Controllable camber fin
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsCharles H. Beauchamp, Laurence M. Dean, Anthony V. Raffa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a fluid such as water the direction of a vessel is controlled by a fin ving at least one fixed chordwise segment and at least one cantilever mounted movable segment secured to the fixed segment by a backbone or spine spring at the neutral axis, and by differently tensioned control wires that are used to achieve camber variations under the influence of the vessel's control system. An elastomeric skin is supported on stiffeners to maintain the general fin cross section during such camber changes.
Claims8
A variable camber fin for use in a moving fluid to influence that fluid's flow over the fin, said fin comprising:
- a closed foil cross section designed to minimize the drag forces on the fin at certain design equilibrium conditions;
- said foil fin having a cross section that includes at least one fixed foil portion adapted to be secured to other structure;
- said foil fin cross section also including at least another foil portion that is connected to said one fixed foil portion such that the said one and another portions cooperate to define a chordwise segment of said closed foil cross section;
- said another foil portion having the structure of a cantilevered beam with a neutral axis generally oriented in said chordwise direction, and a resilient structural element oriented at said neutral axis;
- said resilient structural element having a root end secured to said one fixed foil portion and said resilient structural element having a free end spaced in said chordwise direction from said root end thereof;
- said cantilevered beam foil portion having internally mounted control wires some of which are provided on one side of said resilient structural element and other control wires provided on the opposite side of said resilient structural element, said control wires having free ends, said free ends secured to said free end of said resilient structural element, said control wires having root ends secured to said fixed foil portion in spaced relation to said resilient structural element root end;
- and
- means for differentially stressing some of said control wires relative said other control wires to bend said resilient structural element and thereby to change the camber of the fin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.