US2604065A

US2604065A - Depth control system for torpedoes

Info

Publication number: US2604065A
Application number: US613766A
Authority: US
Inventors: William B Elmer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1945-08-31
Filing date: 1945-08-31
Publication date: 1952-07-22
Anticipated expiration: 1969-07-22

Description

y 22, 1952 w. B. ELMER DEPTH CONTROL SYSTEM FOR TORPEDOES Filed Aug. 31, 1945 INVENTOR 1mm 12 [/m ATTO R N EY WITNESSES:

- My. -invention; relates ithrough a fluidmedium.

Patented July 22 1952 I DEPTH CONTROLS YSTEM FOR. TORPEDOES' 'William B. Elmer,.Lakewood, Ohiopassignor, by

mesne assignments, to. the iUnited. States. of A merica as represented by the Secretary ofthe v '5 5 Application August 31, 1945; Serial No.' 613,7 i6

.TheFGovernment of the United has been ran ed a certain royaltyefreelicensefongovernmental purposes with respect to the; invention disclosed herein.

v The advent of the electric ,torpedo; necessitated -the provision of, electric control means ,for the rudders and thus also. electriccontrol means for controlling the depth of operation of a torpedo. Inv theprior artdevices, apparatus was devised to give proportional control to theelevating rudders, namely a-control for. operatingthe elevat- 2 Claims, (01. 114 2'5) ing rudders by an angle departing .from the longitudin al axisoi the torpedo proportionaltothe deflection, of a means responsive both; to depth and to the; an ular, position, of .1 the: torpedo axis. with reference to the horizontal. ,r'Iests with ,this type vof control frequently gavevery unsatisfaetoryresults. The, torpedo, depth;records, secured from suchv tests showed. that ha very erratic course was frequently taken by the torpedo and occasionally the torpedo wouldbroach and at other times it would dive.

one object 6r 113; iiiveiititnis the rovision of depth control means that will b'ejfsimple, reliable, inexpensive andc'apa'ble of effectively controlling the depth of operation of the torpedo withoutany tendency of the torpedo tobroach or dive, Y.

Another objectof. my invention is the provi- .sion of electroma netic operating, means: for the l va in '.r dders.-which .operaite the; rudders .either toan extremeuprudder position ordown rudder, position, depending upon either the-depth or both.

Another broad object of my invention is the provision of a hard-over depth control for a torpedo in contradistinction to a proportional depth control of a torpedo.

The foregoing objects are merely illustrative since many other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from a study of the following specification if made in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view somewhat schematic of the tail-cone of the torpedo schematically illustrating my invention,

Fig. 2 is a view from the front and partly in longitudinal section of the pendulum structure for efiecting the control of the rudders,

Fig. 3 is a side view of the subject matter shown in Fig- 2, and

,of operation of the torpedo op the angle-.of. mo- .tion of the torpedo with reifilfence' to the;horizon jecting from the torpedo.

.noid coils cludes a 7 .that are pivotedat I3 on horizontal pivots mountand have pivot pins I! and which engage the U-shaped structure I9 rigidly connected to the base 20 of portion of my device 2 I. .device includes a diaphragm 22 for vertically movingthe U-shaped member I9, and to alter the Fig. 4 is a plan view looking down-on the cover 'plate for thependulumstructureshown' in Figs. 2

Proportional control for controlling the depth of a torpedo is apparently an unnecessary refine- -ment, since much quicker response and better control is obtained by throwing the elevator rudders instantly to their extreme limit of travel either to the up-rudder position or to the downrudder position, depending upon the type of movement required for maintaining a constant depth of operation of the torpedo.

In Fig. 1, I designates the tail-cone of the torpedo quite schematically, whereas 2 represents theafterbody of the torpedo usually housing the pendulum structuregenerally designated by 3 for controlling the depth of operation of the torpedo. In actual practice, there is a bulk-head at the region of the solenoids! and 5 to prevent sea'water from entering that portion of the torpedo housing my system of control.

. The mechanical operating means for the elevating rudders 6 are substantially conventional, except that these mechanical-means are coupled to the armatures I and 8 coacting with the sole- 4. and 5. The-pendulum structure inmass I0 secured tothe straps II and I2 ed in the side plates I4 and the casting I 5 rigidly'secured to I 6 having an upper plate for herrnetical connection to the afterbody of the torpedo. Thestraps II andIZ are relatively wide I8 mounted therein the depth responsive This depth responsive pressure eiTect of the sea water entering the region above the diaphragm I provide the spring 23. This spring 23 may be adjusted in its tension by suitable movement of the shaft 25 pro- Such movement of the shaft 25 also through the worm 26 operates the worm wheel 21 to operate the graduated drum 28 for indicating the selected depth of operation of the torpedo.

From this structure it will be apparent that the swing of the weight II) in its horizontal pivot will be a function not only of the deviation of the longitudinal axis of the torpedo with reference to the horizon, but also a function of the depth of the torpedo below the sea surface.

The pendulum construction just described has been per se used with prior art devices. However, the movement of the pendulum was utilized to actuate rheostats for controlling the energization of the actuating solenoids for the rudders proportional to the deflection of the pendulum. In contradistinction to this method of operation, I provide

definite stops

30 and 31 for the rearward, movement of the pendulum and 30A and 3IA'for: the forward motion of the pendulum, so that the pendulum is permitted only a relatively small movement from a vertical and in no case is permitted to swing. free to thus get into oscillation to produce an effect undesired in the control. Substantially in the vertical plane, of the stop 30, I provide

switch contacts

32 and 33. One of the contacts, as 33-, is resilient so that the stops 30 and 3] will not interfere with their engagement. In operation: when the tor-- pedo is either operating at a depth that is too great or has deviated from a horizontal direction of travel, the

switch contacts

32 or 33, dependingupon-the direction of swing of the pendulum, are brought into engagement or disengaged whereupon the solenoids for actuating the rudders are selectively energized. To energize and is moved in a;horizontaldirection or has deviated in an opposite sense from a horizontal direction, the circuit at the contacts 32- and' 33 is opened, whereupon the relay R is deenergized anda circuit is established at the baclrcontacts BC. Closure of; the backcontacts BCenergizes the solenoid 5, whereupon the elevating rudders 6 are instantly moved to the extreme downrudder position, to thus produce an. efiect on-the torpedo, in the diving direction.

'Ihe'relay; R: is thus caused .to flutter back and forth between-the. energizedand the deenergized position and .the rudders are moved from the extreme up-rudder position and the extreme down-rudder position repeatedly. The average path of the torpedo, therefore, is found to be in a very accurate horizontal direction. I While I have shown and described but one embodiment-of my invention, 1 am fullyaware the SOIBDOidSp I utilizea battery B and a relay that others,'particularly after having had the benefit of the teachings of my invention, may devise'other similar schemes of" control forcontrolling the elevating rudders of a torpedo. I,

therefore, do not wish to be limited to the particular showing herein made nor limited to the particular objects specifically stated, but wish to be limited only by the scope of the claims hereto appended.

- electric energy, solenoid means which, when energized; cause movement of the elevating rudders totheirextrem'e up-rudder position, solenoid-means which, when energized, cause movement of'the elevating rudders to their extreme down-rudder position, two stops, a pendulum mounted on'the torpedo for limited movement to either side of a vertical against said stops, means for connecting the first solenoid means to the source of energy upon movement of the pendulum against one stop, and means for connecting the other solenoid means to the source of energy uporr movement of the pendulum away from said stop. l

2. In a system of control for controlling the depth. of operation. of atorpedo, in combination, elevating-rudders for the torpedo. a source of electric energy, solenoid means which, when energized, cause movement of the elevating rudders to their extreme up-rudder position, solenoid means which, when energized, cause movement or the elevating rudders to their extreme down-rudder position, two stops, a pendulum mounted-on the torpedo for limited movement to either side of a vertical against saidstops, meansfor connectingthe first solenoid means to 'the source of energy upon movement of the 'pendulum'against one-stop, means for connectin'g theotherv solenoid means to the source of energy upon movement ofthe pendulumaway -from'sai'd stop, and means" responsive to depth for eifecting the pendulum movements.

I B. ELMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthispatent:

UNITED STATES. PATENTS