Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Apr., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 17th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 23rd Feb., 1889
I, GIOVANNI GAGGINO, of Niel Street, Singapore, merchant do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This Invention relates to an improved method of steering balloons or air ships
and to improvements in the construction thereof whereby they are enabled to be
readily navigated.
The improved method of steering a balloon or air ship according to this invention
consists in utilizing the combined action of gravity causing the fall of the balloon
with the reaction due to the resistance of the air upon a sufficiently large and
suitably inclined surface. To this end, the balloon is first caused to ascend vertically
to a more or less considerable elevation, and when it has reached a height, where
its weight is counterbalanced by its buoyancy the relative positions of the centres
of gravity and buoyancy are so changed as to lower the foremost end of the
parachute and cause it to be presented to the resistance of the air. The buoyancy
is then sufficiently diminished to cause the balloon to fall a given height, when it
will descend along an inclined line, the inclination of which is dependent on the
positions of the parachute and of a horizontal rudder articulated to the rear end of
the same. During the fall of the balloon in the manner described any lateral
deviations of the same can be obtained by means of a vertical rudder likewise
arranged beneath the rear-end of the parachute. As soon as the falling balloon has
acquired a certain velocity, the relative positions of the centres of gravity and
buoyancy are reversed thereby lowering the rear end of the parachute which under
the action of inertia and of its vis viva, will rise in an inverseley inclined direction.
Afterwards when its velocity considerably decreases, another reversal of the relative
positions of the centrics of gravity and buoyancy is effected, when the balloon will
again descend in an inclined direction, and so on, until it has fallen to a level where
its buoyancy is again counter-balanced by its weight.

page_text: A navigable air ship which is specially adapted for carrying out the improved
method of steering hereinbefore described comprises a fusiform balloon, provided with
an even parachute, which is located in a symmetrical plane of the balloon and con-
centrically surrounding the same. To the rear end of the parachute are articulated
horizontal and vertical rudders, and below its under surface there is arranged a heavy
weight, which is movable in the direction of the axis of the balloon in order that it
may be displaced for the purpose of changing the position of the centre of gravity of
the air ship with respect to the centre of buoyancy of the same. The car of the air
ship is either suspended below the under surface of the balloon or imbedded in the
lowermost portion of the same.
Instead of using a movable weight, auxiliary balloons may be used that are adapted
to be inflated and collapsed at will for the purpose of changing the position of the
centre of buoyancy.
The balloon of the air-ship may be composed of a strong fusiform case, made of
a strong fabric and provided with wire ribs, with one or more inflated balloons proper
of any suitable form, enclosed in the said case; or the said case may be made of thin
sheet metal. Or a balloon made exclusively of thin sheet aluminium and filled with
hot air or with hot gaseous products of combustion may be employed.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in and Pertaining to Navigable Balloons or Apparatus
for Aërial Navigation.
I, GIOVANNI GAGGINO of Neil Street, Singapore, Merchant, 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 method of steering balloons or air ships
hereinafter called "air ships" and to improvements in the construction of such vessels
or vehicles whereby they are enabled to be readily navigated.
The improved method of steering an air ship according to this invention consists in
utilizing the combined action of gravity causing the fall of the air ship with the
reaction due to the resistance of the air upon a sufficiently large and suitably
inclined surface.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate a navigable air ship constructed according to this
invention.
It comprises a fuseform balloon S, having a volume proportional to the weight to
be raised, and provided with a covering J of gas tight material that is much stronger
than the material ordinarily used for balloons so that it may be able to withstand the
pressure of the air when moving at a high speed. This covering J may be made of
very thin sheet aluminium in which case it is capable of resistance at exceedingly
high speeds.
Around the balloon S is arranged in a horizontal plane a large plane diaphragm C
of fabric provided with suitable stiffening devices and with downward and upward
struts of steel piping so that it is compelled to maintain a fixed position in relation to
the balloon.
The diaphragm constitutes the hereinbefore mentioned surface of air resistance;
it ends in front in a point P whilst it becomes wider towards the rear and terminates
in a straight edge P
The balloon is covered with a net of steel wire to protect it from injury.
At the rear of the air resistance diaphragm C is arranged a horizontal steering
rudder T by means of which the movement of the air ship may be directed upwards
or downwards; or the speed be slackened and which can be shifted 90° in an upward
or a downward direction.
Instead of one rudder there may be two. There is also arranged below the rear
edge of the diaphragm C a vertical rudder V by means of which the air ship may be
diverted to the right or to the left and which acts in exactly the same way as the
rudder of a ship moving in the water. The car N is situated underneath the air
resistance diaphragm C and may be either suspended from the air ship as in fig. 1 or
enclosed in the same as in Fig. 3.
From this car the aeronaut can by means of rods or cords easily operate the
rudders.
Below the car N is a movable weight B which is heavy enough when moved
forward or backward to shift the position of the centre of gravity of the whole ship
with relation to the centre of the upward thrust in such a manner that the point P of
the air resistance diaphragm C must sink or rise.
The balloon. S has two valves: a gas inlet valve and a gas outlet valve.

page_text: The movement of the air ship is effected as follows:-
The balloon is first filled with a quantity of gas requisite to enable it to
rise to a certain height say for example Three thousand metres above the
sea level.
As soon as the height is reached at which the upward displacement is equal to
the weight of the air ship so that the air ship remains stationary the aeronaut
moves the sliding weight B forwards towards the point. P in order to impart to
the whole ship a forward inclination. He then allows so much gas to escape as to
cause the balloon to fall the distance that will enable the falling movement to be
utilized for steering purposes for example about five hundred.metres. The air ship
thus brought into an inclined position and deprived of a portion of its gas begins
to sink with increasing velocity which is however slackened by the parachute action
of the air resistance diaphragm and by the horizontal rudder and the air ship moves
forward with a speed which is greater the more the inclination is that has been given
to the apparatus. But a certain angle must not be exceeded and the air resistance
diaphragm must not be inclined too steeply in order that the surface of projection
offered vertically to the resistance of the air may not become too small and the
resistance of the air become too great upon the upper or front surface.
forward motion of the air ship having thus been obtained by the combination of the
falling movement with the action of the resistance of the air upon an inclined surface
there is produced along the under surface of the air ship a current of the displaced
and escaping air with a direction from the point P to the rear part P¹ and the person
in the car can by means of the horizontal rudder T increase or diminish at will the
inclination of the ship in order to increase or diminish the velocity of the fall and
by means of the vertical rudder V the air ship can be diverted to the right or to
the left.
A fast
The current of air has an exactly similar action upon this rudder as the water
upon the rudder of a moving ship so that a balloon or air ship may be steered by
these means.
As soon as the air ship has attained a certain velocity in consequence of its falling
movement the movable weight B is shifted from the front to the back namely first to
a point underneath the centre and then under the rear part P¹ so that the air resistance
diaphragm first assumes a horizontal position and then raises the point P whereby the
air ship in its further movement caused by the momentum again rises keeping an
inclined position. If the velocity should diminish to a considerable extent the aeronaut
moves the movable weight B again to the forward part thus effecting an inclined
sinking of the ship and so on. In this manner a forward movement is obtained along
a sinuous or wavy line similar to that illustrated in Fig. 14 and in a direction which
is influenced by the aeronaut by means of the vertical rudder V. Another arrange-
ment for causing an alternate falling and rising of the air ship consists in the use of
a pump arranged in the car by means of which the gas may be pumped out of the
balloon and be forced in a compressed state into a reservoir whence it may be allowed
to pass back into the balloon again. When the gas is being pumped out and com-
pressed the volume is diminished the upward thrust becomes therefore smaller and the
balloon sinks. When sinking the movable weight and the rudders are operated in the
manner herein before described. If the velocity of the fall becomes less the gas
pumped out is allowed to flow back into the balloon again so that the latter rises and
may be again allowed to fall in order to accomplish the desired extent of locomotion
in a horizontal sense and so forth by the means herein before described during the
falling movement.
The construction of air ships arranged as hereinbefore described may be variously
modified as respects the form and number of the balloons. But the method of steering
by the combination of the falling movement with the resistance of the air upon an
inclined surface remains the same in all cases and constitutes an essential part of the
invention.
Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate an air ship in which in place of the one balloon S shewn in
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 three such balloons connected together are provided viz. a large middle

page_text: one A and two smaller ones A' and A" at the sides. The air resistance diaphragm C
which encloses the three balloons and the conical casing of the front part are similar
to the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the method of steering is also the
same.
The air ship illustrated in Fig. 6 also comprises three balloons A, A', A" which are
however not fusiform but spherical a large one in the middle and two smaller ones in
front and behind respectively. In this case also a large air resistance diaphragm C
with casing J holds the balloons together and gives to the whole a form similar to the
air ships hereinbefore described with the difference that the movable weight is wanting
in this case.
From the highest point of the middle balloon A to the point P there
extends a casing J of strong material which also extends underneath the balloons and
imparts to the whole a fish like shape so that less resistance is met with in the inclined
forward movement and the air ship may be steered in the same manner as in the herein-
before described arrangements.
Above the middle portion of this air ship is provided an auxiliary balloon M designed
to be filled with heated air, the volume of the balloon M being such as to be capable of
lifting the whole air ship to a certain height.
When the air ship, has, by the action of its three balloons A, A³, A" reached the
height at which its weight balances the upward displacement the auxiliary balloon is
put in operation and lifts the air ship to a further height, of say Five hundred metres.
The front and the rear balloons A¹ and A" are each only half filled, and when the
air ship is in its highest position so much of the contents of the front balloon A¹ is
pumped into the rear balloon A¹¹ as will cause the rear end P¹ of the air resistance
diaphragm C to rise to the extent required and the point P to sink. When this inclined
position has been produced the valve of the auxiliary balloon M is opened, to allow the
heated air to escape; this causes the air ship at once to sink to the former height not
in a vertical direction or in any indefinite direction but in consequence of the attained
inclination of the diaphragm C in an inclined direction with the point P foremost. The
great velocity thus attained enables the horizontal and the vertical rudders to be again
employed as above described thereby effecting the sinuous flight herein before referred
to. In place of shifting a movable weight, which is not provided in this case, the
inclination of the diaphragm C is changed by pumping the gas alternately out of
balloon A into balloon A and vice versa. The balloons employed in this air ship
inay be of any suitable form, size and number, but the air ship must on the whole
always approximate more or less to the shape of a fish, and be enclosed or surrounded
by an air resistance diaphragm of a size such that the resistance produced is able to
act efficiently upon the whole mass, it must also be provided with horizontal and
vertical rudders for controlling the direction of movement.
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 illustrate an air ship which is constructed of very thin sheet
aluminium, and is of very similar form to that shewn in Fig 3. But in this case the
car N is enclosed in the lower part of the air ship where the side walls unite to form a
sharp edged keel B B', by this means the air resistance is not increased by the car.
This air ship is steered in the same manner as those hereinbefore described, i.e. by
means of the air resistance diaphragm C, movable weight B, and rudders T and V.
In the air ship shewn in Fig. 10 the central balloon A is filled with gas such as
hydrogen, at the sides of this balloon are arranged two smaller balloons A¹ A" con-
stantly operated by heated air. The form and arrangement of this air ship, and its
method of steering, are similar to those of the air ships hereinbefore described, with the
difference that the inclination of the air resistance diaphragm is effected not by means
of a movable weight but by allowing the heated air to escape through a valve from one
or the other of the balloons A¹ and A¹¹
Fig. 11 illustrates an air ship whose three balloons which are enclosed in a casing S
are constructed of metal and operated by heated air. The middle balloon A must of
itself alone have sufficient, buoyancy to raise the whole apparatus to a height say One
thousand metres whilst the front and the rear balloons have together the power to also
raise the balloon to this height so that it is raised to Two thousand metres. By inclining
the air resistance diaphragm C and opening the valves of A' and A" the machine is

page_text: caused to move in an inclined direction forwards and backwards; the direction of the
movement being controlled at will by means of the vertical rudder V.
In the air ship illustrated in Fig. 12 there is only one fish shaped balloon S of metal,
operated by hot products of combustion or hot air the temperature or degree of
rarifaction of the air, that is, the specific gravity of the balloon, being capable of altera-
tion, by regulating the heating device (for instance by means similar to those employed
for the flames of petroleum lamps).
In order to effect the inclination of the air ship there is provided at the rear part of
the air resistance diaphragm in place of the movable weight, an auxiliary balloon M
filled with hydrogen, or with a less inflammable gas. As soon as this balloon is filled
it imparts the desired inclination to the air ship, whereupon by opening the valves of
the large balloon a falling movement is produced, and during the fall the desired
direction is given to the air ship by means of the rudders T and V. In order now to
rise again the large balloon is again filled with hot air or lot products of combustion
and the operations described begin again.
The navigable air ship illustrated in Fig. 13 is of similar construction to that just
described with the difference that it is provided, in place of the auxiliary balloon M,
which enables the position of the centre of the upward thrust to be altered, with a
movable weight B by means of which the aeronaut may shift the centre of gravity.
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 1.
claim is
1. The hereinbefore described method of steering or navigating air ships, consisting
in utilizing the combined action of gravity with the reaction due to the resistance of
the air upon a sufficiently large surface which is suitably inclined by moving the
i centre of gravity of the ship in relation to the centre of upward thrust substantially
as described.
2. A navigable air ship comprising a fusiform balloon provided with a symmetrically
situated air resistance diaphragm and furnished with rudders capable of movement
about horizontal and vertical axes, and also provided at its lower part with a movable
weight by means of which the position of the centre of gravity may be altered
relatively to the centre of the upward thrtist, in order to impart an inclined position to
the air resistance diaphragm, so that the air ship when travelling is forced to move in
an inclined direction substantially as described.
3: In an air ship of the kind referred to in claim 1, the use of one or more balloons
which can be filled and emptied, for the purpose of altering the position of the centre
of the upward thrust substantially as described.
4. In an air ship of the kind referred to in claim 1, an auxiliary balloon which is
alternately filled and emptied, whilst the main balloon is in constant operation, the
arrangement being such that the air ship after attaining a certain height moves in a
sinuous course substantially as described.
5. In an air ship of the kind referred to in claim 1, a fish shaped or cigar shaped
casing of fabric with a wire skeleton frame or of thin sheet metal, and enclosing one or
more balloons of any desired shape substantially as described.
6. Air ships constructed and operating substantially as described with reference.to
and shewn in the annexed drawings.
Dated this 17:1 dave of T 1000