US1469330A - Helicopter - Google Patents

Description

Get. .2 1923.. 1,469,336

W. RATLlF-F HELICOPTER Filed June 18, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Attorney w. RATLIFF HELICOPTER .Filed June. 18, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Attorney Patent @et. 2, 1923.

WILLIAM RATLIFF, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

HELICOPTER.

Application filed June 18,1923. Serial No. 646,179.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM RATLIFF, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Montreal, Province of Quebec,

5 Canada, have invented certain new and use-. ful Improvements in Helicopters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art 1 to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention pertains to novel improvements in flying machine structures, particularly of the helicopter type.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character having a substantially vertical propeller shaft on which is carried suitable elevating means Such means includes a plurality of vanes which are normally inclined at an angle to the horizontal. The invention resides, in one respect, in a simple and efficient means for regulating the inclination of the blades independently and as desired. To this end, the

outerextremities of the vanes are each connected tothe intermediate portion of the shaft by means of a pair of guy wires. One wire of each pair has a turn buckle inserted therein which may be operated to adjust the elevation of the particular portion of the vane to which it is connected. Consequently the inclination of that vane is adjusted.

Another feature of the invention is the mounting of a plurality of cones on the propeller shaft, these cones being upright and having their axes in line with the shaft. The

object of these cones is to decrease air resistance as will be obvious to those skilled in the art. A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and efiicient bracing means for maintaining the propeller shaft in upright position with relation tothe body of the machine. This structure includes a bridge a5 and various braces pointed out in detail below. I

The invention is fully disclosed in the following description and in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device; b gigure 2 is a longitudinal section of the Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section thereof; Figure 4 is a plan view of the device;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical eleva- 31051 through the propelling mechanism; an l I Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

hearing block 5 is placed in the bottom of 7 the body and a similar block '6 is placed across the top thereof for supporting a counter shaft 7. The lower end of this shaft carries a ring gear 8 meshing with a bevel gear 9 secured. to the end Of'thfi power shaft at. f

A bridge 10 extends transversely across the body and is secured to the sides thereof as illustrated in Figure 3. Directly beneath the top 11 of the bridge, a bearing block 12 8 is secured to the sides of the body 1 and supports the lower end of the propeller shaft 13 which asses through the top 11. The lower end 0 this shaft carries a gear 14 which meshes with a pinion 15 on the counfor shaft 7. By' means of the gearing thus far described, the propeller shaft is driven from the motive mechanism.

The upper portion of the propeller shaft carries a plurality of upright cones 16, the axes of which are in lme with the shaft. These cones are each supported upon a base 17 bolted to a clamp 18 secured to the shaft,

as clearly illustrated" in Figures 5 and 6. A plurality of wings 19 extend radially outward from each base, the inner ends thereof being passed through the bottom of the corresponding cone. The wings aretilted by means of wedges 20 being inserted between the inner ends thereof and the top of the you base. These parts are assembled and locked together by means of bolt and nut devices 21 passed .therethrough.

The propeller shaft has fixed thereto a collar 22 resting on the top 11 to prevent me downward slipping of the shaft, and this collar carries a disk 23. For properly supporting the outer ends of the wings, guy wires 24: extend from the eriphery to the -disk angularly through t 0 lower vanes no bridge, as shown in and thence vertically, in the nature of spacers 25, to the upper vanes. Nuts 26 are threaded on the spacer portions in engagement with the upper surfaces of the vanes for preventing slipping of these members. Each set of vanes is supported by a pa1r of gu wires, one of which is fitted with a turn uckle 27. This device may be adjusted to vary the elevation of one of the outer corners of a vane whereby the inclination of the corresponding set of vanes is altered. lit will be apparent that by means of the turn buckles, the inclination of the vanesmay separately be adjusted as desired.

The propelling structure is maintained upright with relation to the body by means of braces 28 engaging opposite edges of the sides of the bridge 10 and secured to the sides of the body, as shown in Figure 1. Provision against lateral shifting of the shaft 13 with relation to the body is obtained by mountin braces 29 and 30 upon the blocks 6 an M respectively, these braces engaging the inner sides of the Figure 3.

ile a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that various alterations in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as indicated by the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, vvhat I claim as new and desire to protect bx Letters Patent is l. helicopter comprising a body and a propeller shaft extending vertically thereill from, means for rotatin associated with said cones, andwedges inserted between the tops of said bases and said shaft, a plu--- rality of cones carried in upright position my hand,

incense rality of cones carried in upright position.

by said shaft and having their axes in line therewith, vanes having their inner ends secured in the bottoms of said cones, a disk carried by the shaft and disposed beneath the cones, a pair of guy wires extending from said disk to each of said vanes, and a turn buckle inserted in one of the guy wires of each pair.

3. A helicopter comprising a body and a propeller shaft extending vertically therefrom, means for rotatin said shaft, a plurality of cones carried in upright position by said shaft and having their axes in line therewith, vanes having their inner ends secured in the bottoms of said cones, bases associated with said cones, wedges inserted between the tops of said bases and the inner ends of the vanes for tilting said vanes, a disk carried by the shaft and disposed beneath the cones, a pair of guy Wires extending from said disk to each of said vanes, and a turn buckle inserted in one of the guy wires of each pair. Y

d. A. helico ter comprisin a body, a bridge exten ing transverse y thereof, a bearing block supported in the body and beneath the top of said bridge, a propeller shaft supported in said top and block, a counter shaft, means for driving said counter shalt, a drive connection between the counter shaft and propeller shaft, braces mounted on the sides of the body and engaging the top of the bridge, and additional braces mounted on the bearing blocks and engaging the inner sides of the bridge.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set WILLIAM RATLIFF,

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