Improvements in Wings for Flying Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 12th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 13th Nov., 1897
Improvements in Wings for Flying Machines.
I, FREDERICK RICHARD SIMMS, of Amberley House, 12, Norfolk Street, Strand,
in the County of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in wings for dynamic flying machines.
According to my invention I construct the wings of a framework of a light
material, such as bamboo or aluminium tubes, but I may employ any other
material suitable for this purpose, the wings being preferably oval in shape and
concave at one side.
The framework, constructed as above described, is covered with a suitable light
material, preferably silk, stiffened by suitable means, or I provide the said
framework with aeroplanes arranged lengthways and made of light material.
In some cases I employ the silk covering and the aeroplanes in conjunction with
one another.
The framework covered with silk or the like is provided with flap or other valves
so arranged that they open when the wing is moved upwards and close when the
wing moves downwards and in the case where I employ acroplanes alone the said
aeroplanes are arranged in such a manner as to admit of a certain amount of air
passing through them.
The wings are made of sufficient size to support a person in the air in such a
manner as to prevent a too sudden fall of the flying machine.
Doted this 14th day of November 1896.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant
CU
Improvements in Wings for Flying Machines.
I, FREDERICK RICHARD SIMMS, of Amberley House, 12, Norfolk Street, Strand,
in the County of London, Engineer, 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 improvements in wings for flying machines.
According to my invention I construct the wings of a framework of a suitable
light material, for instance bamboo or aluminium tubes, the wings being prefer-
ably an irregular oval in shape and concave at one side.
The framework, constructed as above described, is covered with a suitable light

page_text: material, preferably aluminium or silk, stiffened by suitable means, or I provide
the said framework with aeroplanes arranged lengthways, crossways or diagonally
and made of light material. In some cases I employ the silk covering and the
aeroplanes in conjunction with one another.
The framework covered with silk or the like is provided with fap or other
valves so arranged that they open when the wing is moved upwards and close
when the wing moves downwards and in the case where I employ aeroplanes alone
the said acroplanes are arranged in such a manner as to admit of a certain amount
of air passing through them."
The wings are made of sufficient size to support a person in, the air in such a
manner as to prevent a too sudden fall of the flying machine, and to raise and
propel the machine when they are put in motion.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe it by reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wing for a flying machine constructed according
to my invention:
Figure 2 is a plan; and,
Figure 3 an end view of the same :
Figures 4 and 5 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2 of a modified form of wing:
Figure 6 is a cross section thereof:
Figures 7, 8 and 9 are views of a further modified construction of wing:
Figure 10 is a plan of one form of valve with which the wing is furnished:
Figure II is a vertical section thereof:
Figures 12 and 13 are views similar to Figures 10 and 11 respectively of a
modified form of valve:
Figures 14 and 15 are views similar to Figures 10 and 11 respectively of
another construction of valve:
Figures 16 and 17 are views similar to Figures 10 and 11 respectively of a
further modified construction of valve:
Figure 18 is a plan view illustrating a construction of long flap valves which I
sometimes employ; and,
Figure 19 is a vertical section thereof:
Figure 20 is a plan of a wing made with aeroplanes according to my invention:
Figure 21 is a transverse section thereof:
Figure 22 is a view similar to Figure 20 of a different shape of wing; and,
Figure 23 is a section similar to Figure 21 and drawn to a larger scale of a
slightly different construction of aeroplane wing.
The framework of the wing is formed of a light material, such as hambon or
aluminium tubes, as above described, and comprises a frame a following the out-
line of the wing and ribs a¹ which radiate from a central bar within the said
frame to the circumference thereof, as clearly shown in Figures 2, 5 and 8. To
further strengthen the skeleton or framework a, a of the wing I connect the
frame a to the bottom of the bar & by a series of tie rods, wires or cords (preferably
of silk) c, c.
d is the silk or other suitable light material which is stiffened and stretched
over the above described framework to form the resisting surface of the wing.
e, e are the valves with which the silk or other wing is provided and which are
provided over the whole or a part of the furnace of the wing in order that it shall
offer practically no resistance to its movement through the air in an upward
direction but very considerable resistance to movement through the air in a down-
ward direction.
In Figures 1, 2 and 3 the wing is shewn flat and of an egg shape in plan and
is designed on the principle of a hat's wing. In Figures 4, 5 and 6 the wing is
shewn somewhat egg-shaped in plan and concavo-convex in cross section. In
Figures 7, 8 and 9 the wing is made of an irregular shape in plan and concavo-
convex in section the ends thereof also being slightly apturned so as to allow air
to pass thereunder with greater facility than would otherwise be the case.

page_text: The valve with which the wings are provided can vary in construction and can
be made of silk, aluminium, india-rubber or other suitable material. In
Figures 10 and 11 I have shewn a form of valve comprising a dish-shaped disc e
arranged over the valve opening f and normally held against the said opening by
a spring g connected to the wing and to the said disc. The valve is opened by
the resistance of the air when the wing is moved upwards but is closed by the
spring as soon as the wing ceases moving in this direction. In Figures 12
and 13 I have illustrated a hexagonal flap valve e hinged to the wing by means
of a strip el forming a spring acting similarly to the spring g shewn in Figure 11.
In Figures 14 and 15 I have illustrated a triangular flap valve e hinged to the
wing and normally kept closed by the spiral spring 9 the valve being opened in
the manner above described.
Figures 16 and 17 illustrate a kind of trap-door valve, that is to say, a valve-
formed of a number of triangular flans e hinged along one side to the wing and so
arranged that when they are all closed they completely cover the opening f in the
said wing, a suitable support (shewn in dotted lines in the figure) is provided to
prevent the flaps opening upwards. In Figures 18 and 19 the wing is shewn pro-
vided with a number of elongated flap valves e which run the whole length of the
wing hinged by one longitudinal edge to the wing which is formed of aluminium
wire or silk netting has shewn clearly in Figure 18.
In Figures 20 to 23 I have illustrated wings made with aeroplanes. In
Figures 20 and 21 the wing is shewn constructed of a framework upon which are
mounted a number of curved aeroplanes j, j arranged with spaces between them
as clearly indicated in Figure 21.
With this arrangement it will be obvious that the wing, when moving in the
direction indicated by the arrow in the said figure, will meet with less resistance
from the air than when moving in the opposite direction.
The wing shewn in Figure 22 is similar in construction to, and differs only in
shape from, that shewn in Figures 20 and 21.
In Figure 23 a section of a wing is shewn wherein the aeroplanes j, j are com-
bined with flap valves k, the said flap valves, when the wing is making its
operative stroke, being pressed by the resistance of the air to the motion of the
wing into contact with the edges of the aeroplanes and opening out into the
position indicated in broken lines when the wing makes its return stroke.
As above stated the wings are made of sufficient size to support a person in the
air in such a manner as to prevent a too sudden fall of the flying machine to
which they are attached, and to raise and propel the machine when they are set
in motion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. Wings for flying machines consisting of a framework of light material, such
as bamboo or aluminium tubing, covered with a suitable light material such as
silk and provided with valves, substantially as described and illustrated.
2. The wings for flying machines herein before described and illustrated
respectively in Figures 1, 2 and 3; 4, 5 and 6; 7, 8 and 9; 20 and 21; 22 and 23
of the accompanying drawings.
3. The emplovment, with wings of the kind described, of the valves herein before
described and illustrated respectively in Figures 10 and 11; 12 and 13; 14 and
15; 16 and 17; and 18 and 19 of the accompanying drawings.
1011 .
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.