US694486A - Submarine permanent way. - Google Patents

Description

No. 694,436. Patented Mar. 4, |902.l

K. LEPs.

SUBMARINE PERMANENT WAY.

(Application Bled Aug. 80, 1901.)

No. 694,486. Patentedlar.. 4, i902.

K. LEPs. v -SUBMABINE PERMANENT WAY.

(Application led Aug. 30, 1901.)

- 3 Shets-Shet 2.

(No Model.)

yum/mz Jim@ M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KARL LEPS, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO JOHANNES VON DONAT,

OF LEIPSIO, GERMANY. y

SUBNIARINE PERMANENT WAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,486, dated March 4, 1902.

' Application filed August 30, 1901. Serial No. '73,81%2, (No model To a/ZZ wtmn t may concern.'

Be it known that I, KARL LEPS, a subject of 'the Emperor of Germany, residing at 53 I-Iornerlanstrasse, Hamburg, Germany, have invented certain new and useful ImprovementsV in Submarine Permanent Ways; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will en able others'skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same.

This inventionl relates to submarine permanent ways, and has for its object to provide means for connecting stations separated by channels, canals and the like, so that passengers or goods can be transported across without making use of bridges, and the proposed connection in such that obstruction o'r endangering of the traffic by storms or fogs is prevented.

According to this invention two stations separated by water are connected by establishing a permanent submarine Vline consisting of wire ropes, chains, or the like, the said line being intended to serve as a guide to submarine boats fitted in asu'itable manner and to conduct them safely from one station to the other.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a station at one end of the line. Fig. 2 is a similar view of part of the line. Figs. 3 and 4c are front -views of the boat. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are end side elevation, side elevation, and plan, respectively, showing the anchorage of theline on the bottom of the Water-bed. Fig. Sis a horizontal section of a submarine boat.

According to the size and construction of the submarine boats employed for the conveyance ofrpersons and cargo, two opposite stations are connected by a line s, anchored at the bottom of the water-bed and formed by one or more wire ropes, chains, or the like. As it would be preferable to use two ropes, the line, as shown, consists of two ropes. The ends of the ropes are xed above water within the stations, (see Fig. 1,) while they are held in position under water at a suitable distance from the ground by means of suitable guiding-frames b. (See Figs. 5 7.)

The submarine boats are provided with running and guiding rollers, respectively, corresponding to the line-that is to say, the rollers r are so arranged as to roll along the line s, and thereby guide the boat in the required direction; but it is advisable to fit the said rollers r, as indicated in Fig. 8, with a suitable driving-gear, so that the friction may be easier overcome and, moreover, that they may at the same time be used rfor assisting in the forward movement of the boat.

For the purpose of propelling the boats the well-known shipsy screws are employed.

In addition to the guiding-rollers arranged on both sides of the boat (see Figs. 4157) or at the bottom thereof (see Fig. 4:) there are at- 65 tached to the boat runners a, which are actuated by the driving machinery of the boat and are made use of whenever the latter runs into the harbor, for they gradually ascend on the incline d, leading to the bottom of the 7o bed, thus conveying the boat to the shore, where she comesrto rest on a turning platform g, the latter serving to reverse the same for the return journey. (See Fig. l.)

In the case of loading the boats care should 7 5 be taken to see that they possess the degree of buoyancy required to press the running rollers?a upward against the line s. (See Fig. 2.)

When the ropes are arranged so as to be suspended between two guiding-frames, with 8o the vresult that the boat running along the line is bound to describe wave-like curves, it is necessary to lit the boat with a horizontal steering mechanism h., by means of which she may be steered up and down, respectively.

Of course all boats have to be so arranged as to be suitable for traveling on the surfacethat is to say, there should be the usual vertical steering mechanism-and the boat should, moreover, have the required ballast, `which 9o may be removed from the boat in cases'of defects of the line, thereby enabling the said boat to ascend to the surface of the water.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Submarine permanent way, for conductinga submarine boat from one station to another, consisting of wire ropes, chains or the like with which running rollers on the boat are adapted to engage, guide frames or suproo ports by which the ropes or the like are kept at a suitable distance from the bottom of the bed and stations or platforms to which the ends of the rope are fastened above Water, in such a manner, that the boats are only guided along the line during their journey under Water.

2. Submarine permanent Way, for conducting a submarine boat from one station to another, consisting of Wire ropes, chains or the like with which running rollers on the boat are adapted to engage, guide frames or supports by which Ithe ropes or the like are kept at a suitable distance from the bottom of the bed and stations or platforms to which the ends of the rope are fastened abovewater, and a permanent 'incline for conducting the boats into the station, arranged leading to the bottom of the bed and on which runners attached to the bottom of the boat are traveling, thereby conducting the said boats to the turning platforms.

3. Submarine permanent way, for conducting a submarine boat from one station to another, consistng of Wire ropes, chains or the like with which running rollers on the boat

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