IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR AERIAL NAVIGATION
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Peter Jensen at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd November 1882. Communicated to
him from abroad by Gustav Koch of Munich Bavaria.
PETER JENSEN of 33 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR AERIAL NAVIGATION 35
(A Communication to me from
abroad by Gustav Koch of Munich Bavaria)
According to this invention the air ship or balloon is propelled and steered by
means of two horizontal paddle wheels placed on each side in the lower part of the
balloon and revolved either together or separately by motors all in accordance with
the desired motion of the air ship and with the influence of outer air currents
thereon. The balloon is by preference of a shape something like a cigar.
The paddle wheels are arranged in recesses in the balloon and are revolved by
means of motors placed in a basket or other boat These wheels are by preference
more than half within the said recesses and aro provided with movable or feathering
paddles or floats which are so arranged as to present most advantageous acting
surfaces on the exit from the recesses while closing up as much as possible against
the periphery of the wheel rims while within the recesses so as to take up the least
space and offer least resistance to the air while rotating. For this purpose the
gudgeons of the paddles are at one or both ends provided with cranks to which
guide rods are jointed; these latter are guided twofold, partly by rollers or guide
blocks, working in a radial slot formed in a disc fixed on each paddle wheel shaft
and partly by a roller arranged laterally and working in an eccentric groove formed
in a stationary disc fixed on the framing. The eccentric groove is so formed as to
move the guide rods in such a manner that the paddles when the paddle wheel is
turned, move in the manner above described.
The paddle wheel shafts are revolved from a horizontal shaft by means of
reversing gear so that while the said horizontal shaft always revolves in the same.
direction the paddle wheel shafts may be turned in one direction or the other or be
thrown out of gear; the reversing gear may consist of three bevel tooth wheels or
friction wheels may be used whereby the paddle wheels may be made to work at
different relative speeds.
When both paddle wheels revolve in opposite directions at the same speed the
ir ship will be moved straight forward in a length direction (that is if air currents

page_text: do not interfere). If one wheel only is revolved, or if both are revolved in the
same direction the air ship will move to one side, or if there is a current of air it
will move forward in a direction diverging therefrom. By this means the air ship
is steered, but a wind steering sail may also be provided underneath the balloon.
The paddles are made of light framing covered with a "sail" which will be
bellied out and thus act more advantageously than a rigid surface against which
the air can slide past.
The paddle wheels instead of being placed in recesses in the balloon may be
placed inmediately beneath the balloon but between it and the "boat"
For driving power a gas engine is preferred but with air cooling instead of water
cooling. The air is conducted thereto by a pipe or passage coming from the front
point of the balloon and terminating at the rear end after having cooled the
cylinder or cylinders. To further the motion of the air the tube may be made in
the form of an archimedean screw driven by the motor. The gas for supplying the
motor is carried in a reservoir in a compressed state.
The balloon material consists of a silk and hemp fabric coated with India rubber
and instead of the usual net-work over it a series of airtight silk bands or tapes aro
used which are united and cross each other and are fastened to the balloon some
distance below its centre line and so that they part at the place where they are
united to the balloon and where also the cross threads are taken out so that their
ends can be twisted or plaited and be united by cords with the basket or boat or
with framing projecting in front and behind of same. By this means the
unevennesses caused by the pressure of the netting on the upper half of the balloon
as now usual is avoided, the balloon obtains a smooth-even surface and cuts through
the air with greater case. The material of the balloon will also thereby be much
better preserved and the diffusion of the gas through it be diminished. Lastly the
tape work will in case the balloon bursts from an efficient parachute