US2222204A - Control for airplanes - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 19, 1940. A. E. NEWMAN ETAL 2,222,204

CONTROL FOR AIRPLANES Filed Sept. 6, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l BNVENTOR Ammu- E. NEWMAN 8 30mm mm. Fmmms EBY ATTORNEY Nov. 19, 1940. A. E. NEWMAN ETAL CONTROL FOR AIRPLANES Filed Sept. 6, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RNVENTOR ALBERT E. NEWMAN @mm Fmwcls & JOHN FIG. 3

. slsneaeiivlauali- .nialniialifl w 2 l 3 l r I ATTORNEY Patented Nov.'19, 1940 PATENT OFFICE 2,222,204 CONTROL roa nmPLANEs Albert E. Newman and John Carl Francis, Akron, Ohio Application September 6, 1938, Serial .No. 228,507

6 Claims.

,This invention relates to control mechanism forairplanes.

Heretofore, the airplanes have been provide with two or more controls for manipulating the three major control surfaces thereof, one or more of these control surfaces usually being manipulated by hand i'neans and at least one control surface, such as the rudder, being manipulated by I foot control. This arrangement has never been entirely satisfactory because many people lack coordination between the hands and feet and for that'reason find it either difficult orimpossibie to fly an airplane. This multiple control system has been found to be particularly awkward, if not dangerous, when for example the plane is being grounded and the feet are required to be shifted from the foot controls to the brake pedals.

One object of this invention is to provide a single control for airplanes by means of which at I0 least the three major control surfaces, namely the ailerons, elevators, and rudder, may be manipulated individually'or two or more simultaneously. Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism of the character described by means 85 of which the major control surfaces of an airplane may be manipulated without requiring coordination between hands and feet.

A further object of the invention is to provide" a more simple, compact and economical structure. 80 The foregoing and other objects-of the invention are attained in-tlie control mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and described below. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific form there- 86 of shown and described.

Of the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of an airplane having the improved control mechanism therein. I

Figure 2 is a .side elevation thereof, partly In broken away.

Figure 3 is a rear view of a control unit embodying the invention, partly broken away and in section. a 4

Figure 4 is a side elevation, partly broken away and in section, of the mechanism shown in Figure 3. I

Referring to the designates an airplane having the usual control surfaces thereon, of which II, II are the ailerons l2, l2,the elevators, and I3 the rudder.v Suitably located in the cock pit of airplane I0 is a control indicated generally at I4.

As best shown in, Figures 3 and '4, an upright 001111111115, which is preferably a hollow tube, is

as provided intermediate its ends withtransversely drawings, the numeral 10.

to the upper horns 24, 24 on the elevators I2, the 10 arrangement being such that the elevators may be swung about their hinges l2, l2 by rocking the column l5 on trunnions l6.

Extending co-axially through the hollow column I5 in spaced relation to the interior sur- 15 face thereof may be a shaft 25, held-against endwise movement by having a bracket 25 secured to its lower end and by a control head 21 secured to its upper end, the shaft being-journalled in a suit- 1 able bearing 28 at its upper end, and bearings 29 and 30 at its lower end. Bracket 26 preferably has a pair of arms 3|, 3| which extend upwardly and. outwardly, free of supporting brackets ll, to provide swivel connections 32, 32 substantially on the axial center line of the trunnions I6. From the swivel connections 32, a pair of cables 32 32 may extend rearwar'dly to outwardly extending horns 33, 33 on rudder 13. For turning the shaft 25 to manipulate the rudder l3 on hinges I3 con-' trol head 21 is provided with uprights 21 21 through which may extend a shaft 34, journalled in bearings 35, 35 in the uprights, one end of shaft 34 being extended rearwardly to have secured thereto a suitable hand-wheel 36. Through hand-wheel 36 movements of force may be ap- 35 plied about the axis of column l5 to turn shaft 25 within the column and thereby swing the pivot .points 32 about the axis of the column, always in a plane at right anglesto the axis of the column and coincident with the axis of trunnions l6. By this means the rudder l3 may readily be manipulated at any angle of column l5, and may be manipulated simultaneously with the rocking movement of the column l5 for manipulating the elevators l2. 5

'For controlling the ailerons II on hinges H, I l there may be fixed on shaft 34 a sprocket 31 over which is trained achain 38, the two ends of which, guided by idler sprockets 39, 39, extend through openings 40 in control head 21 and downwardly between column I! and shaft 25. The ends 38, 38' of the chain 38 are connectedto cables 4|, M which, guided by idler pulleys 42 within the trun ,nions I6 and suitably arranged pulleys 43, 43

within the wing structure of the plane, extend trol arrangement shown-and described turning hand-wheel 36 counter-clockwise or clockwise manipulates the ailerons in opposing relation to bank the plane to the left or to the right, respectively.

In the mechanism shown and briefly described there has been provided a single control unit manually operable to manipulate at least the three major control surfaces of an airplane, each individual control being operable either independently, or simultaneously with each or all of the others, at all times. With such a control the operator may have his feet free and in a restful position while the airplane is being flown and the feet are always available for applying pressure to the brake pedals when the plane is being grounded. Thus has been provided a control unit requiring no coordination between the hands and feet and making for greater safety, simplicity, compactness, and economy of structure.

It is understood that the cables between the control unit and the various control surfaces may be connected in numerous ways. Modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A control device for adjusting the control surfaces of aircraft, comprising a unit shiftable in one plane about a fixed pivot, said unit including a hollow member and'a member rotatably mounted in said hollow member to rotate about an axis passing through said pivot, one controlsurface adjusting means connected to said hollow member to swing in said plane about said pivot with said unit, a second control-surface adjusting means connected to said rotatable member and operable thereby in planes passing through said pivot in all positions of the shiftable unit, shiftable means mounted on said rotatable member of said unit, and a third controlsurface adjusting means connected to said shiftable means, said third adjusting means including flexible elements and means for guiding said flexible elements from said unit at the pivot on which the unit shifts in all positions of the unit.

2. A control device for adjusting the control surfaces of aircraft, comprising a unit shiftable in one plane about a fixed pivot, said unit includ-, ing a hollow member and a member rotatably mounted in said hollow member to rotate-about an axis passing through said pivot, one controlsurface adjusting means connected to said hollow member to swing in said plane about said pivot with said unit, a second control-surface adjusting means connected to said rotatable member and operable thereby in planes passing through said pivot in all positions of the shiftable unit, shiftable means mounted on said rotatable member of said unit, and a third control-surface adjusting means connected to said shiftable means and including flexible elements extending from said unit at the pivot on which the unit shifts in all positions of the unit, said shiftable means having a manually engageable grip thereon whereby said first, second, and third adjusting means are operable either independently or simultaneously with each other.

3. A control device for adjusting the control surfaces of aircraft, comprising a support, a unit including a housing pivoted on said support and a shaft mounted in said housing in spaced relation thereto to rotate about an axis passing through said pivot, said unit thereby being shiftable in one plane about said pivot, one controlsurface adjusting means connected to said housing to swing in said plane about said pivot with said unit, a second control-surface adjusting means connected to said rotatable shaft and operable thereby in planes passing through said pivot in all positions of said unit, shiftable means mounted on said rotatable shaft, and a third control-surface adjusting means connected to said shiftable means and including flexible elements extending in the space between said housing and said rotatable shaft, said flexible elements extending from said unit at the pivot on which the unit shifts in all positions of the unit.

4. A control device for adjusting the control surfaces of aircraft, comprising a support, a unit including a housing pivoted onsaid support and a shaft mounted in said housing in spaced relation thereto to rotate about an axis passing through said pivot, said unit thereby being shift able in one plane about said pivot, one controlsurface adjusting means connected to said housing to swing in said plane about said pivot with said unit, a second control-surface adjusting means connected to said rotatable shaft and operable thereby in planes passing through said pivot in all positions of said unit, shiftable means.

mounted on said rotatable shaft, and a third control-surface adjusting means connected to said shiftable means and including flexible elements extending in the space between said housing and said rotatable shaft, said flexible elements extending from said unit at the pivot on which the unit shifts in all positions of the unit, said shiftable means having a manually engage able grip thereon whereby said first, second, and third adjusting means are operable either independently or simultaneously with each other.

5. A control device for adjusting the control surfaces of aircraft, comprising a unit shiftable in one plane about a fixed pivot, said unit including a housing and a shaft mounted in said housing in spaced relation thereto to rotate about an axis passing through said pivot, one control-surface adjustingv means connected to said housing to swing in said plane about said pivot with said unit, a second control-surface adjusting means connected to said rotary member and operable thereby in planes passing through said pivot in all positions of the shiftable unit, rotatable means mounted on the rotatable member of said unit, and a third controlsurface adjusting means connected to said rotatable means and operable by rotation of said rotatable means, said third adjusting means including flexible elements extending in the space between said housing and said shaft and extending from said unit at the pivot on which the unit shifts in all positions of the unit, said rotatable means having a manually engageable grip associated therewith whereby said first, second and third adjusting means are operable either independently or simultaneously with each other.

6. A control device for adjusting the control surfacesof aircraft, comprising a unit shiftable in one plane about a fixed pivot, said unit in- 7 eluding two eo-axially'extendins members one of which is relatively rotatable with respect to the other about an axis passing through said pivot, one of said members comprising a housing and the other comprising a shaft mounted in spaced relationwithin the housing, one controlsurface adjusting means connected to said nonrotatable member to swing in said plane about said pivot with said unit, a second control-suriaee adjusting means connected to said rotary member and operable thereby in planes passing thmush said pivot in all positions 0! the shiftable unit, shiitable means. mounted on the rotatable member 01 said unit, and a. third controlsurtaoe adjusting means connected to said shittable means, said third adjusting means including flexible elements extending in the space hetween said members, and means for guiding the "ALBERT n. NEWMAN.

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