Improvements in Air-ships.
Year: 1891

page_text: Improvements in Air-ships.
A communication from Dr. ARTHUR DE BAUSSET, of Chicago, Illinois, United
States of America.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., 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 improvement relates to an air-ship in which the force of gravitation is
designed to be overcome and the necessary ascensional force acquired by creating a
more or less complete vacuum in a vessel, of such a size as to displace a quantity of
air of greater weight than the weight of the vessel and appurtenances and having
connected with it a car, or the like, for the accommodation of passengers and
freight.
This improvement relates particularly to the construction of the vessel, in which
to create the vacuum necessary to afford the ascensional force, whereby it shall. be
rendered sufficiently strong to prevent it from collapsing; and it relates also to
details other than those employed in the construction of the shell and which are
hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an air-ship of this improved construction;
Figure 2, a vertical cross-section taken on the line
a system of braces within a hollow cylindrical metal body;
of Figure 1 and showing
Figure 3, a side elevation showing different inclinations which the hollow body
may be caused to assume while in the air;
Figure 4, a detail view of the car showing a guide-rope, drum, and rollers
instrumental in causing inclination of the hollow body while the ship is in the air:
Figure 5, a broken plan view of the car;
Figure 6, a side elevation of a propeller and showing gates or valves for
controlling outlets leading from the housing covering the propeller;
Figure 7, a longitudinal broken section of the hollow body showing, in elevation,
the construction of circumferential bracing by ribs :
Figure 8, a perspective view of a detail of the frame-work of the hollow body;
Figure 9, a cross-section through a portion of the hollow body larger than
illustrated in Figure 5, the more clearly to show details of construction;
Figure 10, a detail view showing the means for connecting the car to the hollow
body;
Figure. 11, a similar view showing in side elevation three of the bars connecting
the car with the hollow body and indicating, by dotted lines, positions assumed by
the bars in changing the position of the hollow body with relation to the car;
Figure 12, a broken sectional view of a tapering end of the hollow body:
Figure 13, a sectional view showing the hollow braces or ribs bearing against the
inner surface of the shell of the hollow body;
Figure 14, a broken perspective view showing details of construction;
Figure 15, a sectional view illustrating the adjustment of the circumferential
hollow flanged braces in the frame-work of the hollow body; and
Figure 16, a broken perspective view, showing an end of one of the hollow
flanged ribs or braces.
A represents a hollow metallic body having the form of a cylinder with tapering
ends.
The hollow body A comprises a frame-work, the details of which are hereinafter

page_text: described, and a shell, a, on the frame-work, composed of sheet metal, preferably
cold rolled steel, the frame-work and shell being properly braced, as hereinafter
explained, to sustain the hollow body and enable it, when exhausted of air, to resist
the external atmospheric pressure..
To reduce the weight of the ship to the minimum consistent with the necessary
strength, I employ for the shell a thin steel plates, preferably of American gauge
No. 25, having found by careful tests, that steel of this thickness will withstand a
pressure much stronger than that of the atmosphere..
The tapering ends a' tend to reduce the resistance to the hollow body in its
passage through the air.
A rod, a², projects beyond each tapering end a, having a spring, a³, confined
around it inside the part a', as shown in Figure 12, and provided with a socket, a',
in its inner extremity. The spring renders the rod ² yielding, so that, should the
vessel come into contact, at its end, with any body, the force of the blow will be
broken, thereby tending to prevent injury to the air-ship."
"The hollow metallic body may be of any desired size, provided it be sufficiently
large to displace the necessary quantity of air to enable it to rise, when exhausted,
more or less completely, of its atmospheric contents; but I prefer to make it about
738 feet long, because it is found, by careful and accurate calculation, that when
made of this length and of proper diameter (about 144 feet), being suitably
strengthened, as hereinafter described, it will displace a quantity of air very much
exceeding that required to be displaced to enable it to rise with all necessary
appurtenances.
To form the hollow body A 1 employ a number of frames, C, composed of angle
steel and provided on each horizontal or approximately horizontal flange with a
series of holes, 4, to receive bolts or rivets, which serve to secure to the frames the
sections of the shell a, which is composed of steel plates riveted together; and on
each vertical, or approximately vertical, flange with a series of holes c', to receive
bolts which serve to secure the different frames C together. Rubber should be
interposed between the contiguous surfaces of the frames to produce air-tight
junction thereof. The general contour of each of the frames C in cross-section is
that of a quadrant, this requiring four of the frames to compose a cylindrical
section of the hollow body, which I prefer to form of three such sections, thereby
producing the entire hollow body with five sections including those affording the
tapering or conical ends a', which are built out from the ends of the cylinder.
For strengthening purposes I provide a series of braces so arranged that but a
small portion of the inner surface of the shell is unsupported at any place, and the
bracing construction involves the circumferential hollow flanged ribs, hereinafter
described, and other bracing mechanism preferably constructed as shown.
A rod, D, which should, for the sake of lightness, be tubular, extends through
the entire length of the cylinder, entering, at its opposite ends, the sockets a' in the
rods, the sockets being sufficiently long to permit some longitudinal play to the
rods a², and also to the rod D to allow for any expansion thereof. Between
(preferably midway) the sides of each frame C is supported a T-rail, E, extending
longitudinally of the frame and having a flange extending toward the interior of the
cylinder at which are fastened, by Bolting them, the bifurcated or split ends of
braces d, which embrace the said flange, the opposite ends of the braces d, which
should likewise be bifurcated, extending to the bar or tube D, which should be in
the center of the cylinder, and being secured by bolts to flanges d', provided on the
bar or tube D; and between the latter and the frame-work the braces d may be
tied together by means of wire braces or ties, a², which are stretched taut, and may
be further strengthened by providing them with sleeves, d³, placed at suitable
distances apart on each brace which they tightly inclose.
To further brace the shella I provide braces, d, each being concavo-convex, and
thus hollow and provided with lateral flanges, as shown in Figure 13, and each of
which should extend around one-eighth of the inner circumference, between one
side of a frame C and the adjacent side of a rail E, being provided throughout the

page_text: cylinder, preferably at equal intervals of about eight inches, thus leaving at no part
of the circumference of the shell a surface of greater width than eight inches which
is not directly supported. When the shell is in position on the frame-work the
flanges of the hollow braces d bear directly against its inner surface, as indicated
in Figure 13; and as they are firmly supported at their ends against the frames C
and rails E, they brace the shell in the direction of its circumference against
collapse or crushing strain.
One wing, F, is placed at each side of the cylinder and inclined downward to an
angle of about forty-five degrees, so that its lower end comes down to about the
same horizontal plane as the diametrical center of the cylinder. These wings are
preferably about as long as the main portion of the cylinder, and about as wide as
one-eighth of its diameter. As above stated, they are secured approximately at
the horizontal center of the cylinder, being made stationary or solid therewith, and
should be fastened thereto so as to leave a narrow space between each and the
cylinder for passage of air, to prevent oscillation.
The wings, being inclined downward to an angle of about forty-five degrees,
offer very little obstruction to the ascent of the ship, and being immovable, their
tendency is to retain the ship in a horizontal position in its passage through the air.
They also serve to regulate and case the descent of the ship, when the ship is
weighted by introducing air into it for the purpose of causing it to descend.
The vacuum may be produced in any ordinary way, but I prefer to produce it
by the use of a pneumatic pump or pneumatic pumps, which may operate to exhaust
all or any desired portion of the air from the cylinder to render the ship lighter
than the air, and cause it to rise. By compression, the cylinder may be charged
with atmospheric air to bring it to the ground and permit its landing whenever
desired.
The pneumatic pump or pneumatic pumps (not shown) are arranged upon the
deck of the car, and connected to the cylinder by means of one or more connecting
pipes C provided at a suitable point with a stop-cock g, whereby the inlet and
outlet of the air to and from the cylinder may be regulated.
Beneath the cylinder is a car L, which serves the purpose of keeping the air-
ship in the proper position in addition to the function of carrying passengers and
freight.
The preferred manner of attaching the car to the cylinder is by means of
hangers N, attached by hinged joints to the cylinder and to the car in order to
allow the independent curvilinear movement of the car. At the point where the
hangers are attached to the cylinder, 1 provide strengthening bars which extend
across the frames C at the lower part of the interior of the cylinder and have their
ends attached to brackets, as shown in Figure 10, to which the hangers are fastened.
In order that the relative positions of the car and the cylinder may be changed at
will, I provide a cable, m, preferably of steel rope, the ends of which are attached
to the shell, and which passes over a drum, m', placed in a suitable position on the
car, and, if desired, also under suitable rollers provided near the ends of the car, as
shown in Figures 4 and 5. By the manipulation of this drum, the inclination
of the cylinder is regulated and the direction in which the ship moves is
governed.
In Figure 6 of the drawings, I have illustrated a propeller or an exhaust fan, H,
and its adjuncts, which are adapted for use in steering the apparatus. The fan may
be driven by any suitable electric motor. The fan H, is encased in a suitable
housing, h, provided with outlets at each end, the outlets being closed by suitable
gates, attached to a pivoted bar arranged above the top of the casing, the
arrangement being such that when one gate is opened, the other is closed.
jecting from each side of the main portion of the main casing are pipes or outlets ³
which are connected to the central portion of the casing by flexible joints permitting
them to be shifted in order to discharge the air from the fan in any desired
direction for the purposes of effecting the steering of the air-ship.
Pro-
In order to make it clear that the entire weight of the structure is less than that

page_text: a shell supported by internal frame-work and reinforced, circumferentially, by
hollow flanged braces bearing against the inner surface of the shell, and, diametrically,
by braces secured to the frame-work, substantially as described.
3-In an air-ship a hollow metal body of a size which will cause it to displace a
quantity of air of greater weight than its own weight and that of appurtenances and
having a shell supported by internal frame-work and reinforced circumferentially
by hollow flanged braces bearing against the inner surface of the shell, a rod in the
shell, and radial braces extending from the rod to the frame-work, substantially as
described.
4-In an air-ship a hollow cylindrical metal body of a size which will cause it to
displace a quantity of air of greater weight than its own weight and that of
appurtenances and having a frame-work formed with frames, C, secured together
and air-tight at the joints, and rails, E, secured to and extending longitudinally of
the frames C between the sides thereof, a shell, a, formed of metal plates secured
together and to the frame-work, hollow braces, d, extending circumferentially
between the rails E and sides of the frames C and bearing against the inner surface
of the shell a, a rod, D, extending longitudinally in the cylinder, and radial
braces, d, between the rod D and frame-work, substantially as described.
5-In an air-ship a hollow cylindrical metal body of a size which will cause it to
displace a quantity of air of greater weight than its own weight and that of
appurtenances, and having a frame-work formed with frames C, secured together
and air-tight at the joints and rails, E, secured to and extending longitudinally of
the frames C between the sides thereof, a shell, a, formed of metal plates secured
together and to the frame-work, hollow braces, d³. extending circumferentially
between the rails E and sides of the frames C and bearing against the inner surface
of the shell a, a rod, D, extending longitudinally in the cylinder, and radial
braces, d, between the rod D and frame-work, and tied together from one to
another around the interior of the cylinder between the said rod and frame-work,
substantially as described.
6-In an air-ship, a hollow cylindrical metal body of a size which will cause it to
displace a quantity of air of greater weight than its own weight and that of
appurtenances and supported by internal frame-work and reinforced circum-
ferentially by hollow flanged braces bearing against the inner surface of the shell,
and having tapering ends extending from its opposite extremities, substantially as
described.
7-In an air-ship, a metallic cylinder, A, supported by internal frame-work and
reinforced circumferentially by hollow flanged braces bearing against the inner
surface of the shell and having tapering ends, a', extending from its opposite
extremities, and rods, a², extending through the extremities of the tapering ends
and yieldingly supported therein, substantially as described.
8-In an air-ship, a metallic cylinder, A, supported by internal frame-work and
reinforced circumferentially by hollow flanged braces bearing against the inner
surface of the shell and having tapering ends, a', extending from its opposite
extremities, and wings, F, extending obliquely from opposite sides of the cylinder,
substantially as described.
9 In an air-ship, the combination with the hollow metal body A, of a car, L,
supported from the shell by hangers, H, connected with the shell and car by flexiblé
joints, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
10 In an air-ship, the combination with the hollow metal body A, of a car, L,
supported from the shell by hangers, E, connected with the shell and car by flexiblé
joints, a drum m, on the car, and a cable, m³, passing around the drum and con-
nected at opposite ends with the shell, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.