A Parachute Sail for Steering Balloons.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 20th May, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Parachute Sail for Steering Balloons.
I, THEODOR SCHNEIDER-PREISWERK, of Bale, Switzerland, Doctor of
Medicine and Surgeon, 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 :-
This invention relates to a parachute sail, which is introduced between a balloon
and its car in such manner that by means of cords entering through the bottom of
the car it can be so adjusted in position relative to the direction of the wind as to
cause this to aid in the rising or descending motion of the balloon or for steering
its motion in a horizontal direction more or less away from that of the wind, while
at the same time it can serve as a parachute.
The construction of this parachute sail is shown on the accompanying drawing
in which Fig. 1 represents the same in side view as applied to a floating balloon;
Fig. 2 shows a cross section of the ring in which the ribs of the parachute sail
are fixed, and Fig. 3 shows a plan of the ring;
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show different positions of the parachute sail.
As will be seen from these figures the parachute sail A consists of a ring B
Figs. 2 and 3, made out of suitable material with a central opening in which the
ribs of the parachute are readily fixed, these being of any desired number and
length, according to the size of the parachute. These ribs are bent downwards
somewhat at their outer ends and are covered with a suitable fabric a such as sail
cloth, over which a cord netting a¹ is then spread. Each two points of this cord
The
netting are connected between two ribs by means of a hauling cord c.
cords do, which hang down from the cord netting d, with which the balloon D is
covered in the usual manner, are united at d¹ to a single cord d² which at d³ is
divided into the cords d', which carry the car E. On the cord is mounted the
ring B of the parachute sail A and which is connected to the cord 2 by a number
of cords e e', the length of which is at least equal to the semi-diameter of the
parachute sail, and which are also connected to the ring B so that the parachute
sail is suspended freely upon the cord d². The cords e', which are connected, on the
one hand, with the ring B and, on the other hand, at d³ to the cord d², limit the
upward motion of the parachute. These cords are somewhat longer than
the distance from B to d³ in order to admit of a one-sided raising of the parachute
sail.
с
The hauling cords c connected to the netting a¹ enter through a corresponding
number of openings into the car E near the bottom thereof and they are con-
nected thereto in any suitable manner such that the parachute sail can be maintained
by these cords e in the desired position.
If the air currents are not desired to co-operate in the raising or falling of the
balloon, the parachute sail is maintained in a horizontal position as shown in full
lines at Fig. 1. If the parachute sail is brought into the position shown in dotted
lines at Fig. 1, the air currents, if they have the direction of the arrow & Fig. 1,
will operate upon the convex surface thereof, Fig. 4, so as to cause the balloon
with its car to be moved in the direction of the arrow ¹ Fig. 1. If, on the other
hand, when the parachute sail is in this dotted position, the wind acts in the
direction of the arrow y, it will operate against the concave inner surface thereof,
Fig. 6, and will drive the balloon in the direction of the arrow y¹ Fig. 1.
parachute sail can also be brought into an oblique position relatively to the wind,
Fig. 5, so that the balloon will travel in a direction deviating from that of the
wind
The

page_text: In order to enable the motion of the balloon to be made dependent upon the
parachute sail, the diameter of the same must be at least 3th greater than the
diameter of the balloon. The opening of the ring B is made sufficiently large to
enable the parachute sail to assume a maximum oblique position. The opening
also allows of the observation of the balloon from the car.
On the accompanying drawing the parachute sail is only shown applied to a free
floating balloon; it can, however, also be applied to a captive balloon in order to
impart to this a horizontal motion deviating more or less from the direction of the
wind.
As above stated, the parachute sail can in case of need also be employed as a
parachute.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A parachute sail for steering balloons which is applied in a movable manner
between the balloon and its car, and which consists of a ring with central opening
in which the ribs of the parachute are radially fixed and over which latter a woven
fabric is stretched that is covered with a netting, such netting being connected to
hauling cords which can be attached to the car and by means of which the
parachute sail cau be brought into any desired position relatively to the direction
of the wind.
2. In a parachute sail such as is referred to in the first claim:
a. The attachment of the parachute sail A to the balloon rope d², which
supports the car E, by means of the cords e and e' which are on the one
hand fixed to the ring B of the parachute sail A, and on the other hand to
the rope d², and which permit of the greatest possible movement of the
parachute sail.
b. The hauling cords e one end of each of which is attached to the netting a
of the parachute sail A, while the other end passes into the car near its
bottom and can be attached thereto, so that the parachute sail can be
easily and readily brought, by a person in the car E, by means of the
cords c, into the desired position and be maintained therein by securing the
cords c.
Dated this 15th day of April 1893.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.