Improvements in Aerostatic Advertising Apparatus.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Aerostatic Advertising Apparatus.
I, NEILSON BURGESS, of Highlands, in the County of Monmouth, and State
of New Jersey, United States of America, Actor, 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:-
My invention relates to the class of apparatus adapted to display in a conspicuous
manner matter of advertisement in an elevated position where it may be seen by a
large number of persons. The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus
which will enable any sign, lettering or statement in the way of advertising to be
displayed on the clouds as a screen, and to this end my invention consists in the
details of the several parts making up the apparatus, and means for supporting the
display mechanism, and in the combination of the several parts as more particularly
hereinafter described and recited in the claims.
Referring to the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a view in elevation of an aerostat.
Figure 2 is a detail top or plan view of the lantern and its support, on an
enlarged scale.
Figure
support.
is a detail view in vertical section of the lantern and its immediate
In the accompanying drawings, the letter a denotes a balloon or like acrostat,
intended to be held at the required elevation, as by means of an anchor rope b,
controlled from any suitable station, and in a position to enable the object of
the apparatus to be carried out. It has been found that, by means of a powerful
search-light, letters or the outlines of figures may be thrown upon the clouds as a
screen, but the clouds vary so in altitude as to make it difficult to produce the
desired result.
In carrying out my invention the balloon a is arranged to support a lantern con
top of the balloon, a frame d serving to hold the lantern in proper position, the
frame being made preferably of a series of arches of rigid material having a
girdle d'arranged to encircle the body part of the balloon. The metallic parts of
the frame and lantern are made preferably of aluminum which is sufficiently strong
for the purpose, and so light as not to destroy the counterpoise of the balloon, but
will permit it to float in a substantially upright position, the ballast in the basket
being used as usual to provide for the maintaining of the upright position of
the balloon.
C
The lantern is supported within the frame d on gimbals, or a like universal joint
which enables a horizontal position of the supported part to be maintained. The
lantern includes an electric arc lampe and a powerful reflector, which throw a
A slide or
powerful beam of light through a tubular opening in the lantern.
screen provided with any desired lettering is arranged to be drawn across the face
of the lantern by mechanism hi, which is controlled by electricity, the wires for
operating the mechanism extending to the station on the ground.
The mechanism for controlling the slide or screen consists of a rod k suitably
mounted in bearings in the frame d, a pawl / being pivoted to this rod, the outer end
This ratchet-wheel is
of the pawl being in engagement with the ratchet-wheel m.
secured to a roll around which the screen is adapted to be wound. This mechanism
just deserii ed is joined up in any well-known manner in an electric circuit to cause
the rod to be moved downward as by the closing of the circuit, this causing the
A roll n is also
ratchet-wheel m and the roller bearing the screen to be rotated.

page_text: mounted in suitable bearings in the frame on the opposite side from the rol k and a
releasing device o is also pivoted to this side of the frame, one end being in engage-
ment with a notch in the edge of the roll n, this releasing device being also joined up
in an electric circuit and operated simultaneously with the mechanism h, being
released at the same time that the mechanism is operated to wind the screen.
The electric circuit controlling these mechanisms can be suitably operated from the
ground.
Suitable lenses supported within the lantern body in combination with a continuous
slide arranged as described, will also afford a convenient device for displaying the
matter to which attention is to be called.
The apparatus is operated by floating the balloon at such an elevation as will
bring it at the necessary distance from the clouds to enable a proper focus to be
adjusted on the clouds; the elevation of the balloon may be changed from time to
time in order to maintain the desired focal distance.
The main feature of my improvement resides in the particular arrangement of
the aerostat and lantern, rather than in any details of construction of the devices for
producing the light or throwing the picture or words upon the cloud screen.
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 :-
In combination with an aerostat, a lantern supported thereon, a lantern-slide
located in front of the lantern and bearing display matter, rolls supporting the
'lantern-slide, a ratchet-wheel secured to one of said rolls, a pawl held normally in
engagement with the ratchet-wheel, a rod supporting the pawl, a stop-device held
normally in engagement with the opposite roll, and means for electrically recipro
cating the rod, and for disengaging the stop-device, the two adapted to be operated
simultaneously, all substantially as described.
Dated this 21st day of August 1895.
NEILSON BURGESS..
D. Young & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,.
Agents for the Applicant.