US1336977A - Aeroplane control - Google Patents

Description

F. 'L. MORSE.

AEROPLANE CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5. 1911.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

F. L. MORSE.

AEROPLANE CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5. 1917.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

3 wvauto'c a ttouuz 1 F. L. MORSE.

AEROPLANE CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5. 1917.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK L. MORSE, OF ITI-IACA, NEW YORK.

AEROPLANE CONTROL.

Application filed July 5, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. MORSE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ithaca, in the county of Tompkins and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Aeroplane Control, of which improvement the following is a specification.

his invention relates to controlling apparatus for aeroplanes and more particularly to the warping wing surfaces that are hinged to, or otherwise flexibly connected with, the wings, or pivoted relative thereto.

In the construction of the wings of the aeroplane it is well known, that by changing the form and section thereof the resistance and the corresponding speed and lifting power of the machine may be varied, as for instance with the tail portion of the wing inclined slightly upward the resistance is greatly diminished so that speed is increased but the lifting or climbing power is reduced, while a wing having the tail portion turned slightly downward has greater reslstance with less speed but greater lifting power. One of the objects of my invention is to provide adjustable surfaces and control connections therefor whereby the resistance and corresponding speed or lifting and stopping power may be readily adjusted as desired and to suit different conditions of flying.

In the control of aeroplanes some of the principal difficulties are encountered in the operation of alighting on account of the igh rate of speed of the machine at the time of coming down into contact with the ground. In order that the aeroplane shall be sustained in the air it is, of course, necessary that it shall be moving at or above a certain minimum rate of speed, but at the time of alighting it is desirable to check the speed as much as possible just before touch- 1ng the ground so that the momentum may be overcome and the machine stopped within'the shortest possible distance from that point. For this purpose it has been the practice to set the elevator surfaces sharply downward at or just previous to the time of alighting whereby the machine is tilted suddenly upward to utilizethe resistance of the wing surfaces against the air for checking the speed and assisting in stopping. According to my improvement pivoted or hinged surfaces are employed to exert a resistance to the forward movement said sur- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920. Serial No. 178,528.

faces being hinged relative to the wings and adapted to be brought toward a position at right angles to the general direction of flight and of the surfaces of the wings.

While these adjustable surfaces may be arranged in various ways, I prefer to employ the usual balancing surfaces, or ailerons, for this purpose and opposite directions in the usual way for balancing and guiding the machine, but may both be shifted in the same direction when it is desired to vary the resistance of the machine for varying the speed or lifting power. These and other features of my the following detailed description and the features of novelty will be set forth in the claim.

In the accompanyin drawings,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating one form of my improvement applied to the two wings and aileron surfaces of an aeroplane;

Fig. 2 a plan;

Fig. 3 an end elevation showing the hinged connection to the wings;

Fig. 4 a plan of one form of mechanism for operating the ailerons either in opposite directions or in the same direction;

Fig. 5 a transverse section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 a transverse section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 a front elevation showing a modification;

Fig. 8 a vertical section of the same;

Fig. 9 a diagram illustrating the connection of the drums and the cords; and

Fig. 10, a diagram illustrating a modification.

The aeroplane structure is shown as comprising the body portion 9, the two planes or wing surfaces 10, and 11, with the usual cross bracing, and ailerons l, and 2, at one side, and l and 2*, at the other side, those at one side being connected together by the posts 3, and those at the other side by posts 3", in the usual way. These opposite sets of surfaces or ailerons are hinged at their front edges to the wings, as indicated in Fig. 3, and are operated by separate sets of cords or wires 4!, and 4 Various forms of mechanism may be de signed for operating these two sets of cords desired amount.

to the opposite sides of the, machine. In Figs. 1 and 4, 1 have shown a mechanism comprising two parallel shafts 5, and 5*, mounted in bearings in a suitable frame and carrying the respective drums 6, and 6, fixed thereon. A gear wheel 7, is loosely mounted on shaft 5, and meshes with gear wheel T rigidly mounted on shaft 5*, while sprocket wheel 8, is loosely mounted on shaft 5"-, and is connected by a drive chain 12, with sprocket wheel 8*, rigidly fastened on shaft 5". The shaft 5, also carries the usual hand steering wheel 13, and the clutch block 14, which rotates with the shaft but is mounted to slide longitudinally thereon to engage with the clutch face of the gear wheel 7 or with the clutch face of the sprocket wheel 8 Any suitable means, such as the hand lever 15, may be employed for shifting the clutch block. The set of cords or wires 4, connected to the hinged surfaces or ailerons 1 and 2, at one side of the machine, is Wound on the drum 6, while the set of cords or wires 4", connected to the surfaces 1 and 9.", on the opposite side, is wound on the other drum 6;

The hand lever 15, is normally set to hold the clutch block 14 in engagement with the ear 7 so that the same turns with the shaft 5, as the aviator turns his hand wheel 13. By this movement it will be seen that, as gear 7*, turns gear 7", in. the opposite direction, the respective drums 6 and 6", will be turned in opposite directions so that the hinged surfaces or ailerons at one side of the machine will be movedin the opposite direction from those on the opposite side, which is the usual operation in guiding and balancing the aeroplane. During this operation the shaft 5 turns loosely within the sprocket wheel 8 When, however, the aviator desires to vary the resistance of the planes to change the speed or the lifting power or to prepare for alighting, he simply throws the hand lever 15, and clutch block 14, into engagement with sprocket wheel 8*, and turns hand wheel 13, in the proper direction. This movement, operating through sprockets 8, and 8 and chain 12, turns both drums 6 and 6 in the same direction and through the separate sets of wires 4", and 4, serves to turn the hinged ailerons upon both sides in the same direction either upward or downward the The lever 15, and clutch block are then immediately thrown back into engagement with the gear 7, for the further guiding and balancing of the machine in the usual. way. It will be observed that the teeth of the clutch faces of the sliding block 14 and of the wheels 7, and 8 are of sufficient length so that the clutch block is at no time out of engagement with both of the wheels, consequently there is a continuous connection between the hand wheel and the adjustable wing surfaces, and the control is not lost even for an instant. The clutch is also provided with fine teeth or otherwise constructed so that it may be thrown in at substantially any point. WVhen preparing for alighting the aileron surfaces on both sides will be set. sharply downward to a considerable degree which has the effect to greatly check the speed of the machine and bring the same to a stop within the shortest possible distance after reaching the ground.

In the modification and 9, the two drums 6, and 6 are mounted vertically one above the other, in a frame 21, which is, itself, vertically sliclable in guides 16. In this case the gears 7 and 7 are both keyed to their respective shafts and the slidingxclutch and sprocket wheels are eliminated. Any suitable means, such as hand lever 17 mounted on rock shaft 18, and connected by crank 19, and link 20, with the sliding frame 21, may be employed for shifting theframe vertically up or down in said guides. With this construction it is not necessary to provide separate sets of control lines or. wires to the ailerons upon opposite sides ofthe machine but the wires 4, from the drum 6, lead to the opposite upper ailerons 1,and 1 trol lines 4, from the drum 6, lead to the lower ailerons 2 and 2", attached at the opposite ends of the-lower wing 11, as in theordinary construction.

It will now be seen that the turning movement 'of the steering wheel 13, operates through the wires 4, and 4 to swing the ailerons-at the opposite sides of the machine in opposite directions as in the ordinary operation of guiding and balancing the machine. When, however, it is desirous to vary the resistance for changing the speed or lifting power or for stopping, the hand lever 18, maybe turned to shift the frame 21, upward or downward in its guides. This movement carries both drums 6 and 6 upward or downward, and through the wires 4, and 4 swings bothsets of ailerons in the same direction, either upward to increase the speed or downward to increase the resistance and lift for climbing or for stopping.

' Other means may be designed for operating the aileron surfaces in the manner above described. As shown diagrammaticallyin Fig. 10', the gears 7 and 7", and the lower drum 6, are eliminated, and a take-up device'22, is inserted in the return circuit control lines 4, leading to the lower ailerons 2 and 2 This take-up device may be a simple loop .and pulley, as indicated or any other means for taking up or shortening the line 4 between the opposite lower ailerons, and the said take-up device is to be operated by the same hand lever 17,v

shown in Figs. 7 8

while the wires or conas by means of the connecting wire 23. This simplifies the construction but the operation is substantially the same as before described in connection with the modification shown in Figs. 7 8 and 9, and will be readily understood. If preferred it will be obvious that the control line 4 of the lower set of ailerons may be wound on the drum and that the take-up device may be located in the return circuit control line 4, of the upper set of ailerons.

It will be obvious that the adjustable surfaces may be of sufficient length to reach the full length of the wing, if desired, and that they may be located at either edge of the wing or between the wings if preferred.

aving now described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In an aeroplane, the combination with one or more wings, of aileron surfaces at opposite sides, control lines leading to said 0pposite ailerons, a drum for said control lines, a hand wheel for rotating said drum to turn the opposite ailerons in opposite directions, a movable frame for carrying said drum, a take-up 'device for one of the control lines, and a manuallyoperated means for shifting said frame and the take-up device to turn the opposite ailerons in the same direction.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set In hand.

y FRANK L. MORSE.

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