improvements in driving and steering mechanism for flying machines
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 10th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 22nd Jan., 1898
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 driving and steering mechanism for
flying machines.
In carrying out my invention I employ a flying machine constructed of a light
frame-work provided with air valves and constructed of suitable material and in a
suitable manner and of a frame for carrying the person who is to operate the
machine the arrangement being such that the person is suspended vertically
whatever the position assumed by the machine.
For driving and steering such a machine I employ mechanism consisting of one
or more air propellers constructed as hereinafter described and mounted upon
spindles designed to be operated by the person occupying the machine and pre-
ferably through the medium of pedals actuated by the said person, the said spindles
being so mounted that the propellers can be moved in any direction and held at
any angle for the purpose of steering.
My improved air propeller consists of a series of preferably very narrow blades
or vanes composed of a suitable thin and light material, which vanes radiate from
the driving spindle and are connected at their outer ends to a short cylindrical
cover of heavier material to serve like a fly wheel for storing power.
In some cases I employ in conjunction with my air propellers a pair of wings
operated by the person driving the machine and arranged similarly to the air
propellers so that they can be placed at any angle to the machine and moved in
any direction relatively with the same, the said wings being preferably used for
steering and sailing and being formed with a number of valves so arranged that,
when moving upwards or in the direction of flight of the machine they open in
order that the atmosphere shall offer no resistance to their movement, but when
moving downwards or against the direction of flight of the machine, they close so
that the air offers considerable resistance to the passage of the wings through it.
In this case only one air propeller is needed and this is preferably placed in the
middle line of the machine.
1000

page_text: 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 driving and steering mechanism for
flying machines of the kind described in the specification of former Patent
No. 25716 of 14th November 1896.
According to the invention I employ mechanism consisting of one or more air
propellers constructed as hereinafter described and mounted upon spindles designed
to be operated by the person occupying the machine and preferably through the
medium of pedals actuated by the said person, the said spindles being so mounted
that the propellers can be moved in any direction and held at any angle for the
purpose of steering.
My improved air propeller consists of a series of preferably very narrow twisted
blades or vunes composed of a suitable thin and light material, which vanes radiate
from the driving spindle and are connected at their outer ends to a short
cylindrical cover of heavier material to serve like a fly wheel for storing power.
In some cases I employ in conjunction with my air propellers a pair of wings
operated by the person driving the machine and arranged similarly to the air
propellers so that they can be placed at any angle to the machine and moved in
any direction relatively with the same as described in my said former Patent, the
wings being preferably of the kind described in the specification of my former
Patent No. 25717 of 14th November 1896.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the frame suspended to the aeroplanes
of a flying machine:
Figure 2 is a side view thereof; and,
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 are plans of different forms of propellers.
a is the portion of the suspended frame, and 6 is the pedal mechanism by means
of which the propeller is to be operated. c is the propeller shaft or spindle which
carries at its upper end a propeller preferably of the kind illustrated in Figures 3
to 6 and hereinafter described, and at its lower end a bevel wheel c¹ which gears
with a bevel wheel & mounted upon a spindle e, the spindles cand e being both
carried in a bracket f rotatably secured to the frame a. The spindle & has keyed
to it a pulley g which is rotated by the pulley h through the medium of a belt i,
the pulley being rotated by the pedal mechanism 6 through the medium of the
pulleys and k and the belt 1.
In order that the angle of the propeller shaft 6 to the vertical shall be altered
for steering purposes, I arrange for oscillating or vibrating the bracket f support-
ing the said propeller shaft b by the following means. The said bracket f is
provided with an extension f¹ having at its outer end a cross-head m, the ends of
which are connected by means of rods n or the like to the ends of a second cross
head o upon the end of a spindle p rotatably mounted in a bracket p² fixed upon
the frame a. The other end of the spindle p is provided with a handle q by means
of which it can be turned in the bracket p¹ so as to rotate the cross-head o and
thereby the cross-head m and bracket f. To hold the said steering spindle p in
any position, I provide the handle q with a lever r in connection with a spring
rod which normally holds a catch in engagement with the notched ends of the

page_text: bracket p. By depressing the lever r, the catch is released from the notched ends
of the bracket and the spindle p can be rotated.
As above mentioned, the improved air propeller consists of a series of preferably
very narrow twisted blades or vanes t, t, Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6, composed of a
suitable thin and light material, the said vanes radiating from the driving spindle b
and being formed of the same depth throughout but decreasing in pitch as they
recede from the said driving spindle. u, Figures 3 and 5, is the short cylindrical
cover of heavy material which is fitted to the outer ends of the vanes t, t and which
is designed to serve like a fly-wheel for storing power. v, v, Figures 4 and 6, are
wire stays for connecting the outer extremities of the blades or vanes in lieu of the
cover above described, and w, wc, Figure G, are aluminium or steel struts carried
from the boss of the propeller to the stays v, v.
In the case of flying machines having wings only one propeller is needed and
this is preferably placed in the middle line of the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what maner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1
1. Driving and steering mechanism for flying machines consisting of a propeller
mounted upon a spindle supported in a bracket rotatably fitted to the framework
of the machine, the said driving spindle being arranged to be operated from
suitable driving mechanism and the bracket being oscillated or vibrated round its
axis by suitable gear, substantially as described and illustrated.
2. In driving and steering mechanism for flying machines, the employment of a
propeller comprising a number of twisted blades or vanes radiating from a central
boss and formed of thin material of the same breadth, the pitch of the said vanes
decreasing towards their outer extremities which are connected by a cylindrical
cover or by stays, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved driving
and steering mechanism for flying machines herein before described and illustrated
in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 10th dow of December 1907
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.