US 4,824,053 A · Telescopic wing

Abstract

A telescopic airfoil comprising a plurality of short wing sections, each consisting of skin and rib, with tubular spar sections attached to the rib. Each spar section is adapted to telescope with respect to the next adjoining spar section toward the root end of the airfoil. Alternate spar sections are rotatable, and intermediate spar sections are held stationary, with the end portions of adjacent spar sections overlapping, and low-friction threads connecting the overlapping spar portions. The threads at opposite ends of each spar section are of opposite hand so that rotation of the rotatable spar sections causes the entire group to be drawn together into a housing at the root end of the wing. In this way, the wing span can be reduced to less than 30% of the full span, while during extension and retraction, the spars retain their full load-carrying capability.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An extendable and retractable spar comprising:

a plurality of tubular spar sections arranged on a common axis, with each spar section overlapping the adjacent spar sections;
alternate spar sections being rotatable, and intermediate spar sections being non-rotatable;
thread means interconnecting the overlapping portions of said spar sections, the thread means at one end of each spar section being of right-hand direction, and the thread means at the other end being of left-hand direction;
said thread means including a rolling element bushing interposed between the overlapping portions of said spar sections, said rolling element bushing consisting of a plurality of rolling elements running in helical grooves formed in opposed surfaces of said overlapping spar sections, and a cage confining said rolling elements so that they remain in the same relative positions to one another at all times;
and
means for rotating said rotatable spar sections, thereby causing the spar to extend or retract depending upon the direction of rotation.

3 more elements

A telescopic wing comprising a plurality of wing sections and at least two parallel tubular spars extending from the root end of the wing to the tip end thereof, each of said spars comprising a plurality of spar sections of which alternate sections are rotatable and intermediate sections are non-rotatable, each of said spar sections overlapping the adjacent spar sections;

said wing sections including ribs connected to the corresponding sections of said two spars, said ribs being fixedly connected to the non-rotatable sections of said spars, and being rotatably connected to the rotatable sections of said spars;
wing skins attached to said ribs;
thread means interconnecting the overlapping portions of said spar sections, the thread means at one end being of right-hand direction and the thread means at the other end being of left-hand direction;
and
means for rotating said rotatable sections, thereby causing the spars to extend or retract simultaneously depending upon the direction of rotation, carrying the ribs and skin sections with them.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Telescopic wing

Life of this patent

Telescopic wing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20