Year: 1886

page_text: потоп,
I GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN of the General Patent Office, No 4, South Street,
Finsbury, in the county of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature
of this invention (a communication from abroad by Joseph Symonds Foster, of
Salem, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts United States of America) and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
:-
.
This invention relating to mechanism or apparatus for aërial locomotion is
embodied in an apparatus consisting essentially of a light frame for supporting the
propelling devices and the person to be conveyed.
The invention consists essentially in the combination with the frame and
propelling devices of actuating mechanism for said devices and means to adjust
the position of the said propelling devices with relation to the frame or occupant
whereby the direction of movement of the apparatus may be varied and regulated.
This invention also consists in the form of the propellers and in various details of
construction hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing figure 1, is a front elevation of an apparatus for
aërial locomotion embodying this invention; figure 2 an end elevation thereof;
figure 3 a vertical section figure 4 a plan view; figure 5 a sectional detail of, one
of the blades of the propelling devices; figures. 6 and 7 are modifications of the
form of the blades all embodying the same principle. Similar letters in all the
figures represent similar parts.
The frame a, provided with a suitable seat a¹, (figure 3) for the person using the
apparatus has suitable bearings a², for the main actuating wheel b, provided with
cranks b¹, and pedals b², to enable the said wheel to be rotated by the feet of the
occupant of the seat a'.
The wheel b, actuates by a belt c, or gear. teeth a pulley d, which is smaller than
the said wheel and consequently rotates at higher speed. The said pulley d, is
fixed upon a shaft e, having bearings a³, in lateral extensions a', of the frame
work, the said shaft passing through openings a³, in the said frame-work and
having a flexible portion e¹, or its equivalent beyond which is a portion e³, sub-
stantially at right angles to the portion directly actuated by the pulley d.
The portions e, of the shaft have fixed upon their upper ends the propelling
devices f, one at each side of the apparatus which propelling devices receive a rapid
rotary movement as the actuating wheel b, is turned by the feet of the occupant or
other suitable motive power.
Each propelling device consists of four arms f, more or less, having their lower
aces f, figure 5, inclined to the plane of rotation of the said arms so as to have
wedge like action on the air the top face being in the plane of rotation.
The

page_text: faces f, are inclined in opposite directions from a central longitudinal line on the
arms as shewn. By this form the pressure on the air caused by the forward part
of the arm in its revolution, will react upon the rear portion to produce an upward
and forward pressure.
Should the motion cease the fans would act as parachutes
to break the force of the fall.
It will be seen that if the shafts e, are both vertically above the frame-work,
the propelling devices will tend to lift the apparatus vertically upward and in
order to move the said apparatus in other directions the said shafts e², have their
bearings on oscillating, arms h, h¹, turning about collars h³, surrounding the
openings as, through which the shaft e, passes.
--
The free ends of the arms h, h', are guided by segments a6, connected with the
main frame-work and the said arms have connected with them cords i, or equi-
valents, running through suitable guides , near the ends of the segments to a
point on the frame-work within reach of the operator, where the.said cords may be
made fast on a suitable belaying pin or bracket i².
Thus by taking up one or the other end of either one of the cords i, the
arms h, h¹, may be independently adjusted to incline forward or backward from
the vertical position thus producing a tendency to move the adjacent side of the
apparatus either forward or backward while keeping it properly raised above the
ground, and by properly adjusting the arms h, h³, the apparatus may be made to
move in any direction.
The arms f¹, are provided with flanges f³, which diminish the centrifugal flow of
the air, confining its effects to the inclined faces of the said arms.
The frame-work is provided with rollers a³, which support it when on the
ground. By a slight addition is may be made to alight in the water as well as on
land. The bearings will all be of proper construction to produce the minimum of
friction, ball or roller bearings of any well known and approved construction being
preferably employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
.
1. The main actuating wheel provided with actuating cranks and pedals and the
shaft actuated thereby, having upwardly turned portions, and the propelling
devices connected with and actuated by the said upwardly turned portions
substantially as described.
2. In an apparatus for aërial locomotion, a rotary propelling device having arms
with acting faces oppositely inclined from a central longitudinal line, substantially
as described.
3. A fan for aërial purposes composed of arms so formed that the pressure of the
air on the lower side caused by the forward part in its revolution, will re-act or
the rear portion to produce an upward and forward pressure substantially as
described.
4. The frame-work provided with lateral wings and the actuating shaf
extending across the said frame-work, combined with the upwardly extende
shafts having connection with and receiving motion from the actuating shaft
and propelling devices thereon the oscillating arms supporting the said shaft
independent of each other and appliances for independently adjusting and retainin
the said arms in any desired angular position substantially as described.