Patent GB-191110345-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to Aeroplanes.
Inventor: HAMILTON BELTON TATINALL
Filed: 1911-04-28
Granted: 1912-04-29
Abstract: 10,345. Hamilton, B. T. April 28. Steering and balancing, automatically and manually. In an automatic lateral - balancing device for aeroplanes having supporting- planes or parts thereof interconnected by a cord to equalize the pressures, means are provided for superseding the automatic action by manual control and the incidence of both planes can be voluntarily increased or decreased simultaneously. The head resistances of the planes at the two sides of the machine are equalized by vertical or horizontal planes which are actuated simultaneously with the balancing - planes. The main planes are made flexible and the rear spar B is hinged to the body of the aeroplane so that the planes can be warped by cords E attached to the spars B and connected to the ends of a chain J passing around a sprocketwheel K so that the pressures on the planes are equalized through the cords E. The sprocket - wheel K is mounted on a bearing carried by a rod L which slides in guides O. A spring W is interposed between the bearing of the sprocket-wheel and the lower guide O so that should the total pressure on the two planes s exceed the strength of the spring, the latter is compressed and decreases the incidence of both of the planes. The guides O are carried by a frame P movable on the rods T of the frame of the machine by means of a hand-lever 13 provided with a locking-device 14 in order to vary at will the normal incidence of the planes so that the speed of the machine can be varied. In order to control manually the lateral balancing-planes, the sprocket-wheel K is provided with a pinion 5 gearing with a pinion 6 on a telescopic shaft 7 which is actuated when required by the handwheel 4, through a universally jointed shaft 25. The spindle of the hand-wheel 4 is provided with a screw-thread 9 gearing with an axially movable nut 10 provided with conical outer faces which are adapted to engage with corresponding surfaces on a cylindrical member 12 secured to the shaft 25. During automatic movement of the planes the member 12 moves freely since it is out of contact with the clutch faces of the nut 10. On rotating the handwheel 4 from its middle position the nut 10 travels along the screw-thread 9 and engages with the member 12 so that the shaft 25 is rotated. The hand-wheel 4 also serves bv its lateral and vertical motion about the universal joint 2, 3 to control the rudders and front and rear elevating-planes. Aerial, machines without aerostats; planes, arrangement of.-The frame of the machine comprises two longitudinal members X, Fig. 3, spaced apart, each carrying a skid and elastically-connected ground-wheels. The machine has a torpedo-shaped body with the propeller arranged at the forward end. Vertical keels are arranged at the front of each frame X which aid the rudders v in lateral steering. An horizontal plane r' is arranged in front of the rear elevator r and tends to direct the machine into its gliding angle when the propeller stops. The main planes are arranged at a dihedral angle and are braced by struts and cords connected to the front spar A of the plane and to a transverse spar D. Planes, construction of.-In order to permit warping, the flexible main planes are constructed of a front fixed spar A and a rear spar B hinged at its inner end to the body of the machine. Ribs are secured to the lower side of both spars, and to the upper side of the spar A, the rear ends of the upper ribs being slidably attached to the rear spar. The upper and lower ribs are staggered and not connected with one another, so that when the plane is warped the upper surface is free to slide slightly in respect to the lower surface.