US1419205A

US1419205A - Car suspension for balloons

Info

Publication number: US1419205A
Application number: US408251A
Authority: US
Inventors: Raymond S Bamberger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1920-09-04
Filing date: 1920-09-04
Publication date: 1922-06-13
Anticipated expiration: 1939-06-13

Description

R. S. BAMBERGER.

CAR SUSPENSION FOR BALLOONS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-4, I920.

1,41 9 ,205; Patented June 13, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1..

R. S BAMBERGER.

CAR SUSPENSION FOR BALLOONS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4. I920.

Patented June 13, 1922.

snEns-susn 2.

R. S. BAMBERGER.

CAR SUSPENSION FOR BALLOONS APPLICATION FILED SEPTA. I920.

Patented June 13, 1922.

a SHEE'VI'S-SHEET 3.

RAYMOND S. BAMIBERGER,

arena on ARCADIA, CALIFORNIA.

one susrnnsion non sermons.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMO D S. BAM- BERGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ross Field, Arcadia, in the county of Los An eles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Suspensions for Balloons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to car suspension for balloons. The broad object of the present invention is to provide means for suspendin the car or basket below the balloon whic will give an additional fact-or of safety to the occupants of the car, produce a marked decrease of oscillation ofthecar, permit increased accuracy of observation due to decrease of oscillation, and increase'the availability of the balloon during weatherwhich under presentconditions wouldprevent the taking of observations.

A further object of the invention is to materially increase the stabilizing'eifect on the car or basket and a reciprocal stabilizing effect on the balloon itself, resulting in practically eliminatingeffects of nose dives and swaying of the balloon.

Under the arrangement hereinafter described and under both normal and abnormal conditions, the strain on'the balloon is more evenly divided, the motion of the car is translated from a pendulum motion to a substantially horizontal motion, and a braking effect is obtained on the car to decrease the fore and aft oscillations of the car with progressively increasing resistance in the movement of the car toward the fore and aft portions of theballoon. There is also an absence of the sickening oscillations when the balloon is being hauled in or when the balloon is suddenly stopped.

With the above and other objects in view my invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement herein fully described,illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l'is a side elevation of the balloon and car showing the improved car suspension;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same; and

F 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the car or basket illustrating more clearly the salient features of the suspension.

The balloon indicated at 1 is shown as of the present military captive or kite balloon type, generallyknown in military and naval circles as the Caquot balloon, the same being Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 13, 1922,

4, 1929. Serial No. 403,251.

illustrated as provided with the usual inflatable lobes or

vanes

2 and 3, 4 designating the car or basket of the balloon whichis suspended beneath the latter and secured thereto by the improved suspension. i

In carrying out the present invention the car or basket 4: is shown "in the preferred embodiment thereof, the same beingof rectangular or cubical formation, comprising a bottom 5 and four sides 6 extending upwardly therefrom. Flexible "cables 7 such as ropes, chains or wire cables extend diagonally across the bottom of the car and upwardly along the sides and preferably the corners of'the car as indicated at 8 to points near the top of the basket where they have flexibly connected thereto suspension pulley blocks 9 which are thus free to turn oroscillate to thejnecessary degree to provide for the running movement of said pulley blocks in relation to the suspension elements hereinafter referred to. The cables 7 aresecurely anchored or fastened to the car in any desired way and provide an additional factor of safety in the suspension'as a whole;

The pulley blocks 9 preferably have a swiveled connection 10 withthe upper extremities of the cables 7 and provide for what is hereinafter termed the fore and aft car suspensions, thesaine consisting of flexible members 11, such as cablesofrop'e or wire, said cables extending under the pulley blocks 9 and two of each cables being employed, one at each side of the car. After passing under the pulley blocks 9, the cables or fore and aft suspensionmembers .ll incline upwardly toward the front and rear portions of the balloon and also diverge transversely of the balloon fora purpose which will hereinafter appear. Thecables 11 are of predetermined'lengthin proportion to the size or general dimensions of the balloon and terminate at their opposite extremities in eyes 12 by means of which they are attached to the fore and aft bridles 13 and 14. The pulley blocks 9 and the lower runs of the cables 11 are located near the top of the basket'and therefore above the center of gravity of the basket or car, so that the latter hangs freely and easily upon the cables 11 and is free to run in a foreand aft direction upon said cables.

In addition to the fore and aft suspension, I employ amid-suspension consisting of one or more central cables 15 attached atthe upper end to the mid ship bridlelfi and' attached at the lower end to the opposite extremities of the mid suspension bar 17 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Extending downwardly from the suspension bar'l? are other flexible suspension members 18, four of such members being shown and the same being connected at their lower extremities to eyes 19 or the equivalent thereof preferably located at the upper corners of the car 4. i

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will now be observed that the car 4 is supported by the mid-suspension and fore and aft suspensions, the mid suspension supporting the car directly beneath the approximate center of the balloon while the fore and aft suspensions additionally support the car and tend to maintain the same in a position centrally beneath the balloon. However, as the car -1- moves in a fore and aft direction, the pulley blocks 9 are free to run along the fore and aft suspension members 11 and by reason of the particular relation between said members 11 and the car, the horizontality of the car is maintained. Furthermore, by reason of the divergence of the members 11 between the carand the balloon, said members 11 act as a braking means to check with progressively increasing resistance the forward and rearward movements of the car in relation to the balloon beneath which it is suspended.

In the ordinary method of basket or car suspension, the fore and aft and the mid car suspensions all meet on the suspension bar 17. This causes the car to have as a matter of fact, only one pointof suspension and consequently in a choppy wind or at. any time when the balloon is not riding with perfect steadiness the car or basket swings in exactly the same manner as a pendulum. \Vith the improved rigging a four point suspension is obtained and such swinging movement is eliminated, the car simply running back and forth on the fore and aft suspensions which may be said to be continuous or connected together. The floor of the car, therefore, always remains parallel to the surface of the earth. Side swaying is entirely absent under the improved rigging and in fact it is quite impossible for the occupants of the car to force it to sway from side to side. lVith the ordinary car suspension, the occupant experiences a sickening drop or jerk when the balloon is started downwardly by the hauling down apparatus or winch; with the new rigging, the occupant gets no sensation; he is unable even to determine when the descent begins. In the event of the balloon breaking loose and the nose of the balloon riding high, the-entire weight of the car does not go upon the forward suspension as in the present system, but the weight will remain distributed upon the three suspension. Furthermore, the improved rigging does not interfere in any way with the use of the present parachutes. The improved rigging or suspension produces an additional factor of safety, a marked decrease of oscillation, increased accuracy of observation and availability during weather which is now prohibitive with the ordinary rigging or suspension. There is also a noticeable stabilizing effect of the car on the balloon and conversely the balloon on the car; practically eliminating the effects of any tendency towards nose diving.

The fore and aft suspensions auto1natically take up the fore and aft movements of the car with progressively increasing resistance and the eyes 12 form stops for limiting the extent of movement of the car in a fore and aft direction in relation to the balloon. Breakage of themid suspension would result in the balloon being held on the combined fore and aft suspensions at four points. Under both normal and abnormal conditionsthe strain is more evenly divided on the rigging than with the present type of suspension and the motion of the car or hasket is translated from a pendulum motion to a horizontal motion, the bottom of the car being kept practically in a plane parallel to the surface of the ground.

What I claim is:

1. In car suspension for balloons, the combination of a balloon, a car, and means for suspending the car from the balloon, comprising fore and aft suspensions having a supporting and running connection with the car wholly above the center of gravity of the car, said suspensions diverging transversely and upwardly and serving as braking means of progressively increasing resistance to the movement of the car away from its normal position.

2. In car suspension for balloons, the combination of a balloon, a car, pulleys on'the car arranged in quadrangular formation, and means for suspending the car from the balloon, said means comprising a mid-car suspension, and fore and aft guiding suspensions having a supporting and running connection with the car and each comprising flexible ropes which diverge from said pulleys all the way to the balloon and serve braking means of progressively increasing resistance to the movement of the car away from its normal position. i

3. In car suspension for balloons, the combination of a balloon, a car, and means for suspending the car from the balloon. said means comprising inclined fore and aft suspensions having a running and supporting connection with the car and comprising flexible members which diverge transversely of and toward the end portions of the balloon, and the car having swiveled pulley blocks movable along said flexible members.

4:. In car suspension for balloons, the combination of a balloon, a car of basket formation having a bottom and sides, flexible cables crossing each other diagonally of the bottom of the car and extending up the sides thereof, suspension pulley blocks having a flexible connection With the last named portions of said cables, and means for suspending the car from the balloon embodying flexible suspension members terminally connected with the fore and aft portions of the balloon and having a running relation to said pulley blocks.

5. In car suspension for balloons, the combination of a balloon, a car of basket formation having a bottom and sides, flexible cables crossing each other diagonally of the bottom of the car and extending up the sides thereof, suspension pulley blocks having a flexible connection with the last named portions of said cables, and means for suspending the car from the balloon embodying flexible suspension members terminally connected With the fore and aftportions of the balloon and having a running relation to said pulley blocks, said flexible suspension members extending in a fore and aft direction With respect to the balloon and diverging transversely of the balloon from the car toward the balloon.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

RAYMOND S. BAMBERGER.