New-York tribune., 1919-03-23
Balloon Winch
W ork d by
s'Owen'' System
Magnetic Transmission OPP
Grated Captive Aircraft
Secret of War Time Is
Revealed by Department

The authorities at Washington have
disclosed the secret Of the successful
operation of observation kite balloons
r.. M. Owen, through the N. C. l.. En-
gineering Corporation of Providence,
r. L., has permission from Washington
to make public the story. The record
tells of the work of the Entz transmits
sion in specially constructed winch
that controlled captive u. S. army bal
looms.
Shortly after the entry of the United
States into the war the Army and Navy
departments asked the NJ c. L. Engi-
neering Corporation to design a special
type of gasolenedri high speed
winch for hauling observation kite bal
looms. gasolene-dri winch was
designed, equipped with planetary
transmission and reverse and n few of
these machines were built and put into
service.
1T was quite apparent, however, that
the ideal power plant for such service,
in which the possibility of swift attack
by enemy planes and the ability to
bring the balloon down in hurry had
to be considered, was one with the abil-
lty to deliver max imum torque at start
ing speed, to maintain torque over a
vide range of speed, to provide sensi-
tive speed control and especially to
provide magnetic braking. 1t was at
this point that the engineers Of the
Providence concern rot into touch with
the Owen magnetic organization and
where r. M. Owen stepped in with his
Entz transmission to supply the much
needed mechanism and to help materi-
ally in battling the German airmen.
The Entz transmission not only
gave speed and power range in in
torque but furnished also the mag
netic braking which had worked out
so successfully in Owen Magnetic cars
and which was so necessary to the
successful operation of balloon
winch. The power plant as finally
adapted consisted of Herschell-
Spillman eight cylinder 312x5h motor
with regular Entz transmission, as
used in the Owen Magnetic cars.
The problems connected with the
development of a satisfactory kite
balloon winch were more difficult OF
solution than might at the first glance
seem apparent. The specifications re-
quired recovery of the cable at a rate
of 1900 feet minute against a pull,
of 1000 pounds with maximum haul.
ing capacity of 5000 pounds at low
speeds. Starting and stopping had tt
be easy and under perfect control. The
load on the braking system was excep
tionally heavy and a holding brake
had to be provided to permit a certain
amount OF slippage under gusty condi
tions, to eliminate any sudden jerk O
strain on the cable. The size of the
cable was strictly limited in order MOI
to overload the balloon and so cut
down the useful height attainable
The winch had to be able to correctl,
spool 5000 feet of n inch cable ane
to accomplish this it was neccssar,
for the hauling strain to be handled
by separate grooved hauling drum:
and the cable to be stored on sep
arate drum under ligh. and adjustable
tension.
Embodied in the design of this ma
chine are several features, all of which
proved most necessary for practica
operation, and which have never be
fore been embodied in winch. The,
consist of instruments recording at al
times speed of intake and pay-out, tn,
amount of free cable and the strain OF
the rope at any one time.
The winch was displayed at tn,
Aeronautical Show mounted on tn,
regulation F. w. d. truck.