US2512824A - Heavier-than-air airship - Google Patents

Description

June 27, 1950 e. c. BROWN HEAVIER-THAN-AIR AIRCRAFT Filed Aug. 24, 1948 C. Brawn R O T N E M ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 27, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I HEAVIEB-THAN-AIR AIRSHIP George Coleman Brown, Dallas, Tex. Application August 24, 1948, Serial No. 45,810

1 Claim.

This-invention relates'to a heavier-'than-air airship and to a method of operating the same, it being designed more especially as an improvementupon the structure disclosed in Patent Number 1,315,084 issued to me on September 2, 1919, andin Patent Number 1,718,109, issued to me on June 18, 1929. r

One of the objectsof the invention is to provide an airship of this type utilizing a central gas container which is connected to the car of the airship, this container being of such size as to partly lift the 'car and its load, there bein aligned on each side a gas charged plane, means being employed by which" the planes can be shifted relative to the supported car so'as tocause the airship to ascend, descend, go forwardly, and to be turned in any desired direction.

A further object is to provide a novel arrangement of cables or other operating connections so located and proportioned as to shift'the planes properly during the actuation of the airship.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood thatchanges may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown. I

In said drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the airship.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of. Fig. 1. v

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the. can,

Referring to the figures by characters, of reference, 5 designates an elongated gascontainer extending above the top of a car I. Alongside this gas container 5 areplaced the gas charged planes l0 and H, the central gas container and the two gas charged planes being in alignment as shown and the planes'and central'gas container being inclined upwardly andfrearwardly. Relatively short cables I3 are connected to the front ends of the planes and longer cables I2 are connected to the end portions of the planes at the rear end thereof. These cables converge downwardly into the car l where they'are attached at M to operate cranks I5,- l6,""l1', l8

means located in the car.

The container 5, which isconnected to the car, is located directlyover the car and is separate from the planes: This container has cables adapted to be rotated by any suitable power 2 9 which are extended downwardly and inwardly and connected to the car I as shown. The car I and the equipment carried thereby constitute a load somewhat heavier than that which can be lifted by the gas contained in the container 5 and the gas charged planes Ill and H, but the gas in the gas charged planes l0 and II will be sufficient to raise the planes I0 and II in elevated position above the car after being pulled downward against the air. r In practice it has been found that best results can be obtained by usingplanes l0 and II approximately five or more times as long as the overall width including, the gas container 5, and that the planes should be inclined at from 5 to 15 degrees. It has also been found desirable to have the end cables 12 and I3 extended at approximately forty-five degrees in the direction of the length of the airship and approximately five degrees transversely of the airship. ,These angles are disclosed approximately in Figs. 1

and 2.

Ithas also been found desirable to make the ends of the container 5 and the gas charged ment of air during the actuation of the mechanism. Supporting wheels 2 can be connected to the bottom of the car I to aid it in leaving the ground and while making a landing. The ends of the car are preferably rounded as'at 3 and 4 to decrease air resistance.

"In practice, the gas container 5 which is arranged directly over and connected to the car, is inflated to sustain a part, but not all, of the weight of the car and its load. By using this container the load which can be carried by the airship is greatly increased over what would be possible should the gas container be eliminated. The airship heretofore described is operated to ascend and to go forward through the air by pulling on and releasing the cables in proper I is effected with sufiicient rapidity tov produce an 3 up and down flapping action of the planes which will be sumcient to elevate the entire airship, this lifting action due to the movement of the planes relative to the car I being such as to displace sufficient air downwardly to more than compensate for the difference between the weight of the airship and the air displaced thereby. By continuing the operation just described the airship is elevated to a desired altitude where it can be maintained by continuing the actuation of the planes at a lower speed. The airship can be made to ascend perpendicularly by letting out the front cables until the planes are in a flat or horizontal position and operating the cables as described, and the airship can be made to de scend perpendicularly in a similar manner. The turning of the airship can be effected by operating the cables controlled by cranks l8 and 15 more rapidly than the cables controlled by cranks l1 and H or vice versa, thereby turning the vehiole either to the right or to the left.

An integral part of this invention over that shown in my prior patents is the employment of two elongated planes instead of one. By the use of two separate planes instead of one a heave I ier load can be carried and flying facilitated. Too, there is produced a smoother, more even flight. By the use of two separate planes there are three supporting contacts to the car and its load, when a cable is let out after pulling a plane against the air, while in the use of one plane only there would be only one support contact, allowing the car and its load to drop more than it would if two planes were used which would have three support contacts during the actuating of the cables.

Too, another integral part is the elongated central gas container 5 which is aslong as the gas charged planes l0 and II, to facilitate forward movement through the air. A short gas container such as previously shown would not operate with the complete efliciency desired, and would tend to retard forward movement, as the angles of the cables attached thereto would not be sufficiently inward from its ends to maintain the container at its proper position above the car. The attaching cables'shouldbe inward at angles of forty-five degrees or more. Additionally, it may be noted that a heavier load can be carried by using this longer gas container, and faster forward movement attained. The further characteristic may be noted that the greater the forward movement, the greater the forward momentum, permitting the carrying of a heavier load than the slower movement. a

It is to be understood of course that the drawing only illustrates this invention diagrammatically. Any type of car can be used and obviously the shape of the planes can be varied to produce desired results.

This airship is constructed on two basic principles believed to have never before been employed or used. The arrangement of the planes at an incline pressing backward against the air at the same time they press downward is believed new, as is the arrangement of the cables extended inwardly at acute angles to the planes causing the car to be pulled forward at the same time. it is pulled upward. The alternate operation of the cables to cause forward flight is new, I believe, and the employment of gas to raise the planes after they are pulled against the air is also believed new and has never before been used to my knowledge for this purpose. So different is this purpose that the difference would not be greater even if an entirely new element 4 were employed. If the planes had to be pushed back, reaction would equal action. With gas raising the planes there is no reaction. In other words, and assuming that a fiat board-like plane were used, when the board-like plane would be pulled downwardly against the air, the air would offer resistance pulling the car upward, but when the board-like plane would be pushed upward, reaction would equal action. Assume that this board-like plane would rise naturally, then there would be no reaction. Theoretically, to produce such a board as last mentioned, it would be made hollow and charged with gas.

The planes being elongated, and being placed at an incline, and the cables being extended inwardly from the ends of the planes, the alternate operation of the cables produces forward flight.

An understanding as to the flight of this airship can be obtained by drawing an analogy with the flight of a bird. When a bird brings its wings downward at an incline against the air, the air ofiers resistance propellingthe bird both upwardly and forwardly. Likewise, in the airship illustrated, when the planes are pulled downward and backward against the air, the air offers resistance propelling the airship upwardly and forwardly, producing dynamic flight.

The reason for employing a central elongated gas container is to support a part of the car and its load. Without it the airship would fly, but to carry worthwhile loads it is necessary. Yet, it is to be understood that this is a heavier-thanair airship. For example, the analogy may-be drawn of a man swimming in water. Buoyancy supports all but approximately fifteen pounds of an average man, and the exertion necessary is the force to support this difference. Likewise, this airship is heavier than the air displaced just as the man swimming is heavier than the water displaced. Again, consider a fish swimming. The fish has an air bladder supporting a part of its weight. Yet, the fish is heavier than the water displaced. Therefore, the invention can be well termed a heavier-thanair airship.

What is claimed is:

A heavier-than-air airship comprising two elongated gas chargedplanes and one elongated gascontainer, the combined width of which is approximately equal to or less than one-fifth the length thereof, a car below the planes, said planes and central gas container being inclined downwardly and forwardly relative to the car at an angle of approximately from five to fifteen degrees, the central gas container being separate from the planes and connected to and directly over the car, said central container being of such size as to partly support the weight of the car and its load, said gas charged planes being aligned along each side of the gas container, a single front cable comprising the sole connection ofthe front portion of each plane to a side of the front portion of the car, a single rear cable longer than the front cable and comprising the sole connection of the rear portion of each plane to a side of the rear portion of the car, the front cables being connected to the downwardly inclined front ends of the planes, the cables being extended inwardly from the ends of the planes at acute angles of approximately forty-five degrees thereto, means for pullingthe four cables in predetermined succession thereby to successively pull upon the front portion of one plane, the rear portion of to elevate the car relative to the planes, and for subsequently paying out the four cables in the same predetermined succession to allow the corresponding portions of the planes to rise under the action of the gas in the planes, the front and rear portions of the gas container being fixed distances away from the car at all times, said relative movement of the gas charged planes operating to propel the airship in a desired direction.

GEORGE COLEMAN BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 43,449 Andrews July 5, 1864 1,208,684 Springer Dec. 12, 1916 5 1,315,084 Brown Sept. 2, 1919 1,718,109 Brown June 18, 1929 1,862,789 Graf June 14, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 10 Number Country Date 403,412 France Sept. 23, 1909 421,442 France Dec. 22, 1910 501,978

France Feb. 9, 1920

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