US542732A - huskisson - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 5 SheetsSheet 1.

W. M. HUSKISSON.

SUBMARINE MINE.

.No. 542,732; Patented July 16, 1895.

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Patented July 16, 1895.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

W. M. HUSKISSON.

SUBMARINE MINE.

No. 542,732. Patented July 16, 1895.

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5 Sheets-Shdet 6.

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No. 542,732. Patented July 16, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT onion;

\VILLIAit h IARSHALL HUSKISSON, or LGNDON, NGLA D,

o-UBMARINE MlNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 542,732, dated July 16, 1895. Application filed November 22, 13%. Serial ll'o. 529,863. (No model-l Patented in England September 16, 1898, No. 17,447.

- the county'of Middlesex, England, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements inend Relating to Submarine Mines, (for which I have obtsined s pntentin Great Britain, No. 17,447, hearing date September 16, i893), of which the following is a-'speoificstion.

My invention relates to s-suomerine mine which shall explode automatically when a ship conies within a predetermineddistsnce of itthat is to say, it does not require to be struck by the ship or to be fixed by an operator aboard another ship or ushers in order to explode it. In order to accomplish this I em.- ploy a. Hughes inductionrbnlnnce, together with a case of explosive moored at sea, the

secondary coils of the balance controlling a device which switches the main current from the primary onto the secondary coils when the baiance is destroyed by afpnssing ship. -A fuse. is arranged in series with one of the secondary leads which will blow with this current and explode the mine. .The natnreof this invention and inwhet manner the some is to be performed is particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which+ sectional elevation of the mine at sea.

I C of the mine at sea.

'which'contain the coils of the Hughes induc- Hon-balance. Fig. 8 is a. detail view showing in section the detonntor and f use for exploding the mine; Fig. 9 is an elevation showing the tuband c'nse holding the balancing-coils.

Fig.10 is'a' plan of the same.

Fig. 5 is a Similar letters and figures of reference indicate like parts.

Having described above the general principles underlying my said sppnretus,I now more specifically refer to its construction.

A is the outside casing of the mine, preferably composed ofnon-megn etic materiel, (see Figs. 5 and 6,) fitted with grappling-hooks A, a movable cover A and s mooring-ring A and inclosing a. lower compartment B for holding the explosive, divided by the diaphragm B with its movable cover B from the upper compartment con taininga case D, secured to the walls of the mine by the wooden checks D This case D, which may be of porcelain, stoneware-or other non-megnetic material, contains two insulated wire coils, C the primary and C the secondary coils, of one part of nHughes? induction-belnnce 'lhecoilsare wound on a former D composed of insulating material and afterward fitted into the case D. The leads are passed through smiling-boxes and glands which form part of D'z. e., primary lead 15 through E and 1-1 through E,

secondary lead 13 through E and .20 through 1 E. A cover E composed of the some material as D, flanged up at its edge, is bolted onto D by the bolts E, (see Fig. 7-,) the cavity D being afterward grouted in-with bitumen or cement or other suitable composition for makwhich they are elected at intervals (13 being broken on passing through G) and are made up into one cable 19, which is passed through the stuffing-box and gland F to the outside of the mine, where it is armored with lead or some high resistance and non-magnetic ma- .terial for several feet in proximity to the inine. It is lashed to the n1ooring-rope, and from thence it is led away to the shore. The secondary lead 13 is passed through the socket Gimade of insulating material) and broken, the ends being soldered to two 'ing mercurial fulminate.

aluminium rings G and G which are insulated from one another, and embedded in the socket G. A round fuse K, having two rings K and K insulated from one another on its barrel, fits in the hole in the center. of G, K fitting tightly in G and K in G These ringsiiave two pins projecting inside the fuse riveted to them. The latter are electrically connected iby the line fuse-wire Kfl'around which is a mixture of fine mealcd powder and gun-cotton, the rest of the fuse contain- The fuse K is forced home by the grommet L, screwed against it by the plus' L, a second plug L squeezing a grommet L against L, L being prevented from slacking back by the screwed set L". One end of the tube Nisscrewed into G, and the cavity G is filled up with bitumen or other insulating material. N is then filled up with a detonating charge and the top is closed by the plug-cap N" and the washer N After the socket G has been fitted into the.

mine and the cable 19 has been tightened up in the stufiing-boxF, then the bottom of the mine is filled up with bitumen or other in sulating material at F, so that electrical and mechanical joints are in one solid block of bitumen. The cased, coveredi by e, Figs. 9 and 10, inclose similar coils, similarly disposed with regard to one another, as those incloscd by D and E, and is the other part of the balancing-coils of the Hughes inductionbalance placed ashore or aboard ship, primary leads 18 and 17 passing through stud? lu -boxes and glands e and e, secondary leads ld hnd 12, through c and e, respectively, the case d being supported on the chocks M, in the tub of resin-oil M.

The automatic switching device (illustrated by Figs. 2, 3, and 4) placed ashore or aboard ship is a dynamomcter, with the fine-wire fioating coil 1), in two parts,the winding, Fig. 1,-being similar to that of Ampres astatic rectangles, in order to neutralize terrestrial effects. "lhey are wound on a former, of the shape shown, in some hot insulating substance which sets solid when cold. The former is afterward removed, leaving the solid coils 'lheseareplaced within the stationary ring-coil P, so as to be uuaifected by external influences; I They are rigidly connected to the aluminium blade R, to which one of its terminal wires is soldered, the other terminal wireldippinginto the mercury-cup n. A wire 2', soldered to R, dips into the mercury-cup m. These mercury-cups are in electrical connection with the binding-screws O and 0 which are coupled upto the secondary leads 1G and 20 of the I-lughcsiuduction-balance m, being also in electrical connection with which is coupled up to the terminal 10 of the exciter or local battery 8; Rigid", The blade R is suspended at Rf by m nu-war, secured to the eyeball s and adjusted bythe thumb-nut S',carried by S, which is soon red to O by the screws s, Fig. 2.

I Oneend of R floats between the Wis-@2158 poles the porcelain column of the elcctromagnet a, it being balanced Screws onto the-opposite end. The fixed coils I wound on a former Q, to which is fitted a small tube g, allow coil p to have a slight movement without touching this windinsz. The shape of the outside coil P is, as nearly as practical considerations will allow, a closed ring. Of the section shown for convenience of winding, the coil 1) would be one hollow ring if, it could be made, this apparatus being so construct-ed in order to give the greatthe terminal wires of this coil P being connected to the binding-screws O and 0', which are coupled up to lead 17 of the Hughes induction-balance and contact-clip V, Fig. 1, respectively, the wires being twisted round one another for some distance near the instrument, which is built up of the several insulating-pieces Q, Q, and Q and mounted on the slab H and leveled by the four screws J,

in the foundation I.

The electromagoet a before referred to is mounted on. the slab Ii by means of the bracket 0 and the lug f, Figs. 2 and 4. One pole of is fixed. The other a swings elf the pivots b, the. terminal wire of one end of the winding of a being soldered to the core o the other end' to the binding-scrcw T, which is coupled to the terminal .9 of the'exclter 8. A small snug is on a, on which rests the end of a lever h,'which has a fulcrum h, the other end of it arresting the lever W controlled by the flat coil-spring W wound on the spindle. W and mounted on the slab H. When released it will fly round oil the center W, striking the insulating-bridge of the switch V, which it will carry with it. V is a double pole-blade switch working elf the pivots V, which are in electrical communication with the contact clips y, closing the circuits through the clips V V and Z and Z in one position or breaking these and closing those through V in the other position, Fig. 1.

Y is a doublepole switch swinging 0H1 the ;pivots Y and engaging the clips Y, and is used for switching off the dynamo from the apparatus.

X is a double-pole. safety-switcli breaking the circuit from contact-clips V V to the leads 2O 13 when not engaging contact-clips X X A small indicator U is provided as a gage for position of R. I

The circuits may be readily traced by the aid of the diagram, Fig. 1, where the lunied arrows indicate the course of the main urrent from the alternator 5, the naked arrpvqs that ,of the induced currents, and the dottd'arrows that of the auxiliary or exciter circuit.

In order to adjust the coils accurately, a telephone is inserted between the leads 20 and 16 and a zero or noiseless position .is'obtained.

Thenthe telephone is replaced by the instrument operating the switching device, which by the adjustable balance-weight B, which est turning movement with the least inertia, 8a

which are free to turn in sockets embedded go is coupled up so that when the .induoed cur rents [from the mine at sea, or'rather thesecondary coil at sea, overpower those from the secondary coil ashore then coil 1) will turn on the thread '1.

The action of the gearis as follows: Assume that the alternator 5 has been started. The operator then closes the switch Y, which puts theqnain current from the alternator 5 through the primary coils, and also through the coils lof the instrument, Fig.1. He now looks to see that. the blade 1%, is directly under the pointer U. That being so, he knows that the insulation of the whole apparatus is all right. So he at once closes the switch X, which places the secondary leads and 13 'in communication with the contact-clips V 'and V. Say an induction-balance of the size, &c.,

to have a sensitive :zoneof tenfeet, is in the mine. Now a. ship passes within six feet of it. At once the induced currents from the secondary coil 0 at sea overpower those from the secondary coil ashore. The formercause the coilp, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, to turn on T, so

that the blade R strikes one of'thevis-d-ez's, poles of the magnet a. This at once closes a circuit which may be traced from exciter 8, lead 10, mercury-cup m, blade R, pole-piece a, coils a, lead 9, back to exciter 8. This current has excited the electromagnet (1, whose I 'vzs-d-m's pole a swings to a, gripping the blade R between them. The snug on a ,leav iug the lever h, which at once releases the arm W which plies round,turning off the center N',strikes the insulating-bridge of the switch V, swings it out of gear with the'contact-clips V V Z, and Z and into gear with the contact-clips V V. The circuits which have been closed by this action may be traced as follows: alternator 5, lead 6, pivot switch Y, clip 1, pivot V','clip,N lead 20, coil 0, fuse K (this fuse ,will blow with this current and the arc will explode the mine arid blow up the ship,) lead 13, clip V switch V, pivot V, clip Y switch Y, pivot Y, lead 7, to alternator 5. The circuits which have been broken may be traced as follows: alternator 5, lead 6, Y, KY V and V lead 14, coil C, leads 15 and 18, main coil, lead 17, coil 1, clip V V V, clip Y Y Y, lead 7, to alternator 5; also, Z, 12, 16, p, 20, C, 13, and Z,induced-cnrrent circuit, all this having been done without any human aid andby the ship herself. The switch Y can be switched. oft to allow a friendly ship to pass into harbor in safety. For example, say a blockaderunner iswaiting outside the mouth of a. river I ,for 'daylighgin order to take lier bearings,

mine it automatically explodes. It is quite clear that such a in i no is independent of tides.

torpedoestheswitch V closes all "the firing circuits of these torpedoes when operated by W, Fig. 1, becoming released by the :action of the electromagnet a, duo.

' Again, in defending a barber or river provided with forts the secondary load can also be in series with the toss in a gun sighted on the mine at sea, (the-gun being elevated and depressed byindependent mechanism to allow for rise and fall of tide,) so that when the mine-explodes soalso will the gun he fired.

I am aware that there are various mines in use, such as mechanical mines, requiring to be struck by theship, combined mines requiring skilled operators ashore using-rangefinders and closing circuits, &c., and. also fitted with electricalcircuit-closers which will explode them when struck by a ship. All these present many disadvantages in practice, too numerous to enumerate here. With my mine I eliminate all these difliculties and uncertainties, as when the ship ventures within ap'redetermined distance of the mine it automatically explodes; the ship, in fact, causing her own destruction.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,

I declare that what I claim is- 1. In-submarine thine apparatus, a vessel charged with explosive compound, a Hughes induction balance one part of which is contained within the vessel while another part thereof is situated at a distance, an electric fuse within the said vessel included in the secondary circuit of the said induction balance, a cnrrent'generator at a distance whose I circuit is connected with the primary circuit of said induction balance and means in connection with the secondary circuit thereof whereby when a. current passes through said circuit, the circuit of the current generator is switched on to said secondary circuit and is thereby made to fire the electric fuse, substantially as described.

' 2. In submarine mine apparatus the con1- bination of a mine or vessel charged with explosive compound, a Hughes induction balance, one primary and secondary coil of which is contained within said mine while the secondary primary and secondary coil thereof are situated at a distance therefrom, an electrical fuse within the mine, adapted to explode the-charge thereof and connected to the secondary'circuit of the said induction balance, a current generator at a distance from the mine, whose circuit is connected to the primary circuit of the Hughes induction bal ance, and: an automatic switching device w hereb-y aniuduced current, produced in the secondary circuit of the induction balance-by as-hip-passing within the operativedistance thereof causes the switch to connect the current gene-ratorci-rcuit onto the said secondary circuit so as to explode the fuse of the mine by the generator currents, substantially as I described;

3. The-combination with a. submarine mine of a Hughcs .induction balance, the primary WILLIAM MARSHALL HUSKISSON.

Witnesses:

S. J. DE ST; LEGIER,

C ARLES J. P. RoWLE.

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