Abstract: A VTOL vehicle including a fuselage with two foldable wings, two tiltable nacelles attached to the wings, a vertical stabilizer, a horizontal stabilizer, and two auxiliary thrusters. Each nacelle contains a system of vanes located at the rear opening thereof, and actuators are provided for extending and retracting the vanes in conjunction with nacelle tilting mechanisms to deflect the airflow over a predetermined range of angles from the horizontal. Each nacelle also contains two rotary engines, each of which directly drives a fan. The fans face each other and operate in counter-rotating directions at the same rotational speed. An alternative embodiment includes two additional nacelles attached to the fuselage instead of having the auxiliary thrusters. A redundant computerized flight control system maintains stability of the vehicle as it transitions from one flight mode to another.

Abstract: A VTOL vehicle including a fuselage with two foldable wings, two tiltable nacelles attached to the wings, a vertical stabilizer, a horizontal stabilizer, and two auxiliary thrusters. Each nacelle contains a system of vanes located at the rear opening thereof, and actuators are provided for extending and retracting the vanes in conjunction with nacelle tilting mechanisms to deflect the airflow over a predetermined range of angles from the horizontal. Each nacelle also contains two rotary engines, each of which directly drives a fan. The fans face each other and operate in counter-rotating directions at the same rotational speed. An alternative embodiment includes two additional nacelles attached to the fuselage instead of having the auxiliary thrusters. A redundant computerized flight control system maintains stability of the vehicle as it transitions from one flight mode to another.

Abstract: A robotic or remotely controlled flying platform (10) with reduced drag stabilizing control apparatus constructed having an air duct (12) with an air intake (14) on the top and an exhaust (16) at the bottom, containing supported therein a clockwise rotating fan (22) and a counter-clockwise rotating fan (24). Directly below the perimeter of the air duct exhaust are mounted a plurality of trough shaped air deflection assemblies (32) each including a rotatably adjustable half trough (44) for selectively scooping a portion of the drive air, and a stationary adjacent half trough (36) for receiving the scooped drive air and redirecting it outward and upward from the air duct.

Abstract: A charge cooled rotary engine includes a housing, a first end plate, and a second end plate. The housing and end plates combine too define a closed chamber. A rotor disposed within the housing includes three flanks, a cylindrical hub, and a web extending transversely from the hub and joining medial portions of the flanks to the hub. The web, flanks, and hub form rotor cavities on opposite ends of the rotor. Inlets formed in the end plates for receiving fuel/air charge terminate in entry ports facing the closed chamber. Distribution chambers, formed in the end plates adjacent the entry ports, are open to the closed chamber. The entry ports directly communicate with the rotor cavities and are isolated from direct communication with any of the intake, compression, and combustion chambers by the rotor flanks.

Abstract: A charge cooled rotary engine includes a housing, a first end plate, and a second end plate. The housing and end plates combine too define a closed chamber. A rotor disposed within the housing includes three flanks, a cylindrical hub, and a web extending transversely from the hub and joining medial portions of the flanks to the hub. The web, flanks, and hub form rotor cavities on opposite ends of the rotor. Inlets formed in the end plates for receiving fuel/air charge terminate in entry ports facing the closed chamber. Distribution chambers, formed in the end plates adjacent the entry ports, are open to the closed chamber. The entry ports directly communicate with the rotor cavities and are isolated from direct communication with any of the intake, compression, and combustion chambers by the rotor flanks.

Abstract: A VTOL aircraft including a fuselage with four nacelles, three vertical stabilizers and a horizontal stabilizer attached to the fuselage. The fuselage and the nacelles are lifting bodies that are configured to jointly form an aerodynamic lifting body which cooperates with the horizontal stabilizer to provide aerodynamic lift to the aircraft in forward flight. Each nacelle contains two rotary engines directly driving corresponding fans which face each other and operate in counter-rotating directions. Each nacelle also contains a system of vanes located at the rear opening thereof, and actuators for extending and retracting the vanes to deflect the airflow over a predetermined range of angles from the horizontal. Each engine utilizes the dynamic pressure of the air behind the fans to provide a source of air for cooling the rotors and exhaust system.

Abstract: A flying platform, propelled by at least one ducted fan causing a vertically downwardly directed airstream in and through a cylindrical duct. A vane system in the duct has two mutually perpendicular pairs of diametrically opposite first vanes, each extending in from the duct rim toward the center of the duct. Each pair of first vanes provides a pair of generally vertical walls parallel to a diametral line across the duct, and they define duct passages between the pairs of vanes and define quadrants between adjacent pairs. Each first vane has an upper, fixed, rigid portion and a variable camber flap depending therefrom. A first servomotor with linkages vary the camber of each pair of flaps, so that the camber of the flaps of each pair is at all times the same amount but in opposite directions. Preferably, there are also four second vanes, one bisecting each quadrant, and a symmetric pair of spoilers is mounted on each second vane.

Abstract: Resonator type mufflers of this invention utilize multiple chambers with inductor tubes between the chambers, and specific size and spatial relationships among the tubes and chambers. In one form of muffler suitable for industrial applications or vehicular use, elongated inductor tubes passing from one chamber to a second chamber have downstream ends spaced about 3/4 inch from the end wall of the second chamber, which has a central opening with area at least as large as the combined areas of the inductor tubes. For industrial mufflers which are required to be short, there is only one set of coextensively positioned inductor tubes, but for longer mufflers as on motorcycles, an elongated primary inductor preferably is used in addition, as a primary resonator stage.

Abstract: A torque converter for inclusion between a driving shaft and a driven shaft. Preferably there is more than one torque generator and a gear train in parallel between the input and output shafts. The torque generators and any attached driving gears rotate about shafts whose axes are preferably symmetrically displaced about, and are stationary relative to, the axis of the input shaft. The above mentioned torque generators each preferably have a pair of radially opposed eccentrically mounted weights thereon. Preferably there are at least two pairs of weights on each torque generating train, together with means for varying the phasing between the pairs of weights. Means is also provided for accommodating slight misalignments between the shafts of the torque generating trains. Each of the torque generating trains has attached thereto at least one unidirectional clutch which allows the shafts to turn in only one direction.

Abstract: A muffler and spark arrester for use on an internal combustion engine has an outer tube extending along an axis between an inlet and an outlet. A perforate inner tube is disposed coaxially within the outer tube and merges therewith adjacent the inlet and is in effect connected thereto near the outlet by a partially toroidal end wall. Sound absorbing material is lodged between the inner and outer tubes. A plurality of nested, partially toroidal cups is disposed coaxially adjacent the end wall. A resonator-arrester chamber is coaxially nested with the toroidal cups. A central tube is held by a gas barrier wall coaxially within a portion of the inner tube. The parts are held together by an axially extending through bolt.

Abstract: A spark arresting muffler has a housing with an inlet designed for attachment to the exhaust pipe of an engine. A packet of discs is mounted on the housing preferably in line with the inlet. The discs are substantially identical and are preferably circular or annular in plan and are cupped in side elevation. The discs are axially spaced from each other by edge projections on one disc abutting the adjacent disc, the projections conveniently being deformations integral with the discs. A spark receiver is disposed in communication with the disc packet to receive and hold sparks rejected by the packet.

Abstract: G,1 A torque converter for inclusion between a driving shaft and a driven shaft has a driving gear rotatable about a primary axis and in mesh with planetary gears rotatable about second axes parallel to the primary axis. The planetary gears are coupled to eccentric weights also rotatable about the secondary axes in a predetermined phase relationship. The planetary gears and weights are coupled to a driven gear with which there may be selectively meshed either one of a pair of pinions. Each pinion is provided with a unidirectional clutch engagable with a torque shaft having limited rotation and essentially fixed. The clutches work in opposite directions. Preferably, both the driving shaft and the driven shaft, as well as the torque shaft, are provided with torque cushions to smooth out variations in torque. Special inertia relationships are maintained.