AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR AËRIAL NAVIGATION to be as follows
Year: 1884

page_text: I SERKIS-BEY BALLIAN, of No 21, rue de Trévise, Paris, in the Republic of
France, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
"AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR AËRIAL NAVIGATION to be as follows:-
"
My improved apparatus consists in a flat or slightly conical surface on which
I place a balloon of circular or oval form; this balloon may be dependent on or
independent of the surface. Underneath and in the middle is suspended a car
from which, by means of cords or ropes, the above named surface may be inclined
so as to bring it to an angle with a horizontal plane; then by completely or partly
emptying the balloon of the gas which it contains the apparatus will be laterally
displaced, cutting the air like a kite. By keeping up a certain amount of
ascensional force and by having a certain amount of ballast, the apparatus may.
be again caused to rise after having run through a certain distance obliquely, then
again descend and so on. I can apply this arrangement to any apparatus heavier
than air and which is raised by any motive power. A rudder serves to steer the
apparatus.

page_text: "
I SERKIS-BEY BALLIAN of No 21, rue de Trévise, Paris in the Republic of
France, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
"AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR AERIAL NAVIGATION 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 an improved apparatus for aërial navigation and is
represented in the accompanying drawing in which figures 1 and 2 show elevations
of the apparatus.
The apparatus is constructed of a slightly conical surface B M C formed with
a series of rods of wood, metal or other suitable substance and connected together 1
at E, by other rods for giving firmness to the whole. The conical surface B, M, C
is covered with a suitable covering impermeable to gas. Above is placed at B, A, C
a balloon of flat form connected to the rods M C, M. B. etc by the usual net work.
The balloon may be separate from the conical surface or it may be entirely
dispensed with.
...
1
A central rod M E F carries a hoop B C from which is suspended in any suitable.
manner the car J. A rudder G H E F is arranged in a manner usual in ships and
capable of turning around the rod E F. Suitable pullies and cords are arranged
in stich a manner that the rudder may be operated from the car. The rudder is
made from fabric, matting or in any other suitable manner: A. cord L D connects 2
the car at a point-D with the circumference of the conical surface B M C. This
cord is wound round a winch or in other suitable manner to allow of it being paid
out or drawn in so as to increase or diminish the distance between L D, whereby
the car can be drawn nearer the point D and the conical surface will be thereby
inclined as shewn in figure 2in such a manner that the suspension cord F 1 will 2
no longer be perpendicular to the plane of the hoop B: C.
The form and dimensions of the balloon may be varied..
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
The balloon being inflated so as to possess a suitable ascensional force will rise
in the air to the desired height. The valve is then opened and the whole or part 3
of the gas allowed to escape. The base of the surface is then inclined by means
of the cord D. L and the apparatus descending by its own weight will slide on the
bed of air which supports it and at the same time it moves forward to the right
of the figure.
The rudder is operated in such a manner as to steer the apparatus as is done in 3
a ship.
The balloon in descending will describe a curve in the direction to the right of
the apparatus and it may be caused to descend more or less rapidly according to
the greater or less inclination of the surface sliding on the air or be caused to move
horizontally or even to ascend.
By means of ballast a sufficient ascensional force may be retained in the balloon
to allow of a fresh ascent of the balloon ready for another descent so that a series
of this kind of movement assisted by the action of the rudder will allow the
aëronaut to direct the apparatus as he may wish.
4
The apparatus may be unprovided with its balloon and be attached under the 4
car of an ordinary. balloon from which it may be let loose at the desired moment
I can also place the sliding surface not only below or above the balloon but around
it and in the middle thereof in such a manner as to correspond to the prolonged
equatorial plane.

page_text: Having thus 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) The employment of a plane or slightly conical surface arranged at the upper
part of a kind of parachute capable of assuming an oblique position and sliding
laterally on the bed of air during the descent as herein before described.
(2) The combination of the said surface with a rudder allowing of being able to
turn in descending as hereinbefore described.
(3) The combination of the said surface and of its rudder with a suitable
balloon arranged above and forming or not one with the apparatus as hereinbefore
described.
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