US1631895A - Gas cell of rigid airships - Google Patents

Description

Jun. 1 4 927 r K. SILLER GAS CELL 0F RIGID AIRSHIPS Filed June 15, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 u 7 192 J M 7 K. SILLER GAS CELL OF RIGID AIRSHIPS Filed Janus. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 7, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KARL SILLER, or FRIEDRIGHSHAIFEN,

ZEPPELIN GESELLSCIIAFT HAFEN, GERMANY.

Application filed June 15, 1926, Serial No. 116,108, and in Germany My invention relates to. gas cells of air ships and more especially airships of the rigid type and it is an improvement of my invention disclosed in the U. S. Patent 6 1,548,336 of August 4, 1925.

In this patent I have described combination gas cells of approximately cylindrical shape which have two difierent gas spaces for different kinds of gas. Both such spaces 1 have approximately cylindrical walls joining to common end walls so that there is an approximately cylindrical inner cell combined with a surrounding approximately cylindrical jacket space. v

The object of the present invention is to provide an improvement of such gas cell arrangement which consists in means for allowing the inner upper wall to cover the outer upper wall on its inner side in case of loss of pressure in the circumferential outer space.

Thus in case of leakage in the upper portion of the outer jacket space the inner cell will move upwardly and its wall will cover the leak in the outer wall. To attain this eiiect the inner cylindrical wall approximately along its equator may be connected to the corresponding line of the outer wall by means of textile strips, netting or the like. Furthermore the inner wall itself may be made wider than would be necessary under other circumstances so that despite the con 'necti on of end walls of both spaces the inner wall is apt to move upward without exert ing excess stresses on the walls.

If desired the end .walls may also be doubled, partly or all over. Furthermore under certain conditions it may be of advan tage to fasten the outer cell wall to the ridge of the airship hull and possibly to connect it also to the inner wall at this point of its cross section.

Having given a general description of my invention I now want to point it out more in detail referring to the drawings which'represent examples embodying my invention.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken through the middle portion of a rigid airship showing a compartment of the hull in which the gas cell is also represented in cross section. The adjacent compartment to the left is empty whereas in the compartment to the right the gas cell therein is shown uncut.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view GERMANY, nssronon 'ro LUFTSOHIFIBA MIT BESCHBANKTER HAFTUNG, or FBIEIDBIGES- eAs CELL or RIGID AIRSHIPS.

Tune 19, 1925.

1. In both figures it gas contained 1n the than that'in the surcorresponding to Fig. s assumed that the inner space is lighter rounding jacket.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view through a gas cell resembling that shown in Fig. 2, but representing a somewhat different example. In this figure the representation of the airship hull is omitted.

Whereas in Fig. 3 the distribution of the different gases corresponds to that of Figs. 1 and 2, in Fig. 4, which is a cross section of the same gas cell as shown in Fig. 3, the

inner space is assumed to be inflated with the heavier gas and the outer jacket with the lighter gas.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the same gas cell representing its shape under the com d-ition of a rupture in the outer jacket space which is partly deflated thereby.

' In Figs. 1 and 2 the longitudinal girders of the hull are designated by the letter a.

They connect with each other main ring members b'b' and intermediate ring members b. Two main ring members together with the .connecting longitudinals form a compartment into which a gas cell is inserted. The wiring and net work against which the walls of the gas cell bear'are not shown in the drawings; also the outer cover of the ship is omitted.

The combination gas cells designed according to my invention comprise an inner space W and .an outer walls (1 of the inner space W are connected to the end walls e of the outer space. e circumferential wall a of the inner space is connected to the corresponding wall of the outer space by means of a substantially horizontal net work-like seam 2, which seam may comprise tension members 9 connecting two strips h and fastened to the walls, respectively. Since the outer wall is not fastened to the hull, the entire cell construction will be flex'ble and is adapted to yield according to the prevailing gas pressure. The outer wall 7 is adapted to be turned in alon seam 2 as soon as the conditions of infi ation in the two different spaces and the pressure of the gas therein will afford, as may be seen from the diflerent figures. The portion of the combined cell at the seam z from the beginnin may be shaped so that the outer. wall is a ready space S. The end movement in this direction.

If there be a rupture in the wall of the outer gas cell the decrease of pressure in the outer space will cause the inner cell to move in an upward direction so that a portion of its wall will bear against the hole in the outer wall and thereby make it tight, as shown in Fig. 5,

p representin the rupture.

It may be preferable to in ate the inner space with the lighter one of the two gases, which method willsimplify the whole ar rangement in so far as the inner cell may be assumed to float in the outer one, so that no special means for connecting it to the hull are to be provided, which means would be necessary in'case the inner cell were inflated with the heavier gas.

There are automatic valves 9 in both s aces. Their operating pressure may be c osen so that -first the valve of the inner cell opens in which cell there may be hydrogen for example, whereas the valve of the outer cell in this case inflated with helium will open only at a comparatively high pressure so as to conserve the costlyhelium as much as possible. It may even be taken into consideration totally to omit automatic valves in the outer space and to provide only avalve to be operated at will in case of need.

I do not want to limit myself to the examples described or shown in the drawings as many variations will occur to those skilled in the art..

What I claim is:

1. A combination gas cell for rigid airships comprising inner walls confining an inner space; and outer walls; said outer walls together with said inner walls con- 'ng an outer jacket space; said inner Walls and said outer walls being connected to each other; said inner walls being so large that upon decrease of pressure in said jac et space the. may cover substantially the. u per half 02 said outer walls.

2. K combination gas cell for rigid airships comprising inner walls confining an inner space 5 and outer walls; said outer walls together with said inner walls confining an outer jacket space; said inner walls and said outer walls being connected to'each other; the upper portion of said inner walls being substantially of the same dimensions as the upper portion of said outer walls.

3. In a rigid airship, a hull divided into compartments; a gas cell in one of said compartments; said gas cell being divided by walls into an inner space and an outerv jacket space; the walls confining said inner space with their forward and rear end portions being connected to the walls outwardly confining said jacket space; the upper portion of the walls confining said inner space substantially having the same dimensions as the upper portion of the outer walls confining said jacket space. 4. In a rigid airship, a hull divided into compartments; a gas cell in one of said compartments; said gas cell being divided by walls into an inner space and an outer jacket space; the walls confining said inner space with their forward and rear end portions being connected to the walls outwardlv confining said jacket space; the circumfcrential portions of the walls of both spaces being in connection with each other along corresponding longitudinal lines of their circumference; the means for said latter connection being permeable to gas.

5. In a rigid alrship, a hull divided into compartments; a gas cell in one of said compartments; said gas cell being divided by walls into an inner space and an outer jacket space; the walls confining said inner space wlth their forward and rear end portions being connected to the walls outwardly confining said jacket space; the circumferential portions of the walls of both spaces being in connection with each other along corresponding longitudinal lines of their circumference; the means for said latter connection being per portion of the walls confining said inner space substantially having the same dimensions as the u per portion of confining sai jacket space.

KARL SILLER.

permeable to gas; the up the outer walls

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