A NEW OR IMPROVED BALLOON LOCOMOTIVE OR NAVIGABLE BALLOON
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Augustus Soul, of No. 6, Southampton
Buildings, London, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer
and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED BALLOON
LOCOMOTIVE OR NAVIGABLE BALLOON."-A communication from abroad
D
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Augustus
Soul at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 19th March 1872.
I, MATTHEW AUGUSTUS SOUL, of No. 6, Southampton Buildings,
London, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW
OR IMPROVED BALLOON LOCOMOTIVE OR NAVIGABLE BALLOON," à communication
to him from abroad by Paul Haenlein, of Mayence, Germany, Engineer,
to be as follows:-

page_text: It is well known that the force necessary for steering an air balloon
is considerable and that the use of powerful motors is required. The
numerous difficulties produced by the use of motors actuated by com-
bustion under a balloon and the great weight of the necessary machinery
with the fire-grate and boiler, and also the weight of the fuel to be
carried have made it next to impossible to employ any mechanical motive
power for determining the direction of an air balloon.
By the present Invention these difficulties and inconveniences are
avoided, inasmuch as for the moving force the gas itself filling the air
balloon is used, or hydrogen gas is carried for that special purpose, and
for actuating the propelling mechanism any kind of gas engine is used.
The motive power thus obtained is employed not only for the horizontal
motion of the air balloon but also to cause its ascent and descent without
throwing out any ballast or losing any gas. The balloon maintains the
whole apparatus in the air and supplies the gas necessary for its own
motion.
Another important feature in this Invention consists in the means by
which the heating of the gas engine cylinders is avoided. For this
purpose a peculiar construction of condenser is used, in which is evapo-.
rated water or other liquid, such as sulphuric ether or liquid ammonia.
From the foregoing it will be seen in what the two leading features of
this Invention consist, and in constructing air balloons these two features
being always maintained the divers means or manners in which these.
ideas may be carried into effect may be somewhat varied, as also.
dimensions, the shape, and the materials of the balloon, and the kind.
of gas employed to expand it. The nature of the propelling mechanism
may also be varied, screw propellers, sails, wings, vanes, or any other
driving mechanism may be employed. The frame of the boat or car,
the rudder, the steering apparatus, and the general disposition of the
various parts of the whole apparatus constituting the balloon may be
varied as circumstances require.
In order that the nature of this Invention and the manner in which
the same is carried into effect may be particularly described and ascer-
tained this Specification is accompanied by a Sheet of Drawings having
figures and letters of reference marked thereupon.
In these Drawings, which represent a balloon constructed according
to the Invention, Figure I. is a side view; Figure II. and end view.;.

page_text: Figure III. the engine; and Figure IV. the condenser refrigerating
apparatus.
The various parts are marked as follows:-Balloon a; net b; frame
fastened on the net D; rudder t; boat c; screw propellers producing
'the horizontal motion of the air balloon A; screw propeller producing
'the vertical motion of the air balloon B; frame M placed under the
boat carrying the screw propeller B; little balloon G containing the
air conveyed to it in proportion of the gas consumption in the great
balloon a; feed pipe F conveying the gas from the balloon into the gas
engine. As it is shewn in the Drawing the balloon a has the shape of a
cylinder conical on its fore and hinder side. It is filled by a gas which
must be light enough to produce sufficient ascending motion and to
carry the engines, the necessary apparatus, and the passengers. The
balloon is enveloped by a net, the lower part of which is connected with
a frame carrying or supporting the gas engines, the condenser, the
rudders, the electric apparatus, and the boat.
The motion of the balloon is effected as follows:-The gas engine
represented by Figure III., and which can be made with two, three,
four, six, eight, or more cylinders as may be required, moving a common
cranked axle, receives the gas necessary for its motion by the feed pipe F
from the balloon. This gas explodes in the engine in consequence of
its mixture with the atmospheric air, and the explosion is produced by
means of the spark of an electric battery. The engine is thus set in
motion and actuates the two screw propellers A, A, disposed in such
manner that the balloon is driven forwards or backwards according to
the alternative rotation of the screw propellers. The horizontal motion
of the balloon is thus effected, whilst the vertical motion for ascent and
descent is caused by means of the screw propeller B placed in the frame M
under the boat c. B is also moved by the engine.
The ascent and descent of the balloon can be effected by the alternative
rotation of this screw propeller, so that it is not necessary to throw out
ballast or to lose gas.
Figure IV. represents the apparatus used to produce the refrigeration
of the gas engine cylinders, which would otherwise become highly heated
by the constant gas explosions. The refrigerating water traverses the
envelopes or jackets of the cylinders and then enters into an apparatus,
from which it descends through a great number of thin pipes of copper
or other suitable metal, the large surface of which produces a rapid

page_text: condensation. With the view of augmenting the effect of the refrigerator
a very low temperature is produced in the air surrounding these pipes.
by dropping slowly water, sulphuric ether, liquid ammonia, or any other
liquid rapidly evaporating on the exterior surface of these pipes. Simul-
taneously an air stream accelerating the evaporation of these liquids and
lowering the temperature is produced by a blowing apparatus or fan or
fans moved by the engine. The use of these refrigerating matters gives
this great advantage, that there is needed, for the refrigeration of the
cylinders only a very small quantity of water, which water continually
passes out of the cylinder envelopes or jackets into the refrigerator, and
out of the refrigerator into the envelopes or jackets. Therefore the
refrigeration of the cylinders is effected without considerably burdening
the balloon by the weight of the condensation water. In the inner space
of the balloon (Figure 1.) is a small empty balloon G, the lower part of
which is brought in communication with a blowing apparatus by means
of which is introduced atmospheric air in proportion as the gas is drawn
out from the great balloon for the feeding of the gas engine. In
consequence of this arrangement the balloon is always completely
expanded..
As it will be readily comprehended in this system the continual
consumption of gas must be compensated for, and therefore the balloon
must be lightened by throwing out the ballast in proportion of this
consumption. This is partly effected by the consumption of the matters
employed to produce the refrigeration of the cylinders, that is to say, the
water, ether, liquid ammonia evaporated in the refrigerator. In this
way the weight of the refrigerating matters represents not an overload
for the balloon but merely an equivalent of the gas consumption in the
engine.
The direction of the balloon in the air is controlled in the same manner
as a vessel in the water, that is to say, by means of the rudder t, which
can be operated by means of any convenient apparatus from inside the
boat or by the rotation of one of the vertical screw propellers in the one
direction whilst the other propeller turns in the contrary direction.
Having now particularly described the nature of this Invention, and
the manner in which the same is effected, what is claimed and desired to
be secured by Letters Patent is,―
Firstly. The use as moving power of the gas itself contained in the
balloon or of hydrogen gas taken or carried along with the balloon for

page_text: the purpose of working any kind of gas engines acting upon the
propellers and thereby moving or propelling the balloon.
Secondly. The application of water, ether, liquid ammonia, or any
other rapidly evaporating liquid for the refrigeration or cooling of the
gas engine cylinders by means of a special refrigerating apparatus, which i
is also claimed.
Thirdly. The particular dispositions or arrangements resulting from the
application of these above indicated two leading features constituting
this system or plan of a navigable air balloon.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Augustus Soul, have:
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of September,
.in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
MATTHEW AUGUSTUS SOUL. (L.S.)