Evening star., 1938-11-17
By THOMAS r. HENRY.

The flying automobile, predicted
traffic hopping f1ivver of the next
generation, was brought closer by
two patents taken out here this
week.
This is the machine which. ac-
cording to a recent forecast of the
National Resources Committee, may
revolutioniZe traffic in the next gen.
Grafton.
One patent was granted to Harris
S. Campbell of Willow Grove, Pa,
and assigned to the Autogiro Co.
of America, for a readable auto
winged aircraft" in which
single engine supplies power for
turning both automobile wheels and
the autogiro rotor with gear-shift
arrangement for connecting it with
either.
May Fly Over Jams.
With this machine. according to
the claims. it would be possible for
the commuter to rise into the air
in front of his house, come down
squarely on the main highway at
the city outskirts, and motor COM
fortably to his Office. 1t might even
be possible to drive along until
traffic jam was encountered and
then fly over it.
The other patent was taken out
by Juan de la Cierva, Spanish in
ventor of the autogiro, for a new
type of authoritative wing which,
according to the claim, comes very
close to making possible a direct
ascent by one Of this class of air
craft without any run along the
ground. This apparently is essen
tial for the operation of the first
patent, and a former one along SIM
liar lines granted to De la Cierva.
By combining the two. Inventor
Campbell says, "the highways them
selves may provide adequate space
for landings and take-offs. Thus
the machine may be landed on a
highway close to an ultimate desti-
nation and driven from there to
the desired location" The type
of roof jumping flivver foreseen in
the National Resources Committee
report, would have used fiat city
roofs as landing places.
Clutch Permits Disbursement.
The invention" says Mr.. Camp
bell. "contemplates the provision
of drive shafting for transmitting
torque (rotation). from the prime
mover (the motor, to the rotor for
fake-off purposes and also to the
wheels for driving purposes. The
driving mechanisms are each equip
ped with clutch device whereby
the drives may selectively be en-
gagged or disengaged.
Another feature of the invention
is involved in clutch means in ad-
dition to those already mentioned
which is common to both drives, to
the rotor and to the wheels so that
complete disconnection of these
drives may be affected during air
travel at which time the full power
of the engine should be delivered
to the propulsive air screw"
Provision is made, he continues,
"for shock absorption upon landing
and for braking and steering the
landing wheels in addition to driving
them. In order to increase the
safety of travel of the craft on
the ground. the invention makes
provision for slowing the propul-
sive air screw in a suitable COM
partment provided in the body of
the machine, in view of which oper-
alton of the propulsive engine on
the ground is not dangerous. Re-
lated to this feature is the pro-
vision of a fan which may readily
be mounted in place of the propul-
sive air screw when the machine is
driven on the ground. This ade-
quate cooling of the engine is pro-
vided for during road travel and
smoothness of the engine operation
is increased so as to better adapt
it to operation at low speeds such
as are required at times on the
ground
implications Tremendous.
When the National Resources
Committee report on implications
of chronological trends was issued
a year ago, the projected roof-hop-
ping automobile was described as
having interesting recreational pos
sibilities' for the present. 1t was
stressed, however, that if such
"fivVer" WAS nerfected and came