Improvements in and connected with Air-Ships and in Means for Propelling and Steering the same.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 22nd Oct., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Air-Ships and in Means for
Propelling and Steering the same.
I, OSCAR LANGE, of Muhlberg-on-the-Elbe, in the Empire of Germany,
Mechanical Engineer, 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:-
This invention relates to an air-ship the supporting bodies or balloons of which
are of peculiar form and arrangement and the steering apparatus, which serves
also to give motion to the ship is of special construction.
In the accompanying drawing an air-ship of this kind is represented.
Figure 1 being a side elevation, partly in section.
Figure 2 a front elevation, partly in section, and Figures 3 and 4 two views on
a larger scale of the wings or paddles employed.
The air-ship consists essentially of any desired number of shallow extended
hollow bodies or vessels a a' arranged one over the other and united firmly by
struts a. These bodies or vessels aa¹ are adapted to contain a suitable gas, and
are connected with one another by a pipe b, which may conveniently pass through
the centre of them as shewn. A valve c¹, connected with a screw-spindle c,
permits however, the hollow bodies or vessels a a¹ to be shut off from each other,
so that, for instance, the gas can escape from the hollow body a¹ through the escape
pipe fitted with a valve d but be retained in the hollow body a. In the same
manner it is possible to empty the hollow body a independently of the hollow -
body a¹ by the escape pipe è and valve-rod e¹.
It is, however, desirable that the lower hollow body or vessel a¹, should have
the larger capacity, and that the upper portion of the casing of each hollow body
or vessel should overlap the lower portion of such casing or at least in some of
the hollow bodies so as to ensure a parachute-like action, when the air-ship is
descending. The hollow bodies or vessels may be of aluminium, zinc, or any
other suitable metal or material.
It is obvious that balloons of other shape, arranged in the manner described,
may be employed, but the flat or shallow form is preferable owing to its greater
resistance offered to the air and its currents in a vertical direction, and lesser
resistance in a horizontal direction.
Under the lower hollow body or vessel the basket, car, or boat, f, is attached
at a suitable distance, by means of rods, which are arranged so as not to interfere
in any way with the action of the ship. The boat f is divided into two com-
partments fand f, so that the space f¹ can be fitted with a petroleum or other
motor h, whilst the space can hold the requisite material for driving the motor.
The wings, or paddles i, are driven by the motor h, bearings being provided in
the sides of the boat. They not only effect the steering of the ship, but also assist
its progress from place to place. They are situated to the left and right of the
boat and are so connected by suitable couplings k, with the motor h, that they can
be driven simultaneously or independently of each other. It is thus possible, to

page_text: stop or move one or other of the wings or paddles alone and thereby to give the
ship any desired direction of motion, even against the direction of the wind. By
using flat or shallow hollow bodies or vessels instead of the forms heretofore em-
ployed, the possibility of steering the ship, by shipping one wing or paddle, and
travelling against the wind, is materially increased, as the shallow lollow bodies
only offer a very slight resistance to an air current from an opposite direction to
the course.
In order to effect a quick and easy turning or steering of the ship, the wings
or paddles i are not placed in the middle but in the front, part of the boat.
In order that the wings when turned in a circle may have proper effect, namely,
first flat or somewhat slanting to the direction of motion, and then cutting the
air edgeways, so that the wings during the second half of their revolution do not
exert a contrary action to that of the first half, and thereby diminish or neutralise
the same, the following arrangements are provided:-A plate or ring is firmly
attached to that part of each of the driving shafts which projects from the sides
of the boat. Each of these plates or rings serves as a bearing for the shafts m
which turn independently of each other, and are each firmly connected with one
of the wings or paddles i. On each of these shafts m, there is situated, within the
plate or ring, which has a suitable opening in it, a plate n¹ provided with four
pins non its periphery. These pins n are so arranged that when the plate is
rotated, they press upon projections o on the boat or car and thereby cause the
plate n¹ of the, for the time being, uppermost wing or paddle, to be turned
90 degrees, that is to say, at right angles to the direction of revolution of the
plate. To secure the wings or paddles i, in whatever position they are stopped,
a square boss p is attached immediately beside the plate n¹, against which boss a
flat spring prests, so that it is only possible to turn the plate n¹ and the wing
or paddle attached thereto after overcoming the resistance of the spring p¹.
ratchet wheel q, fixed to the square boss and. controlled by a pawl q', permits
the plate n¹ to be turned in one direction only, whereby the wings or paddles i,
which place themselves somewhat obliquely by reason of the air pressure acting
upon them, are prevented from returning into their former position after the
automatic action above described. By the special construction of the wings or
paddles and their self-acting turning or feathering action, as described, the hitherto
unavoidable waste of power connected with wings or paddles that do not feather
is entirely avoided, and with the same power an increased work and effect is pro-
duced, or for the same result a diminished power is required. The results arising
from the special construction of the wings or paddles in the manner described is
of the highest importance in aerial navigation.
A
In order to assist in moving the air-ship, I sometimes provide a screw r driven
by the motor h. In order to disconnect this screw at pleasure the shaft r¹ carry-
ing the screw r is provided with a coupling which enables the screw r to be
put in or out of gear by means of the hand-lever 1-3.
It is obvious that the plates 7 may be provided with three or more wings or
paddles without departing from the nature of the invention; also that the
herein before described self-acting turning or feathering of the wings or paddles
can be applied to the paddles of a torpedo or other boat moving under water,
thereby effecting a great economy of power or considerable increase of speed.
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:
-
First. An air-ship consisting of any suitable number of hollow bodies or vessels,
arranged one over the other, of any desired form, but preferably of shallow curved
or mushroom-shape, adapted to be charged with gas, and maintained indepen-
dently of each other, though fixed rigidly together, and to a boat or car, the
whole being moved and steered by wings or paddles which are feathered or turned

page_text: automatically according to the resistance of the air and the direction of motion,
substantially as described.
Second. In an air-ship the employment of wings or paddles at the sides of the
boat or car, the position of which wings or paddles is automatically regulated
according to the resistance of the air and the direction to be taken, the shafts m
of such wings or paddles being adapted to turn independently of one another in
a ring or plate 1, each of such shafts having a plate n¹ which engages by means
of pins n, with suitable fixed projections o on the boat or car, whereby the shaft m
and the wing or paddle connected therewith is rotated or feathered one quarter of
a revolution, being retained for the time in that position by a square boss p, and
a spring p, substantially as described.
Third. In an air-ship the employment of wings or paddles so arranged that
either of them can be put in or out of action separately for the purpose of turn-
ing or steering the ship, substantially as described.
n
dow of Arouch 1808
Dated 1941
day of August
1808
O. LANGE,
Per W. H. Beck,
Agent, 115, Cannon Street, London, E.C