US2343918A - Means for deicing propeller spinners - Google Patents

Description

Mardi 14, 1944; H M, MCCQY v 2,343,918

MEANS FOR DEICING PROPELLER SPINNERS Filed May .11, 1945 #0W/Ra M /Vc Coy Patented Mar. 14, 1944 UNITED MEANS Fon DEICINGTPROPELLER sPiNNERs HowardM. McCoy; Pattersonv Field, Ohio Appli'cation-1May-11,.1943, Serial No. 486,501"l 6 Claims; (Cl. 244-134) (Granted :,undenthe act oi MarchlS, 1883, as

, amendedv April 30,1928; 370.0.v G. '757) The invention described herein-'maybe manu-V factured and used rby or for Government for vgovernmental purposes, withoutthe payment to me f of any royalty thereon."

This Ainvention vrelates to improvements ini means for preventing the formation of ice on air-Y plane propeller spinners.

The problem of icing on airplanes has always been a 'serious one and with severe icing vconditions prevailing up tof25,000 ft., well below'the operating ceiling of modern aircraft,- andl with military demands consistently requiring'flights underhaza-rdous weather conditions, the problem isl one of rst rrate importance. To prevent Vicing of airplane wings, rubber "boots are installed on theleading edges and by means ofair pressure alternately applied and relieved vsuch boots are inflated and-donated to crack and break up the ice so that the airstream will carry it away. At this time propeller blades'are'usually protected against icing by yanti-icing fluid continuously applied while icing conditions obtain. Ice formation on propeller hubs and pitch controlmechanisms is inhibited by rubber covered Spinners. spinners and their slower speeds due to the use of reduction gearing there is more need than heretofore vfor apparatus which,will prevent ice from forming on spinners.

Objects of the present invention are to provide reliable apparatus for preventing ice formation on propeller spinners which does not materially increase the weight of the airplane, which requires little power for operation, which may be installed in existing types of airplanes without interference with other apparatus and which does not affect the performance of the airplane. A specific object is to provide apparatus of the character indicated whose cycle or rate of movement may be controlled by the pilot or other operator. Other objects will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention shown vin the accompanying drawing.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation, more or less diagrammatic, of a propeller spinner with the apparatus for de-icing installed;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a diagram of the apparatus.

Referring particularly to the drawing, a propeller spinner 5 has two reinforcing fdiaphragms 6, 1 between which the propeller hub (not shown) is mounted. An annular bearing support 8 is Because of the increase nsize of` secured to or is integral with diaphragm] and is coaxial with the propeller'shaft (not shown).

Mounted on annular` .support 8 is al ring gear Si.v andball bearings'l are provided to allow said f gearto rotate'relative 'toits support or to 'be' stationary while thesupport rotates with the propeller.'A -In-other words gear 9 is a free floating.

gear.` Tolgovern rotation of' gear 9, a brake I I,

which may behydraulic, electrical or mechanifcal, is mounted on the-'enginenose .I2 Aorother stationary structure, and is controlled by a-conventional 'control IIa accessible to the pilot. Brake: I I has a 'shaft I3 and a pinion I4 meshing with gear 9. A rotary'r air pump I5 is mounted on diaphragm'T and isdrivenv by a shaft I6 carrying pinionI'I meshing withgeari 9. A rotary dis-- tributor l.valve I8 is also secured to diaphragm'T and is -driven by pinion I9 meshing with gear 9.. ItwillV be clearthat as` the air pump and distributor valve revolve withk the propeller about its axis the reactions from their pinions on-the ring gear 9 cause the -latterfto rotate onbearings III.v But when the ring gear is Vbraked both the air pump and the distributor valve will be driven at a speed f proportional to the degreerofbrakingyi.e., the greater the braking effort,the higher the speed of the pump, etc.

Secured to the outside of 'the spinner 5 are one or more inflatable vannular cells 20, 2|, 22, each preferably composed of rubber, each cell being sealed to the atmosphere and closed to the other cells, so that it may be iniiated and deiiated independently. A exible cover 24, which may be of textile material or rubber, encloses the three cells and is secured by conventional means (not shown) to the outside of the spinner. In Fig. 1 cell 20 is deflated, cell 2| is inliated and cell 22 is `deated, while the dot and dash lines indicate the iniiation cf cells 20 and 22 respectively. The compressed air is conducted from the pump through a tube 25 to the distributor valve. As the distributor valve is rotated compressed air under pressure of 7 to 10 lbs. per sq. in. is conducted through tubes 26, 21, 28 to the cells in sequence and is exhausted from them sequentially, the exhausts owing back through tubes 26, y21 and 28 to the distributor valve and out through exhaust pipe 29 leading tothe air pump. As pipe 29 is a low pressure line it is indicated in dotted lines, while the high pressure side of the system is shown in full lines.

The preferred system also includes a pressure relief valve 30, a check valve 3l, and an air filter 32 having another pressure relief valve 33 (for discharge of excess air Land moisture). All these4 parts, plus the air pump, distributor valve and tubing, must be balanced statically and dynamically, since the entire system (except the brake) rotates with the spinner.

Obviously the invention is not restricted to the particular mechanism herein shown by way of illustration but may'assume various forms neither shown nor described.

What I claim is: y

comprising, in combination, one or more inflatable and deiiatable cells mounted on the outside of the spinner to rotate therewith; a. pump.

v .10` 1. De-icing apparatus for propeller spinners.

derived from the rotating spinner and controlled by the operator to vary the speed of operation of both of said means and to stop both of said means.

5. De-icing apparatus for airplane propeller spinners comprising, in combination, an inflatable `envelope adapted tobe secured on the outside of the spinner; a ring gear carried on the inside of the spinner and rotatable independently of the spinner about the axis thereof; a rotary valve fixed inside the spinner to rotate about the spinner axis; a pinion on the rotary valve meshing with the ring gear; a rotary air pump Aiixed inside the spinner to rotate therewith; a

pinion on the air pump meshing with the ring gear; atube connecting the output side of the air pump with the rotary valve; another tube connecting the rotary valve with the interior of e the inatable envelope; so that compressed air peller shaft; the pump having a pinion also meshing with thering gear to rotate the latter synchronously with the propeller, except when the brake restrains such rotationv to operate the pump and the discharge-controllingl means to iniiate and deflate said cells. Y

3. In combination with a propeller spinner, a flexible envelope surrounding and fixed to the spinner; a pump on the inside of and rotating with the spinner and adapted to deliver compressed air to the envelope; intermittently acting means to discharge air from the envelope so that deation follows inflation at regular inter.-

vals means supported inside the spinner to drive the pump; the last named means normally rotating with the pump; and an operator-controlled brake engaging the last named means toy slow up or stop rotation of the same, thereby to operate the pump at variable speeds.

4. In combination with a propeller spinner, an inflatable envelope on the outside of and fixed to the spinner; means for forcing air into the envelope; means for discharging air frominside the envelope; and mechanism operated by power from the'pump is led through the valve to the envelope; said rotary valve effecting alternate inflation anddeflation of thev envelope; the ring gear, valve, pump and connecting tubes al1 being balanced statically and dynamically so as to -be capab-le of rotation at the same speed as the propeller; Y and Van operator-controlled brake iixed to a stationary part of the airplane and having a pinion also meshing with the ring gear, said brake providing means to retard or stop rotation ofthe ring gear, thereby to cause said valve and pump to operate at speeds variable proportionately to the amount of retardation.

6.`Deicing apparatus for propeller spinners comprising, in combination, one or more inatable cells, each toroidal in form adapted to 'be secured upon the outside of a spinner; means for forcingair into the cells in regular sequence beginning with the cell nearest the nose of the spinner; vmeans for discharging compressed air from the cells in the same sequence; both of said means being driven by power derived from rotation of the spinner; and means to control the speed of operation of both of said means; the, entire apparatus except the control means being balanced dynamically and statically so as to be capable of rotating at the same speed as the propeller.

HOWARD M. McCOY.

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