FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention is directed to the field of airships, of the kind that can deliver quantities of water or other fire suppressant materials to forest fires, for example, where the particular airship hereof is a lighter-than-air vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to a lighter-than-air, airship that offers particular utility as a fire control vehicle to dispense large quantities of water, i.e. man made rain, or other fire suppressant materials over out-of-control fire areas. Vast and furious forest fires are an unfortunate fact of life for many people, especially in the western states of the United States.

[0003] Forest fires are presently controlled by ground personnel using backfires and fire breaks, and by air drops of fire-fighting materials from helicopters and fixed wing airplanes. These methods put large numbers of personnel at risk and the payloads of fire-fighting aircraft are very small. The air drops are high impact, which are a danger to ground personnel and particularly inefficient because they are so concentrated. They are the equivalent of dropping a pail of water on a stadium fire.

[0004] A number of the different airborne types of fire fighting apparatus is illustrated and described in the following U.S. patents:

[0005] a.) U.S. Pat. No. 3,710,868, to Chadwick, teaches a bucket, for suspension from the cargo hook of a helicopter, where the bucket is provided with a plurality of valves and valve actuating means presenting a low profile and compact construction. The valve actuating means depend from arms extending inwardly from the bucket sides.

[0006] b.) U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,857, to Mason, relates to a container which may be filled by immersing the lower portion thereof into a fluid and allowing the fluid to enter the container through a main valve and a number of one-way secondary valves in this lower portion. The main valve is connected to a float which closes the valve when a predetermined level of fluid has entered the container. The secondary valves are closed by the action of the fluid when the container is raised from the reservoir of fluid. The main valve is held closed by a latch mechanism which may be tripped from a remote station allowing the valve to open and discharge the fluid from the container.

[0007] c.) U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,829, to Eason, describes an airborne fire suppression unit adaptable for installation on an aircraft, particularly, a helicopter, for fighting fires in locations inaccessible to other types of fire fighting equipment. The fire suppression unit comprises a fluid reservoir tank mountable on the floor within the aircraft body, a boom assembly having a nozzle mounted thereon adaptable for coupling with the reservoir tank and a motor-driven pump for directing fluid under pressure from the tank to the nozzle, all adapted for rapid detachable mounting to the aircraft. The boom assembly is mountable so as to extend the nozzle laterally from the aircraft, and is rotatably connected at its mounting point so as to reciprocate laterally with respect to the aircraft. The nozzle is pivotally secured to the extended end of the bottom to reciprocate in a substantially vertical plane. Manually powered control means, operable from within the aircraft to regulate the position of the boom assembly and nozzle, respectively, are provided. A suction conduit coupled with the pump inlet port and adaptable to extend from the helicopter into a body of fluid is provided to permit rapid refilling of the reservoir tank while a fire is in progress. Selectable valve means coupling the pump with the nozzle, tank and suction conduit, respectively, permit the pump to direct fluid either from the tank to the nozzle for fire-fighting purposes, or from the suction conduit to the tank for refilling purposes, or alternatively recirculate the fluid through the tank when neither the nozzle nor suction conduit are being utilized.

[0008] d.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,489, to Bonaparte, is directed to a forest fire extinguishing device comprising a projectile filled with an inert gas under pressure which is dropped into a fire and automatically disperses the gas. When the device impacts the ground, a plurality of ports are simultaneously opened, allowing the fire extinguishing material to be expelled over a prescribed area.

[0009] e.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,389, to MacDonald et al., teaches a fluid dispensing system for an aircraft. The system, between the open and closed positions, includes a bottom door panel controlling release of fluid from an airborne container containing the fluid, and is governed by both the height of the fluid in the container and the instantaneous position of the door panel.

[0010] f.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,571, to MacDonald, relates to an apparatus for producing a delayed foaming action in mixed liquids useful as suppressants for fire area control and curtailment of chemical spills. The apparatus is self-powered and sized to be transported to a target area by a variety of land and sea vehicles as delivery platforms. The apparatus is particularly designed for airborne delivery and is especially adaptable to helicopter applications.

[0011] g.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,717, to McBay et al., describes a fire extinguishing capsule for the cooling and quenching of destructive fires. The fire extinguishing capsule comprises two double-walled hemishapes which are sealed together by an equatorial belt seal which may be ruptured in order to disperse the extinguishant in the capsule. The capsule may be suspended from a hook and ladder system, for example, a helicopter in the case of forest fires, oil well fires, or transported by sled to a fire scene.

[0012] It is clear from the foregoing prior art that the traditional modes of fighting fires from aircraft type systems are limited to helicopters and fixed wing airplanes, all of which are heavier-than-air. The present invention represents a dramatic departure from the traditional modes by the use of a lighter-than-air vehicle, with means for the continuous supply of fire suppressing material, such as water, to virtually provide for a man made or artificial rain over the raging fire, particularly in remote areas where ground vehicles cannot reach the fire scene. The manner by which the present invention brings these goals to fruition will become more apparent in the description which follows, especially when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] This invention relates to a lighter-than-air, water dispensing airship system for fire control of fires where ground personnel may be in danger, or where access by vehicles may be limited. It should be noted that the system hereof has applicable uses other than fire control, such as fertilizing large fields, insect spraying along coastal or swampy regions, irrigation, air quality measurement and monitoring, and aerial seeding and reforestation. Notwithstanding the above, fire control remains the primary application of the system, hence the further description will be so limited for convenience and understanding.

[0014] The system of the invention comprises a lighter-than-air airship formed of a semi-rigid keel or skeleton within which helium is contained as the lifting force for the airship. Externally, the airship features a pilot cabin, plural engines, and stabilizing means for controlling the steering and hovering of the airship. In the preferred embodiment, the airship system includes a liquid storage and distribution mechanism, including an externally accessible reservoir for resupplying or replenishing the liquid for eventually distribution over the fire area. The liquid storage and distribution mechanism includes a storage tank in communication with the externally accessible reservoir, and a liquid distribution manifold extending from the storage tank to below the airship. The manifold may consist of plural distribution arms featuring arrays of nozzles that may be selective operated for the desired distribution pattern. To protect and insure the efficiency of the system hereof, various filters are incorporated into the mechanism to separate unwanted debris that may enter the water supply.

[0015] Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a lighter-than-air airship system that includes a large payload capacity to develop and maintain a man made or artificial rainfall over selected areas of need, such as a forest fire.

[0016] Another object hereof is the provision of a means to provide refilling of the payload while the airship system remains in flight, thus providing an endless supply of water to a selected fire area.

[0017] A further object of the invention is a means to alternately fill the payload when the airship system is tethered to the ground, such that upon release the system will be immediately available for its intended activity.

[0018] These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the specification and drawings which follow.