Improvements in Navigable Air-ships.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 22nd Aug., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Navigable Air-ships.
I, PERHAM WILHELM NAHL, of 219 Bush Street San Francisco, County of
San Francisco, State of California, United States of America, Lithographer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of my invention is to provide an improved means and mechanism
for propelling, guiding and controlling the movements of that class of air ships
in which an inflated gasometer, pointed at both ends, is used to obtain the necessary
buoyancy to cause it to rise and sustain itself in mid air.
Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application in
which similar letters of references are used to denote corresponding parts
throughout the entire Specification and drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved air ship showing the side planes or
wings propeller and governor ;
Fig. 2 is an end view of the ship;
Fig. 3 a plan view showing the planes or wings removed;
Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a detached elevation showing the ship governor thrown
forward and indicating its vertical position in dotted lines;
Figure 5, Sheet 2, is a section of the ship showing the propellers and propeller
shaft in full lines; and
Figure 6 is a transverse section of the air ship taken through the middle of
Figure 1, for the purpose of showing more fully the engine room.
The letter A, is used to represent the gasometer or air vessel, which may be
made of oiled silk or other fabric which is impervious to gas, and covered with
a suitable rope netting in the usual manner. This gasometer is pointed at both
ends and it has two or more partitions B, B, which divide its interior into
separate compartments, as shown more fully in Figures 1 and 2. These partitions
are also made of material which is impervious to the gas, so that in case either of
At the middle of
the compartments should leak the others will retain the gas.
the gasometer on its under side I construct a chamber G, in the body of the
gasometer, in which the motive power and operating mechanism are placed.
Extending from the middle of the vessel on each side are the planes or wings C,
which extend back along the median line of the vessel towards the rear pointed
end, as clearly shown at Figure 3. These wings or planes are stationary and they
flare outward from their forward to their rear ends, so that their widest portion
is near the rear end of the vessel. They are designed to sustain the vessel and
steady it in its movements through the air.
The peculiar shape of these planes render them more effective than the planes
heretofore proposed for such vessels, because they form a broad surface at the rear
of the vessel and leave the bow or forward end free to be guided up or down as
will more fully appear hereafter.
The propellers D, D, are mounted on electric motors E, E, by which they are
driven. These motors are located on each side of the vessel, and are mounted on
the ends of the shaft F, which passes across and through the engine room or
chamber G. The ends of this shaft bear in a strong frame work on each side of
the vessel and the propellers are mounted just inside of the frame work, as shown
at Figures 2 and 5. A hand wheel H, on this shaft inside the chamber G,
enables the engineer to turn these propellers to any desired position, as hereafter
explained

page_text: The motors are driven by electricity contained in the storage batteries I, I
inside the chamber G, through proper connections which are plainly shown in the
drawings.
For guiding the vessel and at the same time causing it to preserve its proper
position in its upward or downward flight, I have devised a very simple and effective
device which I call a governor. The same consists of the hollow cylinder or
shell J, which is preferably made of metal, suspended below the air ship by a
tubular rod K, which by preference is made flexible, the upper end of which is
secured on a pivot or trunnion in the chamber G. Through the lower part of the
ball or shell J, is an opening i, which is closed by a valve j. The rod 1, leads
from valve j, through the tubular rod K, to the interior of chamber G, so that
the valve can be opened or closed by the engineer in the chamber. The ball or
shell J, I fill with sand or other heavy granular substance which will flow out
through the opening i, when the valve j, is raised.
As before stated, this ball hangs at a considerable distance below the air ship,
so that the center of gravity is below the vessel. Cords m, lead from the ball in
opposite towards the ends of the ship and pass over pulleys O, on a frame work at
each end and thence lead to the engine room or chamber G, where they pass under
pulleys p, and thence around a winding drum or shaft Q, as shown more fully in
Figure 4. This winding drum is turned by means of an ordinary hand or steering
wheel R, so as to wind up one of the ropes or cords while the other is unwound.
By this means the engineer can move the ball forward or aft as occasion requires
and thus shift the center of gravity to any desired position underneath the ship.
A graduated quadrant S, enables him to adjust the weight or ball to any desired
point and determine its position without leaving his place.
In operation the gasometer chambers are filled with hydrogen or other gas to
render the vessel buoyant. The proper electric connections being made with the
motors E, the propellers are set in operation, and by means of hand wheel H, they
are turned so as to carry the propellers to the position necessary to drive the
vessel in the desired direction. By adjusting the position of the ball weight J,
the vessel can be guided up or down, and by opening valve), the sand or other
mobile weight in the ball can be discharged or partly discharged to relieve the
vessel of weight and permit it to ascend more freely. In alighting upon the ground
the ball weight, by reason of its pivotal connection to the vessel bottom, will, upon
coming in contact therewith, be gradually thrown forward or backward until it is
brought on a level with the bottom of the vessel.
I am aware that many minor changes may be made in the construction herein
shown and described without necessitating a departure from the nature and scope
of my invention.
Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is
1. An air ship consisting of a gasometer pointed at both ends and having its
interior divided into gas containing compartments, side planes or wings arranged on
its rear median line and an adjustable hanging weight below the vessel, substantially
as described.
2. In an air ship, the combination with the vessel thereof, of the side wings
or planes C, extending from the middle towards the rear end of the vessel
on its median line and gradually widening towards its rear end, substantially as
described.
3. In an air ship, the combination with the propellers D, mounted on and driven
by motors E, E, and capable of being rotated to any plane by means of the shaft F,
and hand wheel H, located within the compartment G, substantially as set forth
and described.
4. In an air ship, the combination with the body thereof, of the hollow shell or
ball J, suspended below said vessel and connected thereto by means of the tubular

page_text: rod K, said ball having an opening i, formed therein, and the valve j, arranged to
be opened or closed by means of the rod I, working within the hollow rod K,
substantially as set forth.
5. In an air ship, the combination with the body thereof, of the weight or ball J,
suspended below and connected to the vessel by means of the swinging rod K, and
of the mechanism for throwing the ball or weight forward or backward so as to
regulate the direction of the vessel, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 28th day of February 1891.
PERHAM WILHELM NAHL.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.