Horizontal and vertical take off and landing unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 5,890,441 A
• Filed: 09/06/1996
• Issued: 04/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deceased, Johnny Swinson, Sueanne Walker, Terry J. James
• Original Assignee: Deceased, Johnny Swinson, Sueanne Walker, Terry J. James
• Inventors: James, Terry J., Swinson, deceased, Johnny, Walker, executrix, by Sueanne
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, TIEN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US08/709,488
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 244/12.3, 244/23 B, 244/12.1, 244/45 R, 244/45 A, 244/55
• US Class Current: 244/12.3
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0025 the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/10 Wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/26 Ducted or shrouded rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/11 using internal combustion piston engines
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/14 ducted or shrouded
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/60 Take-off or landing of UAVs from a runway using their own power
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/83 using parachutes, balloons or the like

Abstract

A semiautonomously directed, autonomously controlled, gyroscopically stabilized, horizontal or vertical take off and landing (HOVTOL) flying apparatus employing two vertical lift devices equally and longitudinally spaced from the center of gravity of the apparatus; continuously integrated with a drive train apparatus, optional single or multiple power means; congruously connected thereto horizontal thrust devices. Integral to the vertical lift devices; pitch axis control devices situated at the exhaust orifices therein to vector said devices exhaust slip stream by a autonomous flight control system providing pitch stability. The autonomous flight control system providing continuously all flight control of the apparatus and said system being interfaced to a semiautonomous flight director device providing discrete flight direction function codes thereto. The combined effect of the apparatus is: When the power system rotates; coincident rotation of the drive train causes the vertical lift apparatus and horizontal thrust apparatus to counter rotate at right angles simultaneously providing both vertical lift and gyroscopic roll stability and simultaneously providing both horizontal thrust and gyroscopic yaw stability during flight; the continuous control thereof being accomplished by the autonomous flight control system and the directional steering, and function thereof in four axis effected by the semiautonomous flight director device which provides discrete flight function codes to the autonomous flight control system so as to disallow the initiation of negative flight maneuvers and/or functions providing for the safe unskilled pilot operation of the apparatus or any aircraft employing a autopilot having a autonomous digital flight control system.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising:

a body having a front end, a rear end, two opposite facing sides, a top end, and a bottom end, a longitudinal axis extending between said front and rear ends, front and rear openings extending through said body transverse to said longitudinal axis and between said top and bottom ends, front and rear ducts defining said front and rear openings respectively with each of said ducts having top bottom ends, front and rear propeller means located in said front and rear openings for rotation about the front and rear axes respectively transverse to said axis, drive means extending along said longitudinal axis and coupled to said front and rear propeller means for rotating said front and rear propeller means in opposite directions to provide lift, and movable vanes located in line with said front and rear openings below said front and rear propellers for controlling the direction of air flow from said front and rear openings, said vanes extending in directions transverse to said longitudinal axis and transverse to said front and rear axes respectively at least one of said vanes is located below said front propeller means near an extension of its axis and has a length nearly equal to the maximum diameter of said front annular duct, at lease one of said vane is located below said rear propeller means near an extension of its axis and has a length nearly equal to the maximum diameter of said rear annular duct.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein each of said ducts have top and bottom ends with an inside diameter which decreases from its said top end to a smaller diameter portion at a position intermediate said top and bottom ends and then increases from said smaller diameter portion to its said bottom end.

3. The aircraft of claim 2, comprising annular slots in said ducts at its said smaller diameter portions for receiving the outer edges of said propeller means located in said openings of said ducts respectively.

4. The aircraft of claim 1, comprising:

power means, said drive means comprises;

first and second shafts having first ends coupled to said power means for rotating said first and second shafts in a given direction with respect to said longitudinal axis, said first shaft having a second end coupled to a forward gear, said front propeller means having a gear coupled to said forward gear for rotating said front propeller means in a first direction relative to its axis, said second shaft having a second end coupled to a rear gear, said rear propeller means having a gear coupled to said rear gear for rotating said rear propeller means about its axis in a direction opposite to that of said first direction.

5. The aircraft of claim 1 comprising:

a pusher horizontal thrust propeller means located at said rear end of said aircraft and coupled to said drive means for rotation for providing horizontal thrust for use in moving said aircraft in a forward direction with said front end forward of said aircraft.

6. The aircraft of claim 5 comprising:

power means, said drive means comprises;

first and second shafts having first ends coupled to said power means for rotating said first and second shafts in a given direction with respect to said longitudinal axis, said first shaft having a second end coupled to a forward gear, said front propeller means having a gear coupled to said forward gear for rotating said front propeller means in a first direction relative to its axis, said second shaft having a second end coupled to a rear gear, said rear propeller means having a gear coupled to said rear gear for rotating said rear propeller means about its axis in a direction opposite to that of said first direction, a third shaft having a first end coupled to said second end of said second shaft for rotation in said given direction and a second end coupled to said pusher horizontal thrust propeller means for rotating said pusher horizontal thrust propeller means in said given direction, front and rear wings fixedly coupled to said aircraft, and vertical stabilizers coupled to said rear wing.

7. The aircraft of claim 6, comprising:

a forward horizontal thrust propeller means located at said front end of said aircraft for providing horizontal thrust for use in moving said aircraft in said direction, a fourth shaft having a first end coupled to said forward horizontal thrust propeller and a gear coupled to a second end which meshes with said gear of said front propeller mean for rotating said forward horizontal thrust propeller in direction opposite the direction of rotation of said pusher horizontal thrust propeller means.

8. The aircraft of claim 4, comprising:

coupling means for coupling said first ends of said first and second shafts together such that rotation of said coupling means in said given direction rotates said first and second shafts in said given direction, said power means comprises first and secondary rotary engines coupled to said coupling means by way of first and second clutches respectively such that each of said first and second clutches may separately engage or disengage its engine from said coupling means.

9. The aircraft of claim 5, comprising:

a forward horizontal thrust propeller means located at said front end of said aircraft for providing horizontal thrust for use in moving said aircraft in said forward direction, a fourth shaft having a first end coupled to said forward horizontal thrust propeller and a gear coupled to a second end which meshes with said gear of said front propeller means for rotating said forward horizontal thrust propeller in a direction opposite the direction of rotation of said pusher horizontal thrust propeller means.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said bottom ends of said ducts are substantially free of structure except for said vanes.