www.HumanPoweredHelicopters.org

Patents

Patents can be a great source of inspiration. Below is a list of old and new (but mostly old) patents that relate even remotely to human powered helicopters or that are just plain interesting or weird.

The best place to search for and download patents for free is the European Patent Office's website. Roger Gilmore's website for the "Ice Rower" includes a page with a huge list of unusual patents for human powered inventions. In particular, you will find dozens of mechanisms for extracting work from a human. There is also a section on human powered flight patents. The patent numbers link to a patent viewing service which is not convenient. I recommend you take the patent number and go instead to the European Patent Office website and download it as a PDF file.

  1. CH26882 "Machine à voler". Bourcart, 1902. (English version GB190318768) (Synchropter configuration used by Kaman)
  2. CN85102445, "Man-Powered Helicopter", 1987. (Chinese) NEW
  3. DE4113624, "Drive for taking power from or giving power to rotors of machine - has ring with toothed belt and electric generators", 1992, Abstract in english. 
  4. FR2628063,"Helicopter powered by human muscular strength", "Hélicoptère actionné par la force musculaire humaine", 1988, (in French)
  5. GB605748, "Improvements in helicopter rotor blade spar tubes", 1948
  6. GB690768, "Helicopter blade with trailing edge tab", 1953.
  7. GB988723, "Helicopter", 1963. (Human-powered helicopter. A helicopter and ornithopter combination.). 
  8. GB1274659 "Man-Powered Flying Machine", (Specifically a helicopter),1972
  9. GB189609129 "A Combined Screw Propeller and Aeroplane for Raising, Lowering, and Sustaining Airships.", 1896, Rudolph Kosch.
  10. GB190406732, "Improvements in Aeronautical Machines", 1904, Wright Brothers
  11. GB190619259 "Improvements in or relating to Flying Machines", 1906, Paul Cornu NEW
  12. GB190824076, "Improvements in or Connected to Aeronautical Machines", 1908, Wright Brothers
  13. GB190824077, "Improvements in or Connected with Aeronautical Machines", 1908, Wright Brothers
  14. GB190902913, "Improvements in or Connected with Aeronautical Machines", 1909, Wright Brothers
  15. GB190916068, "Improvements in mechanism for Actuating the Rudders or Controlling Planes of 
  16. JP57041299 "Human Strength Helicopter with Air Bag", 1982 (In Japanese. Some kind of combination helicopter and balloon.)
  17. RU2002116639, 2004. (The EPO has no title for this patent but it shows up in searches for man-powered helicopters. If anyone can get a copy of it for this website, I would appreciate it.) 
  18. Aeronautical Machines.", 1909, Wright Brothers
  19. US970616, "Flying Machine", Edison, 1910. 
  20. US1472148, "Helicopter", Berliner, 1923. (Single main rotor) 
  21. US1570121, "Helicopter", Berliner, 1926. (Tandem rotor) 
  22. US1582482, "Flying Machine", 1926, A. Miraula NEW
  23. US1730758, "Airplane", 1929, Jonathan Edward Caldwell. NEW
  24. US1848389, "Aircraft, especially aircraft of the direct lift amphibian type and means of constructing and operating the same", 1929, (Igor Sikorsky's first helicopter patent).
  25. US2397489, "Automatic blade pitch control for helicopter rotor or airscrew", 1946
  26. US2589193, "Airfoil and particularly helicopter blade", 1952
  27. US2591757, "Helicopter rotor blade", 1950
  28. US2596378, "Helicopter blade pitch control mechanism", 1952
  29. US2679295, "Helicopter blade jet combustion chamber", 1954
  30. US2701021, "Helicopter rotor blade jet engine releasable mounting mechanism", 1955
  31. US2755870, "Hydraulic booster control of helicopter blade pitch",
  32. US2760588, "Method of adjusting a helicopter blade trailing edge tab", 1956
  33. US2809506, "Tension torsion device for helicopter rotor blade spindles", 1957
  34. US2815821, "Helicopter rotor blade connection", 1957
  35. US2818124, "Helicopter rotor blade mounting mechanism", 1957
  36. US2827967, "Helicopter rotor blade", 1958
  37. US2828531, "Method of making a helicopter blade", 1958
  38. US2863513, "Helicopter rotor blade", 1958
  39. US2915129, "Jet powered helicopter rotor head  and blade construction", 1959
  40. US4007893, "Homocopter", 1988, (Human powered helicopter. If anyone knows Mr Hariton Khachikian, please ask him to email me. I would love to interview him for this website.)
  41. US4061293, "Balloon with manually operable helicopter blades", 1977
  42. US4081155, "Man-Powered Flying Machine", 1978; Kuan, Shang-Ming. NEW
  43. US4206892, "Lightweight Aircraft", 1980, Paul MacCready 
  44. US4248572, "Helicopter blade", 1981
  45. US4773825, "Air propellers in so far as the profile of their blades is concerned", 1988
  46. US4953882, "Transmission apparatus for bicycle or like pedal-operated vehicle", 1990. NEW
  47. US5758735, "High Performance Bicycle Propulsion", 1998, Paul MacCready
  48. US5823480, "Wing with a Wing Grid as the End Section", 1998, Ulrich La Roche. NEW
  49. US6086015, "Aerial Transport Method and Apparatus", 2000, Paul MacCready
  50. US6497385, "Rotor Blade with Optimized Twist Distribution", D. Wachpress, T.R. Quackenbush, 2002. NEW
  51. US2003226933, "Power Assembly for Ornicopter", 2003, Richard Charron. NEW
  Home  Contact