Patent GB-190902913-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or connected with Flying Machines.
Inventor: WRIGHT ORVILLE
IPC: B64C17/00
Filed: 1909-02-06
Granted: 1909-09-09
Abstract: 2913. Wright, O., and Wright, W. Feb. 10, 1908, [Convention date]. Aerial machines without a e r o s t a t s ; planes, construction of ; steering a n d balancing. - T h e supporting - surfaces of flying machines are automatically maintained at a predetermined angle with the relative air current by a vane p i v o t a l l y mounted on a frame carried on the machine and set in the direction of the air current. When the air current impinges on the supporting - surfaces at a greater or less angle than that desired, the vane is moved down or up and aotuates a pneumatic relay mechanism by w h i c h a front horizontal steering- plane is actuated to decrease or increase the angle of the supporting- surfaces relatively to the current. Transverse balance is maintained by a pendulum acting through a similar relay mechanism to control the angle of incidence of the right and left hand sides of the aeroplane, the vertical rear plane being simultaneously turned to correct the tendency of the machine to turn about a vertical axis due to the difference in the resistance of t h e two sides of t h e machine. Manual adjustment of the front and rear steering - planes and of the angle of the wind vane to the main planes can be made without affecting the action of the automatic mechanism. The invention is described in connexion with machines of t h e type described in Specification 6732/04, comprising g twistable planes 1, 2, Fig. 1, held apart by rods 3 which are connected to the planes by hooks 4. The front of the machine is braced by rods 5, and its central section is made rigid by diagonal braces a. The planes are deformed or twisted by a cable 6, connected at its opposite bifurcated ends to the lateral portions of the upper plane near the rear margin thereof and passing over guides 7 on the lower plane, and a table 8 similarly connected to the lower plane at its ends and passing over guides on the upper plane. When, for example, the cable 6 is moved to the left, the rear margin of the right-hand portion of the upper plane is drawn downwards, and the corresponding portion of the lower plane is similarly moved by the rods 3 ; the cable 8 is thus drawn to the right, and the rear margins of the left-hand portions of the planes are moved upwards. The rear steering-plane 10, Fig. 2, is mounted on arms 11 and operated by a cable 15. The front steering-plane 16 is mounted on arms 18 and operated by a cable 21 passing round a pulley 22, Fig. 3, and actuated by a hand-lever 25. A notched disk 26 is loose on the shaft of the pulley but may be connected to the disk by a dog carried by the lever 25. The disk 26 is connected by a rod 58 to a piston-rod 37, Fig. 7, having unequal pistons 36, 38 at its ends and mounted in a cylinder 32. The lower end of the cylinder 32, Fig. 2, is directly connected to a compressed-air reservoir 39, while the upper end of the cylinder is connected to the reservoir through a three-way valve 42. The valve plug 45, Fig. 8, has three ports 46, 47, 48 adapted to register respectively with the pipe 41, leading to the upper end of the cylinder 32, the inlet pipe 41<1>, and the exhaust port. The valve arm 49, Fig. 2, is connected to the automatic controlling-mecbanism consisting of a horizontal vane 50 rigidly mounted on bars 54 connected to the ends of pivoted rods 53, one of which is extended and provided with a balance weight 55. The rods 53 are pivoted to levers 51 pivoted at 52 to the central frame rods 3. One of the levers 51 extends downwards to form a handle, and is held in any adjusted position by a spring clip 57. Movement of the vane is limited by screws 62. In use, the vane 50 is adjusted by the handle 51 to such an angle with the main planes as the latter are desired to maintain with the relative wind. If the wind impinges on the planes at a greater angle of incidence, it also strikes the under surface of the vane 50, and, forcing it upwards, rotates the valve 45 to admit air to the upper end of the cylinder 32. The piston 38 is thereby forced downwards, and, through the connecting-link 58, rotates the pulley 22 to decrease the angle of the front steering-plane 16. This causes the angle of incidence of the main planes and of the vane 50 to decrease so that the air currents act on the upper surface of the vane 50. The vane 50 is then moved downwards, reversing the valve 45 and exhausting the upper end of the cylinder 32. The piston-rod is then raised by compressed air acting on the smaller piston, and the plane 16 is moved to increase its angle of incidence. These operations are repeated successively while the movement of the vane is gradually reduced. In another arrangement, the vane is mounted on bars pivoted to the frame rods 3 and connected to the valve arm, and the valve casing is mounted on the adjusting-rods 51 so that the ports in the valve casing are adjusted relatively to the ports in the valve plug by movement of the rod 51. A cable 63, passing over a pulley 65, is connected to the cable 6 which is used to deform the supporting-planes. The handle 68, Fig. 10, for operating this pulley, is connected by a rod 79 to a double piston operating in an air cylinder 78 similar to the cylinder 32, the smaller end of the cylinder being directly connected with the reservoir 39 through a pipe 80, and the large end of the cylinder being connected through a valve 81 similar to the valve 42. The valve is connected to a pendulum 87, which, when the machine tilts to one side, operates the valve to admit air to the large end of the cylinder 78, while when it tilts to the other side the valve connects the cylinder to the exhaust port. The pulley 74 for actuating the rudder is freely mounted on the spindle 66 of the pulley 65 for adjusting the angles of incidence of the main planes, but may be connected therewith by a clamping-screw 76, so that the pulleys 65, 74 move together. The movement of the rudder compensates for inequalities in the resistance of the right and left hand wings when adjusted at different angles with reference to each other, and keeps the machine in the desired course. The machine can be steered in any course by disconnecting the pulley 74 from the spindle 66 and operating it by hand. Counterbalancing- weights may be used instead of adjustable surfaces.