Improvements in and connected with Captive Balloons.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Lett. 24th May, 1897-Accepted, 28th Aug., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Captive Balloons.
I, AUGUST RIEDINGER, of Eisenhammerstrasse 23, Augsburg, in the Empire of
Germany, of no occupation, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In the Specification of Letters Patent No. 18,773 of 1895 a captive balloon is
described in which the rope-systems are fixed on two symmetrically arranged
essential points, the one on the front part, the second in the middle of the length of
the balloon. The branch ropes are united downwards in couples and the last couple
passes over a roller on which is connected a rope to the earth.
Instead of this rope arrangement I may use the following:-On a girdle placed at
a convenient height longitudinally around the balloon there are fixed on each side
two symmetrically arranged rope-systems of which the one is fixed on the front part
of the balloon and the second in its middle or farther backwards. The rope-systems
are connected by couples, so that the first couple passes to a roller on which is fixed
a rope passing to the earth, whilst the other couple carries the car. By this kind of
fixing the balloon is kept in the necessary position.
In order that the balloon is directed exactly in the direction of the wind, the
arrangement described in my said Patent is used. In order that this directing device
is always well inflated during the use of the balloon, there is arranged in it, as well
as in the main balloon, an opening, through which the wind will enter. Both are
provided with a return-valve which consists of a short broad tube of the cross section
of the opening and sewn into it. The tube lies in the interior of the directing device
and is provided on its inner border on two opposite lying points with ropes, by
which the inner opening is pulled flat. The ropes are fixed on plates in the stuff
and are lightly stretched.
The air can thus easily enter, but at this place cannot again leave the directing
balloon. For this purpose on the upper end of the directing balloon in the middle
of the hemisphere is arranged an opening of about 20 c.m. cross-section.
As with medium and higher wind velocities in spite of the directing balloon the
balloon may however be thrown about so that by these movements observations are
rendered very difficult, exact experiments have shown that only the arrangement
of aeroplanes at some distance, which are connected with the balloon so that they
act contrarily to any movements of the balloon, prevents the inconvenience in a
simple manner. For this purpose and in order to avoid connecting rods, there are
used small balloons which are connected by means of ropes with the main balloon.
The fastening can be effected in the prolongation of the cable on the back part of
the main balloon.
As it is the purpose of the auxiliary balloons to act contrary to the movements of
the main balloon it is necessary to give to the same such a form that it suffers with
a small volume a high wind pressure. For this purpose the balloon is constructed in
the following manner.
The main-body consists of a ring with a minimum opening in the
ring is surrounded by another ring which lies upon the same base.
fixed in the interior the rope-systems branched in the same manner as
centre. This
On these are
for the main

page_text: balloon. Besides from its fixing point a rope leads through the middle opening and
receives the resultant of the wind-forces in the centre of the balloon. The whole
basis is covered flatly with cloth. In this covering is arranged a vent-hole which
conducts air to the spaces formed between the covering and the balloon-body, so that
the air, as described before, keeps the balloon in its distended forin. In order to
avoid unnecessary oscillations a kite tail is fixed on the balloon with two ropes at two
points removed from another.
From the fixing point of this auxiliary balloon go two ropes, which are fixed on two
points lying somewhat over the main girdle on the main-balloon and this either in
the prolongation of the cable or rearward thereof however so that they do not reach
to the back hemisphere. This auxiliary balloon can also be used alone as kite or
balloon.
The main-balloon possesses a very simple safety valve. In an opening in the back
part of the balloon-wall is connected a tube of balloon-stuff.
The under border of the tube is provided with a number of eyes on which is fixed
the same number of strings; these are run together forming thus only one string.
The upper end of the tube is fitted in the same manner, where the latter is connected
on the balloon-wall. The connecting points of the strings are united by means of an
india-rubber string. The length of the tube, the strings and the india-rubber string
are measured in such a manner that by the india-rubber string the exterior end of
the tube is turned in and drawn inwards when no force acts upon this organ. If
however over-pressure exists in the interior of the balloon, the india-rubber string is
stretched and gives more or less allowing the under opening of the tube to open.
This operates as an automatic safety-valve; it is not completely tight, but that is
not necessary in this case.
Dated this 9th day of September 1896.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
Improvements in and connected with Captive Balloons.
I, AUGUST RIEDINGER, of Eisenhammerstrasse 23, Augsburg, in the Empire of
Germany, of no occupation, 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: -
In the Specification of Letters Patent No. 18773 of 1895 a captive balloon is
described in which the rope systems are fixed on two symmetrically arranged
essential points, the one on the front part, the second in the middle of the length of
the balloon. The branch ropes are united downwards in couples and the last couple
passes over a roller on which is connected a rope to the earth.
Instead of this rope arrangement I may use the following:
On a girdle & placed at a convenient height longitudinally around the balloon there
are fixed on each side two symmetrically arranged rope systems b, b¹ of which the
one 6 is fixed on the front part of the balloon and the second in its middle or
further backwards. The rope systems are connected in couples, so that the first
couple b, b, passes to a roller a on which is fixed a rope C' passing to the earth, whilst
the other couple carries the car. By this kind of fixing the balloon is kept in the
necessary position.
In order that the balloon is directed exactly in the direction of the wind, the
arrangement described in my said Patent is used. In order that this directing device
is always well inflated during the use of the balloon, there is arranged in it, as well

page_text: as in the main balloon, an opening through which the wind will enter. Both are
provided with a return-valve which consists of a short broad tube of the cross-section
of the opening and sewn into it. The tube lies in the interior of the directing device
and is provided on its inner border on two opposite lying points with ropes, by which
the inner opening is pulled flat. The ropes are fixed on plates in the cloth and are
lightly stretched. The air can thus easily enter, bat at this place cannot again leave
the directing balloon. For this purpose on the upper end of the directing balloon in
the middle of the hemisphere is arranged an opening of about 20 cm. cross-section.
As with medium and higher wind velocities in spite of the directing balloon B the
balloon may however be thrown about, so that by these movements observations are
rendered very difficult, exact experiments have shown that only the arrangement of
aeroplanes at some distance which are connected with the balloon so that they act
contrarily to any movements of the balloon, prevents the inconvenience in a simple
For this purpose and in order to avoid connecting rods there are used, as
shown in the drawing, small, balloons C which are connected by means of ropes n with
the main balloon A. The fastening can be effected in the prolongation of the cable
on the back part of the main balloon. Such an auxiliary balloon is represented in
section in Fig. 3 on a somewhat larger scale. As it is the purpose of the auxiliary
balloons to act contrary to the movements of the main balloon, it is necessary to give
to the former a form that is easily influenced by a small volume of wind pressure.
For this purpose the balloon is constructed in the following manner.
The main body consists of a ring e with a minimum opening in the centre. This
ring is surrounded by another ring f which lies upon the same base. On these are
fixed in the interior the rope systems branched in the same manner as for the
main balloon A. Besides, from its fixing point a rope leads through the middle
opening and receives the resultant of the wind forces in the centre of the balloon. The
whole fase is covered flatly with cloth. In this covering is arranged a vent-hole i
which conducts air to the spaces formed between the covering and the balloon body,
so that the air, as described before, keeps the balloon in its distended form. In order
to avoid unnecessary oscillations, a kite-tail h is fixed on the balloon with two ropes m
at two points removed from another.
From the fixing point of this auxiliary balloon go two ropes n which are fixed on
two points lying somewhat over the main girdle on the main balloon and this either
in the prolongation of the cable or rearwards thereof; however, so that they do not
reach to the back hemisphere. This auxiliary balloon can also be used alone as kite
or balloon.
The main balloon A, the back part of which, as described before, is formed as an
inflator, possesses a very simple safety valve which is shown in Fig. 4. In an opening
in the back part of the balloon wall A is connected a tube 0 of balloon stuff. The
under border of the tube is provided with a number of eyes, on which is fixed
the same number of strings; these run together forming thus only one string.
The upper
end of the tube is fitted in the same inanner where the latter is connected
on the balloon wall. The connecting points of the strings are united by means of an
indiarubber string S. The length of the tube, the strings and the indiarubber
string are measured in such a manner that by the indiarubber string the exterior end
of the tube is turned in and drawn inwards when no force acts upon this organ. If
however over-pressure exists in the interior of the balloon, the indiarubber string is
stretched and gives more or less allowing the under opening of the tube O to open.
This operates as an automatic safety-valve; it is not completely tight but that is
not necessary in this case.
In place of this balloon C there may be used any ordinary form of kite consisting
of a frame or frames over which cloth paper or the like is stretched.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. Improvements in the captive balloon as described in Patent No. 18773 of 1895
in which one of the rope-systems arranged systematically on each side is fixed on the

page_text: front part and the second at about the middle of the balloon, or a little rearwards and
are connected so that the front system passes to a roller a, on which the cable is fixed
and the back system carries the car.
2. In combination with the main balloon A as in Claim 1, an auxiliary balloon or
kite either consisting of two concentric rings, or of a frame or frames carrying
stretched fabric, paper or the like, which can be used also alone as kite or balloon and
which is fixed on the main balloon in such a manner as to act contrarily to the
oscillations of the main balloon.
3. In the balloon as in Claims 1 and 2 a safety-valve in which a tube connected on
the inflating wall is drawn correspondingly more or less inwards by means of an india-
rubber string, according to the over pressure existing in the interior of the balloon.
Dated this 24th day of May 1897.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., London, Agents to Applicant.