US2083051A - Airship - Google Patents

Description

'June 8, 1937. v l s. -LYCHAIF'AS AIRSHIP Filedsept. 2e, i936 2 sheets-sheet 1 WAV/AV BY gf 2 ATTOR EY Patented June 8, 1937 AIRSHIP Steven J. Chapas, Boston, Mass.

Application September 26, 1936, Serial No. 102,720

3 Claims.

This invention relates to airship construction.

One object of my invention is to strengthen an airship where the stress and strain is great in such a manner that should o-ne part or element break or buckle, the other parts or elements will not be materially affected, and will still provide the construction strength required of this type of airship. Another object is to provide continuous, reinforcing framework extending from end to end in the interior of an airship, thereby providing uniform strength throughout. A further object is to provide the continuous, aforementioned strength and still keep the framework of the airship relatively light.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and arrangement of parts such as is disclosed by the drawings and specification. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and, therefore, I am not to be limited to said disclosure; but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

In the drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an airship, partly broken away to show the interior central structure, the outer frame bracing rods being omitted, and also the transverse girders.

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, illustrating details of the interior structure.

Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the interior structure.

Figure 4 is a side elevation View of a modied form of the interior structure.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view, illustrating a portion of the interior structure.

As illustrated, the airship, which is of the standard dirigible balloon shape, has the usual outer frame I consisting of longitudinal girders II and transverse girders I2. Bracing rods I3 extend from the outer frame to the interior structure I4, which is centrally disposed within the hull of the airship and extends from one end to the other, taperingin width at its two ends, as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings, so that the airship is reinforced its entire'length by this interior structure I 4. Said structure is continuous, and is so formed and reinforced that should one part break or buckle, the rest of it will be unaffected and will still provide more than the necessary reinforcement for the airship.' Said bracing rods I3 may be increased in number to Whatever extent is necessary.

Said interior structure It consists of longitudinal girders I5, preferably made of channell iron, whichextend the length of the airship, and transverse girders It in the form of polygonal frames which extend around said longitudinal girders I5, and which are preferably made in sections and riveted together as at Il. Cross braces 20 are made fast by riveting or otherwise attached to said longitudinal girders I5, extending complet-ely across said interior structure I4. As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, said cross braces 20 extend diagonally between a pair of oppositely located longitudinal girders I5. For instance, a said cross brace 20 runs from a top longitudinal girder I to aV bottom 1ongi tudinal girder I5, extending in a diagonal direction, so that one end of a said cross brace 20 starts at one side of and at a point spaced from a transverse girder It and ends at the other side of and spaced from the same transverse girder I6, passing crosswise through and beyond the space enclosed by said transverse girder I6, as

best illustrated in Figures l and 3 of the drawings. This is the preferred form of construction; but in Figure 4 I show a modification where in said cross girders 20 extend diagonally from a point adjacent the bottom of one transverse girder IE to a point adjacent the top of the one next to it. Likewise other cross braces 20 extend from one longitudinal girder I5 to another which are located at different points around said interior structure i4.

The number of longitudinal girders I5 making up the interior structure I is shown as four in Figure 1 of the drawings; but this number may be increased at will, depending upon the size of the interior structure Il, and I have indicated by dot and dash-lines in Figure 2 of the drawings a construction arrangement where more than four are used, in which event the bracing rods I3 are increased proportionately as shown.

What I claim is: k

1. An interior structure for an airship comprising a plurality of longitudinal girders spaced apart, a plurality of transverse girders spaced apart and attached to said longitudinal girders, and a plurality of braces, each said brace eX- tending from one said longitudinal girder at a point spaced from the nearest said transverse girders across said interior structure to another said longitudinal girder, being attached to said latter-mentioned longitudinal girder at a point spaced from the nearest said transverse girders.

2. An interior structure for an airship comprising a plurality of longitudinal girders spaced apart, a plurality of transverse girders spaced apart and attached to said longitudinal girders, and a plurality of braces, each said brace extending frorn one said longitudinal girder at a point between and spaced from the nearest two said transverse girders diagonally across said interior structure to another said longitudinal girder, opposite the rstmentioned longitudinal girder, being attached to said latter-mentioned longitudinal girder at a point spaced from and Y between one of said two transverse girders and a third transverse girder.

3. An interior structure for an airship corn-

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