Improvements in or relating to Aerial Navigation.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd June, 189
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Aerial Navigation.
I, EDWARD JOEL PENNINGTON of the Hotel Metropole, in The County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the automatic control of aerial vessels, and the like, the
object being to improve the automatic steering of these vessels so as to cause them
automatically to rise to the required level, and always remain at that level, besides
taking and maintaining the proper course in a horizontal plane. The steering in a
horizontal plane i effect by means of a magnetic needle or compass making for
breaking the necessary contacts for electric currents which in turn operate or control
the steering or driving mechanism of the vessel. The height above the ground at
which the vessel travels or its adjustment in a vertical plane is controlled by a
barometer making or breaking contacts as in the case of the compass so as to control
or operate the necessary mechanism.
I make the vessel substantially self-supporting, that is to say I have in, or in
connection with it, a chamber or vessel preferably charged with hydrogen gas of
sufficient capacity to more or less exactly balance the weight of the vessel so that
the propeller has little or no weight to raise, and in the first instance drives the
vessel up to its proper level, and then propels it forward, unless the vessel deviates
from its proper level, in which case, the propeller would return it to its proper
position.
I have before now proposed to regulate the altitude of an aerial vessel by means
of a barometer, but in my present invention I improve the mechanism for carrying
this into effect by fitting the motor, the propeller and their necessary connections
upon a suitable carrying frame which is pivotted in the vessel carried in gimballs,
universal joints or equivalent, or otherwise so arranged that the barometric
variations will through suitable mechanism, preferably electric, so control the
frame or other device which carries the propeller that the angle of the propeller
will be automatically varied according as the vessel is to be raised or lowered. By
providing a universal joint in the motor shaft I may vary the plane in which the
propeller works without disturbing the rest of the mechanism, but generally
I prefer as above described to move the frame which carries both motor and
propeller, an arrangement which allows of the one propeller serving to elevate or
depress as well as to drive the vessel horizontally, movements which may be
rendered automatic by further controlling the same frame or the equivalent by the
compass for horizontal deviation as well as by the barometer for vertical
deviation.
The details will naturally vary according to the size and construction of the
vessel to which the invention is applied, but the foregoing will serve to indicate
how it may be efficiently carried into effect.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Aerial Navigation.
I, EDWARD JOEL PENNINGTON formerly of the Hotel Metropole, in the-
County of Middlesex, Engineer, now of The Motor Mills, Coventry in the County
of Warwick, 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 the automatic control of aerial vessels, and the like, the
object being to improve the automatic steering of these vessels so as to cause them
automatically to rise to the required level, and always remain at that level, besides
taking and maintaining the proper course in a horizontal plane. The steering in a
horizontal plane I effect by means of a magnetic needle or compass making or
breaking the necessary contacts for electric currents which in turn operate or control
the steering or driving mechanism of the vessel. The height above the ground at
which the vessel travels or its adjustment in a vertical plane is controlled by a
barometer making or breaking contacts as in the case of the compass so as to
control or operate the necessary mechanism.
I make the vessel substantially self-supporting, that is to say I have in, or in
connection with it, a chamber or vessel preferably charged with hydrogen gas of
sufficient capacity to more or less exactly balance the weight of the vessel so that
the propeller has little or no weight to raise, and in the first instance drives the
vessel up to its proper level, and then propels it forward, unless the vessel deviates
from its proper level, in which case the propeller would return it to its proper
position.
I have before now proposed to regulate the altitude of an aerial vessel by means
of a barometer, but in my present invention I improve the mechanism for carrying
this into effect by fitting the motor, the propeller and their necessary connections
upon a suitable carrying frame which is pivotted in the vessel carried in gimballs,
universal joints or equivalent, or otherwise so arranged that the barometric
variations will through suitable mechanism, preferably electric, so control the
frame or other device which carries the propeller that the angle of the propeller
will be automatically varied according as the vessel is to be raised or lowered. By
providing a universal joint in the motor shaft I may vary the plane in which the
propeller works without disturbing the rest of the mechanism, but generally I prefer
as above described to move the frame which carries both motor and propeller, an
arrangement which allows of the one propeller serving to elevate or depress as well
as to drive the vessel horizontally, movements which may be rendered automatic by
further controlling the same frame or the equivalent by the compass for horizontal
deviation as well as by the barometer for vertical deviation.
The details will naturally vary according to the size and construction of the
vessel to which the invention is applied, but the foregoing will serve to indicate
how it may be efficiently carried into effect.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the improved method of mounting the
motor.
Figure 2 is a diagram showing the apparatus for barometrically controlling the
electro motor which alters the position of the main motor.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The main propelling motor A together with the driving shaft and propeller is
carried in a frame provided with trunnions B which are mounted in an extension C
from the end of the car C¹; a toothed are D is attached to the frame carrying the
motor and so arranged that by means of a worm engaging with it the whole motor

page_text: and propeller may be turned about an angle in the vertical plane upon the
trunnions B. An actuating worm E is formed upon a vertically arranged shaft E
which is carried in suitable bearings F F upon the end of the car. To one end
of the shaft E is attached a toothed wheel E with which engages a pinion G
upon the shaft of an electro motor H, the rotation of which as will be seen.
brings about the movement of the motor frame upon the trunnions, B.
The operation of the motor H is regulated in the following manner :-
Wires J and J conveying the current to it pass from the battery K to a.
reversing switch L operated by a lever L', one of the wires J at some point.
between the battery and reversing switch being led through the short arm M
of a barometer tube M, the wire being broken at this point, and its ends J
arranged to project into the tube so that the circuit will be completed by the
mercury N, when the atmospheric pressure decreases sufficiently to allow the
mercury to fall in the tube M and consequently to rise in the tube M to the required
point. Thus it will be seen that the motor H is started or stopped according to-
the height to which the mercury stands in the barometer tube.
The movement of the mercury is also arranged to control the direction in
which the current flows and consequently the direction in which the motor will!
rotate.
The current is led from the battery K to a solenoid O through wires P and P',
the latter being broken and its ends P led into the long arm M of the barometer
tube at a point to be determined, and in such a manner that when the mercury N
rises to this point the circuit through the solenoid will be completed.
A soft iron core Q is connected by suitable means to the lever L' for operating
the reversing switch and is so arranged that when the completed circuit passes.
through the solenoid O, it may be drawn into the latter, this movement operating
the switch and reversing the direction of the current through the motor H.
A spring R is conveniently arranged to withdraw the core Q from the solenoid O
when the circuit through the latter is broken and so restore the switch L to its.
original position.
It will be seen that with the above arrangement as soon as the vessel reaches an
altitude sufficient to cause the mercury to fall in the barometer tube M and conse-
quently to rise in the tube M' the circuit through the solenoid O will be broken.
and the direction of the current flowing through the motor H reversed, the latter
being put into operation by the completion of the circuit by the mercury N.
It is to be noted that by arranging the motor to be moved in a horizontal plane,
the course of the vessel in this plane may be controlled by a compass or magnetic
necdle in a manner similar to that described above for the control of the vessel in
a vertical plane by means of a barometer.
As shown in the drawings the same battery is employed to supply the current.
for the solenoid O and also to the motor H but it is obvious that separate batteries
may be employed if desired for these purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a vessel for aerial navigation automatically controlling an electro motor in.
the manner described.
2. In a vessel for aerial navigation the combination with an electro-motor of a.
barometrically controlled reversing switch, substantially as described.
3. In a vessel for aerial navigation pivotally mounting the main mutor and.
propeller, for the purpose described.
4. In a vessel for aerial navigation the combination with a motor and propeller
carried upon a pivotted frame, of an electro motor controlled by a barometer or-
compass substantially as and for the purpose described.
5. In a vessel for aerial navigation the combination with an electro motor for
moving a pivotted frame carrying the main motor and propeller, of an.

page_text: automatically operating apparatus for controlling the electro motor substantially as
described.
6. In a vessel for aerial navigation the combination with a pivotally mounted
motor such as A carrying a toothed arc D of an automatic apparatus for controlling
an electro motor operating a worm substantially as and for the purpose described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
7. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete
automatic controlling and operating apparatus for aerial navigation, substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of April 1897.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.