Improvements in Air Ships.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1898-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Air Ships.
I, CHARLES EDWIN HITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at No. 103,
South 34th Street, in the City of Philadelphia, in the County of Philadelphia
and State of Pennsylvania, Professor, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention has relation to an air ship of the type or character, wherein the
car is supported or elevated by a balloon or gas receptacle; and in such connection
it relates particularly to the construction and arrangement of such an air ship.
My invention consists first in providing in an air ship, a balloon or flexible gas
receptacle adapted to be inflated by hydrogen or other gases, in combination with
pipes leading from and to the baloon, a fan or other suction apparatus connected
to one of said pipes and adapted to suck gas from the balloon therethrough, a
heating coil or similar apparatus into which the gas so sucked is adapted to be
discharged, said coil being connected with another pipe, whereby when required
a constant circulation and heating of the gas in the balloon may be accomplished;
second, in providing in an air ship, in connection with the balloon, and on either
side parallel with the medial line of the balloon, a tube or cylinder, the forward
end of which is closed by a propeller or fan and having at its rear end a rudder
for steering, said rudder being curved to correspond with the periphery of the tube
to which it is pivotally connected; third, in providing in an air ship, a movable
or adjustable ballast, consisting of a telescoping tube at the lower end of which
is secured a flexible sack or bag, the tube adapted to be collapsed or extended
and serving with the bag to form a receptacle for water, heavy oil or similar liquid
ballast, the bag being adapted to be collapsed independently of the tubes; and
fourth, in providing in an air ship, in conjunction with a balloon or flexible gas
receptacle and means, whereby a circulation and heating of the gas in the balloon
or receptacle may be accomplished, an internal bag or sack adapted to be expanded
or to collapse to compensate for the decrease or increase of gas pressure within
the balloon or receptacle due to heating of the gas or climatic conditions, whereby
the outer covering of the balloon or receptacle may be kept taut.
My invention further consists of an air ship, constructed and arranged in
substantially the manner hereinafter described and claimed.
The nature and scope of my invention will be more fully understood from the
following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings form-
ing part hereof, in which
Figure 1, is a side elevational view of an air ship embodying main features of
my invention.
Fig. 2, is an elevational view of the forward end of the air ship.
Fig. 3, is a vertical sectional view enlarged of the gas reservoir.
Fig. 4, is a cross sectional view of the reinforced forward end of the balloon.
Fig. 5, is a similar view illustrating a modification of the reinforced end
illustrated in Fig. 4.

page_text: ting the gas in the balloon.
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Fig. 7, is a rear elevational view enlarged of one of the side tubes, the propeller
and the rudder.
Fig. 8, is a vertical sectional view enlarged of the adjustable ballasting tube
and bag.
Fig. 9, is a longitudinal sectional view of the balloon, showing the internal
bag or sack; and
Fig. 10, is an enlarged sectional view of the tube and valves leading to the
internal bag or sack.
Referring to the drawings A, represents the balloon, which may by preference
be prolately spheroidal in shape or cylindriform with conical ends. The forward
end of the balloon is protected by a pointed cap a, and the rear end by a spherical
cap a¹, the two caps being held to position by the harness a², and a lower rope a³,
as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. The outer shell of the balloon, consists of one
or more thicknesses of fabric of suitable character and of such size and capacity
as to lift a given weight. The forward end of the balloon is reinforced by a series
of strengthening ribs a', of bamboo or other suitable material, which may either
be secured between the thicknesses of the covering, as illustrated in Fig. 4, or
secured to the outside of the covering, as illustrated in Fig. 5. These ribs at,
serve to keep the forward end of the balloon distended against the pressure of the
air, when the air ship is travelling through the atmosphere and hence help to
preserve the equilibrium of the balloon.
The balloon A, may be supplied with gas from a tank or reservoir b, carried
in the car B, of the air ship and this tank or reservoir as illustrated in Fig. 3,
is of the following preferred construction. It consists of an outer shell or
cylinder b¹, of light metal, such as aluminum alloy, sufficiently strong to withstand
the pressure under which the gas is to be held in the tank or reservoir and snugly
fitting within the cylinder b', is located a bag 63, of gold-beaters' skin or other
similar impervious material, into which the gas is forced. A tank of such con-
struction will be found to be exceedingly light in weight and yet practically
gas tight.
The car B, is suspended below the balloon A, and it consists of a series of
upright piping d, properly braced by the cross tubes d', which piping depends
from a frame consisting of the longitudinal tubes d³, suspended from the bottom
of the harness a², as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. Within the car is located the
apparatus for heating and circulating gas within the balloon A. As illustrated
in Fig. 6, this apparatus consists of a coil e, heated by a lamp or other suitable
means e¹. One end e³, of the coil is connected directly with the interior of the
balloon, whilst the other end e³, is connected with the outlet from a chamber e¹,
in which rotates a fan or suction blower e, the inlet to the chamber communica-
is
ting with the balloon A, by a pipe e. When the fan e, is in operation, gas.
sucked through the pipe e, from the balloon A, passed through the coil and
discharged by the pipe e³, into the balloon, thereby creating within the same a
circulation of gas and forming a means of constantly heating the gas in the
balloon.
Along the sides of the balloon and in the medial line thereof are arranged the
tubes 7, which are supported above the car B, by the levers f¹, pivoted at one
end as at 2, in the cross-bars d³, of the frame carried by the harness a². The
other end of said levers f¹, is forked as at f³, to form a support for the tube f.
The tubes are connected to the top of the harness a², by bands or straps f, and
are also connected to the base of the car B, by tie-ropes f³. From the foregoing
description it will be obvious that the tubes f, are maintained in their proper
position, when the balloon is inflated and will sink to a position substantially
parallel with the base of the car as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, when the
balloon is deflated, the supporting levers f¹, turning upon their pivotal connec-
tion, to permit of the change in position of the tubes f. At the forward end

page_text: of each tube is located a fan or suction wheel g, adapted when rotating to suck
air into the tube f, and to discharge it from the rear end, the impact of the dis-
charged air against the circumambient atmosphere forming a means of propulsion
for the air ship. To the periphery of the rear end of each tube f, is hinged a
rudder g¹, the shape of which in cross-section corresponds with that of the tube,
and is pivoted on that side of the tube, which is adjacent to the balloon. To the
free end of the rudder g', is secured a rope or chain h, passing over a pulley h¹,
secured to the side of the tube f, and extending to the car B, as illustrated in
Fig. 1. By pulling on this rope or chain h, the rudder gl, may be moved to close
more or less of the rear aperture of the tube f, the force of the wind passing
through the tube serving to throw the rudder normally away from the aperture
and towards the side of the balloon. From the bottom of the car extends the
ballasting device which, as illustrated in Fig. 8, consists preferably of the telescop-
ing tubes k and k¹, the upper end or mouth of the external tube k, being funnel-
shaped as at . The tube k¹, sliding within the tube k, may be raised or lowered
by a cord or chain ³, and its lower end is closed by a bag or sack. This bag
or sack, may be partially or completely collapsed and drawn upwards within
the tube k¹, by means of the cord or chain, passing through both tubes k
and ¹, a partial collapse of the bag being indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 8.
The tubes and k, and bag k, may be partially or completely filled with water,
heavy oil or other liquid ballast poured into the funnel, and when the bag 4,
is drawn upwards and collapsed this liquid ballast will rise in the tubes k and k¹,
and if sufficient ballast be used to completely fill the tubes and bag the collapse
of the bag or raising of the pipe k', will cause the ballast to overflow from the
funnel
In Figs. 9 and 10, there is illustrated a means, whereby the shell of the balloon
may be kept taut when the presure of gas within the balloon varies by reason
of heating or cooling of the gas or any expansion or contraction of the gas due
to varying climatic or atmospheric changes. Within the shell of the balloon A,
is suspended, preferably above the central line thereof, a sack or bag m, which is
secured by ropes or cords m¹, to the top and bottom of the interior of the shell
of the balloon. Leading from the sack or bag m, to the car B, is a pipe m²,
having at its lower end two valves m³ and m³, normally closing the inlet m³, and
outlet me, of the tubes m², by means of suitable springs. The springs m², of the
valve m³, seats the valve downwards and in-rushing air lifts the valve off its seat
against the pressure of the spring before the air can enter the tube m². The
spring m³, of the valve m, presses the valve m³, against its seat with a force
When
sufficient to overcome a certain predetermined pressure within the tube m².
now the cover or shell of the balloon becomes loose by reason of a less pressure
of gas within the balloon the bag or sack m, is inflated by forcing air under
pressure through the tube m³, until the pressure thus exerted internally upon the
gas is sufficient to stretch the shell of the balloon taut. When the pressure of gas
within the balloon becomes greater it will so compress the bag or sack m, that the
air in the sack will be forced out through the tube m², and the valve m², and the
collapse of the sack m, will relieve the internal pressure of the gas upon the shell
or cover of the balloon.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and objects
of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is :--
1. In an air ship, a balloon or flexible gas receptacle, in combination with an
inlet and outlet pipes for gas, a fan or similar suction apparatus connected with
one of said pipes, and a heating coil connected with the suction apparatus
and with the other pipe, all arranged so that a constant circulation and heating
of the gas in the balloon may be maintained, substantially as and for the purposes
described.

page_text: 2. In an air ship, in combination with a balloon or flexible gas receptacle,
two tubes or hollow cylinders, each arranged on either side of the balloon and
in the medial line thereof, a suction fan located in the forward end of said tube
and a rudder pivotally connected to the periphery of the tube at the rear end
thereof, said rudder being curved in cross-section to correspond to the shape of
that part of the periphery of the tube to which it is pivoted, substantially as and
for the purposes described.
3. In an air ship, in combination with a balloon or flexible gas receptacle, two
tubes or hollow cylinders each arranged on either side of the balloon and in the
medial line thereof, a suction fan located in the forward end of said tube, a rudder
pivotally connected to the periphery of the tube adjacent to the balloon, a frame
supported below the balloon, a lever pivoted at one end to said frame and adapted
to support the tube in operative position and to permit of its dropping below the
balloon when deflated, substantially as and for the purposes described.
4. In an air ship, a ballasting device, comprising two telescopic tubes, a bag
or sack closing the end of one of said tubes, means for collapsing said bag, and
means for telescoping said tubes, substantially as and for the purposes described.
5. In an air ship, a balloon or flexible gas receptacle provided with inlet and
outlet pipes for the gas, a fan or similar suction apparatus connected with one
of said pipes and a heating coil connected with the suction apparatus and with
the other of said pipes, all arranged so that a constant circulation and heating
of the gas in the balloon or receptacle may be maintained, in combination with
an internal bag or sack adapted to be expanded or collapsed to compensate for
decrease or increase of gas pressure within the balloon or flexible gas receptacle,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
1
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accipia, I.,
VIIIS
un day of June A.D. 1898.
CHARLES EDWIN HITE,
Per J. G. Lorrain,
Chartered Patent Agent.