US984515A - Device for use in connection with naval warfare. - Google Patents

Description

G. E. ELIA.

DEVICE POB USE IN CONNECTION WITH NAVAL WABFARE.

A APPLIoATioH FILED 11H4, 1909.

Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

A lowing is a specification. y

This invention relates tol submarine eX-' nnirnsrl-trials Parana; carros.-

GIOVNNI EMANUELE ELIA, OF LCNDOL ENGLAND.

DEVICE FOR 'USE IN CONNECTION 471TH NAVAL WARFARE Specification 0f Letters Patent. Patented Fel). 14, 1911.

Original. application filed March 10, 1908, Serial No." 420,l62.` Divided and this application filed May 4,

1909. *SerialNqBBJSel' ent residing at Baileys Hotel, Kensingtom. 1n the county ot London, England, have inf'` rented certain. new and uset'ul Improvements -in .or Relating t/oADevceS for Use in 00111160? tion with Naval Warfare, of which the'fol.-

plosive devices .for use .in connection' with naval warfare.v 5'

At lthe present time ,pal methods employed in naval vWarfare for ,attacking the vessels of an enemy; lfirst, by

nicansof s liellslired' from guns, 4and sec ondlyr` by means ofvarious kinds of' `torpedoes.y A: projectile can only' damage a part of the ship above thejvator line, and an automobile torpedo can only attaclcxtheship at asingle point belmvwater. Certainships like the Dreadnought have arlnoi-plate of such thicknessthat they are invulnerable to the'shock of existing projectiles, and the submerged portion ofthese vessels is divided intolarge watertight compartments'in Such a 1nanne1pt-hat. the explosion of' an auto mobilev torpedo has relatively little" effect upon the ship, this action being limited to a small number of Water-tight compartments,- so that the ship retains its-power vof dotation even with theconipartments thus of# fectcd fill with Water. destroving the encmys ships consists in laying explosive mines, but these 'also are only able to injure small isolated portions of the vessels. Another method oi system of delstroyinp,l ships is described in the specification of ni-y application for patent Serial-Xo. 420,162 tiled March 10th 1908; it consists in subjecting the ships to tlie' action o't a long floating' charge ot explosive which islaid in the path otthe ships to be destroyed; in the caseiof a ship in motion, the cableafter beiiio struclrby thc ship is dra'fgoed along by itand becomes applied to its front and sides; in the case' offla stationary ship, thc cable or "cableszinay be placed so that the ship' cannot EMANUELE' I l there are two princi-- risk and to .ing containing aline of buoyant explosive ,as a projectile, A third method oit plating, under conditions which are such that when the said charge is caused to ex` 'plode by hand or automatically, 1t exerts a powerful action upon a large numberof the Shl .S watertight compartments, thereby insnrlng'tlie destruction of the ,floatabllity and vstability of tlie' ship whatever its size,

Whether it lis a powerful cruiser, .a subma. rine, a torpedo boat, or a ship of any other type. It well known with'what care the com- .'lnanders of ships'avoid booms of submarine mines by means of which the anstelle@ 0f the 'stoutestjships.would be compromised. Then the mines are fixed the enemy avoids vthem, ,and when automobile torpedoes 'of the y lNhitehe-ad or other ,type are used, they can' onlybe launched from a comparatively short distance and with great ditliculty of attacking on the part'o'f the torpedo boats intended to carry them.v g v The 'chet object. of the present invention yis to enable a device such as above described rto be projected over the Water like an ordinary projectile lwith comparatively small l spread itself. into the required position 'inthe water. For this purpose one forni of the device comprises a shell orv cascharges, an explosive charge for expelling' the aforesaid charges `from the shell, and

.time fuses for igniting the said charges,

whereby the device can `be tired from a gun separated from its shell during its flight, and developed so as to fall 'into the Water and lie therein in. the. form of a horizontal straight or curved line of explosive across the course ofthe enemys ship, which latter encountersitbefore the tim fuses ,ignite the explosive charges. 95 In order that tho said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into Aeffect, I will -now describe .the same more fully with reference to the accompanying Figure l is a diag ammatic elevation of cross section lon the line 4 4 and Fig. 5 a '1 1()` tion in the water, after having been" similar 4section on Vthe line 5-5 ofv '3. the cable or vnetwork *has` been arranged Figs. 6 and 7 are diagrammatic plans of ships being attacked by means of the projectile cables illustrated in Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is 1 a diagrammatic plan 'of' a modiled'rnethod of attacking a ship. l

The cable when in its fully extended posi# launched, is supported in the water by floats a a a which are composed otwoodor other material lighter than water connected together by a light cable b' b.

l, 2, 3 25 are the explosive charges whichvare suspended from the floats c a' .a by means of depending cables o 0 c and are connected'by the cable d d d. When the ship A collides with the cable it' tows the system of connected charges so that-these, under the influence offthe velocity of the ship, will become applied to the hull as vindiy.cated in Fig. 2, that is to saythe floats a, a. will be distributed on both sides of the hull on the` line of flotation of theship and the charges 1, 2 25 will be similarlydistributed beneath theI water line,

A weight-in the form of a vertibally sus-A Ipended cable a (Figs. 1 and 2), isj-provided midway on. the cable d d. d so asto keep the latter submerged,V 4and thus also the charges'l, 2'; 25 thereby preventingthem when being towed through thewate'r from rising to the line of flotation of the shipor above its armored zone'.- Itis' obvious that the cablea is unnecessary for attacking unarmored ships because the explosion of a series of charges against an unarmored line of flotation is sutliclent to sink the vessel.

vIn Fig. 1 the ship A is supposed to strikev 'It will however understood that the system will the cable near the middle. be readily act even if the ship should strike 1t near 'one f of its extremities.

As hereinbefore de-- scribed, a few minutes after the" system has become applied to the hull the tlme fuses,l

with which eachcharge is provided, will 'explode the charges,'and a lportion'ol the ship being torn away in proximity to each charge the ship will soon sink.` The time scribed when the system is launched into the sea, this launching being ell'ected in the manner which will -now be explained..

The cable or network hereinbefre de'- scribed and 1 shown in its extended position in Fig. 1, is shown inFig. 3, carefully arranged within the shell or casing `B-'adapted to bepiece of steeh'exce'pt the head fm, which is de-v tachable and is aflixed tothe pa-rt- B after within/it. Within theshell or casing there are arranged the cables Z,- b, thefloats/'a a, the cables c c and 'd d, and -the charges 1 to. 25,'ea'ch of the latter being inclosed v:in a steel box f and provided with a time fuse z'. 2 is a disk of explosive material packed in 4'close contact with t-he time fuses. The ,base of the shell or casing also carries the time fuse g, which is ignited when the said shell or-casingis red from the gun, and the explosion charge'y o, which is tired by the'time fuse-g by the time that the shell or casing has arrived in proximity to the enemy. v'il is an mstantaneous fuse extending lengthwise -1n theshell vand connectingthe charge o to 'the disk 2- of .explosive material. The explosion of the charge o expels all the elements of which the .explosive 'cable is composed from the shell or casing, and also lcausesv the ignition of the instantaneous fuse l which instantly ignites the disk of explosive Vmaterial 2, thereby causing'the ignition ot' the time fuses-e' z', with each of which the aforesaid disk is contact.' Each element offthe ex losive cable has its corresponding length ot cable?) upon a pluginl of non-in flammable material situated between the ex-l plosive cha-rge o and the `cable forenabling 'the latter' to be expelled from the shell or casing, when the charge o is exploded, without becoming burned.

'In order to maintain the whole cable thoroughly rigid the head mis forced byv pressure on the steel casing. B; it is embed- 'ded upon a pad'or body portion j com osed lof a suitable 'kind of india rubber. p'

This device which presents the external form of; an ordinarypro ectile 'may be placed' in a gun charged in t. e'v ordinary manner. ,i Referring now-to Fig.. 6, S1, SLQ'SB, S4 represent ships w'hich are attacking the ships .R R1. lThe ship S3 for example, by means of a gun fires a projectile such as thatsho'wn 1n Fig. 3, 1n the direction S3, t, gil, in front of theship R which is traveling inthe direction indicated by thearrow Fa Thefuse'q .ofthe device is so adjusted as to,- explode the charge 0 .when the'said device nearly reaches the pointl t. The explosion causes all the lelements to issue fromthe shell or casing in a singleV assemblage under the 'action-of three forces, namely those due to the speed of translation and of rotation of the device itself, together with that due to the' explosion of the charge o. Experiments will elements, 1,2, 3 25 to be arrived at in enable the vweight and 4forinoteach ofthe such a manner that they will become developed `almost in a straight line as shown in Fig. l'and this'l at vthe `moment at which they reach the surface of the sea.l Thewhole arrangement is such that it becomes arranged in the form of a horizontally extend-A ing vertical wall or network` as shown in ried the cable or network along" with it, all the time fuses i i of the charges are acilg, and, after a few minutes, when the charges have become applied to the ship as aforesaid, their explosion will takeplace.` If the ships S1 S2 S3 and t5*- direct their lire against' the Shins R R1 as indicated in Fia- 6 it isobvious that 'the ship It for example, Willbe completely surrounded bv the lines t #,w w1, t z/ and V zr and the s iip It even .by reversing`- its engines could not leave thc cable or network which it has been sur- Obviously Fig. (i illustrates theoretical. conditions and in actual -naval warfare the cables would be arranged less mathematiq cally but still quite etticacionsly and migl'it of the ship beneath the water, and it will be `absolutely impossible for the enemy to escape. .i 1

The length of tliecable or network and the weight .of the .explosive charges depend upon the caliber ofthe `ordnance employed. As in the case of shells, there will be diiiorent sizes of cable projectiles according as large cruisers, torpedo boats, or submarines are to be attacked. I

'This system is applicable lto submarines because Athey can be reached With these explosive cables whereas they cannot be reached by ordinary shells. It may there- 'fore be said that theradvantarres of ordnance Y and of automobile .torpedoeshave been conibined in the present invention.

In places where there vare submarine mines the entire zone maybe counterniincd by launchingr these cables. The fusesi ai-econstructed in such a manner as to burn under water.v It is also obvious that any desired -nuinberjo charges may enter into the com position of a cable, only one or two being ,v

"used if desired.

'According toa modified arrangement the .cable is endless. and arranged, Within the shell or casing in such a-inanner that whenY the 'said shell explodes as at t in Fig 85 the cablevwill develop itseli'ifin the .form of a' ring' d'7; a (l and on striking the` water entirely envelop the` shipiM.` Owing to .the

highspeed of rotation of the shell or casing duel to the usual rifling of the bore of the gun, the explosive cable or network -ivill naturally develop into a circular shape owing to centrifugal force.

Each bundle or set of elements of the cable may be encircled by a rubber band, which is liowever'easily broken when the cable is ex- .pelled from the 'shell oi' casi-ng and the spreading elect of the centrifugalforce beL comes operative. Assuiningthe shell or cas ing to be traveling in a horizontal' direction when the cable or network isidischarged, the

latter if packed as sliownin Fig. 3 will quicklyV assume a circular form in a plane perpendicular to the direction in which it is .traveling, and itA will at the'l saine time descend owing to the action of gravity. f As soon as the loiveiniost portion, as at a in Fig. 8, of this circular shaped cable touches the water,. the said portion will be. checked in its horizontal iLht and will then dran' adjacent part-s downward. In this way the cable will be caused to move about its lowermost point from a. vertical plane into a horizontal plane and in the latter position will be in the water and surround the ship M.

lVliat I .claim and desire to secure' by Letters Patent of the United States is I l. submarine explosive device for use in naval warfare, comprising` a shell adapted to be fired from a gunA likepan ordinaryprojectile, explosive charges connected in line and packed in said shell, means for\eiq ellin' I the aforesaid charges fron'i'the shell during the flight ot' the latter from the gun, means for supporting the line of. explosive charges when submerged in Water, andmeans for causing'th'e charges to become ignited.

2. A submarine explosivel devicev for use in naval Warfare, comprising a shell adapted to be tired from a gun like an .ordinary rojectile, explosive' charges connected in )line and packed in said shell, {ioats connected to said charges for supporting them and also packedin said shell, means for expelling the aforesaid charges and floats from the shell during the flight of the latter-troni the gun, and means for causing the said charges to become ignited. Y y

3. A submarineexplosive device for use in 'naval Warfare comprising a shelladapted tobe tired' from a gun like an ordiilary pro? jectile, explosive charges connected in line and packed in said shell, means for support ing the explosive charges When submerged in Water,l means for 'expellingthe aforesaid charges from ythe shell during the flight of the latter from the gun, a time fuse oonnectu ed to each of the said charges, and means for' ignitingtlie time fuses. f y

Ll. A subinarineexplosive device for use in v naval warfare,comprisinga shell adapted to.

bey tired fronra gun like'ran ordinary .pro- )ectileLex'plosive charges connected in line' and packed in. said shell, floats connectedto 1o to be iir'edrom a' un ylilrean ordinary p1' ojjectile, explosive c anges connected line and packed'in said shell, means for support :ing the explosiveweharges Whensubmerged iin watery4 an explosive charge for expelling i5 Ithe, aforesaid charges' fromthe' shell during the {iight/of the latter from the gun, a time 4inse red when the shell leaves the gun andv nnected to the aforesaid expelling charge, .fa time fuse lvconnected tdeachof the aforesaid .explosive charges connectedin line, and an instantaneous fuse fired from the said. eX- pelling charge for igniting the last mentioned time fuses which are connected to the I, explosive charges.

y:m 1 6.x A submarine explosive device for use in 'naval Warfare, comprising a shell adapted to :be fired froma gun v-li'ke an ordinary projectile, and a lplurality of explosive charges, `a plurality of floats, means for connecting Silesald'charges to each other, means for connecting said oats to each other, means -for f. connecting said charges to said oats, meansV A for expelling the charges, floats,l and ,theirk connecting means from the shell during its vflight, `and means for'causing the 'aforesaid charges to become ignited, all packed' within said shell. v

7. A submarine explosive device for use in naval Warfare, comprising ashell adapted to be fired from a gun like an ordinary projectile, explosive charges connected in an endless line and submerged in Water, means for expelling vthe aforesaid charges from 'the shell during the iiight of the latter from the gun, and means; for causing the charges to become ignited.

8, A submarine explosive'device for use in .naval Warfare, comprising a shell adapted to be iired'from a gun like an' ordinary projectile,`fexplosive chargesconnected in an endless lin'e and lpacked in said shell, .floats connected to saidy charges for supporting them and also packed in said shell, means .for expelling the aforesaid charges and-floats from the shell, during the flight of the latter from the gun, and means for causing the said charges tobecome ignited.

in presence of tWo Witnesses.l

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA. `lVitnesses:

HENRY HASPER, i WOLDEMAR HAUPT.

acked in said shell, means lfor. supporting t e-explosivecharges when 'In testimony/ whereof I aiix my lsignature

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