US2542792A - Airplane wing flap and slat mounting - Google Patents

Description

' J. H. BENNETT ETAL.

AIRPLANE WING FLAP AND SLAT MOUNTING Feb. 20, 1951 Filed Aug. 16, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JAMES H. BENNETT JAMES A. WEBB Wu. J

l 1951 r J. H BENNETT ETAL- 2,542,792

AIRPLANE WING FLAP AND SLAT MOUNTING Filed Aug. 16, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JAMES H, BENNETT JAMES A. WEBB Patented Feb. 20, 1951 AIRPLANE WING FLAP AND SLAT MOUNTING James H. Bennett, Baltimore, and James A. Webb, Essex, Md., assignors to The Glenn L. Martin Company, Middle River, Md., a corporation of Maryland Application August 16, 1947, Serial N 0. 769,002

Claims. 1 v

This invention relates to a novel flap, slat and shutter assembly secured to the trailing edge of a wing, more particularly to the mounting and actuating mechanism arranged to affordadequate mechanical and aerodynamic functions with greatest simplification of parts.

The flap is an auxiliary airfoil on the trailing edge of the wing that can be lowered to an attitude of high lift or a position of high drag. Flips heretofore used have been more or less effective, limited by the mechanism required to position the flap downwardly and rearwardly of the wing; T0 properly position a flap, it is necesary to get an effective pivot point well below the lower surface of the wing. Many types of mechanism have been worked out to get the effective pivot point below the wing without having the mechanism extend below the wing. None of them is the equivalent of the flap arrangement of this invent on wherein the pivot point is actually located below the wing on a bracket where it will be most effective, and the bracket faired to decrease aerodynamic resistance. The purpose of a slat is to increase the maximum lift coeflicient by controlling the air flow over the flap when it is in the down position. Slats have been mounted in several ways so that they will be positioned in the space between thetrailing edge of the wing and the flap, and usually the mounting is a duplicate of the mounting of the flap, and requires some sort of actuating mechanism to position it on its mounting in space relative to the flap. A shutter has been used between the lower surface of the wing and the leading edge of the flap to close the space and render the lower surface of the wing smooth and continuous when the flap is in the inoperative position. Such shutters have required an intermittent motion mechanism operated by the movement of the flap, because it must operate quickly during in tial movement of the flap and stay open until almost final movement of the flap.

The mounting mechanism and the actuating mechanism of flap, slat and shutter arrange ments has always involved a great weight pen alty. "It is an object of this invention to provide a very eiiective high lift device for an airplane wing with a minimum of weight.

It is a further object of this invention to pro-V portion of the flap forming a quadrilateral linkage arrangement whereby the slat is properly positioned with respect to the flap and moves in response to the movement of the flap.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a flap mounting with an actual pivot point well below the wing for proper position of the flap with respect to the wing.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a slat mounting employing structure common to the mounting of the flap that serves not only as a slat mounting, but also actuates the slat in response to movement of the flap.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a quick opening and quick closing shutter mechanism actuated by and in response to the motion of the flap.

Further and other objects will become apparent from the description of the accompanying drawings which form a part of this disclosure and in which like numerals refer to like parts.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through the airplane wing showing the mounting of the flap and slat in the inoperative position.

Figure 2 is a view of the fiap and slat in the high lift position.

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the essential parts of the slat, flap and mounting.

and actuating mechanism.

The flap l shown in Figure 1 is mounted along the trailing edge of wing 2 by several hinge assemblies, which good practice dictates will be at least three. Figure 1 is a typical section through such a flap mounting hinge bracket. Members 3 and 4 are secured to member 5 which is secured to the structure of the wing so that members 3, 4 and 5 forma'bracket supporting an upper pivot point 6, intermediate the upper and lower surfaces of the wing profile, and a lower pivot point 1 below the lower surface of the wing profile. Slat 8 has a bracket 9 supporting a pivot point that is located forwardly and downwardly from the slat in the operative position and pivotally secured to member 3 at pivot point 6. ,JSlat 8 has a bracket I0 supporting a pivotal connection H for member 23 adjacent the trailing edge on the lower side of the profile of the.

slat. Flapvl has a main hinge bracket l2 sup porting a pivot point forwardly and downwardly from the leading edge of the flap in the operative position, and is pivotally connected to member 4 at pivot point I.

Bracket 13 is secured intermediate bracket [2 Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of the shutter a? and pivotally supports the lower end of member 23. Bracket I5 is mounted on bracket 12 and pivotally supports one end of push rod (6 which moves crank 24 to move shutter I! about pivot point l8 as will be explained in detail later. Shutter ll servesto close the gap-betweenthe. trailing edge of the Wing and the leading edge of the flap on the lower side of the wing profile when the flap assembly is in the up or inoperative pQesition. Shutter I! moves to the position shown in Figure 2 when the flap is operating in the high lift or high drag position.

A faired cover for the hinge bracket iszproivided by members It and 2G. 1\ iember:l9,,is se-. cured to the lower surface of the trailing edge of the wing and provides a faired, streamlined cover around the bracket to decrease drag due to the 4 be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. An airplane wing flap mounting comprising a plurality of bracket means rigidly affixed on the trailingedge of an airplane wing extending downwardly and to the rear thereof, each of said bracket means supporting an upper and lower piyot, said upper pivot being located within the bracket mechanism extending below the. wing Cover portion is secured to the lower surface of the flap, and moves therewith as theiiapmoves.

and 2 is shownin-perspective view 3"as the endhinge. Intermediate hinges for the flap and slat are shown in Figure 3. Bracket 2| aremounted on the underside of the fiap and pivot points 22 are aligned with pivot point 5 and similarly mountedfor a similar function. Figure 3 shows push rods 58 connected to each of the bracket assemblies l2 to operate the corresponding section of the shutter I! between the hinge assemblies; Bracket 25 is secured to the leading edge of the fiap and affords a pivotal sup-port for push rod-25. Push rod 25 is operated to move the flap from the up or inoperative position to positions of high lift or high drag.

Brackets 2'; are secured to the underside of flap l and afford mounting flanges for securing fairing 28 in place around the hinge bracket.

Push red It consists of a sleeve 28telescoping with rod 29. Push rod It can be adjusted by nut 30 so that red 29 will bottom in sleeve 28, for a predetermined minimum length. When one endof push rod 16 is secured to bracket l5. and the. other end to crank 2 because of itsminimum length, it will exert a force on crank:2:4*; secured to shutter I7, that will hold the shutter in the plane of the under surface of the wing. Link 31 1 i pivotally secured to shutter H at 32. other end of link 3! is secured to the wing structure at 33 with a. tension spring 34; When the: flap i's-moved away from the up position, telescoping push rod it permits shutter IT to be moved upwardly by spring 3 3 into the position" shown in Fig. 3. As the flap is movedt'o a high;

lift position, or further to a high drag position; telescopic member 28 merel rides on telescopic member 2! When the flap is raised, push'rod I6 does not-move crank EQ-to-return shutter I 1 to the=closed position until the flap is almost in the up position, 'at'which time portion 29 bottomsin portion 28 of push rod E6 to move" crank 24' and shutter IT to the closed position with the final motion of the flap. Thus, it will be seen that with motion of push rod 2'5 to move the flap, all other required motions for properly positioningthe slat and opening the shutter are effected with this flap mounting. The support and actuation of the parts of the wing for high lif't andhigh' drag are achieved in a simple and light weight construction to secure the advantages of the highest practical wing loading. v

It is to be understood that certain changes,

alterations, modifications and substitutionsycan' The wing profile and said lower pivot being located below the under side of the wing, a flap bracket meansextending forwardly and downwardly secured; to said lower pivot, aslat having bracket means secured thereto extending forwardly and downwardly fromthe leading edge thereof supported on said upper pivot, linkage means pivoted at a point on said slat adjacent the trailing edgelthereof, and a point on said flap adjacent the nose portion thereofl'to control the incidence of, said slat as the flap is moved to a vpositionof high lift or drag, a two-part streamline housing. faired around the'portions of said bracketsex tending below the lower surface of said wing, one,

a portion of said housing securedto said wing structure and the other portion of said. housing se-j cured to said flap. g

2. An airplane wing flap mounting comprising, a. plurality of, bracket means rigidly affixedfon'r the trailing edge of an airplane wing extending,- downwardly and to the rear thereof, each of said bracket means. supporting an upper and, lower pivot, said upper pivot being locatedwithinr the wing profile and said lower pivot being located. below the under side of the wing, a flap bracket; means extending forwardly and downwardly secured to said lower pivot, a slat having bracket" means secured thereto extending forwardly and; downwardly from the leading edge thereof supported on said upper pivot, linkage means piv-.

oted at a point on said slat adjacent the trailing edge thereof, and a point on said flap adjacent. the nose portion thereof to control the incidence of said slat as the flap is moved to a position of; high lift or drag, a two-part streamline housing faired around the portions of said brackets, extending below the lower surface ofsaid wing, one portionof said housing secured to said wing. structure and. the other portion of said housing; secured to said flap, a shutter member pivotally j mounted on said wing so constructed and are. ranged that it can be moved to one positionto close the opening between the lower surfaceoffthe flap and the lower surface of the wing between. said bracket housings and to another positionre tracted within the wing when the slat and flap are moved to a high lift position, spring actuated, means to move said shutter to said position with in the wing, ,a push rod having one end secured. to said flap bracket, the other end of. said push; rod'adapted to permit said shutter to be moved;

to the position within the wing when the fljapi islowered and to move said shutter to the first. mentioned position when said flap is raised.

3. An airplane wing flap. mounting,compris-. ing a plurality of bracket means rigidly afiixed'. on the trailing edge of an airplane wing extend'- ing downwardly and to the rear thereof, eacliof. said bracket means supporting an upper. and. lower pivot, said upper pivot being located within the. wing profile and said lower pivot being. located below the under side of. the Wing, afiap. bracket means extending forwardly and down-- wardly secured to said lower pivot, a slat hav--' ing bracket means secured thereto extending for wardly and downwardly from the. leading, edge;

5 thereof supported on said upper pivot, linkage means pivoted at a point on said slat adjacent the trailing edge thereof, and a point on said flap adjacent the nose portion thereof to control the incidence of said slat as the flap is moved to a position of high lift or drag, a two-part streamline housing faired around the portions of said brackets extending below the lower surface of said wing, one portion of said housing secured to said wing structure and the other portion of said housing secured to said flap, a shutter member pivotally mounted on said wing so constructed and arranged that it can be moved to one position to close the opening between the lower surface of the flap and the lower surface of the wing between said bracket housings and to another position retracted within the wing when the slat and fiap are moved to a high lift position, means actuated in response to the initial movement of said flap to fully retract said shutter within the wing and other means cooperating with said shutter actuating means to extend the shutter to close the opening between the wing and flap when said flap is raised substantially in the inoperative position.

4. An airplane wing flap mounting comprising a plurality of bracket means rigidly affixed on the trailing edge of an airplane wing extending downwardly and to the rear thereof, each of said bracket means supporting an upper and lower pivot, said upper pivot being located within the wing profile and said lower pivot being located below the under side of the wing, a flap bracket means extending forwardly and downwardly secured to said lower pivot, a slat having bracket means secured thereto extending forwardly and downwardly from the leading edge thereof supported on said upper pivot, linkage means pivoted at a point on said slat adjacent the trailing edge thereof, and a point on said flap adjacent the nose portion thereof to control the incidence of said slat as the flap is moved to a position of high lift or drag, a two-part streamline housing faired around the portions of said brackets extending below the lower surface of said wing, one portion of said housing secured to said wing structure and the other portion of said housing secured to said flap, a shutter member pivotally mounted on said wing so constructed and arranged that it can be moved to one posithe other portion thereof secured to said crank arm adapted to permit said shutter to be moved to the position within the wing upon initial movement of the flap, and to move said shutter to the first mentioned position upon final movement of the flap to the inoperative position.

5. An airplane wing flap mounting comprising a plurality of bracket means rigidly arfixed on the trailing edge of an airplane wing extending downwardly and to the rear thereof, each of said bracket means supporting an upper and lower pivot, said upper pivot being located within the wing profile and said lower pivot being located below the under side of the wing, a flap bracket means extending forwardly and downwardly secured to said lower pivot, a slat having bracket means secured thereto extending forwardly and downwardly from the leading edge thereof supported on said upper pivot, linkage means pivoted at a point on said slat adjacent the trailing edge thereof, and a point on said flap adjacent the nose portion thereof to control the incidence of said slat as the flap is moved to a position of high lift or drag, a two-part streamline housing faired around the portions of said brackets extending below the lower surface of said wing, one portion of said housing secured to said wing structure and the other portion of said housing secured to said flap, a shutter member pivotally mounted on said wing so constructed and arranged that it can be moved to one position to close the opening between the lower surface of the flap and the lower surface of the wing between said bracket housings and to another position retracted within the wing when the flap is moved to a high lift position, and a push rod extending from said wing within said faired housing and being pivotally secured to said fiap bracket means intermediate said lower pivot and said flap structure to move said shutter as said flap is moved.

JAMES H. BENNETT. JAMES A. WEBB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Num er Name Date 2,289,704 Grant July 14, 1942 2,334,975 Williams Nov. 23, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 728,528 France Apr. 12, 1932 OTHER REFERENCES Aviation, of November 1945, pp. 150 and 151.

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