The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1891-07-17
AN AIR-BICYCLE.
An Invention Which Will Navi-
gate Against tho Wind.
The Product OF an Acronaut who Has
been Experimenting for Twelve Years
to Accomplish tho Present
Reauft.

~ Hdu hteh tncOflHlnH ON Tor some ten
or twelve years, this being the con.
Struciion of n balloon or airship which
should become nnvigublc end of some
practical use His experiments evolved
the curious hybrid machine known Ms
the 'air bicycle"
Briefly speaking, says the New York
Recorder II Is a compound nj the bal
loon AMI tho bicycle The mechanism
Is small and almost hidden from view
when the rider i, seutc1 " was orig
inally IN tile form Of wire chair. but
has since boon modified into the on
binary saddle of bicycle From this
depend "a fork, ending in two pedals like
those 3l bicycle. tbs fo,, having head
and u cross bar with two handles. as
usual Down the center Of the fork IL
q hollow tube in which there Is cog
wheel and ratchet attachment. which is
operated by the pedals, the handles. or
both at once. This gearing furnishes
the motive power of the machine Thus
the power applied can be varied ac-
cotding TO tue speed desired. and the
hands can rest the feet, or vice versa.
without interfering with the Roadway
Of the machine or decreasing its speed.
In front OF the head of the machine
there projects horizontally n light hut
strong steel shaft, which Ats into
steel sheath This sheath is rigid and
firmly fixed 20 the head of the machine.
while the shaft inside Of it is eogged or
ratchoted into the mechanism acted
upon by the chain attachments of the
pedals. At the extreme end of this,
fmtherest from the rider, are four rigid
arms. the end pair Of which are rigidly
fixed ON the sheath, so that they oc-
cupy position exactly parallel To the
body of the rider. the other two are rig
idly fixed on the revolving shaft
couple OF Sits being cut in the sheath to
permit of their movement. These arms
arc about three feet long and the end
pair are each about four feet distant
from the two nearest the rider On
them l. spread n sheet or sail Of light
but strong duck, IN size six feet by four
which Is sol edgowisc 20 the rider. and
when M rest hangs quivcring and shnk.
ing with every breath Of air. like the
sails OF ship i'm the doldrums
Behind the rider there extends long,
slender bamboo rod. and close behind
the riders back rises wire stay which
supports the hydrogen spindle" This
T. The scientific name of balloon
cmbodyiug the shape Of both needle
and sphere, long, circular body,
shaped like the wooden block which n
hoy calls n "tip-cat," except that the
spindle IL slightly hattened under
meath, making IL look like boat turned
bottom up This spindle is filed with
hydrogen gas, generated from water.
| and IL covered with the ordinary bal.
| loon netting which is guyed To the
bamboo rod. and the steel shaft, much
the same rs the balloon. IS attached TO
the car. The whole apparatus weighs
| fifteen pounds, and Is steercd either by
the fan arrangement AZ the rear or by
shifting the center of gravity as 10 n
bicycle. 'r-e.
The principle may he most clearly de-
| fined IN simple words as that of the
child's air bulloon-it will not rise by
| itself but blow under II and II scars 20
the clouds. That r. the case with the
| air bicycle. The rider tatcs his seat,
OF rather he stands with his scat he.
tween his legs. his hands holding the
handles STOPPING little, he springs
upward into the air, aud byG quick pull
NJ the handles brings the scat right up
| 90 him SO that ho involuntaiy sits
down. his feet falling upon the pedals. \
| sharp. decisive pressure on them sets the
| chain and cog wheel attachment whirl-
/ ing, and this causes the steel shaft in
front Of che head TO half turn. first 20
| the iighi md then 60 tho left the ttTo
ann, revolving with Il, and rs the two
| ann attached 20 the sheath remain I'M
moved lhg extended duck l. swung into
| q Ii9ht or lott-haud hCliS, varying in
| rapi1itv with the action OF the pedals
! aud producing n backward current of
! DIR m!lir 81 that experienced on the
/ irant platform OF - s',Itily-mJvlng cat
| only tAat t',a carr lnt hom the helix
! blows upward anl strike the Fat lover
surface Of tha hydrogen 3pinllc, bel
| lyin.. II inward and so still morp ia
| cIea ing IL resi- itnn-c to the powerful
! b-ue-s which slowly raises the whole
| 4.gl,,. l-lJ TIE AR The helix 1T the
| sans tpne arabs gt the Gil IN front, as
g wee, and .ccl:i il back In this way
.he ayt.5a the reverse % that OF Il
lips propeller, which gives mJnen-
| tam g. tlc vessel b. IT. peculiar shape
pressing against tbs water the air
bicycle Progresses By similar action 20
that of tho rrapellu. whoa the engines
are reversed and tho ship cleans back
ward
10 steering gear Is actually necessary,
although the machine carries ruddqr
It win steer Ly the principles Of grav-
| itation, if the ludlcr leans backward IL
asccnds, ii forward IL dcscends, If TO the
right It goes 20 the right, and II 10 the
left u turn 20 the left IS the result. An
inspection of the TIT Of the spindle viii
dcmunstratc thus clearly. The most
important point OF all Is this; With this
unique machine a head wind becomes a
| factor OF propulsion, thus solving the
! great problem OF aerial navigation. The
head wind strikes it under the tilted uT
end Of the lpindle, forcing the machine
higher and higher, while AT the saIss
time the hell. in front Is carrying is y
ward continually Thus tho harder Y
blows Gin anything short q an actual
palrl the faster and easier the machine
| pncs ahead, while the wind passes
nstern and sweeping up the back of the
gpindlc gives II parting and additional
lift forward
CornerlnR Him.
Slimsey 10 his tailor 90 Let's see
what you can give me for a check.
Tailor--Lets see for what amount
YOU have made out the check, iiosto1
Herald.
A reasonable Request