US40362A - Exploding torpedoes - Google Patents

Description

Unire-n STATES PATENT. Prien'. i

l* ExPLonnvG T oaPEDoes," Musesac.

5 Speciication forming part of Letters Patent No. 410,362, dated October 20, 163.

.To all 'whom t may concern: v

Be it known that I, SWEN EsKILL SAN` BORN, of the city and'county ot'. Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and [improved Apparatus for Explodingl Torpedoes, Mines, &c. and 1 do. hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whiche Figure 1 represents; a plan or face view of my invention, the cover having been removed to ,expose the dial andl index hand for adjusting the time of the explosion. Fig-2 is a vertical central section ot' the case and interior frame-work. Fig. 3 is a plan or top view vot the, mechanism for adjusting'l the time of the explosion. Fig. 4is a plan of the clockf movement and mechanism for settingand releasing the hammer. l

Similar letters ot' reference in the several gures indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to arrangega 11 hammer, needle, or other equivalent device capable ot' producing by its action on a percussion-cap, or in an y other way, the explosion of a charge of guupowden or other otherv explosive substance or material, in such relation to a c1ock-movement,.0r other equivalent mechanism, that thetime when the explosion will take Aplace can be adjusted, and that a torpedo, mine, magazine, or any other charge of gunpowder or other explosive material, can be exploded in one, two, or more hours, or minutes or seconds, orat any other momentl whicht may be previously determined.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, l will proceedy to describe it. l l

The case F, which incloses the mechanism for exploding the charge, is made of sheetcop per, or any other suitable material, and it isV provided with double walls, which inclose an annular space, G, to contain a quantity ot1 gunpowder or other explosive material. The interior of the case is occupied by three'circular plates or disks, C D E,- which are supported and held apart by stndsfeaibc, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.,

- H is a small gun or cannons barrel, secured l to one of the studs 11g-between the plates D E.

Its muzzle extendsthrugh 'the `innerwall ot' the space Finto theannnlar spaceti, and its breech is provided with a nipple, d, to'` receive an ordinary percussion-cap. he explosion of this cap is effected-by the action of a hammer, I, which is 'secured Vto a pi`vot, e, having its bearin gs in the plates D and E. Thispivot is subjected to the action of a coiled spring, which has a tendency to throw the hammer forward to the position shown in red outlines in Fig. 4, and it (the pivot) is made square at its end to receive a suitable key for the purpose of turning the hammerbackto the position 4shown in blaclroutline in the same' iigure. When the hammer is cocked, it is retained by a 'trigger, K, which catches over a shoulder, f,on the periphery of a disk, J, that is rigidly secured to the oscillating pivot e.L By raising the' trigger K the disk J, and with it the hammer I, are released, and by the action 'of the coiled sprin`g on the pivot c said hammer nipple d, thereby causing to explode a percussioncap von the same, and also the charge of the gun-barrel and of the annular space Gr. The trigger is raisedautomatically by the action of a cam, Y, on arbor s, and the time when this takes place is regulated and determined by an ordinary clock-movement, consisting essentially of a balance-wheel, L, escapement M,-escapementWheeLN, with its pinion g, which communicates 'with a spring wheel, O, by the intermediate gear-wheels, P Q R, and pinions h t' j, in the ordinary manner. The wheel O is provided with ythe usual ratchet-wheel, k, and pawl l, and its arbor v'm is squared to receive a key. for the purpose-of winding up the spring. bears the wheel R and pinion j, isplaced in the center of the case, and extends through the' plates Dand C, and that portion of the same which is situated between said plates bears a pinion, n, '(see Fig. 3,) which imparts motion to the train ot' gear-wheels S o T, also situated between the plates D C. The cogwheel T is provided with a sleevefjournaiiitting loosely on the arbor m', and its hub car- The arbor m', whicii" but it is obvious that the time can be changed to any desired extent.

In order to release the hammer I automatically at the desired moment, a. lever, YV, Figi.1 3, is attached to a fnlcrurn-pin, g, and made to bear with its end on the periphery of the disk V by the action of a springe, in such a manner that when the notch pin the disk V comes opposite the end ot' said lever it (the end) drops down into the notch and a partial revolution is imparted to the pin q. This pin aso carries an arm, r, between the pla-tes D and E, and when vthe lever \V bears on the periphery of the disk V, said arm, by coming '1n contact with the pin (l, forms a. stop for the disk A and pinion t; buL it` the lever W drops vinto'the'noteh p the arm i: clears the pin u, and the disk 'A' and pinion tare at liberty Ato rotate. The pinion t gears into a eogwheel Z, on the arbor s, which also carries the cam Y, and this arbor is subjected to the action ot* a coiled spring', which, when wound up, will cause the sameto rotate in t-he direction ot' the arrow marked near itin Fig'. 4.` ln winding,r up ihis spring' the arbor s has to be turned in the direction opposite to said arrow, and the cam Y will coinein the position shown in-redioull'ines in Fig. 4. In this position it is arrestedv by turning't-he index-hand andv dish V so asto 'throw the point of the lever W on theA periph` ery of said disk, and-the arm c in the way ot' the pin u. It' the clock-inovjementis now started, the disk V will revolve in the direction ot' the arrow marked lon it in Fig. 3, and atter a certain lapse of time the point of the lever W drops down into the notch p, the arm v liberates-tire pin u, the arbor s .rotates in the direction etf thearrow marked near it in Fignet, and. by the action of the cam Y lon the trigger 1c the hammer I is released and the charge exploded. l

,"fIt is obvious that'the lei-:gthoi' theinterval I between. the time of starting the clock and the explosion depends entirely upon thev length of the are over which the end ot the lever Vlies to travel until it reaches the notch p,'ai1d consequently b v turning the index-hand more or less the ti me of the explosion can be regulated. y A stop, a', serves to arrest and to start the clock-movement at' any desiredt'i f revolvingfstop, w, prevents the arbor .strom rotating any-further than necessaryto liber. ate the hammer I.

This apparatus is particularlintendedibr the purpose otexploding torpedoes or mines,

` hutit can also bel used with advantag on board ot' a vessel if it becomes necessar 'o abandon itfdurmg an engagement or other?L wise, by placing,r the saine in the magazine with perfectaccuracy.

2. The notched dislrV, lever W, arm c, stop u, cam Y, trigger K, and hammer I, in combination with a cloclrmovement .-,constructed and operating in the manner and for l the purpose substantially as set forth.

3.I The 'application ot' the notched disk V to the index hand U, movingon the dial plate @,substantially as and t'or the purpose speciltie l S. E.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. WEBER, L

F. W. LEWIS.

SANBORN.

-anclav

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