US1057950A - Submarine mine. - Google Patents

Description

G. E. ELIA.

SUBMARI NE MINE. APPLICATION mum 11.9, 1912.,

Patented Apr. 1,1913.

'll M q IN VENToR Giovanni Emanuele Elia BY WITNESSES ATTORNEYS foivrrnn STATES Pagans orrion GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA, F PARIS, rRaNcn.

SUBMARINE MINE.

- :To all whom may concern f Be it known that I, GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA; of Hotelv de Crillon, Place de la Concorde, Paris,- in the French Republic, have invented certainv new and useful Improve- ;ments in Submarine Mines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to submarine mines which are automatically exploded when struck by a ship.

According to this invention the spring controlled striker is connected to the anchoring drawing in which Flgure 1 IS an axial section of the percus ing device in such a manner that its movements relatively theretoare controlled by a movable arm which, on the mine being struck, is so moved as to allow the striker to be "automatically cocked and then released to cause explosion of the mine.

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanysion mechanism of the mine. Fig. 2 is a partial section on the line 22 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a general view of the mine.

Achamber b is arranged in the interior of a sphere as; this chamber may be in the shape of a cone and toits apex there is fixed tube 0 in which a cartridge 03 provided #Qfwith a detonator e is arranged. The cartridge d is supported by a cylinder f screwed into orotherwise rigidly connected to a frame (1 fixed to the hollow sphere a.

A piston h adapted to reciprocate in the cylinder 7' carries a striker z' -and a spring j bearing on a collar 7': in the cylinder 7' controls the striker. The striker rod m is pro- 'vided with a reduced portion a ending in a head .0 and this head is imprisoned by the claws p p pivoted to a common'pivot carried by a rod 7'' to which a shackle s is fixed for securing the anchoring cable.

The heads 2 of the claws p p are adapted to slide in the lower part of the cylinder f, which maintains them in the position illustrated in the drawing, while a spring t constantly tends to separate the claws from each other.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ing into the lugs of its support- The inner' end 1; of the arm 0 Q). then prevents the collar 2/ from protruding from the mine and maintains all the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, thespring j. not being cocked.

lVhen the mine is immersed, the anchoring. cable attached to the shackle 8 holds the mine at the desired depth, acting through the collar or on the inner end 1) of the lever 11, o. lVhcn the mine has been immersed for a certain time, the block 3 and the sal ammonia'c pin 3 dissolve (Fig. 2), the key a: is withdrawn by the action of the spring or, and the arm -v, '2) extends under the action of the spring 41 and is then in such aposition that it is free to oscillate on the pivot z. a

If a ship should strike the mine, the mine is caused to rotate about its vertical axis by friction against the ships hull and in this rotation the extensible arm '0' a being stopped by the ships hull, pivots about its axis Its inner end a then escapes from the collar w and the mine tends to rise owing to its buoyancy. Accordingly the sphere a and the parts connected therewith ascend while all the parts integral with the rod '2' remain at the same depth. This relative moi'ement cocks the spring while the claws '7) slide in the lower part of the cylinder llhen the heads 2 of these claws pass beyond the lower edge of the cylinder; they separate under the influence of the spring t and release the head 0 of the striker which, owing to t le release of its spring j, strikes the detonator e and explodes the mine.

The advantages are as follows :-'-This mine is simple in construction and comprises a small number of parts, thereby rendering it certain in its operation and reducing its cost. The provision of a striker which is cocked only by the passage of a ship, that is to say when the mine should become oper- Patented Apr; 1', 1913. Application filed January 9, 1912. Serial No. 670,176.

ative, affords increased security in manipnlating the mine and."prein'ants fatigue of the. spring of the .st-riker. i "The operation is ef fected by the "action of mechanical parts and of thebuoyancy .of the'mine, in such a manner that if the mine is not anchored it presentsno danger to navigation. The position described might be reversed, that is to say the extensible arm might be arranged at the upper .part of the mine, although the arrangement described is preferable in View of thegreatersimplicity of t-heconstruction.

The explosive charge'might be arranged atvv the upper part, of the mine instead of occu'- pying the lower part, as in thej-example illustrated, Thefsubm'arine mine embodying the invention may beheld stationary. by a beam a'nchored'to the sea bottom, or it maybe utilized as a floating mine." 1 v Having now particularly, described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what-manner the same is to be performed, I declarethat What'I claim 'is 1. Ina -submarine mine; a receptacle for receiving an explosivemixture, a tank sur' roundingand supporting said receptacle so as to cause the same to float, a-cap-receiving device, a reciprocating pin adapted to strike said cap and explode the same, means for normally holding said pin against movement including a contact arm, and means for forcing said pin against said cap when said contact arm has been moved in respect to ,said.

tank I 2. In an automatically operating; submarine mine, a tanjk for causing the mine to mine at any "desired depth, a" pivotally M float, an anchordevice arranged to hold the mounted contact arm arranged to have a free pivotal movement iuirespect to said tank;

whereby when a ship strikes said tank and rotates the same, said arm will he held stationary, areciprocating member normally supported by said arm and released'when said arm has been rotated in respect to said tank, a spring brought undertension by the vmovement of said reciprocating member,- a

a pin actuated by said spring'when the same.

has been released,r1eans for releasing said spring when the same has been brought under "a predetermined tension, and means for containing an explosive mixture includmg av detonating cap.

3. In an automatic submarine mine, a

float, a cartridge receptacle mounted in said float designed to contain a (*artriLlge-and a cap therefor, a firing-pin adapted to strike said cap, a sleeve formed with an abutment, a spring arranged in the sleeve and bearing 1 at one endagainst said abutment 'and at the I opposite end against s'aid'ipin forv normallyprojecting beneath I said anchoring v attachment whereby the float is connected with the anchoring. attachment -and said pawls are held inengagement with-said pin until said arm has been moved 'out'of'engagement with said anchoring attachment whereupon said float'rvill move upwardly and said 'anch0rmg attachment willremain substantiallys tationary, result-ing in a longitudinal movement of said pin against said spring,"said movement continuinguntil said 'pavv'ls have been moved out of said sleeve and .conse quently disengaged from said pin for permitting the pin to move underthe action of said spring against said 'cap.-'

4. In an automatic submarine mine, a-

float, means .forconnecting the mine with an anchor, means for; containing an explosive substance arrangedfl'n the float, mechanism arranged adjacent said explosive substance" for causing the explosion thereof when actuated, an arm pivotally mounted on said iflqat and normally engagingthe means engaging said anchor whereby the float is held from said arm for locking-the same rigidly against rotation whereby said anchor and said float are positively locked together, a spring actingi'cin. saidv locking pin for tendlng'to disconnect thesame fromsaid arm, and a'block of soluble material arranged in the path of 'moyement ofsaid .pin for preventing the spring from disconnecting the locking pin from said arm until the soluble material has been dissolved by the water'whereby the device is positively locked during the operaticn of placing thesame and automatically unlocked by the action of the water on the soluble material, said float being adapted to be turned freely upon being struck by a ship rising and said'mechanism is held from. operation, a locking pin extending through independently of said arm resulting in the 3 releasii ig of said mechanism and a consequent explosion ofsaid explosive substance.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto placed my hand at London, England this fifteenth day of'December 1911.

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA.

In the presence of two Witnesses:

'EUsTAcn' H. BARKER, ARTHUR'T. VVAGHORN.

Images