US980599A - Aerodrome. - Google Patents

Description

I J. M. GHRITTON.

AERODROME. APPLICATION FILED Jm.2s,11o;

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I Q 8141mm JWMJZIZQZZL J. M. GHRITTON.

AERODROME. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28,1910.

. PatntedJan.3,1911

6 8HEETS-BHEET 3.

Summon w N sw ww WW. 5 v F mm Witwmwo 6309mm, 0 v

11211011110115. AIPPLIOATIQN FILED 1111.23, 1910.

Patented Jan.3, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

M. OHRITTON.

ABBODROMB. V IAPPLIOATIOHIILED JA1T.28,1910..

- Patented Jan. 3, 191,1.

I smjw W! JAMES M. onmrron, or ROCKY roan, COLORADO.

AERDDBOME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 3, 1911.

Application filed January 28, 1910. Serial No. 540,619.

To all whom it may concern:

1 Be it known that I, J Annie M. CHRI'rroN,

.a citizen of the United States, residing at Rocky Ford, in the county of Oteroand State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Aerodrome, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to aerodromes of that type known as ortho teras 'wherein flapping wings are utilized or thepurpose of elevating the machine.

One of thepbjects of the present invention is to provide a machine of this character wherein simultaneously movablewingsare mounted at the sides and an elevating plane is mounted above the center, the wlngs and plane working upwardly and downwardly alternately so as to alternately exert an elevating action.

A still further object is to provide simple means whereby movement may be transmitted from the motor to the elevating wings and plane.

A still furtherobject is to provide improved means under the control of the aviator whereby the center of gravity can be varied at will so as to tilt the wings ,and plane in the direction of their length for the purpose of soaring or gliding.

A still further object is to provide improved means whereby the center of gravity can be shifted to meet variations in the velocity of the wind, such as sudden gusts and the like.

A further object is to'provide improved wings and plane so constructed as to move upwardly with practically no resistance from the-atmosphere while, during the reverse movement thereof, the said wings and plane present broad planes through which the air cannot pass.

Another object is-to PIOVldB a plane and- I wings having flaps designed to be so positioned during the upward movement thereof as to move themachine forward, it thus being possible to propel the machine both in a forward and in an upward direction by moving the plane and wings upwardly and downwardly. I A

A. further object is to provide a wingor planewhich is very light in construction and which will not readily get out of order.

Another object is'to provide improved means for steering the machine either along the ground or while in fli ht.

With .theseand .other 'o jects in view the.

reference invention consists of certain novel details of constructlon and'combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out a in the olaims.

In the accom anying drawings the prethe lnvention has been tudinal section through a portion of said wing. -Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of a portion of one of the flaps ofthe wing and showing one means of connecting the same tothe supporting wire. Fig. 8 is a transverse section through a flap and showing a modified means for securing it to a wire. Fig. 9 is a View partly in section and partly in elevation of the spindle of the steering wheel and the adjoining parts. Fig. 10 is an enlarged side ele'vationof the driving gears and their clutches. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of one of trussed levers and a portion of the wing carried thereby. Fig. 12 is an enlarged section. on the line cd Fig. 3. Fig. 13 is an enlarged section on line e'-f Fig.1 8. Fig. 14: is a detail view of one of the universal joints connecting a corner post with a corner standard. Fig. 15 is an enlar ed View partly in section and partly in e ovation of'theconnections between a crankv and the adjoining pitmen of the wing actuating mechanism.

' Referrin to thefigures by characters of I q designates the carriage of the machine, the same consisting of corner posts 1 connected at their upper'ends by end and side strips 2 and 3 respectively. Other suit able connections are also provided between the posts so as to make a rigid and durable structure, there being an axle l arranged.

, transversely under the; rear portion of the carriae and the ends of which are supporte by wheels 5. Upwardly and forwardly inclined frame members 6 are se cared to the sides of the carriage and those ortions of these strips which are located in front of the carriage frame are bowed and secured together at their outer ends. A.

65 I Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof,

, end ofjthis spindle and has a wheel 11. jour-- tubular bearing member 7 is secured upon the connected ends of these bowed portions and'has a longitudinally extendin slot vtherein, as indicated at 8. A spind e 9 is mounted to rotate within the tubular member 7 and a fork 10 is connected to the lower naled within it. The said fork is of considerable length and extends preferably from the connected ends of the strip 6 and downwardly a sufiicient distance to permit the wheel 11 to coeperate with wheels 5 for the 1purpose of holding the carriage Anory in a horizontal position.

Posts 12' extend u wardly from the centers of the front an rear carria e strips 2 and. are fixed relative thereto, t ese posts supporting a bowed longitudinally extending brace 13,.the front end of which is secured in any suitable manner to the upper end-of the tubular standard 7. These posts also constitute supports for the propeller shaft 14. The rear end portion of this shaft.

j extends through a bearing sleeve 15 which is attached to and extends rearwardly from the rear post 12, the blades of the propeller being secured to the rear terminal of the shaft. These blades have been indicated at 16 and may be of any preferred type although they are referably shaped and mounted as shown I in t e drawings. A grooved wheel or a sprocket 17 is secured to the shaft 14 and is adapted to be driven'by a belt or chain 18.

. This. beltor chain receives. motion from a wheel or sprocket 19 which is normally loosely mounted on the shaft 20 of the motor 1 21, there being a clutch 22 by. means of which the wheel or sprocket can be placed into or out of connection with the shaft 20. This clutch is designed to be actuated by a lever 23 mountedupon the carriage A and which transmits motion through a rod 24 tea clutch engaging lever 25.

A gear 26 is keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 20. and meshes with a gear 27 which is normally'loosely mounted on a shaft Y 28 journaled within the post 12 near the lower end thereof. A clutch 29 is feathered on the shaft 28 and is adapted to be actuated by a lever 30 which is connected, by means of a rod 31 with the said clutch 29. By shifting the clutch into engagement with gear 27 the said gear can-be operatively con- 7 A shiftable frame B to f nected to the shaft 28. and motion therefore transmitted from gear 26 through gear 27 J to the shaft. A crank 32 is arran ed at each end of the shaft 28 and is for t e'p'urpose hereinafter set forth. v

is arranged sibove the carriage and consists of corner standards 33 located directly above the posts, Land con- 1 nectedto the respective posts by means of universal joints 34. Side strips 35' connect the standards-33 at'intermediate points and are pivotally connected to them as shown at 36, and additional side strips 37 are pivotally connected, as at 38, to the upper portions of the standards 33. These strips 35 and 37 are parallel with the side strips 3 of the carriage A. A. front connecting strip 39 is pivotall attached, as at 40, to the front standar s 33, and another connecting stri 41 is pivotally attached to the rear standar s 33 both of the strips 39 and 41 being parallel with the front and rear strips 2 of the carriage.

A shaft 42 is j ournaled upon the side strips .3 and is dis osed parallel with the front and rear ends 0 said carriage, there being cranks 43 at the end of the shaft and each of which has a pitman 44 mounted u on it. These pitmen are connected to the ront standards 33, the connection being such as to permit the standards to swin either from front to rear or from side to slde. An actuatin ver'45 is secured to the shaft 42 an by means thereof the said shaft can be shifted so as to transmit motion through the pitmen 44 to the standards 33 and thus swin rthe standards forwardly or rearwardly with relation to the carriage A. This movement is of course permitted in view of the fact that all of the connections between the standards are arallel. Any suitable means, such as a standards being such as to permit the said standards to swing either laterally or from front to rear without interference. The

shaft 47 is also provided with an actuatin lever 50 which may be looked in adjuste position in any preferred manner as by means of a'toothed segment 51 designed to be engaged by a dog carried by the ever.

The s indle. 9' heretofore referred tohas forward y converging rods 5land 52 extending throughthe upper and lower ortions thereof "respectively, the up er r being -arr'anged within the slot 8 while the lower rod 52 is preferably mouikted in that portion of the spmdle located be w the connected ends of the stripsG. 'I e two rods are connected by sections 53 of silk or other suitable fabric, the said sections being stretched between the rods and constituting the rudder of the machine. Stron cords 54 are attached to the rear endvof t e rudder and are passed around ulleys 55 connected to the strips 6 and t once over pulleys 56 which are supported by the upper por- 7 3 and 74: are bowed downwardly to a slight no I tions of the front posts 1. From these pulleys 56 the cords extend partly ar mrlnd pnlextent and are connected, at regular 1nterleys 57 which are connected to the strips 6 vals, by cross wires 76 extending transat points adjacent the axle 4i and the end verselyj under a series of longitudinally ex- 5 portions of the cords are then extended I tending reinforcing wires 77. These rein- 7g;

transversely of the carriage A and attached forcing wires are secured to the cross strips to an actuating lever 58 carried by the Car- 75 and to the upper members a of the levers riage A and provided with any suitable 61 and are for the purpose hereinafter set means, such as a toothed segment 59, for forth. Each of the cross wires or cords 76 1p looking it against movement. Obviously, has a flap 78 of silk or any other suitable 75 by shifting this lever 58 to the right or to light fabric supported loosely by it, the said the left motion will be transmitted thereflaps extending throughout the width of the from through the cords 54 to the rudder so wing or, in other words from the strip 74 as to cause the rudder to swing about the to the strip 72. The flap may be attached longitudinal center of, the tubular standards by threading the wire or cord 76 through 89 7. Spindle 9 and fork 10 'will also be partly the upper edge portion thereof, as shown rotated and, when the machine is traveling a-rticularly in Figs. 5 and 7, or, if prealong the ground, it will befa parent that terred, tabs-79 may be extended from the the wheel 11 can thus be shi ted so as to upper edge portion of eachyflap and looped properly guide it. Therudder supportin about the wire or cord as shown in Fi 8. Structure an be l'fi n orfied in any P e e r In either instance the flap normally hangs manner, there being preferably an arrangeloosely from the Wire.

ment of guy wires 60 connecting the 11 per Hangers .80 extend downwardly from the end of the tubular standard 7 with the rent id stri s 72 and 74 and are connected in 25 Corner post 1. Other guy wires may be 10- any preferred manner as by means of wires Gate at desired p nts Within the carriage- 81 or the like extended under and parallel structure so as to reinforce the same.- with the side strips 72 and 74, these hangers The parts heretofore described constitute and connections being secured to a retainthe main body of themachine, the propeling apron 82 formed of silk or other suitable 30 ling and the steering mechanism. The light but strong'fabric, the lower edge pormeans utilized for elevating the machine tion of each apron being disposed below consists of side wings C and D and an inthe lower edges of the flaps 78. Parallel retermediate liftin plane E; The two wings taining wires or cords 83 connect the side C and I) are simi a r in construction and each aprons at points below the wires or cords 7 6 '35 colnsists of two trussed levers-61 formed of and these retaining wires or cords constitute light metal tubing or an other suitable abutments for the flaps 78 and serve to prematerial Th upp a d OWEI m s a vent the flaps from hanging perpendicu- I and b of the lever are secured together at l d All f th fl are nornmuy i their ends while at intermediate points re clined slightly to the rear. It will be ap- 40 arranged spacing strips 62 and 63, the strip parent therefore that when the wing is 62 being provided with an aperture for the moved downwardly the air in the path recep i n of 1 Wrist pin 4:, located j c thereof will cause the flaps toswing upthe upper end of a pitman 65. This pitman rdly against the net-work made up of is pivotally connected as at 66 to a lever 67 wires or cords 76 and 77 and the flaps, when 5 W c is eifi at l thus elevated, will lap and form an imper- 11o end Of a Side Strip 3 A itmall 69 0011- forate plane through which the air cannot nects one end of thlS lever 6- to one of the pass, Moreover the depending aprons at cranks 32heret0fore ment one A fu the sides of the wing serve to prevent the air 1 block 70 is secured between the inner meetf ing laterally during this down- 50 ing ends of the members a and b of the lever d n'mvement f th win and th ifi.

1 and this block has one or e p g ciency of the said wing is thus 'materially 71 for the reception of a bearing stud exi d, M

l tending from one end of the upper side-strip Ar 84: are extended inwardly from the 37. (Two levers 61 are used in the construcb i blo k 70 and la ,-the said arms as tion of each wing, said leversbein mounted working in parallel vertical planes. The upon the two ends of the str ps 3 and each free end of each arm is connected to a being pro de Wlth the articular e hanger. 85 which is pivotally attached to one ticn with a crank 32, S116. h been of a pair of cross ribs 86'connecting the side scribed. .7 ribs ofcthe intermediate lifting plane w larellel longitudinally extending ribs72 The side vribs 87 are bowed longitudinally 731and Mare secured upon the levers 61st and are connected at their ends by cross angles thereto, the said ribs extending ribs 88. T he structure of this plane is forwardly and rearwardly beyond, the levers similar, to that of each of the win 5 retov and being connected to ether at their ends,- fore described,- there being loosely epending -F r n i Th i sis e t-ri tranngersely tendingifi so whiph are I,

' supported normally in inclined positions by the retaining wires orcords 90 and are de signed, when ,the plane is drawn downwardly, to swing upwardly against a net:'

work of wires or cords or the like connecting the ribs.

The operation of the machine is. as follows :The aviator seats himself upon the seat 91 located upon the rear portion of the mitted through thebelt or chain 18 to wheel 17 and thence to the propeller shaft 14.

The machine will therefore be propelled forwardly, it being supported on the ground by the wheels 5 and 11.v It becomes possible to steer the machine while thus traveling over the .ground, simply by shifting the lever 58 so as to transmit motion through the cords'54 to the rudder and thence to the stem 9.' After the machine has been given a sufficient momentum the clutch 29 can be shifted so as to connect the gear 27 with shaft 28. The cranks 32 will therefore be rapidly rotated and the pitmen 69 given an oscillatory movement so, as to work the levers 6'1 upon their fulcrums. Motion will therefore be transmitted from these levers to the pitmen and to the levers 61 and the wings and the intermediate plane will thereforebe set motion. During the upward movement of the" wings C and D, the

arms 84, a'reswun'g downwardly and there-v b fore pull downwardly on the intermediate plane E. The flaps carried by the. frame of said plane will therefore swing upwardly against the wire network and prevent the air from passing through the plane. The

- "fsaid plane will therefore operate to elevate the entire machine and when it reaches the limit of its downward movement such as described, the wing s-C and D, which have been elevated during such movement, will begin dtomove downwardly. 1 The flaps carried by these wings will act in the same manner as the flaps of the plane E and said wings will therefore operate to elevate the entire machine. during the downward movement of the intermediate plane; It will thus be seen that the plane and the wings operate alternately so .that acontinuous upward movement of the machineis produced thereby,

If the propeller is in motion the machine movement and the flapswill tend to lie close will be driven forward during this upward to, the wires 76 so that by stopping the movement of the wings and the intermediate plane, the machine can be caused to soar after the manner of an ordinary aeroplane.

One of theprincipal advantages resulting from the structure herein described is the fact that the machine is capable of hovering over a fixed point and that its rise is not dependent upon momentum imparted by the propeller. The machine is, however, capaand the pro eller can be operated simultaneously. S ould it be des red tochange the altitude of the machine without operatmg the wings and intermediate plane, the

aviator may shift the center of gravity by manipulating the lever 45.. Shaft 42 will therefore be rocked and will pull or push Should the said wingsand plane be shifted forwardl the weight of the carriage, etc.,

would 0 course tend to tilt them so as to elevate the front edges thereof, and the machine, during its forward'movement, would then rise. The machine can also be lowered by so shiftingthe parts as to incline the wings and planedownwardly toward their front ends. 'Any sudden gust of wind meeting the machine at the sides can be ofi-set by shifting the weight laterally by means of the lever 50. Thislever can also be used for centering themachine prior to a fli ht. As shown in Fig. 6 and as hereto ore stated, the flaps of the wingsand plane as sum-e inclined positions during the upward movement thereof, the said flaps resting against the cords or wires 83 and 90. It will be apparent therefore that during themovement of the plane E and the win s C and D, these fla s will present inclined faces to the air and thus cause the machine to be propelled forward to a slight extent durin each upward movement of the plane E an wings C and D. Obviously therefore the vertical reciprocation of the wings and plane can be used to propel the machine forward as well as to elevate it, without the necessity of utilizing apropeller 16.

It is ofcourse to be understood that vari ous changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of-the invention as defined in the appended claims.

- What is claimed is '.1. In an aerodrome, an elevating element comprising a frame, said frame being bowed in the direction of- 'its length, flexible flaps loosely supported within and extending below the frame, the'width of each flap being greater than the distance between two adjoining flaps, a rons fixedly connected -to and depending mm the sides of the frame, means connecting theaprons for limiting the downward movement ofthe fla s relative to the frame, and means secure to the 70 ble of soaring and, if desired, the wings frame for limiting the upward movement of the flaps relative thereto.

An aerodrome including a carriage, side wings connected thereto and extending beyond the sides thereof, an intermediate ably connected to said standards said means including side wings mounted for up and down oscillation, and an intermediate plane mounted for up and down reciprocation,

said plane being movable in one direction during the movement of the wings in the opposite direction.

4. An aerodrome including a carriage, standards connected thereto by universal joints, elevating .eleinents connected to the standards, rock shafts mounted on the carriage, separate means for actuating the respective shafts, connections between each shaft and certain of the standards for swinging all of the standardsin the. directioniof the length of the. carriage, and connections between the other shafts and certain of said standards for transmitting motion from the shaft to the standards to shift the standards laterally. e

5. An aerodrome including opposed wings mounted for up and down swinging movement, means for actuating said wings, arms extending inwardly from the wings, an intermediate plane, and connections between the plane and arms, said connections and arms operating to bodily reciprocate the plane in a direction opposite to the wmgs durin the oscillation of the wings.

6. I n an aerodrome, a carriage, standards connected thereto for universal movement relative to the carriage, trussed levers supported by the standards and mounted to swing in planes perpendicular to the carriage, means for locking the standards against movement relative tothe carriage, frames mounted on the levers, flaps loosely connected to and normally suspended from the frames, and means for actuating the le vers and frames to swing the flaps within the frames, said flaps being adapted to lap during the downward movement of the frames to constitute a lifting plane.

7. An aerodrome includinga carriage, a crank shaft mounted for rotation thereon, means for actuating the shaft, oppositely extending elevating wings above and connected to the carriage, each wing including levers, aframe upon the levers, and trans versely extendingQflaps loosely supported within the frame, and mechanism for transmitting motion from the crank shaft to each wing, said mechanism including an intermediate lever, and pitinan connections between the respective ends of said lever and the crank shaft and a lever'of the wing.

8. In an aerodrome, an elevating element including a/ frame, flaps loosely supported therein, a rons fixedly connected to and depending rom the sides of the frame, means connecting the aprons for limiting the down-' ward movement of the flaps relative to the frame, and means secured to the frame for limiting'the upward movement of the flaps,

relative thereto.

v 9. An aerodrome including wings, an elevating plane, power transmitting connections between the wings and the plane, means for actuating the conrgections to simultaneously reciprocate the lane and oscillate the wings,ita.propeller an means for tilting the plane an to the propeller.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. V e ,7

JAMES M. CHRITTON.

Witnesses C. R. GooDNER, G. M. CorrMAN.

wings rom front to rear relatives

Images