US695580A

US695580A - Air-ship.

Info

Publication number: US695580A
Application number: US3445300A
Authority: US
Inventors: Cassius Montezuma Richmond
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1900-10-26
Filing date: 1900-10-26
Publication date: 1902-03-18
Anticipated expiration: 1919-03-18

Description

a o m w, rn a M d nu t n e t a P u. N o. .M H w Dn M c. a 8 5. 5 9 6 0. N

AIR SHIP.

(Application led Oct. 28, 190(.).)

2 Sheets-Sheet I (No Model.)

-NWFP THE cams PETERS cu., PHOTn-LIYHQ.. WASHINUTUN, n. c,

No. 695,580. Patented Mar. I8, |902@ C. M. RICHMOND.

AIR SHIP.

(lpplicixtion meld Oct. 26, 1900.)

2 sheets-'sheet 2;

am Mode-l.)

TML' Nmms P'EYERS co.. PHOTO-LI'TND., WASHINGTON. 'u4 c.

UNITED STATES PATENT CASSIUS -MvOh'l'lIilZUlVIA RICHMOND, OF NEIV YORK,`l N. Y.

lAIR-SHIP.

SPECIFIGATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,580, dated March 18, 1902. Application filed October 26. 1900. Serial No. 34,453l (No model.)

To a/ZZ- whom tmc/y concern:

Be it known that I, Cassius MoNTnzUMA RICHMOND, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Air-Ships, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make andA use the same.

1o My invention relates to aerial vessels; and the object thereof is to provide an improved air ship, vessel, or machine which is able to navigate the air and ascend and kdescend and to alter its direction at will; and with these and other objectsin view the invention consists in an air ship or vessel constructed as hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompazo nying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by similar reference characters in each of the views, and in which- A Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved air-ship; Fig. 2, a vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a plan view of the main frame of my improved air-ship on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 a bottom plan view of said main frame on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

3o In the practice of my invention I provide a mainframe which contains propelling apparatus, a steering device or devices, and other necessary appurtenances of an aerial vessel and suspend said frame from a buoyant gas body or envelop or a plurality of gas bodies or envelops secured together, so as to form a buoyant body of a horizontal, dat, and otherwise peculiar form, which, like the aeroplane, can be easily driven and turned with the least 4o possible resistance to the air or wind and which would tend to maintain its motion in any given direction, whether horizontal or at an inclination upward or downward, and I also suspend from the said main frame a car4 of the usual or any preferred construction and which in addition to carrying passengers may also carry a part of the propelling and steering apparatus, and within the said main frame I pivot oneor more aeroplanes, which 5o facilitate the operation of the air ship or vessel.

The main frame of my improved air ship or vessel, which is designated in Figs. 1 and 2 by the reference character a, consists of a top

horizontal portion

0,2 and a bottom portion a3, connected by corner-posts d4 and other Vertically-arranged posts a5, and the said frame is strengthened and stiffened both at the ends and'sides by diagonally-arranged rods or bars a6, any desired number of which may be ern- 6o ployed, and all the parts of this frame may consist of metal tubes' or bamboo rods connected inany desired manner, or said frame Inay be composed of any desired material.

Connected with the top horizontal portion. a of the main frame, as clearly shown in Fig.

3, are horizontal parallel Vrods b, which project beyond theends of the main frame and which are secured to said main Jframe in any desired manner, and the central rod b is pref- 7oerably longer than the two adjoining rods on each side thereof, and the said adjoining rods are longer than the main frame.

The buoyant body which I employ consists of a plurality of hollow cylindrical gas-envelops c, which are preferably tapered or pointed at the ends and which are preferably iive in number and which also preferably decrease in size and .length from the center outwardly or toward the sides, as is shown in 8o Figs. l and 2, and these gas-envelops c may be composed of oil-silk, canvas, or any preferred material, and said envelops, which are cylindrical in cross-section, are securely bound together and make up the buoyant body of my improved air-ship, hereinbefore referred to. n

The separate members c of the buoyant body of the machine in addition to being se- 1 curely bound together are also firmly con- 9o nected with the horizontal rods or bars b by means of strong cords or other flexible devices 02, which also serve to bind the separate gas-envelops c together, so as to form said buoyant body.

IOO

shafts e may be operated by motors e3 or in any desired manner, and the motors e3 may be operated by steam or by electricity and in either event will be connected with a steamgenerator or generator of electricity located within the car d, as shown at e4, the connection of the motors e3 being indicated at e5. My invention, however, is not limited to the means employed for operating the propellershafts e, and any suitable device or devices lnay be vemployed for this purpose. l

Mounted in the end of the main frame opposite that from which the propeller-shafts project is a steering-shaft g, alsoV provided with a propeller g2, and that end of the ship or vessel in which the steering-shaft g is mounted is the bow thereof, the propellershafts e being mounted in the stern. The propeller-shaft g passes through a swiveled support g3, and the inner end thereof is provided with a motor g4, and said inner end is free to swing horizontallyin segmental guides g5, and connected with the inner end of said shaft are cords g, which extend in opposite directions and pass around pulleys gl, from which point they lead to a drum g8 in the car d, and by means of this arrangement the steering-shaft g may be turned horizontally without interfering with the operation of the propeller g2, said shaft being free to turn at all times. The motor g4 of the steering-shaft may be either a steam or electric motor and is connected with a suitable source of power, either steam or electric, at e4 by means of a tube gg.

Secured to the horizontal top portion a2 0f the main frame is a sheet h of canvas or other suitable material, and a corresponding sheet h2 is secured to the bottom horizontal portion of the main frame, and said sheets may be secured to said top and bottom portions of said frames in any desired manner and serve in the operation of said air ship or vessel as aeroplanes and aid in maintaining the ship or vessel in proper position and also facilitate the management thereof. I also pivot within the main frame cttwo aeroplanes 7c, which are substantially of the same form as said frame and are free to swing vertically therein, the said aeroplanes being pivoted at 7a2 centrally of the main frame, and these aeroplanes 7c consist of frames of any suitable construction, provided each with a sheet or covering 7c3 of canvas or any preferred or suitable material, and the ends of the aeroplanes 7c are connected, as shown at 7a4, and said aeroplanes are thus compelled to swing together in a vertical plane, and connected with the opposite ends of the bottom aeroplane are cords 705, which are passed around pulleys k6, connected with the bottom of the main frame,and from which they are passed to a drum or windlass k7 in the car d, on which they are wound in opposite directions, and by turning the drum or windlass Win either direction one end of the aeroplanes t will be drawn down and the other raised, the reverse movement of said aeroplanes being secured by reversing the movement of said drum or windlass.

The aeroplanes lo, mounted Within the main frame and free to swing vertically therein and in a line with the body portion of the ship or vessel, facilitate the movement ofthe latter, as will be readily uuderstood,land act to control the movement thereof, the adjustment of said aeroplanes serving to change the course of the vessel vertically or cause it to rise or descend, as may be desired.

It will be understood that the buoyant body, consisting of the separate members c, may be made of any desired length and dimensions, as may also the main frame a, and the remaining parts of the ship or vessel will be correspondingly constructed, and various changes in and modifications of the construction herein described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacriticin g its advantages. It will also be apparent that the pivotally-supported aeroplanes 7c constitute the chief feature of the construction and operative mechanism in changing the direction of the vessel in a vertical line, while the stationary aeroplanes at the top and bottom of the main frame facilitate the movement 0f the vessel in any particular direction and aid to keep it steady and in proper line. I also preferably connect the ends of the rods b, which form a part of the horizontal top portion of the main frame, as shown at b2, so as to strengthen the ends of said rods or bars, and any suitable supports or sustaining devices may be provided for the propeller-shafts e. It will also be understood that the separat-e members c of the buoyant body, which support the main frame, may be iniiated with gas in any desired manner, and

the form of this body or the separate members thereof also facilitates the operation of the ship or vessel, and by reason of the form of such body or bodies the least possible resistance to the air or wind is presented.

Although I have described the wheel g2, connected with the steering-shaft g, as a propeller, it will be understood that the said wheel operates as a rudder or steering device, and by means of the fact that the shaft g may be turned horizontally and the propellers e2 revolve in opposite directions it will be apparent that the course of the air ship or vessel may be thus easily controlled.

Having thus fully described my invention, I desire to claim as new and secure by Letters Patent- Y 1. A dying-machine comprising a buoyant body, a main oblong and rectangular frame suspended from said body and the top and bottom portions of which are parallel and formed into aeroplanes, pivoted aeroplanes mounted centrally in said main frame, propelling devices mounted in one end ofv the main frame, a steering-shaft pivoted in the opposite end of the main frame and adapted to swing in a horizontal plane, and a car suspended from the main frame, said pivoted IOD TIO

aeroplanes, said propelling devices and-said l devices mounted in the opposite ends of said steering-shaft being adapted to be operated i main frame, pivoted aeroplanes mounted in v15 by a party or parties Withinvthe car.

2. A iiyingmachine comprising a main buoyant body composed of a plurality of buoyant bodies bound together Vside by side each of which is cylindrical in cross-section and pointed at both ends, the diameter and length of the separate buoyant bodies at each side and the central buoyantbody decreasing from the central buoyant body outwardlya main oblon g rectangular frame suspended from the main buoyant body, propelling and steering said main frame longitudinally thereof and adapted to swing vertically therein, and means for operating the propellingA and steering devices and the pivoted aeroplanes, substantially as shown anddeseribed.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set' my hand in presence of two Witnesses.

CASSIUS MONTEZUMA RICHMOND.

Witnesses:

HUGO LEWISJBEIL,

ANNA SOPHIE BSING.'