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Aviation History
1909
1909 - 0405.PDF
JULY IO, 1909. Setting a Course. The object of this arrangement is that the pilot may himself at any time reset the course or, as it may perhaps be better described, the neutral line, which means to say that if, after having flown along a horizontal course, he wishes to ascend, the automatic mechanism may still be retained in action to govern the machine against variations from its ascending path by merely re-setting the position of the frame, E*. Since the valve, D, is itself mounted •on the frame, E4, and because the beams, E1, E2, E3, are independently in equilibrium as a whole by virtue of a balance-weight, E6, it will be evident that any alteration in the position of the frame, E\ will at once affect the •state of the valve, D, that is to say, it may tend to close it if it was open or vice versa. Thus, supposing that the •exact connections are such that the valve being open, the •elevator gets tilted for ascent, then, should the pilot wish to ascend permanently, he will move the handle, E5, so as to open the valve a little way. This will have no effect directly upon the position of the controlling vane, E, because the balance-weight, Efi, serves to keep that horizontal irrespective of the position of the frame, E4. The change from the horizontal to an ascending flight- path, however, will automatically result in a change of the real attitude of the vane, E, to the relative wind, which will now appear to the vane to blow from above, and will thus cause it, when the wind is strong enough, to fall a little and thereby close the valve, D. This action would bring the relay mechanism into action, and •so alter the angle of the elevator, until the conditions are restored which allow the controlling vane, E, to return to its neutral position. Naturally the vane and its balance- weight are not dead beat, and consequently, if disturbed, oscillations are set up which require time to die out, and it is thus more than likely that the normal state of affairs would be one in which the vane is constantly jogging •up and down. :*f-i~i- -•'•- ~ Lateral Stability. " ; • For regulating lateral stability a pendulum is used instead of a vane, the pendulum being suitably coupled to the valve, so that any canting of the flyer from its normal level causes the valve to be opened or shut according to requirements. The pendulum hangs •straight down like a plumb-bob, under the influence of gravity, and it is thus really the movements of the machine as a whole about the pendulum as a fixed point which forms the control. In practice the normal state of the pendulum control would presumably be one of more or less continuous, although possibly slight, oscillation. In the same way that it is possible with the vane control to alter the neutral line, so can the same variation be accomplished with the pendulum, arid if necessary the flyer be made to travel on a circular path indefinitely. •• .•- The Engine. Having described the operation of the system, it now only remains to draw attention to the type of compressed- air engine which the Wrights have specified in their patent. The cylinder, B, of the engine is bored out in two dia- meters, and contains two pistons, B1, B2, which, however, form but a single unit, being coupled together by a trunk member which serves as a guide. In fact, it is the trunk member itself which really forms the smaller piston, as will be evident from the inset sectional drawing which represents this detail. A slot, B3, is cut in the wall of the smaller cylinder, so that the trunk piston can receive a gudgeon-pin, B4, to which the connecting-rod, B5, is attached. The other end of the connecting-rod is, as has already been explained, coupled up to a clutch member, so that it can be brought into action when required. The small end of the cylinder is permanently in communication with the reservoir, and the air-pressure on the piston thus always holds it at the top of its stroke, provided that the large end of the cylinder is open to atmosphere, as is normally provided for by the setting of the valve, D, which has one of its three ports in free communication with the outer air. When the valve is operated so as to close this orifice and place the large end of the cylinder in com- munication with the reservoir instead, the piston is forced downwards because the area of the large piston now represents a correspondingly greater pressure than exists on the small piston. Directly the valve returns to its old position, however, and the exhaust port is open, the air pressure on the small piston at once forces it up to the top of its stroke. If the setting of the valve at any time is such that all the ports are closed, then the piston will remain in equilibrium in any part of its stroke that it happens to be at the time, and will continue there indefinitely, except, of course, should there happen to be any leakage. As to the action of the apparatus in practice, we are unable to give our readers any information at the present time, because if the Wright Brothers have ever tried it they have succeeded very well in keeping the matter dark. That it is of considerable interest to find that they should have patented such a device goes without question, but it would be even still more interesting to know what they really think of it all themselves. Very many people take the line of argument that some form of automatic stability is bound to come, but whether this is the proper way to look at it or not, few will be found to dispute the fact that if a successful automatic stability system is evolved, it will find a very wide appreciation, among those about to learn the art of flight at any rate. As to whether the system which the Wrights seek to patent is the system or not, time and experience alone can prove, and as the patent is not yet granted them, it will be rather interesting to see if there are any oppositions to the claim, for it may be supposed that other inventors who think well of the general idea will be careful to try and keep the ground from being cut away under their feet by any too general claims on the part of the Messrs. Wright. The patent number is 2913 of 1909. Tbe immense balloon shed which is being erected at GutesBiesdorf for the accommodation of the Siemens - Schuckert ; dirigible balloon. It is 150 metres in length, 48 metres wide, \' " and 37 metres high. • 407
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