Abstract:
The present invention provides a device that modifies the centrifugal force of a series of weights held at the perimeter of a rotating assembly by creating an acceleration on the weights perpendicular to their circular path of travel in addition to the centripetal force acting on them. By creating an acceleration on each weight perpendicular to its circular path and by timing when to create the acceleration, the net centrifugal force of the weights can be increased along the top of their rotational path and decreased along the bottom of their rotational path thereby producing a sustainable imbalance that can produce a thrust which propels the device in a particular direction. By using numerous weights on the rotating assembly, a smoother continuous force will be produced. In addition, the present invention can be processed, accelerated or decelerated to produce three dimensional controlling force vectors to add stability to its platform.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention generally relates to devises that use unbalanced centrifugal force to propel an apparatus in one direction.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Background Art  
         [0004]     Various devices that use unbalanced centrifugal force to propel an apparatus in one direction are known within the art. By way of example, US Pub. No. 2004/0069080 of Sordjan Jr. provides a system using unbalanced centrifugal force to propel a vehicle in a unidirectional motion. The device uses unbalanced gears rotating around a fixed central gear thereby producing an unbalanced centrifugal force to produce unidirectional motion.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,698 issued to Kunz discloses a propulsion device which employs a belt driven rotor with an aperture larger than the shaft around which it revolves to create a net centrifugal force.  
         [0006]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,453 issued to Mason, concentrates a centrifugal force by rotating arms at the end which are perpendicularly rotating weighted armlets. The rotating weighted armlets cause variations in the centripetal force resulting in a net force vector.  
         [0007]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,238,968 issued to Cook utilizes two counter-rotating arms about a common-axle for generating linear motion. One arm contains a mass, which is splitable as well as transferable to the other arm and back at intervals of one hundred and eighty (180) degrees of rotation.  
         [0008]     The history in this field has produced devices that generally have trouble being scaled up to efficiently generate unidirectional forces that are smooth and of sufficient strength to be practical in their use.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     The present invention provides a device that modifies the centrifugal force of rotating weights by creating an acceleration of the weights perpendicular to their circular path of travel in addition to the centripetal force acting on the object as it rotates through its circular path.  
         [0010]     The forces acting on each weight are derived from two sources. The first is centrifugal. According to Newton&#39;s Law, centrifugal force is produced as a result of an object which is constantly changing direction. Since changing direction constitutes acceleration, by Newton&#39;s law F=MA, a resulting force is produced. Centrifugal force is also directly proportional to the velocity and mass of the object or the radius of the circle through which the mass is traveling. An object undergoing uniform circular motion creates a centrifugal force equal along all points of its path.  
         [0011]     The first centrifugal force that is equal on all sides can be modified by the introduction of a second force on each weight by creating an acceleration on it perpendicular to its circular path. According the same law of Newton, F=MA can be used to determine the increase in acceleration of the weight as a force acts on it to move it toward the center of the circular path through which it travels. Also when the path of the object is changed the radius of the circular motion it is undergoing is also changed. When the radius is reduced the centripetal force (acting towards the center of the circle) is changed by the following formula F=MA=MV 2 /R where “A” is the acceleration and “F” is the centripetal force. “R” is the radius of the circle and “M” is mass of the object.  
         [0012]     The acceleration can be further defined by examining the distance through which it is moved and the time it takes to move it there. In a simplistic view, the acceleration of an object equals the distance moved divided by the time is takes to move it there. Therefore as the object is moved more quickly from one point to another through the same distance the acceleration is greater if the initial velocity is the same.  
         [0013]     As the centrifugal force of the object increases so does the force necessary and derived when creating an acceleration perpendicular to it radial path. The increased centrifugal force makes the object appear to weight more; so the force necessary to accelerate it through the same distance perpendicular to its radial path is also increased.  
         [0014]     By timing when to create the acceleration perpendicular to the radial path, the net centrifugal force of the weights can be increased along the top of their rotational path and decreased along the bottom rotational path thereby producing a sustainable imbalance that can produce a thrust which propels the device in a particular direction.  
         [0015]     In addition to lifting propulsion, because it is a rotating mass, the present invention can be precessed, and/or the rotational velocity of it can be accelerated or braked to produce three dimensional controlling forces to add stability to any platform it is attached to when no other stabilizing forces are available.  
         [0016]     By using numerous weights on a single rotating system, a smoother continuous force will be produced.  
         [0017]     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]     The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:  
         [0019]      FIG. 1A ,  FIG. 1B , and  FIG. 1C  is a simple visual illustration of how the weight of an object changes when it is moved or accelerated.  
         [0020]      FIG. 2A  is a visual illustration in plan view of how to apply the principal to a simple rotating object, i.e. a weight on the end of a string.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3A  is a plan view of one embodiment of the present invention. It illustrates a simple rotating platform with two opposing weights. It also displays the approximate areas of acceleration perpendicular to the radial path.  
         [0022]      FIG. 3B  is a sectional view of the present invention taken from  FIG. 3A  and similar to the same location in  FIG. 4A .  
         [0023]      FIG. 4A  is a plan view of the present invention. It illustrates a simple rotating platform with multiple opposing weights. It also displays the approximate areas of acceleration perpendicular to the radial path.  
         [0024]      FIG. 4B  is a sectional view of the present invention taken from  FIG. 4A  and similar to the same location in  FIG. 3A .  
         [0025]      FIG. 4C  is the back of the present invention in plan view. It illustrates a simple rotating platform with a single stationary cam and multiple cam followers, push rods and rocker arms.  
         [0026]      FIG. 5A  is a partial sectional view of an alternate embodiment that directly uses a cam to accelerate each weight.  
         [0027]      FIG. 6A  is a partial sectional view of an alternate embodiment in which the weight is also a piston that uses a combustion process similar to a two cycle engine to accelerate the weight with a rocker arm and cam to hold and release the weight after each combustion cycle. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0028]     Referring now descriptively to the drawings, wherein similar reference numbers denote similar elements throughout the several views, the attached figures illustrate concepts, systems and methods according to the present invention.  
         [0029]      FIG. 1A ,  FIG. 1B , and  FIG. 1C  visually depicts what happens when an acceleration acts on an object. As can be seen in illustration  FIG. 1A , the normal weight of the object undergoing solely the acceleration of gravity is shown on the scale. However when the object is accelerated in the opposite direction as the acceleration of gravity as shown in illustration  FIG. 1B ; the weight of the object increases at least briefly as shown on the scale. When the object is released and allowed to accelerate in the same direction as the acceleration of gravity as in illustration  FIG. 1C ; the weight of the object decreases as shown on the scale.  
         [0030]      FIG. 2A  visually depicts what happens when you apply the concept illustrated in  FIG. 1A ,  FIG. 1B , and  FIG. 1C  to a rotating object. As can be seen in the illustration, a small weight is attached to a string that is being spun around by a hand. The object is undergoing an acceleration creating a force on the string known as centripetal force. As illustrated in  FIG. 1B  above when the weight is accelerated against the centrifugal force acting on it, i.e. the string is suddenly pulled a short distance toward the center, the tension on the string will be briefly increased. The area of increased acceleration is illustrated by a darker pie shaped area approximately 45 degrees either side of the top. However when the object is allowed to move in the same direction as the centrifugal acceleration, i.e. the string is released a small amount along the bottom as illustrated by a darker pie shaped area approximately 45 degrees either side of bottom, the tension on the string will be decreased briefly. The difference between the increased and decreased acceleration areas will result in a net force acting on the system.  
         [0031]      FIG. 3A  being one embodiment of the invention depicts a shaft  23  that provides rotation in a counter clockwise direction of the backplane assembly  24  being the entire surface upon which other items are mounted. The shaft is being rotated by a motor/power source depicted in  FIG. 3B  as  25 . The lower actuator rod guide  27  and the upper actuator rod guide  40  provide support for the weight actuator rod  11  which passes through weight  10  upper spring seat  13  which seats against the upper actuator rod guide  40  and spring  12  and lower spring seat  14 . The opposite weight actuator rod  30  in the same manner passes through opposite weight  29  opposite upper spring seat  32  opposite spring  31  and opposite lower spring seat  33 . Both actuator rods slide easily through their supports and press against a shoulder depicted in  FIG. 4B  as  41  so that when the rod is depressed by the rocker arm  15  which is actuated by pushrod  17  and cam  19  on the opposite side depicted in  FIG. 3B  and  FIG. 4C  similar the weight moves toward shaft  12  at the center of the backplane assembly  24 . The opposite rocker arm  34  is actuated in the same manner by pushrod  17  and cam  19  (which is held stationary and does not rotate) on the opposite side depicted in  FIG. 3B  and  FIG. 4C . Each rocker arm has a roller  16  and  35  at the end to reduce friction where they press against the actuator rods. When the backplane assembly  24  is rotating, spring  12  stores energy to help accelerate weight  10  when Rocker Arm  15  depresses actuator rod  11 . Cam  19  (which is held stationary and does not rotate) depicted in  FIG. 3B  and  FIG. 4C  is similar to that used for  FIG. 3A  is shaped so that it causes rocker arm  15  to depress weight actuator rod  11  which will accelerate weight  10  downward as it passes through the shaded area at the top shown as the Area of Increased acceleration  38  in  FIG. 4A  which is the same in this figure. Cam  19  (which is held stationary and does not rotate) depicted in  FIG. 3B  and  FIG. 4C  is similar to that used for  FIG. 3A  is shaped so that it causes opposite rocker arm  34  to partially release opposite weight actuator rod  30  which will reduce the acceleration of opposite weight  29  as it passes through the shaded area at the bottom shown as the Area of decreased acceleration  39  in  FIG. 4A  which is the same in this figure. The upper and lower spring seats generally provide stability for the springs by capturing each end of the springs and ensure they remain properly placed. As the rotational speed increases the weight spends less time in the areas of increased and decreased acceleration. If the device is rotating at one thousand revolutions per minute it will only will take fifteen one hundredths of a second to pass through the area of increased acceleration  38 . As a result each weight only needs to be accelerated a small distance perpendicular to the circular path of travel during that small time interval to create an increased force vector on weight  10 .  
         [0032]      FIG. 4A  being one embodiment of the invention depicts a shaft  23  that provides rotation in a counter clockwise direction of the backplane assembly  24  being the entire surface upon which other items are mounted including thirty four weight assemblies as depicted by  FIG. 4B . Shaft  23  is being rotated by a motor/power source depicted in  FIG. 4B  as  25 . Each weight assembly numbered one through thirty four is identical except that they are evenly spaced around the perimeter of backplane assembly  24 . Each weight assembly operates in this fashion. The lower actuator rod guide  27  and the upper actuator rod guide  40  provide support for the weight actuator rod  11  which passes through weight  10 , upper spring seat  13  which seats against the upper actuator rod guide  40  and spring  12  and lower spring seat  14 . The upper and lower spring seats of each spring provides stability for the springs by capturing each end of the springs and ensure they remain properly placed. Each actuator rod slides easily through their supports and press against a shoulder depicted in  FIG. 4B  as  41  so that when the rod is depressed by the rocker arm  15  which is actuated by pushrod  17  and cam  19  (which is held stationary and does not rotate) on the opposite side depicted in  FIG. 4B  and  FIG. 4C  the weight  10  moves toward shaft  12  at the center of the backplane assembly  24 . Each rocker arm has a roller similar to  16  at the end to reduce friction where it presses against the actuator rods. When the backplane assembly  24  is rotating, spring  12  stores energy to help accelerate weight  10  when Rocker Arm  15  depresses actuator rod  11 . Cam  19  (which is held stationary and does not rotate) depicted in  FIG. 4B  and  FIG. 4C  is similar to that used for  FIG. 3A  is shaped so that it causes rocker arm  15  to depress weight actuator rod  11  which will accelerate weight  10  downward as it passes through the shaded area at the top shown as the Area of Increased acceleration  38  in  FIG. 4A . Cam  19  (which is held stationary and does not rotate) depicted in  FIG. 3B  and  FIG. 4C  is similar to that used for  FIG. 3A  is shaped so that it hold the weights at a steady distance from shaft  23  until when is enters the area of decreased acceleration  39  it then causes rocker arm  15  to partially release weight actuator rod  11  which will reduce the acceleration of weight  10  as it passes through the shaded area at the bottom shown as the Area of decreased acceleration  39  in  FIG. 4A . After the weight rotates past the area of decreased acceleration  39 , Cam  19  (which is held stationary and does not rotate) depicted in  FIG. 3B  and  FIG. 4C  is shaped so that it hold the weights at a steady distance from shaft  23  until when is enters the area of increased acceleration  38  where it causes opposite rocker arm  15  to depress weight actuator rod  11  which will accelerate weight  10  downward as it passes through the shaded area at the top shown as the Area of Increased acceleration  38  in  FIG. 4A . Each and every weight assembly follows the same path with the weight moving in and out in relation to the center shaft as the shape of cam  19  dictates. As with  3 A above, as the rotational speed increases the weight spends less time in the areas of increased and decreased acceleration. If the device is rotating at one thousand revolutions per minute it will only will take fifteen one hundredths of a second to pass through the area of increased acceleration  38 . As a result each weight only needs to be accelerated a small distance perpendicular to the circular path of travel during that small time interval to create an increased force vector on weight  10 .  
         [0033]      FIG. 5A  being one possible alternate embodiment of the invention which depicts a partial sectional view of an alternate embodiment that uses a cam similar in shape to cam  19  but smaller to directly actuate weight actuator rod  11  which passes through weight  10 , upper spring seat  13  which seats against the upper actuator rod guide  40  and spring  12  and lower spring seat  14 . Each cam is attached to a gear that provides a rotational speed one to one with backplane assembly  24  Other than that all layout and principals are similar to  FIG. 4A . Since it has the cam directly activating actuator rod  11  it does not need pushrods or cam followers.  
         [0034]      FIG. 6A  is a partial sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the invention in which weight  10  of the other embodiments of the invention instead becomes, weight/Piston  90  which is also a piston with Two rings  93  that uses Air/Fuel Intake Port  95  to intake a combustive air fuel mixture and Spark plug  98  to ignite it and begin a combustion process similar to a two cycle engine that then exhausts the burned gas out Exhaust Port  94 . The increased pressure of the combustion gases expanding in combustion chamber  99  creates a force equal against the top of the chamber and against the weight/Piston  90  to accelerate weight/Piston  90  toward shaft  23  as it passes through the shaded area at the top shown as the Area of Increased acceleration  38  in  FIG. 4A . Rocker arm  15  and cam  19  (which is held stationary and does not rotate) will hold weight/Piston  90  at a steady distance from shaft  23  until when it enters the area of decreased acceleration  39  then cam  19  causes rocker arm  15  to steadily allow piston control rod  91  to be released as it passes through the shaded area at the bottom shown as the Area of decreased acceleration  39 . When weight/Piston  90  is fully released by allowing cam  19  to let Push Rod  17  move toward shaft  23  which in turn will allow rocker arm  15  to be raised sufficiently so that control rod  91  does not press against it but instead is fully pressing on the now compressed air fuel mixture. The centrifugal force of weight/Piston  90  provides sufficient force to compress the fresh combustive air fuel mixture that has entered the combustion chamber after the exhaust gases have exited when it is fully released. The diameter and the mass of the piston along with the rotational velocity of the assembly can be varied to provide an optimal compression ratio and reactive speed. The compressed air fuel mixture is now ready for Spark plug  98  to fire and begin combustion when weight/Piston  90  rotates into the Area of Increased acceleration  38   FIG. 4A . This partial sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the invention indicates what one section similar to  FIG. 4B  Section BB would look like on an invention with all weights, one through thirty four instead being like combination weight/Piston  90 .  
         [0035]     The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.