US1309909A - of westminster - Google Patents

Description

T. K. NORTH.

SUBMARINE MINE.

APPLICATION man 1uNE21.

ATTORNEYS weer STATESPMENT @me THOMAS KEPPEL NORTH, OF'IWEsrrM'INsTER, LONDON, ENGLAND, AssIGNOR 'ro vIcKERs LIMITED, or WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

SUBMARINE MINE.

i f' am, residing at Vickers House, Broadway,

'Westminsten in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating tO Submarine Mines, of which the following is a specification. i.I c

, This inventionrelates to submarine mines of the kind in which the firing gear comprises a firing arm or lever arranged externally with respect to the mine, this arm or lever, when a ship strikes the mine, moving `relatively to the mine against the resistance of a resilient clutch device to effect the firing of the bursting charge.

According to the present invention the said clutch device is disposed co-aXially with respect to -a longitudinally displaceable firingrod and the clutch element thatzrotates with the `firing arm or lever and carries the said rod, is detachably connected to a part, attached to the mine casing, in such a mannerthat when a ship strikes the mine the /angularmovement given to the said clutch element frees it from they said part to permit firing movement of the rod tol take place.

:i .Y The .said rotary clutch element may itself net joint connection (the other -Inember be-` v ing1;,constituted by the aforesaid: part attached to the minevcasing) and maybe conconstitute one member lofa species of bayonected to the anchor cable vso that when said .clutch element is disengaged from the part attachedto themine casing, the mine will be fired by its upward pull or buoyancy.

-Inorder that the said invention may be matelyon the lines 1, 1 and 2, 2 respectively,

of Fig. 1 and viewed inthe direction of the yarroWsn these figures, and

i 7' casing removed in order to more clearly show the essential features of the improved Eig Lis a, planof Fig. 1 with the outer ring gear. v

'i V '(Fig. l) is thefiring arm orl lever carlriedfby a member. A. that is connected to the Specication of Letters Patent.

clearly understood and readily carried intoy Patented July 15, 1919.

Application filed June 21, 1917. Serial N o. 176,062.

anchor cable ofthe mine. Bis the rod that is detachably connected to the striker head, and C is a collar by means of which thering gear is attached to the mine casing.y D is the rotary clutch element, suitably connected to the member A, E is the non-rotary clutch element, and e is the spring that controls the latter element. f

In the example shown thecollar C has connected thereto by screw threads or otherwise, a sleeve C through which and the collar C the rod B passes axially. This rod has a head B by which connection is established between the clutch element D and the rod so f ar as aXial ymovement v.is concerned. The sleeve C is formed .with longitudinal slots c', c to receive keys c @that also engage With slots in the collar C, thus preventing-v l relative angular movement from taking place e engaging with thefsaid slots c', 0"; the

spring e for controlling this clutchelement,

is interposed between the latter and the collar C and surrounds the sleeve C. The said clutch element is formed `on its. face with radial projectionsE, 'E of Vl or other suitable formation andthese projections engage in similarly shaped grooves D, D in thel face of the rotary clutch element D. The outer end of the sleeve has two peripheral projections C2, C2 and the rotary clutchelement D has two iianges D2, D2 which are separated by gaps 032, d2. The' projections C2, C2 normally occupy the nositionshown by Fig. 3 and in conjunction with thelflanges D2, D2 and the gaps cl2, d2 constitute a bayonet joint connection between the clutch element D and the sleeve C.

The clutch element D is connected to the member A by means of screw threaded pins a, a each having a heado2 disposed in a recess a3. Between these heads and the ends of the recesses are sal-ammoniac or other soluble plugs a, a4. The said member A has a hollow cylindrical casing or eXtension A2 surrounding the clutch elements D and E, the spring e and the keys c, c and is hold the keys in their engaged positions. The member Aisthus prevented from ro.,.

. gles to that shown. in' Fig.' 3,-;with the projectating until it has been moved axially to disengage the slot A3 from the screw 02 after the sal-ammoniac plu'gs a,` at have 'been' dissolved. A suitable safety pin A5 (Fig. 2) is placed between the casing or extension A2 and the collar C; this safety pin is slieared when a sudden pull is exerted 4on the anchor cable connected to the member A', as the mine commencesto be'draWn beneath the surface of thel water by the anchor.

Whenthe clutch element D is `displaced angularly-r a'Saresult of the impact of a ship With the 'rng, arm .orf lever Atheprojec tions C?, Ciara brought opposite the gaps cl2, d2; the clutch element D is thus released from the sleeve C. and thebuoyancy ofthe minethencauses the 'rod B to be retracted owing to the :fact that the head B- `connects the. rod to' the Iclutch .element,.D ,which through the.member A is connected'to the anchorv cable. ,The striker .head then becomes freed froinlthe rodzB inanyl'mown manner` and the. mine .is thereby exploded;

In order :to .enable the rotary clutch 'ele' ment Dtov be readily vplaced in positionin respect Vto" ,the sleeve C and the clutch. elementiErthe face of the clutch' element D is formed with recesses d, d' 'midway between the grooves. D, D therein, thesel recesses havingv sloping surfaces. AThe clutch elenientDisy placed in -a` position at right antiohs-C?, C? situated oppositethe gaps-d2, d2 vand the centers ofthe recesses cont-igu- Ous to' the radial. projections E', E The clutch element D is .then 'pressed' inward against the resistance f the springe and is then angularly displaced to bring the projectionsCi," C2 behind the langes D2, D? as 4shown in'fFig, 3. Duringthe first 'part of this angular movement theradial projections E, E ride up o ne or the other of the i incl-'ined surfaces-of .the recesses- 0l and 'eventually 'engage with the grooves D. The member-A1 isthen attached to the clutch element D :bythescrew threaded pins c2116.

What I claimand`desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is':--` i,

1.'. In lfiring" vgear for submarine mines of the vtype comprising a buoyant casing'for an explosive and an anchor fory normally holding the casing submerged,` the combina,- tion'ofa socket adapted to besecured tothe mine casinga `ring -rod displaceable longitudinally relatively tothe casing,l a' 4clutch device consisting` of'rotating and-inonmotatingmembers disposed V3o-axially with re spect .to said rod,'4 air-ing arm connected tok the rotary member of the clutch device, and' means 'for normally holdingy sai'd rotary elementA against rotary r'novement relative 5to the4 lminei casing, said meansv being releasa'ble,

so that'when a ship strikes the ring arm the angular :movementfgiven 5to said rotary element will free it from the'mine casing to` Vto be moved lengthwise therewith relative to said member, and a clutch device disposed co-aXially with respect to said rod and co-v acting with said rotary element.

3.. A firing gearfo-r submarlneminescomprising the combination ofal minec'asing, la

sleeve. depending `therefromia member co` acting with the'sleeve, the sleeve y and.mein-V lbe1,havin,'f coperating projections thereon constituting a I'bayonetlock--, a firing-rod connected to the member and extending through the sleeve, a ,yielding locking. device for -restraining rotational movement of said meinber, and a ring. arm projecting Afrom 'the member for turning it relatively to'thesleeve lock.` ,l .4 4, A. firing gear ,for submarine-mines,

VtodiSengage fthe projections of the bayonet I j t 90 comprising the combination oa mine cas-2 ing, a sleeve depending therefroim a' member coacting with the sleeve,` the sleeve and member having'- cooperating' projections `thereon cons tltuting a'bayonet lock, airing-'rod 'connected to 'the member! and ex# tending throughthe sleeve, anv annulus n: the sleeve, a 'spring coiled'on the" sleeve'for pressing ithe annulus "into engagement with theimember, thesleeve and? member having a projectionanda coperating recess therein and a`4 firin'garm'l projecting. from ,the

member rfor turning' it relatively tothe :sleeve to c isengage the projections of the bayonet loc f 5. A firing gear:

for submarine'"mines, comprising they combination ofl a InineJ jcas ing,a sleeve dependin',o therefrom,"afmembr l coacting with the sleeve/,fthe sleeve'and mem-- ber'having coperating projections .thefeon constituting ai bayonet, lock,Y a tiring-fred'4 connected `to the member and extending through the sleeve,` anaannulus on the: sleeve, a spring coiled` on the' sleeve for pressing the annulus into 'engagement with 'the' member,

the sleeve and member having-- a'proje'c'tin and a c p'eratingy recess therein, la' V"cylinanca-1 Casing rigidly Contacteer@ 'the memi ber and inclosln'gfthe annulus and spring;

ber for turning`4 it relatively to the' sleeveto' Bmariemines;

ber'coacting with the sleeve,"thefsleeve an'd v member having' cojgieratinfg projectionsthereon: constituing ai bayonet flock, kaj yfiringthrough the sleeve, an annulus on the sleeve, a spring coiled on the sleeve for pressing the annulus into engagement with the member, the sleeve and member having a projection and a, coperating recess therein, a head Secured to the member and movable relatively thereto in the direction 0f the length of the firing-rod, a soluble member for preventing Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the such movement, a cylindrical extension on the head inclosng the member, the annulus and the Spring, a projection on the mine casing entering a slot in the extension, and a firing arm on the head for turning it and said member.

In testimony whereof I afIiX my signature.

THOMAS KEPPEL NORTH.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

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