APPLYING THE ASCENSIONAL FORCE OF BAL- LOONS TO VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Brando Giannetti, of Paris, in the
Empire of France, and of 16, Castle Street, Holborn, London,
for the Invention of "APPLYING THE ASCENSIONAL FORCE OF BAL-
LOONS TO VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES."
Scaled the 3rd November 1853, and dated the 4th May 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jean Brando
Giannetti at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 4th May 1853.
I, JEAN BRANDO GIANNETTI, of Paris, in the Empire of France, and
5 of 16, Castle Street, Holborn, London, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "APPLYING THE ASCENSIONAL FORCE OF BALLOONS
TO VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES" to be as follows; viz. :-
The disposable ascensional force which is afforded by balloons suit-
ably prepared has not hitherto been applied, to my knowledge, to

page_text: clevate in the air certain bodies more or less heavy, such as boats laden
with one or more travellers, &c.
The new applications which I make of this force consist,-
First, to raise from the bottom of the water the most weighty objects,
such as ships, or portions of ships, engulphed in the sea, anchors, diving
bells, and, in general, bodies more or less heavy, which it is desired to
raise from the bottom of the sea.
Secondly, to prevent a ship from foundering. Thus, when a vessel
leaks in consequence of serious injuries, it is evident that it would be
bindered from sinking if, to the tendency which draws it down to the
bottom of the water, force in a contrary direction be opposed by one or
more balloons hastily filled with gas, which I can produce almost
instantly, such as carbonic acid gas, or other suitable gas; hydrogen,
for instance.
Thirdly, to transport heavy bodies resting in water.
It will be understood, that if a heavy object immersed be attached
by means of a cable or rope, and if the other end of the cable or rope
is fixed to a balloon of suitable power, the body or object will be held
suspended, and will be transported by the balloon in a direction leter-
mined by a steam tug, for instance, which should have no other duty
but to push before it a body in equilibrio.
Lastly, the use of balloons for obtaining motive power for stationary
machines by balloons which would be alternately filled and emptied,
and thus would produce an up and down motion.
.SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent 2
filed by the said Jean Brando Giannetti in the Great Seal
Patent Office, on the 4th November 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JEAN BRANDO GIANNETTI, of Paris, in the Empire of France, and of
16, Castle Street, Holborn, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
..Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of May, in the year of

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Jean Brando Giannetti, Her special
licence that the said Jean Brando Giannetti, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Jean Brando
Giannetti, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an In-
vention for "APPLYING THE ASCENSIONAL FORCE OF BALLOONS TO VARIOUS
USEFUL PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Jean Brando Giannetti, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and iminediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jean Brando Giannetti, 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 (that is to say):
My Invention consists in novel applications of balloons immersed in
liquids, in which I use the ascensional force produced by the difference
of density which exists between the gas enclosed in the balloon and
the liquid. The different applications which I make of this force, as
well as those which result from the use of the direct pressure of the
gas, will be described above. As in my Invention I only employ,
generally, balloons immersed in a liquid, I can use, to inflate them,
gas and vapour of a greater density than that of the air, such as car-
bonic acid; these balloons should be filled under the water, and for
this purpose I employ the apparatus shewn upon the drawing annexed.
This apparatus consists of a box with two compartments, A, A',
communicating with each other by means of a cock B; these two

page_text: compartments have each a cock C, C', upon which are fixed two tubes,
by the aid of which the person who directs the operation may introduce
the suitable substances into the two compartments. A fourth cock 1),
serves for putting the compartments in communication with the balloon.
In one of the compartments, at A, is placed some sulphuric acid, and
in the other at A', a carbonate; by putting these two bodies in con-
tact, and opening the cock B, carbonic acid will be produced, which
will fill the balloon fixed to the extremity of the cock D; by the aid of
which, and two tubes fixed upon the cocks C, C', the operator introduces
into the two compartiments the materials suitable for the operation. The
sulphuric acid and the carbonate may be replaced by other materials
capable of furnishing a gas for filling the balloon. I make use of the
ascensional force resulting from balloons thus immersed to bring to
the surface of the water sunken ships, parts of wrecks, diving bells, or
any other objects. For this purpose a diver attaches to the object to
be drawn up one or more empty balloons of a suitable size; and, after
this operation, they are filled by means of the apparatus previously
described. If the number and dimension of the balloons has been
calculated in an efficient manner, the object to be drawn up will be
raised, and the balloons will rise to the surface of the water, and may
then be easily conveyed to any suitable place. This plan inight likewise
he employed to convey all kinds of objects, provided their immersion in
water formed no objection. Balloons filled with air or gas should be
attached to these objects, and then put in motion by means of tugs,
which would only have to overcome the resistance proceeding from the
movement of the material and the balloon in the water. I use the
same balloons to lighten ships, and to facilitate their entry into ports,
rivers, channels, &c.; for this purpose it would only be necessary to
attach round the vessel, and below he line of flotation, a certain
number of balloons, which, filled as before described, or with air, which
could be introduced by means of pumps, will raise the vessel and
lessen its draught of water. To prevent vessels from foundering I
also use the balloons placed inside and outside of the vessel, and
which are quickly filled with carbonic acid; thus the vessel is rendered

page_text: safe from foundering. In whale fishing I also use balloons; I attach
an empty one to each harpoon. This balloon is provided with an appa-
ratus necessary for filling it; this inflation increases whilst the whale,
wounded by the harpoon, loses its strength, and the dimension is so
calculated, that when it is completely inflated it brings the whale to
the surface of the water.
I likewise employ the ascensional force of balloons for producing a
motive power. For this purpose I employ two balloons, carrying at their
lower part rather heavy weights; each of these balloons is alternately
inflated at the bottom of the water, and emptied at its surface; the force
resulting from the descent of the body which each balloon raises to the
surface of the water may be made use of as a motive power. In order
to obtain a continuous motion, one of the balloons is emptied at the
surface, while the other is filling at the bottom of the water. I can
also employ balloons for raising water or other liquids; for this pur-
pose I place in the body of a forcing or suction pump a balloon or
diaphragm of any form whatever, capable of being inflated under the
action of a gas or vapour; this diaphragın or balloon being capable
of being emptied at will, the displacement produced by the inflation of
the balloon will serve in suction pumps to drive out the air from the
body of the pump, and in forcing pumps to raise the water. In these
two arrangements, when the diaphragm or balloon becomes emptied,
the body of the pump will become empty, and a fresh supply of water
to be raised will be introduced. It is evident that the pumps used
should be provided with valves, arranged in the ordinary manner. The
diaphragmns or balloons may be of any form. When carbonic acid is
used, the balloon or diaphragm may be even dispensed with in forcing
pumps; the
gas may be made to act directly on the enclosed surface
in the body of the pump. This gas, not being very soluble, will be dis-
solved in very small quantities.
I do not give drawings to show the arrangement of these pumps, the
above description causing the mode in which they are arranged, and
the principle upon which they are based, to be perfectly understood.

page_text: I claim, 1st, the employment of balloons immersed in a liquid.
2nd, the mode of inflation described.
3rd, the applications which I have described.
'In witness whereof, I, the said Jean Brando Giannetti, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-three.
J. B. GIANNETTI. (L.S.)