Patent GB-1867-2504
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A steam-powered ornithopter. Metal frame, wings with smaller metal pieces, covered with silk, to mimic bird wings.
Sources
- Brewer and Alexander, 1893, Aeronautics
- Neilson, 1910, Aeroplane Patents, p71
- Abridgment of patent specifications 1867–76 (1903), Class 4, p. 5–6. 2504. Smythies, J. K. Sept. 4.Aerial machines without aërostats.-Relates to a "steam bird" or flying machine, and consists of an arrangement of suitable framework carrying one or more pairs of wings worked by the cross head of a special steam engine, the condenser of which is arranged so as to act as a tail or rudder for the machine. The wings consist of bars of steel bent to a sort of curved U form and carrying at their outer ends several small steel bars capable of being bent by cords attached to their ends and passing to the hand of the driver. These are covered with silk so that the whole resembles, when the small rods are bent, the primary feathers of a bird's wing. The wings may be pivoted on swinging rods B, or they may be pivoted at their ends and the rods B replaced by connecting-rods for working them. The machine is provided with three wheels. In the motor employed, a rotary valve situated within the steam-chest c is used, and is actuated through spur gearing and shafting from a small rotary engine f, to which steam is admitted through a suitable pipe closed by a slide valve worked by a screw p. A similar valve worked by a screw o admits steam to the steam-chest. The condenser consists of a large bag of light india-rubber or the like supported by adjustable steel rods t so as to act as a bird's tail. It is connected by suitable pipes with a condensed-water cistern j connected with a pump. A liquid-fuel steam generator em- ployed consists of a number of thin steel tubes d partly surrounded by water. The feedwater is led from the condenser back to the cistern j, whence it is transferred by a pump g to a pipe k, and passes through holes in it into the boiler. e is the com- bustion chamber, the lower floor of which consists of a perforated copper sheet through which the vapours pass from a fan h. The vapour generator is situated at the bottom of the machine. Liquid and gaseous fuel furnaces for burning vapours are also used. The vapour, which may be that of alcohol, ether, benzol, and the like, passes from the bottom of the machine (where it is produced by lamps regulated by dampers) through pipes y to the fan h. It is there mixed with air which is heated by being drawn through a casing on the chimney or furnace, and is driven into the com- bustion chamber e. A small cup to hold alcohol is placed at, to warm the chamber e at starting and to ignite the mixture of air and vapour a soon as there is a sufficient quantity in the chamber. The details may be modified.
| Year filed | 1867 |
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| Year granted | |
| Office | GB |
| Patent number | 2504 |
| Inventors | John Kinnersley Smythies |
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| Applicant type | INDIV |
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| Original title | |
| English title | ["Steam bird"] |
| Tech fields | frame, wings, flapping, steam, ornithopter, wings, rudder, silk, rubber, steel |
| Filing date | 1867-09-04 |
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| Granted? | 1 |
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| Related to aircraft? | 1 |
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| National tech categories | GB 4 |
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| Family year | 1867 |
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