Improvements in or relating to Aerial Navigation.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 1st Nov., 1890
Improvements in or relating to Aerial Navigation.
A communication from WILHELM ELLINGEN, of 62, Aachenstrasse, Cologne, in the
Empire of Germany, Engineer.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, M.I.M.E.,
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 relates to the employment for steering and regulating the motion
of aerial-vessels, of cables chains or the equivalent lying loosely upon the ground
and anchored at either end similar to those now in use in canals and rivers for
ordinary ships.
-
In the accompanying drawing Figs. 1 and 2 show an aerial vessel A in the shape
considered most suitable for the application of this invention that is to say arranged
to oppose the least possible resistance to the wind in both longitudinal directions and
at the same time most favourably disposed in regard to its equilibrium or power to
carry the operating mechanism and other loads. In the car B is arranged a pulley C
which may be rotated either by hand or by means of a driving band or equivalent
from an electro-motor E. This motor is operated by a current supplied from a
storage battery D. The pulley B may if desired be operated by an electro-
inotor mounted on the same shaft and receiving electricity through special cords
or guide-ropes from some source situated at a distance or other means may be
applied according to circumstances and the corresponding device arranged within
Over the pulley is passed a wire-rope or cable G so that it is wound
up in one direction and wound off in the opposite direction thereby causing the
balloon to move in a straight line in the direction of the cable. The cable as it
is unwound from the pulley falls to the ground and lies thereon loosely whatever
its unevenness and may extend over marshes, streams or rivers without its efficiency
being affected.
the car.
In Figs. 1 and 2 two extreme instances of the application of this method of anchorage
are illustrated to enable the importance of the arrangement when carried out in
practice to be fully appreciated.
In Fig. 1 the anchorage is shown as applied to a slope in a mountainous region
such as Switzerland. The improved arrangement here advantageously replaces the
special lengths of racks now sometimes used and it is unquestionably more in
keeping with the requirements of such mountain excursions the object of which is
mainly to obtain views of the scenery below.
Fig. 2 represents the application of this method of anchorage for crossing
uncultivated countries, sands, steppes, forests, and so forth, being specially suited for
unexplored countries, such as Africa, for example. The improved method of anchorage
in this instance acquires a considerable industrial value inasmuch as it enables goods
and passengers to be safely carried long distances in parts where means of conveyance
are scarce or non-existant placing man and property beyond the reach of attacks from
hostile tribes or wild animals and rendering them independent of impediments
inherent to the ground as the wire-rope or cable can without special difficulty be
stretched over sands, ridges of mountains, rivers forests marshes and other such
inaccessible places.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner
the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
The method substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing
of guiding aerial vessels by means of a cable or equivalent anchored at both ends.
Dated this 27th day of September 1890.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.