HIGH-SPEED HELICOPTER

• US 3,762,669 A
• Filed: 11/02/1971
• Issued: 10/02/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alfred Curci
• Original Assignee: Alfred Curci
• Inventors: Curci, Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Buchler, Milton
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sauberer, Paul E.
• Application Number:
  US05/194,875
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 416/99,170,100,110,111,120 244/17.11-17.27
• US Class Current: 244/17.23
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/12 Rotor drives
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/14 Direct drive between power plant and rotor hub

Abstract

A helicopter craft has a fuselage with a longitudinal axis, and a rotary wing lift system providing at least two arms above and carried by the fuselage, with each arm radiating from and turnable about an upright axis intersecting the longitudinal axis of the fuselage. A variable-pitch lift blade is carried by each arm, with each blade radiating from and being turnable about an axis on the respective arm which is substantially parallel to and radially spaced from the rotary axis of the latter. The arms and blades are phased with each other, and they are power-driven at a one-to-one speed ratio in respective directions, to the end of achieving combined rotary sweep of each arm and associated blade through larger and smaller areas on opposite sides, respectively, of the longitudinal fuselage axis on which the sweep velocity is subtractive from, and additive to, forward flight velocity of the craft, respectively.

Claims

1. In a helicopter craft, the combination of a fuselage with a first longitudinal axis;

and a rotary wing lift system, providing at least two arms above and carried by said fuselage, with each arm radiating from and turnable about an upright axis intersecting said first axis, a variable-pitch lift blade carried by each of said arms, with each blade radiating from and independently turnable about an axis on the respective arm substantially parallel to and radially spaced from the rotary axis of the latter, a power plant, and drive connections between said plant and arms and blades for the power drive of said arms and blades at a one-to-one speed ratio, with said drive connections being arranged to phase said arms and blades with each other and drive them in respective directions so that each arm and associated blade form between them first angles varying from obtuse to 180* to obtuse, and second angles varying from acute to 0* to acute, during each rotation of said arm substantially on opposite sides, respectively, of said first axis, for combined rotary sweep of each arm and its blade about the rotary axis of the former through larger and smaller areas on opposite sides, respectively, of said first axis, and with the velocity vectors parallel to said first axis of said combined rotary sweep of each arm and its blade through said larger and smaller areas being subtractive from, and additive to, forward flight velocity of the craft, respectively, said larger sweep areas of said arms and associated blades being also on opposite sides, respectively, of said first axis, and said blades being with their outer ends on opposite sides, respectively, of said first axis on each longitudinal alignment of either arm with said first axis.

2. The combination in a helicopter craft as in claim 1, in which said arms are driven in the same direction, and said blades are driven in opposite directions, respectively.

3. The combination in a helicopter craft as in claim 2, in which said arms are diametrically aligned, and radiate from and are turnable about a common upright axis intersecting said first axis.

4. The combination in a helicopter craft as in claim 3, in which each blade is aligned with its phased arm in the momentary positions of the latter substantially normal to said first axis.

5. The combination in a helicopter craft as in claim 4, in which said blades are of the same length, and their rotary axes are equally spaced from said common upright axis.

6. The combination in a helicopter craft as in claim 5, in which said blades are first lift blades, and said arms are further lift blades.

7. The combination in a helicopter craft as in claim 6, in which the rotary axes of said first blades are at the outer ends of the respective arms.

8. The combination in a helicopter craft as in claim 1, in which said arms are lift blades.

9. The combination in a helicopter craft as in claim 1, in which each blade is above the respective arm.

10. In a helicopter craft, the combination of a fuselage with a first longitudinal axis;

and two rotary wing lift systems having second upright rotary axes, respectively, intersecting said first axis and spaced from each other longitudinally of said first axis, of which each system provides at least two arms above and caRried by said fuselage, with said arms radiating from and turnable about one of said second axes, a variable-pitch lift blade carried by each of said arms, with each blade radiating from and independently turnable about an axis on the respective arm substantially parallel to and radially spaced from said one second axis, a power plant, and drive connections between said plant and arms and blades for the power drive of said arms of each system in the same direction and at a one-to-one speed ratio and for the power drive of said blades of the same system also in said same direction and through one revolution for each revolution of the respective arms, with said drive connections being arranged to phase said arms and blades so that each arm and associated blade form between them first angles varying from obtuse to 180* to obtuse, and second angles varying from acute to 0* to acute, during each rotation of said arm substantially on opposite sides, respectively, of said first axis, for combined rotary sweep of each arm and associated blade about the rotary axis of the former through larger and smaller areas on opposite sides, respectively, of said first axis, and with the velocity vectors parallel to said first axis of said combined rotary sweep of each arm and its blade through said larger and smaller areas being subtractive from,and additive to, forward flight velocity of th craft, respectively, and said systems being phased with each other for combined rotary sweep of each arm and associated blade of both systems through said larger area on opposite sides, respectively, of said first axis and in opposite rotary sweep directions, respectively.

11. The combination in a helicopter craft as in claim 10, in which said arms of each system are lift blades.

12. The combination in a helicopter craft as in claim 10, in which said arms of each system are diametrically aligned.

13. The combination in a helicopter craft as in claim 12, in which each blade of each system is aligned with its phased arm in the momentary positions of the latter substantially normal to said first axis.

14. The combination in a helicopter craft as in claim 12, in which said blades of each system are of the same length, and their rotary axes are equally spaced from the respective second axis.

15. The combination in a helicopter craft as in claim 12, in which all blades are of the same length, and their rotary axes are equally spaced from the respective second axes.

16. The combination in a helicopter craft as in claim 10, in which said blades of each system are first blades, said arms of each system are further lift blades, and the rotary axes of said first blades of each system are at the outer ends of the respective arms.

17. The combination in a helicopter craft as in claim 10, in which each blade of each system is above the respective arm.