US1096698A - Submarine mine. - Google Patents

Description

G. E. ELIA SUBMARINB MINE.

I APPLIOATION FILED MAY 21, 1913. I 1 ,096,698. 1 Patented May 12, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

G. E. ELIA.

SUBMARINE MINE. AI PPLICIATION PILED MAY 21, 1913,

1,696,698. Patented May '12, 1.914.

3 SHEETSSHBET 2.

WITNESSES momvsrs' G. E. ELIA.

v SUBMARINE MINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1913.

"1,096,698. fi nted May 12, 11914.

3 sHEETsSHEET 3.

WITNESSES I t rum/r05 Q'zara 717$ LE Elm 87 I A Anon/ga s ares GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA, 0F ROME, ITALY.

SUBMARINE MINE.

- Specification of Letters Yatent.

Application filed May 21, 1913. Serial No. 768,931.

I ship or fleet is discovered, so that when the mines are encountered the ship or ships striking the same will ,be destroyed or thrown out'of commission.

An object of the invention is to provide a floating cable having mines suspended on the ends thereof so that the cable by floating on the surface of the wateravill, 'upon being struck by the bow of, a ship, be dragged along with the latter so as to cause the mines suspended on the ends of the cable to be drawn inwardly to and finally into contact with opposite sides of the hull of the ship when the mines areexploded with the effect of destroying or throwing the ship out of commission. I

Another object of the invention is the use in connection with mines at the ends of the floating cable of mine anchors that are sus-;

the mine anchors will be automatically untied from the mines, allowing the mine anchors vto depend from the-mines, and also allowing the mines to assumean upright position and causing the firing means to can plode the mines.

With these objects in view, and others as will appear as the description proceeds, the

invention comprises various novel features of construct on and arrangement of parts which Wlll be more fully described here1nafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention,

Patented May 12, this.

and wherein similar reference charactersv are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a side View of one of the mines or bombs and its-associated instrumentalities that are connected to one end of the floating cable; Fig. 2 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig.- 1; Fig. 3 is a view showing a mine just after it has been placed in the water; Fig.

4 is a view showing the mine sunk to the normal depth and with the mine anchor still attached to the mine; Fig. 5 shows the mine anchor released and suspended from the mine or bomb andwith the drag anchor paying out from the mine anchor; Fig. 6 is a view showing the final position of the 'mine and its attached parts when firing takes place; and Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive are diagrammatic views showing the manner in which a ship encounters the floating cable and causes the mines suspended on the ends of the cable to be brought into engagement with the sides of the ship.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the mines or bombs, B the suspending cable for each-bomb, C the floating cable, D the mine. anchors, E the suspending cables or lines for the mine anchors, F the drag anchors, G the line for each drag anchor, H the winding drums for the lines G, I the retaining cable'or element for normally securing each mine to its anchor, and J the releasing mechanism between each winding drum H and retaining cable I, whereby the mine anchor is detached and dropped from its mine and allowed to assume a suspending position while-the mine itself assumes an up right position suitable for firing.

The mine A is of any suitable construction and is provided with a firing device 1 which is controlled by breakable wires 2 that are engaged, with the lower section 3 of the mine suspending cable B, so that when a strain of sufficient power is brought to bear on the suspending cable the breakable wires 2 will break successively and finally cause the bomb or mine to be exploded by the firing device 1 as further described. The section 3 of the suspending mine cable" B is attached by an eye or equivalent device 4 to the mine A, and the other end of the section 3 is connected with a ring 5 to which the section 6 of the mine cable B is fastened. The upper end of the mine cable B is connected with a buoy 7 fastened to the end of the floating cable C, such cable 0 having spaced along its length small floats 8 where? by the cable C will float on the surface of the water so as to be encountered by a moving ship.

The mine anchor D is a body of metal or other suitable material of rectangular or any other suitable shape and serving normally to form a carria e for the mine A, there being wheels 9 on tide bottom of the anchor D, so that it, with the mine, can be conveniently wheeled about, and the top of the anchor has a cavity-or seat 10 in which the mine B rests on its side, as'clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the suspending eye 4 being at what is properly the top of the mine. The anchor D is adapted to be suspended from the bottom 11 of the mine A by a cable E which has at its upper end a swivel connecting device 12 of suitable construction that is attached to the eye 13 fastened centrally to the bottom of the mine. The anchor suspending cable E, which is normally coiled in the anchor, has its lower end suitably secured to the latter. I

The drag anchor F is of usual construction and consists of a cone 14 of canvas or other suitable material with its open end fastened to a ring 15 from which extends a plurality of wires or equivalent members 16 that are united with a ring 17 to which is attached the. drag anchor cable G. The drag anchor is normally suspended on a catch or hook 18 fastened to the side of the mine anchor D, such hook 18 engaging in the ring 17, and from this ring 17 the cable G, shown in Fig. 2, passes over a guide pulley 19 on the mine anchor D and thence winds around the drum H fixed to a shaft 20 journaled in bearings'2l at one of the adjacent sides of the anchor D. When the floating cable C is cauglft up by a moving vessel a drag is produced'on the mines at the endof the floating cable and the parts associated with the mines, and consequently the drag anchors F are caused to change from a pendent to a horizontal position, whereby the rings 17 release from the hooks 18 and consequently the drums 12 will unwind. under the greater drag or pulling power of the drag anchors F until the cables G are paid out. The means for retaining the mine A on its main anchor D consistsof cable or line I which is fastened at 22 to one side of the anchor D and extends upwardly and over the mine A and thence downwardly to the opposite side of the anchor D, where the hook 23 or equivalent deviceis engaged with a sliding bolt 24 mounted ou'the" anchor D. This retaining-cable I cannot be brought into play until the mine is properly suspended for that purpose.

- The mechanism J for releasing the retaining cable I so that the mine and its anchor can separate and the latter be suspended from the former, comprises a worm 25-on theshaft 20 which meshes with a worm wheel 26 rotatably mounted on the anchor' D, and in the hub 27 of the gearwheel 26 is a recess 28 into which the end 29 of the bolt 24 is adapted to spring when the wheel has revolved a suflicient distance, the bolts 24 being acted on by a spring 30 which tends to urge the bolt-toward the right, Fig. 1, and when the recess 28 alines with the bolt the latter moves to the right and disengages the end 31 of the bolt from the hook or catch 23 on the retaining cable or element I.

Assuming that'the floating cable C'is about siX hundred feet in length, with the mines or bombs applied to the end thereof and suspended about nine feet below the surface of the water, the drag anchor cables G will be about four hundred feet in length, and when they have unwound from their drums to this length the catch-holding bolts 24 are released so that the retaining cables I will allow the main anchors D to'drop from the mines A and hang therefrom a distance often or twenty feet, and simultaneously with the dropping of the anchors D the mines A will assume an upright position.

If the location of an enemys ship or fleet, is known and it is desired to hem the enemy J in with submarine mines of the character referred to, a fleet of mine planters will plant the mines in a circle having a radius beyond the range of the enemys guns, the floating cables C being laid end to end 1;; a more or less continuous circle around the enemys fleet, or they may be arranged in a straight line across the course which the enemys fleet is taking. In planting submarine mines the mine A and its attached parts are lowered into the water as shown in Fig. 3, with the cable C and buoy 7 floating, and ,as the mine sinks the section 6 of the suspending cable B straightens out from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown. in Fig. 4. The mines on the ends of the cable remain in this position until the fl ating cable C is caught on amoving vessel in .manner more or less as shown in Fig. 7, wl crein S represents diagrammatically a battleship approaching the floating mine. The floating it cable C is dragged along with the vessel and the mines A suspended on the ends are caused to move inwardly simultaneously tohull of the ship and suspended in the region of the vulnerable part thereof, that is, below the armor line. At the time the drag anchor cables are fully unwound, the anchor retaining device I is released so that the anchor D will drop from the mine and exert a. pull thereon, the mine in the meantime assuming an upright position, and finally when the pull exerted by the anchor D is sufliciently strong it will cause the wires 2 to successively break. The breaking of the wires 2 releasesa spring (not shown on the drawings) adapted to the mechanism of percussion; the releasing of this spring enables the striker to come into action; consequently the mine will explode and destroy or cripple the battleship The mines explode practically simultaneously and at opposite sides of the battleship so as to have a maximum de stroying effect. The ship may not strike the floating cable directly in the center, as shown in diagrams Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive, but nearer to one end than the other, but even so the operation will be the same, that is to say, the

, mines will come into contact with the hull of the boat at opposite sides, one nearer. the bow than the other, but the explosions will take place at opposite sides of the hull.

' From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the method of operation and of the apparatus shown will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the apparatus which I now consider to be the best-embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters I Patent 1. A submarine mine comprising a float, a suspending element connected therewith, an explosive body having connection with the said element, a main anchor, means for re-f' leasably connecting the anchor and body together, a releasing device" for said connect ing means, a drag anchor for controlling the said device for releasing the anchor from the body a flexible element for suspending, when released, the anchor t'rom the body, and a firing means actuated-after the releasing of the anchor from the body and by the suspension of the anchor on the body.

2. A submarine mine comprising afloat, a mine suspended thereby, a main anchor normally carried by the mine and adapted to drop therefrom to a suspended position for exploding the mine, and a drag anchor controlling the dropping of the main anchor from the mine.

3. A submarine mine comprising a float, a mine suspended therefrom, an anchor flexibly connected with the mine and adapted to drop therefrom, means for normally holding the mine and anchor together, and a draganchor for releasing the anchor from the mine, the resistance of the water acting against the drag anchor when the float is engaged and dragged by a passing vessel.

4. In a submarine mine, the combination of a float, a mine, a suspended element between the float and mine, an anchor, means for connecting the anchor and mine together and supporting both on only a portion of the said suspending element, means for causing the anchor to drop and hang from the mine and cause the mine and anchor to be suspended by the full length of the suspending element, a firing device, and breakable wires controlling the firing device and'connected with the suspending element, the breaking of said wires releasing said firing device to allow it to come into action.

A submarine mine comprising a floating cable, an explosive device on the ends thereof and each including firing means, an

anchor 'releasably attachcdto each device and controlling the operation of the firing means, and means controlled by the dragging of the mines through the water to re lease the anchors from the said mines.

6. The combination of a floating element, a mine suspended thereby, an anchor, a device for releasably holding the anchor and mine together, means for suspending the anvchor from the mine when the anchor is released from the latter, a drag anchor controlling the releasing of said means, said mine including a firing device, and means controlling the operation of the firing device when the anchor-becomessuspended from the mine.

7. The combination of a floating element a mine, a suspending cable between the mine and element, an anchor, a device for releasably holding the anchor and mine together,

with the mine disposed on its side. a cableby which the anchor is suspended from the mine when the said device is released, a drag anchor controlling the operation of the said deviceto release the anchor, the said mine including a firing device, and breakable means between the mine suspending cable and firing device whereby the latter operates by the weight of the mine and auchor being brought to bear on the mine suspending cable.

8. Tl e combination of a floating element,

amine including a firing device, a suspending cable between the mine and element, a

main anchor, a connecting cable between the mine and anchor, a device for holding the anchor and inine releasably together and engaged with the mine suspending cable to hold a portion of such cable slack, a drag anchor, means on the main anchor for paying out the drag anchor, means between the paying-out means and said device for releasing the latter for permitting the main anchor to be suspended by its cable, -and breakable means between the slack portion of the said cable and the firing device whereby the firing device is operated when the weight of the mine and main anchor is brought to bear on the slack portion of the said mine suspending cable.

9. The combination of amine, a suspending cable, an anchor, a retaining cable for normally holding the mine and anchor together and engaged with the suspending cable to hold a portion thereof normally slack, said mine including a firing device, means controlled by the slack portion of the said cable for operating the firing device, and means for releasing the retaining cable to permit the weight of the mine and anchor to be brought to bear on theslack portion of the suspending cable to cause the firing device to operate. 7 v

p 10. The combination of a mine, an anchor on whigh-themine normally rests on its side, a device for releasably holding the mine and anchor together and including a lock, a drag anchor, a cable connecting the drag anchor with the first mentioned anchor, means controlled by the said cable for releasing the lock to permit the mine and anchor to sepa- "ate, a suspending cable-for the mine with which the device normally engages to hold a portion of the suspending cable slack, a firing means for the mine, and means between the said firing means and slack portion of the suspending cable whereby the firing means is operated when the said device releases the suspending cable.

11. The combination of a mine, an anchor on which the mine rests on its side, a retaining cable fastened at one side to the mine and engaged with the mine to hold the latter on the anchor, a device for releasably connecting the other end of the retaining cable with the anchor, a drag anchor, a cable connected therewith, means on the first mentioned anchor to pay out the drag anchor, a rotatable element actuated by the paying out means and permitting the said device to open when a predetermined amount of drag cable has been paid out, and a firing device for the mine controlled by the said retaining cable.

12. The combination of a mine, a suspending cable composed of two portions connected by a ring, a main anchor, a retain anchor and mine through the water to re lease said bolt.

13. The combination of a mine, a suspending cable composed of two portions connected by a ring, a main anchor, a retaining cable fastened to the anchor and passing over the mine and through the said ring of the suspending cable to normally hold one portion, of the cable slack, a locking bolt on the anchor for releasably engaging the said retaining cable, a firing device for-the n1ine, breakable elements between the slack:

part of the suspending cable and firing device, an anchor suspending cable connected with the anchor and mine, a drag anchor, a winding' deviee on .the main anchor, a

cable connecting the winding device and drag anchor, and means controlled by the winding device for permitting the bolt to release the said retaining cable.

14.. The combination of a mine, a suspending cable composed of twoportions connected by a ring, a main anchor, a retaining cable fastened to the anchor and passing over the mine and through the said ring of the suspending cable to normally hold one portion of the cable slack, a looking bolt on the anchor for releasably engaging the said retaining cable, a firing device for the mine, breakable elements between the slack part of the suspending cable and firing device, an anchor suspending cable connected with the anchor and mine, a drag anchor, means on the main anchor for normally suspending the drag anchor, a cablehconnected with the drag anchor, a winding drum on the main anchor from which the drag anchor cable pays out, and

a device movable with the drum for permitting the bolt to release the retaining cable when a predetermined length of drag anchor cable has been paid. out.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscrilnng witnesses. v

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA.

lVitnesses OnArr] a: B n UDWAY,

Pnimr D. RoLLHAUs.

Images