US1458154A - Boat - Google Patents

Description

June 112, 1923.

- W. B. SHEARER BOAT Filed May 21 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 12,' 11923.

W. B. SHEARER BOAT Filed May 21 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 TTORIIEY Patented June 12, 1923..

un te est WILLIMI B. SHEAREB, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIG-NOR T0 INTERNATIONAL TOBPEDO BOAT CORPGRATION, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPOEATION- OF DELA- WARE.

BOAT.

-App1ication filed May 21,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM B. SHEARER,

a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Boats, of which the following is a specification.

In my application for Patent No. 206,407, filed December 10, 1917, I have disclosed a torpedo boat having a space forward just sufficient in length to accommodate a torpedo, the deck above this-space being adapt ed to open to permit introduction of the torpedo, and the space adapted to be flooded with suflicient water to support the torpedo so that it may be launched by propelling it through such water under its own power. My present application provides certain improvements on the boat described in the above application and other applications (chiefiy No. 278,850, filed January 29, 1919) of mine referring to details of the same boat. An important feature of the present boat is that it is well adapted for use as a launch in peace time, and in war time is adaptcdto carry more than one torpedo and more powerful engines. and to produce speedier and more seaworthy boat altogether. Various other features of advantage-are referred to in detail hereinafter and the novel points. are covered in the claims. i

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention. 7

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the boat equipped as a launch. for use in times of peace;

Fig. 2 is a plan, with the roof of the closed cockpit removed and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the boat equipped for war use; I

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are cross-sections on the correspondingly numbered lines of Fig.3.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the main cockpit or cabin 1 is located in the center of the length of the boat with a tight deck 2 and a glass front 3 and a rear end at in which is a door communicating with a fair-weather cockpit 5, which may carry an awning 6,Fig. 1, preferably not when in action since conceal.- mentis to be desired. The operator has his seat 7 in the open cockpit and a steering wheel 8, besides the steering wheel 9- within 1920. Serial No. 383,170.

the closed cabin, these two being connected to the rudder by any usual or suitable gearing. A pair of gasoline motors 10 are arranged in the cabin, one on each side, and drive the shafts 11 of twin screws and also drive pumps 12.

The boat has a forward space 13 of just suilicient length to accommodate one torpedo and adapted to be flooded with sufficient water to support the torpedo so that the latter may be propelled through such water under its own power and thus launched, as explained in detail in connection with my aforesaid applications. A how section 14 is hinged at 15 and connected by an 1.6 and link 17 to a rod 18 which runs to the operating compartment so, that the operator can swing this how section up when a torpedo is to be launched. The water then fills the torpedo space. .Its level is as indicated at 19 when the boat is loaded and at rest, and when-the bow is opened the level rises to the point 9 0 so as to fill the launching space. The torpedo A. runs on rollers 21 and is held byfia T-piece 22 in overhead guides 23 which extend through the launching compartment and into the bow section as shown. It is held against longitudinal movement until it is to be launched whereupon the holding means are withdrawn and a trigger operated to start its motor, these operations being controlled from the operators cabin and being illustrated and described fullyin my aforesaid applications. Above the main deck 24 of this compartment i a supplementary deck 25 providing an air space, which an also be used for stowage of various equipment by making the transverse brace 26 as a watertight bulkhead with astuffing box for the passage of the-rod 18. The transverse brace 27 is open to permit the opera- I ion of the link 17 which passes through it, and the removable bowsection passes up into the forwardpart of the space enclosed by this supplementary deck.

Astern of the intermediate compartment and communicating therewith is a third compartment 28 into which the torpedo is initially passed. The length of the several parts is such as to admit of carrying three torpedoes, the first A. the launching compartment, the second B in the intermediate cabin or machinery compartment, and the third C in the reserve or loading compart the lowering of'the torpedo directly on to and guide rollers 35 are arranged to supthe supporting rollers 32. Thepart of the afterdeck constitutes the floor of the open cockpit/'5, and theseat 7 overlying it is arranged-also tos-wingnup and out of the way as shown in Fig. 4. Fuel tanks 33 are located in the stern compartment out of line ,with the torpedo and racks may be carried on thestern deck atthe sides of the hatch for supporting depth bombs 34-, and various other articles of equipment may be carried below or above deck according to circumstances.

The spacebetween the motors 10 (Fig. 5) is suflicient to accommodate the torpedo B port it in such position. Communication from the intermediate compartment to the launching compartment is had through a door 36 hinged at oneside and fastened,

when closed," by the usual .86 shut.

clamping bolts at the opposite side.

a The stern deck being opened a torpedo is lowered'directly into position there. It is then shoved forward through the intermediate compartment and the open door 36 into the launching compartment and clamped into position there and the door A second torpedo is introduced and shoved forward tothe position B, and

a third one similarly introduced and retained in the position C. Or, the second torpedo may be leftinthe position C and 'no third torpedo loaded aboard the boat;

. The torpedo C and also thetorpedo B, when one is being carried in this position, are

strapped down as indicated in Fig. 4 by means of straps 37 "fastened to ring bolts wise from their roller track or shifting longitudinally. v

After the first torpedo is launched the bow section ltis' closed and the pumps12 used-to pump out water through pipes 39 (Fig. 3) from the. launching compartment.

The latter is quickly emptied, the door 36 opened and a reserve torpedo shoved forwardto the launching position.

In the intermediate compartment 1 (Fig.

' cruising radius.

5) there is-space=-at the sidesrot thegmotors for berths 4'0, and thefloor iscom' posed of twohinged sections llwhich can be lowered between the motors when there isno torpedo .in the way.

The described arrangement provides a low light-draft launchwhich can be built forspeed and to carry high powered motors. When unloaded the water line will strike at a point inthe rear of the-removable bow section and even when fully loaded the draft will be comparatively "slight. The 7 storage of fuel is suflicient to give a large Thus while well adapted:

for pleasure or for use in peace time, :she has the qualities of speed, cruising radius,

.torpedo capacity and, comparatively slight disclosed. Various modifications thereof in I detail and in the arrangement of-tl1e pai'tsmay be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined in the =f jllowing claims.

:What Tclaim is 1. A boat having a torpedo Elaunching space and a reserve torpedo spacewith an opening through which a torpedo may be introduced directly *from outside the boat,

said launching space enclosed directly by the hull of the-boat and adapted to be flooded withs'uiiicient water to support the torpedo therein so that it may be ,pro- I pelled .through such water under "its own power. 5 38 and this will prevent their escaping side- 2A boat having a 3 forward torpedo launching. space, a stern reserve torpedo space, an intermediate'closed cabin and an open cockpit at the rear of the latter, part otthe cockpit overlyingsaid reservespace and constituting a removable deck over said reservespace. I

'In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name. i

WIELLI-A'M B. "'sHEAR R.

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