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.