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...When G.G. Hubbard learned of his future son-in-law's invention, he called it "only a toy." His daughter was engaged to a young man named Alexander Graham Bell.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7249733 | Lighter-than-air aircraft including a closed loop combustion generating system and related methods for powering the same A lighter-than-air aircraft includes a gas envelope for containing a buoyant gas, and a propulsion system is carried by the gas envelope. A solar panel is carried by the gas envelope for powering the propulsion system when generating sufficient power. A closed loop ... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7097135 | Airship An airship (100) for conveyance through a fluid medium in a selected direction of travel. The airship includes a hull adapted to contain a lifting medium therein, wherein the hull (108) includes a first section having a width which varies along the sel... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7055778 | Apparatus and method for lighter-than-air aircraft An apparatus and associated method for launching and recovering a lighter-than-air aircraft are provided. The aircraft includes an envelope that is substantially filled before launch with a lift gas and a second gas. The lift gas and second gas are substantially sep... | 06/06/2006 |
| 6964723 | Method for applying pressure to composite laminate areas masked by secondary features A method for applying pressure to the area of a composite part masked by a secondary feature comprises the steps of positioning a pressure augmentation strip in contact with the masked area, securing a pressure transfer wedge on each of two sides of the secondary fe... | 11/15/2005 |
| 6908702 | Fuel cell for airship power generation and heating A neutrally buoyant airship, such as a blimp, contains a lifting body which allows the airship to remain neutrally buoyant in air and a fuel cell located in the airship. A method of generating power in the neutrally buoyant airship, comprising providing a fuel and a... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6837458 | Airship An airship (100) for conveyance through a fluid medium in a selected direction of travel. The airship includes a hull adapted to contain a lifting medium therein, wherein the hull (108) includes a first section having a width which varies along the sel... | 01/04/2005 |
| 6811115 | Method and system for setting hull parameter of airship and method of adjusting ascension rate of the same A method comprises: launching observation means configured to observe upper air environment immediately before launching an airship to acquire ambient air data on the actual conditions of the upper ambient air including altitude, pressure, wind direction, wind speed... | 11/02/2004 |
| 6805319 | Variable-lift dirigeable balloon The invention seeks to provide a dirigible balloon with an internal enclosure (V2) having a flexible wall (4) contained in an outer rigid enclosure (15) which is of aerodynamic shape. The internal enclosure (V2) contains helium and is pro... | 10/19/2004 |
| 6793180 | Lighter than air foldable airship A system and method for constructing an airship hull is described, comprising a plurality of flexible members disposed lengthwise about the perimeter of the airship skin. The flexible members can be held in place in sleeves on the skin of the airship. The ends of th... | 09/21/2004 |
| 6739549 | Dirigible balloon rigidified by helium tanks A variable-lift device using a helium to fly. The device comprises a balloon (1) composed of an outer flexible envelope (3) supported by a rigid structure. The rigid structure comprises a plurality of hollow toruses (4) of inside volume that act... | 05/25/2004 |
| 6499693 | Aircraft to respond to threats To respond to internal threats to the aircraft, an incapacitating aerosol can be released into the cabin of the aircraft. The incapacitating aerosol prevents the hijackers or terrorists from accomplishing their goals. While the hijackers or terrorists are... | 12/31/2002 |
| 6427943 | Stratospheric airship A stratospheric airship capable of substantially and smoothly varying the volume of a buoyant gas is provided so as to allow the airship to stably ascend into the stratosphere and keep a station therein. A stratospheric airship includes a gas envelope def... | 08/06/2002 |
| 5992795 | Stratospheric balloon with long flight duration A stratospheric balloon comprising on the one hand an external flexible envelope (1) having a natural shape and made of transparent synthetic material and presenting an air inlet and, on the other hand, an internal screen (2) made of visible and infrared ... | 11/30/1999 |
| 5890676 | Airship with neutral buoyancy fuel bladder A neutral buoyancy fuel bladder uses hydrogen and oxygen to power an airship. The neutral buoyancy fuel bladder includes a fuel cell, electrolyzer, and means for storing hydrogen, oxygen and water. The fuel cell uses the hydrogen and oxygen to create heat... | 04/06/1999 |
| 5755402 | Discoid airship An airship capable of vertical and horizontal flight and able to make right angle turns is preferably of nearly neutral buoyancy and comprises two gas bags, the lower of which is toroidal in shape and surrounds a centrally located engine that has a downwa... | 05/26/1998 |
| 5716693 | High strength, lightweight pressurized structure for use as the skin of a spacecraft or other vehicle A sandwich skin construction that is comprised of an internal structure comprising a plurality of cones disposed between two outer skins is disclosed. The interior contains a pressurized gas to give the resulting sandwich skin construction added strength ... | 02/10/1998 |
| 5713536 | Aerostat single ballonet system An aerostat, including an aerostat hull and a single ballonet, attached to said aerostat hull, along an attachment line, the attachment line dividing a helium compartment formed by said aerostat hull into a forward helium compartment and an aft helium com... | 02/03/1998 |
| 5697579 | Aircraft having inflatable tubular support structure An airship has a flexible gas storage tube which forms a frame that maintains an inflated condition of an envelope of the airship permitting the envelope to be charged with hot air. A pump and valve are provided for supplying gas such as air, helium, and ... | 12/16/1997 |
| 5538203 | Ballonet system for a lighter-than-air vehicle The invention is a ballonet system for a lighter-than-air-vehicle, the vehicle having a lift producing gas bag and a longitudinal, vertical and lateral axis. In detail, the ballonet system includes a plurality of ballonets located within the gas bag posit... | 07/23/1996 |
| 5333817 | Ballonet system for a lighter-than-air vehicle The invention is a ballonet system for a lighter-than-air-vehicle, the vehicle having a lift producing gasbag and a longitudinal, vertical and lateral axis. In detail, the ballonet system includes a plurality of ballonets located within the gasbag positio... | 08/02/1994 |
| 5251850 | Device for adjustment of the height of an airship An apparatus for regulating the height of an airship, which includes a floating body of tube-like supporting gas containers and air bags. The air bags are disposed outside and between the supporting gas containers and connect the containers to each other.... | 10/12/1993 |
| 5076513 | Aerostat intended to travel in an autonomous and reversible manner between the ground of a planet having an atmosphere and a predetermined ceiling altitude The invention relates to an aerostat of the double balloon type intended to travel in an autonomous and reversible manner between the ground of a planet having an atmosphere and a predetermined ceiling altitude. This aerostat is of the type comprising a f... | 12/31/1991 |
| 5071090 | Airship An airship having improved controllability which comprises: an axial fluid pathway penetrating through a body of the airship in an axial direction, at least one radial fluid pathway crossing the axial fluid pathway and penetrating through the body in a ra... | 12/10/1991 |
| 4971269 | Protection for spacecraft A spacecraft having a plurality of concentric balloons (1a,1b), 1c) as protection means, wherein inside the innermost balloon (1c) is located a spacecraft (2) or living facility for human being, together with adequate gaseous material favorable for such e... | 11/20/1990 |
| 4773617 | Lighter-than-air craft A lighter-than-air craft [10] having an outer envelope [11] divided into an inner envelope [25] and a plurality of compartments [40,41,42]. The compartments are filled with lifting gases such as helium and hydrogen and the overall lifting force of the cra... | 09/27/1988 |
| 4711416 | Steerable lighter than air balloon The invention concerns a steered aerostatic balloon and in particular the creation of balloons of large volumes, which are free (airships, space balloons) or captive (material loading or unloading balloons). This balloon has an outer envelope (1) containi... | 12/08/1987 |
| 4326681 | Non-rigid airship A lighter-than-air saucer or disc-shaped non-rigid airship is disclosed. A saucer-shaped flexible envelope is provided within which an annular pressurized tube is positioned so as to maintain the flexible envelope in a saucer shape when inflated. Walls wi... | 04/27/1982 |
| 4032085 | Dirigible, especially non-rigid dirigible The present invention relates to a dirigible, especially a non-rigid dirigible, wherein the body of the dirigible has at its bow section and at its stern section cells pressurized under a higher pressure than the maximum dynamic pressure produced at the b... | 06/28/1977 |
| 4012016 | Autonomous variable density aircraft A variable density aircraft is formed of at least one variable volume container such as a balloon, gas cell, or collapsible hinged panel hull which is supplied with a gas for container expansion and comtraction by an aircraft carried reversible, fluid exp... | 03/15/1977 |
| 3972492 | Airship for transporting gas The invention is new construction of a dirigible for use in transporting natural gas. The aircraft has a rigid outer shell forming an elongated body. The aircraft has a plurality of collapsible chambers for holding cargo gas serially disposed along the lo... | 08/03/1976 |
| 3970270 | Low speed aircraft An aircraft capable of flying at very low velocities utilizing a wing envelope of an aerodynamic configuration having cells filled with a lighter-than-air gas. In one embodiment the buoyancy of the wing is slightly less than the total weight of the aircra... | 07/20/1976 |
| 3957228 | Thermodynamic kite A thermodynamic kite comprising a non-rigid inflatable body member, a partially rigid helium storage envelope, and a rigid housing. The rigid housing being attached to the underside of the body member contains equipment for maintaining the kite at a prese... | 05/18/1976 |
