Really weird aerospace patents

[Apophenia]

A strange patent to B. G. Carlson.

The 'Des' for Design in the patent number is a tip-off.

This is a purely notional design to illustrate potential installation options for a range of aircraft engines (made using die-casting) then being designed by Bert G. Carlson's employer - Jack & Heintz, Inc. (aka JAHCO).

AFAIK, there is no online copy of patent Des. 145,880. However, 'Sheet 1' (the sideview of your top view) is attached.

BTW, B. G. Carlson (of Erieside and later Willowbee, OH) seems mainly to have been interested in control systems, autopilots, etc. He filed multiple patents for Sperry Gyroscope Company, Inc.; The Weatherhead Company; and Jack & Heintz, Inc.; etc.

 

[hesham]

Thank you my dear Apophenia,

and who can ID this ?.

 

[TsrJoe]

What's the patent number or reference source ?

 

[hesham]

What's the patent number or reference source ?

I don't know Joe,just found it in my files ?.

 

[klem]

William A. Wolleat -Mono-wing airplane 1957-USD185821

 

[HoHun]

Hi klem,

William A. Wolleat -Mono-wing airplane 1957-USD185821

From the phrase "ornamental design" in the text, I'd conclude that this is a design patent (too). Apohenia just pointed this out earlier in the thread:

The 'Des' for Design in the patent number is a tip-off.

This is a purely notional design to illustrate potential installation options for a range of aircraft engines (made using die-casting) then being designed by Bert G. Carlson's employer - Jack & Heintz, Inc. (aka JAHCO).

As design patents seem to be a regular of "really weird" stuff, I'm wondering what the deal with them was ... I believe they only patented the non-functional ("ornamental", as per the patent you quoted) aspects of a design. Why did it make sense to have that patented?

There must have been some kind of expected pay-off, but what would that have been?

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

 

[Apophenia]

... I believe they only patented the non-functional ("ornamental", as per the patent you quoted) aspects of a design. Why did it make sense to have that patented?

There must have been some kind of expected pay-off, but what would that have been?

Henning: I have a feeling that this has mainly to do with corporate valuations. A company's value is partially determined by the number of patents held in its name. Of course, 'design' patents will add little or no value for industry peers. However, 'merger and acquisition' type investors with no background in aviation may be less discerning.

A closer look might also reveal how many attributions there are within other patent applications. Serious patent applicants will still attribute superficially-similar 'design' patents. This may all sound dodgy but filing 'design' patents is done even by industry giants.

 

[hesham]

A weird one,from E.F. Zaparka,

US2039676A - Aircraft - Google Patents

by the way,there's a designer of WWI called E. Zaparka

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/german-ww1-fighters-and-recce-aircraft-prototypes-and-projects.22511/page-5#post-286736

 

[Apophenia]

A weird one,from E.F. Zaparka,

US2039676A - Aircraft - Google Patents

by the way,there's a designer of WWI called E. Zaparka

Well, the give-away is assignee Zap Development Corp. Edward F. Zaparka (of NYC, later Baltimore, MD) was, of course, the inventor and namesake of the Zap flap. Zaparka was also interested in Flettner cylinders rotating to generate lift using the Magnus effect.

Your WWI inventor was Austro-Hungarian Oberleutnant Eduard Zaparka.

 

[hesham]

A weird one,from E.F. Zaparka,

Also for the same designer.

US1927538A - Sustaining and control surface - Google Patents

 

[HoHun]

Hi,

Well, the give-away is assignee Zap Development Corp. Edward F. Zaparka (of NYC, later Baltimore, MD) was, of course, the inventor and namesake of the Zap flap. Zaparka was also interested in Flettner cylinders rotating to generate lift using the Magnus effect.

Your WWI inventor was Austro-Hungarian Oberleutnant Eduard Zaparka.

Well, an Austrian Eduard emigrating to the US could be expected to anglicize his name to Edward, so without additional information, I'd not rule out this was the same guy based on his Christian name alone.

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

 

[Apophenia]

... an Austrian Eduard emigrating to the US could be expected to anglicize his name to Edward, so without additional information, I'd not rule out this was the same guy based on his Christian name alone...

Quite true, Henning. And, after the mid-1920s, there seems to be no online trace of Eduard in Vienna.

 

[Justo Miranda]

I remember seeing this drawing in a Flash Gordon comic book