Improvements in Apparatus for Navigating the Air.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 22nd May, 1890-Accepted, 28th June, 1890
PROVIDIUNAL DIECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Navigating the Air.
I, GEORGE LOUIS OUTRAM DAVIDSON of 2 Portsea Place, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for navigating
the air.
I utilise the power of the attraction of the earth as a means of propulsion through
the air. I employ wings and a body surface spread to prevent the direct fall of the
body raised from the ground.
I construct these wings and the body surface so that they offer little resistance to
the air in ascending but when moving downwards they present sufficient resistance to
support or raise a body. The wings and the body surface are controlled by a person
or persons carried in a car or upon a seat. A portion of the weight of the
machine is approximately balanced in the air by a balloon forming a part of the
apparatus.
More in detail I prefer the structure to be as follows: The car or seat is
suspended from a framework covered similar to the wings as described hereafter.
Hinged to the frame work on either side are franes formed similar to the wings
of a bird and moving up and down in like manner.
A third and fourth frame answering to the head and tail of a bird are hinged to
the fore and aft ends of the body framework, to move up and down in the same
way as the wings.
The
In the centre of the forward and rear parts of the body framework are fixed poles
prolonged curving upwards between which the balloon is kept in position.
balloon is shaped oblong (like a sausage) and is encased in netting and attached
to the poles and body framework by strings, and is of sufficient dimensions to keep
the whole apparatus from turning turtle or upside down.
The wings are kept outspread when the whole body rests on the air by means of
springs and are moved by means of levers controlled from the body of the car as also
are the frameworks corresponding to the head and tail of a bird.
The whole of the several frameworks are covered with light netting to which are
fixed strips of light material, which, when each or any part of the framework move
upwards, hang down and the netting presents little or no resistance in the upward
movement through the air, when the wings move downwards or the other frame works
rest upon the air the strips of material overlap and present a solid resistance to
the air.
When the wings are outspread the first movement may be obtained by the out-
spread surface being placed at an angle upwards and the whole construction being
pulled by a cord attached from the ground, future movement being obtained by the
raising of the construction by the working of the wings by the levers aided by the
springs and the forward movement by the inclination of the outspread surface towards
the earth by means of the head and tail frameworks. Direction is obtained by the
working of either wing as may be required.
The whole construction is of as light material as is compatible with sufficient
strength and is arranged to fold up into a convenient space when not in use.
Dated this 20th day of August 1889.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Navigating the Air.
J, GEORGE LOUIS OUTRAM DAVIDSON, of 2 Portsea Place, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, 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 :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for navigating
the air.
I utilise the power of the attraction of the earth as a means of propulsion through
the air. I employ wings and a body surface spread to prevent the direct fall of the
body raised from the ground.
I construct these wings and the body surface so that they offer little resistance to
the air in ascending but when moving downwards they present sufficient resistance
to support or raise a body. The wings and the body surface are controlled by
a person or persons carried in a car or upon a seat. A portion of the weight of the
machine is approximately balanced in the air by a balloon forming a part of the
apparatus.
Apparatus constructed in accordance with my Invention is represented by the
annexed drawings.
Figure 1 is a plan. Figure 2 is a section on the line A B in Figure 1, and
Figure 3 is a section on the line C D in Figure 1.
The car a or seat a¹ is suspended from a framework 6 covered similar to the wings
as described hereafter. Hinged to the framework 6 on either side are frames c
formed similar to the wings of a bird and moving up and down in like manner.
A third and fourth frame d and e answering to the head and tail of a bird are
hinged to the fore and aft ends of the body framework 6 to move up and down in the
same way as the wings.
In the centre of the forward and rear parts of the body framework are fixed
poles ff prolonged curving upwards between which the balloon is kept in position.
The balloon is shaped oblong (like a sausage) and is encased in netting and attached
to the poles and body framework by strings, and is of sufficient dimensions to keep
the whole apparatus from turning turtle or upside down.
The wings and head and tail parts are kept outspread when the whole body rests
on the air by means of springs and are moved by means of levers i controlled from
the body of the car as also are the frameworks d and e corresponding to the head and
tail of a bird.
The framework of the wings is formed of rods crossing each other at equal distances
and hinged at each point where any rod crosses or joins any other rod.
The whole of the several frameworks are covered with light netting to which are
fixed strips of light material, which, when each or any part of the framework move
upwards, hang down and the netting presents little or no resistance in the upward
movement through the air. When the wings move downwards or the other frame
works rest upon the air the strips of material overlap and present a solid resistance to
the air.
The outspread surface, the netting and strips of material, form a complete valve
surface and the peculiar construction of the framework of the wings enables me to
have length of wing as well as strength.
When the wings are outspread the first movement may be obtained by the out-
spread surface being placed at an angle upwards and the whole construction being
pulled by a cord attached from the ground, future movement being obtained by the
raising of the construction by the working of the wings by the levers i aided by the
springs and the forward movement by the inclination of the outspread surface towards
the earth which is controlled by means of the head and tail frameworks. Direction
is obtained by the working of either wing as may be required.

page_text: The whole construction is of as light material as is compatible with sufficient
strength and is arranged to fold up into a convenient space when not in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. Apparatus for navigating the air in which the power of the attraction of the
earth is utilised as a means of propulsion through the air substantially in the manner
described.
2. The construction of the outspread surface and the employment therewith of the
netting and the strips of material constituting a complete valve surface substantially
as described.
3. Apparatus substantially as described and represented in the annexed drawings.
Tlated this 15th day of Ma.. 1000
GEORGE L. O., DAVIDSON.