Improvements in and connected with Imitation Flying Machines for Dramatic Purposes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 30th Mar., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Imitation Flying Machines for
Dramatic Purposes.
I, FORTUNATUS AUGUSTINE SCUDAMORE of "Inglewood," Blossomfield, Solihull,
in the County of Warwick, Dramatic Author, Theatrical Manager, and Actor
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 flying machines for use on the stage of a theatre, or the
like and consists of improvements in the construction of the machine itself, and in
the mode of suspending and manipulating whereby I am enabled to cause it to move
either vertically, horizontally or obliquely with ease and certainty. The complete
control thus obtained ensures that elegant and graceful movement which is so
essential to the complete success of a dramatic situation.
In this invention which is called the "Scudamore Flying Machine" I use a body
which may be made of any light and strong materials and I attach to this, one or
more aeroplanes one or more wings, and one or more screw propellers. The wing
or wings and the propeller are actuated either by means of any kind of motor such
as a steam engine which with its boiler is situated in and upon the body of the
flying machine, or by an outside source of power, such as a steam engine, or electro
motor fixed in any position convenient to the stage, or by manual power and in this
latter case the motion is given to the winding rollers, wings and propeller by means
of wires bands or cords which first passing round rollers or pulleys fixed in or
upon the machine are then carried to the point of suspension and to a winding
barrel or pulley which is moved by the fixed engine, electro-motor or other source
of power.
The body aeroplanes wings and mechanism may be constructed of any suitable
light and strong material and the following is a description of an approved form of
flying machine according to my invention.
:
The body is of a shape which in longitudinal section nearly approaches that of
an elongated projectile, such as a rifle bullet, with its pyramidical point partly
truncated and of nearly square cross section and it is composed of steel aluminium
or other metal or of wood, basket work or papier-naché. At its bottom or under-
side are attached two or more flexible air bags, which form its base and upon
which it rests, and these being filled with air form an elastic or resilient buffer,
and prevent any damage to the machine or injury to the occupants on its.reaching
and alighting on the stage. The aëroplane or aeroplanes are formed of silk or
other textile fabric stretched upon a frame or ribs of wood, steel or other metal.
The wing or wings may be made entirely of metal or of a metal or other framing
covered with a textile fabric or of basket work, wood or papier-maché.
The mechanism arranged in and upon the body, consists of a vertical boiler
of the multitubular type and made as light as possible consistent with sa'ely
resisting the required steam pressure (say about 60 lbs. per square inch) and it is
heated preferably by a ring of gas burners which may be supplied with gas from a
cylinder or bag carried within the body or from an outside source through a flexible
tube, but it may be heated by means of a burner or burners using spirits or other
hydrocarbon as a fuel. The boiler has fixed to it water and steam guages, and a
powerful steam whistle. The steam engine is reversing and preferably of the
inverted cylinder type, and is sufficiently large to give forth power enough to
simultaneously flap the wings, rotate the screw propeller and wind the
up ropes or
wires on the drums, and thus raise the weight of the machine when it is ascending

page_text: towards the "flies." The crank shaft of the engine is continued through the stern
of the machine and at its outer end is fixed the screw propeller which thus rotates
with the engine shaft. Two worms upon the crank shaft engage with and rotate
two worm wheels which are fixed upon two shafts lying underneath and at right
angles to the crank shaft of the engine. These two shafts have each a drum or
two drums fixed upon and rotating with them, an! these drums serve the purposes
of raising or lowering the machine by winding up or slacking out the wires or cords
which support it. Upon one of these drum shafts is fixed a bevel wheel which
engages with another bevel wheel which is fixed upon a two throw crank shaft
disposed underneath and parallel to the crank shaft of the engine. Suitable
connecting links from these cranks transmit the desired motion to levers which are
fixed upon the inner end of the wing pivots or points of support, and thus give the
wings a flapping motion. A seat or seats are provided for the rescuers and the
rescued.
In some cases I add mechanism which enables the aeroplanes to adapt themselves
automatically to changes of position.
For use with a flying machine which contains its own propelling and lifting
mechanism, the supporting device consists essentially of two rods or wires having
eyes or equivalent pivots which latter are suspended from eyebolts fixed to the
gridiron or to a projection or beam attached thereto, and the rods or wires
depending therefrom support the whole of the apparatus, and performers. The
lower ends of these rods or wires are pivoted to a block or beam preferably of steel
and which has four grooved pulleys rotating freely on pins transversely fixed in
such block or beam. Steel wires ropes or cords are attached by eyes to the
corners of the flying machine and are continued upwards to the grooved pulleys at
the ends of the block or beam passing over them, and the next adjacent pulleys
downwards to the rollers in the interior of the body of the machine. Four of thes
wires being used one to each corner the whole weight of the machine and its
occupants is thus sustained and the rotation of the rollers by the steam engine,
either winding up or slacking out the wires, or cords, causes the machine to rise or
fall as desired.
The upper ends of the rods or wires being pivoted, it is obvious that its lower end
together with the block or beam, is free to move right or left in an are of a circle
towards either of the flies and this movement is obtained and controlled by
attaching a set of blocks and ropes to each side of the beam whereby they can by
manual or other power be drawn towards either side of the stage. This horizontal
motion taking place as it may, at the same time as the vertical motion of the
machine before referred to, enables a compound motion to be obtained which gives
the machine the power of describing any path in one vertical plane at the will
of the operator: and the addition of a third block and ropes attached to a
convenient point at the back of the stage, enables the machine to be moved in any
direction.
In the cases where the machine does not contain an engine or other prime mover,
I retain the drums before mentioned, but instead of the wires or cords being wound
round them I attach one end to the block or beam and pass each wire or cord down
and partially round the roller or grooved pulley, then upward to a groove pulley
in the block or beam and by the side of the supporting eyebolts to a grooved pulley
at the point of suspension over which it passes to a fixed steam engine or other
prime mover or to a barrel upon which it is wound by manual labour. The
difference in this latter case being that the steam engine or other motor is external
to the flying machine, the other parts remain the same.
In some cases especially, when the gridiron is not high enough to suspend the
block or beam from I stretch one or more wires, from one of the flies, to the other,
and suspend the beam or block from them, by means of pulleys which run and rest
on the said wires.
In the accompanying drawings in which like letters denote similar parts or parts
, fulfilling the same functions :-

page_text: Figure 2. is a transverse section of same.
Figure 3. is an elevation of a stage (seen from the back) with flying machine and
supporting apparatus.
Figure 4. is a side elevation of same.
Figure 5. is an elevation of a modification.
Figure 6. is a front elevation of a beam or block supported by wires instead of
depending rods.
с
A desiguates the machine which is approximately square in transverse sections,
and is formed of a thin, light, and strong material, such as steel or aluminium. It
is composed of the point a approximating to the form of a truncated pyramid the
body a which is cut away so as to admit of the performer or performers obtaining
easy access to the seat B and the square stern a². Fixed upon and projecting above
its upper side is a vertical boiler of the multitubular type which is heated by a
ring of gas or spirit burners c and which has the usual boiler fittings attached
including amongst others a steam guage c², a water guage, and a powerful steam
whistle which latter is capable of emitting a loud sound. Near the stern is
fixed a steam engine D having an inverted cylinder d and piston and connecting
rods d' the latter being attached. to the crank e of the main or screw shaft E which
has rigidly fixed to its outer end the screw propeller F. Two worms 9 are fixed
upon the main shaft and these gear with, and move worm wheels ' fixed one upon
each of two shafts g2 disposed beneath and at right angles to the main shaft, which
shafts have fixed upon, and rotating with them, winding rollers G, upon which the
suspending wires, ropes, or cords H are wound. A bevel pinion i fixed upon each
of these cross shafts engages with and propels a bevel wheel which being fixe.l
upon a longitudinal shaft I causes it to rotate. Formed integrally with or rigidly
attached to this shaft, are two cranks which by means of connecting rods or
links and arms cause the wings K to flap by reason of their being pivoted
upon the same rocking shaft or spindle as the arms k¹. L are air bags which
form a resilient base for the machine, and L' is an aëroplane which is attached to
the body by the rods . The boiler is in the ordinary manner connected to the
engine by means of a steam pipe, and a valve, of any suitable description, enables
the operator to control the movement of the engine and machine while a reversing
apparatus enables it to be rotated in either direction. The suspending devices are
as follows:-The wires or cords H before alluded to are fixed by the eyes h to the
body of the machine and pass in straight lines thence to the groove pulleys m which
rotate freely upon pins, which are fixed upon the ends of the beam, or block, M.
They then pass over the other groove pulleys m' and thence downward to the
winding rollers G in the interior of the body of the machine. As shewn in
Figure 1, it is obvious that the rotation of the main shaft, by the steam engine in
such a direction that the cross shafts turn "in the same direction as the hands of a
clock" will result in the winding up of the wires H on the winding rollers and the
consequent raising of the machine bodily. Simultaneously the wings are caused to
flap and the screw to rotate.
The beam or block M is shaped so as to form a girder strong enough to support
the weight of the dependent machine, and occupants, and it is suspended from the
gridiron (or from a beam fixed to the same) by the eye bolts n which support a rod
or wire rope N the lower end' of which pivotally attached to a hole m2 in the
beam or block M. Hooked to this beam, one on each side, in any convenient
manner, are two blocks m³, the ropes m* running through which are so attached to
the flies on other side of the stage (generally by means of other blocks m³) that by
the hauling up, or slacking out the ropes m the beam M can be drawn by
manual or other power towards either side of the stage. The winding rollers G
and the wires or cords H providing (as hereinbefore described) the means of
securing the vertical motion of the machine: and the beam or block M with its
dependent machine being capable of movement to the right or left by the

page_text: blocks mm and the ropes m it is obvious that a compound movement of the
machine can be secured in any direction in the vertical plane in which the beam or
block is fixed.
In Figure 3 the machine is shewn as resting upon the stage while the beam or
block is vertically above it but the dotted outlines of the machine near the top of
the proscenium shew it before descending and after ascension, it being supposed to
fly down from one side, alight upon the stage, and fly off upwards on the other
side. It may however be operated so as to fly up from the stage to the flies, and
down again as may be required, and its flight may be irregular.
Where the flying machine (suspended as shewn in Figure 5) does not carry an
engine or other prime mover the winding rollers are removed and grooved pulleys
substituted for them. The wires or ropes are in this case differently arranged
being attached to eyes me upon the block or beam M. Descending they enter the
body of the machine pass under the grooved pulleys thus sustaining the weight of
the machine, and thence upward to the beam or block M over one groove pulley m
and under a second m², then passing upward to the pulley or roller which is
attached to the gridiron or to a projection therefrom. From these pulleys or
rollers they pass to a winding barrel placed in any convenient position, and which
may be rotated by manual or other power. The winding up of this rope or these
ropes raises the machine and simultaneously rotates pulleys or rollers G (as shewn
in Figs. 1 and 2) and by a slight and obvious modification of the mechanism g, g',
i and the motion of these pulleys G causes the flapping of the wings, and the
rotation of the screw propeller, in the same manner as before.
In Figure 6 the hanging rods or wires N are dispensed with, and one or more
strong wires N are stretched horizontally from one of the flies to the other and the
beam or block M depends from these being supported by grooved pulleys m' which
run and rest upon such wires N. Otherwise the apparatus remains the same.
Various modes of constructing and operating the apparatus necessary to the
carrying out of my invention are possible but I have confined myself to the
description of the before mentioned devices, as being typical of the others.
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. An imitation flying machine for dramatic purposes, having a steam engine or
other motor contained within it, and which is suspended, and operated, substantially
as shewn and described.
2. An imitation flying machine for dramatic purposes which is raised or lowered
by a self contained steam engine or the like.
3. An imitation flying machine for dramatic purposes raised or lowered by an
externally situated steam engine or by manual power, which simultaneously raises
or lowers the machine, flaps the wings and rotates the propeller, substantially as
described and shewn with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 5.
4. An imitation flying machine for dramatic purposes substantially as described
and shewn.
5. The combination for dramatic purposes of an imitation flying machine having
a self contained "primer mover with the external supporting and operating devices
substantially as described and shewn.
6. The combination for dramatic purposes of an imitation flying machine with
the external supporting devices, the whole being operated by a prime mover,
situate at a distance from the machine substantially as shewn and described.
Dated this 15th day of January 1895.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
106, Priory Park Road, Kilburn, London, N.W.,.
Agent for the Applicant.