IMPROVED jasmi MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING OR CARRYING HUMAN BEINGS OR OBJECTS INTO MID AIR
Year: 1875

page_text: GITAR
i od au
bymatkynude teikimui od
Bow Pai bai h 2004 stad 1970
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Simmons at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th July 1875.
100 10
12njo MTAL
+2
11
pi
I, JOSEPH SIMMONS, of Regent Street, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVED
jasmi
MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING OR CARRYING HUMAN BEINGS OR OBJECTS
INTO MID AIR," to be as follows:ḥ so older vome tiv
HOM YOU TH
TE TO
This Invention has for its' object the construction and working of sā
machine which will convey or carry into the air aliuman being or
human beings lights; 'beacons, or other adaptations for signalling,
reconnoitring, surveying, or other purposes, by the pressure of-wind
upon its surface, with or without the employment or assistance of any
other means of obtaining force. It can be held captive by a metallic
:

page_text: or other cord or cable attached to a swivel so arranged that the centre
of force or resistance shall be either fixed or self adjusting in order to
keep the machine in the air at the required angle, obliquity, or position,
and so that the weight may be at once, transferred into a position
central to the surface of resistance in the event of the cord or cable
breaking by which it is held captive; the machine will then descend
with its occupant or occupants safely to the earth.
The lower extremity of the cord by which the machine is held captive
is attached to a crab or windlass, or any other means of shortening or
lengthening the distance between the machine and the earth or point
of retention; and this means of shortening or lengthening the distance
between the earth or point of retention may be carried upon any vehicle
of locomotion. The economy in the cost of working this machine is
therefore evident.
The framework of the machine consists of a system of sticks, rods, or
canes, retained in their curvilinear, straight, or other required form by
means of tension ties, thereby obtaining the required strength of
resistance at the outer extremities or ends, or other necessary parts of
the sticks, rods, or canes, at whatever position, or angle, or obliquity,
the respective resistances may be required.
The resisting surface of the machine may consist of any material in
use best calculated for lightness and strength, and the said surface may
be further strengthened by means of a net, which may be either fixed
over the surface or be loose and independent. The fastenings which
secure the surface to the frames are so arranged that the surface may
be reefed or reduced in order if found necessary to adapt the extent of
resistance to the varying force of the wind.
The car to carry the aeronaut, or aeronauts, or passengers, or objects,
may be constructed of such form that it is adapted for descent on water
or land, and of any suitable materials, and if necessary may be provided
with moveable or fixed shields to protect the occupants from any incon-
venience, which would otherwise be caused by wind; an opening or trap
door may be arranged in the bottom for entrance or exit. Any tele-
graphic or other means of communication may be applied for conveying
information from the machine to the earth, or from the earth to the
machine.
A swivel or revolving connection is placed at the point where the

page_text: retention cable is attached to the machine to prevent the machine from
revolving, at the same time allowing the cable to revolve or twist if it
be found liable to do so.
The retention cable is of sufficient strength, but so that it will break
before the wind will exert a force over the entire resisting surface of the
machine sufficient to tear or rend it in order to ensure the descent with
the entire surface of resistance. The test of relative strength between
the resisting power of the surface and that of the cable may be accom-
plished by loading the surface, or a portion of the surface of the fabric
with weights in the form of sand, water, or any other adaptable process,
and then applying nearly the same weight to the cable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Joseph Simmons in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th January 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
SIMMONS, of Regent Street, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Simmons, Her special licence
that I, the said Joseph Simmons, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Simmons, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
" IMPROVED
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING OR CARRYING HUMAN BEINGS OR OBJECTS
INTO MID AIR," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Joseph Simmons, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the

page_text: same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Simmons, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of illustrativo Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
:-
This Invention has for its object the construction and working of a
machine which will convey or carry into the air a human being or
human beings, lights, beacons, or other adaptations, for signalling,
reconpoitring, surveying, or other purposes by the pressure of wind
upon its surface, with or without the employment or assistance of any
other means of obtaining force.
A general view of the machine of a square or rectangular form is
shewn in Fig. 1, and represents the machine afloat in mid air and
bearing the car.
The machine may also be constructed in other than rectangular forms,
but in all cases it is considered essential to provide for retaining in as nearly
a rigid position as possible the outer points of the machine by means of
a pole or poles in or near the centre of force which will receive the
thrust or tension. These thrust poles may be placed as shewn, or they
may radiate from a socket. The machine can be held captive by a
metallic or other cord or cable attached to a swivel so arranged that the
centre of force or resistance shall be fixed or self adjusting in order to
keep the machine in the air at the required angle, obliquity, or position,
and so that the weight may be at once transferred into a position central
to the surface of resistance in the event of the cord or cable breaking
by which it is held captive, the machine will then descend with its
occupant or occupants safely to the earth.
The lower extremity of the cord by which the machine is held captive
is attached to a crab or windlass, or any other means of shortening or
lengthening the distance between the machine and the earth or point
of retention; and this means of shortening or lengthening the distance
between the machine and the earth or point of retention may be carried
upon any vehicle of locomotion, or by persons trained to the work.
The economy in the cost of working this machine is therefore evident.

page_text: Fig. 2 is a plan of one half; and Figs. 3 and 4 are half sectious, and
shew the framework of the machine, which consists of a system of sticks,
rods, or canes, retained in their curvilinear, straight, or other required
form by means of tension ties, thereby obtaining the required strength
of resistance at the outer extremities or ends, or other necessary parts
of the sticks, rods, or canes, at whatever position, or angle, or obliquity,
the respective resistances may be required.
Fig. 5 shews one mode of attaching or connecting the rods, but
other forms, such as screwed ferrules, may also be used. For positions
of these see a, a, a, Figs. 2, 3, and 4. Fig. 6 represents one mode of
connecting the tension tics with the rods. This fastening may also be
accomplished by means of the ordinary snap hook, or any adaptable
form of screw. The novelty in the fastening shewn in Fig. 6 consists
in the introduction of a knob fixed on the end of the tension tie, and
while forming an abutment or stop for the end of the tension tic it is
also an expeditious and effective means of preventing the tension tie
from untwisting or ravelling. For positions of these connections see
a, a, a, and b, b, b, Figs. 2, 3, and 4.
Figure 7 shews the form of ring to be used for the central or main
poles to which the tensions are fastened, as shewn by Fig. 6.
Figure 8 shews a swivel or revolving connection with pulley, which is
placed at the point where the retention cable is attached to the machine
to prevent the machine from revolving, at the same time allowing the
cable to revolve or twist if it be found liable to do so. The pulley is
connected with the swivel, and may be used if necessary to facilitate
the adjustment of the weight or aeronaut under the machine.
In Fig. 9 is represented a label, which is the mode of numbering the
tensions for reference in order to facilitate the means of finding their
relative positions. This label may be made of gutta percha or any other
suitable substance.
O, Fig. 10, shews a means of keeping apart the guy ropes in order
to prevent their interfereing with or twisting into each other. The
opening or vent in the sail at D, E, Fig. 3, may be increased or decreased
in its dimensions by reefing or reducing the sail along the lines F, G, G,
or H, J, Figure 2.
The resisting surface of the machine may consist of any material
in use best calculated for lightness and strength, and the said surface

page_text: may be further strengthened by means of a net, which may be either
fixed over the surface or be loose and independent. The fastenings
which secure the surface to the frames are so arranged that the surface
may be reefed or reduced in order if found necessary to adapt the extent
of resistance to the varying force of the wind.
The car to carry the aeronaut, or aeronauts, or passengers, or objects,
may be constructed of any suitable materials, and the form of the car
is such that it is adapted for descent on land or water, and if necessary
may be provided with moveable or fixed shields to protect the occupants
from any inconvenience, which would otherwise be caused by wind; an
opening or trap door may be arranged in the bottom for entrance or
exit, and protection from the firing of shot may be insured by means of
lining of wool, or paper maché, or india-rubber. Any telegraphic or
other means of communication may be applied for conveying informa-
tion from the machine to the earth, or from the earth to the machine.
The retention cable is of sufficient strength, but so that it will break
before the wind will exert a force over the entire resisting surface of the
machine sufficient to tear or rend it, in order to ensure the descent with
the entire surface of resistance. The test of relative strength between
the resisting power of the surface and that of the cable may be accom-
plished by loading the surface, or a portion of the surface of the fabric
with weights in the form of sand, water, or any other adaptable process,
and then applying nearly the same weight to the cable.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention
I claim, the improved means and apparatus for conveying or carrying
human being or objects into mid air, as herein described and shewn by
the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Simmons, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.