Patent GB-462382-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or connected with flying machines
IPC: B64C39/00
Filed: 1935-06-07
Abstract: 462,382. Aeroplanes. BACK, W. E. June 7, 1935, Nos. 16560/35, 3753/36, and 5806/36. [Class 4] A tandem-wing monoplane in which the wings are disposed in staggered relation, Fig. 4, is provided with ailerons on the two wings adapted to be moved oppositely either in lateral pairs for banking or in fore and aft pairs for climbing and diving and with quick acting means by which all the ailerons can be moved in the same sense to vary the camber of the wings. In one form, Fig. 1, forward wings 1 have ailerons 3, 4, and a flap 7 and after wings 2 have ailerons 5, 6 and a flap 8. Means for operating the front and rear ailerons in opposite senses for longitudinal control and port and starboard ailerons differentially for lateral control comprise a control column 10, Figs. 1 and 2, fixed to a transverse rock-shaft 19. Column 10 is fitted with a sleeve 13 having a bevel pinion 12 at its upper end meshing with a pinion 11 fast on the shaft of a hand wheel 9. At its lower end sleeve 13 carries a pinion 14 engaging similar pinions on sleeves 17 and 18 rotatably carried by shaft 19. Secured to the outer ends of these sleeves are downwardly-depending levers linked to control levers on ailerons 3, 4 by rods 22, 24 respectively and to control levers on ailerons 5, 6 by crossed rods 25, 23, respectively. Fore and aft movement of wheel 9 therefore causes differential adjustment of the fore and aft pairs of surfaces whilst rotation of the wheel produces upward or downward movement of the port and starboard ailerons on both planes. Rock-shaft 19 also carries levers 19 which are respectively upwardly and downwardly disposed and are connected by links 20, 21 to bell-crank levers 33, 36 which are adapted to adjust flaps 7, 8, respectively by moving the fulcra of bell-crank levers 31, 34 linked to the flaps on the one hand and to an adjusting lever 26 on the other. Fore and aft movement of column 10 thus causes differential adjustment of flaps 7, 8 in the same sense as that of their associated ailerons whilst their setting is unaffected by rotation of hand wheel 9. Operation of hand lever 26 causes similar adjustment of flaps 7 and 8. Small movements of lever 26 serve to vary the camber of the main planes whilst extreme rearward movement causes to flaps to act as air brakes. To enable simultaneous movement of all the surfaces in the same sense to be produced, rock-shaft 19 is mounted on rotatable brackets 38 Fig. 3, so as to be capable of fore and aft movement under control of a hand operated lever. These elements are omitted in Figs. 1 and 2. Alternatively the rock-shaft may be mounted in such manner as to be adjustable bodily up or down for the same purpose, involving the introduction of ball-crank levers between the control shaft levers; and the links. In a further modification, Fig. 5, control column 41 is fixed on a longitudinal shaft 42 pivotally mounted on a transverse beam 53 angularly adjustable about a pivot 55. The ends of shaft 42 pass through vertical slots formed in guide members 45, 46 and carry two-armed levers 47, 48 respectively the ends of which are connected by cables to the ailerons. As before, fore and aft movement of the column produces elevator action, lateral movement produces aileron action, and bodily up or down movement causes adjustment of all the pivoted surfaces in the same sense. Bodily movement of the column is effected a lever 58 pivoted at 60 and connected by a link 59 to the free end of beam 53. Lever 58 is adapted to be locked by a ratchet device 61. Flaps 7, 8 are controlled by cables 49, 50 respectively, connected to beam 53. In a still further modification flaps 7, 8 are controlled by a hand lever 65 pivoted at 67 which carries intermeshed gear wheels 72, 73 symmetrically disposed above and below pivot axis 67. The flap control rods are connected to the gear wheels 72, 73. A subsidiary hand lever 66 is operable to rotate the gear wheels 72, 73 and thus to produce differential movement of the flaps. Locking means are provided for both hand levers. Alternatively one flap only may be adjusted by lever 66, in this form the gear wheels are omitted and the control rods connected directly to points on levers 65 and 66 respectively. According to the first Provisional Specification the wing flaps may be.of the balanced type. A gunner's cockpit may be formed in an elevated housing disposed above the rudder, and the engine or engines may be disposed aft of the forward wing and drive a tractor airscrew through shaft means, the upper part of the body above the engine forming a gravity petrol tank. More than one rudder may be fitted or steering effected by resistance flaps on the wings. The outer parts of the wing may be foldable over the inner parts. According to the second Provisional Specification, the rear end of the body of the machine may be hinged to the main part and turned forwardly to reduce storage space. Various methods of folding the wings and of dividing the control rods are referred to. A twin fuselage machine is' described, the fuselages being interconnected by the rear wing and by a subsidiary small wing disposed at the lower forward ends of the fuselages. According to the third Provisional Specification the wings may be foldable rearwardly, the wing flaps being turned to lie on top of their associated wings. Various modifications of the controlling system are described in the several Provisional Specifications but the description is not such as to permit of satisfactory abridgment.