US932999A - Air-ship. - Google Patents

Description

J. A. RIGNON. AIR SHIP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, 1909. 932,999.

Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

UNITED sra'rns ra rnur onrion.

JOSEPH ALBERT RIGNON, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

Ara- H P.

Specification of Letters Patent. .Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

Application filed March 25', 1909. Serial No. 485,795.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, J osnrrr ALBERT RIG- NON, a subject of the King of Italy, and a resident of 160 Berlinerstrasse, Gross-Lichterfelde-Ost, near Berlin, Germany, have in-,

vented certain new and useful Improvements relating to-Air-Ships, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in air-ships and has for its object to effect economy in the space required for the propelling machinery and reduction of the atten-tion required to be devoted by the aeronaut to the handling of the air-ship.

machinery on the. platform, the upper bal- I loon or aerial floating body being removed.

In carrying the invention into effect according to the form illustrated the balloon or gas bag 3 is of the elongated shape illustrated, and travels in the direction of the arrow 4. Within the balloon or gas bag 3 there is arrafiged the ballonet 5 which, as is known, helps to preserve the shape of the balloon even during long journeys. The ballonet' 5 is arranged over a bottom 6 and this bottom 6 has one 'or several holes 7 at its fore end. At the aft-end of the plate 6,

holes 8 are provided. The holes 7 and 8 are continually open and the holes 7 are of considerably greater cross section than the holes 8; -In this way air, during traveling, enters through the holes 7 and owing to the small area ofthe exit at the holes 8 a certain amount of tension is obtained within the ballo net 5 which is sufficient to cause thisballonet' automatically to retain its form.

Bf:- providing open holes 7 and 8 fore and a of the bottom 6 in this way. not only is there a certain degree of pressure maintained within the ballonet but this pressure is automatically regulated *as any 1 excessive pres-- sure within the ballonet is impossible owing to the open holes which thereby'act assafety valves. The dangers encountered by an inclosed body of air which was subjected to various temperatures are therefore avoided and less attention by the aeronaut is required in handling the air ship. a

If desired the pressure within the ballonet 5 may be increased by means of an air-propelling organ 5) arranged within a casing 10 disposed before the opening 7; thus when traveling with the wind or when owing to othenreasons a suflicient pressure is not antomatically obtained by the forward motion of. the airship the propeller 9 -may' be started. This propeller is diagrammatically illustratedcand may be of any convenient form and driven for instance by anelectric motor. r

' Supported from the aerial body 3 there is a frame 11 carrying a platform 12. The platform 12 accommodates the passengers and also the propelling, steering and other machinery required. The steering and other machinery has been omitted from the drawing as the same forms no part of the present invention. Y

Pipes 13 arranged in the fore and aft direction of the air ship are supported by the frame 11. The pipes. 13 are preferably arranged as shown close to the bottom of the balloon. These pipes are then bent downward at 14 and then at right angles at 15 so as to enter axially the casing'of an air propelling organ. may be of. any convenient type such as a cellular pump, single or multi-stage or a fan of the Sirocco-type or the like. For the purpose of illustration a Sirocco-fan is K shown. This type of fan, as is well known, contains a large number of short and broad blades and its power may be increased within certain limitsby increasing the breadth of the blades. From the casing 16 of the air propelling organ the pipes or conduits 17 IISQtOWtII'd the bottom of the balloon. The conduits 17 are then continued at 18 along the bottom of the balloon in the fore and aft direction of travel. It will be'seen that the conduits 17,18 after leaving the umps 1 6 are closer together than the consuits 13 and in fact come within the region of, the rudder 19 whereby the steering may The air propelling. organ be assisted. The pumps 16 are conveniently mounted co-axially and driven by means of a motor 20. With this arrangement the air passes through the pipes 13 in the direction of the arrows v, and is driven through the pipes 17 and 18, as shown by the arrows 21.

The advantage of arranging the air propelling organ in. the bends 15 is that the power of the pumps or air-propelling 0rgans 16 may be increased by increasing their axial length Without increasing their diameter. This method of increasing the power and obtaining any desired degree of pressure not possible when an air propelling organ is arranged in a straight length of piping as hitherto known. The frame and plat form 12 may be provided with Wheels 22 by which said frame and platform may be transported from place to place on land.

I claim p 1. In combination in an aerial floating body, a'gas bag and a ballonet having free openings therein at the fore and aft-ends in the direction of travel of said aerial body,

the openings at the fore end being of greater cross section than the openings at the rear end.

2. In combination in an aerial floating body, agas bag, a ballonet having free openings therein at the front and rear ends in the direction of travel of said aerial body, the openings at the frontend being of greater cross section than the openings at the rear end, and an air-pro elling organ opposite the openings at the ront end.

Signed at Berlin, German Empire this 13th day of March 1909.

JOSEPH ALBERT RIGNON.

Witnesses HENRY HASPER, "VOLDEMAR HAUPr

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