Patent US3576299A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3576299A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Direction control system
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1968-05-16
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Granted: 1971-04-27
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Expires: 1988-05-16
Abstract
Abstract The specification discloses an airborne vehicular, direction control system. The example shown is an autogyro having a rotary wing and a substantially conventional propeller propulsion system. The rotor may be coupled to the propulsion system for VTOL and STOL modes of operation but is otherwise generally free wheeling. For direction or yaw control in flight a separate flywheel is provided internally of the vehicular body having angular momentum coupleable to the rotor in the same rotational sense with respect to the vehicular body. The direction control is then effected by means which selectively couple angular momentum to the rotor from the flywheel to achieve a yaw effect in one sense or from the rotor to the body, by braking means between the rotor and the body, to achieve a yaw effect in the opposite sense.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas F Hanson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 18:16
CPC Classifications
B; B64; B64C; B64C27/00; B64C27/02; B64C27/021; B64C27/026
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
341 words
Vehicle attitude control apparatus comprising: vehicle body; rotatable assembly carried by said body and having, when rotating, a component of angular momentum of predetermined sense and parallel to a predetermined attitude control axis; rotatable inertial means carried by said body; driving means coupleable to said inertial means for imparting thereto a predetermined magnitude of angular momentum; braking means carried by said body; and first control means carried by said body for selectively, disjunctively, and variably coupling said rotatable assembly to said rotatable inertial means and said braking means, said control means and said riving means being of the character to cause the absolute addition of angular momentum to said rotatable assembly, with respect to said body, when said rotatable inertial means is coupled to said rotatable assembly, said rotatable assembly including external rotary wing means for providing lift for said vehicle in a coacting fluid, said rotatable inertial means including flywheel means having, when rotating, a predetermined angular momentum, said rotatable assembly including a rotary coupler body disposed internally of said body, coupled to said external rotary wing means, and having, when rotating, at least a component of angular velocity parallel to and of the same sense as that of said flywheel means, and said driving means being of the character to impart to said flywheel means a magnitude of angular velocity such as to enable said absoLute addition of momentum from said flywheel means to said rotary coupler body, said braking means including stationary, energy dissipating means disposed internally of said vehicle body and being variably coupleable by said control means to said rotary coupler body, the axis of said flywheel means and that of said rotary coupler body being substantially orthogonal to said predetermined attitude control axis, and said flywheel means including a flywheel having an axis, a flywheel clutch disc, axially flexible means for rotationally intercoupling them, and mounting means for said flywheel which is of the character to permit a predetermined magnitude of pitch rotation of said flywheel axis with respect to said rotary coupler body axis.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
341 words
Vehicle attitude control apparatus comprising: vehicle body; rotatable assembly carried by said body and having, when rotating, a component of angular momentum of predetermined sense and parallel to a predetermined attitude control axis; rotatable inertial means carried by said body; driving means coupleable to said inertial means for imparting thereto a predetermined magnitude of angular momentum; braking means carried by said body; and first control means carried by said body for selectively, disjunctively, and variably coupling said rotatable assembly to said rotatable inertial means and said braking means, said control means and said riving means being of the character to cause the absolute addition of angular momentum to said rotatable assembly, with respect to said body, when said rotatable inertial means is coupled to said rotatable assembly, said rotatable assembly including external rotary wing means for providing lift for said vehicle in a coacting fluid, said rotatable inertial means including flywheel means having, when rotating, a predetermined angular momentum, said rotatable assembly including a rotary coupler body disposed internally of said body, coupled to said external rotary wing means, and having, when rotating, at least a component of angular velocity parallel to and of the same sense as that of said flywheel means, and said driving means being of the character to impart to said flywheel means a magnitude of angular velocity such as to enable said absoLute addition of momentum from said flywheel means to said rotary coupler body, said braking means including stationary, energy dissipating means disposed internally of said vehicle body and being variably coupleable by said control means to said rotary coupler body, the axis of said flywheel means and that of said rotary coupler body being substantially orthogonal to said predetermined attitude control axis, and said flywheel means including a flywheel having an axis, a flywheel clutch disc, axially flexible means for rotationally intercoupling them, and mounting means for said flywheel which is of the character to permit a predetermined magnitude of pitch rotation of said flywheel axis with respect to said rotary coupler body axis.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
The invention according to claim 1 in which said control means includes force coupling linkage means connected to an operators''s position in said vehicle body and which further includes precession force coupling means for coupling displacement effects due to said flywheel pitch rotation to said force coupling linkage means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
63 words
The invention according to claim 2 which further includes rotary forward propulsion means carried by said vehicle body and rotor drive control means for selectively coupling said propulsion means to said rotatable assembly in a positive drive relation therewith and in which said rotor drive control means comprises a clutch assembly having operation control means connected thereto and disposed at said operators''s position.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-04-26 | 1974-10-26 | 1975-04-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-04-26 | 1978-10-26 | 1979-04-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-04-26 | 1982-10-26 | 1983-04-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |