The Meeker herald., 1891-08-15
AN AIR-BICYCLE.
An Invention Which Win Navi-
cato Against tho Wind.
Ti.- Product uF an a.ronaHt wha liza,
uesa Experimenting for gseiN. Years
To Accomplish tAs Present
Result.


About ,hrce years ago Prof, Carl
hyrrs, wcll-lEn0wn balloon expert.
began srriel II experiments on line
lie had b'en theorizing on flr 1ome ten
or twelve year., this boiug the com
sirnciiaR 0i e balloon or airship which
should become nayigaLic and ~ fome
P.letieal uae, iils experiments evolved
the curious hybrid machine known ~
the ''air bicycle"
hrisny speaking, ssys the New York
Recorder II u o compound u the bal
loon and the bicycle. The mechanism
IL smlii Rnt nimos, hidden from view
wh.n the riler + seated. IL was orig
inally IN j., t..sxa al ss.--. ..-s-.-'''.,
.s4.s --ctS isea ...f--..c: h..J the ~,
tllnary saddle Of bicycle. From this
depends .orif,snilnf' Ia two pedals, like
thosr OF bicyeic, the fork having head
anil . cross bar with two handles, "a
nsrni. Down III" center 81 the fogL i
hollow tuh' Ia whirh thcrr o. a cog
wheel aui ratchet attachment, vhieh II
gp-ruici by uis psials, the handles, or
both al once, This gearing furnishes
the motive power af the machine. Thus
tho power applied can - varied Gc'
coriiug 10 Tic sp-ed d-slrci, and the
hands can ~, tho feet. ur vice vera,
wlthuu, Interfering with the hca.fyay
Df llir machine or decreasing II. spvet
la fn5n, ~ utr bead of tho inariiinc
thrrr projects horizontally a ii.'.'' bat
strong steel shaft. whlrh it, in',
steel sheath. This sh.alh o. rig, and
Grfnly ilNci % tho head - She ma bins,
while the shaft iHsiIr u II r. ru.fsr,i oT
raichricd lntn th- m-rhanirm acted
upon by the chain Hitarhmcnls ~ the
pedals, 81 the cStrym- end 1f ihis,
lirthrrrst from tho rider, arr four Fif.i
arms, the rui pair 1f whirh arr TiHiliy
tiNri 1n the sheath. ~ that They -.
supy pIaii.la exactly parallel b. tho
b1,iy u the Ti,lrFs the other two ars rlF-
idly fixed on tho involving n shaft, a
-oupir 81 Hiits t--lnF cut la tAs shrath 10
permit II their movement Thee arms
arr about time frr, long and tAr end
pair are each about four feet distant
tr1m the two nrarrst the riIlrs. nu
liipm n sprrai ah"vt "r hn,l ui li'ht
bn, strong duck In aisr ak feet hg four,
which II trt cdgrwisr 10 ii- riirr. and
when At rs, hanes qaiv-rlnr anL slIal'
Ing with every hrrElh II air, liisc the
. s-iiAH 80 y HsAlN w Wv aAafssAF NNAtAH
I iIchiHd the gi,irr ,herr extends q long.
slender bamboo roi. aud cloa' i,'hind
ti4r rl,lrr's back ris.a w!Fc stay which
support i'r "hy,lrps-rn spindle" This
Il tic scientific name 81 balloon
cfn,.asiy inF thr shHpc af 10th Brr,llc
and "a .phgrr. a long. circular hpiy.
s.,aTsel Ike ti.c wo--lrn hiacs which
ssrFtNsasEtssH 4. ii
meath. mailing u i1pl. Ike boat turned
bottom uP. This spindle :. iiils'd with
hydrrg"n gas. E''n"rai-.i from water.
and is Uuyun,l with the ordinary bal.
loon nri'inE, whirh .. Euy-i to Tho
bamboo nl.i. and tho steel ahafi. much
the aamr as ihc balloon, T. attached -
the car. The whole apPar.tus wvishs
Hltccn P1ulla, and IL n'ssfr.tl rita,s ly
the fau arrangement az tho raar uF ly
shifting the cyut.r ~ gravity a. j. a
bicycle,
The principle may H. moot clearly de-
finri ~ simple wupis ~ that II The
chili's air baliuIn=it Will not 81 b.
itself. but blow under Il rud Il soar Ia
the clouds. That H. the case with tho
air bicycle. The ridcg takes his .rat.
or rather hr stands with his s-at -.
twcCu his legs, h.s hands holding the
handles. Stepping little. he spriuGs
upward into the air. and hy a quick pull
at tho handles brings the sat right up
u him 80 that hc invuiuntariiy site
down. his frrt faliinrup1u thr pedals \
sharp. decisive pressure uu Iiuiu ssi the
chain and rpa wheel attachment 4iri.
ing. and this eIu,'l tho t'Hni tiit In
fruat u the head g. half turn. I.ttp
the riIls ard then ip the lutt. y. ,wp
arm revolving with q, and as ,.r tNu
arms attached 10 ihc sheath raag.u uu4
moved the cEtcndyd duck o. Eyyulr into
n right or irit.hand helix. vary any la
rapiiity with the action Of the pedals
and producing backward current Of
air similar 10 that experienced on the
from. platform of a swiftly ear.
only that the current from the helix
blows upward and strikes the Hat lower
surface Of the Hydrogen spindle. bcl.
lying IL Inward, and 50 Etill m1rc in
crrasirg its resistance to the powerful
breeze, which slDwly raises the whole
machine into the air. The helix at tho
same time grabs a; the air Ia front, az
Il were. and auckg IL back. In this way
the action l. the reverse To- that OF a
ships propeller. which f-ivc- moman.
,um TO the vessel by It's peculiar bhapc
pressing against the water. Tho air
bicycle progresses by n similar act ION to
that Of the propeller when the engines
are reversed and the ship ltcams back.
ward.
No stccringrrar is actually necessary,
although the machine carries a ruddcr.
II will steer by the principles of fr'uv.
itatipn. u the ruddcr leans backward Il
usccnds, II forward 1t dcsccuds. IL to the
right IL goes TO the right, aud II ~ tho
left n turn To the left is the result. An
inspection of the tilt Of the spindle will
demonstrate this clearly. The mot
important point OF all Is this: with tIis
unique machine head wind become
factor Of propulsion. thus solving tho
great problem Of aerial navigation. Tic
head wind strikes II under tho Tilted up
end Of the spindle, forcing the machine
higher and higher. while at the same
time the helix in front il CARRYING IL for.
ward continually. Thus the harder IL
blows tin anything short Of au actual
gaIcJ the faster and easier the machine
goes ahead, while the wind passes
astcrn aud sweeping up the bacl, of the
spindle gives II parting and additional
lit forward
Corucring him.
Slimscy to his tailorl - Let's sec
what you con give me for "a check