US1310896A

US1310896A - Planoaraph co

Info

Publication number: US1310896A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1919-07-22
Anticipated expiration: 1936-07-22

Description

. E. SCHNEIDER. APPARATUS FOR LAUNCHING '[ORPEDOES BY MEANS OF UNDER WATER TORPEDO TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10.]918. 1,310,896.

Patented July 22, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

\ j; (fa

Jm I WM WM, v Carney;

THE COLUMBIA PLANonnAPH cm, WASHINGTON, m C.

Ef'GHNEIDE-R.

. APPARATUS FOR LAUNCHING TORPEDOES BY MEANS OF UNDER WATER TORPEDO TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-10. 191K.

Patented July 22, 1919.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I THE COLUMBIA PLAHUuRAIlI 60.. WASHINGTON. b. c.

, ward end of the tube, I

EUGENE SCHNEIDER, OF PARIS, FRANCE ASSIGNOR TO SCHNEIDER & CIE., OF

PARIS, FRANCE, A LIMITED JOINT-STOCK COMPANY or FRANCE.

APPARATUS FOR LAUN CHIN G TORPEDOES BY MEANS TUBES.

or UNDER-WATER TORPEDO- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented: 11y 22, 1919,

v Application filed September 10, 1918. Serial No. 263,455.

' This invention relates to torpedo-launch-.

ing apparatus, and it has for its object to provide an improved apparatus, especially adapted for underwater torpedo-launching tubes for submarines and other vessels, which will enable thelaunching operations to be performed very quickly while permitting the forward door of the tube to be kept closed up to the very instant of the actual ejection of the topedo, thus leaving the torpedo dry although the tube be situated under water. I

Heretofore the launching of atorpedo has comprised three successive operations, namely:

(1) Opening the door that closes the for- (2) Releasing the torpedo that is being held in the tube by means such as brakes, bolts or other devices, I

(3) Releasing the ejecting mechanism proper, as by firing a powder charge, or admitting a blast of compressed air, oroperating an ejecting piston, etc.

In some cases the above stated operations (2) and (3) areconjugated.

The present invention consists in an apparatus wherein these three operations are conjugated in an extremely simple manner, said operations being further effected, in the desired order and without interruption, by a single movement on the part of the person intrusted with the launching.

According to this invention the member for openingthe front door of the torpedolaunching tube (which may consist, inthe usual manner, of a suitable piston actuated by a fluid under pressure) actuates at the proper time, through the tail rod of the pis: ton, the device (such as a retalning finger or brake) which keeps the torpedo in the tube,

and the device for ejecting the torpedo.

The invention also comprises various devices designed to prevent any wrong maneuver and to permit an emergency operation by hand.

The invention is capable of receiving a Variety of mechanical expressions, one of which is shown on the accompanying drawings, but it is to be expressly understood that the drawings are forpurposes of illustration only, and are not to be construed as a definition of the limits of the invention, referencebeing had to the appended claims for that purpose.

In said drawings: I

Figures 1 and 1 are side elevations, partly in section of connected portions of a torpedo-launching apparatus embodying the present invention;

Figs. 2 and 2 are corresponding plan views thereof; 7

Fig. 3 is a partial plan showing the front door open;

Fig. 4 is an end view;

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on the right of the torpedo-retaining bolt, on the line VV of Fig. 1.

In all these figures, A is a torpedo-launching tube provided at its front end with a door B the opening and closing movements of which are obtained in the usual manner by the rod D of a piston C which moves in a cylinder E and may be subjected alternately on its two faces to the action of a. fluid under pressure.

The operation of'the door B by the rod D may be effected in any, suitable way, such for instance as shown in Figs. '1, 2 and 3, wherein the door 13 is supported by an axle pin 6 at one end of an arm 5 which is fixed on an axle B journaled in a bracket a formed on the tube A. The axle B has also fixed thereon a toothed sector B engaging with teeth 03 formed on or carried by the rod D.

The device for retaining the torpedo and the device for ejecting the torpedo are operated according to this invention by the tail rod F of the piston C which rod is provided with the necessary. operating and safety-locking parts hereinafter described. Thereby the movements of the door B and the. release and ejection of the torpedo can be produced in the desired order by the sole operation of the lever G that controls the pressure-fluid distributor for operating the piston C. p p l p This distributor, which may be of any suitable construction, is shown as consisting of a si-mple four-way cock H. Two pipes h 72?, leading from the distributor, communicate respectively at e and c with the front and rear ends of the cylinder E. h 121' are pipes that connect the distributer with the supply of pressure fluid. According to the direction of movement of the piston C, the pipes h, 72, serve alternately for conveying the pressure fluid to the cylinder and for returning the said fluid to the source of supply by way of the distributer.

In order to operate the device for ejecting the torpedo by means of the tail rod F, the latter is provided with a member, such as a tappet F for actuatingsaid device, the relative movements of the ejecting device and of the movable tappet being such that the said member will act to effect this operation at the desired point in the stroke of the piston G, that is to say, when the door B is completely' openand the torpedo is released. It, is to be understood that the ejectlng device furcated to embrace the tail rod F and is actuated by the tappet F in the forward stroke of the piston C.

For operating the device that holds the torpedo, the tail rod F comprises a member, such as a stop F so situated that at the clesired momentin the stroke of the piston C (that is to say, when the door B is almost completely open), this stop will strike the arm L of a bell cranklever LL fulcrumed at Z on the tube A. This stop produces a retraction of the latch or tail bolt L (Fig. 5) by means of said lever LL through a connecting rod L and a rocking beam L fulcrumed at Z on the tube A, a spring being shown on' said rod L to normally urge theparts to the position shown.

The tail rod F is also preferably constructed in such a manner as to be capable of operating at the desired moment various safety devices which prevent any wrong maneuver during or before the firing of the torpedo.

To this end the tail rod F may carry a latch the operationof which will be conjugated with that of the lever G and which,

-be maintained closed. In the example shown, this latch is pivoted at m to the tail rod and is subjected to the action of a 1 spring m which tends to keep it raised in such avposition that its nose abut-s against the arm N of a rocking beam N--N fulcrumed at a fixed point n. In the position of rest (closed position of the door B), there bears against the arm I 1 of this rocking beam a roller 0 carried by the arm 0 of a bell crank lever O O fulcrumed at a fixed point 0.- The arm 0 of this lever is connected by a rod P to the operating lever G.

The operation of the improved apparatus as described is as follows:

In the position of rest, with the torpedo Q, situated inside the tube A, the frontdoor B is closed and can bepressed against its seat by the sector B The pressure fluid confined in the cylinder E prevents any movement of the rack (Z and thus keeps the door B closed. The safety device Ni\ I further assures that the door will be kept closed if thepacking of the piston G is not tight,

For launching, the lever G is pulled over from right to left into the position G Thereby the tail rod F is unbo-lted, the lever G moving the connect-ions P-O-O to cause roller 9 to move out of the way and release the rocking beam N-N At the same time the distrib-uter moves into a position such that the pressure fluid is admitted through the pipe 7& on to the rear face of the piston C, while the forward side of the cylinder E is placed in cormnu'nication with the exhaust by way of the pipe Theta il rod F being moved by the piston, it causes the rocking beam N'N which has been re leased, to rock out of the way of the latch M. The sector B is now rotated by the rack (Z and opens the door B. At the moment when this opening is completed, the stop F meets the arm L of the bell crank lever IFIJ' and causes the bolt If, which is'hold ing back the torpedo, to move out of the way. Immediately afterward, the tappet F strikes the fork 7' and as above described causes the discharge valve 2' to operate and produce the ejection of the torpedo.

After firing, the operating lever G is re turned into the closing position G which brings the distributer into the proper positionfor causing the pressure fluid to act upon theforward face of the piston, while the rear end of the cylinder is brought into communication with the exhaust. The tail rod F now moves to the rear, and the'latch M slips under the end of the arm N of the rockingbeam N N which has been re turned by a spring n into the position shown. in Fig; 1- wherein it abuts against a l stop at he safety-locking of the door .13 is thus reestablished. j The tail rod F may also be so constructed as to be capable of actuation by hand if required. For this purpose it may be provided with lateral teeth F meshing with a pinion R fixed on an axle r carried by the tube A, which axle may be actuated directly by means of a key or a ratchet Wheel mountopposite a notch F which event will occur only after the door B has been completely opened.

While the illustrated embodiment has been described With considerable particularity it is to be understood that the invention is not to be restricted thereto, as the same is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions, some of which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art while certain features thereof are capable of use without other features thereof. Reference is to be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedo releasing and ejecting mechanism, means for openlng said door,

and means operated by said door-opening means for successively actuating said torpedo-releasing and said torpedo-ejecting mechanism.

Q. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedo releasing and ejecting mechanism, a piston for opening said door, and means operated by the movement of said piston for successively actuating said torpedo-releasing and said torpedo-ejecting mechanism.

- 3. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedo releasing and ejecting mechanism, means for opening said door, means operated by said door-opening means as the door moves to open position for effecting the actuation of said torpedo-releasing mechanism, and means operated by said door-opening means for thereafter efi'ecting the actuation of said torpedo-ejecting mechanism. i

4. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedo releasing and ejecting mechanism, a piston for opening said door, means operated by the movement of said piston as the door moves to open position for effecting the actuation of said torpedo-releasing mechanism, and means actuated by the movement of said piston for thereafter effecting the actuation of said torpedo'ejecting mechanism.

. 5.. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, a latch for retaining a torpedo in said tube, and torpedo-ejecting mechanism, a piston for opening said door, a rodconnected to said piston, andmeans on said rod for successively tripping said latch and actuating said torpedo-ejectingmeans.

f 6.,In combination with a torpedo tube andits door, means for opening said door, means for locking said first-named means with the door in closed position, means for effecting the actuation of said door-operating means, and means operated by said lastnamed means for releasing said locking means.

7. In combination with a torpedo tube and its door, a piston for opening said door, a rod connected thereto, a latch for locking sald rod and piston in position to maintain said door closed, means for effecting movement of said piston to open said door, and means operated by said last-named means for releasing said latch.

8. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedo releasing and ejecting mechanism, a piston for opening said door, a rod connected thereto, means on said rod for successively eifecting the actuation of said torpedo-releasing and said torpedoejecting mechanism, a latch for retaining sald rod and piston in position to maintain the door closed, means for efl'ecting the operation of said piston, and means operated by said last-named means for releasing said latch.

9. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedo releasing and ejecting mechanism, a piston for opening said door, a rod connected thereto, means on said rod for successively efl'ecting the actuation of said torpedo-releasing and said torpedo-ejecting mechanism, a latch for retaining said rod and piston in position to maintain the door closed, a valve for controlling the admission of fluid under pressure to said piston, and means operated by the movement of said valve for releasing said latch.

10. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedo releasing and ejecting mechanism, automatic means for opening said door, means operated by said lastnamed means for successively effecting the actuation of said torpedo-releasing and said torpedo-ejecting mechanism, and manual means for operating said door.

11. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedo releasing and ejecting mechanism, a piston for opening said door,

a rod connected thereto, means operated by said rod for successively effecting the actuation of said torpedo-releasing and said torpedo-ejecting mechanism, a rack on said rod, 13

and a pinion in mesh with said rack for manually operating said door.

12. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedo releasing and ejecting mechanism, automatic means for opening said do'or, means operated by said lastnarned means for successively efi'ecting the actuation of said torpedo-releasing and said torpedo-ejecting mechanism, manual means for operating said door, manual means for efi'ecting the actuation of said torpedo-ejecting mechanism, and means for preventing operation of said 1ast-named nfeans prior to the opening of said door.

13. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedo releasing and ejecting mechanism, a pistonfor opening said Copies of this patent may be obtained for mam door,- a rod connected thereto,- means operated by said rod for successively efl'ecting the actuation of said torpedo-releasing and said torpedo-e1 ecti'ng niecl'i'a-nisin, manual means for operating said door, manual means for operating sa'i'd torpedo-'ej ecting mechanism, and means connected with said last-named means and co-acting with said rod to prevent the operation of said torpedo-ejecting mechanism prior to the opening of said doon In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

EUGENESCHNEIDER,

Witnesses:

ANDRE MOSTI GKE'It, JOHN F. SiMoNs;

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, WashingtomD; c.