Patent ID: 6708922
Filing Date: 2004-03-23
Classification: B64B

Abstract:
A modular unit for forming an airship, the modular unit including an elongate spine intended to extend along a longitudinal axis of the airship, the spine including at least one interconnecting element having connection means for joining it in end to end relationship with an interconnecting element of an adjacent modular unit;buoyant support means fixed relative to the spine for providing buoyant support to the airship, in flight; a frame assembly including at least one support ring which is positioned in radially spaced relationship relative to the spine intermediate leading and trailing extremities of the spine thereby defining an annular space between the spine and the ring; a plurality of elongate locating members which are fixed at circumferentially spaced positions to the ring and which extend inwardly from the ring towards the spine, in tension, so as to define a pair of back to back frusto-conical spaces, the locating members serving to position the ring relative to the spine; and, a pair of spaced inner rings located in close proximity to the spine at leading and trailing extremities thereof with the locating members being fixed thereto and wherein the inner rings are slidable longitudinally relative to the spine and are connectable by means of biassing springs to similar inner rings of an adjacent modular unit thereby to bias the inner rings in opposite directions to form tension relaxing means.