US1312595A

US1312595A - Henry h

Info

Publication number: US1312595A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1919-08-12
Anticipated expiration: 1936-08-12

Description

H. H. SUPLEE. ART or AND APPARATUS FOR oascumue SUBMERGED SUBMARINE BOATS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATI ON FILED OCT. 3, I91 RENEWED DEC- 30,1916. 1,312,595.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

gy/ 2 aw ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. SUPLEE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ART OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBSCURING SUBMERGED SUBMARINE BOATS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed October 3, 1912, Serial No. 723,669. Renewed December 30, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. SUPLEE, a. citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Art of and Apparatus for Obscuring Submerged Submarine Boats and the like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to methods of and apparatus for obscuring submarine boats or the like whensubmerged. It is well known that the outline and position of a submerged submarine or the like is plainly visible and clearly defined from a position above the surface of the water even though the submarine or the like may be at a considerable depth. lVith the introduction of the aeroplane, the dirigible balloon and similar aeronautical machines into warfare it will readily be seen that the effectiveness of, for instance, the submarine boat is considerably reduced owing to the fact that aerial scouts can accurately determine the position and course thereof and can consequently apprise the commandant of a vessel or other object about to be attacked, of the approach of such submarine in time for the attack to be frustrated. The particular object of my invention is to overcome these objections and to provide a simple and effective method of rendering such submerged submarine boats and the like invisible more particularly from a position above the surface of the water. My improvement further contemplates the provision of a simple and easily operated apparatus for carrying out my improved method. My invention will be fully described hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic horizontal sectional view of a submarine boat with an example of my improved apparatus incorporated therein and Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof partly in section.

My improved method consists in reducing the transparency of the water in the neighborhood of the submarine boat or the like when the same is submerged so that said water will be incapable of transmitting light and the outline of the vessel and its course will consequently be invisible from any Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

Serial No. 139,851.

point above the surface of the water. This result may be attained in any suitable manner as for instance by providing the submarine or the like with a supply of a solution comprising water and a coloring agent which solution is introduced into the adjacent water from the submarine or the like in any convenient manner and becomes mixed with said water and consequently renders it sufliciently opaque to obscure the submerged submarine boat or the like. Any suitable coloring agent may be utilized for the purpose as for instance nigrosin or anilin black soluble in water, the coloring agent being mixed with the water in any predetermined proportion to secure the intended result and preferably in such a manner that the solution when introduced into the adjacent water will effectually reduce the transparency thereof without itself becoming visible to an observer for instance in an airship.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a specific form of apparatus for carrying out my improved method in connection with a submarine boat, although it is to be distinctly understood that both the apparatus and its incorporation in a submarine boat are only examples of my inventive idea and that the said apparatus may be changed and in any form is equally well adapted for use in connection with submarine mines, torpedoes and the like.

In the drawings 5 represents the hull of the vessel which may be of any suitable construction and is provided with the usual propellers 6 and engines for driving the same, the latter having been omitted for the sake of clearness. Suitable tanks 7 are located within said hull and are adapted to contain the solution which is to be introduced into the adjacent water and are further preferably provided with suitable openings 8 through which the soluble coloring agent may be introduced. The tanks 7 may be the usual ballast tanks or may be auxiliary tanks as desired and in any case are preferably connected in pairs by means of pipes 9 which extend along the inside surfaces of the hull 5 and are each connected with a series of outwardly open apertures or perforations 10 formed in the said hull preferably at opposite sides thereof. A suitably driven pump 11 may be connected by means of pipes 12 with all of said tanks 7 and serves to deliver the necessary water thereto and, in addition,

may also operate to force the solution from the tanks 7 through the pipes 9= and out through the perforations 10. Instead of introducing the soluble coloring agent into the tanks 7 through the openings 8 the said coloring material may be carried in a con centrated solution in liquid formv and pumped into the tanks as desired.

In'op'eration, when it is desired to ob scure the submerged submarine boat or the like, the solution may simply be permitted to flow through the apertures 10 into the adjacent water, 7 or said solution may be forced therethrough by the action of the pump 11. Instead of using the pump 11 for the purpose of forcing said solution from the tanks, the same may be forced therefrom by means of compressed air or any other suitable means. In any case, the discoloring solution will be ejected through the apertures l0 and will be distributed about. the hull of the vessel or the like in such a manner as to become mixed with the adjacent water. The said submarine boat or the like when submerged, may thus be enveloped'in a clouded mass of water at will, which will render said boat or the like invisible to an observer from 'a point above the surface of the water, and will itself be substantially invisible to said observer. The position and course of the boat or the like may thus be effectually obscured in a simple manner by means under the control of those by whom the boat is operated, and as a very small proportion of coloring material is sufiicient for the purposes of effectually obscuring the position of, for instance, a submarine boat, it

is practicable by my improved methodand means to enable a submarine boat to approach an object without detection by aerial scouts. It is, of course, to be. understood that,'if desired, suitable valves may be provided to control the apertures 10 so that'the the surface of the water, which consists in Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing witnesses.

introducing into the water adjacent to such vessel or the like, an obscuring agent in such quantity only as will suflice effectually to reduce the transparency of the water; without causing the obscuring agent itself to" be readily distinguishable'from such position.

2. The art of rendering submerged vessels 7 or the-like invisible from a position above the surface of the water, which consistsin I introducin into the water adjacent to such vessel or t e like, a coloring agent in such quantity only as will suffice effectually to reduce the transparency of the water without causing the coloring agent itself to be readily distinguishable from such position.

. 3. The combination of a submarine vessel or the like with apparatus carried by such vessel for containing a solution of a coloring agent and for transmitting such solution into the adjacent water when the vessel or the like is submerged, substantially asand for the purpose described.

4. The combination of a submarine vessel or the like with apertures open to the exterior thereof, a receptacle in said vessel or the like adapted to contain a solution comprising water and a coloring agent, a connection from said receptacle to said apertures, and means for forcing said solution from said receptacle through said apertures when the vessel or the like is submerged,

whereby the transparency of the adjacent water is reduced and said vessel or the like is rendered invisible from a position above the surface of the water.

5. The combination of a" submarine vessel i" or the like provided with outwardly open apertures at its sides, a plurality of tanks each adapted to contain asolution comprising water and a coloring agent, pipes con- A necting said tanks in pairs and communicatnected with all of saidtanks for-forcing said solution through said pipes and said aperingwith said apertures, and a pump con tures when said vessel or the like is submerged, whereby the transparency of the ad.-

jacent water is reduced. and the said vessel or the like is rendered invisible from a position above the surface of the water.

. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand .in the presence of two subscribing HENRY H. soPLEE.

Witnesses:

FRITZ v. -BRIIESEN,

JOHN A. KEHLENBEOK. p

the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. O. V V