US950427A - Aerial machine. - Google Patents

Description

J. BEARD.

AERIAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1909.

950,421 Patented Feb.22, 1910. 1/

haw/4K ropes 10 leading JAMES BEARD, VETERANS HOME, CALIFORNIA.

AERIAL MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

Application filed January 2, 1909. Serial No. 470,519.

To alL whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES BEARD, citizen of the United States, residing at Veterans Home, in the county of Napa and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Aerial Machines, of which the following, is a specification.

My invention relates to aerial machines.

It consists of a frame adapted to cover the operator and motor, with suitable guiding mechanisms, and a vertical shaft havin a horizontally revoluble propeller of pecu iar construction, which propeller is a so capable of forming a parachute when desired.

It also comprises combinations of parts and details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-.

Figure. 1 is a side elevation, partially in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lower planes and frame-work. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 1 ma reduced scale.

A is a vertically disposed frame having suflicient depth, carrying journal-boxes 2 at top and bottom, Within which boxes 21 vertical shaft 3 is mounted and revoluble. Beneath the lower part of the frame a motor is mounted, and by means of bevel gear, or other suitable mechanism, the power of the motor may be transmitted to revolve the vertical shaft, and with it the propeller; which will be more fully described hereafter, .o the front of the frame are hinged bars 5, the ends of which are connected by a link or links 6. This frame may be covered with light woven fabric, and it serves as a sort of keel to assist in maintainin the upright position of the apparatus. rom the rear of the frame extend similarly hinged or pivoted bars 7, and t0 the rear ends of these bars a rudder-frame 8 is connected. The upper and lower bars of this rudder-frame are pivoted to the rearwardly extending bars 7, and a transverse from it forward to a point within eas reach of the operator, who is convenient y seated at 11 on the main frame. Suitable levers, not here shown, serve to control the motor, which may be of any suitable character, sufliciently light and strong for the purpose for which it is deev The upper end of thevertigal shaft 3, as a hub 12 of suitable length,v and to double tiller 9 has tiller and will exten the top and bottom of this hub are hinged the arms. 13. The outer ends of thesearms are connected by links 14; and by reason of thehinging of the arms in the hub, they may drop-down so that they lie approximately parallel with the vertical shaft; the connection with the hub and the links at the end acting with the main bars in the manner of a parallel ruler, so that the main bars will be substantially close together when the arms hang downwardly, but when they are thrown outwardly by centrifugal force caused by the revolution of the shaft,

the will resent substantially rectangular out ines. f these'sets of bars I have shown four, and the upper bar of each member 1s connected with the lower bar of the next contiguous one, by suitable light, flexible fabric 12; and when all the bars are thus connected, the connecting fabric stands at an incline between each top bar and the next adjacent lower bar in the rear, thus, forming an inclined blade which, when the shaft is revolved,'will cause the air to strike the lower inclined surfaces of these planes, and thus provide a force to lift the apparatus. Between the upper and lower bars of each of these frames extends a flap 13 of flexible fabric, the upper edge of which is fixed to the upper bar, while the lower edge is left free, so that the fabric may swin into a position substantially parallel .with t e interconnecting inclined surfaces of the, propeller. This allows the air to escape freely above the upper surfaces of these propeller blades, so that in rapid revolution there is no obstruction formed by these flaps. Around the peripheral connecting links of these arms is fixed a band 15, also of flexible fabric, and these fabrics are all readily foldable, so that when the apparatus is not in motion the arms forming the ropeller will immediately drop, by reason of their hin ed connections with the hubs, and will t us han substantially or approximately paralle with the driving shaft 3.

'The main frame of the apparatus may have legs or supports of any description, as shown at 16; and when it is to be started, the motor is engaged with the driving gears of the vertical shaft, thus causing it to revolve with any desired ra idit The propeller arms will then immediate y spread and rise about their hin ed connectlons with the hub, the inclined connecting fab.-

ric to form the blades or propellers, which, acting upon the air with sufiicient force of revolution and area of surface,-raise the machine bodily from the ground; the air acting on the lower surfaces of the connecting webs, and being allowed to escape freely between the bars above these surfaces. If for any reason the apparatus should be in condition to descend, by reason of stopping the motor, the extended connecting webs of the propellers will bear upon the air, and as the air will be inclined to escape up the inclined lower surfaces and between the upper and lower bars of each propeller arm, the loosely attached flaps will swing backwardly and cover these open spaces, thus forming pockets to prevent an easy escape of the air. These surfaces will'also belly upward somewhat, and thus increase the buoyant parachute-like action, while the band extending around the outer periphery of the arms provides a sufficient depth to complete the pocket and to retain the air, so that the device will then act very completely as a parachute.

To propel the apparatus, in conjunction with the lifting propellers, -I have shown aeroplanes 18 which are pivoted to the main body or frame A and extend rearwardly upon each side of the frame which carries the rudder. When the apparatus is moved forwardly through the air, these planes, if inclined downwardly from their fulcrum points, will act upon the air in such a manner as to tilt the apparatus slightly with the head downward, and in this position the propellers and the propeller shaft will also be tilted, to a certam' extent, so that the propellers will then revolve at an angle, and in ad- 'diti'omto their lifting quality will also act to dri've the machine forward. Other propellers, not here shown, may be mounted upon horizontal, or approximately horizontal,

shafts, and act in conjunction with the previously descrlbedapparatus to propel it. If it is desired tore-verse the movement of the apparatus, the aeroplanes 18 may be lifted about their hinged points so as to incline up-" wardly, and in this position they will act, if the apparatus is driven rearwardly, to tilt -it in that direction, thus assisting in producing an opposite movement to that previously described.

Inorder to have the device act as a paraformed by the wing ab'rics12 by which the vessel is' buoyed up. In case of stop ing the machine while in midair and using t e vanes as alparachute', the upward rush of, air

against the inclined planes12 will force the fabric flaps 13 backward into vertical posi-. tion, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and

bringing the bottom rods 15 with one end against the hub and the other. against the outside vertical uprights 14 of the'radial frames. Consequently sealed pockets will be formed between each of-the vertical fiaps'13, flap 12 and outside rim sheet 15.

19 represent cords or guy lines by which the frame members. 567,8 are prevented from flying upward during flight. Releasing these stay lines 19allows the members 578 to fold u like a parallel ruler, parallel with the shaft 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent isv 1. In an apparatus of the character described, a vertically disposed main frame lelogram hinged to the front of themain frame extending forwardly therefrom and having connecting links at-its forward end, a similar parallelogram frame hinged to the rear of the main frame and having a rudder and turning means connected therewith, and

horizontal aeroplanes having their forward ends hinged to the main frame extending rearwardly and capable of being tilted upward and downward with relation to a horizontal plane.

2. In an apparatus of the character de f .85 adapted to carry a motor, a vertical paralscribed, a main frame with vertically disf posed, hinged, keel-like structures projects ing forwardly and rearwardly therefrom, a

vertical shaft journaled in the main frame,

a pro eller composed of a: series of arms hinge to the shaft one above the other, each pair having their outer' ends connected by hinged links and-capable of being extended into'approximately horizontal position by centrifugal force, and a flexible fabric having its front edge connected with the upper bar of one of said frames, and its lower e ge with the lower bar of the next succeeding scribed, a main frame, a vertically journaled shaft lprojectin upwardly therefrom having an en arged' hu at the top, a series of'arms,

the uppermost of which are pivoted to the upper portion of the hub, and the lower' arms in vertical line below, to the lower end of the hub, hinged links connecting the outer ends of said pairsof arms, and formin with the hub, parallelograms capable- 0 being -exte'nded; by centrifugal action and foldable against the shaft ygravitation -when not in motion, flexible fabrics con nectin the upper bar of each parallelogram with t e lower bar'of the nextsucceeding,

vertical flexible flaps having their upper edges fixed to the upper bars, saidflaps capable of dropping to close the space he tween the upper and the lower bars, and a flexible band extending around the outer connecting links of the ropeller arms.

4. In an apparatus oi the character described, a vertical revoluble shaft, propeller arms hinged to the shaft and capable of extension by centrifugal force, connecting flexible webs between the upper bar of each i arm and the lower bar of the next succeedi ing, whereby inclined propeller elements are provided, vertical flaps fixed to the upper of each propeller bar and extending loosely l band forming the periphery for the extcn 1 ed arms, whereby, when stationary, the device serves as a parachute.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES BE ARD.

Witnesses RIEL J. THOMSON, l/VM. H. DUNN.

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