US1972117A - Toy aeroplane - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 4, 1934. N. E. WALKER TOY AEROPLANE Filed A ril 5. 1931 Nevill -Patented Sept. 4, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT opp-mg 1,972,117 'roY AEROPLANE .Nevilles E. Walker, Portland, Greg.

Application April 3, 1931, Serial No. 527,454

7 Claims. (01. 46-50) My invention relates to aeroplanes and glider construction and primarily to small types used as toys. Becauseof the fact that the only type of motor sufllciently light and inexpensive and adapted to propel said toy planes is one made of a rubber band, said toys have limited flying ability. It is necessary, further, that the body be made of extremely light construction, either I of wood such as balsa, or of oiled silk or paper.

The object of my invention is to provide a plane of this character, which is susceptible of flying a reasonable distance relatively and yet one which is capable of being formed to correspond closely to the contour and structure of standard planes.

I accomplish this result by forming the body of a single stick of balsa wood turned to tapered form leaving only a sumcient shell to obtain substantial rigidity. The forward, larger diameter end is capped by an element closely encircling said body,

r binding it to prevent distortion and breakage,

said cap further forming the mounting for the propeller shaft for such plane. Extending into the rear end of said *plane is a removable clip arranged adjacent the tail skid, which with the end of the propelling shaft form the connecting elements to which the ends of the elastic motor are secured. The intermediate portions of said band motor arehoused within the hollow body substantially along the median line of the latter.

so The wing element is arranged to pass below such.

motor, not only to provide clearance, but also to provide lateral and longitudinal stability, in that it becomes possible to introduce a substantial.

dihedral angle in the wing and still keep the line as of resistance relatively low.

The body walls are arranged to yieldingly hold such wing element, because of the fact that the wing element is given curved contour and the slots thru the walls of the body are lineal. The

40 distortion of the wings produced by forcibly arranging them in the wall slots yieldingly holds the wing element fixed in position when subjected only to normal flight conditions, but yields to prevent breakage when the wing strikes a solid g5 object in flight, because the slots are substantially longer than the wing element to accommodate movement.

The details of construction and operation are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is'a longitudinal section thru said toy aeroplane;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section looking forward thru the wing; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of such plane.

My improved plane comprises a body a extending longitudinally of the plane and comprises a single integral element, tubular in section and tapered longitudinally. The forward end of the body terminates in a forwardly extending circular flange of relatively large diameter with respect to the both; of the plane and the rearward end terminates virtually in a point a2. The latter end is slotted and holds the elements I), b and b2 forming the tail structure. The element 1) extends vertically and the elements I) and b2 .extend outwardly at opposite sides and all of such parts are .of like shape. At the forward end two angularly disposed truss-shaped braces c carry wheels 0' and form the landing gear for the plane, such wheels being mounted upon laterally extending axles 02.

Upon the upper portion of the body, I preferably provide an opening d, above which a piece of transparent material at and. astream line block d2 are carried to simulate a cockpit.

The walls of said body are extremely thin to secure light weight and said body is preferably made of wood such as balsa wood. The latter wood lacks strength and to prevent the body from being crushed easily, a cap e is provided, which cap is preferably made of a heavier section than the body. Such cap fits tightly over and seals the forwardly extending flange a, thebounding flange e fitting tightly over the flange (1'. The body and cap being annular in section, the latter thus serves to resist distortion, because of such tight flt and thus compressive strains upon such body are resisted by the bounding action of said cap.

The flanges e and a respectively are provided with a tongue e2 and a groove-a3, which engage each other to prevent rotation of such parts. An inwardly projecting boss e3 is formed upon such cap and is'arranged to extend centrally towards the tubular body. A propeller f is carried by the face of said cap upon a propelling shaft 17. Such shaft receives bearing support from such cap by extending thru the boss e3, which is preferably provided with a metallic cap e4 upon its inner face. The propeller is spaced from the head by a semi-spherical spacer f and the inner end of the propeller shaft 9 is formed into an eye 9'.

A tail skid piece h is arranged at the rear pointed end of the body a and beneath the tail structure elements b and b2.. A piece 2' of the body hollow body to a point substantially upon the median line of such body. An elastic motor olementke'xtendslongitudinallyofthebodyand isfastenedatone endtotheeyea' formedupon the inner end of the propellershaft a and is fastened at the other-end to the eye i of the 1 clip j and thus extende'substantially the full le oi the Said c motor element preferably comprjone or more 1 of rubber. uch as its'ection is substan noiseless and such material is inensive and easily procured. Thus the propeller is dri by securing distor tion in said elastic motor. element, which when win in one direction upon release will rotate Y the propeller opposi and" the plane will be driven thru the air. The clip is free and removable with the piece i, so that the end of the elastic cured thereby may be removed with suchpie e to provide means for joining such end to a mechcal win device. The other end of such'rubber band also is removable for the se purpose, the cap and piece both being held a vertical stall. j 1 3;

' to flights of standard aeroplanes. On the other hand it is relatively simple to provide a. nose--- heavy-miniature plane, which is capable of sus-.

tained horizontal flight under full motor power. when such power is exhausted at the end of its travel, the 'plane being nose-heavy dives for the earth andnds nose-on, not only tending to break the parts, but also to provide a landing which is not similar to one had with standard flying con-- ditions.

'A plane such as the one shown in the drawing issymmetrical about a. vertical plane and has good gliding ability and lateral stability. Good lateral 1; stability is accentuated by a relatively large degree of dihedral oflset in the wing element. Thus the center oi gravity is at a point adjacent the median line of the body or slightly below. The dihedral angle of the wings causes the center of resistance to forward motion to be at a point substantially I spaced above such center of gravity. The thrust line of the propeller normally extends along a line coincident with the median line of the body horizontal plane, or with reasonable upward climb. That is, if the thrust line extendssubstantially thru the center of resistance, such compound tipping force is eliminated and good flight conditions are. maintained. These theoretical lines, and centers are shown graphically in Fig. 1.

Said graphic showing thus discloses that the line. of resistance extends above the median line of the body and below the plane of the tips of the wing, the dihedral angle of said wing causing the e breakage.

1,978,117 I tipstoextendtoaplancsubstautlally'abcvothe bodyasisshbwninl lg. 1. Thethrustline extends thru the axis of rotation of the propeller and makes an oblique angle with the line of resistshoe. The line of resistance is parallel to the line of flight and to the median line of the body. but said line of resistance does not coincide with said median line, the band motor k extendingsubstantially along said median line. Thecenter of resistance thus is that point on the line of resistance where the resisting factors forward of said point offset and balance those factors lying aft of said point.

. To secure increased lift, the wing element 1 is given camber. Said wing, to secure economy and to aid in its mounting, is preferably made of uniform thickness. The slits m extending thru the body walls are preferably lineal, or formed upon a curvature difierent than the are given the wings to produce such camber. The wings are distorted, that is, flattened in the specific device illustrated, so that they may pass thru said lineal slots. Such elements are distortable and are elastic and thus tend to resume their horizontal curved iorm, which tending binds them tightly in said slots. 1 Said slots are oi substantially greater length than the width of the wing and thus said wing is permitted-to yield when struck relatively by a solid,

as in flight or in lending conditions, thereby to 1 claim:

i. In a toy aeroplane of the character described provided with a longitudinal body and a single lateral wing element, said aeroplane being symmetrical about a longitudinal vertical plane and having gliding stability and a propeller arranged at the forward end of said body and mounted upon a. longitudinal axisextending along a. line obliquely intersecting the line of resistance and passing substantially-thru the center of resistance of said aeroplane.

2. In a toy aeroplane of the character described provided with a longitudinal body and a single lateral wing element, said aeroplane being symmetrical about a longitudinal vertical plane and having gliding stability, and having its center of resistance substantially above its center of gravity and a propeller arranged at the forward end of said-body and mounted upon a longitudinal axis extending along a line obliquely intersecting the line of resistance and passing substantially thru the center of resistance of said aeroplane.

3. In a toy aeroplane of the character described provided with a longitudinal body and a single 180 lateral wing element, said aeroplane being symmetrical about a longitudinal vertical plane and having'gliding stability. said wing element provided with a substantial percentage of dihedral oilset resulting in the aeroplane having its center of resistance substantially above its center of gravity and a propeller arranged at the forward end of said body and mounted upon a longitudinal axis extending along a line obliquely intersecting the line of resistance and passing substa'n- .than the cross-section 0! said wing, the latter different shape than the cross-section oi. "said wing, the latter being elastic and distortable, whereby seating said wing in said slot under pressure to distort the latter binds said wing element yieldably in said slot, the elasticity of said wing being suflicient to cause the portions thereof spaced from said slot to resume their normal curved section.

5. In an aeroplane of the character described provided with a longitudinal body and a transverse wing element carried thereby, said wing element comprising one continuous element of uniform thickness and curved laterally to provide such wing element with camber, a linear slot formed in the side wall of said body for receiving and constituting the sole means for holding said wing element, said slot being of diflerent shape than the cross-section oi! said wing, the latter being elastic and distortable,

whereby seating said wing in said slot under being elastic and distortable, whereby seating said wing in said slots under pressure to distort the latter frictionally binds said wing element yieldably in said slots, the elasticity of said wing being sumcient to cause the portions thereof spaced from said slot to resume their undistorted section respectively.

7. In an aeroplane of the character described provided with a longitudinal body and a transverse wing element carried thereby, said body being hollow and annular in section, and of substantial diameter at the point of connection with said wing element, said wing element comprising one continuous element of uniiorm thickness and curved laterally to provide such wing element with camber, linear slots formed in the side walls of said hollow body for receiving and trictionally holding said wing element, said slots being of substantially greater length than the width of said wing element, said slots being of diilerent shape than the cross-section of said wing, the latter being elastic and distortable, whereby seating said wing in said slots under pressure to distort the latter binds said wing element yieldably in said slots, the elasticity of said wing being suflicient to cause the portion thereof spaced from said slot to resume their undistorted section respectively.

NEVILLES E. WALKER.

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