US501111A

US501111A - steinmann

Info

Publication number: US501111A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1893-07-11
Anticipated expiration: 1910-07-11

Description

(M m I 2 Sheets'Sheet T. STEINMANN. AIR SHIP.

No.501,111. PatentedJuly11,1 893.

Eda .2.

ATTORNEYS i NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TI-IEODOR STEINMANN, OF MARBURG, AUSTRIA-HUN GARY.

AIR-SHIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,111, dated July 11, 1893.

Application filed January 26, 1893. Serial No.469 927. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEODOR STEINMANN, asubject of the Emperor of Austria-H ungary, residing at Marburg, Austria-Hungary, have invented a new and useful Rapid Governable Aerostat, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in air ships and it conslsts essentially in the connection and arrangement, of the car, the steering and supporting apparatus and also in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the air ship; Fig. 2 a top plan View of the same, the balloon being removed. Fig. 3 is an underneath view of the propelling wings. 4 is a sectional view on the line E F of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal central section of the air ship. Fig. 6 is a sectional View on line C D of Fig. 2, and Fig. 7 is a rear view of the air ship, the balloon being removed.

The improved air ship consists essentially of the balloon G, the car H, the propelling or supporting wings f, f f f the air wheel or propeller S and the rear steering apparatus or rudder J. The balloon G is filled with the ordinary gas and is adapted to support about one half the weight of the entire ship. The balloon is preferably cigar-shaped being pointed at both ends. The silk or other material of the balloon is inclosed in strengthening ribs 1, r of rattan or similar strong yet pliable material. These ribs r, 1 are placed vertically and longitudinally around the balloon; the longitudinal ribs being secured at the ends in cones gg preferably of aluminum or other light metal which cones fit over the ends or points of the balloon. The fabric of the balloon may be of silk saturated with gutta-percha or other suitable gas proof material. Connected to the ribs '1' r and passing around the balloon in a diagonal or oblique direction are the supporting ropes or bands r r which are secured to the car H and attach the car H to the balloon. The frame of the car H is of wood and is by preference covered with sheets or plates of aluminum or other light metal. The general shape of the car H is that of a box being longer longitudinally than transversely.

In the front compartment G of the car is placed an engine or motorP connected by suitable mechanism to the propeller or supporting wings f, f f f and to the air propeller or wheel S and adapted to operate the same in the manner hereinafter described. In the compartment G is also placed the boiler P, the Water tank P and a receptacle P for wood, coal and other firing material.

In the center of the car is a pilot house or compartment P from which the engine, boiler, &c., are controlled in the usual manner and by the usual means.

The smoke stack 19 is bent horizontally toward the rear of the car and above the roof of the car. I

The weight of the machinery to propel the air ship should not exceed two hundred kilograms for four horse power engine.

The propelling and supporting wings f, f f f 4 have hearings in the sides of the car and have an up and down motion and being connected at the inner ends by the crank rods lo, 70, to the pistons of the engine. The wingsf', f f f 4 are made preferably of thin sheets of aluminum placed on a skeleton frame work to also of aluminum. The wings are trapezoidal in shape and are conical near the ends as clearly shown in Figs. 4:, 6 and 7. By preference I construct the lower wings f 2 f 4 about one-third smaller than the upper wings f f The air ship is propelled forward by the propeller S placed in the front of theship. The

shafts of the propeller is rotated by crank shafts connecting the shaft 8 with the piston To the rear of the propeller S and on the shaft 3 thereof is keyed a fly Wheel 3' having ports or openings to permit of the free passage of the air all as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 4, 5-and 6. The rear steering apparatus consists of two rudders J J trapezoidalin shape and hinged to the rear frame work of the car. These rudders J, J, are supported on the circular rails 11 71 upon which the rudders are also adapted to slide as shown in Fig. 2.

Beneath the car are placed suitable air cushions M, M, designed to elevate the car when it rests on the ground and thus allow f f 4 will equal about forty-two square meters the wings f, f f and f to operate and also to reduce the shock when the ship descends to the ground.

In the construction of my air ship I have found that the following proportions of lifting and propelling power to the weight of the ship will exist. Supposing the balloon contains three hundred and ninety cubic meters of gas, the displacement of air by the balloon will then be four hundred and eighty kilograms. As the gas in the balloon has a specific weight, as compared to the air, of about one-fourteenth, thelifting power ofthe balloon will be about four hundred and forty-five kilograms. The area covered by the wingsf', f

and one square centimeter of this area or surface will when the wings are in motion support about thirteen grams, the total support of the wings being therefore about five hundred and fifty kilograms. The lifting power of the wings and balloon combined will therefore be about nine hundred and ninety-five kilograms. The weight of the air ship including car, and motive power will be about six hundred and seventy kilograms, the firing material, water, 850., about seventy kilograms and the weight of three passengers about two hundred and ten kilograms making a total weight of about nine hundred and fifty kilograms. Deducting this weight from the supporting power of the air ship in operation there remains a lift ing power of forty-five kilograms which is sufiicient for all practical purposes.

In operation the wings f, f f f are first operated through the rods 7.: 70 by the pistons of the engine, the propeller S is then rotated on its shaft and by means of said propeller and the rudders J J, the direction of the ship is determined and controlled.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an air ship, the combination of a balloon and its car, with a series of wings pivoted to the sides of the car and adapted when operated to assist said balloon in supporting and elevating said car, a shaft extending through the car and carrying at its forward end a screw propelling wheel adapted to propel said car, a fly wheel provided with a series of openings and mounted on said shaft and means substantially as described for operating said wings and said shaft simultaneously, substantially as described.

2. In an air ship, the combination of a balloon and its car, with a series of Wings pivoted to the sides of the car and adapted when operated to assist said balloon in supporting and elevating said car, a shaft extending through the car and carrying at its forward end a screw propelling wheel adapted when said shaft is rotated to propel said car, a fly wheel provided with a series of openings or air passages and mounted on said shafts, means substantially as described for operating simultaneously said wings and said shaft and with steering mechanism placed at the rear of said car, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THEODOR S'IEINMANN. \Vitnesses:

Moms GELBHAUS, A. SCHLESSING.