US3326499A

US3326499A - Ribs on airplane wings

Info

Publication number: US3326499A
Application number: US348887A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stanley T Atterbury
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-03-02
Filing date: 1964-03-02
Publication date: 1967-06-20
Anticipated expiration: 1984-06-20

Description

June 20, 1967 5, 1 ATTERBURY 3,326,499

RIBS ON AIRPLANE WINGS v Filed March 2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 20, 1967 s. T. ATTERBURY 3,326,499

RIBS ON AIRPLANE WINGS Filed March 2,, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,326,499 RIBS 0N AIRPLANE WINGS Stanley T. Atterbury, Chicago, II]. (928 E. 172nd St., South Holland, 11!. 60473) Filed Mar. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 348,887 1 Claim. (Cl. 244-42) This invention relates to protection of jet liners and airplanes in severe weather conditions.

Heretofore, clear air turbulence has been known, but its causes and after effects little known. It consists of two air masses moving in opposite directions. When they grind together, causing an abrupt change in Wind directions, this is called wind-shear. Until recently it has gone undetected by electronic equipment.

When a jet liner hits a wind-shear it causes the plane to go into a vertical dive a mile a minute. It causes violent reaction to airplanes. Controls are almost locked. Unless control is restored in one to three minutes, crashes usually occur.

This wind-shear forces the plane into a dive. The pressure on top of the wing, and the bottom are about equal. Because of the weight of the plane, plus the speed, the net pressure on the wings, is now in the leading edge of the wings, and the body of the plane. This pressure, must be corrected by the ailerons and elevators of the plane. Unless corrected very quickly, crashes usually occur.

While small planes with less weight, may climb out of a dive, big planes with their great Weight, are not equipped to handle this emergency very Well. It takes two men to pull out of a dive, if successful.

An object of this invention is to provide the wings with ribs. These ribs are attached to the bottom surfaces of the wings. It is When the leading edge of the wings, are raised, and the trailing edges are lowered for landing and takeoff, that the ribs grip the air and break up the airflow at the trailing edge of the wings for better control, in landing and take-oft.

Another object of this invention, is to have half circle ribs, they are tapered at the leading edge of the wings, and tapered at the trailing edge of the wings. The ribs parallel each other.

When caught in a wind-shear, this would break up the nearly equal pressure on the top and bottom of the Wings. The ribs grip the air, instead of slipping over it. In a vertical dive, the ribs would make controls easier to handle.

Another object of this invention is to make possible shorter take-offs of planes, air being used more efficiently.

Another object of this invention is to provide greater load capacity in planes.

This invention is shown, in illustrations, embodying it.

FIGURE 1 is a transverse view, as indicated by line cross section, of an airplane wing, with my invention attached to it. FIGURE 2 is a bottom view of the wing. The drawing shows a wing having top 7 and bottom 4. Recess 6 extends from the wing tip to the wing root and from adjacent the leading edge to adjacent the trailing edge of bottom 4 the recess tapering more gradually to the rear. Ribs 5 are disposed within the recess of the wing and have an upper surface following the contour of the recess. Bottom surface 4 of the ribs follows the contour of the bottom surface of the wing. The front ends of the ribs are tapered and pointed as shown in FIG. 2 and the width of the ribs tapers to a point at the rear ends. The ribs are parallel and disposed between the fuselage and the wing tip The ribs near the wing tip may be spaced closer together than those near the fuselage. The ribs are semi-circular in cross-section.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

A Wing having a recess in its bottom surface, said recess tapering from a front end near the leading edge of the wing to a maximum depth and then tapering gradually to its rear end adjacent the trailing edge of the wing, said recess extending from the wing tip to the wing root, a plurality of parallel ribs having a semi-circular cross-section disposed in said recess, the top surface of said ribs conforming to the top surface of the recess and the bottom surface of the ribs conforming with the bottom surface of the wing, the front ends of the ribs being pointed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,104,056 7/1914 Marr 244-91 1,157,636 10/1915 Ogrissck et al 244-9l X 1,749,047 3/1930 St. Louis 244-91 1,900,067 3/1933 Messerscumitt 244-123 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner. B. BELKIN, Assistant Examiner.