April 10, 1928. 1,665,886 E. LEMPERTZ GAS INFLATED AIRSHIP Filed July 19, 1926 Male/24r: 422% 4% (2/ ?ea 2-r- Patented Apr. 10, 1928. 1,665,886 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EBERHARD LEMPERTZ, OF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, GERMANY, AssGNOR. To LUFTscHI. BAU ZEPPELIN GESELLSCHAFT MIT BESCHRANKTER HAFTUNG, oR FRIEDBIces EAFEN, GERMANY. GAS-INFLATED AIRSHIP. Application filed July 19, 1926, Serial No. 123,316, and in Germany February 18, 1926. My invention relates to airships and more 9ispensable to let gas escape while travel especially to airships which are supported ling and before landing to get the ship ap by lifting gas and are propelled by means of proximately to equilibrium. an internal combustion engine. The main object of my invention is to 55 s The weight of such ships comprising hull, Procure such approximate equilibrium dur engine, outfit, and also its disposable lift is ing the flight and before the landing of the carried by means of its lifting gas. This air ship with a minimum of loss in lifting gas must be of very low specific gravity so gaS. that the difference between its weight per A secondary object is a considerable sav 0. unit of space from that of the surrounding ing in the lifting gas capacity for an air air may be as large as possible. It has be ship of a certain performance. come normal to use hydrogen as lifting gas A further object is the saving of weight in airships. Another lifting gas is helium, in the airship structure. which has the advantage over hydrogen of There will be connected with my invention 5 being non-inflammable, but helium is of a other advantages, which will be pointed out much higher price than hydrogen because of later or which will appeal to the expert with its scarcity and its costly manufacturing out further explanation. process. That is why heliun-inflated air I attain all these advantages by applying O ships must be operated in a very careful a special method of operation which con. 20 manner So as to avoid any unnecessary loss sists mainly in using a gaseous fuel for the of gas. engines instead of a liquid one. But my airship while travelling uses up the fuel gas should have aspecific gravity ap fuel which it has aboard for the purpose of proximately equalling that of air, or a mix s driving the engines. Generally such fuel ture of gases may be applied, this mixture 25 is gasoline in sheet metal tanks. The weight having substantially the same specific of this fuel is compensated by an adequate weight as air. Gases of this kind for ex portion of the ship's gas space inflated by ample are oil gas, acetylene and other hydro the lifting gas. Consumption of the fuel in carbonic gases as CH, CH, CH, and the 80 the motors while travelling reduces the like. They even have a better heating qual 30 weight to be carried by the ship, because ity than gasoline has so that the same the exhaust gases are allowed to escape into effect of the motor affords less fuel. But the atmosphere. Thus, the ship will be get the main advantage connected with the ting lighter and lighter while travelling provision of such fuel gas instead of liquid 85 through the air. A certain amount of the fuel is that consumption of fuel will cause 35 surplus lift may be compensated by turning lo, or only a very Sinall, change in equilib the ship's nose downwards thereby creating rium of the airship as the weight of the gas a dynamic moment holding the ship down being consumed is equal to the weight of but only while it is being propelled. As the air which will occupy its space after soon as the engines are stopped or when the wards. Furthermore it will not be neces 60 surplus lift exceeds the dynamic downward sary to provide lifting gas for the purpose of lifting and carrying fuel, because my fuel portionmoment, of the the ship lifting will risegas andwill anbe adequateexpelled gas will need no support being equal in by the automatic gas valves which are neces weight to the surrounding air. Only the sary to prevent the gas bags from being necessary space for the fuel gas has to be 45 torn because of the increase of inner gas provided. No lifting gas being wanted for pressure compared with the outside air pres support of the fuel gas the gas space saved sure. Rising of the airship may be ar in this way lay serve for storing the fuel rested by letting out an adequate portion of gas. My fuel gas having better heating Os lifting gas through the valves to be oper quality than gasoline the space for its stor 50 ated at will. But--especially when travel age may even be smaller than the space ling over, long distances when considerable saved from the lifting gas space so that the fuel weight will be consumed-it will be in total gas capacity of the airship may also 1,665,886 be smaller than that of an airship of the 6 connects cell 3 with engine 5 situated in same performance but with liquid fuel. A car 4. The lifting forces of the lifting gas further advantage resulting from the ap are transmitted to the loads by supporting plication of fuel gas according to my in means 8, which may be ropes, wires or other vention is the circumstance that no special structural elements. 7) structure or reinforcements need be pro I prefer to press the fuel gas to the motor, vided for supporting the fuel so that the but there may as well be provided a device dead weight of the airship will be lower for sucking it from its container. than otherwise. This feature will come into It may be advisable to carry also a certain. O effect especially with rigid airships. Fur amount of liquid fuel in the airship besides 75 thermore a better longitudinal distribution the fuel gas. It will then be possible to of lifting force and load may be attained consume such liquid fuel whenever circum thus allowing for better local compensation stances should afford an increase of lift of between these two forces. This again will the airship while travelling. In case a fuel s allow a certain reduction of structural gas is cho?en which is a little lighter than weight. air its consumption would cause a decrease Operation of airships according to my in of lift of the airship. I prefer to use a fuel vention will also have the following advan gas which is a little heavier than air so that tage: Gasoline consumption will always its consumption will create a small increase have an effect on the trim of the ship; with of lift which will be compensated by un 85 fuel gas of approximately the same specific avoidable small losses of lifting gas and by gravity as air there will not be any influence other unforeseeable circumstances during on the ship's trim caused by fuel consump flight of the airship. tion. fdo not want to limit myself to the de The gas space for lifting gas and that for tails described or shown in the drawing as 90 fuel gas may be completely separate fronn many variations will occur to those skilled each other. But I prefer to arrange them in the art. relative to each other so that expansion of What I claim is: one of the gases may result in bulging into 1. An airship comprising a structure 30 the other gas space if the state of inflation adapted to be inflated with gas; a motor 95 therein does so allow. Besides the two adapted to propel said structure; a gas con gases may be contained in one common bag tained in said structure and being of lower or cell or in separate bags for each gas, or specific gravity than air; a second gas con combination gasbags may be provided hay tained in said structure and having a specific ing partition walls dividing them into indi gravity substantially alike that of air; said YSE compartments. With rigid airships first gas being adapted to serve as lifting where the hull is subdivided by cross mem gas; said second gas being adapted to serve bers into compartments the above considera as fuel for said motor. tion with regard to the possible arrange 2. An airship comprising a gas cell having 40 ments of gasbags applies to every individ lifting gas therein; a second gas cell having 05 ual hull compartment. fuel gas therein of substantially the same Another advantage connected with my in specific gravity as air; said first gas cell to vention may be pointed out. The I. or gether with said second cell forming one bags intended for inflation with fuel gas, uniform airship body. having the specific gravity of air, are not re 3. An airship comprising a gas cell hav () uired to be of the same quality as those in ing lifting gas therein; a second gas cell hav ated with lifting gas having a very low ing fuel gas therein of substantially the specific gravity. Therefore, the fuel gas same specific gravity as air; and a structural bags may be manufactured from lighter and element separating said first cell from said less expensive material, thereby resulting in second cell. 5 a saving both in weight and cost. 4. An airship comprising a gas cell having Having given a general description of my lifting gas, therein; a second gas cell having invention I now want to point it out more in fuel gas therein of substantially the same detail referring to the drawing which repre specific gravity as air; and a flexible wall sents an example embodying my invention.