US1692082A - Aircraft with rotative wings - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 20, 1928. 1,692,082

J. DE LA CIERVA AIRCRAFT WITH ROTATIVE WINGS Filed Nov. 10, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l jzzzzrs'nz ar.

1557a Cz'Erua 27y Y 55257;.

Nov. 20,1928.

J. DE LA CIERVA AIRCRAFT WITH ROTATIVE WINGS Filed Nov. l0, 192 2 Sheets- Sheet F/GS.

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Inn-EJ72 011 J55 a Ciel- U" v Patented Nov. 20, 192 8.

UNITED STATES 1,692,082 PATIENT OFFICE.

JUAN DE LA. CIEBVA, OF MADBIIl), SPAIN.

AIRCRAFT WITH ROTATIVE WINGS.

Application filed November 10, 1926, Serial 1T0. 147,571, and in Great Britain November 24, 1925.

This invention relates to aircraft of the type embodyin a wing system which rotates freely in flight y reason of the action of the to set the wing system rotating before the aircraft commences its advance prior to taking off since in this manner the preliminary run may be greatly reduced.

A method hitherto employed to'impart this initial rotation as to wind a flexible cable around a series of blocks. or hooks secured 'one to each wing at some distance from the axis of rotation and then to have-said cable manually pulled by a number of men.

It is obviously desirable that an aircraft of this type should embody some intrinsic means of imparting this initial rotation to the wing system and the present invention broadly consists in obtaining this result bymechanical means.

Where the source of power of this purpose is located in or forms part of the aircraft, as for example the prime mover driving the air screw or one of them, the connection to the rotating wing system may comprise either suitable shafting and gearing or a flexible element such as a cable- Where the systemof flexible cable applied direct to the wings is employed a. suita le arrangement comprises a drum or spool mounted on 01' connected to the prime mover shaft through a clutch or equivalent, preferably such as to allow some slip in taking up the torque, and one or more pulleys suitably disposed in or on the body of the aircraft in such a manner as to lead the flexible cable to blocks or hooks secured to the Wings. Since the outline in plan of the cable wound around they blocks is not a circle but a polygon the number of whose sides corresponds 'to' the number of wings, a yielding or resilient element should be included at some convenient point in the system. One or more of the pulleys may for example be yieldingly mounted on springs.

' a is an advantage to have the velocity of" be of small diameter and relatively narrow in section with broad end plates .so that the turns of the cable shall wind up one over another.

If desired one of the intermediate pulleys may be entirely external to the aircraft, for

instance same may be mounted in the ground of the aerodrome or on the deck of a ship.

There are various modifications of this system in accordance with the present invention operating to enable the aircraft to take off much more quickly, which is of especial advantage in the launching of aircraft from ships. Where one of the intermediate pulleys is external to'the aircraft it may be disposed in front of the pbsitio'n taken up by the aircraft when preparing for flight, and the pro gressive pull on the cable may be such that the applied forces have a resultant in the forward direction, which can be so calculated that, combined with the pull of the airscrew the machine is projected forward simultaneously with the rotation of the wing system.

In another modification the external pulley is located behind the aircraft in its 0- sition preparatory to starting, and the ca le is led from the blocks on the wings over this" external pulley to the drivendrum. The respective dimensions of the latter, the distance of the wing blocks from the axis of rotation and the mechanical and aerodynamical characteristics of the wing system and of the air screw, as well as the power-and speed of the engine are calculatedin such a manner that the forward pull of the air screw is balanced by the resultant of the forces due to the effort exerted on the wing system. When the en.-

gine is started the air craft will notmove forward until the cable is unwound from the wings, whereupon it will start automatically at full throttle.

If an initial angular velocity greater than that which is normal in flight be imparted to the wing system, and if the Wings be given a positive incidence which may later if desired be regulated in flight, the aircraft may be made to take off still more rapidly.

In all cases where starting is effected by cable, some form of brake or retaining device should be provided to prevent the wings being set in rotation accidentally, for instance by the wind. Any convenient device may be used for this purpose for example an automatically releasing spring cli connecting the wing system to some fixe part of the apparatus, or merelya connecting element breakable at a certain tension.

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' leasable retaining gear to The accompanying drawings diagrammatically illustrate several formsof apparatus in accordancewith the present invention.

Fig-1 is a side elevational View of an air; craft embodying a rotative hinged wing system of the type referred to with one form of cable connection enabling the wing system to be set rotating by the prime mover.

Fig. 2 is a local View to an enlarged scale of a yieldingly mounted intermediate pulley.

Fig. 3 is a view in plan of the inner part of a rotating wing system illustrating a pre- "ferred form of the guides for a flexible starting cable.

Fig. 4 shows a conical wind-on pulley or drum for the cable. I

Fig. 5 shows a form of starting apparatus in which an external pulley is mounted in rear of the aircraft.

Fig. 6 shows a form of wind-on pulley which may be used as an alternative to that shown in Fig'. 4:.

Fig. 7 represents diagrammatically a form of starting apparatus especially suitable for launching aircraft of this type from ships.

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate one example of reprevent accidental rotation of the wing system.

connected through a clutch B provided'with any suitable hand control to a pulley C to which is secured one end ofa flexible cable D passing over an intermediate pulley E and wound around blocks or the like F secured to the underside of each wing G, the latter being hingedly secured to a suitable rotative memblocks or hooks such as F are used on the wings since the figure formed by the cable when wound on the blocks is a polygon with sides equal to the number of said blocks and the pull in consequence is irregular.

There is shown in Fig. 3 however a form of i guide H for receiving the flexible cable in which this objection is eliminated.

These guides are arcuate in plan and suit- I ably channel-shaped in section, and together constitute ;a circular element around which the cable is wound.

It will be obvious that there must be a sepairate guide secured to each wing since the wings have a variable beating movement due to the act-ionofthe air in flight. Fig. 4 shows a driven wind on pulley C in Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and.

/ the form of a truncated cone which may usefully be employed for the purpose of progressively increasing thespeed of the wing system, the cable D being wound from the smaller end of the cone which may be made to traverse slowly in a lengthwise direction in any convenient manner as for instance by a worm or similar gear.

In the form illustrated'in Fig. 5 an external pulley J is mounted behind the aircraft in itsposition preparatory to starting and the cable D is led from the blocks F (or guides H) on the wings around this pulley J to a driven drum or spool K mounted on the side of the fuselage and driven from the engine through a clutch and reducing gear, etc., as may be desired.

In this form the various forces acting on I the aircraft are calculated so that the for- .ward pull of the air screw is balanced by the pull on the cable.' Under these conditions the aircraft will not move forward until the cable is unwound from the wings and the latter are rotating at their desired speed whereupon the aircraft will start automatically at full throttle.

Fig. 6 shows a suitable form of wind-on pulley with broad end plates L such that the turns of the cable C will wind up one over another and progressively increase the speed of the wing system. i

In Fig. 7 an aircraft is shown preparatory to being launched from the deckM of a ship. In this case an external pulley N driven by an outside source of power is located in front of the position taken up by the aircraft when preparing for flight and the progressive pull on the cable C may be such that the applied forces have a resultant in the forward direction, which can be so regulated that combined with the pull of the air screw, the machine is projected forward'simultaneously with the rotation of the/wing system.

In Figs. 8 and 9 one of the wings G is connected to the body of the aircraft by a stay 0, and a ball P heldin a friction clip Q such that release is automatically effected when .a predetermined pull is applied. Such an arrangement prevents the wing system being set in rotation accidentally as by asudden-gust of wind when the aircraft is at rest on the ground.

As an alternative to the ball and spring clip or other equivalent retaining means. a

- portion of the stay 0 may be made breakable at a predetermined tension.

Other forms of starting gear in accordance cal starters mounted on land vehicles (or on tenders, for seaplanes) acting somewhat after the manner of the mechanical starters with the present invention include mechaniat present in use for air screws. Such starters ing gear for connection to the shaft or to the system.

Another arrangement comprises a suitable primemover, for instance an electricmotor located in a cavity in the surface of the aerodrome or the deck of a ship said prime mover having a more or less verticalshaft provided with suitable engaging means for connection to a rotative shaft supporting the wings said shaft being prolonged downwardly to the underside of the fuselage, and the aircraft preparatory to flight being located over said cavity.

In another instance, one of the driving wheels of a motor road vehicle may be provided with a drum to take the flexible cable connection to the wings, this said wheel being jacked up clear of the ground and driven through the differential gear, the other wheel being held stationary.

What I claim is 1. In aircraft, the combination with a plurality of freely rotative supporting wings hinge-jointed to the axis of rotation, .of a power transmission device temporarily connecting the Wings to the-prime mover of the air craft to set said win s initially rotating, said device thereupon becoming automati- O cally inoperative. v 2. In air craft, a plurality of freely rota tive supporting wings hinge-jointed to the axis of rotation, members mountedon said wings and adapted to have a flexible cable wound thereon, a drum operatively connected to the prime mover of the aircraft, and a cable connecting said drum with the cablesupporting members on the wings whereby a torque is temporarily transmitted from the prime mover to the wings to set them initiall y rotating. I

3. In air craft, a plurality of freely rotat ve supporting wings hinge-jointed to the 1 axis of rotation, members secured to the wings and adapted to have a cable wound thereon, a drum operatively connected to the prime mover of the aircraft, -a cable attached to said drum and adapted to be wound around the members secured to the wings, and an intermediate pulley over which vthe cable is adapted to pass and so disposed that thepull of the cable on the wings acts in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of rotation of the wings.

. 4. In aircraft, a plurality=of freely rotative supporting wings hinge-jointed to the axis of rotation, members secured to the wings and adapted to have a cable wound thereon, a drum operatively connected through a reduction gear to the prime mover ofthe air craft, a cable attached to said drum and adapted to be wound around the members secured to the wings, and an intermediate pulley over which the cable is adapted to pass and so disposed that the pull of the cable on the wings acts in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of rotation of the wings.

5. In aircraft, a plurality of freely rota tive supporting wings hinge-jointed to the axis of rotation, members secured to the wings and adapted to have a cable Wound thereon, a drum operatively connected to the prime mover of the aircraft, a manually actuated clutch and a reduction gear forming part of said conn'ection,'a cable attached to said drum and adapted to bewound around .themembers secured to the wings, and an intermediate pulley over which the cable is adapted to pass and so disposed that the pull of the cable on the wings acts in a plane substantially parallel to theplane of rotation of the wings.

6. In air craft, a plurality of freely rotative supporting Wings hinge-jointed to the axis of rotation, members secured to the wings and adapted to have a cable wound thereon, a drum operatively connected to the prime mover of the. aircraft, a manually actuated clutch and a reduction gear forming part of said connection, a cable attached to said drum and adapted to be wound around the members secured to the wings, a yielding- I mounted pulley disposed intermediate the dz'um and the members on the wings and disposed in a horizontal plane such that the cable passing over said pulley transmits a pull acting in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of rotation of the wings.

7. In air craft, a plurality'of freel rotative supporting wings hinge-jointed to the axis of rotation, arcuate members of substantially channel section secured to said wings so as to form a circular guide for a cable wound thereon, a drum operativelyconnected to the prime mover of the aircraft, a cable attached to said drum and adapted to be wound around the members securedto the I wings, and an intermediate pulley over which the cable is adapted to pass and so disposed thatthe pull of the cable on the wings acts in aplane substantially parallel to the plane of rotation of the wings.

8. In aircraft having freely rotative' supporting wings hinge-jointed to the axis of retation',mechanism for setting said wings in rotatipn from rest comprisin a drum mounted externally on the bodyo the aircraft and connected to the rime mover through a slipping clutch, a pu ey mounted inthe landing surface in rear of the aircraft, members secured to the wings; and adapted to have a cable wound thereon, and a cable attached to the said drum and passing over the pulley located in rear of the aircraft and thence wound about the members secured to the wings.

' 4 JUAN-Dr: LA CIERVA.

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