Year: 1886

page_text: I, FELIPE MODET É Y BARGOITIA, of 38 Bedford Place, Russell Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Spanish Advocate, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention is designed to provide new or improved means and appliances for
aerial navigation, and consists in a method of so connecting balloons by means of
wires or cables with wheels or rollers running on fixed (for land) or anchored (for
sea or water use) rails or tracks, that when the wind is favorable such balloons are
guided along such track or tracks from place to place.
For land use I lay suitable sleepers of wood or metal at suitable distances. To
these sleepers I bolt or secure rib-, angle-, or T-irons and from these brace or
secure on each side by angle brackets vertical T-, angle-, channel-, or other suitable
inetal standards. To the tops of these standards which are bent over and
strengthened by angle brackets I secure longitudinal rails or tracks, preferably
of T-iron, with the web downwards, and to the sleepers or the ribs thereon I also
secure parallel rails or tracks, if of T-iron, with the web upwards, or I could
employ strained wire cable for the lower rails or tracks.
I arrange an axle (or axles) having mounted on its (or their) ends grooved
wheels or wheels of suitable section to correspond with the section of the rails or
tracks and I so adjust the distance between the upper and lower rails or tracks
that when the wheels are bearing on the upper rails or tracks they are just clear
of the lower rails or tracks, and when no pull is exerted on the axle or axles by
the balloon, then the wheels bear on the lower rails or tracks.
For use as a marine or aqueous rail or track I substitute for the sleepers floating
tubes in suitable lengths secured together and carrying the aforesaid rails or tracks,
and I anchor these tubes at intervals by anchors or moorings, and at such a
distance below the surface of the water as to be clear of ships and other vessels,
and by which means I also seek to avoid as much as possible the agitation of the
waves and surface currents.

page_text: place in the car of the balloon a suitable winch by which I wind up the cable
or rope connecting the balloon to the wheels running on the tracks or rails and so
raise and lower the same.
To stop the balloon I may place levers or switches at any desired point on the
line, braking the wheels or closing the track, and so prevent the balloon travelling
further, or backwards in case of contrary winds.
I connect the sea or aqueous line with the land line so as to allow the balloon to
run off the one line to the other without stoppage.
For terminal stations I cause the upper and lower rails to gradually approach
each other so as to bring the balloon to a standstill without a sudden shock.

page_text: New or Improved Means and Appliances for Aërial Navigation.
I, FELIPE MODET É YBARGOITIA, of 38 Bedford Place, Russell Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Spanish Advocate, 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:-
My invention is designed to provide new or improved means and appliances for
aërial navigation, and consists in a method of so connecting balloons by means of
wires and cables with wheels or rollers running on fixed (for land) or anchored (for
sea or water use) rails or tracks that when the wind is favorable such balloons are
guided along such rails or tracks from place to place.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the manner of performing or carrying out
my invention.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a-b of Fig. 2, which is a side elevation of
part of my rail or track for land use.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the buoyant rail or track adapted for
subaqueous use.
Fig. 4 is a vertical side elevation of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5, section of balloon car with winch for winding in cable or rope.
Fig. 6, diagramatic view of the arrangement of rails at a terminal station.
Fig. 7, view of the connection of cable or rope to the wheels, for sea use.
Fig. 8, view of an elastic connection that may be employed therewith.
Referring to Fig. 1, A are sleepers of wood, metal, or other suitable substance
laid at desired distances from each other. B, B₁ are standards of angle or other
suitably sectioned iron or metal bolted or otherwise affixed thereto. C are longi-
tudinal T-irons bolted or affixed to the said standards with their webs downward
to form the upper rails. If desired, I could substitute channel or other section
irons or rails for these. D are T longitudinal irons or rails with their webs
upward, or iron or rails of other suitable section can be employed, bolted or affixed
to the sleepers A; the section, strength, and distance apart or length of these
standards and rails must of course be apportioned to the strength desired and the
pull to be exerted by the balloon. E is an axle carrying on suitable journals or
bearings wheels F, F of a section so as to run on or conform to the shape of the
rails C, D.
I so place the rails C, D that when the wheels F, F bear on C they are just clear
of D and vice versa, so that the wheels at rest or in motion only bear on the web
of one rail or track: the wheels F, F cannot slip sideways from the rails and leave
them. G is a brace or yoke which is fixed to the axle E, or, if more than one pair
of wheels is used, to the carriage or frame supporting them, and which carries an
eye H to link to a spring book I attached to a wire or other suitable cable or rope
or otherwise connected to the axle, frame, or carriage.
The other end of the cable or rope is connected to the balloon by a winch N
which may be actuated by power or differential gearing or otherwise so as to wind
on the cable or rope and so pull the balloon down, or by letting off the
cable from the winch barrel allow it to ascend.
rope or

page_text: Referring to Figs. 3 and 4 I shew a means of adapting my balloon rails or
tracks to cross waters. I of course dispense with the sleepers A but can tie the
standards B, E¹ by bearers T or other irons or supports A¹ and I connect by
braces J, J¹ or otherwise pontoons or watertight tubes K, K¹ to the standards B, B¹.
I so apportion the size and length of these pontoons or watertight tubes K, K¹ that
their buoyancy will support the rails or tracks C, D and their framing, supports, or
bracing, and I may divide them into water- and air-tight compartments at desired
intervals.
The drawing is not intended to give any proportion as to the size, length,
weight, and buoyancy of the pontoons or water-tight tubes which must be pro-
portioned to the size, weight, &c., of the rails or tracks C, D, and their braces,
supports, &c.
The same conditions apply as to the distance apart of C and D in Figs. 3 and 4
as in Figs. 1 and 2.
The pontoons or tubes K, K¹ are tied, secured, or connected together longi-
tudinally in any suitable manner and I propose to secure them at such a depth
below the surface of the water as to be practically unaffected by waves, winds,
currents, or passing ships or vessels (or where there is no navigation the whole can
he anchored to float on the surface). In order to accomplish this I connect to the
frames, braces, or supports and at requisite intervals chains, cables, or the like such
as L secured to anchors M or screw or other moorings taking hold of the bottom of
the subaqueous bed.
For instance, a depth of say 40 feet in a passage like the English Channel would
I believe answer my purpose.
Of course my pontoons or tubes K, K¹ must be sufficiently buoyant to easily
sustain the tracks or rails C, D and their ties, bracings, or frames A¹ against the
natural gravity of the latter together with the weight of the chains and the pull of
the anchor chains or moorings.
To prevent any sudden shock to the line or wheels by a squall or heavy gust
of wind I may adopt the measures shewn in Figs. 7 and 8. That is to say, I so
arrange the cable or rope that it has a certain elastic connection where it is joined
to the wheels. O is the cable or rope, P, P are chains or connections attached to O
and also supporting a steel or other suitable disc or plate Q. The cable or rope.
passes slackly through the disc or plate Q and is connected to the same also by
elastic chains or connections R, R. These elastic chains or connections may be as
in Fig. 8, where links S, S are connected by rubber or like springs T, T and by
loose rigid links U, U which limit the expansion of the chains but I do not bind
myself to the use of any particular elastic chain or connection.
Thus the cable or rope is loose between points x-x¹ and the chains or con-
nections P, P, R, R keep the disc or plate horizontal, and it, only offering its edge
to the water, readily slips through it. But if a sudden gust or squall comes on,
then the extra strain is communicated to point and through chains or con-
nections P to the disc or plate Q. This is then pulled up against the pressure of
the water and chains or connections R, R give a little and so more or less tighten
the cable or rope between points xx¹, and when the cable or rope is tight the
strain would act on the wheels and line directly. Thus in a sudden gust or squall
the disc or plate acts as a drag or brake to the velocity of the balloon.
We will suppose a balloon of suitable construction to be connected to the axle E.
Sails of suitable form can be set on the balloon, and, the wind being favorable, the
wheels F, F¹ run on the rails or tracks C, D and if these hold the balloon is
properly guided. The pull of the balloon will cause the wheels F, F¹ to run on the
rails C and just clear the face of the lower rails D.
To stop the balloon, or prevent its running back if adverse winds are encountered
I may, for land use, arrange to elevate part of the lower rails D at any desired
point, such as by lever or otherwise, and so jam the wheels F, F, and check the
speed of the balloon, or I can drop stop plates on the lower rails and so jam or
block the wheels.

page_text: For use in terminal stations I arrange the tracks or rails C, D to gradually
or gently approach each other for such a distance that as the wheels F, F, of an
approaching balloon run thereon they will gradually become jammed between the
rails C, D, and so stop the balloon, as shewn in the diagramatic view Fig. 5, which
clearly illustrates this principle of gradual stoppage. I might again in this case
provide means for forcing the rails C, D, together or one towards the other, but
I prefer for terminal stations the plan shewn.
For sea or water use I may adopt other suitable means for checking the balloon's
speed, as for instance by a drag or screw thrown overboard and connected to the
balloon by a cable, rope, or otherwise.
I may also adapt switches or points to shunt the balloons from one set of rails to
another.
And I may in some cases use a strained cable in place of the rail D and fixed in
the same way as regards its position with rail C.
I do not claim the use of a winch in the balloon to wind on a rope or cable con-
necting it with the wheels as I am aware that captive balloons have been pulled
down by winches.
I do not limit myself to sizes, proportions, or strengths of material for carrying
out my invention as these must depend on the size of balloon to be used and the
pressure of wind likely to be exerted on the same. Similarly, any suitable con-
struction of balloon may be used. But, having now particularly described and
ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:
1. A track or guide for the navigation of balloons, consisting of rails or
tracks C, D, arranged parallel with each other in a vertical plane and suitably tied
together by sleepers or otherwise, so that wheels attached to a balloon may either
bear on rails C or rails D, substantially as described.
2. A balloon track for use on or in waters consisting in the employment of
connected pontoons or water-tight tubes carrying rails or tracks on which wheels
connected to balloons may run, such pontoons or water-tight tubes being anchored
by anchors or other moorings at desired depths as described.
3. In a balloon railway, arranging the rails C, D, at terminal stations so as to
approach each other and gradually jam a wheel or wheels connected to the balloon
running or bearing thereon for the purpose of more or less gently checking the
speed of the balloon, as set forth.
4. The general arrangement and combination of apparatus or appliances for
carrying out a balloon railway system, substantially as described, and illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of Manah 1000