US2332429A

US2332429A - One-man torpedo boat

Info

Publication number: US2332429A
Application number: US442071A
Authority: US
Inventors: Norman G Baker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1942-05-07
Filing date: 1942-05-07
Publication date: 1943-10-19
Anticipated expiration: 1960-10-19

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 N. G. BAKER ONE-MAN TORPEDO BOAT Filed May '7, 1942 \M. Mum.

Oct. 19, 1943.

Od. 19, 1943. N, Q BAKER 2,332,429v

ONE-MAN TORPEDO BOAT Filed May 7., 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 19, 1943 UNITED fsTATE S- PTENT(oFFIC-E This invention is'a novel one-man torpedo boat in the nature of a small self-propelled vessel sllghtlyplonger than a standard torpedov and having one; twdthreeormore torpedo tubes disposed in its bottom and arran'gedin'parallel relation,

the torpedo'tub'es,A said'oompartment being of `low height and dome-shaped so that the `pilot may operate and navigate the vessel vwhile lying therein in aprone position, the vessel being normally submerged except" forthe` upper portion ofit's dome-shaped top, thereby giving the vesself'while floating or proceedinglslowly the appearance of a floating log or other inoffensive object, the pilots compartment containing in conveniently disposed locations the various controls for propelling and steeringthe vessel, and for releasing the torpedoes which can proceed unsuspectingl'y"underfits own@ power towards, or lurk in the'path .oLyenemy' vessels for' the 'purpose' of more accurately :launching torpedoes at-'close rangealso,"the"`slf1allow and having a pilots-compartment disposed above draftof the boat rendersitfadap'table for slipping the' boat'requiring' the services of only one'pi'lotf Another object of'r'ny invention 'isV to approach withi'nvclose range,A thus insuring more `accuracy powerf to its rnoth'ershi'p,l thef=entire`operationfof in iiring, shortertravel of the torpedoeswhicn reduces cost 'andsizebf -ltorpedoes fof 'equal destructivepowers'. *fffrom" the tubes after the' vessel hasrst been alignedwith the'object towards which the torpedoes are to' be launched.

Another object of the'invention is to provide a one-man torpedo boat ofthe above type-which may be readily carried upon and Iaunchedfroni relatively larger ships or boats, or can be lcarried upon andy launched from speed boats owing to its relatively light weight, the pilot being rst positioned inthe pilots compartment so that after launching'he may then propel and steer the vessel within its cruising range into a desired area or position to lay in wait for approaching enemy vessels. When` the enemy ships.approach,fthe pilot can thenk maneuver the torpedo boat in an unsuspected manner close to their path, andthe pilot will point lthe torpedo boat in the desired direction of travel lof the torpedoes; and by actuating' controls from the pilots compartment, he. may then release one or all of the torpedoes which, propelledby their own power andtheir rudders being previously set for a straight ahead course; will thenproceed at relatively short range to strike their targets andV thereby disable or sink the enemyships.

A further object of the invention is to provide a one-man torpedo boat of the above type, wherein after one or more of the torpedoes have been released the pilot may operate suitable controls to restore the ballast or trim and degree of submergence of the boat to offset the loss inweight of' the releasedtorpedo, this being 'effected ,by

admitting sea water into the port or starboard ballast tank, or byl blowing water outof the starboard or port ballast tank, or by merely, blowing water from one tank into the other. Y

A still further object of the invention listo A still further object of thein'ventionis to pro-j vide a' smaliflignt on-nian-topede boat of the above type i'nwhich 'construction mastsarea" minimum' and which may'b Vbuilt disassembled quickly; also one havingv a low operatingcost .andl onel that may be readily transported, andwh'ich obviates lthe usel 'o 'f more complicated accessories such as internal-combustion engines, or heavy batteries; and also' one whiclican bebuilt-in small shops not otherwise equipped for defense work. T' I willexplain the invention witlfreferenceto the accompanying drawings which illustrate one practical embodiment thereof," topenable others familiar with the art `to adopt'and 'usefthe same; and will summarize in "the o1aim's', the l novel; 'fea'- turesA of construction, vand novel'conbinations of parts, for which protection'is desired.`

I n said drawings:

f Fig.' lis aflongitudinalfsection through the vessel taken'inainly on the axis of lonefof the torpedo tubes- A` Fig. 2 is a horizontal section above the floor level 'o f the -pilotsc'o'mpartment showing" the varlou's controls.v

lenlarged front elevaton'of' the l Figi 3A is an vessel.v

'Fig- 4 is a reduced'rear end view thereof. li'ig, 5 is a vertical ifsection on the-line 5--5; Fraz.' f e n Fig? Gis a small diagrammatic perspective -vie'w ofa modified torpedo boat carrying four torpedo tubes. f As shown, my. novel one-man .torpedo boat comprises. a lower/.f combined l tank and 'torpedo tube section, oflengthfsomewhat greaterv than the overall length yof .asstandard torpedo T, yand of widthsucient torhouseone, tworthreei Qr more tpmedeiubes L in ,parallel-,relation and Sperflslishtlr asarti-Said,l tubes I, beine of, di-44 ameter slightly larger than the major diameter of the torpedoes T, so that the torpedoes may be readily slid into place in the tubes and housed therein with the ends of the torpedoes terminating within the ends of the tubes.

Connecting the parallel tubes I at their upper peripheries is a plate 2 forming the main iloor or deck of the boat, said plate 2 being secured preferably by welding or otherwise to the tubes I in a watertight manner for reasons hereinafter stated. A bottom plate 3 is welded or otherwise secured to the lower peripheries of the parallel tubes I in a watertight manner, plate 3 beingV of somewhat greater width than plate 2. Side plates 4 are welded to the outer edges of the

plates

2 and 3 at each side of the boat, plates 4 being spaced from the outer peripheries of the tubes I. A horizontal division plate 5 is secured by welding or otherwise to the adjacent inner peripheries of the tubes I in a watertight manner, dividing the space between said Vtubes into upper and lower compartments.

The front end of the boatis-.bluntly pointed, and converging

front plates

6, 6, connect the front edges of the plates 2, 31and 4 with their meeting edges welded-fonotherwise secured together on thelongitudinal axis of the boat, said plates 8,=6,vbeing also welded or ,otherwise secured to thefront ends of Atubes I, I, ina watertight manner. At the rear end of the boat is a rear plate 1 welded or otherwise secured to the ends of the

plates

2, 3 and 4, and to the ends of the tubes I, I.

T'he above construction provides a lower tank and a torpedo tube section of the hull in which the parts are secured together in a rigid manner, and in which the tubes I, which may be one, two, three or more in number, extend entirely through the hull from end to end while the space within the hull section exteriorly of the tubes is divided into Kfour tanks, ine., two symmetrical outer tanks A and -B respectively formed between the outer peripheries of the tubes I and the

plates

2, 3 and 4; and twoY symmetrical inner tanks C and D, the upper tank C being disposed between the plates 2 and 5 and the upper inner peripheries of the torpedo tubes I, the lower tank D being formed between the plates 5 and 3 and the lower inner peripheries of the tubes I, as shown more particularly in Fig. 5. Tank C may hold fuel oil for the boiler burner, while tank D may hold a supply of fresh water for the boiler and for drinking or other purposes. The outer tanks A and B are ballast tanks for holding sea water to maintain trim or ballast and the degree of partial submergence of the boat, as hereinafter explained. The torpedoes T are inserted in their respective tubes I from the front ends, and are slipped rearwardlyinto the tubes, the same being held in alignment by means of spaced lugs la (Figs. l and 4) which straddle `the edges of thetorpedo iins T', other 1ugsIb being adapted to abut against the rear ends of the ns T' to limit the rearward movement of the torpedoes in the tubes. When so positioned with respect to the lugs la, Ib the torpedoes are held in position in the tubes by means of hold-down screws 8 adjacent the front ends of the torpedoitubes. which screws pass downwardly through stufng boxes 9 in the iloor plate 2 of theboat, the screws 8 being actuated moving forwardly out of their tubes owing to the curvature of the forward ends of the torpedoes, as shown in Fig. 1.

The torpedo propelling de'vices are readily controlled by screws II having headed lower ends engaging the automatic actuating members carried by the respective torpedoes, said screws II passing downwardly through stufng boxes I2 in theV iloor plate 2. and being operated, by handwheels I3 or the like. By the above construction, when it is desired to release a torpedo from its tube, it is merely necessary for the pilot to iirst back the related hold-down screw 8 above the periphery of the tube I, and then manipulate the handwheel I3 to set in action the propelling mechanism of said torpedo and simultaneously back the screw I I above the periphery of the tube firing Means for preventing accidental disby handwheels I0 so that the screws will depress I the'front ends'loffthe torpedoes down-in their respective tubes and prevent the torpedoes from I, whereupon the released torpedo will move forwardly out of the tube I under its own power, the torpedo being already immersed in sea water by reason of the fact that each end of tube I is open to the sea at the ends of the boat; and if the boat has been pointed in the right direction the torpedo will proceed in such direction directly at the desired target, its propeller having been set for straight-away course before the torpedo was placed in the tube. The member I I however need not be a screw but may be any desired type of turning, pushing or pulling device conveniently-located which will set in motion the propelling mechanism or turbine of the torpedo. A dial or gauge on the instrument board in the iront of the pilots compartment constitutes the torpedo aiming means, the pilot aiming the entireboat in the direction of the desired target. Therefore, the steering devices on the torpedo can be set for a straight course, andonlythe propelling devices of the torpedo need be set inl motion when charge of the torpedo due to contact of its tip with an obstruction, such as a floating log, before its release from the torpedo, will be hereinafter described.

1 Above the tank and torpedo tube section of the hull is a narrow pilots compartment disposed between the floor plate 2 and a semi-cylindrical hood I4, which latter may be made of thin metal and welded or otherwise secured to the upper edges of the lower hull section in a 4watertight manner due to the fact that the pilots compartment is normally partially submerged below the sea level The pilots compartment extends substantially the full length of the vessel, and the rear end is closed by an inclined plate I5 which is secured by welding or otherwise in a watertight manner. while the front end is similarly closed by inclined and converging plates I6, which plates may themselves be transparent, or, if desired, a win dow II of glass or other transparent material may extend thereacross so that the operator lying in a prone position may look ahead of the vessel therethrough to aid in navigating and ring.

At the front end of the pilots compartment is a periscope IB which is adjustable in height in any Well known manner and which is disposed conveniently with respect to the pilcts eye when the pilot is lying in prone position in the compartment, said periscope I3 being adapted for iisein heavy seas or when navigating under conditions when Vision through window I1 is not sufficient.

through-a sliding hatch-7| atlhetop of the hood |24; which hatchV is provided# means i (not shown) tolrend'er' the's'ame substantiallyiwatertight to prevent/the conifpartmift"-ir`ronr becoming; flooded byhcavy' seas. Cm'or 'adjace'iitthe hatch |31 apivoted-airppe Het isprovided which may 'be raisedfpr lowered as desired, according totheseverity 'of the weatherQ-f'said an" pipe IfSa admitting an iii-to the' pilots' compartment when hatch |19 is Y necessarily: closed;l the v,angularityl of air pipe' Wo givingtc thevessel the appearance ofE a limb` oi Aa logprojecting from-a partltr'submerged or Water-soaked 4 log;V asfthe' upper part ofd'ome |45 wouldnormal'lyhepainteclorfinished to'resemble a water-soakedlog: In'good' weather the hatch may be leftpperrorpartly'opem so he may? rest'bettenin amore .or ,lessjsitting or upright'. position when enemy vessels areV not near; In choppy weather thepil-ot mayrafse periscope t8 and air pipe |311. litnight* or Vlying yidleL the pilot mayvclose the hatch wend Vraise pipe lea' 'to admit ail",4 [and tliev pilot maiz then sleep. Thus the pilot may' remainaway from the mother ship. or basefor severalfdays. for with# in the pilots compartment on. thewalls. thereof are a. plurality of shelves or racks 2 which may be conveniently` usedV for storing articles. of' food', c1othing.,orother supplies; also vfor amedical kit, and forjllfe belts, or other necessary' articles. l A port holei2|lmay also. be provided at. theltop 'of hood f,..said' port hole having. a glazed frame which. is so.. hinged that thejjsamef'may .be swung closed. duringstormy Weather, or when open'will permit air to` enterthe compartmentin event the Vpilotis .compartment becomes fstuilyz Port lol'e, 2U may also heuse@ for `the purpose' of up- Wardvis'ion by the pilot. y 5,. .Y

At the rearend or thelower l'nullA portion are struts ZZ in which a rudder 23`ffo' the vessel is journaled saidrudlier ca-rrlvinga `beveligear 24 .meshing with. av bevel 4gear 25 on .a steering shaft 2.6;. which. is disposed substantially axially of the vessel slightly .above theiioor 2. and. extends 'adjacent. an instrument. panel `Tat the front of the. 4pilotis compartmenu, whch'preierably eX'- tends to. thefsidesfothoodi ilandto thefront plate |.6 so as'to venclose the. turbnef3| and prevent excessiveheat. being radiated into the pilots compartment',y suitable sliding, vnauelaA being provid-edir thereto to admit aY regulated amount of heat whenever desired. Panelen has a, steering wheel V2185thereonoperating steering. shaft. i5 through intermeshing bevel gears 29 and 311.` ro.-

tation of handwheel zeiietingsteering ofthe vessel on anyldesiredcurse@ the .instrument panel `lor adiaclei-1t1 thereto mayzbamounted the .various ain steam,; waterland oil gaueesaalso any necessary `orscustcx-nary naviaatine instruments.

The, vessel may' be propelled. byvoompressed ain. but: in the embodimentshown vthe vessel.;V isv steam'- propelledn utilizing a small steam turbine 3l disposed. atfthe-.front ,endof theV pilotscom` partment'driving a propellershaftV 3:2 disposed ori-the axisrof. thevessel., which shaft 3ft-passes down-y through a'stulngr'box 33 in floor 2 and extends through oil tank C and out through, a stulng box 33 in the: rear end plate l of the hull` portion, said.` shaft,.32 carrying a. propeller filon its rearend.; Turbine Slis driven'rdirectly by steam from. a boiler Vi5 .

conducted'through pipe

3,6 having@readilyaccessiblelthrottle val-ve 36a disposed at, thefront end oftlie pilots cbm partment...A Y l 4 Boiler', Sais: housed T'in @er1-affluents @the ly adj-usted there would be no appreciable amount rear; end;r or thepilotszcompartment; same being iormed by 4a.' frontpartiton 31 openat its` lower endto permit access'torthe: compartment to permitan toy enter' the.' boiler compartment E from the larger pilot's compartment so as to sup,- port combustion atv the burner. 3b disposed beneathf the boiler 35, thesfuelf-frcm tank Cx tot` the burner 38 being controlled' byE arod 39 journaled in brackets on the oor Is and; having) ahand-l Wheel 40 or the like at its: iront-vendfwhichis readily-accessible to the pilot. If desired thelpartition '31' may be provided with slide panels in its'l upper portion tov permit regulation ofheat from compartment E--passing into the pilots compartment when ther turbine 3f 'Was-notrunning and'during'vcoldl weather; "Ihecustomary regulators now in common usefm-ayy be used to regulate the oil supply from oil tankA C to the. .l

burner 38-by meansI of steams pressure. The heat and fumes-from the'bu-rvner 38,y also any "smoke arising from improper' adjustment ofI the burner fuel" supply, willfbe confined in hood 35a 'surrounding thev boiler ,35; thev 'upper' end of which hoodV is

contractedv asat

3,55 and vregisters with a pivoted' smokel pipe 35a acijvustablfyi arranged similarly' to air pipe |911. `Iifburner 38 isproperof smoke generated. Also', the" topof ho'odfH directlyover the boilerV V35 may be made of'v light material, sothat in event of explosiony little dam-- age woul'dbe done' tothe pilot or adjacent parts.

Thewater level in' boiler 35i-may be automaticallyv controlled iscommon practice; the Water being supplied from waterjtank D,and the pres'- sure in waterftank `D being' maintained higher i than the' boilerlpressure by means of a, hand pump, or. bymean's of an .airipurnphereinaite'r described. Y, j

L The rear end-ofthe boiler compartment E'i's closed byV a solidpartition #I oppositeythe upper .end of the inclined end plate F5; and' the'space between the partition. 43| and plate |-5 and floor 2' forms a .tankFriorwater of condensation, the"y level of' Water in tank Il beingmaintained fromy the.' fresh water tank D in the hull section by a Waterpump,v hereinafter described. The eir- `hau'st fromY turbine 3| passes throughv pipe 4t2 through the side Yof the hood' fi andalong the sidecffthe hocdjrearwardly to a point opposite thev condensate tanlrl,y at which point' vther pipe 42' entersthe tank andextends verticallyY upwardly therein'terminating` at a point adiacent the upper-end thereof; pumped to boiler 35by a water pump, hereinafter described',4 theVwa-t'er beingjpreheated in passingvthrough coils the burner area asis-'commonpracticegkand" hence the coils'need not'be Shown`. r A. l 'lhe7 exhaust pipe 42 of the turbine 3|1-is thus cooled bythe seawater which assists in `condensing the steam, the condensation being carried to the exhaust chamber F, thus conserving the ireshfwater for the boiler so that little steamy irlany; escapesth-rough the exhaust'pip'e of compartment which 'pipe' is vertically adjustable the man-nerof pipes |9'a and 35o to suit weather conditioltls.v By'th-ifs construction very little if anyv fresh 'water for steam purposes is f lost and very little vexlfiaust. steam isy emitted from the'exhaustfpipef43 which Woulddivulge the whereabouts of the vessel While maneuvering toe wards the enemy vessels. What little steam may be# emitted could be' directed downwardly below the,V sea levelbyswingmg pipe 43 so .that such steam wouldneuerbenoticexiL Water from tank F is.

.Oli `thev propeller shaft 32. adjacentturbine 3l` are' a pair of floating'I-

clutch disks

44 and 45 cooperating with a splined clutch engaging member 48 actuated 'through suitableA linkage by a clutch? lever 41 pivoted on theinstrument panel 21,' whereby when the'clutch lever 41 is pushed forwardly the clutch disk 45 will` be rotated by the propeller shaftfand wheny the clutch lever 41l is'pulled rearwardly the clutch disk 44 will be rotated'by said shaft. l

Clutch disk 44 drives, by belt or chain 48an air pump 49 disposed Vin the front end of the pilots compartment, 'and a pipe 5U extends from .theoutlet of pump 49 rearwardly to a T 5l, one branch of the T having a' pipe 52 which diS- charges downwardly intoy the top oi ballast tank A, asshown in'Fig. 5, a hand valve 53 being interposed in pipe 52. From the other branchof T 5I a pipe 54 extends, the same discharging downwardly into' the top of the opposite ballast tank B, pipe 54 having a hand valve 55 interposed therein. By the above arrangement, when pump 49 is actuated air under pressure is forced into either or both ballasttanks A and B by manipulation of

thervalves

53 or 55.

In pipe 54 is a second Ti ,56, and a pipe 51V extends therefrom and discharges downwardly into the" fuel oil tank C on the longitudinal axis of the vessel, said pipe 51 having a valve 58inter posed therein so that when airpump 49 is operating withvalve 58 open, oil from tank C. will be forced to thesteamfor other regulator (not shown) which supplies and maintains the flow of fuel to the burner 3B of the boiler. f Sea water 'isV admitted into theballast tanks A and B through sea valves 59 extending through cach side of the lower hull section, as shown .in Figs. 2 and 5, said valves having actuating levers, 60 `controlled by links-6I which pass through the tanks A and B and are connected to one of the legs of bell crank levers 62, which leversv62 are `journaled on the plate 2 in convenient reach of the pilot, one leg of each bell cranklever forming the handle disposed above the plate 2, and the other leg being connected with the arm Bl below said plate 2; By the above .construction either of the tanks A or B maybe flooded with sea water Lby manipulating therespective bell crank lever 62 to open the related sea valve 58, while therother sea valve may remain closed. Also, either ballasttank A or B may be subjected `to -air pressure, by manipulating Athe

respective hand valves

53 or 55 when air pump 49 is in operation.

In order to control the trim or ballast ofthe vessel, after one of the torpedoes T has been discharged,` it lmay be desirable or necessaryrto transfer sea water from one ballast tank such as A tothe opposite tank B, orV vice versa, and for this purpose a transverse pipe 651s provided at the lower rear end ofthe hull section exteriorly of thehull, the ends of *he pipe connecting the ballast tanks A and B as more clear-l ly shown in Figs. 2 and 4. In pipe B3 is a valve 64 operated by a rod carrying an arm 65 which is actuated by a link 66A extending through a stuing box 61 in the rear plate I5 of the pilots compartment, link 66 extending forwardly to a position convenient to the pilot and being secured to one arm of a bell-crank lever 66a (Fig. 2) whereby actuation of the lever 56a will open valve 64 to permit sea water to be forced under the action of compressed air from one ballast tank such as A into the other'tank B, or vice versa, when both of the sea valves 59 are closed vet() and one of the` hand air valves 53 or55 are open, the transferred sea water thus correcting the trimor ballast of the vessel, compensating for the loss `of weight at one side of the vessel due to firing of one of the torpedoes T. Also by manipulating the sea valves 59 and the

air valves

53, 55, the degree of submergence of the vessel may also be controlled by regulating the amount of ballast water in the respective tanksA and B. The particular form and arrangement of piping and valving shown in the drawings is merely conventional, and any desired types of valves and operating means may be used.

Clutch disk 45 drives,` by belt` or chain 63,V a water pump 69 which draws fresh water through intake pipe 10 extending down into fresh water tank D, -of the lower hull section, and pumps the water through pipe 1I to the boiler 35, which water may be preheated by means of the usual water` coils in the area of theiburner 38 as is common practice, and thereforesuch coils are not shown in the drawings; also fresh water pipe 1I may `have a faucet` disposed at a convenient position in the pilots compartment whereby water for drinking and other purposes is readily available. Said pump 69 is piped to lowest point in pilots compartment to act as a bailer of leaking Water.`

In order to prevent accidental explosion of the torpedoes T in their respective tubes. l, due to accidental contact of their percussion caps with floating objects, such as` logs or debris, gate frames 12` (Fig. 3) are provided, same being of somewhat larger area than the front ends of tubes l, said frames 12 being hinged as at 13( to the front plates 6 of the lower hull section so as to be swingable vertically to permit the respective torpedo to pass out of its tube` l, but said frames 12 when lowered closing the front ends of the tubes. Preferably frames 12 are covered with heavy wire mesh 14 vor the like, which mesh preferably carries solid plates 15 at their `centers for purposes of reinforcement, said plates 15 being disposed opposite but spaced from the percus,- sion caps of the torpedoes T. Since the frames 12 are covered for the most part with Wire mesh, sea water may readily pass into the tubes l so that the torpedoeswill be immersedr in the sea water at all times when the vessel is in the water.

In order to raise the gate frames 12, cables 16 or the like are provided having their lower ends secured to eyes 'l1 at `the lower portions of the frames, said cables passing upwardly and entering an aperture 18 at the top front end of the pilots compartment, said cables extending down through saidaperture 18 and having their lower ends knotted so asto prevent the cables from passing upwardly'through said aperture. By the above construction. when aA torpedo T is to be released or red, the knotted end of the related cable 16 is grasped and pulled by the pilot lying in a prone position in the pilot's compartment, thereby raising the related frame 12 out of the path of the torpedo. After the vtorpedo has cleared the tube the cable may be released to 13ermit frame l2 to again fall back .into normal position.

Operation The Vessel above described may be readily based on a mother ship or some transporting means, and when approaching'the path of enemy vessels same may be readily launched from such ship or base with the pilot in his compartment and torpedoes placed in each of the tubes tl, which torpedoes are positioned in the tubes as hereinpedoes may be reduced to approximately' in length as compared with the standard torpedoes` of approximately 26' length. Moreover,` the torpedoes used in my torpedo boat may have a 12 to 1 6" diameter as compared to the normal 21" diameter of the standard torpedo. Thus my torpedo boat may beA utilized to fire torpedoes costing approximately half that of the standard torpedoes, Vwhile carrying the same explosive charge. I do not limit my invention to theexact forms shown in the drawings, for obviously changes may bemade therein within the scope of theclaims.

VIclaim: w'

l. A- torpedo boat, comprising a hollow submergible hull portion having top, bottom, sides, andk ends; a torpedo tube therein opening through the said ends f the hull, said hull being of length greater than a self-propelled torpedo; ballast tanks in the hull at opposite sides. of'` the tube; a fluid-tight hood secured upon the hull portion forming a partly submergible pilot's compartment; means operable from said compartment for propelling and steering the boat; means in said tube for respectively holding a `torpedo inserted therein; meansoperablefrom the compartment for starting the torpedo for self-propulsionthroughthe front end of the tube; andlmeans forradmitting sea. water into and ejecting sea Lwater from the respective ballast tanks.

r 2. In a torpedo. boat .as set forth in claim 1, said hood being relatively low to cover the pilot lying ina prone position thereunder; and a watertight hatch in the top of the hood permitting access to-said compartment.

` 3. In a torpedo boat as set forth in claim 1, saidv means for admitting Aand ejecting sea water, comprising Vsea valves in the sides of the hull portion having controls `extending into the compartment; and pressure means for forcing the water outwardly through the open sea valves. 4. In atorpedo boat as set forth in claim-1, saidpropelling means including a prime mover,

avpropeller shaft operatedr thereby; and saidv means for admitting and ejecting sea water-comprising sea valves in the sides ofthe hull portion having controls extending into the compartment; an air pump in the compartment clutchedto said shaft; and valved pipes extending from the air pump and discharging' into the said ballast tanks. Y i

-5. In a torpedo boat as set forth in claim 1, said torpedo holding means comprising spaced lugs asthe rearL end of the tube adapted to straddle `the torpedo fins; other lugs contacting the rear ends'of said ns; and a retractable screw operable from the compartment adapted to enterV the tube and press the front end of the torpedo down'in said tube. A 'f 6. InL a torpedo boat as set forth in claim 1, said torpedo starting mechanism comprising a member operable from the compartment enteringthe tube and engaging the self-propelling devices of the torpedo therein; said member being retractable to permit the torpedo to emerge from said tube. '1.In combination with a'torpedo boat as set forth in claim 1, a perforated gate at the front endof the tube, andvmeans operable from the compartmentfor sluiting the gate to permit the torpedo to emerge `from thetube.

8. A torpedo boat comprising a hollow submergible hull portion of substantially rectan-i gularvcross section" and having closed ends; a

tubes forrespectivelygholding atorpedo inserted therein; means operablefrom the compartmentY for startingV the torpedoes forfselffpropulsion through the front ends of'their rrelated tubes;

means fori admitting .sea water into and pei'-` mitting ejection of sea water from `the respective ballast tanks; Vmeans for forcingcompressed air intothe respective ballast tanks; and means for transferring ballast water from one ballast tank to the other.

l 9. In a torpedo `boatas set forthln claim 8, said boat beingsteam propelled and havinga boiler andturbine inthe pilots compartment; and division plates between adjacent tubesdividing the space betweenvadjacent tubes into separate upper and lower fuel and fresh water tanks.

10. In a torpedo boat'as-set forth in claim 8, said hood being semi-cylindrical and relatively low to cover the pilot lyingthereunder in a prone position; and a water-tight hatch inthe top of the' hood permitting access to said compartment.

Y 11. In a torpedo boat as set forth in claim .8, said means for admitting and permitting ejection of sea Water comprising sea valves in the sides of the hull portion having. controls extending into the compartment.

12. In a torpedo 'boat as set forth in claim 8, said propellingvmeans` including a prime mover,

a propeller shaft' operated thereby;l and said compressed air admitting means comprising an air pump clutched to said shaft, and valved pipes extending from the air pump and discharging into the said ballasttanks. l i

13. In a torpedo boat as set forth in claim 8, said transferring means comprising a, pipe connectinglthe ballast tanks at each side of the hull portion, and a valve in said pipe controlled from the pilots compartment.

14. In a torpedo boat as set forth in'claim 8, said torpedo'holding means comprising spaced lugs at the rear ends of the tubes adapted to receive therebetween theftorpedo fins, other lugs contacting the rear ends of lthe torpedo fins; and retractable screws'operable from'A the compart ment adapted to enter the tubes and press the front endsof the torpedoes down in' their tubes. 15.7In avtorpedo boatas set forth in claim `8, said torpedo starting mechanism comprising members operable from the compartment and entering the tubes and, engaging jthefselfpro pelling vdevices ofV thetorpedoes, vsaidmembers being retractable out of the tubes to lpermit the torpedoes to emergefrom the tubes. V` y l 16. In combination with a Itorpedo boat as set forth in claim A8, perforated gates at thefront ends of theftubes, and means Operable from the compartment forshifting the gates to Apermit the torpedoes to emerge from the tubes. f s 417'. In va torpedo boat,r an open-ended submerged -torpedotubqspaced lugs adjacent the rear en d offtheltubeadaptedv to receive therebetween the torpedo-fins, other lugswith'in the tube contacting the rearends of the torpedo ns; and a, retractable screw adapted to enter vthe tube and press the front end oi the torpedo therein down in the tube.

v18. In combination with a torpedo boat as set forth in claim 17, torpedo starting mechanism comprising a. member entering the tube and engaging the self-propulsion control device of thetorpedo, said member being retractable out 0f to permit the torpedo to emerge from the tube.

NORMAN G. BAKER.