US959013A - Periscope. - Google Patents

Description

W. N. HOWELL.

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APPLIOATIOI FILED JULY 6, 1907. 959,013, Patented May 24, 1910.

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,g l ici l ifa, l -i l ich lt'l'ltl Urtlt NEILL HOWELL. OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. ASSIGNOR TO SIMO LAKE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

PERISCOPE.

'/'o all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that l, VVinmau Naim1 How mi., a `citizen of' the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania. temporarily residing in London, England, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Periscopes, of which the following is a iin-ll, clear, and -exact description.

'lKhis invention relates to periscopes for use in submergible vessels of all kinds, and especially submarine torpedo boats.

Briefly stated, the object of the invention is to provide an instrument bv which a View of the entire horizon may be had by the occupant of 4the vessel a-t all times, when the ivessel is ruiming beneath the surface ot' the water with only the upper end of the instrument. projecting above the surface, and without requirinfr an adjustment of the inslrnment, as has'iiitherto been necessary, `in order to obtain a View in any given direction other than the Vone to which the instrument is set at the ltime.

With the instruments now in use, it is necessary for the steersman, or observer, to keep his eye ldirected upon the instrument, ruhe same as Iin looking through an ordinary field-glass, and to manually turn the instrument when it is desired to view the horizon in different directions. 'lhis operation is exceedingly disadvantageous, since it not onli: requires the observer to concentrate his cve directly on the instrument, but also necessitates the Imanual operation of the mstrnment to shift it, and this last is ac- I'om-plished with difficulty, owing to the iight-fitting bearings and stuffing-boxes in which the instrument is mounte ln order to overcome these objectionable features, I provide a rapidly revolving obr4erving tube, having the usual prisms or releer ors which are adapted to reflect to the haer-ver all 4objects at any point on the zon, whereby the opeaator is enabled to rve an fobject lying 1n any di ion wit'l .ion vto his vessel or approa :l from' an direction. This v. sts in a recision of aim ofthe at an hostie vessel, but also enel', coupants besides -the steersman. in observation f llc Op@ hns Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 6, 1907.

Patented May 24, 1910, Serial No. 382.528.

the vessel may station themselves to ohsert` in other directions, and thus it is possibi. to ascertain the approach of a vessel or ve sels from various directions.

VVitxh my arrangement, an image is i liect-ed into the vessel the same as in olla instruments, it being only necessary tor th observer to change his position in order it obtain a view in anv given direction.

The invention a so comprises certain pw culiar structural features and arl-magentan` of the operative ia-rts ot' the device, all will be described tull-y and then particularh claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illnstrai ing the invention, 1n the several figures which like parts are similarly designan-d Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the up per portion of a vessel showing the nn irovement in position. Fig. 2 is a vertica longitudinal section of the same, on a larger sca e. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View.

A designates a portion of the deck or conning tower or vturret of a submarine ve sel, in which is securely mounted a tubular casing or support B, which projects through the vessel to anv desired height, and is preterably provided with a land-rinUC, to pre vent ingress of water trough tiie openinir of the vessel through which the casing l# extends. Near the upper and 'lower rfndof the casing are arranged bea-ring-rings l). in which is mounted an observing tube l'l. having collars or flanges E, co-acting will] the hearing-rings I) bv means ot' interi-instal antitriction balls. which permit a free rn tary movement of the tube.

F and F' are. optical prisms or reflectors secured in any suitable manner at. opposite ends of the tube E, respectively, each prism having its reflecting face inclined at such an angle with the axis of the observing tub that an image ot' an external object receive( through the prism l", will be reflected down i wardly through the tube into the interior o y the vessel through .the prism F', for the in spection of the observer. In practice I ma f'iiacent to the face of the prisi a system of such lenses, t

r tieid -of vision than con l ad by the prism alone or s or system of such enst ureld to the lower end t d by a belt il', c.

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fendin'g Y e vlit-.of a suitable elec- '.ric moto Iifto whic 'currentmay be `supplied tliro h 'e-*d namo'orfstorage batf feries (not s own) o the vessel.

The u perl-end- Vof the tubular casing. B :s close aacylindrical lass hood K, which ma'. .n ewheldinplace y cementvand i collar I ,land has its upper end 'closed by :i metallic cap-K, or an integral glass cap. lhe glass-is sufficiently heavy to withstand xternalglessureand protectthe prism F .ind lensl v ,frornthewater when the .vessel is runninglwith -,only.}the -pper endof the sightingd instrumentexpos 1 Ix; or erto insure against ingress of water `lio the vessel, should the hood become inylured, the-lower end of the casing B is provided .with a screw-cap L, having a packng-ring which is designed to enga e :he lower face of the pulleyH, when t e new-cap L is turned up tight upon the casmfr, thereby sealingthe lower end of the in e and preventin an possible in ressof water tothe vesse. if course, w en the crew-ca istobe ip lied tothe easing as esclzribe the belt is removed from the nil ey.

myselfrto elexact features shown.

In the;usefofrltheinstrument so fary def:ribed,themotor isy geared to revolve the mbe at' afvery hi ray o light; frornfany-object-within the field of vision ,will'fstrike the eye of the observer 4,nee in everylrevolutionof the tube, .andl

ywing tothe great numberfof vreflections imnres'sed uplonfthe. eye, the ele'ct will be the :rime as t oughty weld stationary,y ndbore continuously upon. [he object. 'bessen therefore, that yhe observe uickly ob djustinggthe mstrumentin triinieitscoi en iriusaad a set-tapant to, t

.i w. Referring to Fig. 8, X

m lower 0nd oft Y l strument in the direction indicated b be oper- .IltherefordV do not wish `to limit` .t

hrate of speed,say, for exampleflOOO M., so thata reflected etube and prisms were the direction in which the revolved. Should it be desired .i directly ahead, the observer looks at t arrow 1. By changin his position to either .side of the prism, an looking in the direction indicated by either of the arrows 2, he can obtain a view in either direction upon the horizon. Likewise, a view can be had of the entire horizon by simply walking around the instrument. f

ItV Will be understood that field glasses may be employed to look into 'the prism F', `to magnify-the object; and a separate range finder may also be used in connection with the periscope for vgetting the range of 'distant objects. l

From the foregoing, the advantages of my improvement will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which my in s vention appertains, and further statements as to its usefulness are thought to be unnecessar i l. The combination with a submer ible vessel, of a rotatable observing tube projecting from the vessel and containing reflecting means, and means for rapidly rotating said tube.

2. The combination with a submergible vessel, of a rotatable observing tube rojecting ,from the vessel, prisms locate at the up er and lower ends of the tube, .and means or rapidly rotating the tube continuously whilein use.

3. Thefeombination with a submergible vessel, of a rotatable observing tube rojeeting from the vessel, prisms locate at the up er and lower ends of the tube, a lens locate adjacent to the prism at the upper i end of thevt'ube, and means for rapidly ro` tating the tube. f

.24. The combination with a submerg ible vessel, of a rotatable tube projecting irom vthe vessel vprisms arranged at the upper and lower en s of the tube, and means operatively-connected to the tube for rapidly ro` tatingit. A5. he combination vwith a submergible :vessel oa support, a rotatable' observing tube'. journaled in l the support land Acontaini. lng-'reflecting means, and -meansfor rapidly hei-tube continuously while.' in fuse.

O tting' i Y. mblnation with a submergi'ble ionewith av submergible BEST AVAILABLE coe inner end of the support, for the purpose pecified.

8. The combination with a submergible vessel, of a support projecting outwardly therefrom, an observing tube Journaled in the support, a prism carried at each end of rlul tu e, a transparent hood arranged at the outer end of the sup ort, means for rapidly rotating the tube and adapted to be disconnected therefrom, and means for temporarily elosin water-tight the lower end of the support w ien the rotating means is disconnected.

9. The combination with a submergible vessel, of a tubular support projecting outwardly therefrom, a trans arent hood ar ranged over the outer end o the support, an observing tube journaled to the support and having prisms arranged at opposite ends lhereof, a pulley carried by the tube adja rwut to its lower end, a motor having its 'hire shaft provided with a pulley, and a Ialt connecting the pulleys.

10. A periscope, comprising a support, an uhservin tube journaled therein and provided wlth prisms at opposite ends thereof,

means for rapidly rotating the tube and adapted to be dlsconnected therefrom, a transparent. hood arranged over the upper end of the support, and means for closurey the lower end of the support when the opA erating means is disconnected.

1l. A periscope, comprising a support, an observing tube journaled therein and provided with reflecting means, a pulley secured to the tube adjacent to its inner end, mean.` for operating upon the pulley for rapidl)v rotating the tube and adapted to be disconnected therefrom, a hood held upon the end of the support, and a screw-ca adapted to be fitted upon the opposite en of the support when the operating means is diseonnected, and packing interposed between thil Screw-cap and ulley for closing the said support water-tight.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto .sm my hand this 25 day of June A. D. 1907.

WILLIAM N EILL HOW E l il i.

Witnesses:

H. D. JAMESON, F. L. RAND.

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