US778339A - Compensating device for submarine boats. - Google Patents

Description

No. 778.339.. PATBNTBD DEG.27,1904.

'L Y. SPEAR.

COMBBNSATING DEVICE FOR SUBMARINE Bows. APPLICATION FILDAUG. 1. 1903. RBIEWBD MAY 24. 1904. g

l IWI LAWRENCE Y. sPEAR, oF. eREENPoRT, New

' UNITED STATES Patented December 27, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.A

YORK, AssIGNoR To ELEC- TRIO BOAT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

COMPENSATING DEVICE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,339, dated December 27, 1904.

Application filed August l, 1903. Renewed May 24, 1904. Serial No. 209,594. Y

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, LAWRENCEY. ASPEAR, of Greenport, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oompensating Devices for Submergible and Submarine Boats, .of which the following is a specication.-

This invention relates to the class of submergible and submarine boats which carry torpedoes and have means for expelling them; and it has for its object improved means for compensating the weight of torpedoes moved in a fore-and-aft direction within the boat with the purpose in view of maintaining con-` stant or very nearly constant the fore-and-aft center of gravity of the system at all times during the shifting and after the shifting of the torpedo.

In the accompanying drawing the-ligure is' a horizontal section of asubmarine boat provided 4with the invention, the'plane of the section being substantially in the axis' of the hull of the boat. Only the forward part vof the boat is shown and only such features of the mechanism as are necessary to illustrate the present invention.

' 1 is the hull of the boat. 2 designates an expulsion-tube therein, closed at its outboard end by a hinged cap 3 and at its inboard end by a door 4, both adapted to close water-tight. This door L is shown in the drawingas mounted on hinges ,and as thrown open; 5 and 511 designate torpedoes, the former being shown in position alined with the expulsion-tube and ready for entering the latter. compensating water-tanks for the respective torpedoes. y

The above features are known and need not be more particularly described. V

7 and 8 are water-receptacles connected, respectively, with the expulsion-tube by pipes 9 and 10, controlled by stop-cocks or `valves 'o' land b2. The combined capacities of the two receptacles 7 and 8 equal substantially that of the expulsion-tube, and the capacity of the receptacle 8 is equal to that of the exp pulsion-tube less the volume of water displaced by the torpedo when submerged, and

6 and 6a are- I the capacity of the receptacle 7 is of course equal to the volume of water displaced by the torpedo. The center of gravity of the tank aft center of gravity of the expulsion-tube.

The receptacle 7 is coupled by a pipe l1 with the induction side of a rotary pump 12, said pipe being controlled by a stop-cock b3, and the' induction side of this pump Vis connected with'the compensating tanks 6 and 6*L through a pipe 3, controlled by cocks b4 and b5. This pump 12 may be driven from any suitable motor 14., but preferably an electric motor. The motor drives a windlass 15 through suitable gearing 16 and on this wind'- lass winds-a rope or other iieXible connector .17, which carries at its end aV bracket 18, adapted to be secured to the stem or inboard end of the torpedo to be driven forward into the expulsion-tube.

19 is a compressed-air tank connected by a pipe 2O with the expulsion-tube, the How being controlled by a stop-cock a.

The operation is as follows:` Suppose that at starting the cap 3 and door 4 are closed and the expulsion-tube is full of water, the tanks 6 6a and receptacles 7 and 8 are empty and the cocks all closed. The torpedo 5 is shifted into alinement with the expulsion-tube, as seen in the drawing, and the cocks o and b2 opened. The air-cock a is now opened and the water blow-n from the eXpulsion-tubeinto the receptacles 7 and 8. The cocks a, and 62 are nowV closed, the door t opened, and the bracket18secured to thetorpedo. The parts are now in the position seen in the drawing, and the next step is to move the torpedo 5 forward into the expulsion-tube and to simultacle 7 to the compensating tank 6 gradually as the torpedo is moved` forward, so as to avoid disturbing the fore-and-aft center of gravity of the system. *To eifect this, the

set in motion to transfer the water from the receptacle 7 tothe compensating tank 6. Simultaneously the windlass 15' is rotated and the rope 17 wound thereon, thus drawing the cocks b3 and [fare opened and the pump 12l 7 is substantially coincident with the fore-andtaneously transfer the water from the receptorpedo into the tube, and by means of the cock b3 the iiow of the Water back to the tank c may be regulated, so as to eiect very accurate compensation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A submarine or submergible boat having an expulsion-tube, a water-receptacle adjacent to said tube and having a capacity substantially equal to the displacement of the torpedo in the tube, a compensation-tank for the torpedo, a pump which transfers the water from the said receptacle to the said compensation-tank, a motor operating said pump, and means for moving the torpedo into the tube simultaneously with the shifting of' the compensating water.

2. A submarine or submergible boat having an expulsion-tube, awater-receptacle connected with said tube and having a capacity equal to the displacement of the torpedo submerged in the tube and having its center of gravity substantially coincident with the torcand-aft center of gravity oi the expulsiontube, a compensation-tanl for the torpedo, a pump which transfers the water vfrom the said water-receptacle to said compensation-tank, a motor operating said pump, a windlass operated by said motor simultaneously with the pump, the rope wound upon said windlass and provided with means for coupling it to the torpedo, and a controlling-cock in the pipe between the water-receptacle and the pump for regulating the iiow.

In witness whereoil I have hereunto signed my name, this 27th day ol July, 1903, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LLUVRENCE Y. SPEAK.

Witnesses:

HOWARD Y. TUTHILL, WILLIAM R. SANDS.

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