Aircraft rotor blade mechanism

Claim 2

In an aircraft having an elongated fuselage and a rotor blade mechanism mounted on the fuselage having overhead counter rotating bladed rotors for providing lift, the improvement wherein the rotor blade mechanism comprises a rotor support mounted on the fuselage for pivotal movement about a laterally extending axis, a pair of laterally spaced rotor shafts mounted on the rotor support for rotation about upwardly and laterally outwardly extending axes, substantially identical bladed rotors fixed onto the rotor shafts respectively for rotation overhead the fuselage, means interconnecting the rotor shafts for rotation of the blaDed rotors together in noninterfering synchronism in opposite angular directions, actuator means operable for pivoting the support about said laterally extending axis, and control means for controlling the operation of the actuator means for pivotally controlling the rotor support and for thereby controlling the angular relationship of the fuselage and rotors.

Claim 3

In an aircraft according to claim 1 wherein each bladed rotor comprises a single elongated blade extending generally radially from the rotor axis.

Claim 4

In an aircraft according to claim 2 wherein the fuselage has a pair of pockets extending generally longitudinally rearwardly of the rotor shafts respectively for receiving the elongated blades and wherein the rotor blade mechanism comprises means for axially shifting the bladed rotors between an extended operating position rotatable overhead the fuselage and a retracted storage position in the longitudinally extending fuselage pockets.

Claim 5

In an aircraft according to claim 3 wherein each rotor shaft comprises a pair of telescoping shaft portions relatively axially shiftable for axially shifting the respective bladed rotor between its extended and retracted positions.

Claim 6

In an aircraft having an elongated fuselage and a rotor blade mechanism mounted on the fuselage having overhead counter rotating bladed rotors for providing lift, the improvement wherein the rotor blade mechanism comprises a rotor support mounted on the fuselage for pivotal movement about a laterally extending axis, a pair of laterally spaced rotor shafts mounted on the rotor support for rotation about upwardly and laterally outwardly extending axes, substantially identical bladed rotors fixed onto the rotor shafts respectively for rotation overhead the fuselage, means interconnecting the rotor shafts for rotation of the bladed rotors together in noninterfering synchronism in opposite angular directions, and control means for pivotally controlling the rotor support for controlling the angular relationship of the fuselage and rotors, each bladed rotor comprising a single elongated blade extending generally radially from the rotor axis, the fuselage having a pair of pockets extending generally longitudinally rearwardly of the rotor shafts respectively for receiving the elongated blades, the rotor blade mechanism comprising means for axially shifting the bladed rotors between an extended operating position rotatable overhead the fuselage and a retracted storage position in the longitudinally extending fuselage pockets, the axial shifting means comprising angular shifting means for angularly shifting at least one of the rotors for positioning the rotors in generally parallel relationship in the retracted positions in the fuselage pockets and for positioning the rotors in a different operative angular relationship in their extended positions for rotation in opposite angular directions in noninterfering synchronism.

Claim 7

In an aircraft having an elongated fuselage and a rotor blade mechanism mounted on the fuselage having overhead counter rotating bladed rotors for providing lift, the improvement wherein the rotor blade mechanism comprises a rotor support mounted on the fuselage for pivotal movement about a laterally extending axis, a pair of laterally spaced rotor shafts mounted on the rotor support for rotation about upwardly and laterally outwardly extending axes, substantially identical bladed rotors fixed onto the rotor shafts respectively for rotation overhead the fuselage, means interconnecting the rotor shafts for rotation of the bladed rotors together in noninterfering synchronism in opposite angular directions, and control means for pivotally controlling the rotor support for controlling the angular relationship of the fuselage and rotors, each bladed rotor comprising a single elongated blade extending generally radially from the rotor axis, the fuselage having a pair of pockets extending generally longitudinally rearwardly of the rotor shafts respectively for receiving the elongated blades, the rotor blade mechanism comprising means for axially shifting the bladed rotors between an extended operating position rotatable overhead the fuselage and a retracted storage position in the longitudinally extending fuselage pockets, the axial shifting means comprising angular shifting means for angularly shifting at least one of the rotors for positioning the rotors in generally parallel relationship in the retracted positions in the fuselage pockets and for positioning the rotors in a different operative angular relationship in their extended positions for rotation in opposite angular directions in noninterfering synchronism.

Claim 8

In an aircraft according to claim 3 wherein the aircraft comprises a fixed wing and forward propulsion means and a cockpit for an aircraft pilot for manipulating the aircraft and wherein the axial shifting means comprises selector means operable from the cockpit by the pilot during flight for shifting the rotors from their retracted to their extended positions.

Claim 9

In an aircraft according to claim 6 wherein the selector means is operable from the cockpit by the pilot during flight for shifting the rotors from their extended to their retracted positions whereby the aircraft may be selectively operated for either fixed wing operation alone or compound fixed and rotary wing operation.

Claim 10

In an aircraft according to claim 7 further comprising drive means selectively engageable for rotating the bladed rotors in opposite angular directions, and wherein the selector means is operable for selectively engaging the drive means for rotation of the rotors in their extended operating positions and disengaging the rotors for permitting retraction of the rotors to their stored positions. 9. In an aircraft according to claim 1 wherein the bladed rotors are pivotally mounted for varying the blade pitch thereof and wherein the rotor control means is operable for pivoting the bladed rotors for establishing the blade pitch.

Claim 11

In an aircraft having an elongated fuselage, and a rotor blade mechanism mounted on the fuselage having overhead bladed rotor means, the improvement wherein the rotor blade mechanism comprises a rotor support mounted on the fuselage for pivotal movement about a laterally extending axis, upwardly extending shaft means mounted on the support for being pivoted with the support about said laterally extending axis, bladed rotor means mounted on the shaft means overhead the fuselage for providing lift, drive means for driving the bladed rotor means, actuator means operable for pivoting the support about said laterally extending axis, and control means for controlling the operation of the actuator means for pivotally setting the rotor support and for thereby setting the angular relationship between the fuselage and bladed rotor means.

Claim 12

In an aircraft having an elongated fuselage, and a rotor blade mechanism mounted on the fuselage having overhead bladed rotor means, the improvement wherein the rotor blade mechanism comprises a rotor support mounted on the fuselage for pivotal movement about a laterally extending axis, upwardly extending shaft means mounted on the support for being pivoted with the support about said laterally extending axis, bladed rotor means mounted on the shaft means overhead the fuselage for providing lift, drive means for driving the bladed rotor means, actuator means operable for pivoting the support about said laterally extending axis, and control means for controlling the operation of the actuator means for pivotally setting the rotor support and for thereby setting the angular relationship between the fuselage and bladed rotor means.

Claim 13

In an aircraft according to claim 10 wherein the bladed rotor means comprises at least one elongated rotor blade, wherein the fuselage has generally longitudinally extending pocket means for receiving each elongated rotor blade and wherein the rotor blade mechanism comprises means for axially shifting each rotor blade along its axis of rotation between an extended operating position rotatable overhead the fuselage and a retracted storage position received within the longitudinally extending fuselage pocket means.

Claim 14

In an aircraft having an elongated fuselage, a fixed laterally extending wing, forward propulsion means, and a rotor blade mechanism mounted on the fuselage having overhead counter rotating bladed rotors for providing lift, the improvement wherein the rotor blade mechanism comprises a pair of laterally spaced upwardly extending rotor shafts mounted on the fuselage, elongated blades mounted on the rotor shafts for rotation overhead the fuselage, the fuselage having generally longitudinally extending pocket means for receiving the elongated blades, and means for axially shifting the elongated rotor blades between extended operating positions overhead the fuselage and retracted storage positions in the longitudinally extending fuselage pocket means, the axial shifting means comprising angular shifting means for angularly shifting at least one of the rotors for positioning the rotors in generally parallel relationship in the retracted positions in the fuselage pocket means and for positioning the rotors in a different operative angular relationship in their extended positions for rotation in opposite angular directions in noninterfering synchronism.

Claim 15

In an aircraft having an elongated fuselage, a fixed laterally extending wing, forward propulsion means, and a rotor blade mechanism mounted on the fuselage having overhead counter rotating bladed rotors for providing lift, the improvement wherein the rotor blade mechanism comprises a pair of laterally spaced upwardly extending rotor shafts mounted on the fuselage, elongated blades mounted on the rotor shafts for rotation overhead the fuselage, the fuselage having generally longitudinally extending pocket means for receiving the elongated blades, and means for axially shifting the elongated rotor blades between extended operating positions overhead the fuselage and retracted storage positions in the longitudinally extending fuselage pocket means, the axial shifting means comprising angular shifting means for angularly shifting at least one of the rotors for positioning the rotors in generally parallel relationship in the retracted positions in the fuselage pocket means and for positioning the rotors in a different operative angular relationship in their extended positions for rotation in opposite angular directions in noninterfering synchronism.