US1360037A - Automobile torpedo - Google Patents

Description

H. W. SHONNARD.

AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1s. |92o.`

Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

N N t O INVENTOR l W222i@ y which are so constructed and arranged as narran stares earner erstes.

HARLD W. SHONNARD, OF UPER IVIONTCLAIR, NEVI JERSEY, ASIS-IGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO CLARENCE M. S-IONNABD, OF RIDGEWOO'D, NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMOBILE TGRPED 0.

Specification of Letters IE'atent.`

' Patented Nov. 23, 1920.-

Application filed March 18, 1920.V VSerial No. 366,872.

To all fathom izvmag/ concern: l

Be it known that I, HAROLD W. Siron-v Nann, residing at Upper Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, a citizen of the United States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful lmprovements in AutomobileV rforpedoes, of which improvements the following is aspeciiication. Y i

lt is the object of the invention to provide improved means for driving the propellers of a torpedo, the operating` membersV of to permit of rapid and easy assemblage. It is particularly adapted for advantageous use in connection with the warhead of a torpedo having bow propellers, such, for example, as is shown and described in an application for Letters Patent filed by me on January' 20th, 1920, Serial No. 352,649.

In the accompanying drawing there is shown a horizontal section' of the forward portion of a torpedo embodying the invention in its preferred form.

-The warhead 1, shown as filled with explosive 12, is provided with an axial tube 2, opening a't its rear end through the rear bulkhead 3 of the warhead, and opening at its forward end into a .cavity or recess 4 formed by the inset wall 5 in the bow of the warhead. The rear bulkhead 3 of the warhead is secured by bolts 6 to the forward portion 7 of the next section of the torpedo, which in the form shown will be the motive-fuel flask 8. The section 8 is provided with the axial tube 9, through which passes the driving-shaft 10 slidably journaled at its forward end in the bushing 11 in the tube 9, and suitably connected to the propulsion motor, not shown. The driving-shaft 10 projects forwardly beyond the bushing 11 and is coupled to the rear end of the propeller-shaft 12, which projects forwardly through the axial tube 2 of the warhead and carries at its forward end the propeller 18, which is keyed to the shaft 12 and is suitably secured in place by the nut 14. The driving-shaft 10 is provided with keys 15 adapted to engage slots in the rear end of the propeller-shaft 12, in such manner that the shafts may be coupled together by longitudinal relative movement.

The forward portion of the propellershaft 12 is journaled in a bearing 16, provided with integral stud-shafts 17, the outer ends of which are seated in a casing 19 arranged in the bow cavity 4 of the warhead and secured to the wall thereof by bolts 20, passing through the exterior annular vflange 21 of said casing, and the interior annularseat 22 therefor formed in said wall 3, which thus constitutes a frame for the casing. Keyed to the propeller-shaft 12 within the casing 19 and at the rear of the bearing 16 is a bevel-pinion 23 which meshes with opposite bevel-pinions 24 mounted on,

the stud-shafts 17, which inturn mesh with the bevel-pinion 25 fastened to the inner end of a hollow auxiliary propeller-shaft 26, mounted on the main propeller-shaft 12 rearwardly ofthe propeller 13, said auxiliary shaft 26 having securedthereto the propeller 27, which'will, through the described connections, be rotatedinthe direction opposite to that of the rotationfof the propeller 13. H y l VVThe torpedo may Ybeequipped with any suitable detonating device. l have shown the propeller-shaft 12 as hollow to contain the detonator 28, provided with the pistol 29, secured within the shaft 12 by the threaded forward end 30 of the pistol. The small screw-wheel 31 is a device for cooking the pistol after having made a predetermined number of revolutions, but it forms no part of the present invention. ln order to guard against accidentalexplosion through fracture of the propeller-shaft 12, its wall thickness is reduced to the rear of the detonator, as shown at 32, so that a fracture under undue stress may take place at that point.` The bow propellers would then be out of commission, but the detonator would still be effective.

The assembling of the members above described may be accomplished easily and expeditiously., and without danger of injury to the shafts and gearing. Thus the warhead, which is very heavy, may be first secured to the section 8. T he propeller-driving unit consisting of the shafts 12 and 26, with the casing 19 and its contained gear-cluster, may then be put in place. And iinally the detonating charge and pistol may be inserted and secured in the hollow shaft 12.

l claim as my invention:

1. In a torpedo lhaving bow propellers, an outwardly open recess formed in its bow, intermeshing/ gearing removably mounted in said recess and connected to said propellers,

and a driving-shaft detachably connected to said gearing.

2. In a torpedo having end propellers, an outwardly open recess formed in its end wall, an outwardly removable casing secured in said recess and closing it against ingress of water, intermeshing gearing'in said casing connected to said propellers, and a driving-shaft detachably Connected to said gearing.

3.V In a torpedo provided with propellers,

an adjacent end section having an axial tube extending longitudinally therethrough and opening at its outer end into an enlarged recess, an outwardly removable casing se- 'cured in said recess and closing it against ingress of water, intermeshing gearing in said casing connected to said propellers, and a driving-shaft in said tube connected to said gearing. Y ,I 4. In a torpedo, a bow section adapted to contain an explosive charge and having a propeller atits bow, an axiall tube extending longitudinally through said bow section, a hollow drivingshaft for` said propeller mounted `in said tube, and a detonator in said hollow driving-shaft.

5. In a torpedo, a bow section adapted to contain an explosive charge and having a propeller at'its bow, an axial tubev extending longitudinally through said bow section, a hollow driving-shaft for said propeller mounted in said tube, and a detonator secured in the forward portion of said driving-shaft, the said driving-shaft having a portion of reduced strength at the rear of said detonator.

6. In a torpedo, the combination with a` bow section adapted to contain an explosive rear bulkhead, a frame at the forward end of said bow-section, an' axial tube connecting said frame and said bulkhead, a pair of bow propellers, a casing secured to said frame, intermeshing gearing in said casing connected to said propellers, said tube connected to said gearing.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HAROLD w. sHoNNARD'. Witnesses:

LILLIAN A. FAGAN, CHARLES W. HALWEY.

and a driving-shaft in

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