US644943A - Diving and submarine apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

No. 644,943. Patented Mar. 6, 1900.

6. PINO.

DIVING AND SUBMA-BINEAPPARATUS.

(Applicatiop. filed act. 29, 1898.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shevat l Fig.1

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No. 644,943. Patented Mar. 6, 1900. G. PINO.

DIVING AND SUBMABINE APPARATUS.

(Applicatioai filed Oct. 29, 1898.)

3 Sheets-Sham 2 (No Model.)

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$200306 fihsq m: unams PETERS cu. PflOTCLLITHO. WASHINGTON. D c.

No. 644,943, Patented Mar. 6, I900.

G. PING.

DIVING AND SUBIHARINE APPARATUS.

(Application fiIed'Oct. 29, 1898.)

3 Sheets-Shani 3.

(No Model.)

lJNITED STATES PATENT T moron.

eiusnrrn PINO, or GENOA, ITALY.

DIVING AND SUBMARINE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,943, dated March 6, 1900.

Application filed October 29, 1898. Serial No. 694,934. (No model.)

1'0 a whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GIUSEPPE PINO, engineeiga subject of the King of Italy, and a resident of Genoa, Italy, have invented a certain new Improvement in Diving and Submarine Apparatus, (for which I- have obtained a patent in Italydated June 6, 1898, No. 47,709,)

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to diving and submarine apparatus; and it consists in the construction and novel combination of the parts of the same, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed. v

The invention has for its object to enable one or more persons to descend beneath the surface of a body of water to a given depth, to remain there for a'given time, to pass from point to point in a desired direction, and to work from within the interior of the apparatus by means of appropriate tools and devices for gathering andcollecting objects for which the occupant or occupants of the apparatus are in search.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a divingand submarine apparatus embodying improvements of my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional viewof the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken at a right angle to the sectional view shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail View of the propelling apparatus for moving the apparatus from one point to an other while submerged. one of the bearing-plates and the crank and sleeve for operating one of the several tools used in connection with submarine apparatus. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view of one of the collecting-tools used in connection with the submarine apparatus, showing the tool in both the closed and open'positions. Fig. is a detail view of the beveled gearing, toolguide, tool-shaft, and the hand-wheel for turning the tool-guide. Fig. 8 is a detail view of one of the tool-holders, showing the laterallyswinging frame provided'with the verticallyadjustable slide for elevating and depressing the inner end of the tool-holder.

The upper part of the apparatus is provided I with a dome 1, by which persons are enabled to enter and the inlet-door 23 of which can be easily opened or closed from the interior by means of suitable mechanism, comprising Fig. 5 is an inner face view of interior of the apparatus.

cated, into which, through the medium of a valve 38, the requisite quantity of water can be; introduced, which is required for ballasting the'apparatus. V

The lower part of the apparatus is, moreover, externally provided with a ballastingreceptacle 3, pierced with holes sufiiciently small to prevent the ballast from passing through, but so arranged that the water is enabled to freely circulate around the reservoir when the apparatus rests on the bottom and that the points 9 9, which touch the bottom, present but a very small surface in order that the equilibrium of pressures around the apparatus be not disturbed, seeing that in the contrary case the apparatus might run the risk of remaining engaged with the bottom owing to vertical pressure on the apparatus.

In the upper part a circular metal jacket or cap is tightly secured around the dome 1,- and between the outer surface of the apparatus and the interior of the jacket or cap-a ring of wood or cork 23 is placed, the object of which is to mitigate any blows or concussions in case the apparatus should be struck upon the cap 23. The lower part of this ring is preferably fiat to impart to the apparatus a greater amount of stability. Apart of the jacket or cap is hollow, and when the apparatus is submerged it fills with water, which enters through the holes in the ring above referred to. In order to completely fill this space with water, it is necessary that the air contained therein should be allowed to pass out by a cock which can be operated from the Upon the lower edge of the jacket or cap protectional guards or repellers 24 are fixed, formed by bars of iron or othersuitable metal, which reach down to the bottom of the ballast-chamber while keeping a slight distance apart from the same. Instead of the said repellers starting from the lower edge of the cap or jacket they may also start directly from the dome and descend right serve as an outer support for the apparatus,

which is indispensable for carrying out the operations from inside, as will be further on explained.

Around the dome rings 16 are placed, to

which chains or the like for towing the apparatus and in case of need for lifting the same can be fastened.

Upon the surface of the apparatus holes are provided, which are protected by strong crystals 43, through which the persons inclosed in the apparatus can see outside the same. These crystals are protected by gratings 43, while powerful electric lamps 14L below said crystals spread an intense light around the apparatus.

Suitable receptacles are suspended from the outside of the apparatus to receive either objects collected under water or the operating-tools, as will be hereinafter referred to.

Pressure-gages 19, communicating with the exterior, indicate to the operators the depth at which they find themselves.

A cook 28, placed in the upper part of the dome, enables the supply of air to be renewed when the apparatusis fioatingon the surface Without opening the inlet-door.

The driving and steering apparatus con-- sist-- (01) Of a device arranged below the apparatus and serving to remove or shift the same when resting on the bottom. This device is actuated from the interior by means of gearing. It operates like a lever, lifts the apparatus and propels the same or pushes the same back, according to requirements. It is evident that this apparatus may, if required, be fitted with several similar devices instead of one only, which then of course are arranged in different directions, so that movements in different directions maybe imparted to the apparatus.

(b) Of a screw-propeller 39 for propelling the apparatus when being under water, but not resting on the ground, and of a vertical screw-propeller 38 for the ascending or descending propulsion or movement.

Two fans or blades 34: 34, arranged upon the two sides of the apparatus, serve as rudders or guides, the axes of these blades passing through the walls. The said blades or rudders 3 1- 34 receive different inclinations by means of a hand-crank adapted to slide upon a graduated guide to enable the degree of inclination being exactly fixed. It is evident that according to the inclination imparted to the blades or rudders 34 while working the screw-propellers an ascending or descending movement in an inclined direction or a movement of translation in a horizontal direction can be obtained and that, on the other hand, by suitably inclining the blades or rudders 34 34 a circular movement of the apparatus around its vertical axis can be obtained. The anchor or anchors 4, operated from the interior by means of suitably-adapted windlasses, serve to offer points of support to the apparatus and to enable the same when lowered to the ground to maintain itself at the desired depth ever independently of the other devices before referred to.

The descent of the apparatus to the desired depth is obtained by admitting into the wellroom 2, by means of a valve, the quantity of water necessary to overcome the buoyancy of the liquid in which the apparatus is immersed. lVhen the apparatus is-equipoised at the desired depth by lowering the anchor to the ground, it will reascend to the waterlevel and can be subsequently relowered to the desired depth by operating the Windlass and winding up the chain.

To cause the apparatus to reascend, several means have been provided in this invention independently of the vertical screw-propeller above referred to and of the movement of translation in a vertical direction by means of the anchor and of the ascending movement by means of the screw-propeller combined with suitable inclined rudders. A bydraulic compensation-pump with automatic-. ally-acting stop-valve is arranged for the discharge of water and compensation-valve of the pump, which is thus capable of expelling at different depths a given quantity of water from the well-room 2. The ascending movement may be, moreover, effected by discharging in case of need from the reservoir, the necessary quantity of ballast, which latter operation is effected by opening trap-doors 9 9, which by their arrangement have the advantage of slightly lifting the apparatus off the ground, if required. A

Another means for reducing the weight'of the apparatus and for causing it to rise to the water-level consists in the provision of compressed air contained in a reservoir 20, placed in the interiorof the apparatus, and especially in'its upper part in order to occupy less space, and formed of a coiled metal tube. This reservoir 20 can be freely charged from the interior by operating the valves 30 31, arranged in the space under the cap or jacket, which, as has already been stated, is filled with air when the apparatus is submerged. It is evident that as the air, (contained in the coiled pipe or other appropriate receiver provided with a stop-valve,) which is at a pressure higher than that of the water which surrounds the apparatus, escapes from the valve into the above-mentioned space it will drive out the water contained in the same and the apcapped receiver may for this purpose not only 1 be placed in the upper part of the apparatus, but also at any point outside the apparatus, and may receive any appropriate shape, always providing that it can be filled with water in asubmerged sphere and that it is so formed that as the compressed air enters it is enabled to drive out the water and occupy the place of the latter.

The working apparatus consist of arms or armlets 36 36, of india rubber or other elastic material, and of devices hereinafter described. The arms more especially serve for operations to be effected at comparativelysmall depths. These arms or armlets 36 are tightly secured to the apparatus, and it is evident that as the operator passes his arms into the armlets through corresponding holes provided in the wall of the apparatus he caneasily operate any'tool, such as tongs or pincers, axes, drills, and the like, and, speaking generally, any tool suitable for working or seizing objects, placing them into receptacles adapted for this purpose and for storage 'purposes.

\Vhen the outer pressure is greater than the powerthat can be executed by the operator placed in the interior of the apparatus or if otherwise thought fit, the work may also be executed by means of devices such as hereinafter described, and in order to prevent the outer pressure forcing the armlets inward and admitting water into the apparatus water gates or sluices have been provided, which hermetically close the holes corresponding to the armlets proper.

The working apparatus proper consists of a pipe J, of bronze or other appropriate metal, which traverses a hole provided. for this purpose in a sphere A, which is held in position between the walls of the diving apparatus by means of flanges fixed by sorew-bolts,'the said flanges inclosing stuffing-boxes for the purpose of keeping them water-tight. This small sphere A enables the aforesaid pipe J to move in all directions and always within a certain working radius. J thesphere A may also be traversed by a screw-spindle E or by any other device suitable to the apparatus in order to admit of its operating under different degrees of inclination. The serew-spindle E is operated through beveled gears F, G, &c., either by the handwheel 11 or through a shaft provided with a bevcl-gear meshing with a bevel-gear on the Independently of the pipe end of ,the spindle E. Upon the front part of the pipe J the tool required for the work to be executed may be fixed by means of bolts or bolts and nuts in such a manner that on the same working apparatus a large number of different tools may be fixed at the same time. In one example one j-aw C of a tongs has been provided on the said tube, while the other jaw D of the tongs is arranged on a rod I, contained in the said tube. This rod I terminates at its front part in screw-threads of suitable length, while screw-threads of corresponding pitch are provided in the sleeve of the second jaw D, which is adapted to slide in a groove provided for the aforesaid pipe in the same plane as the first jaw. It is evident that on turning the rod within the tube about its axis the .jaw will advance or recede, according to the direction in which the said rod is operated. Instead of tongs or pincers being arranged on the working apparatus scissors or shears, saws, and some other tool or tools requiring a reciprocating movement,also axes, spades, or the like, may be provided thereon.

For the purpose of fishing corals, sponges, and,speakinggenerally,forcollecting objects, a spoon-shaped tool may be adapted to the working apparatus, consisting of two concentric semispheres L M, adapted to close up and to form a ball when fitted to the apparatus and when a semicircular movement around its axis is imparted tothe rod. In order to insure water-tight joints for the working tool, stuffing-boxes are arranged, one of which is connected to the sphere for keeping off the water around the tube, and the other to the end of the rod for insuring a tight closure around the same. In order that the rod may be operated circularly to its axis, a gearing actuated by a hand-crank is provided, said working tool being thrust forward and moved back by means of a suitably-operated screw and gear, said screw being fixed to its front extremity and the gear on the other extremity. This screw-threaded extremity Q traverses a support or bearing V, which is provided with internal screw-threads and working with a nut. Instead of the screw a rack or equivalent mechanism may also be employed. It is evident that by turning the gear by means of a crank to right or left the working apparatus will be driven forward or moved back. For the purpose of turning the tube and the whole apparatus within the sphere use is made of a suitable handle. Finally, in order to insure exactness of movement of the working apparatus and to overcome the frictions caused by the great pressures due to the depth, use is made of the device which consists of two guides N N, between which slides a carriage adapted to be raised and lowered by means of a gearing device PV, and in the center of which passes the pipe of the working apparatus or other equivalent means. Thus the exact movement in the vertical direction of the apparatus is insured. To effect the move- ICC ment in a horizontal direction, a suitable gear device R S is employed, which is operated by .the movement of a hand-crank adapted to turn the system about pivots or other equivalent means.

It is evident that, owing to the combination of the two movements above described, the working apparatus can be turned into any desired position allowed by the movement of the sphere. The whole system is so constructed as to admit of being dismounted at will in order that the working apparatus may be turned by hand if small pressures admit of such operation. In seizing an object either by means of the armlets or with the working apparatus described it would without a fixed outer point be impossible to collect the said object or to detach the same or to perform any working operation unless the apparatus be located near a subaquatic reef or rock increasing from its base or near some other obstacle, since, in the contrary case, if the effort required were greater than the power of inertia of the apparatus one would not bring the object placed in the tool toward the apparatus, but the apparatus would be drawn toward the object and the tool, and consequently all the work would be useless if the apparatus had not the bottom as its point of support. This defect is avoided by means of the repellers above referred to.

Duplicate working apparatus may be provided to facilitate the working. A double Windlass, arranged on the exterior, is likewise a working apparatus, capable of being operated from the interior, and around the drum of which cables can be wound for lifting weights or for facilitating the working in some way or other.

The apparatus is further provided with valves for the compensation of the pump 41, with a telephone apparatus, with steps or ladder 17 to the dome 1, with holes for charging the ballast, and with spaces for electric accumulators and for dynamos.

I reserve the right of applying any such alterations to the constructional details and to the arrangement of the constituent parts as may be found suitable in practice without thereby in any way departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having now fully described my said invention and the manner in which same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus for effecting the descent and the propulsion under water, of one or more persons, a repelling device 24 or analogous means provided around the apparatus and on its outside, so as to form points of support, adapted to execute the work from the interior toward the exterior, and a protectin g device for the apparatus itself.

2. In an apparatus for effecting the descent and the propulsion under water, of one or more persons, a spherical jacket or cap 25 or an outer protecting-cover for the apparatus, for the purpose above described.

3. In an apparatus for efiecting the descent and thepropulsion under water of one or more persons, the arrangement of water-gates or sluices 37, the object of which is to close the holes of the armlets 36, so as to prevent the latter from being forced inward when exposed, to high water-pressures.

4. In an apparatus for effecting the descent and the propulsion under water of one or more persons; the combination with the body of the apparatus, and the dome provided with the air-cock 28, of the compressed-air reservoir- 20 provided with the valve 30 for charging the reservoir 20 with air from the exterior of the vessel when afloat, and the valve for supplying air from the'reservoir to the interior of the body, as set forth.

5. I11 a diving and submarine apparatus, the combination with the main body portion of the apparatus, of the dome 1 provided with .an inlet-door having a cork protecting-cover,

substantially as specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

G'IUSEPPE PINO. Vitnesses:

LUIGI LECCHR, E. N. DOLRITORICTO.

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