US1392140A - Apparatus for landing flying-machines - Google Patents

Description

H GEHNSBACK APPARATUS FOR LANDING FLYING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZO. I918- PatentedSept. 27, 1921.

I c n o e? o naeaiao,

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sepia 23%, 199% Application fuel no, this. .do. @335, L5,

all whom it may concern:

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chines while alighting as to exerts a tractive force on eraloly employ Be it known that l, l lneo Gnnnsnaonz, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and.

State of New York, have invented certain new and useful lmprovernents in Apparatus for Landing Flying-Machines, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to landing mechanism for aeroplanes or other flying ma chines and to the process of efiecting the landin a The main object is to provide a means whereby flying machines may alight from all directions gradually, smoothly and with-- out shock to the machine or its occupant,

and be held securely in place until lashed or otherwise fastened. Many theories and mechanisms are known which have resulted from unsucccssfulatt'empts to satisfactorily accomplish this object. At the present time where a large open field cannot be used, the most feasible plan is to provide a run-way or platform which is necessarily so restricted in area, especially in width and usnally in length too (this is especially true on ships) that the mostexperienced aviators consider it so difficult to control the mabe impractical. accidents now occur during had weather in landing on these run-ways.

lln carrying out my invention, l overcome the objections noted and use a means which the flying machine while-still in motion to gradually retard or lorake its momentum and attract and hold it securely for lashing to a support, and prefsaid means as a plurality of separated units so that th tractive force will not concentrate rat a single point, but will be divided among the separated units. Further, electro-magnets are used .as the at tracting means and are mounted in a glass platform or landing space, serving both as an insulator for the magnets and as a means which may be illuminated by the use of search or other lights to assist in efiecting landings during darkness. The landing surface of the platform or space is to he lubri-v cated or treated so that a dying machine may slide or travel thereon without nnnec-- essary friction, wear and noise.

In accompanying drawings, one practical.

invention is shown.

embodiment of the Figure 1 1s a perspective ln said drawings,

view showing the application of my prhvement to a fragment of a with a hydroplane disposed on the landing platform; 7

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view across the platform, showing fragments of its support and of the hydroplane, and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of trio wiring used.

in the embodiment shown, the imprdvements are associated with a battleship, be ing supported from the main deck A landing run-way or platform 5 is used, be ing supported fromthe deck by means of posts 6 braced by suitable guys 7. This platform is capable of being supported in any suitable manner, either on a ship, or elsewhere, permanently or detachahly or collapsihly,

Said platform may he made of any preferred material, in the instance shown how ever being of transparent Embedded in the glass, preferably in transverse pairs and with their upper surfaces flush with the upper surface of the glass, are electro-magnets' 8. practical use, these electromagnets for example, may he 50 or inches in diameter and capable of attracting ZOOMX) pounds. The electromagnetic field will extend within 2 or 3 feet ahove them.

he elecbattleship and. I

with its outer edges surrounded by a barrier 10. lhis enlargement supports acontroller 11 which is operable to energize or deenergize the electro-magnets 8. vln thepresent instance, the current for the electro-magnets is supplied by dynamo in of the battleship, Reference should now he had to Fig. 3. h

Referring to said Fi 3, the dynamo is shown at lilhaving rent through a rheostate it to wires which are bridged by conductors 16, wiring the electro-magnets 8 in parallel. An electric switch 17 is referahy provided in one of the wires 13. lheostat l4 and switch 17, essentially make up the controller at ill.

the holler room leads l3 supplying con llll] Since the platform 5 is transparent, suiting from conductors 20, suspended from the.

droplane.

standards 6 or other suitable parts. In Fig. 3, it will be seen that the lamps 19 are arranged in parallel and that the conductors 20, may lead from the dynamo 12, and one of them have a switch 21 therein.

To cooperate with the landing apparatus, the flying machine of which a conventional type is shown at 22, mayhave iron or other suitable metallic bars 23 capable of being attracted by the magnets 8. These bars are supported from the machine in any suitable manner as by means of struts 24. In landing, the bars 23 may slide oyer the platform and-magnets, and to this end, their under surfaces are preferably lubricated. llf desired however, these bars may be mounted on rollersor wheels 25 adapted to ride on the upper surface of the platform. It will be noticed, that the bars 23 are in the 1ocations usually had by the pontoons of a hy- If the pontoons are carried by the flying machine, metallic strips or other means to provide metallic surfaces to be. attracted by the magnets, may be secured to their under surfaces.

In use, when a flying machine is about to land or alight on the platform 5, the operator at the controller 11, manipulates it to energize the magnets 8 to the desired extent. When the flying machine approaches the platform and isabout to land, its power is shut off. However, before it lands, it travels over and above the platform 5 while still possessing momentum. To realize the tractive effeet 0 the magnets, the machine must travel within 'two or three feet above them.

the bars 23' directly to the magnets but this. action is counteracted as the bars will not travel in a straight path to the magnetsin View of the momentum of the machine. Be-I The neeaieo fore finally landing, passes over two or three sets of the magnets before its motion arrested, it will be realized that the electromagnets attract the bars and securely hold the flying machine on the platform. The flying machine ma then be lashed or other wise secured to t e platform or adjacent structure, after which, the controller is operated to cut 01f the supply of electricity and deenergize the electro-magnets. If the landing be effected during darkness, switch 21 is closed before the magnets are energized in order to illuminate the landing for the aid and guidance of the aviator. ft is well, when passing over the magnets, for-the bars 23 to be disposed where magnetic attraction is weakest and thencause the bars to travel in an inclined position toward and closer to the inner sets of the electro-magnets.

li claim V i l. Landing apparatus having a platform of glass provided with a recess, an electromagnet disposed in said recess with its upis finally arrested. When".

the machine usually 2 per surface flush with the upper surface of the platform, means to support the platform, means to energize said electro-magnets including wires, and platform through which the wirespass to the magnets.

2. Landing apparatus including a platform of glass, a plurality of electro-magnets embedded at intervals in said platform, means for controlling the energizing of said magnets, and means for illuminating the platform. V v

Intestimony whereof, I have affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. HUGO GERNSBACK. Witnesses-z EDWARD WOOD, "DOROTHY KAuTRowI'rzI' means embedded in the

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