US1857292A - Means for displaying alpha sign in the air - Google Patents

Description

May 10, 1932. UDET 1,857,292

MEANS FOR DISPLAYING. A SIGN IN THE AIR Original Filed March 26, 1930,- I

INVENTOR v Ernsl Llde'l ATTORNEYS Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES ERNST USDET, or nnnnm-wxnmnnsnonr, enamels? MEANS son msrmxrnd Aston nf'rnn" I Original application filed March 26, 1930, Serial No. 438,983, and in Germany January 7, 1930. Divided and this application filed January 25, 1932. Serial No. 588,691.

The invention is an improvement in or modification of the invention claimed in the application Ser. No. 279,087, filed May 19, 1928 and is a division of the application Ser. No. 438,983, filed March 26, 1930.

According to the parent specification Ser. No. 279,087 advertisements or qther announcements are displayed by suspending from a motor-driven aircraft a sheet or sheets hanging down substantially vertically during the flight of the aircraft, the sheet or sheets being attached along one edge to a substantially vertical cable, which can be payed out and hauled in.

My present invention is concerned with the shape of sheets used in this way. The sheet is in the form of a triangle having unequal sides, with the base attached to the cable and the longer side at the top. The tip or apex of the triangle is preferably rounded. This shape has the advantage that the sheet remains taut at all angles which the cable normally assumes when diverging from the vertical position owing to changes of speed of the aircraft, changes of length of the cable, diiferent loads on the cable and so on.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawing, showing a towing aeroplane with sheets in the form of a triangle.

1 represents the aircraft, 2 the cable, and 3 a weight or loading at the lower end of the cable, the cable having attached thereto two transparent sheets 4 of the shape described,

with visible designs 5 thereon. The base of each triangular sheet is attached to the cable, the longer side 11 being at the top and the shorter side 12 atthe bottom. The angle contained by the shorter side 12 and the base, or the cable, indicated by an arrow line in the drawing, is preferably one of about 90 to 100. The tip 13 of the sheet is rounded.

The designs on the sheets may be code signs for use in signalling, e. g. military signalling, enabling an aerial observer to signal to his base. There may be on the aircraft a motor?" The transparent fabric 4 may be secured to,

the cable 2 in any suitable manner? One edge thereof is attached to the cable 2 throughoutthe edge length. The cable is hauled into the plane for the first time when the plane is still standing on the-ground and during the hauling in step the fabric is retained behind the cable 2, so that when the cable is payed out from the plane in flight the fabric surface is instantly seized by the air current and stretched backwards tightly. When the cable is hauled in during flight the fabric surface is caused in an entirely natural manner to lie behind the cable in a suit ably folded position for the next hauling out operation.

I claim:

1. Means for'displaying a sign or signs in the air comprising a motor-driven aircraft, a cable carried by the said aircraft,

the said cablebeing adapted to be payed out and hauled in and carrying a transparent foldablefabric, the sign being arranged on the said fabric and contrasting with the air, and a loading provided on the free end of the cable, the fabric being adapted to be urifolded by the air current when the cable is payed out from the aircraft and to be held taut in the air, thesheet of fabric carrying the sign having the shape of a scalene triangle, the base of the triangle being attached to the cableand the longer side of the triangle being at the top.

2. Means for displaying signs in the air comprising a motor-driven aircraft, a cable carried by the said aircraft, the said cable bcing adapted to be payed out and hauled in and carrying at least one transparent foldable fabric, the signs being arranged on the said fabric contrasting with the air, and a loading rovided at the free end of the cable, the abric being adapted to be unfolded by the air current when the cable is payed out from the aircraft and to be held taut in the air, the sheet of fabric carrying the Signs havin the shape ofa scalene triangle, the base 0? the triangle being attached to the cable, the longer side of the triangle being at the top and the tip opposite the base being rounded. v p

3. Means for displaying si s in the air of the character set forth in c aim 1 wherein the angle of the fabric limited by the cable and the lower edge is greater than 90;

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ERNST UDET.

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