Aeronautics and astronautics – Aircraft – lighter-than-air – Balloons
Patent
1997-09-15
1998-12-29
Jordan, Charles T.
Aeronautics and astronautics
Aircraft, lighter-than-air
Balloons
B64B 140
Patent
active
058531475
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a balloon basket in accordance with the preamble to claim 1.
Balloon baskets, especially those for hot air balloons, are in wide use; they comprise in the main a weave of willow rods or natural or artificial materials with similar properties.
Such known baskets are comparatively heavy and offer practically no impact protection for the pilot and passengers in a heavy landing. Added to this, they are very penetrable by wind, which in climbing or descending at great heights makes itself very noticeable as a troublesome cold draught. A further disadvantage lies in the large volume of such a basket, which inevitably calls for a vehicle trailer for the road transport of a hot air balloon--or at least for the basket.
The aim which is to be addressed by the present invention, is the procurement of a basket, especially for hot air balloons, which overcomes the stated disadvantages, thus is light, offers good impact resistance in the event of a hard landing, is wind-proof and presents only a small volume for road transportation.
The solution of the aim set is addressed in the characterising part of claim 1 with respect to its major characteristics, in those of claims 2 to 13 with respect to further advantageous developments.
The object of the invention is more closely explained using the attached drawings. Shown are:
FIG. 1 a first example of construction of a balloon basket in diagonal view, partly cut away,
FIG. 2 a second Example of construction of a balloon basket in cross section,
FIG. 3 a part view of a basket according to the invention,
FIG. 4 a detail of an advantageous development in section.
FIG. 1 shows an example of construction of a balloon basket 1 according to the invention in a diagonal view. The balloon basket 1 is constructed from an upper--here eight sided--ring 2, a lower ring 3--similarly within the scope of an example--octagonally constructed--and eight struts 4.
The upper ring 2, lower ring 3 and struts 4 are tubular pneumatic structures, comprising a fabric reinforced elastomer. For road transportation, that is in the non-operational condition, the pneumatic structures 2, 3, 4 are empty; for balloon flight, that is in the operational condition, they are filled with compressed air. Between the upper ring 2, the lower ring 3 and in each case two struts 4 the basket is provided--in this example--with eight side wall elements 5. Two of these side wall elements 5 are shown cut away and give a clear view of the floor, designated 6, of the basket 1. The inner structures of the side wall elements 5 and the floor 6, both double walled, are more clearly described using FIG. 2.
Each of the side wall elements 5 has two holes 7 in the two bottom corners, which ensure that the basket 1 is ventilated draught-free and that no accumulations of gas can form, which would originate from the gas bottles carried. The representation of lashings, eye bolts, and similar fastening elements, such as belong to the operation of a balloon basket, is not given here, on the one hand because they are not essential to the invention, and on the other because their attachment to elastomeric pneumatic structures is thoroughly within the state of the technology.
Instead of being octagonal, the balloon basket 1 can also be four or six sided or of any other polygonal shape. From the technical viewpoint a circular form is obviously also possible, but is somewhat disadvantageous with regard to a sliding landing, since the basket can thereby go into a rotating motion about its height axis. Similarly a circular or oval design of the rings 2, 3 is within the scope of the invention, whereby the selection of the struts optimally should not fall below four.
FIG. 2 shows a section through a four sided balloon basket 1. Both in the floor 6 and also in the side wall elements 5 threads 8 are shown, which join together the two walls of the elements designated 5 and 6 in each case: Side wall elements 5 and floor 6 are produced using so-called spacing weaves, whose two matrices serve as a reinforcing fabric for el
REFERENCES:
patent: 1538974 (1925-05-01), Cray
patent: 3176327 (1965-04-01), Oberth
patent: 3176935 (1965-04-01), White et al.
patent: 4619422 (1986-10-01), Petrehn
Ducker, Jr. Charles R.
Jordan Charles T.
Prospective Concepts A.G.
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