IMPROVEMENTS IN AERIAL NAVIGATION, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Jun
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AERIAL
NAVIGATION, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
Sealed the 9th April 1858, and dated the 24th January 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry John-
son at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 24th January 1858.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AERIAL
NAVIGATION, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH,"
to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in an entirely new apparatus for navi-
gating the air, in which is combined a propeller and means of giving
power to the same, a rudder, a mode of changing the centre of gravity

page_text: of the apparatus, and of regulating the ascent and descent of the
apparatus. The balloon may be of any shape, but an elongated form
is preferred as offering less resistance to the atmosphere. A platform
or bridge is suspended from the balloon by chains or ropes which
contains the machinery and also the aeronauts. Four wheels are fixed
at the extremity of parallel horizontal shafts, the shafts having motion
communicated to them by one or more small steam engines placed
with their boiler or boilers in any convenient part of the apparatus.
A number of wings or paddles are placed on the ends of arms ex-
tending from the shaft of the four wheels for the purpose of counter-
acting the action of the air against the balloon. These four wheels
are so arranged that in their revolution only that portion of them which
answers this purpose comes into play; the other portion therefore
does not offer any resistance to the air. On each side of the platform
or bridge an apparatus somewhat similar to an umbrella is employed,
which by alternately closing and opening exerts a propelling power.
A series of wings placed horizontally form a means of regulating the
ascent or descent of the balloon; and weights are used, by the removal
or displacement of which the centre of gravity of the whole apparatus
can be changed and the angle of its inclination determined. A rudder
is employed by which the course of the balloon through the air is
governed in a similar manner to that of the course of a ship by the
rudder employed upon the water. The combination of these improve-
ments effects the production of a means of conveyance thro' the air
with great safety and with the power of governing the course of aerial
apparatus, which has not before been accomplished.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd July 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AERIAL NAVIGATION, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPA
RATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," being a communication to me from
abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said. John
Henry Johnson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
leclare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:
These improvements consist in an entirely new apparatus for navi-
gating the air, in which is combined a propeller and means of giving
power to the same, a rudder, a mode of changing the centre of gravity
of the apparatus, and of regulating its ascent and descent. The balloon
or balloons may be of any shape, but an elongated form is preferred as
offering less resistance to the atmosphere. A platform or frame is
suspended from the balloon. by chains or ropes, and contains the

page_text: machinery and also the aeronauts. Four wheels. are fixed at the
extremity of parallel horizontal shafts, the shafts. having motion com-
municated to them by one or inore small steam engines placed with
their boiler or boilers in. any convenient part of the apparatus: A
. number of wings or paddles are placed on the ends of arms extending
froni the shaft of the four wheels for the purpose of counteracting: the
action of the air against the balloon. These four wheels are so
arranged that in their revolution only that portion of them which
answers this purpose comes into play, and the other portion therefore
cloės not offer any resistance to the air. On each side of the platform
of frame an apparatus somewhat similar to an umbrella or parachute
is employed, which by alternately closing and opening exerts' a pro-
pelling power. A series of wings placed horizontally form a means of
regulating the ascent or descent of the balloon; and weights are used;
by the adjustment of which the centre of gravity of the whole
apparatus can be changed, and the angle of its inclination determined.
A rudder is employed, by which the course of the balloon through the
air is governed in a similar manner. to that of a ship upon the water.
The combination of these improveinents affords a means of conveyance
through the air with great safety and of governing the course' of aerial
apparatus, which has not before been accomplished.
Figure 1, on Sheet 1, of the Drawings, represents a longitudinal
elevation of the entire apparatus; Figure 2, on-Sheet 2, is a plan
of the same, with the balloon removed that the machinery may be
seen; and Figures 3, and 4, are views of a detail of the paddle
wheel drawn to a larger scale. The balloon A, Figure 1; may be
constructed of any shape, an elongated one being preferred, as
offering less resistance to the wind. The frame B, is hung by
cords to the network f, which is spread over the upper part of the
balloon. The paddle wheels E, are fixed on the horizontal cross
shafts O, and, are actuated in the present instance by a couple of
small steam engines F, which work a couple of pinions a, b;'¹gear-
ing with spur wheels. on the paddle shafts O. These engines are
supplied by the boiler J. placed in, the centre of the frame: The

page_text: .
paddles 'p, consist of-frames upon which canvass is stretched; they are
fitted upon the extremities of the spokes E, but are capable of turn-
ing upon them, such turning being regulated by the contrivances
drawn to a larger scale in Figures 3 and 4. To the paddle frame.p,
an iron collar g-is attached, loose upon the spoke E, and carrying a
forked lever m, with a friction-pulley '; a small spiral spring is fixed
upon the spoke E, acting against a pin the lever g; g, and always
tending to keep the paddle at right angles to the plane of motion; as,
however; it is necessary that the paddle should lie in the plane of the
motion during one-half of the revolution' a semi-circular guide 'plate G;
is attached to the frame of the vehicle in. such a position that the
lever g, g', shall come in contact with it, and so the force of the spring
be overcome and the paddle turned round into the plane of motion.
The parachute propellers G, which are in form like a common umbrella,
are carried and slide upon a long horizontal rod L, supported' on
brackets. The two parachutes C-are connected together, and work
backwards and forwards by a curved iron rod h in-an opening, in the
middle of which is inserted the point of a lever C, vibrating on a fixed
centre, and set in motion by the rod e' of an eccentric e upon the shaft
of one of the paddle wheels. By these means' an alternate motion-is
given to the parachute C: They are represented as being drawn back
with their expanded surface offering considerable resistance to the air,
whilst the red lines shew as being pushed-forward in a collapsed-state
for another stroke! To the framework of the machine are attachéd
four horizontal sails V, consisting of frames with canvass, silk, 'or 'otlíer
material stretched upon them. They may either' be extended horizon
tally by means of cords passing over the pulleys, on the ends of the
frame, outriggers, and through blocks hung to the balloon, as at A, or
they may be allowed to hang down-vertically as indicated by, the dotted
lines, thereby affording a means of regulating the rapidity of the
descent, and of giving effect to the inclination of the apparatus from
the resistance offered to the air by their extended surface. In additio
to the wings V, are four triangular sails M, which, however, are intended
to be-always stretched to prevent rolling by their resisting" surface and

page_text: other irregular movements in the frame or carriage.. The machine is
made to assume any convenient inclination to the horizon by adjusting
its centre of gravity. For this purpose a couple of weights or weighted
carriages I, are carried underneath the frame upon an iron bar passing
from end to end. The weights I, travel along this rod upon rollers,
and are made to take any required position by means of the small
winch. H, communicating with them by cords. The motion of the
machine is guided horizontally by means of the rudder D, which is a
light frame with canvass stretched upon it. Motion is given to this
rudder by means of the pulley d, communicating by cords or chains
with a second pulley d', upon the central part of the carriage.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine
or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I
have had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be
made therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features
of the Invention. But what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of aerial carriage
herein-before described.
Second, the application and use in aerial carriages of paddle wheels,
the blades of which are made to swivel by the action of a semi-circular
guide plate upon a lever attached to the blade, the blade resuming its
position on passing the guide plate by the action of a spring fixed on.
the spoke of the wheel as herein-before described.
Third, the application and use in aerial carriages of the umbrella
shaped propelling apparatus, and actuated in the manner herein-before
described.
Fourth, the application and use in aerial carriages of the lateral
wings V, arranged to hang down vertically or to be extended horizon-
tally as herein-before described.
Fifth, the application and use in aerial carriages of the adjustable

page_text: weights I, by means of which the centre of gravity may be altered in
the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, 1, the said John Henry Johnson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of July, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.