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Aviation History
1909
1909 - 0248.PDF
MAY I, 1909- reinforcing cables, a, form together a rigid framework which keeps the edge in front of the aeroplanes in an unchangeable position. The rear standards, however, and the rear part of the frame, 3, are connected rigidly near the centre of the machine only by the re- inforcing cables, a. Stretched cables, c, mounted upon the central part of the machine, complete the connection between the two aero- planes while opposing themselves to all-sliding movement of the one with respect to the other ; said arrangement, in form of a cage, is intended to maintain the two aeroplanes in rigid connection one with another, but it will be evident that arrangements, other than that represented, might be devised with the same object ; for instance, by means of standards in the middle of the machine. At the ends of this rear central and rigid part of the frames, 3, are mounted joints, /'. The parts of the frame situated beyond these joints form a regulatable tressing, and are maintained in any deter- mined position by a stretched cable, 6, fixed at its ends near the right and left rear corners of the upper aeroplane ; it passes under convenient guides, 7, supported by the lower aeroplane, in any manner, for example, by means of small bearings, 8, and to receive tractions in the direction of the greater length of the aeroplane. These tractions may be communicated to them by means of any apparatus ; by preference, they consist of an auxiliary cable, 8% fixed at its ends to the cable, 6, at points, 6" and 6b, taken between the rollers, 7, and carried back by a convenient guide, 9, on to a drum, 10, mounted upon a shaft, 11, carried by brackets, 12, on the lower aeroplane. The drum, 10, is provided with a handle, 13, and it can be held stationary upon the shaft, 11, by the aid of a brake, which, in the present case, consists of a split collar, 14, pro- vided with a milled screw, 15, by the aid of which the friction between the collar, 14, and the shaft, 11, can be regulated. A single cable, 6, may be employed, but it is preferable to mount auxiliary cables, 16, alongside the cable, 6, at points situated near the guides, 7, and to fix them to corresponding parts or lateral edges of the upper aeroplane, preferably near the rear edges. The length of the auxiliary cables, 16, and the method of connecting them to the cable, 6, and the upper aeroplane are such that an action exerted upon the cable, 6, is transmitted to its ends and to the auxiliary cables, 16, and, by all the cables, to the corre- sponding wings of the aeroplanes, thus producing the desired de- formation of the rear edge of the aeroplane, and preventing it from becoming bulged or distorted between its outer edge and the hinge. A second cable, 17, is fixed, by each of its ends, to the wings of the lower aeroplane, preferably near its rear corners; it passes over convenient guides, 18, fixed to the upper aeroplane, and is of such a length that when it is connected to the lower aeroplane it remains stretched like the cable, 6, these two cables, 6 and 17, thus playing the part of stiffeners in the framework of the machine. The cable, 17, is also preferably provided with auxiliary cables, 19, working in a manner similar to that of the auxiliary cables, 16, of the cable, 6. The rear central part of the frames, 3, with the reinforcing cables, a, and the rear parts of the side wings form, therefore, with the rods, 5, the guides, 7 and 18, and the cables, 6, 16, 17 and 19, a funicular system both rigid and deformable of a new kind which permits of regulating the position of the rear corners of the aero- planes while yet preserving to it the characteristics of a rigid frame- work. When the drum, 10, is set in motion for moving the cable, 6, to the left, thus pulling downwards the right-hand rear lateral part of the upper aeroplane, the corresponding part of the lower aeroplane is sensibly lowered, by virtue of the rigid connections formed between the upper and lower aeroplanes by the rods, 5. '' The downward movement of this part of the lower aeroplane, worked by the cable, 17, serves to lift up the rear left-hand portion of the lower aeroplane, and in that way, by means of the connecting- rods, 5, to lift the corresponding part of the upper aeroplane, thus communicating simultaneously a helicoidal torsion to the wings of the two aeroplanes." There are nine claims to the specification, and as these- are of a particularly far-reaching character, and are likely to be of some considerable importance besides being of the greatest possible interest to designers and manufac- turers of the present day, we append them herewith in> full :— " 1. In a flying machine, the combination with a single or multiple aeroplane having lateral portions capable of being adjusted while in flight to different angles of incidence on the right and left sides of the machine, of a vertical adjustable front rudder and a vertical adjustable rear rudder. "2. In a flying machine, the combination with a single or multiple aeroplane having lateral portions capable of being adjusted while in flight to different angles of incidence, of a vertical adjust- able rudder and a fixed vertical vane co-operating therewith to form a turning couple. "3. In a flying machine, the combination with a single or multiple aeroplane having lateral portions capable of being adjusted while in flight to different angles of incidence, of vertical adjustable front and rear rudders and a fixed vertical vane mounted between, the said rudders. "4. In a flying machine, the combination with a single or multiple aeroplane and means for moving while in flight the right and left portions of the said aeroplane to face forward at different angles of incidence, of vertical rudders mounted in the front and rear of the said aeroplane, and means for simultaneously actuating both said rudders and said aeroplane. "5. In a flying machine, the combination with superposed aero- planes having a rigidly connected central portion and a guide or guides carried by said aeroplanes, of a cable secured at its opposite ends to the opposite lateral portions of the upper aeroplane and engaging the guide or guides carried by the lower aeroplane, and a second cable secured at its ends to the opposite lateral portions of the said lower aeroplane and engaging the guide or guides on said upper aeroplane, whereby when one of the said cables is actuated to- move one of said lateral portions of one of said aeroplanes, downward, the opposite lateral portion is moved upward and vice versa. "6. In a flying machine, the combination with superposed con- nected aeroplanes, of a cable secured at its opposite ends to the opposite lateral portions of one of said aeroplanes, a guide carried by the other of said aeroplanes and adapted to engage said cable, an auxiliary cable connected at one end to said cable intermediate said guide and the point of connection of said cable with said aero- plane, and at its other end to said first-mentioned aeroplane at a pointj removed ftom the point of connection of the main cable to said aeroplane. "7. In a flying machine, having tips adjustable to the aeroplanes and adjustable rudders, with means for operating the same, the application of friction-creating or holding devices for the purpose of holding the parts in the positions in which they are set, until moved out of such positions by means of the operating lever or levers substantially as set forth. "8. In a flying machine, having aeroplanes with adjustable portions operated by a cable, and vertical rudders operated by a further cable or cables, connecting the said cables to drums mounted on a common axis, handles or other means for operating said drums together or separately as desired, substantially as set forth. " 9. A flying machine having superposed aeroplanes with the tips of same adjustable, said tips connected together by cables, so as to work in unison in opposite directions in combination with front and rear vertical adjustable rudders, or one or both of them and a fixed vertical vane, substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings." Balloon Trips and Customs Duties. THE increasing number of foreign balloons which land in France seems to have somewhat alarmed the Minister of the Interior, and incidentally suggested a new way of " raising the wind." Instructions have been issued to the Prefects throughout France and Algeria, that customs duties, ranging from 63 francs to 832 francs, according to size and material, are to be charged on foreign balloons landing on French soil. The Director of Customs has been asked to institute a scheme similar to that in force for motor cars, for the deposit and return of customs duty on balloons which are only temporarily admitted, but this cannot be considered at present. How to Make a Model Flyer. —. QUITE one of the nicest made little models at Olympia was the Twining biplane, and there has just been published by Percival Marshall and Co. (is.) a book of instructions by the designer showing how anyone may make similar toys at home. Accompanying the book, which is simply written and well illustrated, are a set of five full-sized detail drawings, which not only show exactly how each piece should be made, but can in many cases be actually used as a template for making them. It is essentially the kind of book which the amateur with a practical turn of mind requires when deciding to investigate flight in a small way by making a model flyer of his own. 250
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