Improvements in Means for Making Captive Aerial Ascents.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Making Captive Aerial Ascents.
I, JOHN GARDNER, of 3, Marine View, Knott End, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows: -
This invention relates to means for making aerial ascents for recreative and
other purposes.
Several inconveniences attend the making of such ascents at
present by means of captive balloons owing principally to the fact that the bal-
loon can be held captive from below only. I avoid these inconveniences almost
entirely by causing the balloon or its equivalent to be captive throughout, so that
it can ascend and descend only in a practically straight path.
Generally, I may arrange for the simultaneous use of two or more means or
apparatus for making the ascents, but it will be understood that I may employ a
single one only.
d
In one
I will first describe my improvements with the assumption that a lofty structure
of the Eiffel Tower type is available and that two balloons are to be employed.
At or near the top of the lofty structure I fix two diametrically opposite canti-
levers or equivalent projecting parts and at the end of each I securely mount a
grooved pulley or a pair of such pulleys. Ropes descend from this pulley or these
pulleys in the path of ascent and descent and form either or both a guide and (or).
means for raising and (or) lowering the balloon or equivalent apparatus.
arrangement the balloon may have arranged vertically within it from the apex to
the car, a metallic rod, to the upper and lower ends of which ends of rope are
attached. From the top. of the balloon the ropes attached thereto may pass over
one of the cantilever pulleys, across to and over the other cantilever pulley and.
down to a second balloon similar to the first, to which the rope is also similarly
attached. The two balloons therefore balance each other and as the one ascends
the other will descend. The ends of another rope are attached below the cars of
the two balloons, and at or below the ground level this rope may pass under two
pulleys corresponding to the cantilever pulleys. If a winding drum be arranged
between these two lower pulleys and the rope be passed around it several times,
then revolution of the drum alternately in opposite directions will cause each
balloon to successively ascend and descend, the one going up whilst the other is
coming down. Obvious modifications in the described arrangements may be
employed.
Alternatively I may construct the balloon with a vertical tube through it instead
of the hereinbefore described rod. In this case a single endless rope may be used
which may be passed through the tubes of both balloons. Connection between
he balloon and the rope may be made and broken by means of an ordinary cable.
rip such as is used with cable cars. Either balloon can then move indepen-
ently of the other. As a further modification with the balloon having a vertical
entre tube, I'may employ two endless ropes running in opposite directions, with
[Price & I

page_text: or without a third stationary rope, all of which may pass through the balloon
centre tubes. With these I may use as many cable grips as there are ropes, that
is to say one grip for the ascending rope, and one for descending. When there
is a third stationary rope, there may be a grip for this also, its purpose being to
hold the car stationary in any position irrespective of the constantly moving
ropes. Instead of a separate grip, for each rope one single grip may be arranged
to seize either of the ropes as may be required.
I may dispense with the actual balloon and u
use only the car, or I may use an
imitation covered wicker work balloon, or I may use any suitable actual balloon
inflated just sufficiently to carry the load.
Where a lofty structure of the type hereinbefore indicated is not available, I
may, for the purpose of my invention, construct its equivalent, using a single
central column or group of columns strongly stayed and supported at intervals of
its height by guy ropes or the like. This structure may be made portable.
Dated this 2nd day of May A D 1808
Improvements in Means for Making Captive Aerial Ascents.
I, JOHN GARDNER, of 3, Marine View, Knott End, in the County of Lancaster,
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 means for making aerial ascents for recreative and
other purposes.
Several inconveniences attend the making of such ascents at
present by means of captive balloons, owing principally to the fact that the bal-
loon can be held captive from below only. I avoid these inconveniences almost
entirely by causing the balloon or its equivalent to be captive throughout, so that
it can ascend and descend only in a practically straight path.
Generally, I may arrange for the simultaneous use of two or more of the means
or apparatus for making the ascents, but it will be understood that I may employ
a single one only.
I will describe my improvements with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In any case, I employ in connection with my invention a lofty structure of the
Eiffel Tower type as illustrated by Figure 1, in elevation or any equivalent of such
a structure such as that similarly shewn by Figure 2 and hereinafter referred to.
At or near the top of the structure S, I fix two diametrically opposite cantilevers
or equivalent projecting parts CC, and near to the outer end of each of these
I securely mount a grooved pulley or two parallel grooved pulleys. A rope or
ropes R R¹, pass over and descend from these pulleys in the path of ascent and
descent, and form either or both a guide and (or) a means for raising and (or) lowering
the balloons or their equivalents. In one arrangement, represented in section by
Figure 3, the balloon B may have arranged vertically within it from the apex to
the car, a strong metallic or other rod A to the upper and lower ends of which
the ends of the ropes R R are firmly attached. From the top of the balloon the
rope attached thereto may pass over one of the cantilever pulleys P, across to and
over the other cantilever pulley P and down to a second balloon similar to the
first and similarly connected with the ropes R R¹. The balloons therefore balance
each other and if the one be caused to ascend the other will simultaneously

page_text: descend. The ends of the rope R' are attached below the balloon cars, and, at
or below the ground level, this rope may pass under two pulleys pp correspond-
ing to the cantilever pulleys, as shewn by Figure 2. If a winding drum, not
shewn in the figure, be arranged between these two lower pulleys and the rope R¹
be passed around it several times, then revolution of the drum alternately in
opposite directions, will cause each balloon to successively ascend and descend, the
one going up whilst the other is coming down. Obvious modifications in the
described arrangements may be employed.
Alternatively, I may construct the balloon with a vertical tube T through it
instead of the hereinbefore described rod A. In this case, a single endless rope
may be used which may be passed through the tubes in both balloons. Connec-
tion between each balloon and the rope may be made by means of a suitable rope
or cable grip such as for example as is used in connection with cable cars.
balloon may then be moved independently of the other.
Either
As a further modification, with the balloon having a vertical centre tube T,
Figure 4, I may employ two endless ropes RR, running in opposite directions as
indicated by the arrows, and in combination with these I may also employ a third
fixed rope not shewn in the drawing, all of these ropes passing through each
balloon tube. With these ropes I may use as many rope grips as there are ropes
that is to say, one grip for the ascending, one for the descending and one for the
stationary rope. The object of this third rope is to hold the balloon stationary
in any position irrespective of the constantly moving ropes. Instead of a separate
rope grip for each rope, one single grip may be used to seize either of the ropes as
may be required. The stationary rope may obviously be used with the herein-
before described single endless rope passing through the balloon tubes T.
I may dispense with the actual balloon and use only the car E, or I may con-
struct and use a wicker-work or similar light structure imitating a balloon. But
I prefer, principally for the purposes of greater realism, and safety, to employ an
actual balloon just sufficiently inflated with coal gas or hydrogen to carry the load.
Where a permanent lofty structure of the Eiffel Tower type is not available, I
may, for the purpose of my invention, construct its equivalent as indicated by
Figure 2, using a strong central column or group of columns D, strongly stayed
and supported at intervals of its height by guy ropes G or the like.
structure may be built in sections so as to be portable.
This
I am aware that it has already been proposed to make captive ascents and
descents along a fixed rope passing through an axial tube in the balloon, the upper
end of the rope being held by a second captive balloon above the first and secured
to the earth by guy ropes, and I therefore desire it to be understood that I make
no claim to any such arrangement.
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:-
1. Means for making captive aerial ascents, consisting of a lofty structure, a
projection or projections from the upper part of the structure, a rope or ropes
passing around a pulley or pulleys on the projection or projections, and a balloon
or balloons or its or their equivalent secured or capable of being secured to the
rope or ropes, substantially as herein before described with reference to the accom-
panying drawings.
2. In means for making captive aerial ascents set forth in the preceding claim,
two ropes running in opposite directions and passing through a tube or tubes in
the balloon or balloons each rope being capable of being separately engaged by
the balloon or balloons, substantially as herein before described with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
3. In means for making captive aerial ascents set forth in the first claim, a rope
unning alternately in opposite directions, passing through a tube in the balloon
or in each balloon, and means for connecting the balloon or each balloon to the

page_text: rope, substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
4. In combination with the means for making captive aerial ascents set forth in
the second and third claims, a supplementary stationary rope, substantially as and
for the purposes set forth.
W. E. HEYS & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.