The Meeker herald., 1897-03-13
AN AIR.BICYCLE
An Invention Which Wlu .xsSl
gass Against the winA
fhs Rro4sct Of A. ARsaaaA WAS La
Ussa E1pssi0sstisg ~ Fvsavs Ysaes
- AoooDplish ths RSoaea4
RAaulf.

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About three yeass ago. Prsf.s Carl
Myers, q well-known BALBOA axpert,
began a series of expcriments on 8, line
he had been theorizing on for souns ten
Tor twelve years, this being the CON
struction of balloon or airship Which
should become nnvignblc and Of come
practical use. His experiments evolved
the curious hybrid machine known =.
the "air bicycle"
Briefly speaking, says the New York
Recorder, it is u compound Of the bal.
loon and the bicycle. The mechanism
Is small and almost hidden from view
when the rider Is seated. 1t was orig
inally in the fcria Of = wire chair. but
has since been modified into the or.
dinary saddle of bicycle. From this
depends for!: ending in two pedals, Ike
those Of q bicycle, the fo-.s havina.s head
and cross bar with two handles, as
usual. Down the center Of the fork is
hollow tubc in which there is acog
wheel and ratchet attachment, which is
operated by the pedals, thq, ban1ies, or
both d. oace. This gearing furnishes
the motive power of tho mathine Thus
the power appliel can be varied az
u.
hands can rest the feet, or vice versa,
without interfering with the headway
Of the machine or decreasing its speed.
In front Of the head of the macifhe
there projccts horizontally light fut
strong steel shaft, which fits into q
steel sheath. This sheath is rigid md
firmly fixed to the head Of the machine,
while the shaft Inside Of it is coQped or
ratchctcd into the mechanism acted
upon by the chain attachments Of the
pedals. At the extreme end of thiA
furthercst from the rider, are four rigid
Arms, the end pair of which are rigidly
axed on the sheath, so that they oc-
cupy position exactly parallel TO the
body of the rider; the other two are rfg-
Idly Axed on the revolving shaft, .
couple Of Sits being cut in the sheath 70
permit Of their movement. These arms
are about three feet long and the end
pair are each about four feet distant
them is spread o sheet or sail Of light
but strong duck, in size six feet by four,
which is set edgewise to the rider, add
when at rest hangs quivering and shak.
ing with every breath Of air, like the
sails Of q ship in the doldrums
Behind the rider there extends long,
slender bamboo rod, and close behind
the riders back rises wire stay which
supports the hydrogen spindlc." This
Is the scientific name Of q balloon
embodying the shape OF both a needle
and sphere, a long, circular body,
shaped like the wooden block which .
boy calls a ''tip-cat," except that the
spindle" is slightly fattencd under
meath, making it look like boat turned
bottom up. This spindle is filled with
hydrogen gas, generated from water,
and is covered with the ordinary bal
loon netting, which is guyed to Sha
bamboo rod, and the steel shaft, mitch
the sexzae the balloon, Is attached to
the car. The whole apparatus weighs
fifteen pounds, and is stecred either BY
the fan arrangement at the rear or BY
shifting the center Of gravity a. Is .
bicycle. =
The principle may be most clearly de-
fined in simple words as that Of the
child's air balloon-it will not rise by
itself, but blow under it and It soars to
the clouds. That is the case with the
air bicycle. The rider takes his seat,
or rather he stands with his seat be-
tween his legs, his hands holding the
handles STOPPING little, he springs
upward into the air, and by quick pull
at the handles brings the seat right mp
10 him so that he involuntarily id
down, his feet falling upon the pedals A
sharp, decisive pressure on them sets the
chain and cog-whcel attachment whirl-
ing, and this causes the steel shaft in
front of the head to half turn, first V
the right and then to the left, the ttt6
arms revolving with it, ard MS the two
arms attached to the sheath remain I'M
moved the extended duck is swung into
. right or lcft-hand helix, varying b
rapidity with the action of the peda3s
and producing backward current q
air similar to that experienced ON tn
front platform of swiftly-moving caf,
only that the current from the helfk
blows upward and strikes the fiat lower
surface of the hydrogen SPINDLE" bal
lying it inward, and so still more ID
crcasing its resistance to the powerful
breeze, which slowly raises the whole
machine into the air. The helix at Tie
same time grab at the air in front, u
It were, and sucks it back. In this way
the action is the reverse to that of .
ships propeller, which gives momkn-
tum to the vessel by its peculiar shape
pressing against the water. The air
bicycle progresses by similAf ee4o lon ~
that of the propeller whcn ~ engines
arc reversed and the ship steams back-
ward.
No steering gear is actually necessary.
although the machine carries . ruddex.,
It will steer by the principles Of gsse~
itation; IL the rudder leans backward =,
ascends, IL forward it dcscends, If to ~
right II goes to the right, and II to IL
left turn to the left Is the result. Al.
inspection Of the tilt Of the spindle WIN
demonstrate tins clearly. The most
important point Of all is this: With this
unique machine head wind becomes .
factor Of propulsion, thus solving ths
great problem Of aerial navigation. Ths
head wind strikes It under the tilted ~
end Of the spindle, forcing the machinp
higher and higher. while At the sauo
L. 3. N-one l.