An Aerial Machine
Year: 1896

page_text: An Aerial Machine.
JAMES ROOTS Engineer 100 Westminster Bridge Road London do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A central vertical shaft has a fan fixed at the top. The shaft of steel tube runs
in ball bearings the cones of which are held by a plate at intervals on the shaft.
There are three or four bearings and plates. Passing through holes in the plates
and securely brazed to them are steel tubes which form the frame of the machine.
There are three or four of these steel tubes which from the topmost bearing next
the fan extend down parallel with the shaft, to the lower bearing and just below
this each steel tube extends outward to form the frame of the car of the machine.
The motor driven by oil or steam but preferably the former I prefer to connect
directly to the fan shaft but intermediate gearing may be used. The motor is fixed
in the car, but allowing space to walk round it or nearly so. The lower ends of
the steel tube forming the frame are fixed into the floor plate of the machine and
to this also is fixed the petroleum motor. A pump driven by the crank shaft is
used to continually circulate the water through these steel tubes forming the frame
to cool it permitting the use of only a very small weight of cooling water for the
engine jacket. The air blast of the fan powerfully assists in keeping the
tubes cool.
The momentum of the fan in coupling direct will allow of the use of a very light
flywheel, the motor shaft being coupled in line with the central shaft.
A large blade or air plane consisting preferably of canvas stretched across bamboo
rods or steel tubes is attached to the central frame and is capable of turning wholly
or partly round the circle. This blade projects horizontally from the centre and has
its plane vertical. Its chief object is to prevent the fan rotating the car. A similar
blade or air plane also projects from the centre about horizontally, which may be
adjusted by a handle at right angles with the blade to the desired angle above or
below the horizontal line. This blade or air plane is employed to aid the lifting
power of the fan. The two blades being placed in the desired position and the
position of the centre of gravity of the whole car being correctly adjusted the
machine can be guided. The weight of the rider being placed on one side of
the car throws the shaft out of the vertical and thus a fraction of the power of the
fan is exerted in a horizontal direction for propulsion, the power exerted for
locomotion is in proportion to the angle of deviation of the shaft from the
vertical position.
A second smaller fan may be used driven by the same motor for the double purpose
of propulsion and prevention of rotation of the car.
The propeller fan is formed of bamboo rods or steel tubes having varnished canvas
stretched across them to form the blades.
Dated February 17th 1896.

page_text: АД Аглал щастие.
JAMES ROOTS Engineer 100 Westminster Bridge Road London 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 :-
A central vertical shaft has a fan fixed at the top. The shaft of steel tube runs
in ball bearings the concs of which are held by a plate at intervals on the shaft.
There may he two, three or four bearings and plates. Passing through holes in
the plates and securely brazed to them are steel tubes which form the frame of the
machine. There may be two three or four of these steel tubes (two only are shown)
which from the topmost bearing next the fan, extend downward parallel with the
shaft, to the lower bearing, and just below this, each steel tube extends outward
to form the frame of the car of the machine. The motor driven by petroleum oil,
or steam, but preferably the former, I prefer to connect directly to the fan shaft
but intermediate gearing may be used. The motor is fixed in the car, but allowing
space to walk round it or nearly so. The lower ends of the steel tube forming the
frame are fixed into the floor plate of the machine, and to this also is fixed the
petroleum oil motor. A pump driven by the crank shaft may be used to continually
circulate the water through these steel tubes to cool it, or the water may circulate
in the ordinary way by convection, in either case permitting the use of only a very
small weight of cooling water for the engine jacket. The air blast of the fan
powerfully assists in keeping the tubes and cylinders cool.
The momentum of the fan in coupling direct to the crank shaft, will allow of the
use of a very light flywheel or will obviate the use of one, the fan serving the
purpose of the flywheel.
A large blade or air plane consisting preferably of canvas stretched across
bamboo rods or steel tubes is attached to the central frame, and is capable of
turning wholly or partly round the circle this blade projects horizontally from the
centre and has its plane vertical. Its chief object is to prevent the fan rotating
the car. A similar blade or air plane (not shown) may also project from the centre
about horizontally, which is adjusted by a handle preferably at right angles with
the blade, to the desired angle above or below the horizontal line. This blade or
air plane is employed to aid the lifting power of the fan. The two blades (if the
latter or horizontal air plane be used) being placed in the desired position, and
the position of the centre of gravity of the whole car being correctly adjusted, the
machine can be guided. The weight of the rider being placed on one side of
the car throws the shaft out of the vertical, and thus a fraction of the power of the
fan is exerted in a horizontal direction for propulsion, the power exerted for
locomotion is in proportion to the angle of deviation of the shaft from the
vertical position. The vertical air plane is kept in the same position relatively
by the wind.
A second smaller fan may be used driven by the same motor for the double
purpose of propulsion and prevention of the rotation of the car, or the fan may be of
the same size rotated in a similar way in an opposite direction, to prevent rotation
of the car and both fixed above one car, or three may be so fixed the shafts being
connected at the corners of an equilateral triangular car.
In both figures like letters refer to like parts.
Fig. 1 is an elevation Fig. 2 is a part plan.
A is the fan, B is the car suspended from it, C is the oil motor of the four
stroke cycle driven be notuales
L
L

page_text: rank shaft D¹ of the motor. E is the air plane blade or vane (shown
ig. 1) preferably constructed of two bamboo rods with fine varnished canvas.
tretched across them, these rods are attached to the vertical tubes of the frame.
ts object is to prevent the rotation of the car by the motor and to keep the car
elatively in the same position to the wind. The fan A is constructed upon the-
nes of a cycle wheel. The main circular tube A' is connected by the wires A,..
hich are under tension, to the hub plates A. In Fig. 2 only two of these-
vires A are shown so as to render this figure clearer. Smaller short lengths of
ube A are brazed or otherwise fixed vertically at right angles upon the circular-
ube A' at equal distances all round it. From the ends of each of these short
ubes A' are fixed other wires A, the other ends of which wires are fixed under
To these wires which are about or nearly
ension to the centre plates A.
horizontal are fixed the vanes of the fan, which are preferably constructed of
varnished fine canvas, but may be of other material. One only (for the sake
of clearness) of these vanes is shown in Fig. 2. These vanes or sails A' may be
fixed in the manner indicated, by cords through holes at the edges passing round
the tension wires A5 at the sides and round the circular tube A' at the outside
edges, and the vane sails are kept taut by the cords. Each vane sail A is tied on-
one edge to the upper wire, riz., the wire fixed between the top of one of the tubes-
or cross pieces A and the upper of the two centre or hub plates A, and the-
opposite edge of each vane sail is tied to the lower wire, riz., the wire fixed from
the lower end of the next cross piece A to the lower centre plate A. Thus each.
vane sail is fixed at an angle of say 20° in accordance with the relative length of
the cross pieces A. The shaft D'is of steel tube, and has the ball-bearing cones.
and the centre or hub plates A and A brazed or otherwise secured to it. The
bearings are formed upon the plates F, through which also the steel tubes G
forming the main frame of the car pass and are brazed or otherwise securely fixed..
Gare also steel tubes and form the return flow tubes for the water back to the
jacket of the motor C. The crank D is securely fixed to the central tube D.
The motor indicated at C is a four cylinder four stroke cycle petroleum motor, of
course other types of motor or power could be employed, but I prefer a petroleum.
motor for the purpose.
In small machines of this description it will be possible to do without a jacket
altogether, owing to the enormous blast of air driven downward on to the motor by
the fan. In any case only a very small quantity of water need be carried, and
this will be sufficiently cooled in the tubular frame G G₁ by the before mentioned
blast of air.
The floor of the car may be formed of basket work, or wire laid over the cross.
ties or tubes G 2.
Another similar sail vane to E (not shown) may be fitted to the car in a
horizontal instead of a vertical plane, which must be capable of closing and.
opening out its sail when desired so that when power is used for horizontal.
propulsion this air plane sail may assist in maintaining the height of the
machine.
The machine if ruspended should remain vertical or nearly so so that when in
the air the position of the rider upon the one side or the other determines the
direction of movement of the machine. Upon whichever side the weight of the
rider or riders is placed, in that direction the machine should move. The tube
or shaft D assumes an oblique position and the direction of pull of the fan
0 is divided between the horizontal and the vertical in proportion to the obliquity of
the shaft D.
It will be observed that the fan sails are so constructed, that in the event of
the failure of the motor from any cause, the large relative area and surface
of the fan will serve as a parachute and prevent a too rapid descent of the
55 machine. If the motor ceases the crank shaft is locked by a lever, or by a brake
to prevent the fan reversing rotation in its descent.
The second air plane or vane when opened and placed at the desired angle with

page_text: the wind serves to assist in the maintenance of the machine at its height when
power is diverted in the horizontal direction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. An aerial machine provided with a fan which serves to lift and propel, a car
suspended from it, carrying the motor, the crank shaft of which is in liue with,
connected to and drives the fan shaft, and a canvas or other blade or air plane
having a vertical plane, to prevent the car from rotating with the fan and
motor.
2. In an aerial machine, fixing a petroleum motor in a car suspended from
a fan or fans in such position, that the fan or fans in lifting or propelling the car
direct an air blast upon the motor and its water tubes and enable it to do without
a jacket, or with but very little water for its jacket.
3. In an aerial machine conveying and circulating the water for the jacket
of a petroleum motor in the tubular frame of the machine, either by a pump or by
convection.
4. In an aerial machine steering and guiding the machine in the desired direction
by placing the weight of the rider or riders upon one side, so shifting the centre of
gravity and displacing the fan shaft from the perpendicular position, thus utilising
a part (in proportion to the obliquity of shaft) of the power of the fan for horizontal
instead of vertical propulsion.
5. In an aerial machine utilising the same fan or fans for both vertical and
horizontal propulsion in the manner described in the preceding claim.
6. In an aerial machine, a fan of such construction as shown that in the event of
the failure of the motor from any cause, the fan shall act as a parachute and prevent
the too rapid descent.
7. In an aerial machine the use of a fan as a propeller or as a parachute.
8. The construction of the fan in the manner shown of an outside rim of
steel tube connected up with wires under tension, after the manner of a cycle
wheel, with additional wires fixed to carry the vanes, whether of varnished canvas
or otherwise.
9. In an aerial machine of the kind described connecting the petroleum motor
directly to the fan, thus obviating the use of a flywheel other than the fan.
10. The use of an additional air plane in an aerial machine as claimed in the
previous claims, which may be closed at starting, and on opening serves when
deflected at an angle from its normal horizontal plane position to assist in the
maintenance of the car's position relatively to the earth, so that more power may be
diverted by the method before claimed to horizontal propulsion.
11. The combination of parts forming the aerial machine for the purpose and as
herein described.
נית
101 1000