AN IMPROVED MEANS OR METHOD FOR UTILIZING BALLOONS FOR PHOTOGRAPHY, PHOTOGRAPHIC SURVEYING, OR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Templer, of 8 Park Place, London, S. W. in the
County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED MEANS OR METHOD
FOR UTILIZING BALLOONS FOR PHOTOGRAPHY, PHOTOGRAPHIC SURVEYING, OR
OTHER PURPOSES" Communicated to him from abroad by Henry Elsdale,
of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Templer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th October 1882.
JAMES TEMPLER, of 8 Park Place, London, S.W. in the County of Middlesex,
"AN IMPROVED MEANS OR METHOD FOR UTILIZING BALLOONS FOR PHOTOGRAPHY,
PHOTOGRAPHIC SURVEYING, OR OTHER PURPOSES a communication to me from
abroad by Henry Elsdale, of Halifax, Nova Scotia,
"
This invention consists essentially in the use or employment of a small balloon
or balloons for lifting the camera; the peculiarities or advantages of its or their
employment as compared with the use of balloons of any ordinary size, capable of
carrying up a human operator being in the great reduction in the size and cost of
the balloon itself and necessary appliances, the immense saving of gas, the avoiding
of all personal danger, as the operator remains on the ground, the far greater
rapidity of working, the great saving in labor, and the much more portable,
convenient, and practicable scale of the whole apparatus.
The balloon or balloons are of a sufficient capacity for lifting the camera and
necessary apparatus to any desired height above the level of the ground. The
exposure of the plate is effected either by an automatic apparatus set to time, or
by the employment of electricity under the control of an operator on the ground,
the former method being preferred.
The balloon which carries the camera may either be retained captive by means
of a retaining cord or cords connected with the ground, or it may be free, in which
latter case an automatic apparatus set to time inust be employed.
When the balloon is captive its lifting power may either be sufficient for the
camera and weight of cord or cords required, or the cord or cords may be buoyed
or supported to any required extent by an additional balloon or balloons at
intervals.

page_text: When the balloon is free it will be allowed to ascend to its proper elevation, and
be timed to descend after a given interval, which will be approximately known
and arranged for beforehand. This interval will depend upon the exact size and
position on the envelope, of a special aperture (in addition to the ordinary opening
at the tail of the balloon) which will be left for the escape of the gas during the
ascent, as compared with the contents and weight of the balloon and gear together
with the holding power of the envelope, the nature and lifting power of thio gas
employed and the atmospheric conditions at the moment. The size and position of
this special aperture can be approximately determined in advance to suit any
given conditions by calculation or moro accurately by experiment. Hence when
the pace and direction of the wind currents, if any just previous to the ascent have
been observed, the position at which the balloon will reach the earth can be
approximately determined; or by a suitable variation in the above conditions of
volume of gas, weight of apparatus, and size or position of the aperture, the
balloon's descent may be arranged for in any given locality. It can then be
prevented from reaching the ground with a momentum which might involve risk
of injury to the camera by means of a long cord, or a plummet, or light grapnel
suspended at a considerable distance below the camera. The comparative weights
of the cord or plummet and of the apparatus above, and the volume and lifting
power of the gas remaining in the balloon on its descent (as depending upon the
size and position of the special aperture above mentioned) can be so arranged in
advance by calculation or experiment that the cord or plummet on reaching the
ground shall check or ease the descent of the camera to any required extent, or
under suitable conditions prevent it from reaching the ground altogether..
The methods above described can be applied to any purpose for which
photographs from balloons are required, but the process lends itself with special
advantage to the operations of surveying in time of war.
When required the balloons might be used for signalling by means of electric
lights or other signals.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Templer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th April
1883.
JAMES TEMPLER, of 8 Park Place, London, S.W., in the County of Middlesex,
"AN IMPROVED MEANS OR METHOD FOR UTILIZING BALLOONS FOR PHOTOGRAPHY,
PHOTOGRAPHIC SURVEYING, OR OTHER PURPOSES," a communication to me from
abroad by Henry Elsdale, of Halifax, Nova Scotia,
This invention consists essentially in the use or employment of a small balloon
or balloons for lifting the camera; the peculiarities or advantages of its or their
employment as compared with the use of balloons of any ordinary size, capable of
carrying up a human operator being in the great reduction in the size and cost of
the balloon itself and necessary appliances, the immense saving of gas, the avoiding
of all personal danger, as the operator remains on the ground, the far greater
rapidity of working, the great saving in labor, and the much more portable,
convenient, and practicable scale of the whole apparatus.
The balloon or balloons are of a sufficient capacity for lifting the camera and
necessary apparatus to any desired height above the level of the ground. The
exposure of the plate is effected either by an automatic apparatus set to time, or
by the employment of electricity under the control of an operator on the ground,
the former method being preferred.
The balloon which carries the camera may either be retained captive by means
of a retaining cord or cords connected with the ground, or it may be free, in which
latter case an automatic apparatus set to time must be employed.
When the balloon is captive its lifting power may either be sufficient for the
camera and weight of cord or cords required, or the cord or cords may be buoyed
or supported to any required extent by an additional balloon or balloons at
intervals.
When the balloon is free it will be allowed to ascend to its proper elevation, and
be timed to descend after a given interval, which will be approximately known
and arranged for beforehand. This interval will depend upon the exact size and
position on the envelope, of a special aperture (in addition to the ordinary opening
at the tail of the balloon) which will be left for the escape of the gas during the
ascent, as compared with the contents and weight of the balloon and gear together
with the holding power of the envelope, the nature and lifting power of the gas
employed and the atmospheric conditions at the moment. The size and position of
this special aperture can be approximately determined in advance to suit any given
conditions by calculation or more accurately by experiment. Hence when the pace
and direction of the wind currents, if any just previous to the ascent have been
observed, the position at which the balloon will reach the earth can be approxi-
mately determined; or by a suitable variation in the above conditions of volume
of gas, weight of apparatus, and size or position of the aperture, the balloon's
descent may be arranged for in any given locality. It can then be prevented from
reaching the ground with a momentum which might involve risk of injury to the
camera by means of a long cord, or a plummet, or light grapnel suspended at a
considerable distance below the camera. The comparative weights of the cord or
plummet and of the apparatus above, and the volume and lifting power of the gas
remaining in the balloon on its descent (as depending upon the size and position of
the special aperture above mentioned) can be so arranged in advance by calculation
or experiment that the cord or plummet on reaching the ground shall check or ease
the descent of the camera to any required extent, or under suitable conditions
prevent it from reaching the ground altogether.
.

page_text: The methods above described can be applied to any purpose for which
photographs from balloons are required, but the process lends itself with special
advantage to the operations of surveying in time of war.
When required the balloons might be used for signalling by means of electric
lights or other signals.
Having thus described the naturo of the said invention; and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I claim is::-
1 The use or employment of either a captive or free balloon or balloons, in
which is contained a photographic camera, the exposure of the plate being effected
either by an automatic apparatus set to time, or by the employment of electricity
under the control of an operator on the ground, substantially as herein described.
2nd The formation of a special aperture in the envelope of the balloon or balloons,
for the purpose of allowing the gas to escape, so as to ensure the descent of the
balloon or balloons after a given period of time, substantially as herein described..
In witness whereof, I, the said James Templer, have liereunto set my hand
and seal, this soventeenth day of April in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty-three,