US1274299A

US1274299A - Rudder-controlled shield.

Info

Publication number: US1274299A
Application number: US22244118A
Authority: US
Inventors: Henry S Mcgowan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1918-03-14
Filing date: 1918-03-14
Publication date: 1918-07-30
Anticipated expiration: 1935-07-30

Description

. S. McGOWAN.

RUDDER CONTROLLED SHIELD.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14. \918.

Patented July 30, 1918.

Atlanta wwwwwwwww and being connected at their to HENRY 8. MOGOWAN, OF KcGOWAN, WASHINGTON.

nUnnna-commounn 511mm).-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1918.

Application filed umh 14, ms. Serial No. 222,441.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY S. McGowan, citizen of the United States, residing at McGowan, in the county of Pacific and State of Washington, have invented certain I new and useful Improvements in Rudder- Controlled Shields; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap ertains to make and use the same.

his invention relates to devices for protecting marine vessels or the like from attack by torpedo. It is one of the objects to provide an extremely simple, practicable, comparatively inexpensive and efficient device for protecting marine vessels from injury by the explosion of torpedoes against their hulls. It is an important obj ect of the invention to provide for the ready control of the lateral positioning of a set of torpedo barriers either while the vessel may be under headway or at anchor, in either case there bein movement of the water relative to the barriers and it is one of the objects to utilize the relative movement of the water under suitable control means for automatically bringing the barriers to the desired lateral position.

With these and other objects in view as will be manifest to those skilled in the art, the present invention consists of the combination, the construction, the organization and in details as described in the following specification in relation to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a vessel to which the apparatus is applied, and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the leading end of one of the barriers.

The torpedo barrier of which there is one for each side of the ship comprises a series or train of sheets of suitable material, indicated in Fig. 2 as of wire netting 2, each of the sections being of suitable dimensions edges by a continuous cable, chain or ot er suitable flexible device 3, at suitable points of which along the top edge of the barrier sections 2 are placed floats of suitable character 4. The top connecting member 3 may be provided with suitable shackles or other flexible connecting means 5 at adjacent ends of each of the shield or barrier sections as shown in Fig. 2. In a similar manner the bottom edges of the barrier sections are provided wit and connected byga lower cable, chain or other suitable device 6 on which may be located, if desired, a series of weights or sinkers 7. The vertical edges of the sections may be provided with suspension devices or other suitable elements which may take the form of rods, cables, chains, etc., as indicated at 8 and adjacent vertical edges of the entrained sections 2 may be connected with shackles or links 9.

One of the important features of the pres ent invention consists in means carried b the trains of barrier sections for automatically, by action of the relativel moving water, controlling the position oft e barrier laterally from the sides of the ship and this means is shown as comprising a series, one for each barrier train, of rudders or swinging blades 10 of suitable form which are respectivel pivoted on the front or leading ends of tile barrier sections 2, the axes of the rudders 10 preferably being coaxial with front end of each of the sections. The first or master rudder of a barrier, preferably has a portion as 10 which extends forwardly of its axis so as to assist, owing to the pressure of the water swinging it about its axis, in the setting of the train of rudders, those for each barrier being connected by a tiller rope or cable 11 at their swinging ends which is passed through: a respective block or sheave 12 which in turn is mounted upon adjacent ortions of a tow line 13 Which runs from t e leading end of the barrier train up to a suitable guide and support 14 on the bow of the vessel. The tiller rope 11 after passing through the guide pulley or block 12 runs up to the deck at the bow and is connected to a suitable Windlass or other controllin mechanism shown at 15 to which the tiller line from each of the side barriers is attached so that by slackening out of the tiller line 11 the pressure of the water on the blades or rudders 10 may force them to swing outwardly against the inner face of the barrier and conversely b the tightening up on the tiller ropes 11 t e resistance of the water moving past the rudders 10 causes the rudders to force the barriers outwardly away from the sides of the vessel at which position they may be maintained under the control of the operator handling the control device 15. In Fig. 2, the tow line 13 is shown as split and branched into sections 13' formin a bridle connected to the front end of the leading barrier section 2 at point above and below the master rudder 10.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that the movement to a lateral given position of the torpedo barriers is controlled by the action of the water against the rudders 10, these being mounted 131F011 the barriers and controlled from aboar the vessel by an operator letting out or taking up the tiller ropes at will. f the vessel is at anchor and in a body of water which is moving, the current of the water may be utilized to set the barriers, or obviously if the vessel is under headway the barriers will be set by the action of the water against the moving barriers.

Various changes in the combination and arrangements and details of the parts may be resorted to wherein the scope of my invention and limitations is of the appended. .claims.

For the purpose of providing a desirable degree of resilience for taking shocks derived by any cause, the tow-line 13 and the tiller rope 11 of each train of barriers may be provided with suitable sprin 16 at suitable intervals which, if desire may be incased or sheathed in any suitable or desired manner.

Vhat is claimed is:

1. The combination with a marine vessel of a pair of flexible torpedo barriers with floats and sinkers at the upper and lower edges respectively for maintaining the barriers in vertical position in the water, and means including rudders carried by the barriers and tiller connections for the rudders running to the ship and controlled from aboard for regulating the lateral positions of barriers durin travel of the ship or relative movement of the water.

2. The combination with a marine vessel of a pair of flexible torpedo barriers with floats and sinkers at the upper and lower edges respectively for maintaining the barriers in vertical position in the water, and rudders carried by the barriers for regulating the lateral positions of barriers during travel of the ship or relative movement of the water and tow lines for connecting the fore ends of the barriers to the bow of the vessel, and tiller connections for the rudders attached to the tow lines and extended thence aboard ship.

3. The combination with a marine vessel of a pair of flexible torpedo barriers with floats and sinkers at the upper and lower edges respectively for maintaining the barriers in vertical position in the water, series of rudders carried by the barriers for regulating the lateral ositions of barriers during travel of the sliip or relative movement of the water, tow lines for connectingthe fore ends of the barriers to the bow of the vessel and control means extending from the bow, and connected to the lines and thence to said series of rudders.

4. The combination with a marine vessel of a pair of flexible torpedo barriers with floats and sinkers at the upper and lower edges respectively for maintaining the barriers in vertical position in the water, and means carried by the barriers and controlled from aboard for regulating the lateral positions of barriers during travel of the ship or relative movement of the water, said means includin a series of connected rudders spaced a ong the barriers.

5. The combination with a marine vessel of a pair of flexible torpedo barriers with floats and sinkers at the upper and lower edges respectively for maintaining the barriers in vertical position in the Water, and means carried by the barriers and controlled from aboard for regulating the lateral positions of barriers during travel of the ship or relative movement of of connected rudders spaced along the barriers each set including a master rudder at the front end 0 6. A mine, torpedo or other explosive barrier for vessels or other objects to be protected, comprising a shield havin a series of vertically jointed sections, a series of rudders adjustably attached to the shield, and a resilient connection adjusted from aboard ship extending from rudder to rudder for setting them, said rudders adapted to yield and automatically resume a given position while subjected to shock or wave pressure.

7. A mine, torpedo or other explosive barrier for vessels or other objects to be protected, comprising a shield having a series of rudders adjustably attached to the shield, and a yielding and resilient connection extending from rudder to rudder for setting them, the rudders yielding under wave or shock pressure and being automatically re- Fivoted between its ends the barrier.

set by said connection, one rudder located and a flexible and resilient connection ex-- tending from rudder to rudder for settin them, the first rudder of the series pivote between its ends on its shield, said connecand a connection extending from rudder to tion extending to and operated from aboard rudder for setting them, said connection exthe vessel. tending to and operated from aboard the 10 9. A mine, torpedo or other explosive barvessel, to be protected. 5 rier for vessels or other objects to be pro- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

tected, comprising a shield having a, series of rudders adjustably attached to the shield, HENRY S. MOGOWAN.