US2014377A - Flying machine - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 17, 1935. .1. J. FITZGERALD FLYING MACHINE Filed June 17, 1950 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to flying machines of the heavier-than-air type and more particularly to improvements in their driving, raising and landing means.

An object of the invention is to provide a propeller at each end, and pairs of helicopters housed in vertical openings at the front and rear of the fuselage, the main end propellers being partial-'- Iy housed in cowls rigidly engagedin the fuselage, these cowls being based on the air turbine principle, performing the double duty of drawing air down over the face of the turbine and creating a suction within its hollow interior.

A further feature is in the provision of a series of pairs of wings, and ailerons, arranged at different inclinations and in different vertical planes, gradually decreasing in length from the foremost to the rear, providing an effective over all lift, and a lateral balance.

Another purpose is to produce a machine divided longitudinally into equal compartments, and to arrange the landing wheels to be .entirely received within the fuselage when not required for use.

These and many other advantageous objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are attained by the novel design, construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, and shown in the accompanying drawing, constituting a material part of this disclosure, and in which:-

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of the invention, parts being broken away to disclose the construction.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same, drawn to a diminished scale.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

The preferred form of the fuselage II), as shown, is elliptical in cross section, with round ends, and provided with a central partition II, which may be hollow at the top and bottom, forming longitudinal compartments which, together with side compartments, constitute a rigid but light weight body.

At a point near the forward end of the fuselage are a pair of wings l5, extending oppositely outward from near the top of the body and slanting downwardly at their trailing edges to the ailerons IS, the wings being so constructed as to give a positive lifting effect.

A second pair of wings I! are disposed midway of the length, and also the height of the fuselage, these wings being horizontal and of lesser length,

provided with ailerons l8, and may be considered as neutral in their lifting capacity.

A third pair of wings I9 of still lesser length are provided with ailerons 2!] at their trailing edges,

these wings extending outwardly from the lower,

rear portion of the fuselage, and are tilted slightly upward at their rear edges, presenting a negative effect in operation.

Towards the front of the fuselage and midway in its length, are doors 2! and 22, the latter being rearward and well towards the central main compartment within the fuselage, which is provided with a series of windows 23 as indicated.

A single pair of windows 24 is arranged in the forward part of the fuselage on each side so as to provide an outlook for the operator.

A pair of circular openings 25 and 26 extend perpendicularly through the side compartments, these openings being encased in the Walls of the casings which are tubular but converging slightly 20 towards their ends.

Similar openings 2'5 and 28 are arranged in the rear portion of the fuselage, each opening being provided with a shiftable cover, as indicated by the primed numerals. 1

Mounted in these openings are inner casings 29 provided as housings for vertical shafts 3 I--32, these shafts having secured at their outer ends pairs of propellers 33-34, similar propellers 3536 being fixed on the lower portions of the shafts, which are driven by gears 31-38 on shafts 39-40, in turn driven by the motor shaft.

These motors are indicated at 4|42, respectively, at front and rear of the fuselage, and directly connected with shafts driving the main forward and rear propellers, respectively 43 and 44.

Rigidly mounted on the forward end of the fuselage is a generally conical cowl 45 having an opening 41 at the front and an interior deflector 49 adapted to direct the inflowing current of air to the outer portions of the propeller blades, which in turn force the air rearwardly against the oval end of the fuselage, thereby creating a stream line effect, as well as presenting air under pressure to the propeller tips, increasing the speed of the machine.

A similar cowl 46 is disposed at the rear end of the fuselage, having an opening 48 partially enclosing a similar deflector 50, whereby a similar effect may be obtained by the rear propellers 40.

Rigidly attached to the rear cowl 46 is the fixed portion of a steering rudder 5! having hingedly attached a swinging outer portion 52, and also 55 fixed on the sides of the rear cowl 46 are horizontal rudders 53 having hinged directing vanes 54 by which the machine may be elevated or depressed.

Formed in the under side of the fuselage body, near the front are pockets 55, similar pockets 56 being disposed in the rear portion, these pockets being arranged to receive the landing wheels 51 connected by links 58 with the fuselage and operated by bars 59 in such manner as to house the landing wheels completely within the body of the fuselage when the machine is in the air,

From the foregoing it will be seen that the flying machine herein described is based on the air turbine principle, which gives a vacuum effect, which is new in design, the principle involved being that, one propeller performs the double duty of drawing the air inwardly, while creating a suction at its interior.

Due to the lifting effect of the propellers 33 to 36, a direct lifting effect is obtained on the helicopter principle, which may be used independently or in connection with the main forward and rear propellers.

It is further noticeable that the landing wheels may fold into the hull of the machine when landing and if landing be made in water the openings may be closed.

Although the improvements have been described with considerable detail and with respect to certain particular forms of the invention, it is not desired to be limited to such details since many changes and modifications may well be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest aspect.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. A flying machine comprising a fuselage having propellers at each end, a cowl enveloping each propeller and the end of the fuselage, the fuselage having vertically disposed air passages adjacent the inner end of each cowl, and propellers mounted in the vertically disposed passages to create a downward air pressure for aiding in lifting the flying machine, the air under pressure from the cowls passing over the. surface of the fuselage adjacent the lower ends of the air passages and creating a suction.

2. A flying machine comprising a fuselage having propellers at each end, pairs of wings projecting from the fuselage adjacent the propellers, a cowl enveloping each propeller and having the inner ends terminating adjacent the wings, the fuselage having vertically disposed air passages adjacent each pair of wings, and propellers mounted in the vertically disposed passages.

3. A flying machine comprising a fuselage having propellers at each end, the fuselage having vertically disposed air passages adjacent each end of the fuselage, propellers mounted in the vertical passages, a cowl enveloping each of the first mentioned propellers and. having an opening at the outer end, the inner end of each cowl being disposed in spaced relation with the fuselage adjacent the vertical passages thereby providing an annular opening to produce currents of air under pressure over the ends of the fuselage and the ends of the vertical passages.

4. A flying machine comprising a fuselage having propellers at each end, a cowl enveloping each propeller and the end of the fuselage, the outer ends of the cowls having openings, the inner ends of the cowls being disposed in spaced relation with the fuselage to provide an unobstructed annular opening between the fuselage and the inner end of the cowl so that air under pressure is forced over the surface of the ends of the fuselage and the surface of said fuselage, the fuselage having vertically disposed air passages, propellers disposed in said air passages, pairs of wings projecting from the fuselage, a pair of wings being disposed adjacent the upper ends 40 of certain of the vertically disposed air passages,

the other pair of wings being disposed adjacent the lower ends of the other air passages.

JAMES J. FITZGERALD.

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