Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Apr., 1997--Accepted, 12th June, 1897
I, BERNHARD REINHARD BEENEN of Moritzstrasse, Dresden, Germany, Doctor of
Medicine, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to a flying machine in which wing or sail wheels serving for
the propulsion of the machine are each provided with a central hollow conical part
and with outwardly concaved sector shaped wings capable of being turned and
adjusted in the plane of rotation of the wheel. The central conical part is designed
on the one hand to guide laterally against the wings the air displaced and therefore
compressed by it, thus causing said wings to operate with greater effect and on the
other hand when the machine is being lowered to take in air and in conjunction with
the sector. shaped wings around it adjusted in the plane of rotation, to the closed
position, form a parachute affording great resistance to falling by gravity. The wings
of the propelling wheels may be reversed through a corresponding rod so that the
direction of flight may be reversed without reversing or changing the working of the
driving engine. The propelling wheels can with their axes be so adjusted by means
of an adjusting mechanism that the vertical wheel ordinarily serving only for
horizontal propulsion of the machine may be drawn into a horizontal position for
raising the machine, and to form when required, a parachute for descending, and the
horizontal wheel ordinarily serving only for vertical propulsion may be drawn into a
vertical position for the purpose of horizontal propulsion. The bottom of the car is
provided with wheels and with sledge like runners o to facilitate the movement of
the machine upon the ground when the ascent is being made and to lessen the shock
when descending on the ground.
?"
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the flying machine of this invention.
Figs. 2 and 3 respectively an elevation and half plan of a wing wheel having
some of its wings closed and some open.
Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of a wing.
A is the car of the machine constructed in two stages E, E¹, connected together in
any suitable way, the upper stage being for the accommodation of the motor M by
which the machine is driven, and for the other working parts and adjusting
mechanisms, and for the driver, the lower stage serving for the reception of passengers
or attendants. F, FI are the wing wheels driven from the motor M simultaneously,
through spindles and toothed gearing as shewn, or through other suitable means.
The wheels are practically alike in construction only the one used for ascending is the
larger and is furnished with a correspondingly larger number of wings than the side
wheel for horizontal propulsion. Each wheel is fixed on a spindle a driven from
the motor, as shewn, and with the wings closed presents the form of a large parachute
with a middle conical projecting part which may be several yards in diameter
and at its outer edge terminates in a ring i. This latter is in connection through
rods & with an outer ring n and between said rings are carried the adjustable
wings which are bulged out or concave, the convexity being preferably at their upper
or outward surface as shewn on an enlarged scale in Fig. 4.

page_text: The wings are mounted to turn on pivots z and are in connection through rods t
with a sleeve / slidable on the corresponding spindle a, said sleeve being in connection
through a rod c with a hand lever e fitted to turn and be adjustable on the frame b
for the purpose, when operated, of opening or closing the wings or setting them at
any desired angle.
When it is intended to undertake a journey or flight with the machine, both wheels
having their wings provisionally closed, that is, placed in the plane of rotation are
set in rapid rotation from the motor. The wings of wheel F are then from the
corresponding hand lever e slowly opened say to an angle of 45° (Figs. 1, 2, 3 right
band side). This causes the machine to ascend as the wheel acts as a wind screw.
When the desired height has been reached, the angle at which the wings are set is
reduced so much as will keep the machine at the desired height. The wings of
wheel F' are now opened forwardly to commence the forward flight, to reduce or stop
which, or even to change it for a backward flight, it is only necessary to set from
the corresponding lever e the wings back, towards or into the closed position, or to
open them backwardly, thus accomplishing ascent, descent and forward and backward
movement without changing the direction in which the motor works.
is a semicircular frame on which the wheel spindles a and consequently the
wheels may be adjusted and fixed by bolting or screwing up the spindle collars u
through holes g' in the frame, thus wheel F may be turned downward and fixed on
either side whilst wheel F may be turned upwards and fixed in this changed position,
the object being in the case of a rapid horizontal flight, which is attained by reason
of the great power of the wheel F and the slight resistance of the whole machine to
the air, to give a slightly forward position to the larger wheel F in order to maintain
equilibrium. In the event of the larger wheel becoming defective it may be set
back and the smaller wheel F¹ raised for provisionally replacing it and thus guard
against accidents.
Also if
Further, both wheels may be adjusted, the larger somewhat to the rear and the
smaller upwardly, to operate the ascent from the ground with united force.
during a journey, the motor should get out of order suddenly, the wing wheels
may each be made to serve as parachutes by setting their wings in the horizontal
plane.
S is the steering wheel of the machine.
Instead of only one wheel F for vertical flight or ascent several of such wheels
may be employed placed adjacent to one another the car being in this case
correspondingly lengthened.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A flying machine in which the propelling wing or sail wheels are with their
spindles or axles so adjustable by means of suitable mechanisin that the wheel
ordinarily serving only for horizontal flight may be adapted for vertical flight or
ascent and the wheel ordinarily serving only for vertical flight may be adapted for
horizontal flight, substantially as described and shewn.
2. In the flying machine referred to, the wing or sail wheels each provided with a
central hollow conical cap and concave sector shaped wings, said central cap having
for object, on the one hand, to guide the air, divided and compressed by it, laterally
into the wings and thereby cause a more efficacious action of the same, and on the
other hand when the machine is descending to take in air and form a parachute
whilst the sector shaped wings owing to their adjustability in the plane of rotation of
the wheel serve to form a closed ring around the conical cap, and therewith a closed
whole, which forms a great enlargement of the parachute, substantially as described
and shewn.
3. A flying machine of the kind referred to in which the car is furnished with
sledge like runners for the purpose of obtaining in the ascent an easy forward travel

page_text: of the machine over the ground, and in the descent a lessening of the shock when
coming on to the ground, substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 20th day of April 1897.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.