US1271864A

US1271864A - Submarine barrier.

Info

Publication number: US1271864A
Application number: US18597917A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas J Digney
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1917-08-13
Filing date: 1917-08-13
Publication date: 1918-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 1935-07-09

Description

T. I. DIGNEY.

l SUBMARINE BARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-I3. 19|?.

Patented July 9, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

NE Maure-s perm; co.. Puomunm wnwmcmn. nV c T. L DIGNEY.

SUBMARINE BARRIER.

APPucATloN man Anais. 1911-.

Patented July 9, 1918.

mr: Nanms mens ca A Puma-uma.. w/lsuwnrmv, u. c.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

THMAS J. DIGNEY, 0F BBDGEIPOBT, CONNECTICUT.

summe/lun BARRIER.

To all whom t may concern:

l 3eit known that I, THOMAS J. DIGNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certainV n ew and useful Improvements in Submarine Barriers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to submarine mine carrying barriers designed for protecting harbors, channels, and like bodies of water, and is particularly adapted for trapping submarine vessels and to form such entanglements that when engaged by the nose or side of a submarine boat the latter will be positively prevented from escaping therefrom without contacting with or causing one or more of the mines carried by the barrier to be brought into engagement with the vessel.

The invention consists of two upright beams or masts weighted at one end and having floats attached to their opposite ends, whereby to hold the beams or masts in a substantially upright position, and to these vertically arranged beams or masts are projected horizontal arms orlbooms to which are connected steel nettings, and arranged between the said nets and connected thereto and to the upright beams or masts is a net designed to obstruct the passage of a submarine vessel between the irst-men tioned or horizontal nets. Suitable floats are connected to the upper horiz'ontal net at intervals throughout its length so as to hold theunit in position. The net also carries a plurality of contact mines so that when the unit is engaged by a submarine boat, the upright beams or masts will be drawn toward each other and thus cause themines to contact with the sides of the vessel. The

invention further consists in certain novel and peculiar details of construction and arrangement of parts 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 perspective view of myjimproved barrier. Fig. 2 is a diagrammaticplanyviewofwthe same. Figd'is a similar view illustrating the 4operation of the device. .Fig. Llis a fragmentary plan view of a submarine boat illustrating the Acontact `of a protuberance of a submarine boat with one of the .ele-

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 13, 1517.

Patented July 9, 1918.

serial No. 185,979.

ments of the barrier. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of one end of the barrier illustrating a slight modification. y

1 designates beams or masts which may be constructed of metal tubing or wood as desired, and throughout the description and claims I shall hereafter refer to these elements as masts. The lower'ends of the masts are provided with eyes 2 to which are connected cables or chains 3 of varying length to hold the barrier atapredetermined distance below the surface of the water, regulated, of course, by the depth of the channel or waterway in which the barrier is located. The cables or chains 8 have their lower ends connected to anchors i of suiiicient weight to prevent dragging of the barrier through the influence of tides or currents. The upper ends of the masts 1 are also provided with eyes 5 to which are connected chains or cables 6, having their upper ends connected to floats 7. It may be stated here that the floats are of suihcient buoyancy to hold the masts in an upright position in still waters7 and the cables or chains 6 are of such a length as to hold the floats below the surface of the water so that the floats will not be detected by hostile surface vessels entering or passing through Vthe protected harboror channel in which my improvement is installed.

To the masts 1 are connected arms or booms 8, extendingat right angles from the saidV masts, and hence in a substantially horizontal position, and to these arms or booms 8 are connected wire nettings 9, as shown most clearly in Fig. 1. To the longitudinal edges of the upper nettings 9, and to'the center thereof, are connected a plurality of floats` 10 which` serve to Ahold the said nets in a horizontal position. Connected to `the masts 1 and to the upper and lower netsf9 is a wire, net 1.1, which serves to prevent passage through the barrier as will be best Vunderstood from the general description of the device.Vu Extending outwardly from the masts 1 are arms 12 having their outer ends terminating in eyes 13 to whicharefconnected cables or chains 14 supporting contact mines `15. The arms 12 are braced by stay lines '16 extending from suitable points from the arms and connected to the outerends of -thelrbooms 8.

In order to hold the masts a `substantially vertical position and to preventextions from the upper ends of the masts 1 and A Y having their lower ends connected VVto? an* chOrs lS.

As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, I may provide contact mines 20 at the of the booms, the said mines 2O being` supported by cables 21: iu a lmanner similar' as that described with respect to! the mines 15.

' In practice the barriersare, as is custom-v ary with other `devices for protecting harbors orcha'nnels, laid transversely ofthe channehand I purpose to 'so space myI in-A proved vbarrier so that the Contact mines Vl5 will be positioned near enough to each other Vtoprevent the passage of a submarine vessel between them withoutavoiding contacting either one or thev other of'lthe said mines; This arrangement, of course, is `followedout when 'the barriers are positionedfin alinelne'nt across the channel. Y j Y I show in Fig. 2, a diagrammatic plan viewof the barrier Vwith the prow ,of a submarine boat S approachingthe center' ofl the 11et.=-Now as theboat strikes the Wire nettingll it will drag theanchor-s 4 and 18 so as to draw themasts l toward eachother,

asshown din Fig. 3, thus causing-theniines 15 to engage the sides off the'boat, it being understood that the nettingl Vwill readily bend and Vlend itself'to the position shown in Fig. 3. ln the event of theV employment of the mines 20,"it will be understood that thev will first strikeV the sides of theV vessel and,

hence cause its destruction.V VNewY in the event of the Acommander of the submariner boat detecting theV obstruction, and`Y attempting to descend or torise'toV avoid the obstruction, the bottom or deck of the bowt ofthe boat, as the case maybe, will strike either the lower or upper netr9, and thereby cause-the masts l' to be drawn toward each other so asV to permit'one or the `other of the mines 115er 2O to come in Contact withvthe boat. On the other hand, should the commander of the vessel seek to back outand'to' shift his course,eitherto the'rig'ht or tothe left,', the vessel will be Vbrought *into* contact Vwith eitherogtthe' minesl 'or 20. lthisconnection,` V,'[gmiglitsay that Ipinay'pprovide the A ends of the `barrier:` with nets 22,?a's" shown in Fig. 5, sofas to obstruct the passage'of the' boat around Vthe 'ends' of" thle""barrierA should the obstruction be.detectedbefore'the :vesselr has madejsuch .progress as to Vdrag anchors' fsutlciently to4 cause ,the` contact way or harbor .be 'of' exf'eptionali i Vthe other tlianshown, may be employed instead ofthe singleinines at the ends of the barrier.

In the event of the conning` tower or periscopefof'a submarine boat coming into contact With either one of the arms or booms 8, it will be appreciated that the arm will be turned., so tospeal, with the mast l acting as a pivot, to thus throw the

contact mines

15 or 20 in contact witlrthe `sides of the boat.V ThisV feature is illustrated in Fig. L of thedrawings. f r

ffhould-a surface vessel ride .over and Vcontact Vwith the upper net' 9-of` the barrier, the central lportion thereof' will be forced .downwardly through: the weight of the vesselto thus cause one or the other ofthecontact Y minesto'st-rike against the side of the lvessel.

In vthis.:connection,r I might 'say that in prac tice I maysupplant some ofi'the buoyant floats lO with HeatingV Contact =ini1ies,which are anchored to the net in the same manner by to positively avoid escape shoulda hostile vessel-come into contact therewith.

i It will be appreciated, thatin the drawings, I'haveillustratedmy apparatus as being installed in a channel'lat ebb tide wherein the 1floats and various parts ofthe barrier will assume a substantially vertical position,

-and-"ib'will, of '.courser be kunderstood .that

during. the/:flow otfthe ti.dethe floats will naturally' be deflected from the verticalline of their-anchorage. Vployment'of the cables -17 l seek .tomaintai-n the 'masts l in a substantially vertical posi.-

tion, and, least, to prevent such inclinationslthereotzand of the bar rieri as to always maintain theinfinf an efective position.' 'It will'bel well `understood":that while. I have', described the nets loimy barrieras @be- Fnotfiv'ish myself tobe limitedtofany'spe# ,material or to speci-al construction of henets.' @Limagl Y.

'WVliatIclaim Yis:-- 'f' I 1.V A submarine-barrier,'cemprisingi-iiiasts,

mastsgf-'horizontally disposed netsl connected to the-upper aind lower edgesof' sai-d verti- I cal net, Heats lcarried sby saidnetsg'andllnrines 2.- fnsetmar1nelearner,@meeting .Vhav-ingfiboonis extending Yth-eretitel-r1 adjacent However, .by the temn Y ing .constructed preferably-of steel, that'y they may- Ybe made ofv rope, chains, or lthe combiimrtioi'of steel,*rope, or chai-ns', and ltherefore 'iso Cri

first-mentioned net, floats carried by said upper horizontally arranged nets, and contact mines carried by said barrier.

3. A submarine barrier, comprising masts having booms extending therefrom adjacent to their upper and lower ends, a net connected to said masts, nets connected to said booms and to said first-mentioned net whereby to form a trap, floats connected to said barrier for maintaining the same in a substantially vertical position, and contact mines carried by said barrier, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4f. A submarine barrier, comprising masts having booms extending therefrom adjacent to their upper and lower ends, nets connected to said booms, a net connected to said masts and to said booms providing a trap, substantially as and for the purpose specified, mines carried by said barrier, and anchoring cables connected to said masts.

A submarine barrier, comprising masts, a vertically arranged net connected to said masts, horizontally disposed nets connected to the upper and lower edges of said vertically arranged net, floats connected to the upper of said horizontally disposed nets, anchors connected to said barrier whereby to maintain it in position, and mines carried by said barrier.

6. A submarine barrier, comprising masts having booms extending therefrom adjacent to their upper and lower ends, a net connected to said masts, nets connected to said booms and to said first-mentioned net, anchors connected to the lower ends of said masts, floats connected to the upper ends of said masts, and contact mines carried by said barrier.

7. A submarine barrier, comprising masts having booms extending therefrom adjacent to their upper and lower ends, a net connected to said masts, nets connected to said booms and to said first-mentioned net whereby to form a trap, substantially as specified, anchors connected to the lower ends of said masts, floats connected to the upper ends of said masts, whereby, in combination with said anchors, to maintain said barrier in a substantially upright position, and contact mines carried by said barrier.

8. A submarine barrier, comprising masts having booms extending therefrom adjacent to their' upper and lower ends, nets carried by said masts and said booms, means for maintaining said barrier in a substantially upright position, and contact mines carried by said barrier.

9. A submarine barrier, comprising masts having booms adjacent to their upper and lower ends, anchors connected to the lower ends of said masts, floats connected to the upper ends of said masts, a net connected to said masts, nets connected to the upper and lower ends of said first-mentioned net, and mines carried by said barrier.

l0. A submarine barrier, comprising masts having boomsV adjacent to their upper and lower ends, anchors connected to the lower ends of said masts, floats connected to the upper ends of said masts, a net connected to said masts, nets connected to said booms and to said first-mentioned net, arms eX- tending from said masts, and mines carried by and at the outer ends of said arms.

11. A submarine barrier, comprising masts having booms adjacent to their upper and lower ends, anchors connected t0 the lower ends of said masts, floats connected to the upper ends of said masts, a net connected to said masts, nets connected to said booms and to said first-mentioned net, arms eX- tending from said masts, mines carried by and at the outer ends of said arms, and stay lines connected to the upper ends of said masts whereby to hold them in a substantially vertical position,

12. A submarine barrier, comprising masts having booms extending therefrom adjacent to their upper and lower ends, anchors connected to the lower ends of said masts, and floats connected to the upper ends thereof, a net connected to said masts, nets connected to said booms and to the upper and lower ends of said first-mentioned net, floats supporting the upper one of said second-mentioned nets, mines carried by said barrier, and anchor cables connected to the upper ends of said masts, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of August, A. D. 1917.

THOMAS J. DIGNEY.

Witnesses:

M. E. HITCHCOCK, M. D. BLONDEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing'the Commissioner of IPatents,

Washington, D. C.