US1505997A - Submarine mine - Google Patents

Description

' Aug. 26, 1924..

G. E. ELIA SUBMARINE MINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 5,

Aug. 26 1924.

1,505,997 G. E. ELIA SUBMARINE MINE Filed Feb. 5, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 4M I fiwww (7W DM W M Aug. 26 1924.

G. E. ELIA SUBMARINE MINE Filed Feb. 5, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 JMLM Patented Aug. 26, 1924 UNlTE 1,505,99? PATENT OFFZCE.

GIQVANNI EMANUELE ELIA, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR- TO VICKERS LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND.

SUBMARINE MINE.

Application filed February 5, 1924. Serial No. 690,856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Vickers House, Broadway, Vestmirr ster, 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.

This invention relates to submarine mines of the kind which comprise an anchor connected to the flotation chamber or mine proper by a mooring cable which is payed out during the separation of the flotation chamber from the anchor after the mine has been launched and has reached the sea bed or after the flotation chamber has been released from the anchor at a safe depth of submersion for the flotation chamber, in cases where the depth, and consequently the hydrostatic pressure, is greater than can safely be resisted by the flotation chamber, the chief object of the invention being to provide improved means for stopping the paying out of the mooring cable so as to determine the final depth of submersion of the flotation chamber.

According to the present invention an auxiliary line or cord is employed which is carried in the anchor, the upper endof the said line being detachably connected, pref erably by hydrostatically controlled means, either to the flotation chamber or to the upper end of the mooring cable and the construction and arrangement of the parts of the flotation chamber and anchor being such that the release of the upper end of the line by the detachable connection is adapted to control or actuate a device in the anchor for arresting the continued paying out of the mooring cable. The use of an auxiliary line in conjunction with a hydrostat carried on the flotation chamber for actuatingdcpth regulating means has previously been pro posed, but the present invention has the following advantages; viz :(l) The auxiliary line from the anchor to the flotation chamher is released after it has fulfilled its func tion as a depth regulating device and falls to the sea bed so that it cannot act in conjunction with the main mooring cable to increase either the amount of seaweed or other driftage collecting on the mooring cable or the resistance offered to sea currents. (2)

The weight supported by the mine is also reduced. (3) The auxiliary line is carried on a drum in the anchor, instead of being carried by the flotation chamber as has previously been proposed. A much longer and heavier line can, therefore, be employed than is practicable in cases where the line is carried by the flotation chamber, thus enabling the flotation chamber to be anchored in greater depths of water. (4:) The accuracy of depth taking is not affected by stretching of the auxiliary line.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect the same will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example, several constructional forms of the present invention, and in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View showing Figures 4 and 5 are sectional elevations of the anchor of a submarine mine fitted with two other modified forms of the invention.

Figure 6 is a part sectional end view and Figure 7 a sectional elevation showing partof the flotation chamber and anchor of two other forms of mines constructed according to the present invention.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3 A is the flotation chamber and B is the sinker. C is the mooring rope and D is the mooring rope drum. E is a drum on which the depth wire F is Wound, both the depth wire drum E and the mooring rope drum D being rotatably mounted upon a fixed shaft G provided with a friction disc H located between them. The pressure on the friction disc H and the resulting brake torque is effected by means of a helical spring J located around the tired shaft G The mooring rope C and the depth Wire F are so wound on the drums D and E that when pulled out or unwound by the buoyancy of the flotation chamber A the two drums rotate in opposite directions.

The drums therefore brake each other and the tension in both wires is approximately constant. The upper end of the mooring rope C is connected to the flotation chamber in any usual or known manner, the mooring rope, in the example shown, being attached to a pivoted lever forming part of a tension controlled safety device as described in United States application, Serial No. 661,754. The upper end of the depth wire F is connected to a hydrostatic release G which is attached to the flotation chamber and which is adapted to release the wire when the flotation chamber ascends to a depth from the surface for which the hydrostat has been set to operate. When the wire F is released by the hydrostat G in any of the ways hereinafter described it drops and the pull previously transmitted to the drum E immediately ceases. Consequently the direction of rotation of the drum E will immediately reverse and owing to the friction disc H located between the two drums it will then rotate in the same direction as the mooring rope drum D. As soon as the drum E reverses its direction a ratchet pawl J controlled by a spring j and mounted upon the end of the drum E is adapted to engage with a ratchet plate K and to rotate a stop plate L attached to the ratchet plate K until the end m of a pawl lever M pivotally attached to the sinker D is released and the other end of the said lever is pushed by a spring N into engagement with the teeth d on the mooring rope drum D, thus locking the said drum and stopping the continued paying out of the mooring cable, the mine being then anchored. As the pull on the depth wire drum will cease immediately the wire F is released from the hydrostat G, the distance that the flotation chamber will ascend after the actuation of the hydrostat and before locking of the mooring rope drum takes place will correspond merely to that part of a revolution of the mooring rope drum which occurs during the turning of the stop plate L. The extent of this movement will be approximately constant whatever the depth setting may be. A stop pin 0 provided on a nut P at the end of the shaft G is located in the path of movement of the stop plate L and prevents the stop plate L from being rotated by friction during the hauling out of the depth wire.

Instead of a friction brake the same mutual braking connection between the two drums can be effected by means of a gear pump of the liquid brake type. In. such cases the mooring rope drum and the depth wlre drum are adapted to drive a gear pump brake the sides of which are connected together. When the depth wire drum stops the oil pressure from the mooring rope drum brake will immediately act to rotate it in the reverse direction. The same principle can also be carried out by means of brakes of various kinds. As it is desirable to lay the mine with depth settings down to say 20,0 feet two alternative hydrostats may be employed one for use with settings up to about 30 feet and the other with settings from 30 to 200 feet or more. A suitable form of hydrostat for use in cases where the flotation chamber is to be anchored at any depth up to 30 feet is described in English Patent Specification N 0. 163339, the depth regulation in such cases being obtained by a movable fulcrum positioned on the lever and connecting the hydrostatic diaphragm to a spring.

For depths between 30 and 200 feet or more it is proposed to use the hydrostat G shown at Figure 3. The hydrostat- G is connected to the flotation chamber at its upper end by means of a pivoted connection 9 and by means of a link g to the upper end of the depth wire. The hydrostatic diaphragm g is located centrally of the hydrostatic chamber and the lower part of the said chamber is open to the surrounding water through openings 9 The diaphragm is provided with a spindle g and on one side of the said diaphragm g the hydrostatic spring 9 is fitted, while, on the other side of the diaphragm g is a spindle g which is adapted to be locked to a sleeve g by means of a ball releasing device To set the hydrostat the chamber in the upper part thereof is filled through a nonreturn valve 9 with air at a pressure corresponding to the hydrostatic pressure at the required depth, this operation being preferably performed by connecting the upper chamber to an air pump, the air pump being provided with a pressure gauge graduated to show the depths corresponding to different pressures. Before laying the mine the spindle of the hydrostat 1s pushed out by the air pressure to the release position, but a small shearing pin is provided which is adapted normally to re tain the sleeve against movement. hen, however, the mine is launched and it descends with the anchor past the depth for which the hydrostat G has been set the diaphragm g is pushed by the water pressure to the position shown at Figure 3, so that the ball release is locked during ascent of the mine after it separates from the sinker and until the set depth is reached. hen this depth is attained the air pressure behind the diaphragm g pushes out the diaphragm of the hydrostat and the sleeve 9 is released. The buoyancy pull on the depth wire P then shears the pin g and the wire F drops thus locking the mooring rope drum against further movement in the manner hereinbefore explained.

The flotation chamber may be held rigidly on the sinker by a suitable release such as a hydrostat which allows the flotation chamber to separate from the sinker befor a safe depth of submersion for the flotation chamber has been passed.

In the example shown at F igures 2 and 3 the mine is fitted, for this purpose, with a compound time and hydrostatic release Q of the kind which is described in United State application Serial No. 690,217.

In lieu of the arrangements previously described the paying out of the auxiliary line during the separation of the flotation chamber' from the anchor and until its release by the hydrostat G may be adapted to effect the displacement of a member located in the anchor against which another member displaced by the paying out of the mooring cable is adapted to abut thereby limiting the paying out of the anchor cable and thus causing the flotation chamber to assume the desired depth of submersion. Alternative forms of mechanism constructed according to this principle are shown at Figures 4, 5 and 6. In the arrcngement shown at Figure 6 the drum R carries the main mooring cable R and the drum S carries the auxiliary line S both drums being located on a screw threaded shaft T which'is fixed to the anchor casing. The mooring rope is connected to the mechanism plate of the mine A as shewn and the auxiliary line to the hydrostatic device G. Any suitable or well known form of braking means may be provided for retarding the paying out movement of the drums. Prior to the launching of the mine the drums are in contact with each other; when, however, the mine has reached the sea bed and the flotation chamber has been released in, any usual manner so that it commences to separate from the anchor, the auxiliary line S will also commence to pay out, thus causing the drum S to move axially along the screw threaded shaft T and thereby to separate from or move synchronously with the mooring cable drum R, which latter also commences to move axially along the screw threaded shaft as the mooring cable R pays out. \Vhen the upper end of the line S is released by the hydrostat G at the depth for which it has been set the drum S which carries the line S will cease to revolve and consequently to move axially along the screw threaded shaft; it will thus act as a brake for the mooring cable drum R which finally abuts against the drum S and stops the paying out of the anchor cable, thereby anchoring the flotation chamber at the predetermined depth beneath the surface.

If desired, the drums, instead of being mounted upon a screw threaded shaft common to both of them, may be mounted upon independent screw threaded shafts T T as shown diagrammatically at Figure 4. In

this case, by making the pitch of the screw threads of one of the shafts different from that of the other shaft, the auxiliary line drum S can be made of smaller diameter than the anchor cable drum R. The operation of this arrangement is substantially the same as that described above.

B may be rotatably mounted on a screw threaded shaftT situated in relation to the nut U so that anchor cable drum R will, at the predetermined time, and after the release of the upper end of the auxiliary line by means of the hydrostat, abut against the nut U to limit the paying out of the anchor cable.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 7 the auxiliary line S may pass around a pulley \V which is coupled to a pivoted and spring controlled locking lever or pawl W so as to hold the pawl out of engagement with a toothed wheel or ratchet connected to or forming part of the mooring cable drum R the arrangement being such that when the tension is relieved owing to the upper end of the cord S being released by the hydrostat G, the said pivoted lever or pawl will engage the ratchet or toothed wheel W on the mooring cable drum R thus stopping the continued paying out of the mooring cable. is a guide pulley on the anchor around which the line S passes.

Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically the sequence of operations of a mine the parts of which are adapted to separate when the mine reaches the sea bed.

In position 1 the mine and anchor are shown descending together to the. sea bed.

In position-2 the mine has reached the sea bed, the releasing mechanism for the flotation chamber has been actuated and the flotation chamber is about to separate by its buoyancy from the anchor. Position 3 shows the flotation chamber during its ascent. At position 4 the mine has reached the set depth, the hydrostat has been actuated, the auxiliary linereleased and the mooring rope drum locked. Position 5 shows the anchored mine with the auxiliary wire lying on the sea bed.

In the case of a mine equipped with a hydrostatic release as shown at Figures 2. and 3 the flotation chamber would be released automatically from the anchor be fore the mine reaches the sea bed should the mine be launched in water of a greater ie pressure than could safely be resisted by the flotationchamber.

- mooring rope ,10' chamber to said. sinker, an auxiliary drum depth and consequently a greater hydrostat.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure byLet sinker, a mooring rope upon said drum said connecting withinsaid sinker, .an'auxiliary line upon said drum, means connecting one end of said "auxiliaryline tosaid flotationchamber and automatically acting means i for releasing said connecting means for the purpose specifled,

2. A submarine mine-comprising a flota-n tion chamber, a sinker,a mooring rope con- ,necting saidflotationchamber to'said sinker, 1 ,nection between said auxiliaryline andsa-id I flotation chamber which causes the auxiliary line to unwind as the flotation 1 chamber anauxiliary line within saidsinker,a G011". 'IISClBlO-IL betweensaidauxihary line and said flotation chamber, and hydrostatically: con-- trolled means for releasing the connection between .saidauxilia-ry line. and said flotation chamber.

3. A submarine mine comprising :a. flota tion chamber, a sinker, amooring rope con necting said flotationichamher tosaid sinker,

I :an auxiliary line Within said sinker, one end P ofsaid auxiliary line being connected to said I flotation'chamber, and a pair ot' hydrostats :one'being adapted to. release the auxiliary line at depths up, to 30; feet and theother being adapted to release theauxiliaryline: at depths between 30 to 200 feet and upwards.

4. A submarine mine comprising a buoy ant flotation chamber, a sinker, a mooring rope connecting said buoyant flotation chamher to said sinker, an auxiliary line within said sinker, one end of said auxiliary line being connected to said flotation chamber, both said mooring rope and said auxiliary line being adapted to unwind as the buoyant flotation chamber and anchor separate after launching of the mine, hydrostatically controlled means for releasing automatically the connection between said auxiliary line and said flotation chamber, and means controlled by the release of said auxiliary line for stopping the separation of the flotation chamber from the sinker.

5. A submarine mine comprising a buoyant flotation chamber, a sinker, a rotatable drum within said sinker, a mooring rope upon said drum, an auxiliary rotatable drum within said sinker, an auxiliary line upon said auxiliary drum, one end of said auxiliary line being connected to said flotation chamber, both said mooring rope and said auxiliary line being adapted to pay out as the buoyant flotation chamber and anchor separate after launching of the mine, hydrostatically controlled means for releasing automatically the connection between said said. flotation 7 auxiliary line and said flotation chamber, and means controlled by the release or said 'auxiliary line for 'stoppmg the separation of the flotationchamber from, the sinker.

6. A submarine mine comprising a flota--- tron chamber, a sinker, a mooring rope'connecting said flotation chamber to saidsinker, I

anauxiliary line Within said sinker, a con 'IIGCiJlOIl'WhIOh causes the auxihary l-me to unwind as sald flotation'chamber and sinker i I 76 hydrostatically controlled means: for breakseparateat'ter launching of the mine and ingsaid connection so as to "allow the un wound portion oftheauxiliary line'to fall to the sea bed, for: the purpose specified.

. 7. A submarine mine comprising a flota- ,tion chamber, 'a'sinker, I a mooringrope con I necting said flotatlon chamber. to said sinker,

an auxiliary line Within said sinker, a con separates from the: sinker, hydrostatically I I controlled means for breaking the connection between said auxihary line and said 8. A'submarine mine comprising a flota-' A 't-ion chamber, a sinker, a drum within said sinker, a mooring, rope upon. said drum said rope connecting sa1d flotation mooring chamber to said sinker, an auxiliary drum within said sinker, an auxiliary line upon said drum, means connecting one end of said auxiliary line to said flotation chamber, automatically acting means for breaking the connection between said auxiliary line and said flotation chamber, and hydrostatically operated means which, after launching of the mine and before it reaches the sea bed, releases automatically the flotation chamber from the anchor above a depth at which the flotation chamber is liable to be damaged.

9. A submarine mine comprising a flotation chamber, a sinker, a mooring rope con necting said flotation chamber to said sinker, an auxiliary line within said sinker, one end of said auxiliary line Within said sinker, one end of said auxiliary line being con nected to said flotation chamber, hydrostatically controlled means for releasing the connection between said auxiliary line and said flotation chamber, and hydrostatically operated means which, after launching of themine and before it reaches the sea bed, releases automatically the flotation chamber from the anchor above a depth at which the flotation chamber is liableto be damaged.

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA.

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