Airship Page: 3 of 5
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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
JOHN F. W. BRADSHAW, OF NEAR OVERTON, TEXAS.
AIRSHIP.Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 11, 1912.
Application filed October 14, 1910. Serial No. 587,049.To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, JoHN F. W. BRAD-
sHAw, a citizen of the United States, resid-
ing in Smith county, near Overton, in the
5 county of Rusk and State of Texas, have in-
vented certain new and useful Improvements
in Airships, of which the following is a
specification.
This invention relates to new and useful
10 improvements in air ships.
The object of the invention is to provide a
frame having fixed gas bags; a longitudi-
nally adjustable gas bag whereby the ascent
and descent of the machine may be con-
15 trolled; and transversely adjustable gas
bags whereby the equilibrium of the ship
may be maintained.
Among other features are gas bags sup-
ported under the frame whereby the ship
20 will float on bodies of water; and gas bags
carried in. the frame whereby the elevation
of the ship may be regulated.
Finally the object of the invention is to
provide means of the character described
25 that will be strong, durable, efficient, and
easy of operation, simple and compara-
tively inexpensive to construct, and also in
which the several parts will not be likely
to get out of working order.
30 With the above and other objects in view,
the invention has relation to certain novel
features of construction and operation, an
example of which is described in this speci-
fication and illustrated in the accompanying
35 drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the air
ship, Fig. 2 is a side elevation, Fig. 3 is a
plan view, Fig. 4 is a detail of the adjusting
means for the longitudinally movable gas
40 bag, and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional
view of the steering mechanism.
In the drawings the numeral 1 designates
the central uprights of a frame and which
uprights project above spaced cross beams
45 2 and 3. At the bottom of the uprights a
central platform 5 is arranged and from
this platform braces 4 extend upwardly
and outwardly at an angle, terminating at
the outer ends of the beams 3. The platform
50 is supported on transverse cross-beams 6
which are in turn provided near each end
with hangers 7. In these hangers 7 suitable
frames 8 each carrying a gas bag 9 are fixed.
At the outer side of each hanger vertical
55 uprights 10 extend upward and are secured
to the ends of the beams 2 and 3.The upper ends of the uprights 1 are con-
nected by transverse horizontal beams 11.
These beams in connection with the up-
rights and the beams 2 form a central guide 60
in which a frame 12 is mounted to slide lon-
gitudinally of the air ship. In the frame
12, which exhibits a rectangular shape in
cross section, a suitable gas bag 13 is con-
fined. The frame 12 is provided with cross 65
pieces 14 which limit its longitudinal move-
ment rearward by engaging with the cross
pieces 11, while the forward movement of
the frame is limited by vertical standards
15 on the frame 12 which engage with the 7o
said cross pieces.
As shown in Fig. 4 rack bars 16 are se-
cured to the lower ends of the two standards
15 on each side of the frame. A transverse
shaft 17 is supported across the two forward 75
uprights 1. ' On this shaft gears 18 meshing
with the rack bars, are fixed. One end of
the shaft extends beyond one of the uprights
and has fixed on its end a pulley 19. By
rotating this pulley the shaft is rotated and 80
a longitudinal adjustment imparted by
means of the gears and the rack bars to the
frame 12 and its gas bag. When it is de-
sired to ascend the frame 12 is adjusted
rearwardly and when it is desired to de- 85
scend the frame is adjusted forward.
Below the frame 12 and between the
beams 2 and 3 and the uprights 1 a longitu-
dinal open space 20 is provided. At the rear
end of this space a rudder 21 is pivoted. 90
From each side of the outer end of this rud-
der flexible connections 22 extend through
guides 23 and 24 to a tiller lever 25 pivoted
at the forward end of the center of the plat-
form 5. This lever is centrally pivoted and 95
is. operated by the feet of the aviator.
On each side of the space 20 and between
the beams 2 and 3 elongated longitudinal
side frames 26 are arranged. Within each
frame a gas bag 27 is confined. These loo
frames are connected by rods 28 so that
while they are movable laterally between the
beams 2 and 3, they will be moved in unison.
From the outer side of each frame 26 a flexi-
ble connection 29 extends outward, forward 105
and downward over pulleys 30 and 31 to a
pulley 32 mounted on the underlying brace
4. These flexible connections have connec-
tion with a steering mechanism hereinafter
described. It is apparent that by drawing 110
down on one connection and permitting the
other to move upward, the frames 26 are ad-1,029,529.
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Bradshaw, John F. W. Airship, patent, June 11, 1912; [Washington D.C.]. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth510589/m1/3/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.