A NEW OR IMPROVED BALLOON
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henri Adrien Bonneville, of the British and Foreign
Patent Offices, 18, Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, France, and 90, Cannon
St., in the City of London, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "A NEW OR
IMPROVED BALLOON." A communication from Anton do Schuttenbach, of
25, Avenue Montaigne, Paris.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henri Adrien Bonneville
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th November 1880.
HENRI ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 18, Rue
de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, France, and 90, Cannon St., in the City of
London, Patent Agent. "A NEW OR IMPROVED BALLOON." A communication
from Anton de Schuttenbach, of 25, Avenue Montaigue, Paris.
This new or improved steam balloon differs from all other balloons constructed
up to the present day by the following peculiarities-1°. It cannot in case of
2º. It
accident be precipitated from the air upon the earth or into the sea,
3°. It can be steered
preserves its stability either in the air or upon the water.
in any direction whatever; three advantages which do not belong to any of the
balloons existing, and which characterize and specify sufficiently the new or
improved balloon.
The technico-scientifical justification of the properties of the said improved
balloon results as much from its particular form as from the judicious application of
physical laws already known. The form of the improved balloon is that of an open
parachute for five reasons:-1°. This form insures the reservoirs of hydrogen gas
against the violence of the wind. 2°. The centre of gravity of the whole apparatus
and of its charge is found in its lowest point. 3°. That thereby the balloon
4°. It is thereby
compresses the perpendicular column of air found beneath it.
able to retain in itself the currents of hot air, and to create thereby a point of
support for itself. 5°. The apparatus forms a closed ensemble above the point
where the charge is found.

page_text: By means of this arrangement the improved balloon, in case of accident to the
gas reservoirs, is efficaciously guaranteed against the danger of falling, which is
reduced to a descent gradually slackening, of which the total effect terminates by
annulling itself in consequence of the condensation of the air when the accident
takes place in the superior strata of the atmosphere, and on account of the expansive
force of the heated air when the accident occurs nearer to the earth. And in order
that the sides of the parachute may not be set on fire, or damaged in case of an
explosion of one of the gas reservoirs, the sides of the latter are much stronger
below than above, and they are very weak at the top. Thus, in case of accident
the rupture takes always place at the top, and the laws of expansion of gases, such
as they are known by the practice of firearms, will be modified, so that the explosion
will take place at the top.
To render these accidents as rare as possible, use has been made in the new
balloon, besides a principal spherical reservoir for gas, of reservoirs in the form of
annular tubes placed concentrically at certain distances from each other, so that the
accident happening to one does not necessarily put the others out of service, it being
far from supposable that all the reservoirs should explode at the same time.
even in this last case, so very improbable, all the effect of the accident would still be
attenuated by the properties above set forth of the body of the balloon.
And
The stability of the improved balloon does not consist in the property, common
to all balloons, of sustaining itself in the air, but in this, that the improved balloon
can maintain itself upon the water, and that in case of accident it effects its descent
only perpendicularly.
Finally, as to what concerns the guiding at pleasure of the improved balloon, the
same results from this, that in this system the reservoir for gas which has the
property of raising itself in the air, with or without charge, is considered not
as a body that is to be moved, but as an acting power, which tends and acts
continually in an ascending direction, vertical with regard to the earth.
In order to utilize this power by converting it to a horizontal movement in regard
to the carth, an equal but mechanical power has been opposed to it in the improved
balloon, which, as the inverse of the ascending power, acts downwards, as shown in
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings.
Suppose the line G, D, horizontal with regard to the earth, if the power of the
gas acts in the direction of A, B, or A, E, and it is desired to guide the balloon
in the direction of A, D, A, G, the mechanico-antagonistical power against A, B,
will act in the direction of A, C, and against A, E, in the direction of A, F, so as to
conduct the balloon in the first case from A towards D, and in the second case from
A towards G.
The improved balloon forming in its plane a perfect circle, and the mechanical
propelling power, which consists in the pressure of the air by means of helices
actuated by the steam engines, if arranged according to the card of the compass,
the said balloon can be guided at will in any direction whatever without the aid
of any rudder, and by a simple change of the working of the helices, as shown Fig. 2
of the Drawings.
Thus, with the helices S., S.W., S.E., the improved balloon can be directed
with
towards N.; with N., N.W., N.E., towards S.; with W., N.W., S.W., towards E.;
E., N.E., S.E., towards W. If an intermediate direction is required, instead of three
lateral helices, the two helices of the intermediate direction are only put in play.
By increasing the number of helices, the directing of the balloon in a greater
number of directions is facilitated, and finally, if all the helices are put into play at
the same time, the descent of the balloon in a perpendicular line is obtained, as
shown in Fig. 3.
In changing and modifying the action of the helices, the balloon may be directed
in a curved or broken line, or move directly towards a point in view. Finally,
to obtain a vertical ascension, the action of the mechanism has only to be
suppressed.

page_text: Horizontal helices, which can greatly increase the force resulting from the action
of the mechanism above described, may be added, and to further insure against
the risk of falling in case of accident taking place in the lower strata of the
atmosphere, instead of hot air currents, a stronger cushion of elastic air, or steel
springs may be used below the basket where the charge is found, or else always in
case of befalling accidents in the lower strata of the air, an apparatus may be used
to condense the air mechanically by means of steam power.
If, for example, the atmospheric air be condensed mechanically in a proper
reservoir, under a charge maintained in the air by the power of the gas, in sufficient
quantity so that the resistance of the air be proportional to the pressure of the
mechanical power, or that both these powers neutralize each other, and if moreover
the power of the gas which maintains the charge in the air will be suppressed all
at once, the chargo will not fall, provided that a small column of air is found
beneath it, which may not escape, and which strengthens the mechanical
pressure.
It is also easily understood that the form of the balloon may be modified, a rudder
and sails be added.
In order that the principles above described may be better understood, Fig. 4 of
the Drawing represents a top view of one half of the improved balloon, constructed
according to the Invention, showing the arrangement of the gas reservoirs, without
their common envelope, and Fig. 5, a vertical section of the same through D, E, of
Fig. 4, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts. A, A, are the
gas reservoirs, two of which are in the form of concentric rings in regard to each
other; B, B, the parachute made of cloth impermeable to air or water and fireproof;
C, C, the place of the ballast; K, the reservoir for compressed air, of which the
lower part of the inlet tube is provided with a valve, which may in certain cases
be kept immoveable, and which in case of unforeseen descent opens from below, on
account of the pressure of the air resulting from this descent, and augments the
pressure existing already in the said reservoir, of which the object is to counter-
balance the sudden descent of the balloon; m, m, the place for the engines; n, n,
the basket; o, o, the edges of the basket; p, p, an annular cushion of elastic air,
made of gutta-percha, upon which the balloon rests upon the ground. The air may
be expulsed from it by incans of a valve when the balloon descends upon the water;
,, are the helices surrounded by a casing to compress the air, and put in motion
by the engines by means of their shafts 8, 8. These helices are arranged in circular
pairs, so as to work in an opposite sense in casings, of which the side facing the
shaft is concave, and in which the pressure is exerted towards the axes, and the
quantity of air introduced by the rotation of the helix is superior to that of the
expulsed air in the same space of time; t, t, the sides of the main reservoir for gas
of a spherical form, of which the lower part is made of wood and iron; u, u, are the
stacks of the engines; v, v, a capacity formed by the turned back edges of the envelope
of the balloon, acting like a funnel to concentrate the air beneath the apparatus in
case of accident and an unforeseen descent.
The dotted lines of Fig. 5 show the mode of steering already above explained.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of
carrying it into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details above enumerated, as these may obviously be modified
without departing from the principle of the Invention, but what I claim is,―
1°. The tubular reservoirs for gas, of annular shape, and their concentric
arrangement.
2°. The spherical reservoir for gas, with the lower part made of wood and
iron.
3°. Gas reservoirs with sides diminishing in strength from the bottom towards
the top.
4°. The parachute with double cavities counterposed at the inside and outside.
5°. The application of air mechanically compressed, as a means to prevent falls in
the lower strata of the atmosphere.

page_text: 6. The application of power acting downwards to impart a horizontal motion.
7°. The concave bottom or base of the apparatus.
8°. The arrangement of the parts so as to produce stability upon the water,
such as the whole has been above described and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
H. BONNEVILLE. (L.S.)