US1290745A - Periscope. - Google Patents

Description

A. HOLLANDER.

PERISCOPE.

APPLlcATloN FILED APR. 12. |916.

Patented Jn. 7, 1919.

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ALADAR HOLLANISEI@ OE NEW LONDON, CONNE,enfrente,lAssrei'voivu To ELECTRIC BOAT..

COMPANY, OE NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OE NEW JERSEY.

PERISCOPE.

Specification Letters Patent.

Application filed, April-,12, 19116. Seriafljlel.

London, in the County of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Feriscopes; and IV 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 appertains. to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in periscopes and particularlyto periscopes for submarine vessels.

Submarine vessels-as now constructed are provided with conning towers projecting above the upper wallrv of the hulljor deck of the vessel in which tower the commanding.y oflicer usually. takes his position when the vessel is cruising. on the surface or running with the decks awash, making his observations; either through port lights in the wall ofthe conning tower ordirectlythrough the open roof of the tower if the weather permits. For observations when wholly sub# .merged, the vessels are provided:` with periscopes projecting to a heightY considerably above the conning tower.

Except when observations from the con-- ning tower are necessary the direction of the boat can ybe better accomplished from a. position within the hull of the vessel, hence the eye-piece of the periscope is located outside the conning tower inclosure and preferably immediately beneath the floor. It is frequently desirable, particularly when the boat is being submerged, for the officer in the conning tower to be able to make for.

himself observations from the more elevated; position of the periscope objective, and to make such observations it has heretofore been necessary to provide the `conning tower. with a separate auxiliary periscope.` Such construction is, however, open to the objection not only of additional cost, but because it takes up space in a vessel.` where every inch of space must be utilized, adds. to the resistance of the vessel when running submerged and offers an additionall visible part for; detection when the vessel is hostile waters.

The-.object of; the present invention isl tto provide a periscope construction. havingbut a single outboavtrd-Vparty by means of which observations may be made either from` a position in the conningk tower or'from the main portion of the hull of the vessel. v

A further object of the invention is to provide a periscope of this character` which will occupy little room in the conning tower when. arranged for observations from the tower andy which may be quickly and easily adjusted for observation from either` position. v

A further object of the invention is to provideaperiscope inv which theupper part may beV vertically. adjustable to permit the objectivev to` be` projected out of the water without changing-the depth of submergence of; the vessel, while the eye-piece within the hu-ll of the boat remains stationary, thereby requiringless space inthe vessel and 'reducing the weight to be` shifted. i

Vith the above objects in View, my invention consists of the device shown in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter described, it,Y beingn of course understood that theinventionis not limited to the details of PatentedjJan. 7, 1919. 1

construction disclosed, except so far as is lower eye-piece and Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on y line/5 4 of` Fig. 2,

Referring to the drawings, particularly to Fig. 1, 1 indicates theL upper vwall of the hull or deck ofthe submarine on which is supported the outboard portion 2: of. theconning tower.

The conning tower inclosure is continued below the vessel by the shell 3 to give the desired head room in the conning tower. Access to the interior of the conning tower from the interior of the vessel is had through a hatchway 4 having an airand water-tight closure as illustrated, to prevent Hooding of the entire vessel in case of damage to the conning tower.

The top of the conning tower is provided with an observation opening indicated at 5 and may also if desired be provided with suitable port openings, not shown, permitting observations to be made without openn ing the cover 6.

The periscope of my present invention comprises a tube 7 supported or vertical movement in a tubular standard 8 mounted on the top wall of the conning tower, packed bearings 9 being provided at each end of the column 8 to prevent leakage of water into the conning tower when the vessel is submerged.

Attached to the upper end of the tube 7 l is the usual objective comprising a casing 10 supporting the lenses and reflecting prism for directing the laterally received rays down` the periscope. The periscope tube is rotatably supported ina bearing ring 11 suspended by cables 12 ruiming over pulleys 13 supported from the root of the conning tower on either side of the periscope 7. The bearing ring 11 engages the periscope tube 7 immediately above its lower end, the tube resting on ball bearings as indicated in Fig. 2te permit its easy rotary adjustment. Attached to the lower end of the tube is a prism-carrying extension 14 of circular cross-section and of a diameter somewhat larger than the bearing ring 11. The

Vlower end of the extension 14 is closed by a suitable'web which supports the prism 15 in proper position in the optical system of the periscope to reiect the rays laterally through the opening 16 in the wall of the extension 14.`

TheV eye-piece lenses for makingy observations rom within the conning tower are supported in an eyepiece casing 17 independently suspended from the roof of the conning tower by a Xedly supported ring 18, the casing 17 being rotatable in the ring as shown in lFig. 2. The internal diameter of the casing 17 is just sufficiently larger than the external diameter of the prismcarrying extension 14 for the extension to have a sliding lit in the casing when the periscope tube is in its shown in the drawings. For maintaining the casing and prism-holder in proper registration the extension 14 is provided with a fixed key 19 'which engages a keyway in the inner face of the casing 17.

For permitting observations vto be made elevated position through the periscope from a point outside the conning tower, I have provided auxiliary eye-piece lenses supported in a shell or casing 2O rotatably suspendedl from the ioor of the conning tower in alinement with the axis of the periscope tube. The casing 20 is of an internal diameter to have a sliding fit with the extension` 14 when the periscope tube is lowered and is provided along the inner face opposite the lenses with a suitable keyway 21 for receiving the key 19. The lower end of the casing 10 is provided with an airand watertight closure which serves also as a stop for the bottom of the periscope tube to properly lposition the prism with regard to the lenses of the eye-piece.

The cables 12 which support the bearing ring 11 are trained over a pair of pulleys 22 near the side wall of the conning tower, and below the pulleys 22 the two cables 12 are connected together as indicated at 23,Y

the single extending cable passing through a stui'ing-box in thefloor of the conning tower. The cable passes thence over two pulleys 24 beneath the conning tower, then up through a stuiiing lbox in the bottom of the casing 20,'the end of the cable being connected to an eye 25 dependingV from the prism-carrier 14. rl`he cable may be provided with a suitable counterweight for counterbalancing the weight of the peri* scope tube, or one of the pulleys 24 may be driven by a chain or belt asy indicated at 26 from a compressed air or electric motor not shown, or in any other suitable manner.

When the vessel is running with the decks awash or is being submerged, and the 'officer in charge is located in the conning tower, the periscope is raised to its upper position so that it may be used for more distant observations than can be 'made through Vthe hatchway at the Vtop of the conning tower. For such use, the tube'is raised to its fullest extent, which may be accurately determined l by the engagement of the key 19 with` the top of the keyway in the eye-piece casing' 17.

The position of the ring 18 will be iXedV so that the periscope tube will lift the casing 17 slightly so thatV the entire weight will Y be supported by the ball bearings in the ring 11.

WhenY it is desired to make observations through the periscope from the interior of the vessel, the periscope tube will be *lowered until the bottom edge of the prismholder 14v is stopped by the end closure of the vcasing 20, the casing being Vrotated to bring the key 19 into registration with the keyway 21,V to positionV the reflecting face of the prism in front of the lenses.

t will of course be understood that the casing 20 isi-supported in an airand watertight stuing boX, and that the guides of l. In a submarine boat, a conning tower having a floor elevated above the floor of the boat, a periscope comprising a tube projecting through the roof of the conning tower yand provided with an outboard objective, an

eyepiece supported in the conning tower, a second eyepiece supported in the body of the boat beneath the floor of the conning tower and vertically beneath the first mentioned eyepiece, and optical means forming 'part of the optical system of the periscope whereby images through said objective may be viewed through either of said eyepieces.

2. In a submarine boat, a conning tower having a floor elevated above the floor of the boat, a periscope comprising a tube projecting through the roof of the conning tower and provided with an outboard objective, an eyepiece supported in the conning tower, a

second eyepiece supported in the body of the boat beneath the floor of the conning tower and vertically beneath the first mentioned eyepiece, and optical means comprising one adjustable element forming part of the optical system of the periscope whereby the images through said objective may be directed in their full strength to either eyepiece.

3. In a submarine boat having a conning tower, the combination of a periscope tube projecting above the conning tower and provid-ed with an outboard objective, an eyepiece carried by said tube in the conning tower, a second eyepiece supported below the conning tower, said periscope comprising optical means including a shiftable reflector whereby the image received through the objective may be viewed through either eyepiece.

4. In a periscope the combination of a periscope tube having an objective at its upper end and a plurality of eye-pieces arranged one above the other, the optical elements of said perisco-pe comprising a movably mounted reflector adapted to be adjusted into yoptical registration with either of said eye-pieces.

5. In a periscope the combination of a periscope tube having an objective and a reflector, a plurality of eye-pieces mounted one above the other, and means for adjusting said periscope tube to bring said reflector into optical registration with eitherof said eye-pieces.

of eye-piecesarranged vertically one above the other, the upper eye-piece comprisinga casing surrounding said periscope tubeand having a lateral opening registering with `the reflector-in one positionof-'adj ustment of said tube, said casing being of sufficient diameter to permit the adjustment of the periscope tube through the casing to bring its reflector into optical registration with the second eye-piece.

7. In a periscope the combination of a periscope tube mounted for longitudinal and rotary movement, said tube having an objective at its upper end and a reflector at its lower end, a plurality of eye-pieces independently mounted for 4rotary movement one above the other, said upper eye-piece embodying a casing surrounding the periscope tube, and locking means carried by said tube and said eye-pieces respectively, connecting the tube with either eye-piece for rotation as a unit with the reflecting face of the reflector facing the optical elements of the eye-piece.

8. In a submarine boat having a conning i tower, a periscope comprising a tube projecting above said conning tower, said tube having an objective at its upper end and a reflector at its lower end, an eye-piece supported in said conning tower, and a second eye-piece supported with its lens opening without the conning tower inclosure, said periscope tube being adjustable tobring its reflector into optical registration with either of said eye-pieces.

9. In a submarine'boat having a co-nning tower, a periscope comprising a tube projecting above said conning tower and mounted for vertical movement in the roof of said conning tower, said periscope tube having an objective at its upper end and a relector at its lower end, an eye-piece independently supported in said conning tower, a second eye-piece supported in the floor of said conning to-wer Awith its lens opening without the conning tower inclosure, said eye-pieces being arranged so that by vertical adjustment of the periscope tube its reflector may be shifted from optical registration with one of said eye-pieces to optical registration with the other.

10. In a submarine boat having a conning tower a periscope comprising a tube proeasing having a lateral opening adapted t0 register With the reflector of said periseope Y and a second eye-piece comprising a casing in position to register With the periscope tube at its eXtreme position of longitudinal adjustment, said casing having a lateral opening Without the conning tower inelosurevand positioned to register With the reflector of the periscope tube.

In Ytestimony whereof I affix` my signature.

ALADAR vHOLLANDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained, for ve cents eaeh, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

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