Month in the Patent Office

Abstract

An aeroplane has wings provided with a vane member formed of two hinged sections pivotally secured at the end of one section to the wing and adapted to be moved into and out of contact with the wing surface for the purpose of modifying the air flow thereover, and a pilot flap arranged in advance of the vane member for controlling the amount of air impinging thereon. In one form. Figs. 2 and 5, an aeroplane wing is provided with vanes 23, 24 nested in the extrados surface and flaps 25 nested in the intrados surface. Each vane 23 comprises an upper section 26 connected to the wing structure by a pivoted link 30 and also pivoted to a lower section 27 pivoted to the aerofoil structure. The vane nests into a recess having a cover member 34, and is actuated by toggle links 35, 36. A nested pilot flap 40 is disposed forward of vane 23 and is actuated by toggle links 42, 43. Vane 24 and flap 25 each includes a single surface 75 positioned in an aperture 76 in the wing and pivoted adjacent its rear edge to the wing structure. Closures 78 restrict entry of air into the wing when the surface is projected. The surfaces are braced by hinged links 79 and are actuated by toggle links 83, 84. Pilot flaps 103, 112 are arranged in front of elements 24 and 25, respectively. Fig 10 shows diagrammatically the control system for the elements 23, 24, 25, which are arranged in sets on either side of the body. The control means are such that any element of a set may be operated independently or all elements operated conjointly. The actuating means for the sections of vane 23 comprises a cable 56 secured to hinge 38 of toggle links 35,36 from the front and secured at its other end to a pulley 52, and a cable 58 secured to hinge 38 from the rear and to a pulley 53 at its other end. Pulleys 52, 53 are adapted to be rotated in unison by means of a toothed quadrant 55, meshed with a pinion 54 fast with pulleys 52, 53. Quadrant 55 is formed with a hand lever 48. Means to operate these hand levers simultaneously comprises a plate 65 having a handle 67, which plate is located above levers 48 and normally held clear therefrom, Fig. 9, by springs 64 and is adapted when depressed to engage therewith by means of apertures formed in the plate, whereafter rearward swinging of the plate imparts movement to all three levers and quadrants. The operating means for surfaces 24 and 25 and for the three sets of pilot flaps are of similar construction. According to a modification, Fig. 3, a wing with a backswept leading edge is provided with three vanes 23 and three flaps 25, the inner and outer flaps of the latter set tapering in chord toward the fuselage and wing tip, respectively. In another modification, Fig. 4, a wing is provided with one vane 23 and two vanes 126 similar to vane 23 but opening forwardly instead of rearwardly. In a further modification, Fig. 12, a wing is formed with a through air passage 140 adapted to be opened and closed by vanes 144, 145 of similar construction to vanes 23 of Fig. 5, but opening forwardly. U.S.A. Specification 2,005,965 is referred to.

Citation

(1938), "Month in the Patent Office", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 10 No. 5, pp. 161-162. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb030319