US1764903A - Combined testing dock and salvage vessel - Google Patents

Description

' June 17, 1930. Y sPgAR 1,764,903

COMBINED TESTING DOCK AND SALVAGE VESSEL Filed Feb. 20, 1928 2 Sheefs-Sheet 1 frwvzfar .[azurezzceyj car June 17, 1930. L. Y. spg-h 1 764,903

COMBINED TESTING DOCK AND SALVAGE VESSEL Filed Feb. 20. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- line 6'6 of Fig.

Patented June 17, 1930 arse .r'rs

PATENT OFFICE LAWRENCE Y. srnen, or nnw LonnoN, connncrrour, assreivon 'ro ELECTRIC BOAT COMPANY, or eaotron-oonnscrroor, a ooaroanrron on NEW JERSEY COMBINED TESTING DOCK AND SALVAGE VFSSEL Application fil ed. February 20, 1928. Serial No.1255,686.

This invention relates to ship construction, and more particularly to what I term a combinod testing dockand salvage ship.

One of the main objects of my invention is to provide a ship construction of the charactor stated in which the ship hull is provided with a compartment for reception of a submarine boat to.be tested, the hull being formed in sections, detachably secured to: To gether' and having means for controlling the buoyancy of such sections, whereby the submarine boat may be readily floated into the testing dock or compartment. ject is to provide means whereby a diver 1."? working froinrthe ship can enter the water wellbelow the surface thereof so as not to be subjected to the action of rough seas at the surface. A further object is to provide simple and efficient means whereby the ship aois well adapted for raising heavy leads by its bpoyaut effect. A still further object is to provide efficient means for mooring the ship from a plurality of points along the sides thereof whereby the ship may be effectively moored so as to maintaln its position under unfavorable weather and current conditions.

Further objects and advantages will appear from the detail description. In the drawings ly on line 11 of Fig. 2, the terminal stern portion of the ship being shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the ship;

Fig. 8is a sectiontaken substantially on 35 line 3-3 of Fig. 1; i l

, Fig; l is an enlarged section taken substantially on line. ll of m .Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view through the adjacent ends of the hull sections,

parts being shownin elevation, illustrating the securing means therefor;

Fig. 6 is asection taken Fig. 7 is aplan view showing the apparatus for effecting the lifting of heavy loads by the buoyancy ofthe ships hull; 1 Fig. 8 is abow view of the hull with-the ap- 7 so paratus of Fig applied thereto;

Another obsubjected in testing submarine boats.

Fig. 1 is a sectional View taken substantial fragmentary detail substantially on r Fig. 9 is a section taken substantially on line 99 of Fig. 1.

Inconstructing the ship in accordance with invention the hull is formed in two sections, a main hull section 1, and a bow section 2. Section 1 is provided with an inner hull having an aft portion 3 of circular cross section and a forward portion 4 which is of increased height and includes a lower substantially circular section 5 and an upper section 6 shaped to accommodate the conning tower of a submarine boat; This inner hull forms an air and water tight chamber which opens through a bulkhead 7 atthe forward end of section 1 and is of a strength to resist the high pressures to which it is necessarily The chamber or compartment thus formed is adapted to receive a submarine'boat floated thereintothrough the open end of the compartment. The other end of this compartment is closed by a bulkhead 8. i

The space between the outer hull of the main section 1 and the inner hull. which definesthe submarine boat receiving compartment is divided by suitable partitions or bulkheads to form ballast'tanksl) at opposite sides of the inner hull or compartment, and a fuel storage tank or space 10 below the compartment. ,A bulkhead 11 extends transversely of the compartment or spacebeneath the inner hull and forms with the lower portion of bulkhead 7 atrimming tank 12. A second trimming tank 13 is provided at the stern of the main section 1. A deck 14 is provided in the plane of the top of the smaller P01131011?) of the submarine boat receiving compartment,'and a second deck 15 is provided in the plane ofthe top of the enlarged forward portion ofthis compartment. These decks are provided withsuitable hatches 16 and 17 .which give access to the boat receiving coinpartment and are suitably securedand construct'ed to withstand the high pressures in this compartment.) Section 1 also includes a main deck 18. The decks 14 and 15 are she'lteredand provide ample space for living quarters, storerooms, work rooms, shelter for warping and hoisting machinery, etc; The

hull also includes the engine room or cornloo partment 19 and, by providing suitably disposed bulkheads, various compartments necessary or desired, may be provided within the shown,1-for raising and lowering said section,

permitting the diver to enter the water at an appreciable depth below the surface. The upper end of the diving [well or trunk 20 opens into a water tight compartment 22 on the main deck, this compartment being provided with suitable hatches 23 giving access thereto from the main deck. This compartment is adapted tocontain suitableapparatus for use in diving operations and for raising and lowering the extension member 21 of thetrunk. I i

For the sake of clearness in illustration and description, the hullof the boat is illustrated semi-diagrammatically, the steeringand propeller apparatus, and the internal'mechamsm of the boat being omitted as such mechanism and apparatus is" well understood by those skilleo in the art and forms no part of my invention, except in so far as it cooperates with the novel construction herein illustrated and described for effecting the desirediesults. In practice, the dockor compartment for receiving and testing a submarine boat has the necessary fittings. for regulating the position of the submarine and for securing it in position. This compartment also, has associated therewith the usual venting, blowing, flooding and pumping connections. It will .also bev understood tiatsuitable means areprovided for emptying and filling the ballast and trim tanks,supplying fuel tothe engine, etc. All of this is well understood in the art and need not be. illustrated n'or described in detail. i

The bowsection 2 of the hull hasits aft end closed by awatertight bulkhead 24 and is provided with a plurality of ballast-and trim tanks 25, formed by appropriate bulkheads.

Bulkhead?- of section 1 is provided on its forward face with head .25 which co-acts with a gasket 27 on bulkhead 24 (Fig. 1-) for effecting a fluid; tight closure ofthelforward endof the boat rece ving compartment ofsec tron lwhen the two sections of the hull are se cured in operative relation. 7 V

jFor: securing sections .1' and 2 together I provide. a plurality of cylinders28 in which operate pistons 59. A piston rod3O is secured to each piston 29 and operates through a suitable stufiing .boX 31QinQt-he cylinder head. Thispiston rod also operatesfthrough a stufiing box32in the bulkheadfl'. "At. its

forward endlthe-rod3o is proyided with a head 33 of substantiallyrectangular shape,

' detail.

the piston rod being of T-form. Head 33, when disposed at right angles to its position shown in Fig. 5, passes through a corres ending opening 34 in bulkhead 24 (Fig. 6).

suitable cover or cap 35 is secured to the inner face of bulkhead 24 and extends over and about the opening 34 so as to form a water tight closure about the same. An arm 36 is suitably connected to the piston rod 30 for turning the same and any suitable means may be connected to this arm for turning the rod 30 through an angle of 90 degrees in either direction. The hull section 1 is provided with a plurality of the piston or securingl rods 30 disposed in a circle about the open end of the submarine boat receiving compartment, and bulkhead 24' of section .2 is provided with a. plurality of similarly arrangedopenings 34.

For initially aligning the hull sections 1 and 2 and holding them against relative transverse movement, I provide two aligning members 37, which are suitably secured to the main deck 18 of section 2. Each of these members is provided with a rearwardly extending reduced portion 38 adapted for insertion through a pairof eye members 39 and 40, secured in suitable manner to deck 18 of section 1.7 As will be noted more clearly from Fig. i, the opening of member 39 is flared from its aft to its forward end to facilitate entry of portion or-element 38 of member 37 thereinto. Each of the members 37is provided, at the rearward end of elements'38 thereof with an opening forming an eye 11 for reception of a line or cable which may be passed about a power driven drum for pulling the members 37 into position tnrough the eye members 39 and 40, moving the sections 1 and 2 of the hull into alignment adjacent each other.

After section 2 has been moved into position adjacent section 1 and iii-proper alignment therewith, in the manner described, the rods 30 are projected by admitting a suitable pressure fluid in rear of the pistons 29 in the cylinders 28. At this time the rods areturned into such position that the heads 33 thereof will pass through the openings 34-. The rods are then turned through an angle of 90 degrees to dispose the heads 33 at right angles to the openings 34 (Fig. 6), after which the pressure in back of the pistons 29 is released and pressure fluid is admitted in front of the pistons, thus forcing the. section 2 tightly against section 1 of the hull and holding it in this position. Any suitable means well known in the art may be employed for controlling the admission and'exhaust of pressure fluid to the cylinders, and it is not thought necessary to illustrate or describe such means in When the twoisections of the hull are thus secured together the members 37, which possess comparatively great mechanical strength, are of very material assistance in securing thesection 2'infproperposition and in resistingthe stresses to which this section isnecessarily subjected;

Inusing the ship for testing; submarine boats thesections'l' and 2 of the hull are re leased from each otherand separated exposing the open forward end. of the submarine boat receiving compartment. ,The buoyancy of section 1 is then reducedbymeans of the ballast tanks, thissection being maintained on an even keel by the trimming tanks, and section 1 is submerged sufiiciently to enable the submarine boat to be floated into the compartment therefor, where it is mounted or supported on suitable blocks, as indicated in Fig. 1. After this has been done the bow section 2 is submerged by meansof its ballast and trim tanks to the proper depth and is thenaligned with the forward end of the section 1, after which these two sections are secured tightly together in the manner described. To assist in properly aligning section 2 with section 1, the two sections of the hull may be provided, with suitable graduationmarks, wherebythe depth of submergence of eithersection can be readily ascertained. After the submarine boat has been thus positioned in the testing compartment therefor, it may be tested in a known 1nanner by subjecting to the action ofwater under high pressure. or the waterinthe compartment may bedischarged therefrom and the boat subjected to air under high pressure, as well understood inthe art. When the ship is not being used for testing submarine boats, the testing'compartment is available as an additional ballast tank for ,submerging the ship to a greater depth than is possible by using only the ballast tanks 'exclusiveof the testing compartment. a 1

It isdesirable,particularly during salvaging operations, that the boat be effectively moored in such manner as to be able to maintain its position under unfavorable weather and current conditions. With this object in view I provide, on the main deck 18 of sec tion 1, a plurality of mooring devices such as capstans 42, upon which are wound moormg lines 43, these lines being passed or led through the customary chocks to the capstan s. The capstans 42 are disposed in spaced relation along the opposite sides of the'hull and provide means whereby the ship can be effectively moored and held in position. A cap- I stan 44 is also preferably provided at the stern of the ship. The hull of'the ship, including all openings and hatches therein, is water tightso that, in'rough weather, the ship may be submerged to such anextent as to very materially reduce its buoyancy, materially reducing the abnormal stresses to which the mooring lines would be subjected, particularly during rough weather if the buoyancy of the ship'were not thus reduced.

For lifting relatively lightloadsl provide 'a'suitable crane structureincluding a pole mast 45 mounted atthe stern of the ship and a boom 46. This crane is of known construction and may be operated ina suitable manner forraising any object within the radius of the boom 46. The crane, as well as the capstans, and-any other apparatus which it may be desired to positionon the main deck 18, are preferably operated from suit-able motors or engines positioned on the deck 15 so as to be effectively sheltered, operating shafts being'passed through" the main deck 18 by means of suitable stuffingboxes eifect- 1' ing a watertight closure. about the same.

beams 48 mounted thereon and of a lengthi to project beyond the sides of the hull. Each of the beams is provided with brackets 49 secured thereto, these brackets being adapted for securement to the outer rails 47 by being bolted thereto, as in 'Fig. 8, or in any other suitable manner. Each beam 48 may be provided with a central upwardly extending bracket 50 to which are secured stay rods 51 secured at their ends to theends of'the beam. The beam is adapted-to receive, at its ends, suitable lines or hoisting cables 52; secured thereto in any suitable or preferred manner or, if desired, suitable blocks may be sus' pended from the ends of the beam, the cables being passed through pulleys in such blocks. The lifting lines or cables 52 are also suitably secured to the submerged objectto be raised, such as a wrecked or disabled sub-, marine boat. .VVhen using the ship to raise the object by the-pontoon method, it is first submerged and, after the cables or lines 52 are suitablyattachedtothe objectto be lifted,

the buoyancy of the, ship is increased by emptying thejballast tanks thereof so that This is well understood in the art and need the buoyancy of the ship acts upon'the object to exert a lifting effect thereon. In, this manner, it islpossible to exerta relatively'great lifting effect and the stresses are distributed over the lifting structure or ship which is constructed to withstand such stresses, A f

further advantage of this method isthat at tachment may be made to the object tobe lifted at a plurality of pointsandthelifting effect is exerted at such points, which isfre quently of material advantage. Also, by properly regulating the buoyancy ofthe ship,

theabnormal stresses induced on-t-helifting tion. This adjustment of the can be effected either manually or by suitable power means.

By the provision of the divingtrunk and the extensible section ill-thereof it is possible for thediver to enter thewater' well below the surface. By reducing the buoyancy of the ship to a minimum the depth below the surface at which the diver leaves the diving trunk is increased and the base from which the diver operates is maintained substantially steady since the ship, due to its reduced buoyancy, will not be materially affected by the roughness of the water at the surface. In this manner, the diver does not have to contend with the motion of the water atthe surface whichis a distinct advantage, particularly in rough'weather. As'previously stated, the vessel is shown semi-diagrammatically for'clearness in illustration and description. In fact, the vessel will be equipped with suitable propulsive machinery of any desired ty e,together with pumps, aircompressors,compressed air reservoirs, hoisting machinery, de-compression chambers, winches, machine shop, steering gear, radio apparatus, submarine signaling apparatus, etc, and will constitute a self-contained sea worthy'salvage and rescue vessel capable of maximum lifts through short distances when used as a pontoon, and also capable of heavy lifts to the surfacefrom deep water in one operation. i

lVhat I claim is 1. In a "ship construction, a sectional hull extensible and retractible, securingmembers carried by one of the sections of the hull, means for extending and retracting said members, and members on the other section cooperating with sai'dsecuring members, the securing members when retracted hold ing the two sections firmlytogether. j

2. In a combined testing dock and salvage ship, a main hull section having an air and water tight; compartment opening through the forward end thereof and "adapted for reception of a submarine boat to ber'teste'd, the:

forward portion of said'compartnient being of increased height,said hullsection having a deck in the plane'of the top of theaft portion of the compartment and a second deck 1 inthe plane of the-top of the forward portion of the compartment, a bow hull section, and

means for detachably securing saidsections l together and effecting a fluid tight closure of the orward end of the boat receiving compartment; Q n

3. In a combined testing dock and salvage ship, a main hull section having an'air and water tight compartment opening-through the forwardend thereof and adapted for reception of a submarine boat to be tested, theforward portion'of said compartment being of increased height, said'hullsection having a deck in the planeof the top of the aft portion of the compartment and a second deck in the plane of the top of the forward portion of thecompartment, said main hull section being further provided with a main deck above said second deck, a bow hullsection having a main deck, means on the main decks of the two sections for initially alignsaid sections and for f holding them against relative transverse movement, and means for forcing said sections toward each other and releasably securing them together, said means also efiecting a fluid tight closure of the forwardend of the boat receiving compartment.

4:. In a combined testing dock and salvage ship, a'main hull section having a Water tight bulkhead at its forward end," said section including a water and air tight compartment opening through the bulkhead and adapted for reception of a submarine boat to be test; ed, a bow section having its' aft end closed by a water tight bulkhead, a member'mounted on the bulkhead of the main section and enclosing the opening 'of said compartment, a second member on the bow'section bulkhead and adapted for cooperation withthe first member to form a fluid tight closure therewith, and means for forcing the two sections toward each other and detachably securing them together.

In'witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 2nd day of February, 1928.

LAWRENCE Y. 'SPEAR.

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