US3633849A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Flying craft
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1969-07-28
•
Granted: 1972-01-11
•
Expires: 1989-07-28
Abstract
Abstract A flying craft comprised of a rotating outer body and a stationary cabin pivotally mounted therein about three axes which are in perpendicular succession to each other.
Inventors
- 👤 Alberto Kling
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 06:47
CPC Classifications
B; B64; B64C; B64C27/00; B64C27/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 59
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
A flying craft comprising an outer shell internally of which there is mounted a support structure, and including a drive means for rotating the shell independently of the support structure, characterized in that: a. said support structure is positioned within the boundaries of said shell; b. said structure is mounted to said shell by a means constituting a Foucault-type cardanic suspension system including successive pivot means whose axes are successively perpendicular to each other; c. control means are provided to impart a torque to said shell whereby the axis of rotation thereof will reorient itself in accordance with the principles of gyroscopic precession; and d. said shell including external fins thereon for aerodynamically producing a propulsive thrust along the direction of the shell''s rotational axis.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
125 words
A flying craft comprising an outer shell internally of which there is mounted a support structure, and including a drive means for rotating the shell independently of the support structure, characterized in that: a. said support structure is positioned within the boundaries of said shell; b. said structure is mounted to said shell by a means constituting a Foucault-type cardanic suspension system including successive pivot means whose axes are successively perpendicular to each other; c. control means are provided to impart a torque to said shell whereby the axis of rotation thereof will reorient itself in accordance with the principles of gyroscopic precession; and d. said shell including external fins thereon for aerodynamically producing a propulsive thrust along the direction of the shell''s rotational axis.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The craft of claim 1, said shell having the shape of a surface of revolution about the rotational axis thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
A flying craft as in claim 1, said shell having means mounted thereon for integral rotation therewith for aerodynamically producing a propulsive force as a result of such rotation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
58 words
The craft of claim 1, said control means comprising a directional control means adapted to exert a rotational torque upon said shell in a plane perpendicular to the plane in which said shell rotates at any particular time, whereby the rotational axis of said shell will tilt to another position in accordance with the principles of gyroscopic precession.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The craft of claim 1, said drive means comprising a jet exhaust means mounted on said shell and arranged to exhaust in a direction whereby rotative force is imparted to said shell by such exhaust.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The craft of claim 3, said propulsive force being directed parallel to the rotational axis of said shell.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
164 words
A flying craft comprising an outer shell internally of which there is cardanically supported a cabin by means of a support structure, and including a drive means for rotating the shell independently of the cabin, characterized in that: a. said support structure and cabin are positioned within the boundaries of said shell; b. said support structure for said cabin constitutes a Foucault-type cardanic suspension system including three successive pivot means whose axes are successively perpendicular to each other; c. control means are provided to impart a torque to said shell whereby the axis of rotation thereof will reorient itself in accordance with the principles of gyroscopic precession; d. said drive means being arranged to impart a rotative force to said shell independently of any counterforce being exerted by said drive means against any part of said support structure or of said cabin; and e. said shell including external fins thereon for aerodynamically producing a propulsive thrust along the direction of the shell''s rotational axis.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
164 words
A flying craft comprising an outer shell internally of which there is cardanically supported a cabin by means of a support structure, and including a drive means for rotating the shell independently of the cabin, characterized in that: a. said support structure and cabin are positioned within the boundaries of said shell; b. said support structure for said cabin constitutes a Foucault-type cardanic suspension system including three successive pivot means whose axes are successively perpendicular to each other; c. control means are provided to impart a torque to said shell whereby the axis of rotation thereof will reorient itself in accordance with the principles of gyroscopic precession; d. said drive means being arranged to impart a rotative force to said shell independently of any counterforce being exerted by said drive means against any part of said support structure or of said cabin; and e. said shell including external fins thereon for aerodynamically producing a propulsive thrust along the direction of the shell''s rotational axis.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The craft of claim 3, said means for producing a propulsive force comprising a plurality of thrust-producing fins on said shell.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
The craft of claim 4, wherein said directional control means includes a weight means displaceable from a neutral position thereof in either of two opposite directions away therefrom in a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of said shell.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The craft of claim 5, said drive means comprising a jet engine means mounted on said shell radially of the rotational axis thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
43 words
The craft of claim 5, said drive means comprising a jet engine means mounted on said shell along the rotational axis thereof and including conduit means extending the exhaust of said jet engine means to respective locations radially displaced from said rotational axis.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
The craft of claim 7, said fins being hingedly attached to said shell whereby they are centrifugally thrown to a radially extended position relative to the shell''s rotational axis pursuant to rotation of said shell.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
The craft of claim 7, a plurality of said fins extending radially outwardly from said shell along respective radii which are in a common plane, a boundary ring circumscribing the tips of said fins whose radii are in a common plane.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
The craft of claim 8, wherein said weight means constitutes the movable core of an electric solenoid means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The craft of claim 11, said fins being free to pivot in either direction from said radially extended position.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
36 words
The craft of claim 12, said boundary ring being of flexible material and said fins being hingedly attached to said shell whereby they may pivot about respective axes which are transverse to the shell''s rotational axis.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
The craft of claim 16, including a trimming means for determining the orientation of said cabin independently of the rotation of said shell.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
80 words
The craft of claim 16, said support structure comprising a first support member pivotally mounted on said shell internally thereof about a first pivot axis, a second support member pivotally mounted on said first member about a second axis perpendicular to said first axis, and said cabin being pivotally mounted on said second member about a third axis perpendicular to said second axis, said first axis being the rotational axis about which said shell is driven by said drive means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
36 words
The craft of claim 17, wherein said trimming means comprises a second drive means arranged to exert a rotational torque upon said support structure relative to said shell about the axis or rotation of the latter.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
44 words
The craft of claim 18, said shell being in the form of a surface of revolution about said first axis and including external fins thereon for aerodynamically producing a propulsive thrust along the direction of said first axis pursuant to rotation of said shell.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
58 words
The craft of claim 18, said control means comprising a directional control means arranged to exert a rotational torque upon said first support member in a plane perpendicular to said first axis whereby said first axis will tilt in accordance with the principles of gyroscopic precession if such a torque is applied during the rotation of said shell.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
45 words
The craft of claim 18, including a trimming means for determining the orientation of said cabin independently of the rotation of said shell, said trimming means comprising a second drive means arranged to exert a rotative torque on said first member about said first axis.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
62 words
The craft of claim 19, said second drive means comprising a stator and a rotor portion, respectively, coaxially mounted with the rotational axis of said shell, one of said portions being rigidly connected with said shell and the other of said portions being rigidly connected with said support structure, said stator and rotor portions being adapted to transmit torque between each other.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
32 words
The craft of claim 21, wherein said directional control means comprises a weight means displaceably mounted on said first member between a balanced and an unbalanced condition relative to said first axis.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
47 words
The craft of claim 22, said second drive means comprising a stator and a rotor portion, respectively, which are rotative relative to each other along said first axis and of which one is rigidly connected with said shell and another is rigidly connected with said first member.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
43 words
The craft of claim 22, said second drive means being a motor-generator set and including a source of electrical energy and an electrical energy dissipator selectively connectable to said set whereby said set may function either as a motor of as a generator.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
23 words
The craft of claim 22, said second drive means including interreacting drive portions respectively secured to said shell and to said first member.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
34 words
The craft of claim 22, further including a landing gear arranged to extend outwardly of said shell, said gear being rotatively rigidly secured to said first member and being rotatable relative to said shell.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
46 words
The craft of claim 23, said second drive means being a motor-generator set, and including a source of electrical energy and an electrical energy dissipator selectively connectable to said motor-generator set in order to operate said set either as a motor or as a generator, respectively.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
29 words
The craft of claim 23, including an auxiliary trimming means comprising aerodynamically driven means arranged to rotatively urge said support structure oppositely to the rotational sense of said shell.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
35 words
The craft of claim 24, said balanced condition corresponding to said weight means being positioned along said first axis and said unbalanced condition corresponding to said weight means being radially displaced from said first axis.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
75 words
The craft of claim 24, said weight means comprising a pair of weights mounted on said first member for displacement in a plane perpendicular to said first axis, said balanced condition corresponding to said weights being diametrically opposite to each other along a neutral axis which is perpendicular to said first axis, and said unbalanced condition corresponding to said weights being less than 180* apart from each other on either side of said neutral axis.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
17 words
The craft of claim 24, said weight means constituting the movable core of an electric solenoid means.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
56 words
The craft of claim 25, said shell including means to produce airflow pursuant to rotation thereof, said craft including an aerodynamic means arranged to be acted upon by such airflow and to induce a rotative torque upon said first member about said first axis in a sense opposite to the sense in which said shell rotates.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
41 words
The craft of claim 26, wherein the rotor of said set is rigidly connected with said first member and the stator of said set is rigidly connected with said shell whereby said stator rotates about said rotor together With said shell.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
25 words
The craft of claim 28, said gear and said second drive means being arranged along a common axis which is coincident with said first axis.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
73 words
The craft of claim 28, including external propeller-type fins on said shell for inducing pursuant to rotation of said shell an airflow in a direction parallel to said first axis in order to provide propulsive thrust to said craft, said landing gear being located in the downstream side of said fins and including means responsive to such airflow for inducing a torque on said gear counter to the rotational sense of said shell.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
20 words
The craft of claim 29, including an electric switch means actuable from within said cabin for effecting such selective connectability.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
33 words
The craft of claim 29, the stator of said set being rigidly connected to said shell and being integrally rotatable therewith, the rotor of said set being rigidly connected to said support structure.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
79 words
The craft of claim 30, said auxiliary trimming means comprising vanes mounted externally of said shell but rigidly attached to said support structure, said vanes being coaxially arranged relative to the rotational axis of said shell, said shell having thrust means mounted thereon for integral rotation therewith and arranged to induce an airflow towards said vanes pursuant to rotation of said shell, said vanes being urged by said airflow to rotate oppositely to the rotative sense of said shell.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
113 words
The craft of claim 30, said auxiliary trimming means comprising two spaced-apart groups of holes in said shell arranged around the shell''s rotational axis, the holes of one of said groups being disposed along an outline of wider radius than those of the other of said groups whereby an airflow is induced by the rotation of said shell from atmosphere and through the holes of said other group into said shell and outwardly thereof through the holes of said one group, and further including vanes on said support structure and in the path of said airflow, said vanes being arranged to urge said structure rotatively oppositely to the rotational sense of said shell.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
54 words
The craft of claim 39, said motor-generator set being designed to act as a motor and to correspondingly exert upon said rotor a rotational torque opposite and just equal to the rotational torque impressed upon said support structure by the rotating shell as a result of friction existing between said shell and said structure.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
33 words
The craft of claim 39, said motor-generator set being designed to act as a motor and to correspondingly accelerate said rotor in a rotative sense opposite to the rotational sense of said shell.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
45 words
The craft of claim 40, including a landing gear mounted externally of said shell, and coaxially with the rotational axis thereof, said gear being rotatively independent of said shell but rotatively rigidly connected with said support structure, said vanes being part of said landing gear.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
36 words
The craft of claim 43, said motor-generator set being designed to also act as a generator and to correspondingly brake said rotor whereby it rotates in the same sense as the rotative sense of said shell.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
30 words
The craft of claim 44, said landing gear being in the form of an inverted cup-shaped bonnet, said vanes being integrally formed along the outer peripheral edge of said bonnet.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
19 words
The craft of claim 44, said gear being axially displaceable relative to said shell and to said support structure.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
28 words
The craft of claim 47, including shock-absorbing means between said gear and said shell and further including a resilient suspension means supporting said gear from said support structure.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
98 words
An aircraft comprising a rotatable body and means for generating a propulsive thrust along the direction of the axis of rotation of the body, the direction of such thrust determining the direction of flight of the craft through the air, said body while rotating constituting the rotor of a Foucault-type gyroscope, and including a directional control means for selecTively imparting a torque to said body while rotating whereby its axis of rotation will reorient itself in accordance with the principles of gyroscopic precession, and a drive means for rotating said body without imparting any precessive torque upon same.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
98 words
An aircraft comprising a rotatable body and means for generating a propulsive thrust along the direction of the axis of rotation of the body, the direction of such thrust determining the direction of flight of the craft through the air, said body while rotating constituting the rotor of a Foucault-type gyroscope, and including a directional control means for selecTively imparting a torque to said body while rotating whereby its axis of rotation will reorient itself in accordance with the principles of gyroscopic precession, and a drive means for rotating said body without imparting any precessive torque upon same.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
20 words
The aircraft of claim 49, said drive means comprising an engine supported entirely by and connected solely to said body.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
36 words
The aircraft of claim 49, including a structure suspended internally of said body by a suspension system whereby said body may rotate independently of said structure, said body and structure in combination constituting a Foucault-type gyroscope.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
33 words
The aircraft of claim 49, said body including aerodynamic fin means thereon integrally rotatable with said body for producing the aforementioned thrust through aerodynamic reaction with the atmosphere during rotation of said body.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
38 words
The aircraft of claim 51, said drive means being arranged to impart a rotative torque to said body solely through reaction of said drive means with the atmosphere whereby said drive means exerts no countertorque upon said structure.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
13 words
The aircraft of claim 51, said suspension system being a cardanic suspension system.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
37 words
The aircraft of claim 54, including a landing gear extending outwardly of said body and being rotatable relative thereto about the rotational axis thereof, said gear being rotatively rigid relative to said cabin about said rotational axis.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
41 words
The aircraft of claim 54, said structure including an innermost cabin and said suspension system comprising a series of three pivot means extending from said body to said cabin the respective axes of which are in perpendicular succession to each other.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-01-10 | 1975-07-12 | 1976-01-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-01-10 | 1979-07-12 | 1980-01-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-01-10 | 1983-07-12 | 1984-01-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |