Jan.

28, 1969
Filed Jan. 4, 1965

A.ID. STRUBLE, JR
BALLOON LOCOMOTION
Sheet

3,424,405
/
of

Jan. 28, 196-9 .

Filed Jan. 4, 1965'

A, D, STRUBLE; JR
BALLOON LOCOMOTION

3,424,405
Sheet 2
of 2.,

United States Patent Office

1
7 3,424,405

3,424,405
Patented Jan. 28, 1969

2
they would be in?uenced by the winds prevailing there. Suppose, for instance, that wind indicator W1 is at an
altitude of 100,000 feet and balloons A, B and C are all

there. In order to make the balloons A, B and C rise to the level of wind indicator W1 a number of things can be This invention generally relates to lighter-than-air sys done. First of all, increased amounts of lifting gas can tems having locomotion control capabilities. 10 be supplied to balloon A. If balloon B is a superpressured As is well known, it is often desired to gather weather balloon then some of the superpressure gas in B can be data or to conduct military reconaissance above a rela valved off through conduit line 20 and into balloon A tively small portion of the earth. One inexpensive means so as to cause balloon A to expand and thereafter rise. of doing this is to employ a balloon as the vehicle for Alternatively, if balloon B does not contain any super the data gathering equipment. However, since balloons 15 pressured gas, then some gas can be bled off from liquid are at the mercy of the prevailing winds, there is no as hydrogen container D into expandable balloon C, and as surance that by merely launching a balloon into the pre balloon C ?lls and expands it will provide su?icient lift to vailing winds that it will eventually arrive over the desired raise the entire array. The passage of gas between elements area-and even if it does arrive over the desired area, A, B, C and D is rather easily accomplished by means of there has heretofore been no satisfactory means for main conduits 20, 22 and 24. taining it in that approximate locality for any extended At this point it should be mentioned that somewhere period of time. along the array between points H and Y there is prefer The present invention pertains to a balloon system that ably provided a small computer system which will govern having locomotion control capabilities can travel to and the actions of the valving systems in the array. The com maintain itself over a target area for extended periods 25 puter can be programmed in advance of ascent or the

Int. Cl. B64b 1 / 40, 1 / 62

BALLOON LOCOMOTION Arthur D. Struble, Jr., 1754 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance, Calif. 90501 Filed Jan. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 423,010 US. Cl. 244-31 9 Claims

at about 80,000 feet, it will naturally be desirable for bal

loons A, B and C to rise to an altitude of 100,000 feet so

as to take advantage of the northerly winds prevailing

of time. My balloon system can conduct missions at altr

tudes of 150,000 feet. Locomotion to a speci?c target is

computer can be controlled from a remote location on

either land or sea, or even from a satellite.

achieved through the selection of proper altitude to secure the required wind correction component. Relative wind
data is furnished through a vertical array of wind sensors. In order to effect vertical movement to get to the proper

altitude, liquid hydrogen is preferably used in an _ex pandable fashion for in?ation; this technlque allows chmb
control at a small fraction of the weight penalty associated

Assume for purposes of illustration that the computer contained within the array has been programmed in ad vance and is independent of any ground intelligence sys tem. When the computer receives information from the wind indicators that desirable directional winds are pre

with conventional ballasting. Hydrogen boil-o? is con 35 so as to insure ascent of the balloons A, B and C to the tained in special pressure vessels (e.g. superpressure bal altitude of the desired wind. loons), the latter forming part of the buoyance system. On the other hand, suppose that wind sensor W3 senses The invention will be more clearly understood by re that there is a strong westerly wind at the altitude of W3
ferring to the drawings wherein: . (and it is now desirable to have the array move in a FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a balloon array in 40 westerly direction), this information is conveyed to the

vailing at a [given altitude, the computer (together with solenoid valves) will then control the valves in the array

accordance with one embodiment of this invention; FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of the type of balloon

computer and the computer will then open appropriate

valves in one or more of the balloons so that the balloons

system shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a detailed view of the valve system shown are opened to vent gas from balloon A, balloon A will in balloon C of FIGURE 2; 45 decrease in size and this will result in a decrease in lift FIGURES 4 and 5 are perspective views of the balloon and a descent of the entire array. If this method of venting wind sensors in accordance with this invention; and D will not achieve the desired degree of descent then a FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 are more or less diagrammatic portion of the gas in lower lift balloon C may be vented type views illustrating various balloon arrays that can be into superpressure balloon B. Until the maximum of super employed in accordance with the teachings of this mven 50 pressure in balloon B has been reached (e.'g. 25%), bal tion. loon B will take up whatever gas is released from balloon FIGURE 1 shows an arrangement which includes bal C. When the maximum superpressure in balloon B is loons A, B and C. The entire array from point H to point reached, then some of the gas within balloon B can be Y may be 50,000 feet. The distance between balloons A vented upwardly through nose of conduit line 20 to bal and C may be only a few hundred feet or as much as 55 loon A an dfrom balloon A outwardly into the atmos 5,000 feet. D is a liquid hydrogen container which is ut1l phere. By such means the balloons can be caused to de ized in controlling the ascent or descent of the balloon scend to the level of W3.

will descend to the level of W3. For instance, if valves

array. A plurality of wind indicators (e.g. W, W2 and W3)

are disposed along the length of the array between polnts array system (plus liquid hydrogen container D) it is pos H and Y (e.g. at 1,000 foot intervals). H is a small bal 60 sible to control the locomotion of the balloon system by loon that primarily functions to keep the cable 21 above sensing the direction and force of winds at various alti balloon A in a fairly taut condition. tudes and then adjusting the lift capacities of the balloons One of the objectives of utilizing such an arrangement so that the balloons will rise (or descend) to the most is to take advantage of the different wind conditions that desirable altitude for directional locomotion. may prevail at different altitudes so as to cause the_ba_l 65 Referring now to FIGURE 3, one type of valving sys loons A, B and C to move in a desired direction or within tem for achieving the previously described ?ow of gases a desired area. Suppose for example that it is desired to between the balloons is shown. In particular, the conduit have the balloon array move in a northerly direction. If 22 leading from balloon (not shown) C into balloon B wind indicator W1 detects that there are strong winds at is shown, together with its upper extension 22E. The flow that altitude traveling in a northerly direction, it would 70 of gas from conduit 22 upwardly through hose 22B is obviously be desirable to cause the balloons A, B and C controlled by valve clamp 30. A lateral conduit 23 is pro to rise to the same altitude as wind indicator W1 so that vided between conduits 20 and 22 and the ?ow in conduit

Accordingly, with the above-described three balloon

3,424,405

23 is controlled by valve clamp means 32-32. The ?ow

of gas from balloon B into hose conduit 20F and up

through 20 is controlled by valve clamps 34 and 34'. Each

of the clamp-type valves 30, 32-32 and 34-34 can be controlled manually by a person located within or below the balloon. Alternatively, those skilled in the art could

One of the novel features of the present invention is that the wind indicator assembly just described will at least partially compensate itself for the heights that are reached. In other words, at low altitudes the size of the balloon 84 will be relatively small and the force of the high-density, low-altitude air against the balloon, say at
20 miles an hour, will register a certain force on the strain

readily provide automatic controls for such valves, or

remote control means could be employed. Such means of control would be obvious to those skilled in the art.

gauge 78. At higher altitudes the density of the air will be considerably thinner, but since the balloon will automati

With valve systems of the type described in FIGURE 3 10 cally occupy a greater volume at elevated altitudes the decreased density in the air is at least partially compen it will be seen that it is possibe to direct and control sated for (or counteracted) by the increased size of the the gas ?ow through the various balloons (both super

pressured and non-superpressured). For instance, passage

of gas from balloon C into balloon B can be achieved by

balloon. It is believed that this type of wind indicator is novel and not heretofore known.

One di?iculty with the type of wind indicator shown in allowing the gas to flow upwardly through hose 22 and 15 FIGURE 4- is that the increase in altitude is a cubical out through hose extension 22E into the interior of bal function rather than a square function and there is ac loon B (when the clamp valve 30 is open and the clamp cordingly some distortion of values with increased alti valve 3232 is closed). The gas which enters balloon B tudes. FIGURE 5 shows an arrangement which is in will remain there until such time as clamp valve 34-34

opens to allow the gas to enter hose 20F and rise through 20 tended to overcome this distortion. The members 72A, 74A and 76A perform essentially the same functions as hose 20 to balloon A. escribed previously in connection with elements 72, 74 In the event that clamp valve 30 is closed so that the and 75 of FIGURE 4. The volumetric component in FIG gas will not ?ow upwardly from hose 22 and out of hose

URE 5 is considerably different however, in that rather extension 22E, and if the clamp valve 32-32 is open then the gas will ?ow from conduit 22 through intermediate 25 than being a spherical balloon such as 84 in FIGURE 4, in FIGURE 5 it consists of an accordion-like expansion conduit 23 and then upwardly through conduit 20, thus

bypassing balloon B.
FIGURE 2 shows an additional detail in accordance with this invention, wherein at least the lowermost balloon

arrangement. The expansion of the accordion-balloon 90 is controllably con?ned by the guide rails 92 and 94.

An extension 78A of the rod 76A is shown, the purpose of the array is provided with a downwardly depending il 30 of this extension 78A being to minimize any bending movement that might be caused by the force of the wind lumination de?ector. In other words, for military recon against the accordian balloon 90. The power supply is naissance purposes it might be desirable to have the sun shown at 80A. An extensible wire 100 attached to a por or moon re?ecting off of the surface of balloon C. FIG tion (preferably the top) of the accordion-ballon 90 is URE 2 shows that the balloon C may be provided with
an illumination de?ector in the form of an irregularly 35 also attached to a strain gauge (not shown) so that as the

shaped expanse of colored (e.g. blue) plastic or the like 60. This colored plastic could be supported by a plurality
of support means 61, 63, 65 and 66. The plastic expanse

accordion-balloon 90 expands the strain gauge will reg

ister a corresponding force. Numberous other arrange ments for attaching the strain gauge to accordion-balloon

90 could be provided. 60 can be in the shape of a cloud and can also be partially A further feature in accordance with my invention is to 40 in?ated if this seems desirable. provide a considerable length of cable '25 below the bal FIGURE 2 also shows a down vent 20 A which is

useful in connection with the venting of balloon A. FIG URE 2 also shows more clearly an upper balloon H which is utilized to form a rather taut line 31 that is

loons, the purpose of such cable being to pick up static

electricity from the air and thus provide power-electrical power-for the system. A high voltage and low amperage
can be obtained in order to get some usable power. In FIGURE 1, P is a payload of instruments attached to the balloon array.

useful in connection with forming a general vertical sup port for the wind indicator W1.
FIGURE 4 shows an enlarged view of one able wind indicator in accordance with this will ?rst of all be noticed that a portion hose or conduit 70 between any two balloons form of suit invention. It of the line, (not shown) or below any balloon is surrounded by a vertical balance

It will thus be seen from the speci?c embodiment illus trated in FIGURES l5 that the basic combination of components in accordance with this invention consists of

at least one expandable balloon (or lift ballon) and at

least one container within which gas can be 'maintained

rod 72. Intermediate the ends of this rod there is provided

a sensor and recorder means 74 of any well-known type.

At approximately right angles to the vertical balance rod

there is provided a horizontal rod 76 that terminates in a strain gauge 78 and a power supply 80. Adjacent the outer end of the strain gauge 78 there is provided a clamp which is connected to the lower end of rigid shaft 82. The upper end of rigid shaft 82 contains an in?ated balloon 84. The sensor and recorder 74 is preferably mounted so that it is rather freely rotatable around vertical balance rod 72

under superpressure (in either a liquid or gaseous form). The lift gas is preferably either hydrogen or helium. FIGURE 6 illustrates the simplest combination of com ponents in accordance with this invention. It consists of an expandable balloon 100, a container for gas under pressure 102 and a conduit 104 interconnecting balloon
100 and container 102. Now let us suppose that the com

bination shown in FIGURE 6 is at 80,000 feet and it is

desired to have it ascend to 100,000 feet. This can be ac

and will be caused to be rotated by the direction of the prevailing winds. Once the sensor 74 and the rod 76 have
so as to cause it to move away from a generally perpen

complished by bleeding o?f a portion of the gas under pressure from container 102 into expandable balloon 100.
This will cause balloon 100 to expand and rise. Con
in balloon 100 can be vented to the atmosphere to a lim ited extent and the entire array will descend to the desired

versely, if we desire the arrangement shown in FIGURE been oriented in the direction of the prevailing winds the 6 to descend from 80,000 feet to 60,000 feet the gas with 65 prevailing winds will exert a force against the balloon 84

dicular position. In other words, the balloon 84 and its

support shaft 82 will tend to move in the direction indi cated by arrow A. In so moving, a force is registered on the strain gauge 78 and the magnitude of this force is transmitted to the sensor and recorder 74, which can be in turn transmitted to any other position of the array (or to remote stations) by electrical or electronic transmission
means.

altitude. FIGURE 7 shows another generalized arrangement in

accordance with this invention, comprising expandable

balloons 106 and 108 and containers 110 and 112 for gas under pressure. Conduits 114, 116 and 118 interconnect

the aforesaid components 106, 110, 108 and 112. With

this arrangement, when we want to descend we can let gas

out of the balloon 106 (i.e. vent it to the atmosphere)

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and as balloon 106 decreases in size the entire array will descend. Alternatively, in order to- descend, we can let gas out of expandable balloon 108 and pass such gas into
superpressure balloon 110. As soon as the volume of bal

a balloon system within a generally ?xed location above

a certain area of the earth, the wind sensors can detect

at what altitude a favorable wind exists to get the balloon

to the desired area and once the desired area is reached

loon 108 decreases the entire array will drop. In order to

get the array of FIGURE 7 to rise we can do either of two things. First of all, we can let gas out of the super

and that particular wind current would have a tendency to move the balloon system beyond the desired area, an
other wind sensor would sooner or later detect a wind

pressure container 112 and introduce it into the expand

able lift balloon 108 so that the expansion of balloon 108
would cause the system to rise. Also, we could let gas out

going in the opposite direction and when the balloons

were repositioned at the desired altitude, then the balloon array would go in the opposite direction until it ap proached a point where it was going out of the target area. At this time, the computers and navigational equip ment could instruct the sensors to locate another wind current that would take the array back over the target
15 area.

ofsuperpressure container 110 into expandable balloon

106, and an enlarged balloon 106 would cause the system to rise. Stabilization at any desired altitude may be

achieved by suitable manipulation of the gas into and out of the lift balloons.

By using the above-described system it is possible to

greatly conserve gas during ascending and descending op

erations. Of course, gas that is vented out of the tipper capacity af the system. The fabric to be selected must most expandable balloon in a vertical series is ordinarily demonstrate good physical characteristics such as (1) low not recovered and is lost. 20 Weight per unit area, (2) high strength to weight ratio, (3) FIGURE 8 is very similar to FIGURE 7 except that it low leakage constant, (4) no deterioration or aging due shows a liquid hydrogen tank 120 at the bottom of the

The lift vehicle fabric requirements are strongly in ?uenced by balloon design, superpressure and gross-lift

array. Initially the gas would simply bleed off from liquid hydrogen supply tank 120 in a nearly continuous manner and into balloon 124 (via conduit 122) which can be con
sidered as a storage or superpressure balloon. By operat ing in this manner one does not have to throw away the

to ultraviolet radiation, (5) low cold brittleness tem

peratures, and (6) good tear strength and toughness.

A most attractive balloon material is a composite

fabric utilizing either polyethylene or polypropylene in

combination with a network of high-strength ?bers. The
strength member matrix can act either as a rip stop or as an integral load carrier. Looking next to the question of the practicality of

bled off gas and at the same time the liquid hydrogen tank 120 does not become overpressured. Balloon 124 can,
for instance, take up to as high as 25% overpressure (at a

constant volume). Balloon 124 is therefore what is re

ferred to as a superpressure balloon. Now suppose that balloon '128 is an expandable lift

using very thin ?lm balloon vehicles, the launching and

severe weather conditions in the troposphere can be ob

balloon that is only partially ?lled and balloon 132 is

another superpressure balloon similar to 124. Now fur

viated by using a staged vehicle approach. For example, a rugged helium-?lled ?rst-stage of comparatively modest
volumetric design can be used to effect the hazardous launch phases and to transit storms and areas of high windshears to an altitude of 40,000 to 70,000 feet. At this

ther suppose that balloon 132 is initially in a rather limp

or semi-full condition. Now if we want to ascend we

altitude, the second stage (i.e. shown in FIGURES l-8) merely let some gas out of superpressure balloon 124 is energized for the altitude mission; the ?rst stage booster (that is some of the excess superpressure gas) and pass it into balloon 128. As balloon 128 expands the entire 40 then returns to the ground. The ?rst stage thus functions as a launching platform for the second stage. array will start climbing. Once the desired altitude is The ?rst stage booster could, of course, be recover reached and we want to stabilize at that altitude we can
vent some of the gas from balloon 128 into superpressure

balloon 132. Balloon 132 can actually be superpressured

by the gas exiting from balloon 128 by having it rise up the conduit 130. Conduit 130 is preferably quite long. As 45 mands of the weather and/or the mission.
the lift gas enters into balloon 132 (from conduit 130) it eventually doesnt change the actual volume of balloon 132 because this balloon is already full and the intro duction of gas merely raises the pressure in balloon 132. However, balloon 128 now starts getting limp again due
to loss of gas and the array will level off at the desired

able. Sea basing is suggested as an immediate means for a secure launching and recovery site; sea basing would also supply a ?exible base that could move with the de

Prior to ?nal command release of the vehicle of this

invention at altitude, weather data and target information would preferably be fed into the balloon guidance system
from support vehicles such as an airplane or satellite. By
the same token, after the vehicle has moved across the re

connaissance zone and can become active, weather infor altitude. mation can be read out for the purpose of providing up-to Now, if we want to descend we can let more gas out of date weather inputs to vehicles starting a mission. Sev expandable balloon 128, which will decrease its volume 55 eral altitude vehicles could be orbited at a starting area and lifting power. The gas exiting from balloon 128i is on a standby basis and that once a reconnaissance run is preferably conducted into superpressure balloon 132 and started, the continual transit of vehicles over the area of balloon 132 therefore becomes even more superpressured. concern will provide weather information and will allow

The entire array will then start downwardly. Now, when

we want to level off again we can let some gas out of
or we can let some gas out of superpressure balloon 132

effective forecasting.
60

superpressure balloon 124 into expandable balloon 128

into expandable balloon 136 and we will level off. In this
" latter case, if we let the gas pass from superpressure bal

Since the expected operational altitudes have very low absolute pressures, the ?amability of hydrogen with air
is improbable. The system of this invention can thus use

hydrogen as the buoyancy gas and boil o? liquid hydro

gen for altitude control. The amount of maneuverability loon 132 into expandable balloon 136 it will be seen that we have made multiple use of the gas that originated 65 is a direct function of the proportion of gross weight that can be given to liquid hydrogen. This is analogous to the from the liquid hydrogen tank v120. In fact, it is possible to make several maneuvers (ascents and descents) with fuel percentage for a conventional aircraft. Further, the
one increment of gas.

liquid hydrogen consumption is directly proportional to

With a balloon array system of the type described 70 the square of the rate of climb or descent. Thus, if lower above, it is possible to in effect orbit or position a pay rates of climb or descent can be used, a larger number of load (e.g. weather instruments or reconnaissance instru cycles of altitude change can occur using the same weight ments) above a desired area of the earth. For example, of hydrogen. Liquid hydrogen storage for periods in ex if a computer system in the balloon array is associated cess of a month can be realized with low container weight with navigational equipment and it is desired to maintain 75 and boil-oft compatible with the system demand.

3,424,405
7
It should be noted that a system designed for ascent to having three buoyancy chambers with suf?cient reserve buoyancy gas and a fail safe ducting technique can still maintain a very respectable ?ight altitude even though one

is shown extending upwardly from the central cavity 122.

The launcher balloon has an altitude capability of between

about 40,000 and 70,000 feet. The purpose of central cavity 122 is more clearly illus
trated in FIGURE 10 wherein the central cavity is shown broken away. It will be seen that the central cavity 122 is adapted to house a plurality of packaged balloon units. For example a box 130 is shown for an upper balloon

chamber completely fails; this is considered highly impor

tant in the case of a reconnaissance vehicle.

The conventional weight penalties for creating rates of climb and descent by dumping weight are replaced by the

128 and a box 132 is shown for a lower balloon. There much more ef?cient technique of supplying additional buoyancy. Buoyancy versus weight jettison provides an 10 could be any desired number of balloons and any desired number of boxes to house the balloons. The various bal improvement in the weight penalty by a factor of approxi loons are connected by conduits or cables 134. The lower mately 10.5. The technique of vertical gas cycling pro most balloon in a series of balloons is usually attached by vides further weight improvements. As a consequence of cable means 136 to a payload 138 (e.g. instruments). these performance gains, the conventional problem of Each balloon within the cavity 122 is designed to se traversing the stratopause is obviated. The use of liquid 15 quentially rise upwardly through the cavity so that the hydrogen as the inflation gas must satisfy the problem of entire balloon array is deployed in a gradual manner. climb and level off gas requirements versus the gas con Each balloon is preferably boxed 0r packaged with a plu tainer boil-off supply. Conversion and storage techniques rality of rip seam panels 140 so that the lift gas within a are state-ofthe-art. The special problem of maximum altitude zone pene 20 balloon can pop the panels in a sequential manner as the balloon ascends. In this way the minimum amount of un tration would require full in?ation of all available vol inflated balloon envelope material is subjected to the ad umes and the cycling of hydrogen gas vertically between verse effects of any high altitude wind streams that might units for climb and descent. Overpressuring of the units be encountered. can effect very efficient altitude changes; proper cycling What is claimed is: between balloons is very useful in the case where precise 25 1. An untethered free-?oating system comprising a orbiting control is desired and for fast response in termi plurality of gas containing chambers that are movable nal guidance corrections. with respect to each other and that are interconnected to With a vehicle system capable of directional locomo

tion, the provision of passive guidance error signals and

payload commands must be satis?ed. Using radio direc tion ?nder techniques, the vehicle system can obtain error signals and remain passive. It can also take line-of-sight

each other in a generally vertical array by means of elongated conduits, at least one of said gas chambers hav ing a constant volume and at least one of said chambers

having a variable volume, said system initially contain

ing an excess of buoyancy gas each of said elongated

bearings on pre-established ground transmitting stations

located outside the area of concern. The possibility of

conduits being longer than the maximum width of either

35 of the chambers which it interconnects. satellite guidance and command links is also apparent. 2. A system according to claim 1 which contains at The liquid gas containers mentioned in the above de least one superpressured balloon and at least one ex scription can be constructed in various ways. However, pandable balloon. the cryogenic containers set forth in my copending appli 3. A system according to claim 1 wherein there are at cation Ser. No. 397,436 are preferred. 40 least two superpressure balloons and at least two ex The lighter-than-air systems described above can be pandable balloons. provided with various fail-safe features in the event of 4. An untethered free-?oating system comprising a balloon envelope failure so that the failure of one bal plurality of gas containing chambers that are movable loon will not ruin the whole system. For instance, look with respect to each other that are interconnected to each ing at FIGURE 3, strain gauges (not shown) could be other in a generally vertical array by means of elongated placed approximately at points M and N and then inter conduits, all of said gas chambers comprising super-pres connected in any suitable manner so that a differential sure balloons, said system initially containing an excess of reading would be obtained which would be an indication buoyancy gas each of said elongated conduits being longer of the amount of gas pressure within the balloon. Now if than the maximum width of either of the chambers which the balloon fails (due to rupturing or the like) and all of the gas escapes there will be no differential reading on 50 it interconnects. 5. An untethered free-?oating system of lighter-than the strain gauges because there would no longer be any air containers that have locomotion capabilities com gas in the balloon. When this differential reading was zero prising: at least two expandable lift balloons and at least (or low enough to indicate serious rupture of the balloon) two superpressure balloons, said balloons being movable this condition of the strain gauges could be caused to 55 with respect to each other and interconnected by means automatically and permanently close both valves 30-30 of elongated conduits through which gas may pass from and 3434 and permanently open valve 32-32'with the one balloon to another, said superpressure balloons each result that the gas rising through conduit 22 would cross being positioned below a different expandable lift balloon over through conduit 23 and then rise through conduit 20, each of said elongated conduits being longer than the with no loss of the gas in the conduits due to rupturing of 60 maximum width of either of the chambers which it inter

one balloon. In other words, no further gas would be fed

connects.

into the bad envelope by the conduits, and instead the gas would automatically go to the next higher good bal loon. This arrangement would also permit the overload

6. An untethered free-?oating system according to

claim 5 wherein a plurality of wind sensors are distrib

uted along and below said balloon system in a vertical

ing of one or more of the good balloons located above 65 array to detect the wind velocities at the various altitudes. a malfunctioning balloon so as to provide additional lift 7. An untethered free-?oating system of lighter-than to keep the array near its original altitude. air containers that have locomotion capabilities compris FIGURE 9 illustrates a launcher balloon in accordance ing a plurality of superpressure balloons that are movable

with this envelope. As shown the launcher balloon 120 is with respect to each other adjacent pairs of, said balloons generally tubular in design having a central core or cavity 70 being interconnected to each other in a generally vertical 122. Cavity 122 has a lower axial extension 124 thereon array by means of an elongated conduit through which gas and the extension is maintained in place by a plurality of may pass from one balloon to another each of said elon shroud lines 126 that depend from the lower portion of gated conduits being longer than the maximum width the launcher balloon 120. In FIGURE 9 a balloon 128 75 of either of the balloons which it interconnects.

3,424,405
8. A method for locomotion for an untethered free

10
References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS
2/1909 9/ 1912 3/ 1924 10/ 1963 4/1965 11/1965 1/ 1966 1/1966 Pennock _______ __ 317-262 X Austin ____________ __ 244-33 Trent _____________ __ 244-30 Stone ____________ __ 244-3 1 Shear et al. ___________ __ 9-8 Motsinger et al. ____ __ 73-189 Fisher __________ __ 244-98 X Smith __________ __ 244-33 X

?oating and generally vertical array of balloons that

are movable with respect to each other which method

comprises: releasing said vballoon array, determining the wind pro?le over a height of at least 5,000 feet, varying
the buoyancy of the array to cause said balloon array to stabilize at the altitude of any desired wind level, and

continuously repeating said procedure so that the free

?oating balloon array will remain in the proximity of an
area of concern.

10

911,260 1,039,476 1,486,399 3,108,765 3,179,962 3,217,536 3,229,290 3,229,517

9. A fail-safe system for an untethered free-?oating vertical array of a plurality of balloons interconnected

by elongated gas conduits, each of said elongated gas conduits being longer than the maximum width of either 15 of the chambers which it interconnects, said system com
prising means to sense the malfunctioning of a balloon in the array and to cause the upward ?ow of gas into the

FOREIGN PATENTS 8/ 1910 Great Britain. 1/1962 Russia. OTHER REFERENCES Booda, L.: USAF Balloon Achieves Endurance Mark. An article in the magazine Aviation Week and

4,433 137,014

malfunctioning balloon envelope to cease and to permit Space Technology. p. 30. July 16, 1962. the upward ?ow of gas through conduits to only con- 20 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner. tinue if there is a properly functioning balloon some where thereabove. T. MAJOR, Assistant Examiner.