Year: 1888

page_text: Unte of Application, 23th June, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 25th Mar.. 199
Complete Specification Accepted, 11th May, 1839
declare the nature of my inventio
My invention has for its principal objects, to construct a balloon or acrostat, which
requires a minimum of motive power for propulsion, and which can be easily steered
in all directions.
For this purpose I give to the balloon such a shape, that the sectional area of its
plan or horizontal section is from three to ten times as large as the area of its vertical
section.
The horizontal section or plan of the balloon is preferably circular, so that the area
of the vertical section will be the same at all angles; it may, however, have any
other convenient shape as illustrated by the annexed drawing, Figs. a, b, c, d, and e.
In Fig. a the base or plan is a circle, in Fig. b, a regular hexagon, in Fig. ca
square, in Fig. d an elongated hexagon, and in Fig. e an oval. In these figures the
ratio between the diagonal or diameter and the height varies between 2:1 and 6 : 1.
The top and bottom of these balloon forms is symmetrically convex, so as to obtain
a wedge-shaped circumference all round. The top or the bottom surface may,
however, be almost flat, while the other surface is strongly curved as indicated
by Figs. a and a², or one side may form a plane surface, while the other is
curved.
Balloons of this shape offer a minimum of resistance to lateral motion, as they cut
through the air easily in all directions; but they require of course, a suitable frame or
skeleton to support the envelope or skin. The interior of the balloon is filled with
bydrogen or other suitable gas. Such a frame or skeleton could be conveniently
formed of hollow rails of section.
Fig. I is a front elevation of an aërostat constructed according to my invention,
Fig. Il is a section of the same, showing also the landing station, and Fig III is a
plan. B indicates the balloon proper which has the shape of a biconvex lens, C the
car mounted on wheels and P the propellers. The propellers P, situated right and

page_text: left of the balloon axis and secured to the frame work of the same, may also be
employed for steering. In this case each propeller can be turned independently of
the other, preferably by a separate engine. For turning the balloon towards
the right, the left hand propeller noed only bo turned inoro rapidly than the
right hand propeller, and vice versa. Sindicates the ordinary steering mechanism or
ruilder.
In order to regulate the position or inclination of the balloon as may be required,
1 employ a weight adapted to slide along a frame by turning a screw spindles (see
Fig. 11). By thus changing the centre of gravity and therefore the inclination of the
balloon, the latter may be caused to rise or descond without changing the quantity of
gus. Such a regulating appliance W may be secured either to the body of the balloon
or to the car, the latter being shown in Fig. II. The rear part of the car is prefor-
ably made somewhat heavier than the front, so that the balloon will normally have a
slightly ascending position. In order to change this inclination, the sliding weight
neod only be shifted along its spindle. A downward motion of the balloon may
also be obtained, by reducing the speed of the propellers, the total weight of the
nerostat being much larger than what could be raised by the quantity of gas in tho
halloon.
Owing to the large base of the balloon, the latter will take an ascending course
already at a speed of 8 to 12 yards per second, even if carrying twice the load which
has hitherto been admissible for a balloon of the same volume.
As such a heavily loaded acrostat must acquire a certain speed before it can rise
from the ground, it should be launched from a track of rails R, R4, having from 1 to
cent. gradient, as illustrated by Figs. I and II. One rail R has preferably a
pair of flanges for guiding the wheels, while the other rail R, has a flat surface, as
indicated in Fig. I.
por
The car is preferably lens shaped as shown by the drawing, and the propeller and
rudder may be of any typo, already employed for navigablo balloons, r, r' is part of
the shafting for turning the rudder.
Dated this 28th day of Juno 1888.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Sirand, Londou,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Balloons.
I, JOHN BEUGGER, Mechanical Engineer, now of Feuerthalen, Canton Schaffhausen,
Switzerland, do hereby declare the nature of the said 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 has for its principal object to construct a balloon or aerostat which
will require a minimum of motive power for propulsion, and which can be easily
steered in all directions.
For this purpose I give to the balloon such a shape, that the area of its plan
or horizontal section, is from three to ten times as large as the area of its vertical section.
The horizontal section or plan of the balloon is preferably circular, so that the
area of the vertical section will be the same at all angles; it may, however, have
any other convenient shape, as illustrated by the drawings filed with the provisional
specification, Figs. a, b, c, d, and e. In Fig. a, the base or plan is a circle; in Fig. b
it is a regular hexagon; in Fig. c it is a square; in Fig. d an elongated hexagon,
and in Fig. e an oval. In these figures, the ratio between the diagonal or diameter
and the height, varies from 2: 1 to 6: 1. The top and bottom of these balloon forms
is symmetrically convex, so as to obtain a wedge-like circumference all round. The
top or the bottom surface may, however, be almost flat, while the other surface is
strongly curved, as indicated by Figs. a¹ and a² or one side may form a plane surface,
while the other is curvee.
Balloons of this shape offer a minimum of resistance to lateral motion, as they cut
through the air easily in all directions; but they require of course, a suitable frame
or skeleton, to support the envelope or skin. The interior of the balloon is filled
with hydrogen, or other suitable gas. Such a frame or skeleton could be conveniently
formed of hollow rails of section.
Fig. I is a front elevation of an aerostat constructed according to my invention.
Fig. Il is a section of the same, showing also the landing station and Fig. III is a
plan. B indicates the balloon proper, which has the shape of a biconvex lens;
U shows the car, mounted on wheels, and P, the propellers, situated right and left of
the balloon, and secured to the frame-work of the same. The propellers, P, may also
be used for steering, in which case each propeller can be turned indepen lently of the
other, preferably by a separate engine. For turning the balloon to the right, the left
hand propeller need only be turned more rapidly than the right hand propeller, and
vice versa.
S indicates the ordinary steering mechanism or rudder.
In order to regulate the position or inclination of the balloon, as may be required,
I employ a weight adapted to slide along a frame by turning a screw spindle s
(Fig. 1). By thus changing the centre of gravity, and therefore the inclination of
the balloon, the latter may be caused to rise or descend: without changing the quantity

page_text: of gas. Such a regulating appliance may be secured either to the body of the balloon
or to the car, the latter being shown in Fig. 1. The rear part of the car is preferably
made somewhat heavier than the front, so that the balloon will normally have a
slightly ascending position. In order to change this inclination, the sliding weight
need only be shifted along the spindle.
A downward motion of the balloon may also be obtained, by reducing the spead of
the propellers, the total weight of the aerostat being much larger than could be raised
by the quantity of gas in the balloon.
Owing to the flat shape of the balloon and its wedge-shaped circumference, the
latter will act as an areo-plane and ascend by virtue of the air-pressure on its
lower surface, if placed at a small angle to the horizon and propelled with
the required speed. It may therefore carry a considerable load independently of its
buoyancy.
The quantity of gas in the halloon should be at least sufficient to carry the weight
of the balloon exclusivo of the car, so that the dynamic effect is only required for
lifting the car and the useful load.
An aerostat so heavily loaded must acquire a certain speed before it can rise from
the ground; it should therefore be launched from a track of rails R, R', having from
1 to 5 per cent. gradient, as illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2. One rail, R', has preferably
a pair of flungos for guiding the wheel, while the other rail R has a flat surface as
illustrated in Fig. 1.
The car is preferably lens shaped, as shown by the drawing, and the propeller and
rudder may be of any type already employed for navigable balloons. r, is part of
the shafting for turning the rudder.
Having now particularly described the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that I claim:
1. A navigable balloon having a rigid body of such a shape that the area of its
vertical section is from to that of its plan or cross-section.
2. A flat and rigid balloon body having a wedge-shaped circumference.
3. A rigid balloon body of circular or elongated lons-shape.
4. A rigid balloon body having the shape of a plano-convex or unsymmetrically
curved lens, either circular or elongated.
5. A rigid balloon body as described, having a skeleton of iron (or other
metal) and a light envelope.
6. A balloon car made lens-shaped or with a wedge-shaped circumference.
7. A navigable halloon provided with means for shifting the centre of gravity.
8. A navigable balloon provided with two independent propellers secured to opposito
sides of the balloon body.
9. In a navigablo balloon, the combination of two or moro of the features specified
in the preceding claims.
10. A navigable balloon, constructed and adapted to operate substantially as
described and illustrated.
11. The means for launching a navigable balloon, substantially as described.
Douch ML 1704