US1511489A - Apparatus for supplying air to occupants of aircraft - Google Patents

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L. M. ARMSTRQNG APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYI-NG AIR TO OCGUPNTSy OF AIRCRAFT original Filed July 9, 1919 PatentedA l 14,11 924.l

uNiTED STATES vPATENT orifice.'-

-Lavmmn la ARMSTRONG, oF Piioitin,4 ILLINOIS, AssIGNon To .1. n. arizona, om cHIcAeo, izLLINois.

APPARATUS FOB, SUPPLYING AIR T OCCUPANTS 0F AIRCRAFT.

Application nled July 9, 1919, Serial No. 309,772. Benewed March 14, 1984.

To all 'whom t ymag/ concern:

Be it known that I, LAvANnA M. ARM- STRONG, citizen of the United States, residin at Peoria, in the county of Peoria i and new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Supplying Air to Occu ants of Aircraft; and I do hereby declare t at the following is a full, clear, `and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art, to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to means for sup- 4plyingair under pressure in a compartment serving as living quarters for 'persons when in high altitudes, and particularly for navigators and passengers of air craft or air vesse s of every kind'andcharacter.

The main object of the invention is to provide for-furnishing a supply of air to persons carried in air ships and air vessels of eyery kind, such air being placed under greater pressure-than that of the surrounding air in high altitudes, and maintained in a com artmentl at a desired pressure automatica ly or partially so.

Besides the Yabove objects, other objects and advantages are attainable all of which will appear herein aided by the accompan ing drawing, it being understood that t' e invention is not\conf`ined to what is 'shown and described, as yto the mechanism, since I have outlined but one manner of providing for the desired results. y

Figure 1 shows'-` one of the types of air craft to which my, invention is applicable, part only of the invention being visible.

-Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of a compartment of an air craft showing my invention. y

Figure 3 is an elevation of a conventional form of barometer and connections extending therefrom as parts used with my invention.

Figure 4 is a plan of a valve and parts of an operating 'mechanism therefor.

Figure 5 is ane'levation of the same, and

Figure 6 shows in perspective a suit for a navi ator or' other person, made air tight and a apted to be supplied with air under pressure. 1

The physical discomforts of rsons in high or extremely high altitudes ue to lack tate ofIllinois, have invented certain,

of airy pressure is ywell known. Because of' this it is my purpose to provide an air tight compartment for all persons whether stationed on mountain `tops or carried in air navigated by air-craft, air being provided,

therein such as to furnish comfort almost,if n ot quite equal, to that at or near sea level.

Also, that where' butone or two ersonsV are navigating the air at high altitu es the may be provi-ded each with a stout suit su l ficiently large to permit air under pressure -to surround the head .and body, the air being supplied from any desired source,.al.l of

which will appear herein.

I believe it is entirely new to provide air' for sustaining life Yin veryI high altitudes where the air is rare, compressing the air in a compartment by automatic means or by mechanism that may be controlled manually.

My invention is ap licable to an formof air craft whether o ,the so-called ighterthan-air. or heavier-than-air type. v,

For purposes of illustration thenumeral'l is indicative of-an air craft'of the lighterthan-air dirifrible type', 2 denoting a car or gondola carried thereby, which for the purposes of my invention is so constructed as to -be made air tight hen desired.A That is to say, the windows 3ft ereof are of a form that will constitute air tight closures, the struc.- ture of the walls of the ear, which is what I shall term the compartment, being such as to withstand internal airpressure.

4 is `a valve of the safety or pop ty located at any convenient, pointin one of t e walls' arranged toopen outwardly for escape of excess pressure, the said valve beinggoverned by a spring4 for example. l

In the forward wall ,hf the compartment pointing in the direction oftravel is a fun-` nel shaped member 42, ,the walls yof which fiare to the pro er degree and said member may be of a` esired depth ,for gathering l and compressing v-air within the compartment with which said member communicates.

Said member may be attached to the wall; 160 braces 5, for example, the tubularportion.. I

in any convenient manner asby means of 6 extending through the wall of the coinpartment and having a .valve-seat 6 terminating its end. But said member may .be

otherwise disposed with reference the-' wall carryingl it.

7 yis a idly mounted valve adapted tof ,closeu n t e valve-seat v6.

8 is y indicative of an air compressor sit uatedv 1n yany convenient place 'connected through a conduit 9 with the outer air prelerablyy by way. of the tubular portion 6 ofsaidmember 42, while 9is a power delivering .apparatus whichfor convenience may be an electric motor, for instance, belted or otherwise connected l rthe sai'd air compressor.'A

arometer of the ordinary and 11 yrepresents any shows la mercurial J-form f ysource 'of'power, preferably one for producing electrical energy, such las la storage r battery.

. times, it will arometer. 14 is afconduit connected at one end to the remaining pole of the motor and connected at its other end with the short or open rend of lthelbarometer whereby, at have pontact with the mercury as the same rises.

' f Saidwire or conduit Mis preferablyadinstable so that contact thereof with' the mercury .may l ycu-it through the vation, depending motorA at j any 'l encountered as will appear later.

upon t :sel

- sist, as anexample,

as afbracket 20 kige the conduit is preferabl As an example ofthe'man'ner l vtin adjustment, 15- dicat a' support for hol ing e barometer and securedfin position thereonin any suitablemanner, or the conaircompressoi-,

yringl a wrist pin 25 which in rotating with t e in'` driving relation withy in higher than be elective to close theciry 'desired ele` upon the rarity of the air p l l' starting the compressorfB, the conduit 11g/of of permit#l been previously ad' f the conduit which may be sli/dable is a bracket 21 its ends, a lever towhich 'is pivoted, between 22 one ofA whose ends engages the free arm of the bell-crank, the other end being free to move in a single given plane.

Rotatably mounted Ona bracket 23 is a wheel 24 belted to 'the driven wheel of the for example, said wheel car'- f same is moved against the lever 22 to swing iton its pivotf and therethrough close thevalve. This' action will lappear more fully in the. description` of the operation. It is here to be pointed out that any other, means for operating theavalve may be resorted to, the means an example ofA one manner of its accomplishes ment. v

In traveling at considerable speed the ,air

`is gathered bythe funnel and compressed in the compartment'raising the pressure therethe outer air, such pressure increasing in proportion to the increase in the speed of travel, and, incidently, the air at the., same time is kept in circulation throughoutK the com artment, the pressure ifnaintained'making or better physical comort. When, however, the altitude becomes such that the airpressure inthe compartment is insuiiicent to yield the desired or require comfort the valve 7' is closed and the air ressure in thel compartment is increased by the barometer havin 'usted lto automatically hat is to say, it' may be when reaching a. .previously height the electric` circuit will be closed Aduit may be held by :riction in the support. caused by the mercury rising in the open Again, the support may frictionally enend of the tube due to. decreasin air presportion =on which' itis mounted sure.. The circuit havingl been c osed thus ugh the positive manner of holding the e. the compartment of an' the sea level is at norbe normal at great V'Vhile the air in air craft -at or near mal pressure, it cannot elevations and therefore my urp'ose 1s to furnish an apparatusv that wi provide air pressure'at any desiredepressure within said compartment and preferablyin an automatic manner. l l

When in low altitudes, the valve 7 being open, the air is free to enter the compartment.` But when reaching very altitudes said valve at the proper time is to'be closed reventing air, to be placed under pressure,

om escaping. a a s 4 The means for closing the valve ma conyof 'alever 1f? rigi ly attachedto the hingeporti'on of the valve, /to which 'is pivoted, and a rod 18' connected to one arm of a bell-crank 19 pivoted upon a suitable `support such extending from the wall of the compartment. Secured also to the wall operate the air from which extends,

open automatically,

compressor and simultaneously therewith the wrist 4pin 25 is 'mov against the lever 22 closing the valve TheA compressor iskept in operation until -the pressure is sufficient to cause the breaking of the circuit by driving the mercury columndownward away'from the conduit 14% Or, to constantly furnish resh'air tothe compartnent whenv a desired pressure is rea the air-escapewalve 4 mayibe prlmtted to leak air above that pressure. e valve 7 e having been closedl 's held thus bythe inter- 'nal'pressure 1 In this manner comfort isv established andmaintained for the occupants.

Upon descending to lowerlevels said valve 7 ma be manually opened to admit, air, but if the external pressure is greater l than the internal pressure the valve will automatically and action of the compressor will automatically cease.

At any s eed of travel air will be compressed 1n t e compartment due to the fux1.

described being merely 80.

the motor is set in motion to f chad,

1 Again,

' nel may not be used. The operation of the balance of the mechanism does not depend upon it in any way.

Leading from the compartment is',V avalved conduit .28 by means of which air may be supplied to other compartments. air may be supplied "to a suit worn by any person whose duties require him to work outside the compartment. In other words my invention in addition to the above purposes seeks to provide for any, such as navi ators of aeroplanes, the same comfort as a orded by the closed compartment 1'.

lVher'e ysuch a compartment would bertoo bulky, or undesirable, its equivalent may be furnished in a suit such as 26, Figure 6, including a head piece into which air can be;l introduced through a conduit 27 from any suitable source such as the conduit 28, if the person is carried by a lighter-than-air machine, or from a pressure` tank including .therein a compressor, motor and battery as well as a barometer which would be outside lsaid tank, all acting orremaining idle according to the rarity or densityfof' the air encounutered, when carried by a heavier# than-air machine. l f" The head-piece may have an escape valve of any well known or ap roved typeiat 27 to provideK for escapero air above a certain pressure. .This provides for air pressure for the body and head aswell as to supply the lungs, it being required, of course, that the suit be of such constructmn as to withstand the internal pressure. [The saidtank (not shown)` furnishes the equiva.. lent of the compartment as will -be understood. .l

The power/means for operating the com-V.

pressor may be any otherva'rrangement. For

i even the example, any power delivery mechanism used in or about the craft whatever its type, propelling motor, which may be operatively' connected wlth the compressor by any 4sultable means toaocomplishthe ob- I ject sought.

.1. In an air c raft,.thec0mbination with a'compa'rtment capable of being made air tight, of means including a funnel through which to introduce air to said. compartment n automatically in rareiied atmospheres in the travel of the` craft. against the air, and

mechanism for automatically closing said funnel and introducing'air into such compartment under still greater pressure than afforded by4 said funnel.

2. In an air craft7 the combination with a compartment capable of being made air tight, of lmeans in which-to compress air and through which to said compartment,automatically in the to introduce the same travelgof the craft against the air, a valve to close said means to the passage of air, and mechanism vlncludlng an air compressor setun motlon automatically to close said valve and for introducing air into the compartment under still greater pressure.

3.' ln an air craft, the combination with. Y

a compartment capable of being made air tight, of means for` gathering and introducing air into the latter and to compress it therein by its travel against the air, a valve 'for closing said means, and mechanism to automatically close 'the valve including an alr compressor, power means to operate the same, yand a member effected by the rarityor density. of air adapted to automatically cause the starting and stopping of the compressor whereby to maintain air pressure in said compartment at substantially a desired density.

4. In an air craft, the combination with a compartment capable of being made air tight, of means open to the outer air for gathering and introducing air to the compar'tment under pressure, a valve'to 'close said means, an air compressor, mechanism to`close the valve including'. a motor, and. a member effected by the' density or rarity of air adapted to set said eration or terminate such' operation.`

yln an air craft, the. combination with a compartment Vcapable-of being made airtight, ofan air gathering device open to .the outer air communicating with the interior of'said compartment,A a valve .to close it, an air compressor-.including a conduit connected into said device between the Valve and 'its open. end, a motor for operating the compressor, and a member .effected by the variations inair pressureadapted to cause the motor to bestarted andY stopped whereby.the^compressor will maintain. air in the compartment at substantially av given den# in presence of twowitnesses.

- A LAVANDA M. ARMSTRONG.

Witnesses:

J. M. REYBURN, M. THURLOW.

mechanism in op-` `my signature g

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