IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR AERIAL, SUBMARINE, AND OTHER NAVIGATION
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Wirth, of the Firm of Wirth and Company, Patent
Solicitors, at Frankfort on the Main, in the Empire of Germany, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR
AERIAL, SUBMARINE, AND OTHER NAVIGATION." A communication from
Eduard Goehrung, of Stuttgart, in the Empire of Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Wirth at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th February 1881.
FRANK WIRTH, of the Firm of Wirth and Company, Patent Solicitors, at Frankfort
on the Main, in the Empire of Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF
AND APPARATUS FOR AËRIAL, SUBMARINE, AND OTHER NAVIGATION." [A com-
munication from Eduard Goehrung, of Stuttgart, in the Empire of Germany.]
According to the present Invention apparatus for effecting locomotion in air or
water is constructed as follows:-A framing with platform, which for locomotion
in air is suspended from a balloon, and is provided with buffers at bottom, carries
a horizontal transverse shaft of such a length as to overhang the framing con-
siderably on either side. At about the middle of each overhanging part the shaft
has a bend, both bends being in the same plane; upon the inner and outer ends
of such overhanging parts are mounted discs so as to revolve loosely thereon, the
two discs being consequently made to form an angle with each other corresponding
to the angle of the bend of the shaft. The two discs on each overhanging part
are caused to revolve simultaneously by fixing each of them on a tubular axis
extending respectively over the shaft on each side of the bend, at which point the
two hollow axes are geared together either by toothed bevil gear or by other
known means, so that by imparting motion to the one such motion will also be
imparted to the other at an angle corresponding to the bend of the shaft. The
said discs carry radial arms extending some distance, and to the outer parts of these
arms are attached flexible or jointed vanes or blades, that is to say, each blade or
vane is connected on the one side to an arm of the inner disc and on the other side
[Price 6d1

page_text: to an opposite arm of the outer disc. From this arrangement it will be seen that
as the two discs with their arms and vanes are rotated simultaneously the opposite
arms will by reason of the angular position of the discs be caused alternately to
approach each other at an angle during one half of a revolution, and to move away
from each other during the other half revolution. In consequence of this motion
the flexible or jointed blades or vanes will be gradually folded together between
. the arms during the one half revolution, and become gradually distended during
the other half, so that by thus causing the more or less distended vanes to act
against the air or water during the one half revolution, propulsion in a corre-
sponding direction will be effected. This direction of the propelling force may be
varied at will, so as to cause the apparatus to move either upwards or downwards
or in a horizontal direction by causing the bent shaft to assume different positions,
so that the point of greatest distension of the vanes is either vertical at top,
vertical at bottom, horizontal at one side or the other, or at any intermediate point.
For adjusting the position of the bent shaft as described, it is geared by means of
a pitch-wheel and chain with a second pitch-wheel carried by a bracket on the
floor of the framing. This second pitch-wheel has also ratchet teeth with which
gears a pawl, so as to hold the wheel and consequently also the bent shaft in
whatever position it is moved into, the pawl being provided with a treadle by
which it can be moved by the foot of the operator so as to liberate the wheel when
the shaft requires to be adjusted; this is effected by the other foot of the operator
acting on projecting spokes on the pitch-wheel. The operator imparts rotary
motion simultaneously to both sets of discs and vanes by means of two crank
handles on the axes of two pitch-wheels geared by means of chains with other
pitch wheels fixed on the hollow axes carrying the discs. By rotating the discs
and vanes on one side faster than the other or by rotating them in opposite
directions, the apparatus may be guided in any direction laterally or be turned
right round.
As before stated the vanes may either be of any suitable pliable fabric or
material, or they may be made in two separate halves more or less rigid, jointed
or connected together, such connection being by preference effected by means of
lengths of rope or cord connected to an intermediate point in the width of each half
vane, so that as the arms carrying the half vanes approach each other during one
part of the revolution, as described, the cords allow the half vanes to move away
from each other, leaving a free passage between them for the air or water, while
when the arms move apart again the ropes draw the half vanes towards each other
so as to form together an unbroken surface. The connecting ropes may be
arranged so as to be above and below the upper and lower edges of the vanes, so
that they allow these to fold together in either direction according to the direction
in which the discs are rotated. In some cases such rigid half vanes may be pro-
vided with extensions on the opposite side of the arms to which they are pivotted,
so as to offer increased surface. For aërial navigation such rigid half vanes may
be formed of frames of wood or metal over which a suitable fabric is stretched.
For navigation upon or under water the vanes and their arms would of course
require to be made of strong material.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frank Wirth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th August
1881.
FRANK WIRTH, of the Firm of Wirth and Company, Patent Solicitors, at Frankfort
on the Main, in the Empire of Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF
AND APPARATUS FOR AERIAL, SUBMARINE, AND OTHER NAVIGATION." A com-
munication from Eduard Goehrung, of Stuttgart, in the Empire of Germany.
This Invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for aërial,
submarine, and other navigation, which will be readily understood on reference to
the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1 shews a front view of the apparatus;
Fig. 2, a side view with the propelling vanes or blades removed; Fig. 3, a side
view of the blades or vanes shewing diagrammatically the mode in which they are
alternately folded and spread out; Figs. 4 to 9 shew detached details and
modifications.
A light strong framing A is suspended by cords a, a, from a balloon, and has at
bottom a cage c, c, provided underneath with buffers b, b. In the middle of the
framing is mounted a shaft B, the middle part of which is horizontal, while the
ends are bent at an angle in the same direction and in the same plane. On
the middle part is a chain wheel C, the endless chain of which passes round a
second chain wheel D carried on the platform of the cage, and having at its side
a ratchet wheel E in which gears a pawl e actuated by the foot of the operator.
On the other side of the wheel are provided spokes e¹ by which it can be turned
by the foot. The object of this arrangement is to hold the shaft B in whatever
position it is turned into, and to enable it to be turned partly round at will so as
to bring the bent ends into any desired position, according to the direction in which
it is desired to propel the apparatus. On each end of the shaft B are mounted two
rotatable discs F, F1, which, being at right angles to the part of the shaft on which
they are placed, consequently converge towards each other on one side, and diverge
on the opposite side as, for instance, at bottom in the position shewn at Fig. 1.
The two pairs of discs revolve freely on the shaft, each pair being made to revolve
with exactly the same speed in order that the arms projecting therefrom shall
always be opposite each other. For this purpose each disc is attached to a sleeve G
or G¹, as shewn in Fig. 4, which sleeves are geared together by toothed bevil
wheels H, H'. The discs F, F¹, with their radial arms are rotated by the following
means:-The horizontal sleeves G have on the inner end rope or band pullies I³,
geared by a crossed rope or belt with the pullies J, having crank handles that are
rotated by the operator. The discs F, F¹, are composed of the nave f and circular
plates f¹ that carry the radial arms f", between each opposite pair of which are
situated the blades or vanes L. These are folded together, when the arms in
rotating incline towards each other, and are spread out as the arms diverge from
each other. The vanes or blades S can be variously constructed; thus, they may
be made of a single piece of light flexible material, as at Figs. 1 and 6, made as
airtight as possible, and they may be somewhat larger than the actual maximum
distance between the arms, so that they are somewhat bellied like a sail when
expanded. Or they may be made as shewn at Figs. 5, 7, and 8, where they are
constructed in two separate halves, each of which being either entirely of rigid
material, or of some slight material stretched over a rigid frame. They are
connected to the arms f" by hinges 1, 1, on which they turn freely, whereby the
half blades are allowed to swing to the rear of the armis f" when these are near
each other, as at Fig. 7, and on the right hand at Fig. 5. The two half blades are
connected together by bands or cords m, n, in such a manner that as the arms f¹¹

page_text: diverge the half blades are drawn together so as to lie approximately in one and
the same plane, while at all other positions than the maximum divergence, the half
blades are moved apart by the pressure of the air, allowing this to pass more or
less freely between them; Fig. 9 shews another modification of the mode of
The blades L are cut out at the upper 5
attaching the connecting cords m and n.
and lower edges, where the cords pass across, so that they can fold back in either
direction according as the discs with the arms are rotated in one direction or the -
other. In order to cause the transition from the expanded to the folded condition
to take place as gradually as possible, the half blades may be pivotted together at x,
Fig. 8, so that only the inner edges gradually separate from cach other as the arms
approach. In order that the air or water may flow past the half blades with the
least possible resistance, it is with this mode of construction necessary to make
the blades as rigid and smooth as possible. As shewn in dotted lines at Figs. 5
and 7, the blades may be constructed to project on the outer side of the arms
at L¹, these projecting parts being of course made of strong rigid material. If the
blades are situated as at Fig. 1, such projections could only be made on the outer
arms; Fig. 3 shews how the blades or vanes are gradually folded together during
the one half revolution, and distended during the other half; Fig. 6 shewing a
flexible blade in the folded position, while Figs. 5, 7, and 8 shew the rigid.half
blades in that position. It will be readily seen that as the blades become gradually
expanded they offer a correspondingly increasing resistance to or hold upon the
air or water in travelling round, whereby the requisite propelling action is obtained.
Thus, if the operator rotates each wheel with one hand, the expanded blades in
being pressed against the air or water will propel the apparatus in a direction
contrary to that in which the blades turn, and also approximately perpendicular to
the plane of the bent arms of the shaft B, so that by adjusting the position of the
latter by means of the spoked wheel D, the operator can vary the direction in which
the apparatus is propelled. He can furthermore vary this direction by turning the
one wheel faster than the other. A balloon from which the above described
apparatus is suspended could be moved in any desired direction independent of air
currents; thus it might be made to descend at will to any landing stage to take in
or land passengers without having to discharge gas for this purpose, and be then
made to mount up in the air again, to travel to any required locality.
Having thus described the nature of this said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my correspondent, I
claim,―
First. The herein described method of propulsion in air or water by the alternate
expansion and folding together of rotating blades or vanes produced by the
alternately diverging and converging arms on discs having an angular position to
each other.
Second. The construction of apparatus for propulsion in the atmosphere, con-
sisting of wheels or discs F, F¹, rotating on a bent axis B, between the arms of
which discs are blades or vanes L that are alternately expanded and folded together
as the wheels rotate.
Third. The described means for causing each pair of discs and arms to rotate
at the same speed, consisting of the sleeves G, G¹, coupled together by the bevil
wheels H, H³.
Fourth. The described arrangement for adjusting the stationary axis B according
to the direction in which it is desired to propel the apparatus, consisting of the
chain wheels C and D with endless chain, in combination with the ratchet wheel E,
pawl e, and spokes e¹.
Fifth, Constructing the blades or vanes L of flexible material, so that they
can be alternately folded together and spread out, substantially as herein
described.
Sixth. Constructing the blades or vanes of two more or less rigid halves so
jointed or connected together that by the diverging motion of the discs F, F¹, and
arms f¹¹, f, they are brought to lie in one and the same plane, while during

page_text: the converging motion of the discs and arms they folded together in angular
positions in the rear of the said arms, substantially as herein described with
reference to Figs. 5, 7, 8, and 9 of the Drawings.
Seventh. The use of supplemental blades or vanes L' on the outer side of the
arms f", substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frank Wirth, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty second day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
FRANK WIRTH. (L.S.)