US1180263A

US1180263A - Submarine boat.

Info

Publication number: US1180263A
Application number: US4408115A
Authority: US
Inventors: Simon Lake
Original assignee: LAKE TORPEDO BOAT Co OF MAINE
Current assignee: LAKE TORPEDO BOAT Co OF MAINE
Priority date: 1915-08-06
Filing date: 1915-08-06
Publication date: 1916-04-18
Anticipated expiration: 1933-04-18

Description

S. LAKE.

SUBMARINE BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-.6. 1915.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET i.

S. LAKE.

SUBWARWE BOAT.

v RPPLICATON FILED AUG.6 1915- 1 A I A m 0 ll lgaflfi fi o 111mm Apr. 18, Uh).

2 SHEETS-*SHEET 2.

SIMON LAKE, OF MILFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE LAKE TORPEDO BOAT COMPANY OF MAINE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF MAIN'E.

SUBMARINE BOAT.

LTMMZFS.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1d, 191%.

Application filed August 6, 1915. Serial No. 44,081.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIMON LAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milford, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain neW and useful. Improvements in Submarine Boats, of which the following is a specification.

In the construction of submarine torpedo boats adapted for surface cruising on the high seas, it is of the highest importance to provide a high freeboard and large percentage of reserve buoyancy without departing from the lines most suited to surface speed, in addition to arranging the ves sels for most efficiently performing. their functions when wholly submerged.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel construction of the hull proper of submarine boats so as to obtain a higher freeboard and a' greater metacentric height both for surface and submerged operations, and hence, greater surface and submerged stability, than has been possible in'other boats of this class heretofore constructed, the construction being such that but slight additional wetted surfaces are produced so that both the surface and submerged speeds will not be greatly affected when operated under a given amount of horse-power.

The invention consists in a submarine or submersible boat having airand watertight pressure-resisting buoyant chambers or sponsons arranged exteriorly of the hull at the waterline thereof when the boat is trimmed for surface navigation, said chambers or sponsons" extending throughout practically the entire length of the boat, and preferably substantially semi-circular in cross-section and of tapering form toward their ends so that but slight additional frictional. water surfaces are added and the fine speed lines of the boat retained.

The invention further consists in certain details of construction and in the peculiar arrangement and location of the buoyant pressure-resisting chambers or sponsons, as will be hereinafter fully described and then claimed.

In the drawings, illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a submarine or submersible boat provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section drawn on a slightly larger scale on the line a-a: of Figs. 1 and 2.- F ig.4 is a similar view drawn on the line b b of Figs 1 and 2. F 1g. 5 is a' diagrammatic cross-sectional view illustrating a slightly modified construction .in the manner of connecting the superstructure to the buoyant chambers.

1 designates the main hull of the boat, of substantially cylindrical cross-section at amidships, and tapering toward the bow and stern portions thereof, the plating 3 of the hull being supported by and connected to the ribs 4: of the hull in the usual manner. Built upon the sides of the main hull 1 and having their edges connected airand water-tight thereto, are casings 2 which in connection with the adjacent hull form buoyant chambers or sponsons, said buoyant chambers or sponsons being preferably substantially semi-circular in cross-section, and constructed of sufiiciently heavy material to prevent collapse when the boat is submerged to the depth for which the main hull is constructed. The outer sides of .the buoyant chambers or sponsons 2 are substantially vertical and extend tangentially from the outer curved portions thereof, and have their lower or outer longitudinal edges and their ends flared outwardly as at 5 (Figs. 3, 4: and 5), to lie flat against the skin or plating of the main hull to facilitate the riveting thereto. The upper or inner longitudinal edges of the casings are preferably connected to the hull plating or skin by angle irons 5, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, or the said edges may be bent out- .wardly in the same manner asthe outer longitudinal edges, it being understood that the angle irons are avoided at the lower or outer exposed edges .of the chambers or sponsons so as, to avoid possible speed resisting surfaces. The chambers or sponsons 2 are braced throughout their length by frames 6, which are positioned upon the hull, and the lower ends of'the frames are strengthened bybracket plates 6 to prevent collapse of the vert1cal sides of the chambers or sponsons. The spaces thus formed by the chambers or sponsons and the hull of the boat may be sub-divided. bv imperforate plates 6, as shown to the left in Fig. 3, thus providing a plurality of air-tight chambers, or, if desired, the plates 6" may be provided with openings, as shown to the right in Fig. 3.

lVhile I have shown the chambers or sponsons having vertical sides, it will be well understood that they may be of true semi circular form and their lower edges extended to the hull as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. It will be seen that by-thus bracing the sponsons, I transmit the strain upon the hull, imposed by the external pressure, throughout the entire width of the sponsons.

Built upon the hull 1 is a superstructure 7, having its lower side edges connected airand water-tight to the tops of the chambers or sponsons throughout the major portion of their length, and forward and aft of the said chambers or sponsons to the skin of the boat as shown. As shown, the superstructure7 is provided with a flat deck 8 and substantially vertical sides 8-, and is tapering in horizontal section toward the bow and stern in the 'usual manner. In practice, the superstructure is constructed of a lighter weight material than the main hull plating 3, and the buoyant chambers or sponsons, and the space thus formed is designed to be filled with water as in my Patent No. 650,758.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2-, 3 and 4, the lower edges of the sides 8 of the superstructure are connected to the tops of the buoyant chambers or sponsons at the amidships section of the boat and are, of course, formed to fit the curvature of the sponsons toward theiqends, although I do not wish to be confined' to this particular arrangement, as it will be understood that the sides 8 of the superstructure may be extended down and connected to the substantially vertical outer sides of the chambersor sponsons, as shown -in Fig. 5, in which construction it will be seen that the upper ends of the sponsons are inclosed entirely within the superstructure.

. In either construction, however, it will be noted that the tops of the buoyant chambers or sponsons will be above the water line, indicated at W. L, in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, when the boat is lying at the surface and trimmed to an even keel, although it will be understood, as in all submarine boats, as well as in surface boats, when the boats are trimmed for surface navigation the ballast is so arranged that the boat will be trimmed by the stern to .thus better adapt them for surfacenavigatiombut when submerged, and the boat is trimmed to an even keel, the vertical centers of volume of the chambers 'or sponsons will be substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the boat and to the surface of the water, so that a uniform buoyant medium will be provided fore and aft of the center of gravity and center of buoyancyof the boat, thus increasing submerged stability,-it being also understoodthat the chambers provide an increasedamount of reserve buoyancy above the center of gravity of the boat, and consequently materially increase the metacentric height, thus greatly adding to the submerged stability.

It is well known that all submarine boats are operated submerged with a reserve buoyancy of three or four hundred pounds, this normal reserve of buoyancy being supplied by the chamber formed by the conning'towers or navigating-turrets, so that under normal conditions, if the propulsion of the boat was stopped, the boats will automatically rise to the surface.

Ordinarily, the reserve buoyancy, or the difference between the light and submerged displacement, of this class of boats is comparatively small, and when operating on the surface, but littlefreeboard is provided, which not only reduces the sea going qualities of the boat, but also, even in moderately rough weather, prevents operations being carried out upon the deck, owing to the seas breaking over the deck, hence, adding danger and discomfort to the crew worklng or exercising on the deck. By my invention, I not only increase the height of the freeboard when the boat is operating on the surface and hence increase surface buoyancy and sea going qualities, but I also greatly increase the metacentric height of the boat, and consequently, its surface and submerged stability.

It will be further understood that by the peculiar location and construction of my buoyant chambers or sponsons, I strengthen the hull of the boat at the water line by providing protecting surfaces which serve -to prevent injury to the main hull of the and when making a landing, and also in the event of the boat striking an object lying upon the surface when emerging after submerged maneuvers.

It will also be understood that the sides of the superstructure at the ends of the buoyant chambers or sponsons will be shaped to fit over the tapering ends of the chambers or sponsons, so as to preserve the contour and even surfaces of the sides of the superstructure both forward and aft, and .the even contour of the hull, whereby to preserve the speed lines of the boat.

What I claim is 1. A submarine boat, having longitudinally arranged airand water-tight chambers or sponsons built upon the hull at the water line thereof when the boat is trimmed for surface navigation, said sponsons extending throughout a part of the length of the boat and constructed of sufficiently heavy material to prevent collapse when the boat is submerged to its designed depth.

2. A submarine boat, having longitudisons built upon the hull at the water line thereof when the boat is trimmed for surface navigation and connected to the hull airand water-tight and constructed of sufiiciently heavy material to resist external pressure when the boat is submerged, said sponsons extending throughout a part of the length of the boat.

3. A submarine boat, having l0ngitudinally arranged airand water-tight chambers or sponsons built upon the hull at the Water line thereof when the boat is trimmed for surface navigation, and extending throughout the major length of the boat, said sponsons being substantially semi-circular in cross-section and of gradually decreasing diameters toward their ends and constructed of material sufficiently heavy to resist external pressure when the boat is submerged.

4. A submarine boat, having longitudinally arranged airand water-tight chambers or sponsons constructed of material sufficiently heavy to resist external pressure when the boat is submerged and built upon the hull at the water line thereof when the boat is trimmed for surface navigation, and extending throughout the major length of the boat, said sponsons being substantially semi-circular in cross-section and of gradually decreasing diameters toward their ends, and having substantially vertical outer sides.

5. A submarine boat, having longitudinally arranged airand water-tight chambers 0r sponsons constructed of material we at a patent y be obtedl tor five cents each, by addressing the "to sufliciently heavy to resist external pressure when the boat is submerged andbuilt upon the hull at the water line thereof when the boat is trimmed for surface navigation, and extending throughout the major length of the boat, said sponsons being substantially semi-circular in cross-section and of gradually decreasing diameters toward their ends, and transverse frames or partitions connecting said chambers or sponsons to the skin of the boat.

6. A submarine boat, having longitudinally arranged chambers or sponsons constructed of sufficiently heavy material to prevent collapse when the boat is submerged to the depth for which the main hull is constructed and permanently air and Water tight and built upon the hull at the water line thereof when the boat is trimmed for surface navigation, and extending throughout the major length of the boat, said sponsons being substantially semi-circular in cross section and of gradually decreasing diameters toward their ends and having substantially vertical outer sides, and a superstructure built upon the main hull and having its longitudinal edges connected-to said chambers or sponsons, substantially as shown and specified In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22nd day of July, A. D. 1915.

' SIMON LAKE.

Witnesses:

C. E. ADAMS, M. E. l'lrroncoox.

Waehlnmen, n. U.