Todays patent is one of five LTA-related patents issued to Slater.

  “Although "heavy-lift" airships have been proposed for lifting heavy

and/or bulky objects much like the "sky-crane" helicopter devices,

conventional airships are not suitable for such applications without

heavy ballast equipment. Once such airships have delivered their

payload, the airship would, without the addition of substantial ballast,

always tend to rise. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved

airship which is capable of lifting and depositing heavy loads without

requiring such additional heavy ballast equipment.

      It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide new

and improved anchoring means for airships containing lighter-than-air

gas. Another object of the present invention is to provide new and

improved propulsion means for use either alone or in conjunction

with the anchoring means.

      It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and

improved apparatus for landing and anchoring an airship, which

enables landing and at least initial anchoring essentially by the pilot

alone without the need for a ground crew or on-board help.

      It is also an object of the invention to provide a new and improved

airship having a simple and strong anchoring means, with the airship

requiring relatively less land area than conventional techniques for

approach, touchdown and anchoring.

     It is yet a further object of the invention to provide an airship whose

propulsion system can be located at various positions with respect to

the longitudinal axis of the gas-containing structure for controlling

the horizontal trim of the airship.

     It is still another object of the present invention to provide new and

improved propulsion means for a lighter-than-air airship, enabling

the airship to lift and deposit heavy loads without requiring additional

ballast equipment to enable the ship to descend after it is unloaded.”

       ( Line 44 Column 2 through Line 13 Column 3.)

Slater formed the nearly-forgotten corporation, HOV-AIR-SHIP, Inc.,

to develop his concept.  Presumably, his Heavy-Lift airship was

intended to transport cargo plus the huge magnet.

       Saul I. Slater, of New York state, is also credited with nearly 

       twenty patents on electrical devices in the 50's and 60's - 

       perhaps the same individual.

Note: Claims 20 and 21 involve a propulsion means, but do not mention

mooring or anchoring. three claims (14, 15 & 16) involve the use of

directional thrust while mooring. All other claims apply to a magnetic 

mooring device, as part of Slater’s airship.

 

The patent is cited by four later U.S.patents, and five foreign patents.