Patent GB-191018683-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to Aeronautical Craft.
Inventor: DUGINS WILLIAM FRANCIS
IPC: B64C33/02
Filed: 1910-08-08
Granted: 1911-05-25
Abstract: 18,683. Dugins, W. F. Aug. 8. Aerial machines without aerostats; planes, arrangement of. - In aerial machines of the type provided with wings connected to rotary cranks so as to be extended on t h e down-stroke and contracted during the upstroke, the wings are arranged at opposite s i d e s of supporting- planes so as to force air in beneath such planes. The form of machine shown comprises two superposed supporting- planes 90, 91, Figs. 1 and 3, each provided at opposite sides with flapping wings 75, front and rear screw propellers 22, 37 adapted to be adjusted vertically to serve for lifting or driving, and a pair of rudders 50 linked tog e t h e r. The upper plane 90 is provided at the front and rear with extensions 92, 93. There may be only one supporting - plane, or more than two planes, with corresponding pairs of wings. P r o p e l l i n g. - The wings are constructed of flexible material 75, which is contracted during the up-stroke and extended during the down-stroke, and are driven by the gearing shown in Fig. 3, and the screw propellers 22, 37 are driven through friction reversing-gearing, Fig. 9. A shaft 7 is driven by chain gearing from the motor, and drives shafts 11, 14 in opposite directions through toothed gearing 9, 10, and chain gearing 8, 12, 13, respectively. Cranks 15, 16 carried by the shafts 11, 14 are connected to connecting- rods 70, the upper ends of which are connected to the cranks 57 of the upper wings 75. The lower ends of the rods 70 are connected to extensions 60 of the cranks 59 of the lower wings, the cranks 57, 59 being thus set in opposition. These cranks 57, 59 are connected to rods 78, which are arranged to slide between rollers 83, 84, Fig. 2, mounted in a casing 82, which is pivoted at 81 to the frame 2 of the machine. The rods 78 also slide through bearings 80 connected to the flexible material of the wings, and are moreover connected at their outer ends to the rigid extremities 76 of the wings. The wings are thus contracted and extended during the revolutions of the cranks. The rollers 84, Fig. 2, act as fulcra for the rods 78 and increase the speed of the down-stroke. Front and rear propellers 22, 37 are mounted on shafts 21, 36, which are connected by universal joints to shafts 7, 25 provided with friction-wheels 17, 26, Fig. 9. The shaft 25 is carried by a lever 28, which is pivoted at 29 and carries another friction-wheel 27, which is always in gear with the wheel 26. The arrangement is such that the wheel 26 may be driven directly from the wheel 17, as shown in Fig. 9, or through the idle wheel 27 by movement of the lever 28, so that when the propellers are in the raised position, shown at the right-hand side of Fig. 1, they may be driven in opposite directions for lifting, and when lowered to the position shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 1, they may be driven in the same direction for horizontal propulsion. When raised, the propellers project through apertures provided in the extensions 92, 93 of the upper supporting-plane. Planes, construction of.-The wings are composed of flexible material 75 connected at the inner end to the central main planes 90, 91 and at the outer end to rigid pieces 76, which are preferably serrated and are connected to rods 78 arranged to slide through bearings 80 on the flexible portion, so that the wings are extended and contracted during the rotation of their operating-cranks. The bearings 80 are connected to longitudinal ribs 79, from which may depend longitudinal fins. The fixed supporting- planes 90, 91 are shaped as shown, and the upper plane is provided at the front and rear with extensions 92, 93, which extend laterally in front and behind the rotary wings. The extensions 92, 93 are moreover formed with apertures to accommodate the propellers 22, 37 when raised. Steering (1) by propellers and (2) by rudders. (1) The propeller shafts 21, 36, Fig. 1, are provided with universal joints and pass through bearings 41, mounted in rods 40, which are moved vertically by means of rack-and-pinion gear 42, 43 operated from hand-wheels 45, which may be coupled together. (2) A pair of rear rudders 50 are connected by a link 51, Fig. 3, and operated together by a hand-lever.