US1301738A - Submergible and towable supply-base. - Google Patents

Description

w. w.Y POTTER. SYUBMERGIBLE AND TOWABLE SUPPLY BASE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7.*19l5.- 1,301,738. Patented Apr. 22,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W. W. POTTER. SUBMERGIBLE AND TOWABLE SUPPLY BASE.

y APPLICATION min ocr. 1. 1915.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

asHsETs- 3 @s Y N N fla-f f@ @5E '2' C FE s@ E af 52C s :IE I d f; ...we

Y' ',f" @@@fp E www WILLIAM lW'OODBURN" POTTER, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SUBMEEGIBLE AND TOWABLE SUPPLY-MSE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

Application led October 7, 1915. Serial No. 54,515.

delphia and State of Pennsylvania, have inl vented certain new and useful Improvements in Submergible and Towable Supply-Bases, of whi-ch the following is a. specification.

My invention relates to tows' including especially submergible barges of af novel type controllable electrically from a towing submarine/ While means heretofore have been devised for towing under water, such means were used for a very limited purpose and would be impractical for the. purposes of my inven-tion. By the novel means hereinafter set forth, I successfully solve the problem-of controlling under watera vessel from another vessel. y

While my invention is not limited to any specific means of. control, I prefer to use any of the well known electrical devices for controlling the-tow under water in combination with my tow line and electric cable.

It is apparent that the difficulties of towing under waiter are much greater than surface towing. Not only are submerged vessels exceedingly tender but they are also blinded and there are-no means of communication one tothe other in a visual way.

In order then, to make towing under water practicable, means must be provided on the towing vessel for'wprevent-ing the tow from disturbing the stability of the towing vessel, and means must be provided for controlling the actions of the tow from the pilot or towing vessel, certainly a. more complicated and a more diflicult problem than controlling a vessel towed on the surface. It is a problem 'heretofore not solved. Means must also be provided on the pilot for indicating the position of the tow. y

4These mechanical means of indicating the position of the tow are essential in order that the means of control may be intelligently utilize Heretofore, little or no advance has, been made in the art of under -water towing.

#Control has been so imperfect that such under water towing has been limited to comparatively small objects, such as torpedoes. Even in these cases it has been found ne:- essary to either keep the towing vessel on the surface or else to provide rigid connec- WILIAM VVooDBURN tion between the submerged vessel and its tow with very limited action. Floats, rods or other means of visually indicating on the surface the position of the under water tow were the only means provided heretofore and the inability to see under water was heretofore a stumbling block to successful under water towing.

My -invention broadens the field of under Water towing and I have devised means of overcoming the difficulties by minimizing the influence of the tow on the stability and on the buoyancy of the towing vessel.

I provide means of controlling the tow at will, both laterally and vertically from the pilot. I particularly provide means of controlling at will the buoyancy of the towed vessel. By electrically connected tell-tales on the pilot- I indicate the position and actions of the tow.

Moreover, I have devised a new type of vessel, combining certain features of the tank steamer with features heretofore limited to the submarine. I term this novel type under-water supply barge or mobile submergible base.

' This mobile base the ordinary tank steamer or over a moored su-pply base in the fact that it can be controlled at will as regards to its submergence from the pilot. It has an advantage over the submarine in that it is more simple and therefore is cheaper and quicker of construction. It need have no engines or accommodations for a crew andits appointments can be limited to the actual means, electrically connected to the towing vessel, for controlling, course, submergence, trim and indicating devices, mooring devices, etc. It has the combined advantages of being adapted for has the advantage over under water towing and for mooring.` The.

transference of stores under water can be effected. Owing toits comparative cheapness it can be abandoned when empty without great loss.

B-y means of my invention any number of submergible supply bases can be deposit- 'ed at any part of the `globe and used as de- I am able by means of my invention to carry on the submergible barge explosive submerged mines, which can be dropped or planted at the will ofthe captain of the submarine.

`Submarines of the present existing types can towthe submergible barge, very little eXtra space or alteration being'required to properly handle my invention.

By means of my "invention important stores necessary for extended operations of submarines can be carried on the submergible barge@ Oilv and other fluids can be piped togthe various tanks or compartments. I am enabled to control the submergible barge by installing novel means for towin and steering the tow from thetowing vesse and above all by controlling from the towing vessel the'buoyancy and the stability 'of the tow.

I overcome any tenderness of the subma-l 'rine while submerged by providing means to insure steadiness of both the strain and the direction of the pull of the towing cable, as well as means of attaching the towing cableto a point at or near the center of -resistance of the submarine.

To control the horizontal and vertical rudders any ofthewell known means may be employed, though electrical are preferred. Similarly any of the well known means for 'pumping out orflooding the barge, or any of its individual compartments may beutilized, such as a Kingston sea valvel lnotor and electric pump, to control the buoyancy or to lill orempty the divers compartments.

Means are provided b v the use of the divers compartments to transfer under water the stores from the barge to the sub marine.

Means are provided for operating dlvmg ltins or rudders to cause the barge to dive,

controllable from the submarine, in addition to or in combination with the submerging or ballast tanks.

A crew of one or more persons can remain on board the barge submerged or otherwise, whether it is being towed or anchored independent Aof the submarine. It is Vnot necessary, however, fora crew to be main'- tained on the barge in order to control its actions from the submarine or other outside sources.

The barge can also be raised or submerged, or otherwlse controlled from other thanV a towingv vessel When such other unit is equipped with the means described in my invention. -M

Otherfeatures areset forth in the detailed description:

Figure 1, is a plan showing a submarine towing a submergible barge, with the general arrangement of securing the one to the other.

Fig. 2, is a side elevation of a submarine towing a submergible barge with the general arrangement yof securing the one to the other.

Fig. 3 is a side View of the submergible barge at anchor submerged for use as a concealed base of supply.

Fig. 4 is a sectional longitudinal view of the submergible barge showing the connections with the tow.

Fig. 5 is a'plan of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a plan-of the stern of the submarine showing in detail the connection.

Fig. 7 is a side View of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 shows in detail the switch board control on the sub-marine.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a sub-marine towing mines while submerged.

Fig. 10 is .a plan showing aA submarine towing while submerged a barge securedy various electrical circuits leading t0 the various switches on the switchboard con trol.

Figs. l and :2 show a submarine 2 towing the barge l with the towing cable 4. To enable the barge to be towed under water as well as on the surface of the water means are provided as hereinafter described so as to neutralize the effect which the towing strain would otherwise have on the. towing vessel, as well as means for minimizing the veering of the towed vessel.

At 01 near the bow of the submergible barge or towed vessel I is attached the four part bridle 25 to the sides and top and bottom of the barge at, points 7 removed somewhat aft of the extreme bow. The bridle is used and attached at points 7 in order to facilitate steering the tow and enable the towing line to prevent veering and keep the tow ontits course. Each line of the bridle .25 is provided with springs 48 to lessen any vsudden shock. The four strands of the bridle then ext/end forward to the ring l2,

Figs. 4 and 5, where it Qis attached to the the bridle could be made .fast direct to the sides of the submarine. At 45 I show 'guards moines for protecting the propellers from being fouled by the bridle or conduit.

At the outer end of the .arms is a pulley 49, Fig. 6. through which the lines of the bridle pass. The bridle lines are placed on the sides of the-hull so that in towing the vstability and' course'of the submarine will 'be least interfered with. The best point ot fastening the lines of the bridle `or the location of the arms 6 would be at or near the center of resistance. This center of `resistance is defined asthat point in the mid-ship crossA section through which .passes the retioii throu h the water when the submarine is subrner d at normal submerged trim., It isja fixed point somewhere between thecen .terof gravity and the center of ligure of.

the inidship section of the submarine.. .Its exact position is determined by the position of the center of gravity, by the symmetry of the form of the cross section and by the skin resistance of the wetted surface. The position of the centerof resist-ance could be found experimentally in a' model basin by towing under water, attaching 'the tow-line at'various points on the hull of the mid-ship cross section, That-point of attachment of.

the tow-line, where the steering, when'tow-f ing, is easiest, is opposite the center of ref sistance. It is well known that submarines when submerged are tender owing to the small metacentric height. lf l the towing cable were attached directly to the stern, anyr strain not vin al direct line withtlie course of the vessel would .tend to disturb, and make more difiicult of control, the stability ,and the handling of the submarine. It is most important to overcome this towing diiiculty. I do so by bringing the towing strain at or near to the center of resistance; .The nearer the strain is brought to the center of resistance t-he'less the effect will #be on .the stability of trim of the submarineg Since the stability of the vessel depends upon themetacentric height, this metacentric height may be changed as required to facilitate'the towing of a vessel. By means of fastening the tow line to the best possible point on the towing; vessel and a tow line peculiarly adapted to the purpose, I solve the problem of under watertowing. y

In Figs. 1 and 2, I illustrate by the position of `the tow shown in the dotted lines 'how my invention would overcome the tendency which the towing strain would 'exert to disturb the stability of the towing vessel. Fig. l shows the relation which the towing vessel 60 bears to the tow when out. of horizontal alinement, and Fig; 2 the relation of the two vessels when out of vert-ical alinement. taken at or near the metacenter the tendency to disturb the stability or equilibrium is reduced to a minimum.

Since the strain of the towline is The lines of the bridle 3 can be lengthened or shortened byfleading them after passing through the pulleys 49 through hawse holes 50 to a capstan 2l., s

Having explained tliefinethod of arrangmy ing the towing cable for under water towing',

]practical to tow under water on account of not being able to exercise proper controlv over the towed vesseL By my invention this diliculty, as well as the diiliculty owing to the influence which the towed vessel exerts on the stability of the tow is overcome.

The preferred form of control is electrical, exercised by means of electric wires running in conduits 5, from the barge 1 to submarine 2. These electric conduits start from the switchboardV 22 and) continue through hull of the submarine permanently installed up to fixed couplings 51 where the rigid installation ends. To this coupling are joined the flexible electric conduits from the interior 'of the submarine to those leading outside., At this place is provided'an automatic winding drum 71 around which are wound the conduits for paying out'or 'hauling in. This conduit continues through ya hawse holer 18 to the barge, secured in any suitable way to the towing cable 4l and continues, fastened at intervals, to the end of cable at 12 and thence entering the bow at 35 or other point of the barge where they areled to compartment 26 to a coupling and distribution board 27, from which the separate circuits lead throughout the barge to their respective electrical devices elsewhere described. Means of attaching or detaching the electric conduits of the two vessels is provided at (that or near 11 where the towing cable is also uncoupled.

A'plurality of electric wires are contained in the'conduit above described leading 'from the control rooni 24 and switchboard 22 to the various electric or other devices on theV f barge elsewhere described, which operate and control 'the various features in connection with inyyinvention. As the system. of the fixed electric installation within the vessels does not differ Jfrom those now in general ;iise, ll do not show in the drawings the leads ofV all the individual circuits. The electric current Ito operate all the electric devices which I *provide is preferably 'furnished from the storage'batteries'of the submarine.

The electrical control installed on the submarine enables the captain to control the barge in tow in a similar manner as he controls the submarine. Thus in submerging the ballast tanks 30 ofv the barge are filled by opening the sea Valve 34 which may be. of the well known Kingston type and oper- 'ated by the motors 33 from the control room 24 of the submarine by means of\the switch control board 2Q. By operating Lne proper switch at 62 the motor is started which actuates the valve and fills the desired ballast tank. 4

To increase the buoyancy of the barge the electric pump 53 is started after the necessary connections have been made by means of switches 63 on the control switchboard 22. This electric pump is enabled by means of the electrically controlled valve bo): to drainl at the will ofv the captain anyone of the ballast -or trimming compartments. Any of the common systems of. drainage may be used. This control of the buoyancy of the submergible Vbarge from the towing sub# marine is bothv novel and importantf It, eri-i ables the submergence of the tow to be regulated perfectly from the towingv submarine, without the tow affecting Vappreciably the buoyancy of the submarine. Heretofore the submergence of a tow has been regulated mechanically by means of floatspon the surface. Former methodsare'o'nly applicable to support givenby a vesseltowiug from the surface, or to towing in which the. buoyancy of the Vtowed vessel is constant. In my invention the buoyancy of the towed vessel is varied at will from the tow.

Necessarily heretofore the buoyancy of the towed vessel was constant-ly positive. In my method the control of the submergenee is accomplished by varying the buoyancy of the tolw'at willl by electric means from the 'towing vessel so that it may be made either positive or negative, and is thus regulated without the necessity of floats. method the result attained is also independent of the relative size of the two vessels and I overcome the well known condition that the submarine while submerged, is especially sensitive to changes of buoyancy. This Aadvantage is essential to any practical means of towing large vessels under water when either or both vessels are submerged! lThe stability and trim of the barge is gained by means similar to those now used on submarines. Indeed my invention does not. include any novel means of steering, submerging or trimming the tow except in so far as I adapt devices already known so that they may be used while controlled from the towing vessel. `Thus I provideon the barge the usual trimming tanks 31 which I flood or empty from the submarine in a similar manner to the ballast tank. Il. desired, however, water may be pumped directly by the pump 53 from one tank to the other, and controllable electrically from the submarine by switches 75 and 7G, Fig. 8 on panel board 22 in the control room 24.

I now describe the means of conveying oil fuel or other fluids from the barge tothe submarine. The barge 1 is provided with a plurality of storage tanks 41 for fluids which are required for the activities of the submarine. These tanks are connected by means` of a plpe lme to compartment 26- where coucontinue to the storage tankson the sub1V marine. At 57 is a1so' p1ovidec'l"a, cut ofi valve to control the flow @in similarfmanner as for 'the 'electr1econdu1'ts2' 1 At-l9is lprovided a` pump whie'hcan/be operated byl hand or otherwise and the luidspumped from the tank on the barge to the'ta'nk'on thev I provide on the submergible barge a ver--y submarine.

tical steering rudder 38 and horizontal div# ingrudder 39. These'ruddersfare each pro" vided preferably with anelectric steering engine 43 ot' well'known type; Icontrol the steering engine b velectricA circuits leading between the barge and the submarine to the electric lever (31' on` switch board 22, Figs. 6,* 7 and S in control room 24,-by means as' elsewhere described.

I control a diving fin or rudder 15 near the bow of the barge in similar manner as above. I

I provide anchorsv 8 preferablyone forward and one aft of a kind now used on submarine, the anchor lines to be attached to a cap'stan 28 and motor 29'which I control by means of an electric circuit between said motor connected to storage batteries and the switch controls 67 and 68 in'control room 24.' These anchors can thus be lowered or weighed; also when the submarine is slowing down, the stern anchor may be let out tov act as a drag to prevent over riding.

I provide an electric driving engine 32 on the barge to relieve the towing strain from the submarine 'or to retard the barge in its progress in coming to a Stop or in slowing down. This engine 0r motor is Connected to and run from storage batteries on the submarine, the motor being also connected to the propeller shaft. I control the motor from the submarine by means of electric circuits carried from said motor to the-switchboard 22 in control room 24 on the. submarine at' a point 68, Fig. 8.

On the barge in addition to other articles are carried mines 36 for mine laying in any desired manner. These are hung in compartments open to the sea. The mines are of any of the well known types, provided with the usual anchors, anchor lines and automatic setting devices.

The mine is released automatically by electrical control at 68, Fig. 8, from the submarine by means of a tripping device or hook 44. The mine may also lbe dropped by a Though the indicators are diver.

When submerged under usual conditions it is difficult to see the tow and exercise visual supervision over it.

. Inorderto properly advise the captain on board of the submarine as to the state of buoyancy or the depth ofsubmersion of the barge I provide automatic means of indicating the depth by electric connection betweenv the barge and submarine. I provide on the barge a pressure gage 58 which indicates electrically the depth of the barge on a dial 78 on the submarine and thus enables the captain to exercise all necessary control.

In like manner the course of the barge is ,automatically communicated by means of a repeater compass 77 in the control room ofV the submarine and connected to a Sperry gyroscopic compass 81 on the barge.

AThese indicators which show the course, submergence' and stability of the tow are the eyes for the under water towing, and since visual means of supervision'can no longer be e ercised these indicators are an importan feature of my invention. themselves old, their use has been heretofore limited to the vessel on which they .were4 installed. By extending their use outside of the vessel I- overcome any blindness iny the control of under water towing and I provide a combination in under water towing as complete as any surface' towing. A

i In like manner I indicate the stability ofV the barge by providing pendulums 80 electrically connected to the submarine, which 'indicates on a dial 79, lilig. 8. This enables the Acaptain of the .submarine to exercise the proper control.A

,I now describe the "method of attaching the tow to the towed vessel `'while the latter is submerged or both vessels are submerged.

The diver can then disconnect pipe line 56, electric conduits 5, etc., eachone inturn,

.after first having turnedl of the valve 57 or switch 52 lto;prevent the escape of liuids or electgic current respectively, and the ends 'of these conduits 55 and 61 respectively capped and protected from water intrusion.

YAsa meansto loc te the submerged tdw I provide'a marking uoy\13 and line, 1-.t

Fig. 8 attached to the towing cablejl: and

conduits 5 and 56. All these can now be cast overboard yand the submarineyproceed on .its` way. -The submergible barge nowA acts as a concealed base offsuppliesand can be 'left indefinitely submerged until it is def sired to `'obtain' supplies for thesubmarine or for the submarine to take the barge in ow again. The bargemay also be marked Y la line carried to the shoreor other means for finding it. To take the barge in tow again when both barge and submarine are submerged, the reverse of the operation above described is gone through.

Should the barge be submerged and vthe Before disconnectin0r the electric conduits' and pipe lines the submarine can replenish its supplies from the submerged barge in the manner herein described, by means of my invention. Oil fuel or other liquids can be thus transferred through the pipe lines.

To transfer bulky stores from the barge to the submarine while both are submerged f. one of the divers compartments 20 on the submarine is brought close .to one of the divers compartments 2O on the barge and the two vessels secured to each other.v A diver on the divers platform on thesubmarine, which we will assume is open to the sea, can by unlocking and opening the port 17 the compartment 20 on the barge .first having been flooded) enter said compartment 20 on the barge and procure such articles as may be therein and transfer them to the submarine.. Should it be' so desired the diver may enter into the hull of the barge by closing port 17 of barge, cause the water to be emitted from compartment 20 and air let therein in the usual manner.

hese various electrical controls which have been described above and shown in the drawings may be any of the well knownv as my invention includes all suitable means of controlling the tow from the towing vessel. u

If 'desired one o1 more of the electric /means of control shown and explained may be dispensed with.

Moreover my invention is not limited to towing astern but includes also towing a barge along side the sub-marine as shown inl Fig. 10. 2 is the sub-marine and l'represents the barge, which is towed alongside being 4'rigidly secured together bythe Spars or spurshores 84. vIt is obvious that when so secured the barge may" be controlled mechanically from the sub-marine without the necessitylof the electric connections which I, however, prefer. No 'specific means of securing the'barge are included in my invention.

In Fig.-v 9 shown the sub-marins 2 l(,ow-

ing while submerged a number, of mines 36 A l by means of the separate tow lines 4. These mines areelongated shaped to4 facilitate towing and are otherwlseof the usual type and litted with the customary accessories. It will be noted that the tow lines are fastened to the sub-marineat 6 opposite the center of buoyancy. to facilitate "towing, By

the use of independent tow lines Yit is obvious that the mines may be cast adriftv separately and easily. Y

Now that electriccontrol has so developed thatit is possible and practical for .the captain of the ship or sub-marine to control the entire-operation of his ship by means of various electrical devices, such as pumps, steering engines, and so forth it becomes possible and practicable by installing similar electrical devices on the tow to enable the cap-I tain to as easlly control by means of elec-y trical connection the tow as he controls his own vessel. I have invented no specialelectrical devices but merely utilize the forms already devised to enable the captain of the sub-marine to extend the control that he now exercises over his sub-marine to include also a barge or other vessel'when taken 1n tow.

Under present conditions the fuel consumption of the sub-marine is not lessened when submerged in proportion to the stores'. consumed. When submerged the fuel 0011-' sumption must remain constant as ballast stores. By enabling the sub-marine to tow part of the necessary stores fthe necessity for taking ballast on the sub-marine 1s overcome up to the time the tow is emptied and cast adrift.

I provide such .close union and such a perfect comblnation between the tow and the towing vessels as to successfully solve the problem of u nder water towing.

y inventlon is limited to means of controlling the buoyancy, stability vand courseof the tow by means of electrical connections ,f

between'the control room on the towing vessel and the electric pumps, trimming tanks, buoyancy chambers and the like, installed on the towing vessel. Previously the control was limited to certain rudders which did not furnish sufficient control to make under water towing practicable.

My invention` includes aztype of boat adapted for a submerged base and capable of being taken in tow under water.

My invention includes a type of vessel especlally adapted for towing under water and for mooring under water. It is both adapte@ to be moored submarine when submerged., It consists essentially of avessel preferabl consisting of -a hollow cigar shape shell7 especially adapted for towing and carrying stores under water. Toiadapt this type-of vessel fol` use `as a mobile submergible base means of mooring and unmooring under water are in' eluded.

and picked up by a x Yelectricmeans of indicating on the submarine the submergence and course of the towed vessel whereby the relative position of the tow is indicated on the submarine.

2. A submarine, a submergible barge towed thereby by a' cable, means on the barge for .varying its trim, electrical' means for actuating the aforesaid means from the towing submarine,'and means for indicating on the towin submarine the trim of the barge.

3. A su marine, a submergible barge and a tow line having at the end a four part bridle each part secured to equally spaced points on thecrosssection of the towed vessel removed from' the bow.

4. A submarine, a submergible barge,

the -submarine and submergible barge, consisting of a twoartbridle at the towing end, each'part of the bridle end, attached to the mid-ship section\of'the hull of the submarine, at a point of the hull opposite the center of resistance.

6. A submarine, a submergible barge, in tow thereof, having a towing c'able, having its end attachedv to the mid-ship section of the hull, of the submarine opposite the center of resistance, and means of keeping the towing cable clear of the propeller blades.

7. A submarine, a second submarine in tow thereof, by cable, and means of indicating, electrically, on one submarine, the relative position of the other submarine, whereby, when both submarines are totally submerged, their relative positions may be known without resource to visual means of locating their positions.

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

V`WILLIAM WOODBURN Porres.

Witnesses: h

JESSE WILLIAMS, Y HERMAN M. TREvARr.

Images