US1569161A - Airship - Google Patents

Description

. Jan'. 12 1926.

1,569,161 l E. H. VAN VALKENBERG AIRSHIP Filed April 27, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Lfrll s LT @E D @QWD @IES F mw Wink# @i alfine? the Patented Jan. 123, 1926.

Unirse stares PATENT OFFlQE.

EBEE H. VAN VALKENBERG, F MONROE, XKTASHNGTON, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO OSCAR SILVERSTEN, GF POKANLE, WASHINGTON.

AIRSHIP.

Application tiled April 27, 1925. Serial No. 26,082.

7'0 (all @cto/ni 'it may concern.'

lie it known that I, Enna H. VAN VALKEN- nnne, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monroe, in Snohomish County and State of .Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Airships, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in airships of the dirigible or navigable balloon type, and particularly to the structure of the gondola or car suspended below the body of the airship. l

rl"he primary object of my invention is the provision of means whereby the ship may be ballasted to insure a horizontal position for cruising', as well as to bring` the ship to an inclined position with its forward or bow end up or down desired when coming to an anchorage or rising` in the air. Such ballasting may be necessary to compensate for changes in the posit-ion of the crew, and displacements or redistribution of other loads or weights carried by the air ship.

For this purpose the car is suspended below the body of the ship for longitudinal niovement relative to the body of the ship, and pneumatic or other motive fluid means are provided for controlling the shifting of the car with relation to the ship.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter be more fully pointed out and claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment' of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged in' accordance with the best model have thus far devised for the practical'application of the principles of my invention.

Figure l is a view in side elevation showing a portion of an aircraft or airship with the car suspended therefrom and illustrating the general arrangement of parts of my invention. l

`Figure i?. is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of part ofthe car showing the pneumatic control mechanism for the car.

Figure 3 is a cross section through the car and a fragment of the aircraft showing the attachment means and pneumatic control mechanism.

he buoyant body of an airship or air craft is designated by the numeral 1, of the `keel of the ship are carried longitudinally extending parallel spaced flanged rails 2 forming tracks of suitable length and attached in suitable manner to the body of the ship.

The gondola or car 3 which is of suitable type is located beneath the body of the ship and provided' with an upper longitudinally extending frame l fixed along its upper side edges and forming part of the frame struc'- ture of the car.

Rollers 5 journaled in supporting brackets 6. ou the frame 4 are spaced at suitable intervals and carried by the frame of the car to suspend the latter on the parallel tracks 2 of the body of the ship, in order that the car may be moved fore and aft with relation to the ship for the purpose of stabilizing the ship. By thus moving or adjusting the car with relation to the ship the weight of the car is imposed at selected points on the ship to hold it in horizontal position or for the purpose of changing its position with relation to the horizontal plane.

Fore and aft propellers 7 and 7 are carried by the car, and power is applied thereto in approved manner for the propulsion of the ship in usual way.

The car is adjusted longitudinally of the ship by `pneumatically operated, duplex mechanism carried by the car and controlled from within the car for co-action with the ship. For this purpose an air plant or compresser is indicated at 9 having a pair of motive iuid pressure pipes 10 and 11 eX- tending therfrom for supplying compressed air to the air cylinders 12 and 13 respectively. Control valves 14 and 15 of the three-way type are provided in these supply pipes to control admission of compressed air to one side of the operating mechanism and at the same time permit withdrawal ot air from the other side of the mechanism, as will be described.

The cylinders are arranged in alinement extending longitudinally of the ship and car, and they are suppo-rted in the frame t of the car at the top thereof, which frame is fashioned with a depression 16, and transversely arranged straps 17 to hold the cylin* ders 12 and 13 against longitudinal or lateral displacement.

Each cylinder is provided with a piston, as 18 and 19 having rods 20 and 21 extending through suitable hazes in the outer .ends

of the -alined cylinders, 1 and the lends ot the rods are pivotally connected at 22 and 23 to hangers 24 and 25. rlihese hangers are bolted or otherwiserigidly secured along the keel line of the ship and tor-m fulcrums vor abutments against Which pressuie is selectively applied for moving or adjusting the car.

The outer heads ofthe cylinders are provided with outwardly opening springpressed-vent valves 26 to permit. egress of air'from lthe outerv endsl of che cylinders when motive fluid pressure is applied, as at the. Working side ofthe piston 18 from pipe 1 0. .The cylinders are also provided With v,small inwardly opening spring pressed CII equalizingyalves .27, one in each of the outer ends of the cylinders,

rIt will be apparent that `the piston 18 vforms a staiionaryabutment tor motive liuid pressure admitted to the cylinder against .the Working side o't'the piston, and the pressure is exerted against the ivorling side oi the piston and the adjacent head ot the cylinder to move theV car to the right or toward the stern of the ship in Figures 1 and Y 2. By this movement air is forced out of the to Athe le'l't. 'tor the motive fluid are preferably three-Way .valves .and these tivo valves are properly manipulated When shifting the carin either direction to supply motive fluid to the. Working side of one` l'iiston-abutment, and relieve pressure at the vf'orking side oi. the yother piston-abutment.

rlilhus the two control valves are simultaneously lmanipulated in such manner that the motiveiuid pressure may beapplied in. .one cylinder topositively shiftv the car longijtudindally of the ship and the Withdrawalot air from the other'cylinderis controlled in relation .to the .operation ot the Working .cylinder toiwaselected quick shitting of. the

load, or ,for a slower shitting ot the load or car and with minute accuracy of adjustment in equilibrating the ship.

F rom the above desoriptionit will be apparent from an inspection of my drawings that I have provided the -sliipwith means whereby the objects of my invention may be carried out With facility, reliability and accuracy for proper control of the ship.

Having thus ullydescribed my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure ...by Letters Patent is- 1. The combination With an airship and a loi'igitudinally movable car suspended thereon, of a stationary abutment carried by one of said members, and motive fluid `actuated means carried bythe other member for coactioirtherewith lfor relatively adjusting sai d members.

2. :The .combination with an airship and :t longitudinally movable cai' suspended thereon, ofa motive fluid cylinder carried by the car and a stationary piston head forming .an labutment carried by the airship, and

means Jfor controlling the. admission and lexhaust ont motive Huid to, and from said cylinder tor relatively adjusting the airship and car.

The combination xvithanairship havting spaced longitudinally extending track rails and' a car having .supporting` rollers on said track rails, .of a motive fluid cylindei carried by .the car and means for controlling the admission and exhaust of motive fluid. to said cylinder, anda stationary piston head forming an. abutment in the. cylinder carried by the airship.

.LThe combination with an airship having' vrspaced longitudinally extending track rails and a. car having supporting rollers on said rails, of'a motive `fluid cylinder carried by the. ear `and means tor controlling the admission and exhaust ot' motive liuid to said `cylinder, a piston head forming an abutment in the cylinder, a rod Connected to the head, and an anchoring device on the airship coniiected to one end oil: said rod.

5` The combination with an airship having spaced .longitudinaliy extending track rails and a car having supporting` rollers on said rails, of a pair ol aimed cylinders carriedby said car and an air compressor connected to, said cylinders, valves for controlling admission and exhaust ot' air to and from said cylinders, a pair ot piston heads A.iiorn'iingabutmentsin said cylinders, and

means toi' anchoring the respective piston heads to said airship.

ln testimony whereoit l allix my signature.

EBER H. VAN VLITENBERG.

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