US984147A

US984147A - Aerial navigation.

Info

Publication number: US984147A
Application number: US55375510A
Authority: US
Inventors: James Means
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1910-04-06
Filing date: 1910-04-06
Publication date: 1911-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 1928-02-14

Description

J. MEANS.

AERIAL NAVIGATION.

APPLIUATION FILED APILG, 1910.`

984,147. .I Patented Feb.r14,1911.

v /2 3 ,/2/ l 4I Y/ /k i" F.: 6)/ J 3! UNITED tsTATns PATENT ornion.

nuns MEANS, .or Bos'roN, cHUsnTTs.

.AERIAL NAVIGATION.

Specication `of .Letters 'Patent Patented Feb, 14, 1911.

Application led'Aprl 8, 1910. Serial No. 558,755:

To all whom 'it may concern: D Be it known that I, JAMES MEANS, a citizen of the United States,l and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State 'purposes and such vertical rudder has been arranged either infront or in the rear of the machine in line with the longitudinal .axis thereof, so, that like the rudder ofa ship, it may. Vperform its 4function with .a minimum speed retardation.

- vrIhe object of the present invention' is toprovide an improved apparatus under the control of the operator for turning orfor tending to turn the machine to port or to starboard, said apparatus accomplishing4 .substantially4 thesame result as the vertical rudder ofthe prior art, but accomplishing it in a,radically-different,,more positiveand more effective manner.-

For effecting the foregoing'zobject I emp loy a pair of brakes or speed-retarding de-v vlces disposed preferably near the lateral eX tremities of the machine 'and preferably arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis thereof. Each me'rnber of the pair of brakes is normally in ino lerative position and is arranged to be put into operative or braking position by va suitable controlling device'which may' be -manually loperated and which preferably is so'constructed that only one 'of said brakes is brought into' braking position at a given instant of time. The effectof bringing one V of said brakes into operative position 'is toI retard that side of the machine on which" said brake is located, `so that the machine as a lWhole will turn or tend to turn in a Isubstantially horizontal plane towardy that side.

:The drawings whichaccompany and form a part, 'of this specilication illustrate the principle of my invention; but it will be `understood that many modifications may be made in the apparatus selected for illustration Without departing from said principle'.

In the drawings-Figure 1 represents a plan view of an aeroplane 4embodying my improvements. .Fig 2 is a plan view of a modification. Fig. 3' is an elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan View of one form of brake or speed-retarding device.

In the drawings which I have selected for illustrating my invention, 1 ,1 represent respectively the upper and lower supporting planes of an aeroplane flying machine which may be provided with any suitable means for maintaining lateral stability, such for example as the lateral rudders -2 2', which by suitable mechanism may be rotated in opposite directions-about the axes 3 3', as more fully described in the British patent to Boulton No. 392,'dated August 4:, 1868, or the little Wings or ailerons 4 4 which, `by suitable mechanism maybe rotated downward about the axes 5, 5 :1t-the rear of the machine, as more fully explained in the British patent to Harte No. 1469, dated May 21, 1870. 'l

Mounted on suitable standards 11, 11', secured to some appropriate part of the machine and located preferably near the lateral extremitiesthereof,V are the braking members or speed-retarding-devices 6 6. These devices which, as shown, are preferably arranged vsymmetrically With.respect to the longitudinal Vaxis of the machine are represented in the present instance as lumbrellalike arrangements consisting .of a suitable fabric 6' secured to the frame-Work 7, which in turn is connected by the ribs 8 to the barrel l0 surrounding the rod 9. 13, 13passaroundthe pulleys or

guides

12, 12, through an opening 16 in the fabric 6 and are secured, respectively,to the barrel 10. The inner vends of the cords are attached to some suitable controlling device, such forv example as the lever 14 mounted on theV standard 15and they are so arranged that when the lever is Vin its vertical position,

- both are taut and each' member' of the. pair `braking devices/erto the of brakes is closed. y

I do not limit'myself to the shape of the particular control device herein described.

The operation is as followsz-Asspming' that the machine is traveling in the direction of the arrow and that it is desired to The coi-ds turn the machine in a substantially horiaontal plane toward the let,-in other words, tov steer the machine to port,-the operator will throw the lever 14 to the position shown in Fig. 3, so that the brake 6 is opened, -(the wind pressure meanwhile keeping the brake 6 closed) and the retarding effect of the exposedl` 4surface of the brake 6, which is in operative or braking position, will then cause the lefthand side of the machine to travel more slowly than the righthand side, so thatthe machine as a whole will turn toward the left, provided there be no other forces operating on the machine to prevent suchturning. During the operation of the laterall rudder 2, 2 orthe ailerons 4, 4 for the purpose of correcting sidewise rolling, itV is sometimes necessary to oiset the effect on the direction of travel of the machine of the altered angles of incidence of said rudders ory ailerons because such alteration in said angles of. incidence, if not compensated for, will cause the machine to turn about its vertical axis. Under such conditions the desired compensation can be eiected by slightly moving the lever 14 in lthe proper direction.

While I have illustrated my invention as applied to aeroplanes with two old and well known types of lateral,stability-maintaining devices, it will be understood of course ,that I do not limit myself to the use of my Vimprovement with such devices, and that I may use the same in connection with any suitable arrangement for controlling either lateral or longitudinal stability.

I` claim: i

In a iyinof' machine, a pair of normally inoperative 'brakes or speed-retarding devices arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the machine, said devices each comprising a stationary rod, a barrel surrounding said rod and movable thereon, a fabric-covered frame-work, and ribs connecting said framework to said barrel; a lever under the control of the operator, and cords connecting said barrels respectively with said lever, whereb the operator may bring either member o said pair into operative or braking position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name-this 5th day of April i i910. y Y y JAMES MEANS.

Witnesses: I

E. B. ToMnINsoN, Gmo. K. 'WoonwonTH.