An Improved Attachment to be Applied to Balloons by which their Distance from the Earth can be Regulated.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Oct., 1892-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Attachment to be Applied to Balloons by which their
Distance from the Earth can be Regulated.
1, WILLIAM GLENDINNING of School Row Barrington Colliery in the County
of Northumberland Coal Miner do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved device by which balloons may be easily
brought to earth and their height from the ground regulated at will without loss
of gas.
This apparatus consists of a n-shaped silk bag with netting made in the same
manner as the balloon, which is placed over the balloon the ends extending nearly
to the car, being attached thereto by ropes. This bag is also attached to the
balloon at top and at bottom to the ropes connecting the car with the balloon.
A tube is connected to each end of the bag, and an air pump connected with one
tube. When the balloon is to be floated, this air bag is empty, and remains so until
the balloon has risen sufficiently. When this occurs, air is pumped into the bag,
which expands, and presses on the balloon, compressing the gas in it as required,
and lowers or stops it. On opening a valve in the second tube, the air will escape
and allow the balloon to expand. An opening is formed in the upper part of the
bag in order that it may be more readily attached to the balloon.
Inlet and outlet tubes are also connected with the balloon, by which gas can be
taken out or forced in when desired.
With this apparatus the balloon can be raised or lowered at will and also kept at
the same height as long as required.
Dated this 21st day of January 1892.
RAYNER & CASSELL,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Attachment to be Applied to Balloons by which their
Distance from the Earth can be Regulated.
1 WILLIAM GLENDINNING, of School Row, Barrington Colliery, North-
umberland, Coal Miner, 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 an improved device by which balloons may be easily
brought to earth and their height from the ground regulated at will without loss
of gas.
This apparatus consists of a n-shaped silk bag with netting, made in the same
manner as the balloon, which is placed over the balloon the ends extending nearly
to the car, being attached thereto by ropes.
This bag is also attached to the balloon at top and at bottom to the ropes
connecting the car with the balloon. Tubes are connected to each end of the bag,
and an air pump connected with each tube. When the balloon is to be floated, this
air bag is empty, and remains so until the balloon has risen sufficiently. When
this occurs air is pumped into the bag which expands, and presses on the balloon,
compressing the gas in it as required, and lowers or stops it. On opening a valve
in the second tube, the air will escape and allow the balloon to expand. An
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page_text: pening i
came upper part of the bag in order that it may be more ready
attached to the balloon. Inlet and outlet tubes are also connected with the balloon,
by which gas can be taken out or forced in when desired. With this apparatus the
balloon can be raised or lowered at will and also kept at the same height as long as
required.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of an ordinary balloon fitted with my improved
attachment.
-
Fig. 2 is a general view of the same drawn to a smaller scale, and
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the receptacle containing the fan or pump and
inlet and outlet pipes.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the figures.
The attachment consists of a n-shaped silk bag or hood H which is placed over
an ordinary balloon B and is attached to the edge of the car C by ropes r. This
outer hood or cover is fitted at its lower end with two pipes b, c, which extend
downward into the car and enter an air tight chest or box A. This chest or
receptacle contains the mechanism used for forcing, when required, air into the
outer hood or cover H for the purpose of expanding same in order to compress the
balloon B and hence the gas contained therein thus causing the balloon to remain
stationary in the atmosphere or to descend according to the intensity of the
pressure applied which pressure depends upon the amount of air forced into the
outer cover H.
The mechanism for pumping the air into the hood or cover H and for inflating
the balloon consists of a fan or centrifugal pump F communicating with the
pressure pipe g leading to the air inlet e for and with the exhaust pipe b. e, d, are
suitable tubular connections for the admission or withdrawal of air and gas allowing
the air tiglit box A to be filled with air or gas according as required. The fan or
centrifugal pump F serves when turning in one direction either to fill the balloon B
with gas through the pipe f and connection a, or to pump air into the outer cover H
through the pipe g and inlet c and may be rotated either by the pulley p driven by
the motor M, or by the hand-wheel i.
.
the
When it is required to exhaust the air from the hood H through the outlet
pipe bor to exhaust the gas from the balloon through the tubular connection
motion of the fan is reversed.
The mechanism operates as follows:-
a,
2
When a
In order to fill the balloon in the first instance, the pipe e is connected to any
convenient gas supply pipe, and the cock of the pipe a is now opened and the fan
being set in motion in a given direction, gas is drawn in at the central opening and
forced through the pipe f and connection a into the balloon B. When the latter is
sufficiently inflated, the gas supply pipe is disconnected and the valves of the
connections e and a are closed, the balloon being now ready to ascend.
sufficient height has been attained and it is desired to bring the balloon to rest or
allow it to descend, air is allowed to enter the chamber A the valve of the pipe c is
opened and the fan being again set in motion in a given direction, air enters the
opening of the fan, passes through the pipe g and connection c and enters the
cover or envelope H which expands and compresses the gas in the balloon. When
on the contrary the balloon is desired to ascend, the air is withdrawn from the
outer cover or envelope H by opening the cocks of the pipe band of the tubular
connection d or e, when the fan being now rotated in the reverse direction the air
from the cover or envelope H is drawn through the exhaust pipe and enters the
box or chamber A from which it escapes through either of the tubular connections d
ог`е.
Should the balloon burst or the gas by any accident escape, the outer cover
would act as a parachute by means of which the car with the occupants would be
enabled to reach the ground in safety.
For convenience of manipulation I may form at the top of the outer cover or
hood H an opening, which opening is closed by any suitable valve.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The application to a balloon, of a hood cover or attachment which may be
inflated with air or emptied by suitable mechanism for the purpose of causing the
balloon to ascend, rest, or descend, and thus regulating its distance from the earth,
substantially as herein described and shown.
2. My improved balloon arranged, constructed and operating substantially as
herein described and shown, in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1892.
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.