US1560996A - Aircraft construction - Google Patents

Description

LOGG

Nova 10,

Nov; 10,` 1925. 1 1,560,996

L. M. KELLOGG AIRCRAFT CONSTRUCTION Filed March 19, 1925 4 Sheets-Sme t 2 m U/ I z) 'kl 31 MM IZgJ; '7

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- /f/f/mv NIH/f1 i R? INVENTOR.

` Nov. 10, 1925. 1560396 L. M. KELLOGG AIRCRAFT CONSTRUCTION Filed March 19, 1925 4 shnts-sheet s wii ga- INVENTOR.

` L. M. KELLOGG AIRCRAF'T CONSTRUCTION Filed M'cfi 19, 1925 4 Sheets-Shoot 4 LAV' I v I v'AWAVAvAVAnvAVAVVAVAVAVAVg v l I N V EN TOR.

Patented Nov. 10, 1925 iiWfs Kiintode, of 4Ilos AiiefiLn'ls, 'ohfinofaitra Ainoimnwo'onsnue'rxon.

i 'Apiiiicafiba iilea 'March 19, 1925. seriar no. 162739.

T 0 all whom 'it may concern: i i

Be it known that LLEWIS -MfKnL-Loee, a citi'zen of the United States; resiclingat Los Angeles, in the County ofLos Angeles and State of `Ga1ifor`nia,'have invented Lnew and useful Improvementsrih Aircraft Constructions; ofwhich the following is a speoification.4 i

.Myiinvention relates to improvementstin dirigihle air cnaft of the Zeppelin type,v the objects bengifirsti, to constrnot a dirigilole Craft wholly loy the lnse of a wood .frame Work and coverediwith a Wood covering. A second :object heing to .provide in an air Craft of the type named a-Lprac'tioal method of :tfonstruction Whichwi-ll show strength,- stflfness and resistance to Vf.`fitigiie due to longitudina-l,V transver'se and eireuinfei'ential stresses. A third object being to provide a coveringthat will develop a very low degree of `skin;friotion, ``and fourth to develop a .Craft of the tyfpe. named in Which the excessively long longitudinal metal frame is replaoed fihy ar frameof Wood wherehy the Craft `While in flight may not beoome a favorable cdnductor |for the passage of a statie Charge of e-lect-ricity from a zone' of high pressure toone of low pressirne.

`In the construction of the latest example ofaireraft of the IZeppelin 'typer a Wall comprising the b'ody member of the ei'aft5'enclosingl the gas hags,` is'huilt up of a system of longrons and bracing made of du'ralumin and `coveredWith Canvas; The length ofsueh Craft is nsually 6 to 7 times 1its diamete'r1 andthe Wallin some instances is about 10 feet think.1 j-In building` such a Craft in the manner andof theim'aterials herein set forth the entireistructui'e is Vcomposed of wood, preferably spruce,` and in the accompanying-drawings a'i'e shown fragments of the wall, so eonflyposed,y in longitu'dinal and transverse section.

`VVith reference to the -drawingsz Fig. 1 is a transverse fragmentary view of thewvall of afdirigible a'i-r'craft showingia Wood coveringand ahracing therefor.

Fig. -2 isanienlafrg'ed fragmentary view of the material forming the covering -and in` somei'places the `bracii'ig iithich supports it.

the 'eoteringfaid' showing a second method i of using the sameinatenial as a brace element.

F 5 shows in -longitu'di-nal section 'a fragment of thestrneture yshown tran'sversel)7 in Fig; 1, the viewheingtaken on line A5 A 1 Fig; 1.

Fig.. 6 -is enlargedlongitndinal view of a Vhraee "element shown inuFigL 5 andishdwing how a hrace he light-weightediby cuttihg out certainV poftions.

Fig: 7 is'a transve'rse .fragmentary View of the Wall showing aidifferent method of hr'a-cingithan that shown in Fig; 1.

Eigl 8` is an 'enlarged longitudinal fragrnentary view of the' strheture shown 'transversely inzFig. 7.

In the eonstiuction of the dirigible .air Craft herein set forth the material usedtfo'r the cowf'eri-ng and lafgely thehraein'g,'foi1 the present purposes, may b'e designated as Woven plyl Wood, asainple of which is'submitted 'herewith l/Vith reference to Figs'. 22 and S, the facing Sheets of this Woven ply woodware fforn'ied 'of Wood rihbons shaved from .stock piec'es and having a thiokness,` according to 'the 'strength desired 'in the fin'-, ished material,` ranging from .0115 to .030 of an inch. Such ribh'ons oinprise the warp and Weft ina special looiii which `formsthem into a simple Weaveas'shown. In .the lWeating Water-proof glue is wiped upon the warp so that the `finished '-Weave is glued in the lap of the Warpland weft ribhofns.

To huildup' the woien ply Wood a sheet of the Weave is laid down and corifugations made froni the'same wood ri'hbons .are glued' upon 'it,- 'using water-proof ghie. A second sheet of the Weave is then glued iupon the eorrugated `filler. 'Such naiterfial has great strength and stiffnesshetiveen wide points of support. 'Itican'he made into* sheets having a Width as' great as 8 'feetiand a length of -20 feetv or Indre, and 'When properl joined at can be made.

i the edges .a Continuous she'et of v`tie material The material thus' forme'd 'is impervious to water. The material because of its stiffness and strength can, when properly fixed at the ends, be used as brace elements.

In order to obtain the necessary longitudinal stiifness in a craft of the sizes such craft is usually built, three longitudinal tubular members may be constructed of the woven ply wood which may be stifened trans-. versely by woven ply wood or other braces as shown in the fragmentary views 1 and 5 or 7 and 8.

In Fig. 1 (see also Fig. 5) numeral 1 indicates an outer longitudinal tubular member forming a covering. 2 indicates an intermediate tubular member. and 3 indicates an inner tubular member within which gas bags may be placed7 all being formed of thewoven ply wood 'continuous and unbrolren from end to end and circuinferentially, the ends of the craft being drawn to points as is the common practice with such structures. Longrons 4 and 5 are glued to the members 1 and 2 respectively and between each pair of longrons a sheet 6 of the woven ply wood is set in glue; also on the surfaces of the tubular members -2 and 3 are glued longrons 7 and 8 respeet-ively and between each pair of longrons is fixed a radial brace 9 formed of the woven ply wood. This construction is further strengthened by the use of the continuous zigzag brace members 10 connected to alternate longrons -t and alternate longrons 5 and a like brace member 11 connected to alternate longrons 7 and alternate longrons 8. These Continuous zigzag brace members may be formed of a lamina of thin strips of spruce glued together and which extend circumferentially in an unbroken unit.

Referring again to F ig. 1 in such a structure the longe'rons 11, 5, 'Z and 8 might be omitted and the weight and strength of material represented in them might be transferred into the tubular members 1, 2 and 8 by making the woven ply wood a little heavier in the facing sheets and deeper in the corrugation. Also the Continuous Zigzag brace elements 10 im'ght be replaced by a brace formed of sheets of the woven ply wood.

Such a structure is shown in Figs. 7

'and 8 in whieh the woven ply wood brace element between the tubular member-1 1 and 2 is numbered 12 and that between members 2 and 3 is numbered 13. These brace elements 12 and 13 represent big unbrolren discs and stiifen the entire structure cireumferentially. The brace elements may be fixed to the tubular members in Various ways, one method being shown in Fig. 8 in which the braee sheets 12 and 13 are connected to the tubular members by gluing in corner pieces 14, 141. Suoh a method of joning a brace sheet to the member braced 1,5eo,99e

gives a strong wide hold on the two pieces.

In Fig. 3 is shown a fragment 15 upon which is glued a longron 16 having a central member 17 extending out far enough to form a tongue upon each side of which is glued the facing sheets of the woven ply wood brace element 18.

In F ig. et is shown a fragment 19 of the covering upon which is giued a longron 20 having a sheet 202L of the woven ply wood glued on each side, thus developing a. double brace element. The structures shown in lfigs. 3 and 4 illustrate methods by which the braee elements 6 and 9 may be iixed to the longrons 11, 5 and 7, 8 of the structure shown in F ig. 1.

In Fig. 2 is shown in a top view two sheets of the woven ply wood joined together by a. strip of wood 21. In Fig. 8 is shown such a joint in elevation. In joining two sheets together in this manner the corrugated iiller is cut back far enough to allow for the insertion of the strip 21. These strips may be composed of three ply of spruce two ply of which may run across the` joint and the third ply with it.

lFor the reason that the longtudinal tubular members should not be broken nor the circumferential brace elements, it would not be practical to provide a man way along the bottom of the craft within the wall, like that provided in the convention-al Zeppelin type of craft; therefore for a craft such as that herein set forth a man way should be constructed in a narrow car, depending from and formed integral with the craft on its under side and extending throughout its entire length.

It is to be understood that the number of longitudinal tubular members and the. exact disposition of the brace elements which strengthen and stiifen the tubular members as set forth, forms no part of my present invention, and that many changes might be made in the invention as shown without departing from the spirit thereof as claimed.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An air craft of the type named, having a body member composed of a plurality of tubular members formed of the woven ply wood and brace elements disposed so as to st-iiifen and support the tubular members.

2. In an air craft of the type named, a body member composed of a plurality of tubular members formed of the woven ply wood and 'spaced apart and brace elements inserted between the tubular members adapted to stiifen them and support them ciroumferentially.

3. In an aircraft of the type named, a body member eomposed of a plurality of tubular members formed of the woven ply wood and spaced apart and brace elements formed of the woven ply Wood inserted be- Leqeee 8 tween and flxed to the tubular members adapted to stffen their surfaces :md support them orcmnferentally.

4. In an air Craft of the type named, a body member composed of a covering formed of the Woven ply Wood and. brace elements dsposed within the crcumference formed by the covering for strengthenng it longtudnally, stffening its surface and Supporting it transversely and oircum- 10 ferentally.

:En testimony Whereof I have signed my name to this specfica'zion.

LEVVIS M. KELLUGG.

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