US959392A - Rotary fan or propeller. - Google Patents

Description

H. RUTHENBERG. ROTARY FAN 0R PROPELLER. APPLICATION FILED JULY2, 1909.

959,392, Patented May 24, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

AIONYS ANDREW I QRANAM C0. PNOTO-LITNOGMPTIEM WASHINGTON 9. c.

H. RUTHENBERG.

ROTARY FAN OR PROPELLER.

ABPLIOATION FILED JULY 2,1909.

959,392, Patented May 24, 1910.

3 SHEETS-8151231 3.

HERMANN RUTHENBERG, OF VILLEN COLONIE GRUNEWALD, NEAR BERLIN, GERMANY.

ROTARY FAN OR PROPELLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 24, 1910.

Application filed. July 2, 1909. Serial No. 505,574.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMANN RUTHEN- BERG, a subject of the King of Prussia, residing at No. 52 Konigs Allee, Villen Colonie Grunewald, near Berlin, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Fans or Propellers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rotary fans or propellers adapted to act upon the air, and particularly to such air propellers as are used for propelling air ships or flying machines and which are actuated either by hand or by mechanical-means.

In describing the invention I shall make reference only to air propellers, in which the improvements have proved particularly useful. But I wish to be understood, that I do not limit my invention to the particular use described, and that the same may advantageously be applied to fans or other apparatus of this character.

In the construction of fans or propellers it is of importance, that the propeller be as light as possible, and yet sufliciently strong to resist the strains exerted thereon by the pressure of the air. Furthermore, the blades and the bearings must be so constructed that the friction of the air on the blades and the friction of the shafts within the bearings are reduced to a minimum.

The object of the present improvements is to provide a fan or propeller which is in accordance with these requirements. And with this object in view, my invention consists of the matters to be hereinafter de scribed and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

For the purpose of explaining the invention two examples of a propeller designed for use in a flying machine have been shown in the accompanying drawings, in which the same numerals of reference have been used in all the views to indicate corresponding parts.

In said drawingsFigure l, is a perspective view of a flying machine provided with two propellers of my improved construction,

Fig. 2, is a front elevation of one of the propellers, Fig. 3, is a top View of Fig. 2, Fig. 4, is a side View of the hub of the propeller, Fig. 5, is a top view of the same, Fig. 6, is a cross-section of a knife like blade used in constructing certain parts of the propeller for the purpose of decreasing the resistance of the air, and Fig. 7 is a part of the frame work showing the blade secured thereto. Figs. 4 to 7 are shown on an enlarged scale. Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are views of another propeller constructed according to my invention. Fig. 8, shows this propeller seen from the front, Fig. 9 is a perspective view, and Fig. 10 is an edge view.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates one example of using my improved propeller, the latter being shown as mounted on a flying machine. However, it should be understood, that I do not limit myself to the particular use described hereinafter and illustrated in the drawings. It should also be understood, that the construction of the flying machine, the method of mounting the propeller on the same, and the number of the propellers used in a machine are immaterial as far as my invention is concerned.

In the example shown in Figs. 1 to 7, the propellers 1, 1 are disposed in the rear part of the flying machine, and they are secured with their hubs to shafts 3, 3 adapted to be rotated in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. -Thereby the flying machine is propelled. The means for raising or lowering the flying machine are immaterial as far as my invention is concerned, and they will therefore not be described, my invention relating merely to the construction of the fan or propeller, and its combination with a flying machine of any construction. The propeller is constructed of a pair of tubular rings 5 and 6 which in the preferred form are constructed as continuous Mannesmann tubes or in a similar way insuring great strength of tension and flexure. The pair of rings are connected with each other by several straight tubular rods 7 which are likewise made of strong material. To provide for a rigid connection of the parts any preferred means may be employed, which means are known in the art and need no detailed description. For further increasing the rigidity of the frame and securing it against axial displacement I prefer to provide wires 8 and '17 which have one of their ends attached to the rings 5 and 6, and their other ends to the shaft 3 or parts connected therewith, such for instance as subsidiary hubs and the like. Preferably, the said wires are provided with tension locks such as are used in connection with the spokes of bicycle wheels, though such locks are not necessary in all cases.

A frame work constructed as described possesses considerable rigidity, so that it provides a reliable support for the blades of the propeller. The number of such blades required under varying conditions will be determined by calculation in the usual way. In the example shown, the propeller is provided with four blades; but there may be provided two, three, five or more. Each of the blades consists of a frame work and the filling for the same. The frame work consists of a straight tubular rod 10 connecting the rings 5 and 6, and a pair of tubular rods 11 and 12 secured within suitable bores 13 of the hub let. The latter carries a disk 15 and lugs 16 offset from one another and formed with the bores 13. This construction, and particularly the novel form of the hub 1%, has proved particularly effective in providing a rigid frame work for the blades. Evidently a hub of different construction, or a plurality of such hubs can be used. Furthermore instead of a straight tubular rod 10 a curved rod may be provided. In this case, the blades providet by the frame work are not entirely plane but curved, which is preferable for certain purposes.

The faces of the blades or the filling of the frame work can be made of sheet metal, such for example as aluminum, or a strong alloy of aluminum. In the preferred form, however, I use a filling which is constructed as follows: Between the tubular rods 10 and 11 there is provided a netting of wire or some textile fabric such for example as jute, yarn, wool, hemp, or the like, or some suitable woven, knitted, or twisted textile fabric or wire netting, which is loosely or tightly stretched over the frame Work, and which provides a support for some hardening material, such for example as paper pulp, or papier mach. This layer of paper pulp or the like after being hardened is covered with a layer of varnish, gum, or some other suitable material adapted to make the blades water proof and as smooth as possible, so that the resistance of the air is reduced to a minimum. To further decrease the resistance of the air, the said blades may be ground or polished. A fur ther suitable means for constructing the filling of the blades consists of thin pieces of wood, which are preferably also covered with some water proof material.

A further object of the improvements is to provide means whereby the resistance of the air is reduced, which means have proved particularly effective. For this purpose I provide knife like or edged blades 20 on the tubular rods 7 or at a suitable part of the circumference of the tubular rings 5, 6

which are disposed parallel to the tubes 7 or at an angle thereto, and which are made for example of wood. To enable a blade of the construction described to be neatly fitted to the tubes, it is formed with grooved or semi-circular cross-section fitting on the tubes. Furthermore suitable means are provided for holding the said blades in place on their tubes. Blades of a similar character are preferably provided on the tubes 10, ll and 12, which blades in the preferred form are equal in length to their tubes.

In the other example shown in Figs. 8 to 10 on the shaft 3 are keyed two hubs 21, 22, which may, if desired, be replaced by a single long hub. These hubs 21 and 22, which are secured to the shaft or projections thereof in any suitable manner each carry four spokes 23, 2st, 25, 26 or 27, 2S, 2%), 30, of which each two adjacent spokes, for example 23 and 24 or 27 and 28 are at an angle of 90. The manner of connecting these spokes with the hubs is not shown in the drawing, because it has nothing to do with the invention and can be carried out in any suitable way. The spokes 23, 24:, 25, 26 are at an angle of et5 to the respective spokes 27, 28, 29, 30. All the spokes are secured at their outer ends to two parallel hoops 5, (3 of equal diameter, which are connected together by transverse stays 7, so as to form a rigid structure. Both the hoops 5 and (S and the transverse stays 7 are preferably made of thin steel pipes, for example of Mannesmann pipes. Instead of the parallel hoops 5, (3 the number of which can be increased, if desired, )olygonal frames for example with 8 or 16 sides, can be used. Further, the transverse stays 7 may be arranged at an angle to the planes of the hoops 5 and (S or be replaced by other equivalent means. In the rigid structure thus formed are provided four similar vanes 31, which, as particularly evident from Fig. 9, have a twisted surface. The advantage of this part of my invention consists in the use of such vanes having the twisted surface shown or a similarly twisted form in connection with a rigid structure consisting of hoops 5, (3 and tansverse stays 7 or their equivalents. The number of the vanes is different according to the circumstances. For example in the case of wind wheels or fans it may be advisable to use two or three of such vanes, while in the case of a propeller designed for an air ship or the like it may be desirable to adopt four vanes or to increase the number to 5, 6 or even more. The twisted surfaces, which these vanes possess already exist in the case of ship propellers. They have however never been employed for wind wheels, fans and propellers in combination with the described rigid structure. In regard to the construction of these vanes it may be mentioned that they can be made of any suitable sheet metal for example of aluminum-bronze or other suitable metal. They can however also be made of wood papier mach, canvas or any other suitable material. Of course, care must be taken that the vanes are protected as much as possible against the action of the weather, and, for this purpose, a Waterproof coating of varnish, enamel etc. may be used. In the case of wood the vanes consist preferably of a series of parallel laths, a second series of such laths being arranged at an angle of 90. The adjacent laths should be preferably connected together by a tongue and groove. The lattice work thus formed is then covered with some suitable cloth. In order to avoid injurious friction the spokes and transverse stays are provided with sharp knifelike edges 20 formed in integral relation with said parts or attached thereto.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be per formed, I declare that what I claim is 1. A rotary fan or propeller comprising a hub, spaced tubular rings, tubular rods connecting the rings, tubular spokes secured to the hub and to the rings, the spokes being arranged in pairs and the spokes of the pairs being at an angle one to the other, and vanes secured to the spokes.

2. A rotary fan or propeller, comprising a hub, spaced tubular rings, tubular rods connecting the rings, tapering blades projecting from the rods between the rings, tubular spokes secured to the hub and rings, the spokes being arranged in pairs and the spokes of the pairs being at an angle one to the other, and vanes secured to the spokes.

3. A rotary fan or propeller, comprising a hub having a plurality of sockets, spaced tubular rings, tubular rods connecting the rings, tubular spokes fittin in the sockets of the hub and secured to the rings, tubular rods secured to the rings between each pair of spokes, and vanes secured to the spokes and to the last named tubular rods.

4. A rotary fan or propeller, comprising a central hub having a plurality of sockets, spaced rings, rods connecting the rings, spokes fitting in the sockets and secured to the rings, rods, connecting the rings, one between each pair of spokes, vanes secured to the spokes and to the last named rods, auxiliary hubs, and wires extending from the rings to the auxiliary hubs.

5. A rotary fan or propeller, comprising a central hub, spaced rings, rods connecting the rings, spokes secured to the hub and rings, rods connecting the rings, one between each pair of spokes, vanes secured to the spokes and to the last named rods, auxiliary hubs, wires secured to the rings and to the auxiliary hubs, and tension wires also secured to the rings and auxiliary hubs, sundry of the tension Wires passing through the vanes.

6. A rotary fan or propeller, comprising a central hub having an annular flange and sockets arranged alternately on opposite sides of the flange, spaced rings, rods connecting'the rings, tapering blades projecting from the rods between the rings, spokes fitting in the sockets and secured to the rings, rods connecting the rings, one between each pair of spokes, vanes secured to the spokes and to the last named connecting rods, auxiliary hubs one on each side of the central hub, wires extending from the rings to the auxiliary hubs, and tension wires also secured to the rings and auxiliary hubs, sundry of the tension wires passing through the vanes.

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

HERMANN RUTHENBERG.

Witnesses:

FRANZ SOHWENTERLEY, HENRY HASPER.

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