US986418A - Airship. - Google Patents

Description

UNITED OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. HARRISON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO I-IIlVISELF, AND ISAAC D. THOMAS, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AIRSl-IIP.

Application filed November 15, 1909.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. *7, 1911.

serial No. 528,035.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, in the city and Stato of New York, engineer, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Aii'ships, of which the following is a specification.

I have discovered that the reaction of the gaseous matter ejected in greatvolumes at high velocity from explosive engines can, by a proper construction and management, be made to lift and maintain in an elevated position for traveling, a light structure adapted to carry the machinery, and one or more persons. I believe it can be applied to carry large structures.

My motive power is peculiar in that I utilize the force of the explosion, after it has left the engine cylinder. The cai'buretei and chamber for retaining the mixed gas are both unusually large, as the success of my device depends upon its ability to explode large quantities of gaseous mixture in rapid succession. The movement of the pist0n is only utilized to draw into the cylinder a sutlicient quantity of the fresh gas, and to compress the gaseous mixture. I make the diameter of my cylinder and piston large in relation to the length of the stroke, and make the exhaust port of liberal area and well up in the side of the cylinder, so that the piston travels but a short portion of the stroke before the exhaust occurs. The explosion is barely completed when the exhaust portbecomes wide open.

The following is a description of what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

The accompanying drawings form a partof this specification.

Figure l is an outline, the lower portion a side elevation, and the upper portion a vertical section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lower portion, with an outline of the upper parts indicated in dotted lines.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures where they appear.

A is the base or body, a light broad vessel adapted to stand upright on land and to promote such position when the machine alights in fairly smooth water. I propose to make all the parts of such size as will allow the carrying of passengers and freight,

but will for the present purpose describe a construction adapted for the operator only. It is intended to servo made of any size iu all the exigclicies of this imliortant and dangerous art. It is especially of advantage over the ordinary forms of air ships in its capacity to rise from a state of rest I use in automobile carriages, motor-boats and other large and small classes of motors, except that the exhaust is earlier. I have shown in outline the general style of the explosive engine, and will assume using four cylinders. The sparking and other details are those in common use.

The rapidly succeeding exhausts are delivered into a single upright pipe L and ejected at a high velocity through a smoothly finished nozzle L', and the strong current is received axially on a smooth point M extending centrally downward in the interior of a conoidal canopy M carried uprightly on the body A, held by suiiicient braces M2. The whole under surface of this widely spread approximately doineshaped member, which lI have termed a canopy, is smooth and as far as practicable, friotionless, and its form and that of the point M is curved to receive the current of gas and deflect it, first smoothly spreading the jet, next gradually changing the upward motion to a radial and at last to a conical descending motion with .which latter it is discharged at the base of the canopy, and by its reaction lifts the whole.

O is a nearly corresponding light inner shell mounted within the canopy M, and making a tight engagement with the nozzle L. It is not absolutely essential to success that the position of these parts be exactly concentric, but I prefer they be so. The intent is to have the strong current of escaping gases till the whole space between the canopy M and the shell O.

P P P on one side and Q Q, Q, on the opposite side of the body A, are smaller tubes smoothly bent, arranged to receive corresponding gas from the same or a different source as the exhaust before, described, and to lead such currents in a downward direction, and usually with an inclination backward. The arrsnlgcmcnt insifiee that the re-uction of the gas issuing therefrom will always lift the structure with more or less force, and when the side pipes are inclined rtmrward, will coi'ltribute zlso to impelling the structure forward. The pipes are each connected to the source of leas through the medium of an easily-turningjoint R. rIhe operator, by any suitable lucana as the lever S can turn one of the rods on each eide. It may be found preferable to turn all the rods on each side, and I show the three on each side coniiectcd by a rod P or Q/ to properly effect the end desired, which is to give the operator control by which he can stop the machine by turning the conn nected pipe or pipes a. little forward. or can, by turning' them strongly forward, cause the structure to move backward,and also to steer by slight n'iovements on one side or both sides to lrive the slight changes of direction required in maintaining a practi- .ally straight course for the structure. (')f course it ie easy by such means to turn the structure rapidly to large extent, by turning` one setof pipes forward, and allowing the other' to continue in its previous position. inclininnV backward.

There are in addition to the ordinary rudder A at the rear end, horizontal wings A2 which may be tiXe-d or may be movable at will by ordinary connections, adapted to aid both in restraining` undesired changes of inclination, and in making changes of inclination when desired to ascend or descend.

l\{odi:ations may be made without departingl from the principle or sacrificing` the advantages of the invention. I can use a greater or less number of the side pipes Ij and Q. I can var.;7 theproportions of the canopy M and shell O within wide limits so longe, as the gas is ejected forcibly downward on different sides, so as to lift equally. Parts of the invention can be used Without the whole. I can dispense with the canopy and effect the lifting' by the pipes P and Q, alone. l can use other means to obtain the explosive gaseous mixtures. It may be practicable and ecoiiomical to work by expansion of other gases.

l claim as my invention:

`l. In a flyingl machine, in con'ibination with means for supplying gas with high velocity, horizontally arranged pl anos to aid in supporting` the structure by the inertia of the. general atnmsphere, an upright plane ft with provisions for turning it as a rudder and a series of trumpet shaped reaction nozzles harnessed together on one side, all capable of beine' turned to stop or reverse, and another series of corresponding' nozzles operable independently on the other side acting' in conjunction with the first series each controlled by an independent device S within easy reach of the operator so as to allow turning` in a limited space.

2. In a flying machine, in combination 'ith means for supplying gas with high velocity, a reaction nozzle directed upward, a canopy above, presentinga substantially concave under face, and a point near its center directed toward the incoming stream, the surfaces being smoothly curved, adapted to spread the current of lgas and direct it downward on opposite sides.

3. In a flying machine, in combination with means for supplying` gras with high Velocity, a reaction nozzle directed upward, a canopy above, presentingV a. substantially concave under face, and a point nea-r its center directed toward the incoming stream, the surfaces being smoothly curved, adapted to spread the current of gas and direct it downward on opposite sides, and a smaller shell of nearly the same form fixed below.

Signed at New York N. Y. this 30 day of October 1909.

WM. H. HARRISON. llVitnesses F. A. Cnioitnmive, ARTHUR I). MARR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

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