US1287674A

US1287674A - Apparatus for detaching mines from their anchors.

Info

Publication number: US1287674A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gerrit Louis Goedhart
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1918-04-11
Filing date: 1918-04-11
Publication date: 1918-12-17
Anticipated expiration: 1935-12-17

Description

G. L. GOEDHART.

APPARATUS FOR DETACHING MINES FROM THEIR ANCHORS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11- I918.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

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G. L. GOEDHART.

APPARATUS FOR DETACHING MINES FROM THEIR ANCHORS.

APPUCATION FILED APR. II. 1918.

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GERRIT LOUIS GOEDHART, OF THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS.

APPARATUS FOR DETACHING MINES FROM THEIR ANGHORS.

. Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

Application filed April 11, 1918. Serial No. 228,062.

To all/whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GERRIT LOUIS Gono- HART, a subject of the Queen of the Netherlands, residing at The Hague, Netherlands, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Detaching Mines from Their Anchors, of which the following is a specification.

It is a well-known fact that anchored mines may be inactivated by detaching them from their anchors by means of a suitable apparatus towed through the water by a socalled mine-sweeper.

The present invention relates to an apparatus of this type which has for its object to cut through the anchoring chains of such mines. The apparatus comprises cutting-pliers whose aws when engaging an anchoring chain are automatically closed owing to the resistanceofi'ered by said chain.

The annexed drawings illustrate an apparatus inaccordance with the present invention; in these drawings:

Figure 1 shows a plan view;

Fig. 2 represents a sectionalview along AAinFig. 1; j

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along BB in Fig. 1 and illustrates the position of an anchoring chain between the jaws of the apparatus; v v

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a part for guiding the movable jaw;

Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview of-a so-called bridge-piece;

Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of a pawl used in connection with the arrangement shown in Fig. 1; I

Fig. 7 shows a plan view of part of the apparatus with a pawl arrangement of somewhat difl'erent construction. I r I The apparatus comprises a substantially triangular frame composed of a topplate l and a bottom plate 2 secured thereto at a suitable distance, the cutting-pliers being mounted between these plates. At the cornets 3 and 1, the frame is connected to a towing rope 5, which is carried by supports extending from the bow and side of a ship. The frame carries a suitable floater 50, in such a manner that the apparatus during its movement through the water assumes a substantially horizontal position. i

The cutting-pliers are composed of two jaws 6, 7, provided with removableknives. p

the latter is deflected and glides along said The jaw 6 is secured'to or integral with a yoke 8 rotatablymountedon apivot 9 of the frame. The other jaw 7 is rotatably connected to the jaw 6 by means of a pivot 10, and to one end of a rod 12 by means of a pivot 11, the other end of the said rod 12 beingrotatably mounted on. a pivot 13 of the frame.- An arm 14, secured to the yoke 8 isengaged by a spring 16 connected with a hook 15 which is adjustably secured to the frame, in such a manner, that the said arm 14 always has a tendency to move the yoke 8 into'the position shown in Fig. 1. In this position the yoke 8 with the cuttingpliers is held by a spring blade 17 provided with a lug 18 (see Fig. 6) having a suitably inclined face 19.

The jaw 7 is integral with a finger 20 lo-.

cated opposite its cutting edge in such a manner that the said members inclose a comparatively narrow mouth. For properly guiding the jaw 7 a block 22, illustrated in detail in-Fig. 4c, is secured between top and bottom plates 1 and 2 respectively; said block is provided with a suitable recess 21 for receiving the jaw 7, and formed so as to cause a mine anchor cable which is deflected along the rope 5 to be positively fed into the mouthof the jaw 7.

' In order to avoid any clearance between the block 22 and the rope 5, whichmight cause a deflected mine anchor cable to be caught before it enters the mouth of the jaw 7, the frame is provided with a swivel block or mounted on apivot 23 and around which the rope 5 is passed. It is obvious that the swivel block, when turning in the direction "of the arrow 25, has a tendency to firmly press the rope 5 against the block22, the

pressure increasing proportionate to the tension' in the rope 5.

Should a mine anchor cable engage the apparatus at a point behind the cuttingpliers, it is essentialv that it may glide off the apparatus without being caught; the apparatus J is, therefore, provided with a bridge-piece 27 rotatably mounted on a pivot 28 near the corner 4 of the frame. Said bridge-piece is illustrated in detail in Fig. 5; in cross-section it has a U-shape, and it is engaged by'spring29 which always tends to move itinto the position shown in Fig. 1, when its front end receives the jaw 6.

The operationof the apparatus is as fol lows: 1

If the rope 5 engages a mine anchor cable,

rope-so as to be fodinto'the comparatively narrow mouth of the jaw 7. The width of said mouth is such that the mouth can receive a link of the chain only whensaid link lies flat as shown in Fig. 3. Now, owing to the pressure exerted by the anchor chain on the member and jaw 6, the yoke 8 is pressed against the inclined face 19 of the lug 18 of spring pawl 17, so that the latter closed and, consequently, the anchor chain cut through before the yoke 8 at the end of its circular path contacts with the frame. During this movement the jaw 6 glides along the inner face of the bridge-piece 27 without its movement being interfered with thereby.

As soon as the anchor chain has been out through, the cutting. pliers, under the influence of the spring 16, return into their original position in which they are locked by the

spring pawl

17, 18.

The spring pawl 17 18 has for its object to prevent the cutting-pliers from being turned in the direction of the arrow 30 under the influence of saystrong currents, in order that the apparatus may only be actuated by a comparatively great resistance such as is offered by amine anchor chain. Fig. 7 shows another construction of the pawl arrangement. This arrangement comprises a hookshaped lever. 32 rotatably mounted on a pivot 31 of the jaw 7, and having a projec- -tion 33 which, when the apparatus is inoperative, is engaged by a lug 34 on the guidepiece 22; in this position the hook 32, held by a spring 35, looks the cuttingpliers in their-position shown in. Fig. 1 If, however, a mine anchor chain enters the mouth of the jaw 7, this chain will press the inner end of the hook 32 against the action ofthe spring so that the hooktur'ns about'the pivot '31 and the projection 33 disengages the Y lug 34, when the cuttingpliersare free to rotate about the pivot 9.

the cutting-pliers return into their original 'After'the anehorchain has been cut through,

position "and the lug 34.-'rengages the .pro-

jection 33 so as'to again lockthe apparatus.

' What I claim: and desire to'secure by Letters-Patent is: p k r 1. In an apparatus ofthe type-referred to, a frame'adapted to be secured to "a towing rope, with a cutting tool mo'vably mounted "therein and adapted "to become operative when moving relative to the frame,

- the cutting edges of said-cutting tool normally resting adjacent the point where the f frame'eennects to the rope, whereby said engaged by fed into the comprising two jaws pivotally connected together, one jaw being pivoted to the frame directly, the other through a member to which it is pivotally connected, the cutting edges of said cutting tool normally resting adjacent the point where the frame connects to the rope, whereby said rope. will act to guide a mine cable into position to be engaged by the cutting tool.

3. In an apparatus of the type referred to, the combination of a frame adapted to be secured to a towing rope, a cutting tool comprising two jaws pivotally connected together, one aw being pivoted to the frame directly, the other through a member to which it is pivotally connected, with a memher for yieldingly locking the cutting tool in its inoperative position, the cutting edges of said cutting tool normally resting adjacent the point where the frame connects to the rope, whereby said rope will act to guide a mine cable into position to be engaged by the cutting tool.

4. In an apparatus of the type referred to, the combination of a frame adapted to be secured to a towing rope, a cutting tool comprising two jaws pivotally connected together, one jaw being pivoted to the frame directly, the other through a member to which it is pivotally connected, with a spring drawn lever which is pivotally connected to one of the jaws and which, in the directly, the other through a member to j which it is pivotally connected, with a rotatably mounted spring drawn bridge piece which in the inoperative position of the apparatus forms a substantially rectilinear guide between the cutting tool and the rear connection for the towing rope;

6.'In an apparatus of the type referred to, the combination of a frame adapted to be secured to a towing rope, a cutting tool comprising two jaws pivotally connected together, one jaw being pivoted to the frame directly, the other through a, member to which it is pivotally connected, with aguide piece provided with a recess for receiving the movable jaw of the cutting tool and arrange'dso as to cause a mine anchor cable the towing rope to be positively mouth. of the cutting; tool.

7 In an apparatus of the type referred to, the combination of a frame adapted to be secured to a towing rope, a cutting tool comprising two jaws having cutting edges and pivotally connected together, one jaw being pivoted to the frame directly, the other through a member to which it is pivotally connected, with a finger secured to the movable jaw in such a manner, that a comparatively narrow mouth is formed between the finger and the cutting edge of the jaw to which the finger is secured.

8. In an apparatus of the type referred to, the combination of a frame adapted to be secured to a towing rope, a cutting tool comprising two jaws pivotally connected together, one jaw being pivoted to the frame directly, the other through a member to which it is pivotally connected, with a swivel block around which the towing rope may be passed and adapted to press said rope against the frame with a force which is pro portionate to the tension of the rope.

9. In an apparatus of the type referred to, the combination of a frame adapted to be secured to atowing rope, a cutting tool comprising two jaws pivotally connected together, one jaw being pivoted to the frame directly, the other through a member to which it is pivotally connected with a spring tending to move the cutting tool into the inoperative position, the cutting edges of said cutting tool normally resting adja cent the point where the frame connects to the rope, whereby said rope will act to guide a mine cable into position to be engaged by the cutting tool.

10. In an apparatus of the type described in claim 1, a floater carried by the frame adapted to maintain the apparatus in a substantially horizontal position when the latter is being towed through the water.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GERRIT LOUIS GOEDHART.

Witnesses:

PLAN'ro FEHRE, H. VERHAGED.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O.