IMPROVING THE ORDINARY CAPTIVE BALLOON
Year: 1885

page_text: EDMUND DOUGLAS ARCHIBALD Army Tutor, (late Professor of Mathematics in
HM. Bengal Educational Service), Grosvenor House, Tunbridge Wells, do hereby
declare the nature of the above invention for IMPROVING THE ORDINARY CAPTIVE
BALLOON, to be as follows:-
:-
. In lieu of the ordinary captive balloon which is fastened by a cord attached to
its lowest extremity, the captive kite-balloon combines the kite & balloon in one.
The instrument substantially consists of a kite of the ordinary pear-shaped pattern
(small or large) to which is attached, so that the kite forms a plane section of it,
a pear-shaped balloon.
The kite is made either with a light wooden or steel frame and of silk. The
balloon portion is made of ordinary balloon material or else of what is termed
silk paper.
The kite portion is fastened by strings placed at 6 or more points on its frame
(which is portable by being hinged at the centre) to electro plated steel piano-
forte wire by which it is kept captive. The kite-balloon has a tail to steady it
made of four or more cones of silk or other light material, wire-rimmed, of small or
large size according to circumstances and fastened to each other at certain distances
by either light wire or string.
The features of novelty in the above instrument are as follows.
(1) the combination of the principle of the kite with that of the balloon, (by
which when a wind blows, instead of blowing down like the ordinary captive
balloon, the principle of the kite comes into play in keeping it at some considerable
elevation & preventing damage by the wind.
(2) the fastening being at the side instead of at the base.
(3) the use of electro plated piano-forte steel wire in fastening the instrument to
the earth.

page_text: I, EDMUND DOUGLAS ARCHIBALD, Grosvenor House, Tunbridge Wells, Kent,
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 consists in the combination of a kite and a balloon as hereinafter
described so as to form a captive apparatus by which aërial ascents can be made in
windy as well as in calm weather, thereby obtaining a distinct advantage over
ordinary captive balloons which will not rise properly when the wind is blowing.
On the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a general side view of a captive kite-
balloon constructed according to my Invention and Fig. 2 is a general front view
of the same; Figs. 3 and 4 are general side and front views respectively of a
modified form of my captive kite-balloon and Fig. 5 is a general elevation of a
further modification of the same.
Referring firstly to Figa 1 and 2 it will be seen that the apparatus there
represented consists essentially of a kite a of ordinary pear shape and an
ordinary balloon b attached thereto. The framework of the kite (made preferably
of bamboo or light steel) may consist of two standards c¹, c³, connected to two cruss-
pieces d', d, and to a top bent piece e on which is stretched the covering f which
is preferably of silk. The upper edge of the kite framework and the top of the
balloon are attached together by five woven bands f¹f, f³, f', f³, connected to
the former at about equal distances and to the latter where the cords of the
netting converge; the lower end of the kite is connected by cords or other means
to the ring g fixed to the bottom of the netting. h is the tail of the kite connected
to the lower end for the purpose of rendering it steady and made preferably of
cones of silk i or other light material rimmed with cane or wire and fastened
together at certain distances by either light wire or string. Two only of the said
cones i are shewn on my drawings but I prefer to use four or more according to
the size of the kite-balloon. k is an ordinary wicker or other car depending from
the netting of the balloon. In order to keep the kite-balloon captive I prefer to
use an electro-plated pianoforte wire l or a phosphor bronze or other wire or cord
may be used which I call an earth line attached in any convenient manner to the
kite, as for instance by the two cords or wires m¹, m², fixed to the standards o³, c³,
and joined to a single wire or cord m³ which is led over a pulley n and down
to the car k where it is made secure. By the occupants of the car paying out or
shortening the cord or wire m³ the position of the point of attachment o to the
kite can be varied so as to alter the angle at which the kite is flying to suit any
change in the direction of the wind. p is an extra covering of light silk or other
suitable material fixed to the bands 'ƒ¹, ƒ³, ƒ³, ƒ, fs, and to the upper edge of
the kite so as to protect the balloon from the wind and prevent eddies and back
currents.
The forms and sizes of the kite and balloon can be varied without departing
from the nature of my Invention, for instance instead of the kite and balloon being

page_text: of a pear shape as above described and illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 the balloon
may be of the ordinary spherical form and the kite polygonal or circular. This
modification is illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4 which represent an octagonal kite al
in combination with a spherical balloon 61 both of ordinary construction connected
together by bands at the top and a ring and cords at the bottom and having an
extra covering piece p, a tail h and an earth line 7 similar to the kite-balloon
illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2. A further modification is shewn by Fig. 5 which
represents a circular kite a¹ and a spherical balloon b¹ combined together for use
as a toy:
The kite-balloons above described being attached to earth by a cord or line at
the side, instead of at the bottom as are ordinary captive balloons, cannot be turned
round by the wind and are kept steady by the kite and therefore well adapted for
the purpose of making observations for military, scientific or other purposes.
When my Invention is constructed for use as a toy the car may be omitted (see
Fig. 5) and the kite made preferably circular having a hoop q all round to which
the netting of the balloon is secured and two cross-pieces 71, 73, to which the earth
line is fastened,
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:
1st. A captive kite-balloon consisting essentially of a balloon in combination
with a kite having a tail and earth line as and for the purposes set forth.
2nd. The captive kite-balloon hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 1
and 2 of the accompanying drawings, consisting of the pear shaped balloon b and
the pear shaped kite a connected together at their upper and lower parts, as
described, the kite having a tail h and an earth line substantially as and for
the purposes described.
3rd. The modified forms of captive kite-balloons hereinbefore described and
illustrated by Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings consisting of the
polygonal or circular kite a¹ and the spherical balloon 61, the kite and the balloon
being connected together and the kite having a tail and an earth line 7 sub-
stantially as and for the purposes described.
4th. In a captive kite-balloon consisting essentially of a balloon and a kite in
combination the application and use of an extra covering p at the upper part of
the kite substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5th. The application and use of electro-plated pianoforte or phosphor bronze
wire as an earth line for fastening a captive kite-balloon as described.
Dated this 17th day of September 1886.