US399876A

US399876A - James weir graydon

Info

Publication number: US399876A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1889-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 1906-03-19

Description

(No Model.)

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SING DEVICE FOR ELE AL TORPEDO FUSES.

Patented Mar. 19, 1889.

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JAMES IVEIR GRAYDON, OF \VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT SOUTHW'ORTH LAlVRENOE, OF LONDON, JNGLAND.

CIRCUIT-CLOSING DEVICE FOR ELECTRICAL TORPEDO-FUSES.

SPECIFICATION forming par; of Letters Patent No. 399,876, dated March 19, 1889.

Application filed October 9, 1888.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES WEIR GRAYDON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at \Vashington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Closing Devices for Electrical Torpedo-Fuses, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to a circuitclosing device for electrical torpedo-fuses; and it has for its object to provide a circuit-closer for this purpose which will be operated automati cally when the torpedo has descended to a predetermined depth in the water.

The invention will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawing, and then clearly pointed out in the claims.

The drawing is a longitudinal section of a torpedo-shell provided with an electric battery and my improved circuit-closer, the battery and the fuse-tube being shown in elevation.

A represents the torpedo-shell closed at the rear end by a screw-plug, B.

O are'the battery-cups, which are held in place by a boxing, D, resting against the inner side of plug B, which boxing in turn is held in place by the bursting-charge to be placed in the charge-chamber E of the torpedo.

F represents a perforated fuse-tube, of any suitable rigid material, extending from the front end to near the rear end of the chargechamber. The rear end of this tube passes through a perforation in the boxing, and is held a short distance from the plug B by a flange, f, which rests against the front of the boxing. The tube is filled with any suitable fuse material inclosed in thin paraffined paper, and to its lower end is secured a platinum disk, G, with which are connected wires n p from opposite poles of the battery, which disk, when the circuit through battery-wires N P is closed, will become highly heated and ignite the fuse.

I lay no claim herein to the electrical fuse shown and described, as that forms the subj cot-matter of another application filed by me of even date herewith, Serial No. 287,631,

Serial No. 287,628. (No model.

the claims of this application being restricted to an electric circuit-closer as applied to an electrical fuse for torpedoes and adapted to be operated by the pressure of the water when the torpedo has reached a predetermined depth.

My invention, which I will now proceed to describe, is based upon the principle that the pressure of a body of water at a given depth is the same under all conditions, and that this pressure upon a certain superficial area is susceptible of being definitely ascertained. Therefore, in order that a given resistance may be overcome at a certain depth of water it is only necessary that that resistance should be slightly less than the pressure of the water upon it at that depth.

In an opening in the shell of the torpedo, leading into the charge-chamber, I screw a tube, T, the bore of which for about one-half of its length is of small diameter, as seen at 1, the bore of the inner half of the tube being considerably larger, as seen at 2, and the inner end of the tube is screw-threaded on the inner side for the reception of a screw-cap, 3, for holding the spring in the tube.

II represents the circuit-closing plug, to the outer end of which is secured a disk, h, which fits neatly in the enlarged bore 2 of the tube,

so as to exclude water.

A spring, I, is coiled around the plug H, its

end of the tube T, each provided with a contact-plate, 5, the free ends of these plates being bent outward into the path of the cir cuit-closing plug. The battery-wires N Pare also secured to the binding-screws in a manner common in electrical devices.

It will be apparent that when the torpedo has reached the predetermined depth in the water the pressure of the water will overcome the tension of the spring and force the circuit-closing plug inward between the contactplates, an rl thus establish the electric circuit, when the fuse will be ignited and the explosion will take place.

Having thus described my inven tion, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a torpedo-shell provided on the inside with an electric battery, the current from which is norm ally broken, of a spring-pressed circuit-closing plug seated in the shell and adapted to be moved forward to close the circuit by the pressir'e of the water when the torpedo has reached a predetermined depth in the water.

2. The combination, with a torpedosl1ell provided on the inside with an electric battery, the current from which is normally broken, of a screw-threaded tube inserted in an opening in the shell, and a spring-pressed circuitclosing plug seated. within said tube, the tube being provided with means for confining the spring, the tension of which is so regulated as to be overcome by the pressure of the water when. the torpedo has reached. a

predetermined depth, and thus allow the plug to be moved forward to close the circuit, substantially as described.

The combination, with a torpedo-shell provided on the inside with an electric battery, the current from which is normally broken, of a tube inserted in an opening in the shell, the bore of the tube being larger at the inner end than at the outer end, a circuit-closing plug provided with a disk at its outer end seated in the larger bore of the tube, and a spring coiled around the plug, and bearing at one end against the disk and at the otherend against a stop at the inner end of the tube, the tension of the spring being so regulated that it will be overcome by the pressure of the water when the torpedo has reached a predetermined depth, and thus allow the circuit-closing plug to be moved Forward to close the circuit, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix m y signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES \VEIR GRA YDON.

\Vitnesses:

M. HUNTER MYERs, CHARLES F. RoBEi-rrs.