IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF KITES, AND IN THE APPLICATION THEREOF TO THE PURPOSES OF CARRYING LINES AND OF A communication
Year: 1855

page_text: in the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF KITES, AND
IN THE APPLICATION THEREOF TO THE PURPOSES OF CARRYING LINES AND OF
A communication from Andre Marie Preverand, of Paris,
SIGNALLING,"
in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 29th May 1855, and dated the 26th January 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th January 1855.
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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF KITES,
AND IN THE APPLICATION THEREOF TO THE PURPOSES OF CARRYING LINES AND OF
SIGNALLING," a communication from Andre Marie Preverand, of Paris, in the
Empire of France, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, first, to an improved form and construction of the
bodies of kites; second, to an improved construction and arrangement of the
tail; and, third, to the application of such kites to useful purposes in navigation,
such, for example, as the carrying of moving or towing lines, and the displaying
of signals. The frame of the kite, which may be made of any dimension,
according as it may be intended as a toy, or for any of the usciul application
herein-before referred to, is composed of two straight flat laths or pieces of
wood laid one over the other and crossing at their centres, where they may be
secured either by a knotted cord, a piece of wire, or any other suitable fastening
[Price 8d.]

page_text: which will allow the two laths being shut up together when not required
for use. The material. which constitutes the tail portion of the kite may be
composed of any suitable textile or other fabric, and may be secured per-
manently to one of the laths at each end,, while it is merely attached temporally
to the two extremities of the other lath. This arrangement admits of the
kite being shut up and furled or reefed when not required for use. The rule
adopted for determining the length of the "belly band" of the kite, and the
proper points of attachment to the vertical lath, is to divide the length of the
lath into four equal parts, and attach the two ends of the "belly band" at
about one-fourth the length of the lath from the ends; the length of the "belly
banditself is found by distending it in such a way as to form an angle from
the face of the lath, the lath constituting the base of the angle, and the line
of such angle must be equal to about one-eighth the length of the lath. Two
or more loops or points of attachment for the main line are formed in the
belly band, in order that the inclination of the kite may be varied according
to the amount of wind at the time of flying it. The tail of the kite is
composed of a number of thin wooden boards or pallets of any desired shape
or of any other suitable light material, through the centre of which is passed
the tail cord. In order to prevent this. cord from being, choped by the action.
of the boards, a short length of wire is introduced at that part, to each end of
which is attached the tail cord. These boards or pallets are situated at
suitable intervals up the tail cord, and present their flat sides to the action
of the wind, and thereby steady the kite. In conveying a tow or moving line
by this kite, the line to be conveyed is attached at one end to a float, to
which float the main line of the kite is fastened. When the kite is flying,
the float with the line to be carried will be drawn along by the action of the
wind upon the kite, and the line will thus be carried out in the direction of
the kite's flight. For signalling purposes, the requisite signals may be attached
to the body of the kite, or to any other part connected with it, whereby they
may be sufficiently elevated to be seen at a considerable distance.
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 26th July 1855.
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-sixth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth 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, adminstrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the.
said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 " IMPROVE..
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF KITES, AND IN THE APPLICATION THEREOF TO THE
PURPOSES OF CARRYING LINES AND OF SIGNALLING," a communication from Andre.
Marie Preverand, of Paris, in the Empire of France, 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 per-
formed, 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 declare
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 figurės marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates, first, to an improved construction and arrange--
ment of the bodies of kites; second, to an improved construction and arrange-
ment of the tail; &, third, to the application of such kites to useful purposes. in
navigation, such, for example, as the carrying of mooring or towing lines, and
the displaying of signals. The frame of the kite, which may be made of any
dimension, according as it may be intended as a toy, or for any of the useful
applications herein-before referred.to, is composed of two straight flat laths or
strips of wood laid one over the other and crossing at their centres, where they
may be secured either by a knotted cord, or piece of wire, or any other suitable
fastening which will allow of the two. laths being shut up together parallel
when not required for use. The material which constitutes the sail portion of:
the kite may be composed of any suitable textile or other fabric, and may be.
secured permanently. to one of the laths at each end, whilst it is merely
attached temporally to the two, extremities of the other lath. This arrange;

page_text: .
ment admits of the kite being shut up and furled or reefed when not required
for use. The rule adopted for determining the length of the "belly band "
and the proper points of attachment to the vertical lath is to divide the length
of the lath into four equal parts, and attach the two ends of the "belly band"
at about one-fourth the length of the lath from the ends. The length of the
"belly band" itself is found by distending it in such a way as to form a
Ariangle from the face of the lath, the lath constituting the base of the triangle,
and the smaller side of such triangle must be equal to about one-eighth the
Jength of the lath. Two or more loops or points of attachment for the main
line are formed in the belly band, in order that the inclination of the kite
may be varied according to the amount of wind at the time of flying it. The
tail of the kite is composed of a number of thin boards or pallets of any
desired shape or of any suitable light material, through the centre of which
boards is passed the tail cord. In order to prevent this cord from being chafed
by the action of the boards, a short length of wire may be introduced at that
part, to each end of which is attached the tail cord, in place of passing it
through the boards themselves. These boards or pallets are placed at suitable
intervals up the tail cord, and present their flat sides to the action of the wind,
and thereby steady the kite.
In conveying a tow or mooring line by this kite, the line to be conveyed
is attached at one end to a float, to which float the main line of the kite is
fastened. When the kite is flying, the float with the line to be carried will be
drawn along by the action of the wind upon the kite, and the line will thus
be carried out in the direction of the kite's flight. For signalling purposes,
the requisite signals may be attached to the body of the kite, or to any other
part connected with it, whereby they may be sufficiently elevated to be seen
at a considerable distance.
And in order that the said Invention may be more readily understood, I
shall now proceed to describe and refer to the several figures on the Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a kite constructed according to this
Invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the frame represented as shut up;
Figure 3 represents the kite furled, suitable for transport; Figure 4 is a
general view of the kite when flying, and the mode of applying it. The rest
of the Figures are details, which 1 shall herein-after more particularly describe
and refer to. The kite is composed of two laths or strips of wood A, B,
united at their centres by a piece of cord or wire, or small thumb nut and
screw a, as shewn in Figure 2, by which means the two laths may be
shut up close to each other, and afterwards rolled inside the cloth C, forming

page_text: the body of the kite, as shewn at Figure 5, is rendering
portable.
CONYCHIC
The cloth forming the body of the kite may consist of any suitable fabric,
according to the purposes to which the kite is to be applied. For nautical
purposes sail cloth may be used; but if it is merely intended as a child's toy,
then calico, woolen, silk, or linen will be found better adapted, the material
being dyed or otherwise ornamented. The cloth is permanently fastened at
two of its opposite corners to the two extremities of one of the laths A, whilst
the other two corners are merely secured temporally to the ends of the
horizontal lath B when the kite is required for use. The tail of the kite is
composed of a number of pallets or discs D, of any desired form, but shewn
rectangular in Figures 1, 4, 5, and 6, the two last Figures representing enlarged
views of the pallets. These pallets are fitted on to the short lengths of wire d,
Figure 7. which are secured to the tail cord e, to prevent it from being rubbed
or injured by the working or friction of the hole f. in the centre of the
pallets or discs, see Figure 6. These pallets work sufficiently free on the wires d
to admit of their adjusting themselves with their faces towards the wind when
it blows upon them. When the kite is required to be flown at a considerable
elevation, the size of the discs should be smaller, but their number greater
than when the kite is not required at a great elevation.
The main cord g, Figure 4, is attached at one end to the belly band of the
kite, whilst its other extremity is secured to a float G, which offers sufficient
resistance to keep the kite elevated, whilst at the same time it follows the kite
in the direction of the wind. To this float is attached the end of the tow or
mooring line to be carried. By suitably attaching the cord g to the float,
which may be made pointed at each end, the kite and tow line may be made
In con-
to travel in an oblique direction, or a few points from the wind.
structing the belly band of the kite, which is the most important part thereof,
a cord his attached at two points to the vertical arm or lath A of the frame,
the points of attachment being each distant from the two ends of the lath
about a quarter of the entire length of the same, as shewn in Figures 8 and 9.
To obtain the proper length of this cord, I form the first triangle i, j, k, the
smallest side of which from i to j is equal to one-eighth of the entire length
of the lath; at the point ; a loop is made, for attachment to the main cord of
the kite. I then form the second triangle i, 1, and k, and make a second loop
at ; a third triangle i, 2, and k, may also be formed, and a loop made at 13;
three loops i, 1, 12, are thus provided for attaching the main cord g to any one
of them, according to the amount of wind at the time of flying the kite; thus,
in ordinary winds the first loop i may be used, for stronger winds, the second

page_text: one may be employed, and in very strong gales the cord may be attached
to the third loop j, thus rendering the kite perfectly adapted for all weathers.
This apparatus will be found of great service in carrying life lines to wrecks,
as they are easily portable, and may be put into operation in a very few
minutes.
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 said 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 construction and arrangement of kites and apparatus
connected therewith for nautical and other purposes, as herein-before
described.
Second, the system or mode of constructing kites so as to render them
capable of being easily folded up or extended when required, as herein-
before described. .
Third, the peculiar construction and arrangement of the belly bands of
kites, whereby the main cord may be attached at different points, according to
the strength of the wind, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the application and use of a float attached to kites, whereby they
may be enabled to travel in an oblique direction with the wind.
Fifth, the application and use of kites wherein the cloth is not stretched
tight, by which means a better action of the wind is obtained.
Sixth, the application and use of kite tails composed of a number of pallets
or discs, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have. hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day. of July, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-five.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)