Air car

• US 4,043,421 A
• Filed: 11/12/1975
• Issued: 08/23/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lonnell E. Smith
• Original Assignee: Lonnell E. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Lonnell E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rubenstein, Jack D.
• Application Number:
  US05/631,109
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 180/116, 180/117, 416/136, 416/168, 416/164, 416/167, 416/189
• US Class Current: 180/117
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/20 Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0041 the lift during taking-off being created by jet motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/001 Flying saucers

Abstract

An air car capable of flying above the surface of the ground and above the ground-effect distance comprising a substantially rectangular frame structure defining a front end, a rear end, lateral side ends, a top and a bottom; a turbine engine mounted in the forward end of said vehicle and having an intake opening leading thereto at the forward end of said vehicle, a pair of rearwardly directed exhaust ports located adjacent the center of the rear of said vehicle and connected to the exhaust of said turbine, a pair of lateral exhaust openings adjacent the forward end of said vehicle and connected to the exhaust of said turbine, a pair of lateral exhaust ports located adjacent the rear of said vehicle and connected to the exhaust of said turbine, a pair of spaced fan assemblies mounted at the forward end of said vehicle and adjacent the sides thereof adapted to draw air from above said vehicle and force the same downwardly through openings at the bottom of said vehicle, a second pair of spaced fan assemblies mounted adjacent the rear of said vehicle and adjacent the sides thereof for drawing air from above the vehicle and forcing the same downwardly through openings at the bottom of said vehicle, means connected to the output of said turbine for driving said fan assemblies in unison, the fans adjacent one side of said vehicle rotating in a given rotary direction and the fans on the opposite side of said vehicle rotating in a direction opposite to said given rotary direction, each fan assembly including a plurality of horizontally and radially extending fan blades mounted for pivotal movement along a substantially horizontal pivot axis, each fan blade being pivotal around said horizontal pivot axis and means for pivoting the fan blades of all fan assemblies in unison, and means for selectively restricting the flow from the exhaust ports of each diagonally opposite pair of exhaust ports.

Claims

1. A vehicle capable of flying above the surface of the ground above the ground effect distance comprising a substantially rectangular frame structure defining a front end, a rear end, lateral side ends, a top and a bottom;

a turbine engine mounted in the forward end of said vehicle and having an intake opening leading thereto at the forward end of said vehicle, a pair of rearwardly directed exhaust ports located adjacent the center of the rear of said vehicle and connected to the exhaust of said turbine, a pair of lateral exhaust openings adjacent the forward end of said vehicle and connected to the exhaust of said turbine, a pair of lateral exhaust ports located adjacent the rear of said vehicle and connected to the exhaust of said turbine, a pair of spaced fan assemblies mounted at the forward end of said vehicle and adjacent the sides thereof adapted to draw air from above said vehicle and force the same downwardly through openings at the bottom of said vehicle, a second pair of spaced fan assemblies mounted adjacent the rear of said vehicle and adjacent the sides thereof for drawing air from above the vehicle and forcing the same downwardly through openings at the bottom of said vehicle, means connected to the output of said turbine for driving said fan assemblies in unison, the fans adjacent one side of said vehicle rotating in a given rotary direction and the fans on the opposite side of said vehicle rotating in a direction opposite to said given rotary direction, each fan assembly including a plurality of horizontally and radially extending fan blades mounted for pivotal movement along a substantially horizontal pivot axis, each fan blade being pivotal around said horizontal pivot axis and means for pivoting the fan blades of the fan assemblies, and means for selectively restricting the flow from the exhaust ports of each diagonally opposite pair of exhaust ports, each fan assembly including a substantially vertical fan shaft, an inner hub mounted on said fan shaft, an outer hub spaced from said inner hub, each fan blade having an axle, one end of said axle being received in an opening in the inner hub and the opposite end of said axle being received in an opening in said outer hub, a yoke slidably mounted on said fan shaft above said inner hub, said yoke having a plurality of vertical rodes extending downwardly therefrom, each rod having an opening adjacent the lower end thereof, a pin received on the inner end of each fan blade adjacent the inner end of the axle thereof, each pin being adapted to be received in an opening at the lower end of an adjacent vertical rod, whereby, upon vertical reciprocation of said yoke, all of said fan blades can be turned around their axles in unison, and operator means for moving said yoke upwardly and downwardly along said fan shaft.

2. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1 including a plurality of springs mounted between said inner hub and said yoke for urging said yoke upwardly away from said inner hub.

3. A vehicle as set forth in claim 2 wherein each fan assembly includes a cylindrical and stationary shroud mounted below said outer hub and in communication with one of the openings at the bottom of the vehicle, an upper stationary shroud mounted above said outer hub for drawing air from above said vehicle, said upper shroud having an upper and outward divergent contour with the lower end of said upper shroud projecting slightly into the interior of said outer hub.

4. A vehicle as set forth in claim 3 including a plurality of telescopically retractable legs mounted on the bottom of said vehicle for supporting said vehicle above the ground.