, which is adjacent the button 33 on the disk 13. The dowel 35 also has a neck 39 of smaller diameter which is between the button 37 and an outer, rounded head or button 41. The dowel 35 may be made of wood, for example, as well as plastic, held in the bores 31 and 32 by being glued therein. The dowel 35 secures the disk -13 on the end of the airfoil. The attachment member 20 has a hole 43 adjacent its end and this hole is of a size so that the member 20 can be resiliently snapped over the knob or button 41 into the position shown in FIG. 3. The opening 43 in member 20 is then journalled on the neck 39 so that the kite is to tata'bly journalled in the attachment members 20 and 21 which in turn are attached to the control strings or cords 25 and 26. Member 35 has a circular boss 45 forming a raised bearing surface for the end part of strip 20 so that strip 20 does not rub or bear against button 37 when force or leverage is applied to the strip during flight.

In one example of a reduction to practice of the herein invention, the dowels or plugs 35 extended approximately an inch and a half into the airfoil kite. The plugs 35 might also be threaded and might be threaded into threads formed in the Styrofoam of the airfoil and the end disks. Or on the other hand, the dowels might be threaded and then threaded into openings into the Styrofoam with the threads on the dowels cutting threads into the S'tyro foam. The dowels 35 might also have a taper to facilitate insertion into similar bores or opennigs in the Styrofoam parts. The assembly may be made as a knockdown type if desired. This may be accomplished by providing a rounded knob on the inner end or part of the dowel 35 to fit into and be held in a rounded socket formed in the end of the airfoil 10. That is, the socket would comprise more than half of a hemisphere so that the knob would be forced into it and then held but in a knock-down relationship. Such an arrangement would provide a knock-down type of assembly which could be easily assembled and dis-assembled by anyone including persons not skilled in the art.

The hole in the strip 20 may be tapered as shown at 43 in FIG. 3 to facilitate and guide passage of knob 41 through the hole without allowing it to retract after it has snapped through.

With the construction shown, the end disks 13 and 14 are held on by the plugs or dowels although these end disks could be held on in other ways. With the attachment strips 20 and 21 snapped over the knobs such as shown at 41, the airfoil kite is mounted for free rotation or free wheeling while securely held by the bridle by way of the attachment of the cords 25 and 26 to the members 20 and 21. Those skilled in the art will accordingly observe that the invention achieves and realizes the objects and advantages stated in the foregoing. Particularly, there is realized a very effective but economical and easily fabricated assembly providing for the rotary mounting of the kite. The attachment of the bridle is secure and prior deficiencies and shortcomings in the art in this respect are overcome. There is no danger of binding in the rotary movement or of the parts becoming unsecured or difiiculties resulting from excessive weight.

The foregoing disclosure is representative of a preferred form of the invention and is to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense, the invention to be accorded the full scope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rotatable airfoil kite of the type comprising an airfoil rotatable about a longitudinal axis, the improvements comprising dowel members secured in the ends of the airfoil, each of said dowel members comprising a knob on the outside end thereof, a neck of relatively smaller diameter adjacent the knob, and bridle means comprising attachment members, each of said members having a hole therein and being made of resilient material whereby the member may be snapped over a knob on the end of a dowel pin to be journalled on the neck adjacent to the knob.

2. An airfoil kite as in claim 1, wherein the kite is of a type having disks mounted at the ends of the airfoil member, and means whereby the disks are held in secured position by the said dowels.

3. An airfoil kite as in claim 2, wherein each of said dowels has an integral part spaced inwardly from the neck portion thereof, positioned to hold an end disk secured to the airfoil.

4. An airfoil kite as in claim 1, wherein the said airfoil has bores at the ends thereof, the said dowels being secured in the said bores by being glued therein.

5. An airfoil kite as in claim 1, comprising a raised bearing surface at the inner end of the said neck.

6. An airfoil kite as in claim 1 wherein the parts of the kite are made of Styrofoam.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims (1)

1. IN A ROTATABLE AIRFOIL KITE OF THE TYPE COMPRISING AN AIRFOIL ROTATABLE ABOUT A LONGITUDINAL AXIS, THE IMPROVEMENTS COMPRISING DOWEL MEMBERS SECURED IN THE ENDS OF THE AIRFOIL, EACH OF SAID DOWEL MEMBERS COMPRISING A KNOB ON THE OUTSIDE END THEREOF, A NECK OF RELATIVELY SMALLER DIAMETER ADJACENT THE KNOB, AND BRIDLE MEANS COMPRISING ATTACHMENT MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING A HOLE THEREIN AND BEING MADE OF RESILIENT MATERIAL WHEREBY THE MEMBER MAY BE SNAPPED OVER A KNOB ON THE END OF A DOWEL PIN TO BE JOURNALLED ON THE NECK ADJACENT TO THE KNOB.

Images