US3332382A - Target search apparatus for homing torpedoes - Google Patents

Description

July 25, 1967 F. P. FlNLON ETAL 3,332,382

TARGET SEARCH APPARATUS FOR HOMING TORPEDOES Filed Sept. 16. 1959 VERTICAL GYRO FRANCIS P. FINLON EDWARD DAWSON INVENTORS A TORNEYS United States Patent 3,332,382 TARGET SEARCH APPARATUS FOR HOMING TORPEDOES Francis P. Finlon, State College, and Edward Dawson, Ambler, Pa., assignors, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Sept. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 840,480 4 Claims. (Cl. 11420) This invention relates to torpedoes and, more particularly, to a target search apparatus for homing torpedoes.

In acoustic or signal-guided torpedoes, the rudder and elevator are deflected in accordance with information derived from signals which may be of audio or supersonic frequency, emanating from the target. Alternately, a signal may be produced by the torpedo and be reflected back from the target. Generally, the control of the rudder and elevator is affected by way of a control circuit, wherein the signal received by hydrophones mounted within the torpedo is resolved to a control signal, in accordance with the polarity of which the rudder and elevators are deflected in one direction or another to steer the torpedo to the target.

This type of torpedo is often dropped by aircraft in an area where an enemy submarine is thought to be located, where under its own power it will seek out, home upon and destroy the target submarine. Generally, the acoustic search lobe or search beam extends directly forward, and hence the torpedo must be pointed nearly at the target for detection to be made. To give the torpedo an opportunity to direct its search lobe into all portions of the surrounding sea, it is generally programmed to describe a cylindrical helix downward from the surface of the water. In this way a cylindrical volume is searched during its downward path.

One of the greatest disadvantages of this method of search is that the acoustic detecting range of the torpedo is limited substantially by the flow noise produced by water passing in the proximity of the hydrophone array. This noise is estimated to be proportional to the fourth power of the torpedos velocity. Another disadvantage to this method is that during the entire search, the torpedo is proceeding under its own power, consuming propellant and hence reducing the amount remaining for attacking the target. This invention proposes to eliminate these difficulties by providing means for a quiet acoustical search without use of the torpedos main propelling means in which the time of delivery to the target area and searching time are in all ways equivalent to the previously-described method.

These results are obtained without reduction of any tactical performance characteristics such as vertical or azimuth search rate, volume search rate, or delay by providing a sea water jet and control system which rotate the torpedo in a horizontal plane while it is sinking or rising at a predetermined rate. In this manner the acoustic search lobe of the hydrophone array has an opportunity to scan all depth of surrounding sea as the torpedo proceeds in its downward path. By this means, the self-noise of the torpedo is reduced to almost zero and hence, the range of the acoustical search system is extended considerably.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a device for an acoustic homing torpedo which will permit a noiseless and effective acoustical search at distant ranges.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device for use on an acoustic homing torpedo which will not utilize a significant portion of the propellant fuel during the searching operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a relatively noiseless means of maintaining a torpedo in a horiice zontal position in the water and rotating it at a desired angular velocity while it proceeds in a vertical direction.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal view of the torpedo embodying the features of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic cross-sectional view taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1 in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 3 is a functional diagram of the valve and related components associated with this invention.

Referring now to the drawings, the torpedo 10 illustrated in FIGURE 1 is comprised of a shell 12 of conventional design provided with head 14 containing a hydrophone search array, well known in the art (not shown) and a propeller 16 attached to its rearward-most portion to propel the torpedo in a forwardly direction by conventional means. Elevator 18 and rudder 20 respond to internal torpedo controls (not shown) to direct the torpedo 10 in a horizontal or vertical direction depending upon the commands given. Upper outlet port 22 and lower outlet port 24 are positioned laterally in the rearward portion of the torpedo for the ejection of sea water.

Referring to FIGURE 2, upper and lower outlet ports 22 and 24 are in communication with valve 26 through upper ejection tube 28 and lower ejection tube 30. Valve 26, in turn, communicates through transverse tube 32 with a conventional constant flow pump 34. Pump 34 in turn is connected through intake tube 38 with inlet port 36 which is positioned on the lateral portion of the torpedo shell 12 on the side opposite to outlet ports 22 and 24.

FIGURE 3 shows in detail the operation of valve 26. Valve 26, represented in schematic, is the three-way type so designed that a slight actuation, as for example turning in a clockwise direction, will allow increased flow through lower ejection tube 30 and restrict the flow through upper ejection tube 28. Vertical gyro 40 is of the conventional type, well known in the art, designed to detect angular displacement of the torpedo from a horizontal plane and to transmit a signal voltage proportional to such angular displacement through gyro leads 42 to amplifier 44. Amplifier 44 is designed to transmit current signals proportional to the voltage signals received. Thus a signal from vertical gyro 40 indicating a change in pitch from above to below the horizontal will cause amplifier 44 to reverse the flow of current through amplifier leads 46. Solenoid 48, whose coil 50 is connected to amplifier leads 46, is of the rotary type, comprised of armature 52 extending through coil 50, disc 54 integrally connected to armature 52. Disc 54 is supported on supports 56 by ball-bearings 58 which are positioned in upper inclined races 60 of disc 54 and lower inclined race 62 of support 56, and are so adapted that a movement of armature 52 along its longitudinal axis will cause armature 52 and attached disc 54 to rotate. Thus, a current signal from amplifier 44 through amplifier leads 46 and coil 50 will cause clockwise rotation of armature 52 (as seen from above) in the case of an upward pitch of the'torpedo, as when head 14 is higher than propellel 16, and a counter-clockwise rotation when the torpedo is in a head-down position. Spring 64 integrally connected with disc 54 and spring support 66 positions armature 52 neutrally when no current is flowing through coil 50. Armature 52 is mechanically linked to Valve 26,

as indicated by the dotted line, in such a manner that clockwise rotation of armature 52 will cause valve 26 to increase the water flow through lower ejection tube 30 and decrease the flow through upper ejection tube 28. A counter-clockwise turn of the armature will have the opposite effect.

In operation, the torpedo is projected into the search area by aircraft drop or other means. On entering the water, the propulsion system remains unactivated while the apparatus of this invention and the hydrophone search array (not shown) in head 14, operate. Sea water enters intake tube 38 through inlet port 36, proceeds to pump 34 where it is pumped through transverse tube 32 to valve 26 and from there out of the torpedo shell 12 through upper and lower ejection tubes 28 and 30, and outlet ports 22 and 24. Outlet ports 22 and 24 are positioned at a dis tance to the rear of the torpedo so that a sufficient mo ment arm is produced by the reaction of the emerging water jets to cause the torpedo to turn about a point within its physical structure. The torpedo is so trimmed by methods well known in the art, that the outlet jets 22 and 24 will seek a lateral position while the torpedo is in the water. Generally, the torpedo is made less buoyant than Water so that it will sink at a predetermined rate for optimum search while it is rotating about a point within.

If, in sinking, the longitudinal axis of the torpedo should vary in pitch from the horizontal, say head 14 becomes lower than propeller 16, vertical gyro 40 activates to send an electrical voltage signal, through gyro leads 42 to amplifier 44, which transmits a current flow proportional to the voltage signal through amplifier leads 46 to coil 50 of rotary solenoid 48. This current causes armature 52 to move away from coil 50, and guided by ballbearings 58 of upper and lower races 60 and 62 to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction. Valve 26 mechanically linked to armature 52 as indicated by the dotted lines, would likewise move in a counter-clockwise direction, allowing a proportional increase in water flow to pass through upper ejection tube 28 and a proportional decrease to pass through lower ejection tube 30. The vertical component of the increased jet emitted by upper outlet port 22 would tend to force the rearward portion of the torpedo downwardly relative to the forward portion and thus correct the change in pitch of the torpedo from horizontal.

During this horizontal correction, the horizontal reaction components of the water jets forces the torpedo to rotate about a point within. When the torpedos longitudinal axis has regained its horizontal position, the output of the vertical gyro 40 approaches zero and solenoid 48 is unenergized. Spring 64 then positions armature 52 and valve 26 in a neutral position such that equal quantities of water flow from upper and lower outlet ports 22 and 24. By this mechanism, the torpedo is kept rotating in a horizontal plane and at the same time sinks in the manner previously described.

As a torpedo sinks and rotates the activated hydrophone array and related equipment (not shown) directionally searches, by acoustic means, the area forward of head 14. The detection capabilities of the targets are increased substantially by reducing the forward velocity of the torpedo essentially to zero by the employment of the proposed device so that, in most cases, detection may be made at nearly double the range of that possible if the torpedo was being propelled by its main propellant system.

Should a target be detected at any point in the torpedos descent, the control apparatus (not shown) will immediately activate the propulsion system, deactivate pump 34 and direct the torpedo to home upon the target. If no target is detected by the time the torpedo reaches the bottom or any predetermined depth, the control apparatus may be programmed to cause the torpedo to become more buoyant than water and hence, to rise. This is accomplished by methods well known in the art, as for example, by blowing sea water from internal tanks (not shown). In rising, the torpedo continues to rotate in a horizontal plane propelled by the device of this invention and continues its search. Alternately, upon reaching the predetermined depth, the torpedo propulsion system may be programmed to deactivate pump 34, activate the normal propulsion system and direct the torpedo to another area where a second similar search is conducted.

While the present invention has been described in its preferred embodiment, it is realized that modification may be made and it is desired to be understood that no limitations on the invention are intended other than the scope of the appended claims.

Having now described our invention, what we claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a homing torpedo adapted for acoustical search by proceeding without horizontal movement in a vertical direction while rotating about a point within its physical structure, the combination comprising: an inlet port laterally positioned on said torpedo adapted for the ingress of sea water; a marine pump in communication with said inlet port adapted to propelling sea Water from without said torpedo through said inlet port; a rotary valve in communication with said pump adapted to divert the water flow from said pump into two streams whereby the volume of said flow through in each stream may be varied by the rotation of said rotary valve; a first and a second outlet port in communication with said rotary valve laterally positioned on said torpedo at an acute angle; a rotary solenoid mechanically connected to said rotary valve adapted to rotate said valve clockwise and counterclockwise in response to electrical impulses received by said rotary solenoid; amplifier means adapted to transmit current signals to said rotary solenoid proportional to voltage signals received; gyroscope means adapted to sense the change in pitch of said torpedo from the horizontal plane and electrically transmit voltage signals proportional to the angular displacement of said gyroscopic means to said amplifier means whereby the flow of water through said first and second outlet ports is varied to cause said torpedo to remain in a horizontal plane while proceeding solely in a vertical direction.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said rotary valve is comprised of in combination: an inlet passage, a rotatable member in communication with said inlet passage; two outlet passages in communication with said rotatable member; a Y-shaped bore through said rotatable member in communication with said inlet passage and said two outlet passages whereby the rotation of said rotatable member will variably increase the flow of sea water through one of said two outlet passages and simultaneously decrease the flow through the other of said passages.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 2 in which said solenoid is comprised of in combination: a support member; a rotatable armature member supported upon said support member; ball bearing means positioned between said support member and said rotatable armature member; a biasing spring mechanically connected to said armature member adapted to neutrally position said armature member; an electrical activating coil positioned about said armature member whereby current signals through said coil cause said armature member to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise in response to said signals.

4. In a homing torpedo adapted for acoustical search by proceeding without horizontal movement in a vertical direction, the combination comprising: an inlet port; a pump in communication with said inlet port; valve means communicating with said pump; first and second outlet ports in communication with said valve means, laterally positioned on one side of said torpedo insuring the necessary rotation for search, said first outlet port being inclined at an upward angle, and said second outlet port being inclined at a downward angle; means to sense change in the pitch of said torpedo from the horizontal plane associated with said valve means, said means comprised of a vertical gyro, an amplifier in electrical combination 5 6 with said vertical gyro, a rotating solenoid electrically 1,382,166 6/1921 Blum 1l420 connected to said amplifier, said solenoid adapted to actu- 1,825,161 9/1931 Sacco ll420 ate said valve whereby the flow of water from said first 2,822,755 2/1958 Edwards et al. and second outlet ports is controlled to cause said torpedo to remain in a horizontal plane, 5 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

CHESTER L. JUSTUS, SAMUEL FEINBERG, References Cited Examiners UNITED STATES PATENTS D. G. REDINBAUGH, A. E. HALL, T. A. ROBINSON,

726,796 4/1903 Fischhaber 114-23 825,881 7/1906 Gibon 11423 10 P. A. SHANLEY, Assistant Examiners.

Claims (1)

1. IN A HOMING TORPEDO ADAPTED FOR ACOUSTICAL SEARCH BY PROCEEDING WITHOUT HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT IN A VERTICAL DIRECTION WHILE ROTATING ABOUT A POINT WITHIN ITS PHYSICAL STRUCTURE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: AN INLET PORT LATERALLY POSITIONED ON SAID TORPEDO ADAPTED FOR THE INGRESS OF SEA WATER; A MARINE PUMP IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID INLET PORT ADAPTED TO PROPELLING SEA WATER FROM WITHOUT SAID TORPEDO THROUGH SAID INLET PORT; A ROTARY VALVE IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID PUMP ADAPTED TO DIVERT THE WATER FLOW FROM SAID PUMP INTO TWO STREAMS WHEREBY THE VOLUME OF SAID FLOW THROUGH IN EACH STREAM MAY BE VARIED BY THE ROTATION OF SAID ROTARY VALVE; A FIRST AND A SECOND OUTLET PORT IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID ROTARY VALVE LATERALLY POSITIONED ON SAID TORPEDO AT AN ACUTE ANGLE; A ROTARY SOLENOID MECHANICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID ROTARY VALVE ADAPTED TO ROTATE AND VALVE CLOCKWISE AND COUNTERCLOCKWISE IN RESPONSE TO ELECTRICAL IMPULSES RECEIVED BY SAID ROTARY SOLENOID; AMPLIFIER MEANS ADAPTED TO TRANSMIT CURRENT SIGNALS TO SAID ROTARY SOLENOID PROPORTIONAL TO VOLTAGE SIGNALS RECEIVED GYROSCOPE MEANS ADAPTED TO SENSE THE CHANGE IN PITCH OF SAID TORPEDO FROM THE HORIZONTAL PLANE AND ELECTRICALLY TRANSMIT VOLTAGE SIGNALS PROPORTIONAL TO THE ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT OF SAID GYROSCOPIC MEANS TO SAID AMPLIFIER MEANS WHEREBY THE FLOW OF WATER THROUGH SAID FIRST AND SECOND OUTLET PORTS IS VARIED TO CAUSE SAID TORPEDO TO REMAIN IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE WHILE PROCEEDING SOLELY IN A VERTICAL DIRECTION.

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