IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT John Morrison Hunter. of Morristown, in the
State of New Jersey, United States of America, but now residing at
Norfolk Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Doctor of
Medicine, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING
State of New Jersey, United States of America, but now residing at
Norfolk Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Doctor of
Medicine, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING
ALRIAL PROPULSION.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John
Morrison
Hunter at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 29th August 1868.
1, JOHN MORRISON HUNTER, of Morristown, in the State of New
Jersey, United States of America, but now residing at Norfolk Street,
Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Doctor of Medicine, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
EFFECTING AERIAL PROPULSION" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the sustaining in and propulsion through
the air of a vessel (having by preference a pointed egg-shaped form) by
the action of a motive power generated and applied in the following
manner: The vessel which is open at top to admit light and air, and

page_text: which may be of any desired capacity, I fit with a generator composed
of light steel tubes set horizontally in a furnace with their ends
extending beyond the front and rear thereof. These horizontal tubes
are arranged in groups in vertical parallel lines, and into certain of these
groups water or liquid hydrocarbon is discharged in regulated quantities,
where under the heat of the furnace it is vaporized, and the vapor thus
formed is conducted into the other groups of pipes to be superheated
or decomposed into permanent combustible gases. The combustible gas
or vapor thus formed when burned or exploded constitutes the motive
power employed for sustaining and propelling the egg-shaped vessel.
The gas and vapor when compressed acts with a force due to such
compression in addition to the explosive force of the same when or
after admixture with atmospheric air it is ignited; when used without
compression the power obtained is simply due to combustion. The
force thus produced is applied through or at the ends of jet pipes,
which may either be of a fixed or revolving character. Thus the jet
pipes may be arranged at the periphery or ends of spiral fans or
propellers mounted on hollow shafts fitted to the floating vessel, and
brought into connection with the gas-generating apparatus.
The pro-
pellers or the jets employed may be placed either vertically, horizontally,
or at some angle between such positions. If horizontally, the elevating
power will depend entirely upon the action of fans on the air; if
vertically, it will be the direct action of the jets on the air and not of
fans, and in which case the fan propellers may be dispensed with; or
if at some intermediate angle, then, the elevating power will depend
partly upon the action of fans and partly upon a direct upward force
or pressure of the gas as against the air. The gas as it is generated
passes to the hollow shafts carrying the propellers, and thence through
pipes in the hollow arms of the propellers to jet orifices or nozzles at
the ends of the pipes, or at any point between the axis and periphery,
depending upon whether more or less power or velocity may be required,
the object being that pressure on the backs of the nozzles shall produce
rotation of the fans or vanes to elevate and propel the machine in a
suitable direction. Connected with the furnace chimney is a pipe that
is extended by branches to form a junction with tubes which enclose
the gas tubes before mentioned, and form the arms of the rotating vanes
or propellers. These hollow arms, which are open at their extremities
to the atmosphere, after the machine is in motion, serve to convey, away
the products of combustion, and to create, as the vanes are rotated, a

page_text: suction or draft, the same acting in concert with a canvas or other
suitable outer case or envelope to the rear portion of the vessel, and
which as the machine travels causes the air in front, and that otherwise
offers a resistance to travel to be forced into the outer case or envelope,
and conveyed from thence by a pipe to the furnace of the generator.
In this way both blast and suction are produced by the machine in
motion to keep up the action of the generator. Combustion for pro-
ducing heat in the generator is started by burning some liquid hydro-
carbon in the furnace, and it is maintained by gases produced and
conveyed to the furnace by a pipe entering near the blast pipe, and below
a grate formed of bars placed so close together that the ignited gases
cannot pass back and ignite the gas below the grate. In rear of each
nozzle is a bell-mouthed air conductor that as the vanes rotate causes
the atmospheric air to be forced inwards through it so as to mingle with
the combustible gas escaping from the nozzle, which gas thus mixed
may be ignited at or in front of the nozzle by spongy platinum or
otherwise to produce the necessary rotary action to the fans or vanes.
By varying the form of the nozzle and the air conductor a concentrated
action may be given to the air and gas at their escape, or a diffused
action, and by means of an adjustable valve the amount of gas issued
from the ends of the vanes may be regulated. The outer horizontal
vanes, of which there may be any suitable number, one in advance of
the other in front and rear of the vessel, it is preferred to construct so
that they may be unshipped. Horizontal telescopic pipes are used to
Support the sockets which carry the vertical hollow shafts of the front
and rear propellers; these pipes may be drawn or shut in after the
fashion of a telescope when desired. This construction is not only
desirable for the sake of compactness when transporting the machine,
but in case of the latter falling into water it admits of the vertical fans
or vanes being used as propellers without the incumbrance or hindrance
of the vertical vanes or their inconvenient protrusion.
To economise power it is proposed to employ the gravitation of the
earth as a means to propel the machine and to modify. the raising and
lowering of the apparatus. For this purpose an inclined plane or planes
are to be applied thereto, which should be capable of adjustment. These
planes, besides serving the purpose of the tail of the bird for determining
the inclination of the ascent and descent, will, as the wings of the
hird when not in motion, serve as a parachute to sustain the apparatus,
and propel it horizontally by the gravitation of the earth, and thus save

page_text: power. To the centre of the vessel a vertical sliding rod is applied
which projects through the bottom of the vessel, and is fitted with a
flexible weight that serves the office of ballast to maintain the verticality
of the apparatus.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said John
Morrison Hunter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
March 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MORRISON HUNTER, of Morristown, in the State of New Jersey, United
States of America, but now residing at Norfolk Street, Strand, in the
County of Middlesex, Doctor of Medicine, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Morrison Hunter,
Her special licence that I, the said John Morrison Hunter, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Morrison Hunter, 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 Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING AERIAL
PROPULSION." upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Morrison Hunter, 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
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office on or before the
Twentieth day of March, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, said John Morrison. Hunter, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings forming a part of this Specification
My Invention relates to the sustaining in and propulsion through
the air of a vessel, having by preference an ovoid form, by the action
of a motive power generated and applied in the manner herein-after
described. This power may in brief be described as a multiplied rocket
power rendered continuous and subject to control and applied (in con-
nection with incline planes) to raise the said vessel in the air after
the manner of a kite and after elevation to propel it in a horizontal
direction. The machine may also be caused to travel on a long line
of declination with the use of no other power than that of gravitation.
To produce the rocket power. I avail myself of the highly explosive
character of the gaseous hydrocarbons when mixed with atmospheric
air, and which hydrocarbons in fluid or solid form are to be had from
various sources, but it is my design to employ that variety of them
which is derived from the earth in such abundance in the United States
of America and in other parts of the world, thus supplying a source
of power at once both cheap and effective. The aforesaid material is
converted into permanent gas at a high temperature and pressure, in
which condition it issues from the rocket jets, which when of a conical
form convert it into a conical sheet, then mixing with the atmospheric
air it is ignited by an electric spark or by spongy platina or otherwise,
and thus acting, with a continuous explosive force upon an extensive
surface of the atmosphere it reacts proportionately to elevate the
machine. Instead of or in combination with the hydrocarbons the
products of decomposed steam may be used as hydrogen and carbonic
oxide, which are generated by passing steam over carbon at a high
temperature. In flight, as in locomotion upon land, the chief expenditure
of power is in the act of overcoming inertia and gravity in starting the
machine, as may be observed in the rocket and also in the flight of
birds, many of whom are obliged to run a considerable distance and
exert much effort in rising, but when once on the wing proceed with
so little difficulty that they appear scarcely to use any power at all,
and often in fact do not use any other than the gravitation of the
earth as a means of sailing long distances on their spread wings. I
therefore propose to run the machine down an inclined plane, thus
getting the force of its own weight and velocity acting upon the

page_text: extended surface of its spread wings to aid in its elevation together
with the aforesaid multiplied rocket power.
My Invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the
parts of the apparatus whereby the same is rendered strong and light
and is otherwise adapted to the purpose of aerial navigation according
to the method above set forth, in the peculiar construction and arrange-
ment of the gas or vapour generator and reservoir, and in the means
whereby the gas or vapour is applied to the elevation, support, propulsion,
and guidance of the machine in or through the atmosphere either by
the direct action of the said gas issuing in jets into the atmosphere
or by the intervention of propellers caused to rotate by the action of
such gas.
is
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure is a plan of the top of my improved apparatus; Figure 2
a transverse section, and Figure 3a longitudinal section of the
same Figure 4 is a side elevation of a modification of my Invention
wherein the apparatus is constructed of a series of vessels connected
by a bridge; Figure 5 is a plan shewing more clearly the details of
construction and arrangement of the parts of my apparatus with
modifications of some of such parts; Figure 6 is a longitudinal section
on the line a, 2, Figure 5; Figure 7 a transverse section on the
line y, y, Figure 5; and Figure 8 an end view of the said apparatus;
Figures 8 and 8h are detached views illustrating the means for elevating
the apparatus according to one modification of my Invention; Figure 9
is a longitudinal section of the power generator employed in my
apparatus; Figure 10 is an end view thereof; Figure 11 is a transverse
section in the line ', a', Figure 9; Figure 12 is a section through
one of the generator tubes drawn to an enlarged scale; Figures 13 and 14
illustrate the construction of the jet nozzles; Figure 15 illustrates
another modification of part of my Invention; Figures 16 and 17 are
a longitudinal and transverse section on an enlarged scale on the
lines y, y, and z, z, Figure 15. Like letters refer to the same parts
throughout the Drawings.
The ovoid vessel A should be a sea boat of the best construction
for lightness and strength (and until the metal aluminium may be
had at a sufficiently small cost) probably would be best made of copper
having a light frame of angle iron within.

page_text: The coils a, Figures 1 and 2, of copper tubing form the reservoir for
the gases to be used in elevating and driving the apparatus; b is a
set of steel spring legs (of which there should be several sets) and
to which are attached the wheels c; these serve not only to facilitate
the moving of the apparatus over. the ground, but by their elasticity
they diminish the force of contact with the earth in case of accident
or bad management in making the descent. The said wheels also either
in grooves or on rails or otherwise will convey the apparatus when
running down the inclined planes. A hollow telescopic shaft d serves
both to convey gases to the rocket jets e and also as the attachment
of wings and support of the apparatus on the said wings, the jointed
construction of whose frames allow the same to be drawn in and
the wings closed in case of landing or coming down into the seat.
Strong guys are provided to support the vessel and to diminish strain
on the shaft. The brackets j serve to attach to the vessel the portion h
of the wings which cannot be moved to an inclination on the shaft
for ascent or descent. This part which is preferably made of wire cloth
covered with canvas may in the arrangement shown in Figure 1 be
used as an upper deck, and should be surrounded with a wire railing h'.
The wings which are susceptible of movement to an inclination upon
the shaft and by which the apparatus is elevated in the atmosphere
when driven by the horizontal rocket jets k or by propellers shewn
in Figures 7, 8, 9, also act as a parachute together with vertical rocket
jets e if necessary to allow the descent to be made with perfect safety."
These wings are fixed at any desired angle by means of the quadrants i
shown in Figures 5, 6, and S. The vessel A is fitted with a generator
(shown detached in Figures 9, 10, 11) composed mainly of light metal
tubes set either horizontally or vertically in a furnace with their
ends extending beyond the front and rear thereof, which tubes are
arranged in groups in parallel lines. Into certain of these groups liquid
hydrocarbon or water is discharged as may be required in regulated
quantities at the upper side of the end of the tubes by means of tubes
and valves also shewn in Figures 9, 10, 11. The oil or other material
is introduced into the funnel m from which by the upper valve m'
it passes into the globular receiver m²; the said upper valve is then
closed and the lower valve m³ opened, by which means the generator
is continuously supplied however great the pressure may be within
the same, then by means of curved strips m' (shewn enlarged in
Figure 12) the liquid is caused to pass around the sides of the tubes

page_text: and is immediately converted by the intense heat into gas or vapor
which passes out through the upper side of the tubes at the opposite
end and is collected in the receiver m². By this arrangement the
ends of the tubes are left clear and are closed by screw caps which
may be removed for cleaning or other purposes, but as some portion
of vapor may still have failed to be converted into permanent gas,
and in order to obtain as high a pressure as possible, I pass these
gases and vapors again through the furnace by the set of parallel tubes
to the receiver m immediately adjoining the funnel m. From this
receiver these highly heated and compressed gases pass to the rocket
jets, a portion however being drawn off by the tube n to maintain the
combustion in the furnace.
The combustion for producing heat in the generator is commenced by
burning oil or other heat-producing material, and then maintained by
the gases as above stated combined with air in the chamber below
the grate bars, which air may be introduced as a blast in the following
manner-It will be observed by referring to Figure 6 that the ovoid
vessel A at the place of its greatest diameter is encircled by a trumpet-
shaped mouth o which catches the air compressed at the forward surface
of the apparatus by its movement and conveys it under a canvas or
other suitable outer case or envelope to the rear portion of the vessel,
and thus causes the air in front (that otherwise would offer to the motion
of the apparatus a resistance in proportion to the square of its velocity)
to be forced into this envelope and conveyed therefrom by a pipe o'
to the furnace of the generator and thus greatly to increase the power.
Connected with the furnace chimney is a pipe, which when the
damper of the said chimney is closed serves to convey away the products
of combustion by a powerful draught or current produced by means
herein-after described and which acts in concert with the blast arrange-
ments described. This draught may be obtained when the apparatus is
at rest, accumulating power in its coiled tubular gasometer or reservoir
a preparatory to a start, but when in motion both the blast and draught
are produced to keep up the action of the generator. This action,
however may be obtained without the use of either the draught or blast
as in other furnaces, and for this purpose a small door with a tight
joint is supplied to the air chamber, which door may be opened to admit
the external air; there is also a similar but larger door above. The
grate is formed of bars placed so closed together that the ignited gases

page_text: above cannot pass back and ignite the gases below the bars. These bars
may be made either of iron or of some fire-resisting material such as
black-lead composition, but if of such material a sheet of thin iron must
intervene between each of them. A perforated plate composed of the
same material as represented by dotted lines F, Figure 3, is also placed
between the fire and the tubes, which plate serves to screen the portion
of the tubing directly over the furnace and protect it from the intense
heat, and also to diffuse the heat more equally throughout the generator.
The shell of the generator and also the tubing within it may be screened
by a covering of the same material. When water is used the tubes
should contain coke or other suitable carbonaceous material. In
Figure 3 I have also clearly shown the coil of tubing a forming the
reservoir with which the shell of the vessel A is lined, and which may
be regarded as an extension of the tubing of the generator.
The com-
bustible gas thus formed and stored when burned or exploded constitutes
the motive power employed for propelling my aerial vessel through the
air and also (in combination with the other means described) for
elevating and sustaining the same in the air. The force thus produced
is applied through and at the ends of the jet pipes, which may be either
of a fixed character as represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, or of a
In
revolving character as represented in Figures 6, 7, 8, 82, and 8".
the latter case the jets are arranged at the periphery or ends of the spiral
fans or propellers p or at any point between the centre and periphery
of the same. The propellers have tubular arms through which the
gas passes to the jets from the gas generating apparatus 1, and by means
of the mechanical devices represented the propellers ? while in rotary
motion are continuously supplied with the gas. One arrangement of
these devices is represented in Figure 6, and consists of an outer
cylindrical part q (which is moveable and to which the arms of the
propellers are attached) and of an inner cylindrical part q' which is
fixed and encircled at the centre by an air chamber q.
The gases
are introduced into this chamber from the generator through the
pipe, and are supplied continuously therefrom through the hollow
arms of the propellers to the rocket jets k during the revolution of
the end propellers. Each end of the said inner cylinder is encircled by
a spring packing which renders it gas tight. An outer case or tubing
through which the hollow shaft and arms of the propellers pass serves
as a flue to convey from the furnace the products of combustion to the
rocket jets.
By the rapid revolution of these propellers and by the

page_text: forcible issue of the gases from the rocket jets a powerful draught is
produced to increase the action of combustion in the generator in con-
cert with the blast herein-before described.
In Figure S I have illustrated an arrangement of the propellers for
elevating the apparatus. p is a conical core which is encircled by an
air chamber, p. Openings p extend through the cover into the bore of
the hollow shaft *. The said core revolves in a jacket 2 which is
made to fit gas-tight and which may have packing boxes at the ends.
Through this jacket the pipe which conducts the gas from the generator
opens into the air chamber the said jacket is securely connected to the
vessel by iron rods p. The gas issuing from the jets at the
peripheries or other suitable portion of these propellers causes them to
revolve, and the apparatus is thereby elevated and supported in the
atmosphere. Figure 8 shows the method of carrying clevating
propellers beyond the ends of the vessel A. The steering of the vessel
is accomplished by a method of working the propelling apparatus, rods
s, s', having screws cut on their ends are worked forward and back by
hand wheels in a pilot house t from which the said rods extend to the
end of the vessel; one of these rods s fore and aft is attached to a valve
which regulates the supply of gas to the propeller, and the other s
branching into a fork is attached to each side of a ring s* which varies
the position of the rocket jet of. the propeller and determines the
direction of rotation of the said propeller. A cover with sloping sides
above and below surrounds the jet and is attached to the rod s. This
rod and frame are moved up or down against the sloping side of the
jet, and the same is turned to the right or to the left, as the case may
be, is varied as follows:-The rods s extend to the ring s which can
be slipped forward and back on the outer moveable cylinder q heretofore
described. The ring. s is fitted in a groove in this ring, but does not
revolve with it; the forked rod s being attached to this ring s will
draw. both rings back or force them forward while the propellers are
revolving, and this adjustment of the aforesaid rods and frames varies
the position of the rocket jets of the propellers. Now if the forward
propeller is turned to the right, while the one aft is turned to the left, or
vice versa, the apparatus will turn as about a central axis, and accord-
ing to the extent of variation between these two propellers so is the
vessel steered to the right or to the left, the direction upward or down-
ward being governed by regulating the inclination of the wings i to
such an angle as may be required. In steering by the fixed rocket jets

page_text: at each end of the vessel A one rod is attached to the valve of the
jets at the right and the other to the valve of the jets at the left of the
vessel, and according as more power is applied to one side than to the
other so the direction varies to the right or to the left. The greater part of
the weight of the vessel being below the position where the lifting and
supporting power is applied and the wings on which the said vessel rests,
it is not probable that any other provision for balancing will be required,
but if needed a telescopic rod u, represented in Figures 2 and 7, may
be extended from the bottom of the vessel, and through it a line may
run out to any extent required acting by its leverage as an equipoise
to the apparatus in the same manner as the tail of a kite.
The jet
nozzles may be either as shown in Figure 14, or of any ordinary
character, but I prefer to make them as shewn in Figure 13. The
said rocket jet is conical and has a cap 1 which screws upon the pro-
jecting core 2 and acts as a valve to determine the amount of gas which
issues from it. In the centre of this cap and projecting into the core
is a set screw 3 whereby the cap is fixed at the required point. This
screw also serves together with the hold of cap on the outside of the
core to prevent its being blown off by the force of the gas and also to
prevent any escape of gas. At the point where this screw passes through
the cap is a stuffing box 4, through which the screw works; holes 5 are
provided through which the gases pass to the conical valvular part. At
the rear of cach nozzle is a bell-mouthed air conductor 6 which as the
vanes rotate causes the air to be forced inward through it so as to
mingle with the combustible gases escaping from the nozzle, the direc-
tion of the air and gas being indicated by two arrows 9.
The gases
when thus mixed with atmospheric air become explosive and are ignited
at the exterior of the apparatus, but when not mixed with air, as in the
generator, the said gases have no greater explosive force than that due
to their compression. The tubing of which the generator is composed
though light has ample strength to resist the great pressure maintained
therein. The gases when compressed act with a force due to such
compression in addition to the explosive force of the gas, when after
admixture with atmospheric air it is ignited and its power will be still
further increased by the leverage due to the position of the jets at the
extremities of the arms of the fan propellers.
The flue which conveys
the products of combustion is closed at 7, and these gases are carried
off by a side flue, the arrow 10 showing the direction of the draft to the
front of the jet nozzle. Instead of the single ovoid vessel A two or

page_text: more vessels A', Figure 1, may be used, such vessels being arranged end
to end and connected by a cylindrical shaft or a strong and light bridge
v, to which may be also attached a saloon vessel A² for conveying
passengers, mails, or merchandize.
Midway between the motor vessels
A', and saloon vessel A, and entirely separate from either, may be
suspended reservoirs w of hydrocarbon liquid which may be elevated or
lowered by stout suitable tackling w', and pumped up as required
through a stout flexible tubing made of canvas and india-rubber, see
Figure 4.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Morrison Hunter, have here-
unto set my hands and seal, this Fifteenth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
JOHN MORRISON HUNTER. (L.S.)