US952451A - Torpedo and the like. - Google Patents

Description

Wij nessi;

K. 0. LEON.

TORPEDO AND THE LIKE. APPLIGATION FILED Nov. 1, lo?.

Patented Mar.22, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

[nuera/tbl y wf Kyo. LEON. y TORPEDO AND THE LIKE. l i APrLIoATIoN FILED Nov. 1(1907. l @Q5-2,451 Patented Mar.22, 1910.

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v Inventar l v l Zl/LzI/t n, e alms K.0. LEON.

TORPBDO AND THE LIKE. APPLIGATION FILED Nov. 1, 1907.

Ptented Mar.22,191q.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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the following "adjust themSeli'eS esta,

,they have. notv direction.

bitteren elimine retrait@ o KARL esima LEON, or sToeKHoLM, SWEDEN, ASSIGNOR or @Nn-HALF To Pima or Boites & CARLANDER, er GOTTENBORG, swnmiii.

ToRPEDo AND THE LIKE.

limi

Application le November `1. 1907.

To all Viii/lem it muy concern:

lte it known that Kim. Osuna intox, a Subject-ot the King ot Swedenv` and resident if ttoelcliolni. in the ingdom ot Sweden. 'have' inyented new and ueetul- .improve` ments in iorpedoeS and the Lilie. ot whieli beinghad to the drawings acoonipatryingl and` termin,l a part hereof.

This invention relates to improyeiuent5A in torpedoes; and the like.

The object oi" the invention is to increase `the probability ot hitting at greater distances by Causing' the torpedoes launched in theynsual way to Stop ata` predetermined distance from the launehing place, in case already been exploded by against. any object', andl to thereupon at a predetermined depth ot snbmersiou. in order to act for some time as: mines orp the aub-floating or unanc'hored .type and to enable a mine tield to be easily torn'ied aty any desired distance troni 'the launchingI place. .y A

In the Specification ot my earlier appliem tion for patent Serial Number Blf/S498. tiled April. lli. lflOT. .l have deaeribed a Subtioating mine adapted to be lauuehed in the same ahoek .manner as a torpedtiand to adjust itselfK thereforej etopl at' a comparatively hortE distance (a` few yarda) .from the launchingv pl aire.

The. present intention, on the oontrary. ,proridea a neu' weapon making' it post, )le to establish an etlleetiye lield ot' `aubtloating, mines at any desired distance from the. launehingh plaee.` Said weapon thus at fording a quite novel taetiealellieet. A ileet provided with auch weapons is thus able to eatahlish a .mine iield in 'liront ot a moving hostile fleet. for instance, atA the ordinary lighting; distance or at any distance between the tleets.y by which the blocked up i'ieet is prevented trom movingl tartlier in the Same. The non' weapon iS therefore to a certain extent ii'idependent of the deereaSed Security of hittiirer at greater diS- tanees.`

lVitlrthia and other objects in View the. invention consists, ehietly. in the eonibination of an engine. peller Shaft for driving' the. apparatus, iueansi lfor Startingthe engine, when the' apadapted to'rotatel a pro- Specification of Letters Patent.

a yaperilisation, retereneey depth regulating elia serial No. 490.215,

-paratuS is launehed. meane t'oi automatic all): Stopping the apparatus. when it i traveled a predetermined meaua for causing the appara i. a tier stopping. to oSeillate yertieally aboutV a predetermined normal depth oi euhm lraion and to aet t'or Sonie time. a.; a ziilVi-tioaiinl mine.

The invention further compi-if' the. eon- Struetious and combiuationfl .ot l here,- ina'lter particularly deserbed.

In the drawings' l hare illustrated, by way ot example. three embodiments: of a. torpedo eonatrnetedV :Ufern-dingl to this invention.

Figure l is a vertir'al section ot the tore part oiI one embodiment. Fig'. is a partial vertical section and partial elevation otl the rear part et the same embodiment. lfi is a diagram of the eleetrio circuito. VFi 4 is a partial vertical section and partial elevation ot' thi` rear part of, a Second torni of the torpedo. Figs. 5 and (t are two View@ similar to Figs. l and Q, respeetivel ot" a third embodiment Whit-li may be obtained by a smalleliange ot' a eounnou torpedo.

le'tferrinel to Fie. l ot the draai the mber il Set. tortli in my earlier applieation above referred to if; loeated in the foremost part ot the torpedo. The Said Chamber 3 communicates through a tube t or otheru'iae with the fater outside the torpedo. The tube t suitably extends from the t'ore part of the depth-rgulating eliauiber toward the rearuarifl bottom of the Said ehamber. loeated behind theI depthregulatiug Chamber is a hig'lni'i'ressure inhamber 5 filled with highly eouipreseed air or gas, such as earbouie acid. Thia hielrpressure chamber has tor 'its ehiel"v object; to pro` Videl the'pressure fluid required tor the .depth-regulation, after the torpedo has the rear nozzle of the three-Way-eoelt. i

into- CIV.

'ing circuit can be closed, for instance by the closing of an electric Contact, when the torpedo'strikes an object. 3, I `have shown a device consisting of a horn 38 adapted to close a contact 3S), when the. torpedo strikes a vessel, and thereby to complete a circuit for the battery 3l through conductor 40, contacts 36, conductor 41, tuse 4Q, conductor ati-, Contact Btl, conductor slet, contacts 35, conductor 45, and comluctors 33 and 3() back to the battery 81. The fuse then` ignites the explosive charge, so that the torpedo is exploded.

it' the torpedo should miss its object. which, at greater distances, is most t'requently the case, its activity does not thereby cease. ln foii'ming-a mine field. it ma)v be of advantage to cause the torpedoes to stop vessels to be blocked up. This I in front ot' the can be performed in several ways, for instance by shutting ott the sugply ot fuelA to the internal combustion engine a predetern'iined-length of timel after tlwstar'tingot the engine.4 or by shutting oli4 thepropellershaft etc. ln the diagrannlfig. 3, l have shown certain apparatus included in the circuit for controlling the engine in the, case of an internal combustion engine being used, said apparatus suit-ablyy consisting of a clock-work til and electroanagnets G2, (53 and G4 for controlling the supply ot' air and` fuel to the engine as well as the ignition of the explosive gas mixture, respectively rThe clock-work til comprises two' contact rods 65, titl, each connected to one pole ot the batter)v 3l, and a contact spring S7 normally forming a bridge between the two Contact rods. lhe contact spring is driven by the clock-work, `tor instance in the clockward direction indicated by the arrow. `When thecontaet spring reaches the position indicated by dotted lines, in which it does not connect the contact rods 65, G6, the circuit It() is broken.` Until this takes place the electro-magnets (32, 63, (il are supplied with current and the engine is kept working'. Ilach ot the two electro-magnets (32 and (S3 controls an arma ture 68, (39. resl'iectiveljv, each connected to the plugl of a cock 7G. 7l, respectively. tor supplying' air or fuel, respectively, to the engine. When the electro-magnets are energized and attract their armatures. the supply cocks are opened and supply the engine with air and fuel. lVhen the electromagncts are deprived olE current. the armatures are retracted b v springs in such positions as to keep the supplv cocks closed. The electro magnet (i4. when energized. attracts an armature and. thereby. clos'ls an auxiliar)v circuit includinggl a batteri' i. a .stelt-inter ruplcr 7l. and a contact 75 adapted to be closed hv the engine in a certain position ol' the piston thereot'. lhe selt-interruptcr In the diagram, Fig.

, the air required for the combustion, or d1sconnectnig` l I l l i l l l i i g l l i i l i l l l l l water surface. water is admi forms the prii'narivinding ot an induction Coil whose secondary windingr To is connected to a spark gap TT `serving' to ignite the gas mixture compressed within tht` explosion chamber.

l By suitably adjusting the clock-work o1, the engine maY be caused to propel the torpedo throughiany desired distance. llvheu the clock-w' rk breaks the circuit 5 30. the torpedo ceases to move lmrizontall);` and, ou account ot' the displacement of Weight. takes up a vertical position with the ,tore end upwardly. The action otI the torpedo as a floating mine npw commences. lt' the torpedo sinks beneath a 1n'edetermined depth ot? submersion. the` water bellows l2 is increased, whcrclrv the bellows extends and presses theI rod l l and. thereby. the crank l() downwardly so that theicock shuts` oil' the connection between theftubes tl and t) and. instead thereof. opens the connection between the tubes t3 and t). .A part otl the compressed .air or gas inclosed within the high-pressure chamber 5 thus rushes into the upper part ot the depth-regulating' chamber and presses out a greater or less quantity ot' the water which is in the lower part ot the said chamber. `s aid water beingl 'caused to rise throuojh the tube 4 and escape.

(ln account thereof` the torpedo again liccomes lighter and rises. whereb \.fv thc bcllow's i2 contacts and moves the rod 1 l upward. so that the coimnunication between th;x tubes t5 and 9 is shut oli'A and the communication between the tubes 3 land 5) is recstablishell. lt the torpedo should ascend too near the tted trom without through tube +IA into thc tlcpth-rcgulating chamber so as to lill a lpart thereof, b v which the torpedo crows heavier and sinks. The torpedo is thus caused to kecp itselt' at a certain depth ot .submersion or to ascend a short, distance. above and descend a short distance. below a certain normal position. Vln order to prevent water trom enteringthe tube 5) the mouth'oi said tube is shown covered by a bell or the like. It is obvious that. when the pressure within the high-pressure chamber has decreased to a value equal to the sum of the atlnospheric pressure and the water pressure, no t'urther deptlrregulation will take place, but the torpedo will slowlyY sink. 'lhe vsinking;` ot-the torpedo facilitated, itl the gas conlined Within the high-pressure chamber is ot such a nature as to be easily absorbed in wa.- ter. The time the torpedo keeps itselt floating is. to a grml' extent. dependent ot' the size of the high-pressure chamber and ot the initial pressure therein. but it is also dependent ot other 'tactors. such as the cross sectional arcao'tl thc exhaust pipe At'or thc gas and ot the presence o1 absence ot means tor moderating` the riolence ot' the `vertical movements otf the torpedo. The cap ett/S at.

pressure within the the front end of the torpedo Serves to prevenogthe water pressure in the bellows 12, during the propelling of the torpedo. to rise to such a height that the belows will open the. connection between the high-pressure ehamlirer 5 and the deptl't-regulat'ing chamber 3. Obviously, to this end, a valve 4T interposed in the tube t') might be employed. said valve being adapted to be kept closed during the travel of the torpedo through the ater, whereasA it: is automatically opened.y when the engine eeases working. It may, however. be ot advantage not to malte use ot any closing deviee. because the bellows 1i and the eoelt 7 will then cope ate with the means within the ehatnber lt'' for retaining the torpedo at a predetermined depth during the travel ot' the. torpedo through the water.

ln order to prevent extressive shaking. the internal eombust'ion engine ean. suitably. be elastically supported. lretierably. a soealled explosion turbine may be used` sinee the yShaking is thereby essentially ditnin ished. Situated within the chamber behind the engine ehatnher if; the. gyroseope 47S Serving` to prevent the torpedo t'rom departing. during the propulaion. from the vert'ieal platte in whieh it was` e'ieeted. ln the usual torpedoesl the gyroetfope ia driven by the energ itnparted thereto. when the torpedo ejeelted. but in liar-going torpedoeb` it may be neees'sary to drive the gyroseope by any suitable means. lptteh drivingtneana` are well known and there't'ore. need not be partienlarly deszeribed. 'l'he automatie depth lregulation whirh takes, plane. when the torpedo has stopped. need not be performed in the manner hereinltet'ore desrribed. The engine lo might be started. or eonnected to the propeller sha t't. when the torpedo de- :st-ends. and .stopped or diseonnerted trom the propeller fshal't'. when the torpedo ast-euds beyond predetet'mined limits. 'l`he Ieontrolling of the engine. or the eonnet-ting and disronnerting ol same. may in ,aut-h a ease be performed by the bellow` li) whieh m this instaure may be plaeed in the engine ehamber 1T. It preferred. tlte bellows 1; (Fig. rl) may be used to t-ontrol an air supplying valve 22 of the tnrbi-ne or starting motor l in Sueh a manner that the said valve is opened and tlte turbine is eansteo to rotate. when the water pressure in the bellows Il) is inet-eased above a predetermined \alue. whereas. when the water pressure in the bellows is decreased. the valve Q2 is elosed and the turbine is caused to Stop.

lt`igs. 5 and (l show in what ntannet' a torpedo of usual eotrstrttetion eau be ehanged into a none torpedo. This ean be. performed by interpot-tinf. between the detonator l5 laituated at the front. end of the t 51 inclosing the' hereinbetore described apl pliances for regulating the dep/th of submerl Sion of the torpedo, when it has stopped and taken up a Vertical poition with the Contact devices at the top.

in the torpedo Shown in Figs. 5 and (l the detonator is ignited b v a pereuasion device l arranged in Such a manner that the torpedo is reliably exploded, when exposed to a shook in any direction. Instead ot the hornsl 38 Shown in Fig. 1. levers may be employed, said levers being adapted to tttrn about pivots entering oblong slots 54. in the levers 5'2. so as to allow the latter not only to be turned but also to be moved Somewhat longitudinally. The levers suitably three in number (only two visible.) beat' with their forward sides. which have a somewhat oblitpte direetion. on a shoulder 55 and with their rear edges on a firing pin tt'. This pin iS moved baeltwardly, as soon as one or the other ot' levers fri is turned backwardly or moved in its longitudinal direetion along the .shoulder u Wheii the pin is moved baeltwardly. the primer 5T is ignited. by whieh the t'nees 5S. the explosive eharge .3!) and. thereby. the main detonator t5 are eaused to explode. Flared in front ol' the printer 5T is a thin metal sheet tt) Serving to prewnt the entranre ot' water to the explosive eltarge. In order to prevent loelted by any suitable loeltingl deviee. whieh is released. when tlte torpedo is inserted into the torpedo tube.

llaving now deseribed tny invention7 what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters latent iw*A patatus. o'l' a propeller shat't. an engine plaeed within Vthe apparatus and adapted to rotate the said shalt. means for starting the engine. means t'or automatieally stopping the apparatus. when it has traveled a predetermined distanee. and moanaA fot' causing the apparatus7 at'ter stopping. to oscillate, vertiealltv about a predetermined normal depth of submersion.

'2. The eombination with a torpedo, of a propeller shaft. an engine placed within the torpedo and adapted to rotate the yQaid shaft. means t'or starting the engine. n'teans for automatieally stopping the torpedo. when it has traveled a predetermined distance. and means for t'anslng the torpedo, after stopping. to oseillate vertiealljt' about a predetermined normal depth otl subtitel-sion, aeting t'or some time as a i-'ubtloating mine.

2'). The eombination with a torpedo. ot' a propeller shaft'. an engine placed within the torpedo and adapted to rotate the said Shaft. meanav for automatically starting the engine when the torpedo is latini-hed. meansv t'or autotnatieally stopping the engine. when tht` torpedo and the air-vessel 50, a tubular part t torpedo has traveled through a predeter l. ll`he eombination with a .submarine apunintentionat exploding. the pin .'tt' is kept' mined distance, and means for causing the propeller shaft, an engine placed within the torpedo, after stopping, to oscillate vertitorpedo and adapted to rotate the said shaft, cally about a predetermined normal depth of means for lstarting the engine, means for submersion, acting for some time as a subautomatically stopping the torpedo, when it 5 floating mine. has traveled through a predetermined dis- 4.' The combination with a torpedo, of a tance, and a pressure fluid turbine adapted propeller shaft, an engine placedwithin the to rotate the propeller shaft, after the tor- I torpedo and adapted to rotate the said shaft., pedo has stopped, when the torpedo sinks means for starting the engine, means for below a predetermined 'depth of submersion. l() automatically stopping the torpedo, when it In testimon)7 whereof I have Signed my has traveled through a predetermined diename tothis specification in the presence of tance, and means for causing the propellerltwo subscribing witnesses.

shattI to rotate, after the torpedo has stopped, KARL OSKAR LEON; when the torpedo sinks 'below a predeterlVitnesses: 1,-, mined depth of submersion. AUGUST SRANSEN,

5. The combination with a torpedo, of a EMHVAH'ERERG.

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