IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING, LOWERING, PROPELLING, STEERING, AND CONTROLLING BALLOONS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Jackson, of No. 1a, Caroline Street, Eaton Square,
in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING, LOWERING, PROPELLING, STEERING, AND
CONTROLLING BALLOONS."
Sealed the 3rd May 1878, and dated the 7th February 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Jackson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th February 1878.
WILLIAM JACKSON, of No. 1ª, Caroline Street, Eaton Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING, LOWERING,
PROPELLING, STEERING, AND CONTROLLING BALLOONS."
My Invention relates to an apparatus for raising, lowering, propelling, steering,
and controlling a balloon in the air without discharging ballast or gas.
And in order that this my Invention may be properly understood I will describe
the same as it is shown on the accompanying Drawings.
a is a balloon of the ordinary shape; b is the car, which is made of basket or
wicker material and slung on a swivel b to permit the revolving of the balloon
independent of the car revolving, or it can be attached by any other desirable
means; c is a screw propeller fixed in a chamber at the bottom of the car, as shewn
at d; this vertical screw propeller is for the purpose of raising or lowering the
balloon, as may be required; e, e, is a screw propeller working in the bearing f for
giving the propelling motion and steering motion; the steering is affected by having
the screw propeller e mounted on a swivel, as shown at g, for controlling the
direction of the driving propeller e, thus carrying the balloon in any direction that
may be required.
It is obvious that the propellers can be worked by hand or other suitable means,
or any mechanical contrivance to increase or diminish speed.
The object of my Invention is that the balloon itself shall not have sufficient
power to ascend until the screw propeller c is put in motion by the operator in the
car, by which means I have full and perfect control over it.
414

page_text: The balloon itself may be arranged in other shapes, such, for instance, as a bird
or other design, and is thus made applicable for places of amusement.
The balloon is inflated with gas or heated air in the usual manner, and provided
with a valve and the usual gearing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Jackson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th August
1878.
WILLIAM JACKSON, of 1ª, Caroline Street, Eaton Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturer. 'IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING, LOWERING,
"
PROPELLING, STEERING, AND CONTROLLING BALLOONS."
My Invention relates to a novel arrangement of apparatus for raising, lowering,
propelling, steering, and controlling balloons in the air without discharging ballast
or gas.
And in order that this my said Invention may be properly understood I will
describe the same as it is shown on the accompanying Drawings, Figures 1, 2,
and 3.
a, Figure 1, is a balloon of the ordinary shape; b is the car, which is shown made
of basket or wicker material, but it can be made of any other material, as circum-
stances may require, and which car is slung on a swivel b¹ to permit the revolving
of the balloon independent of the car revolving; or it can be attached by any other
desirable means; the object of the swivel b¹ is to give more facility in changing the
direction of the balloon; c is a screw propeller which revolves in a chamber at the
bottom of the car, as shown at d; this vertical screw propeller c is for the purpose
of raising or lowering the balloon as may be required; e is a screw propeller fixed
on a spindle working in the bearing f for giving the propelling motion and steering
motion in this arrangement; the steering is effected by having the screw propeller e
and bearing f on a socket, as shown at g, for controlling the direction of the driving
propeller e, thus carrying the balloon in any direction that may be required.
It is obvious that the propellers can be worked by hand or other suitable means,
any mechanical contrivance to increase or diminish speed, such, for instance, as that
shown in Figs. 2 and 3.
The object of my Invention is that the balloon itself shall not have sufficient
power to ascend until the screw propeller c is put in motion by the operator in the
car, by which means I have full and perfect control over it.
The balloon itself may be arranged in other shapes, such, for instance, as a bird
or other design, and thus made applicable for places of amusement.
Figure 2 represents a sectional side elevation when the arrangement is made as a
bird; but it is obvious any design, shape, or object can be adopted; Fig. 3 shews
sectional end elevation of the same design in these Figures.
A is the balloon made in the form of a bird; B are the wings of the same, which
can be made to work up and down by means of springs B¹ and lines C, which are

page_text: actuated by hand or otherwise; D are the ropes and D' ring for attaching the car
to balloon; E is the car; F is the raising or lowering propeller, which revolves in a
chamber G at the bottom of the car E, and is actuated by means of the hand
wheel F and spindle F2; H is a propeller fixed on a shaft working in a fixed
bearing H (see Figure 2) and made to revolve by means of a band I, or passing
round pulley I¹ and wheel I2, which is actuated by the crank J' and treadle J', or
by the lever K. Instead of this band I I can use wheels or other suitable
contrivance. L, L, represents the fans or vanes, which are made straight, similar to
a paddle of a ship; these are for changing the direction of the car or balloon, and
for steering the same, which can be done by reversing the rotation of the fans or
vanes L.
The balloon is inflated with gas or heated air, and provided with a valve and
suitable gearing.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said Invention, I wish it to
be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein given of
the actuating machinery, or to the number of fans or screw propellers for raising,
lowering, or steering balloons, as the same may be varied to suit certain circum-
stances; but what I claim and desire to be secured to me by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent is, the general combination and arrangement of apparatus
and mechanism for raising, lowering, propelling, steering, and controlling balloons,
substantially as herein-before described and shewn on Drawings, or any mere
modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Jackson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
WILLIAM JACKSON. (L.S.)