Gilpin observer., 1910-09-08


ity that would arouse the envy of a vaudeville
artist.
This craft is operated by wings and with an
aesthetic taste characteristic of Brooklynites she
has fastened them on realistic figures of birds
griffons angels and Uncle SAM" which STAND
around the caves OF the ship, Ito render the
machine attractive" she stated in her appli
catino.
Oklahoma City, to show that the newest state
is also IN the running, sends a sort Of Venetian
blind. the Stats of which, being moved back and
forth by the aeronaut cause him to rise swiftly
In the air and sail away to faron lands. But
Brooklyn, bent on improvement in a patent lately
obtained by man from that city has added
feathers to these Stats. whether to aid in the
flight or ito render the machine more attractive"
the patent does not state.
Indeed. there seems to be epidemic of air
ship bugs in Brooklyn. doubtless escaped from
Mineola- Still third flying machine has recently
been patented by an imaginative man Of that
town. This stands up in his. II you want to
fly in It, you plant your feet firmly upon the plat
form. grasp the jointed rods that from this
to the wings overhead, work them briskly back
and forth SO as to flap the wings. and there you
are-yet! Patent Office experts estimate that 1t
would take forty foolpower to lift this appliance
from the ground.
A St. Louis invention closely resembles a
clothes pin with the operator sitting between the
forks Where the head of the pin would be is set
the electric dynamo. showing a contemptuous dis
regard for the laws of gravitation. The machine
is moved by the Tapping Of wings. which are
built the plan of the cellar door of childhood.
There is something really unique in the patent
obtained by a Cleveland man The device con-
sists of cigar-shaped gasbag. much like that in
the Baldwin o. Zeppelin airship. Around 1t, from
stem to stern runs spiral 6n or vane like the
threads on a screw. The aeronaut sits a
saddle suspended below. When the machine
rises into the air he propes himself by operating
. pedal which revolves the gasbag. The in or
vane, thus revolved. bores itself through the air
like the propeller of an ordinary aeroplane. This
inventor carries along sort of aerial bathing
suit with auxiliary flying attachment. whereby he
may disport himself In the great air ocean above.
No one can gainsay the foresight of the i'm
provement in airships" made by a resident of
Hot Springs. Ark. The first claim in his patent
is that his balloon is constructed that II 1t
bursts the bagging will nest in the rigging above
and form parachute whereby the aeronaut may
descend safely to the earth" This is commended
to anxious mothers whose small boys have the
airship bug.
Boston inventor upholds the reputation of
that town for erudition by prefacing his appca-
ton for patent with learned discourse the
fact that heated air rises.
But" he continues, disaster frequently oc-
through the of oiled silk other fragile
or inhammable material as a receptacle for such
air in balloons and arships" He remedies this
by substituting therefor large cylinder Of some
light metal. preferably aluminium" as his specif-
cations state. Immediately beneath this cylinder
is placed cozy furnace. The man who wants to
see his name in the paper gets out OF bed and
builds fire in this furnace. This heats the air
in the aluminium cylinder. the heated air rises.
taking along cylinder. furnace and man. and away
they go This principle, according to patent
Office man. explains why many boilers go up with
furnace and engineer.
An Omaha Neb. man shows a western predi-
lection for firearms by trimming the OF his
airship with cartridges. When these are exploded
In succession he expects to be driven through the
air to his destination with neatness and dispatch.
the exploding cartridges lending homelike air
to the surroundings. When his cartridges are
expended he loads her up again one would the
chambers OF a revolver.
With many bizarre airshps in embryo in
her midst Washington had to take hand. The
man of the capital goes one better than the Ar.
kansas inventor mentioned. who turns his bust.
ed" balloon into a parachute. This mans air
ship when II blows up or he gets tired OF sailing
among the clouds balloonwise. turns itself into an
aeroplane without the slightest effort. When the
gas is out of the bag the thing is done. He car.
ries u gas generator on board so that when he
wants little more ballooning he can fill It up
again.
This ship also has hotel attachment with
twelve rooms-in the drawings. II is propelled
by kind of Archimedes screw propeller which
he has been thoughtful enough to have "encased
in aluminium housings" 80 that ladies' skirts will
not become entangled He too. provides all man.
ner OF comforts on board, each one painfully de-
tailed In the patent.
These are but few OF the freak patents
lately issued for arshps and aeroplanes, but they
are enough to convince any inventor that II he
wants to spring anything novel on the people
in the line OF handmade birds of burden he's got
to get up mighty early in the morning and work
~ long as there's light to see.