Patent GB-226842-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and connected with submarines
IPC: B63G8/22
Filed: 1923-06-26
Abstract: 226,842. Rovetto, F. June 26, 1923. Submarines are maintained in equilibrium between predetermined maximum and minimum levels, water being admitted to the ballast tanks as soon as the submarine commences to rise and during the whole period of the upward movement whilst water is discharged from the ballast tanks as soon as it commences to descend, and during the whole of its downward movement the quantity of water which is admitted or discharged being varied in accordance with the distance traversed by the submarine during its upward or downward movement. The main outlet and inlet valves. 16, 21, Fig. 4, are arranged in the innermost compartment of the concentric caissons 11, 12, 13, and communicate with the Kingston valve 14 by way of the pipes 17, 22. The valve 16 further communicates with the caisson 12 whilst the valve is in communcation with the caisson 13 by way of a valve 25 and pipes 23, 24. A pump supplies water from the caisson 13 into the caisson 12 so that the air in the latter is compressed, a safety valve maintaining a difference between the pressure of the water in the caisson 12 and the outside pressure depending on the depth of submersion of the submarine. A valve 32 enables the caisson 12 to be put into communication with the compressed air tanks of the submarine when the pump is not sufficient to maintain the required pressure in the caisson 12. The safety valve comprises a valve cylinder 46, Fig. 6, communicating with the caisson 12 at the bottom and with the sea at the top. The casing is further provided with nozzles 47, 48 in communication with the caissons 13 and 12 respectively. The piston 49 working in the cylinder 46 is provided with circumferential apertures 50 intercommunicating by way of an axial channel 51. When the pressure of the water in the caisson 12 against the bottom of the piston 49 is greater than the weight of the piston and the pressure of the sea against the top of the piston, the latter rises to bring the apertures 50, 51 opposite the nozzles 47, 48 in the cylinder. Water then passes from the caisson 12 to the. caisson 13 until the piston 49 redescends. The valve 25 is modified so as to control the aperture through which water from the sea. enters the caisson 13 so that the volume of water which flows through this aperture will be the smaller the greater the depth of submergence of the submarine. The valve cylinder 55, Fig. 7, is provided with nozzles 56 in communication with the inlet valve 21 and with the caisson 13 respectively. The top part of the cylinder communicates with the sea by way of the pipe 58. The piston 59, which is loaded by the spring 61 and is controlled by a hand-wheel 62, is provided with a transverse-aperture 60 of the form shown in Fig. 9, and so calculated that as the piston descends when the depth of submersion of the submarine increases, the volume of water which flows through the valve 25 is suitably diminished. The outlet and inlet valves 16, 21 are controlled by solenoids, the valve cylinder 36, Fig. 5, being provided with nozzles 44, 45 and with a series of circumferential openings 37. The piston 49 is provided with similar circumferential openings which are brought into line with the openings on the casing when the solenoid 43 is energized to cause a soft-iron piece 41 carried by the piston 15 to be attracted by the armature 42. The passage of electric current through the solenoids is controlled by a manometric device comprising a mercury container 65, Fig. 11, in communication with a Kingston valve by way of the pipe 69. A pipe 67 dipping into the container 68 is in communication by way of a pipe 70 with a container 71 which in turn may be put into communication either with the exterior cf the submarine or with the compressed air tanks. A float 74 working in the pipe 67 carries with it a switch 75 which moves over contacts arranged in the pipe 70. These contacts comprise pairs of oppositely-disposed contacts 76, 77, 82, 83, Fig. 18, separated by insulators 78 and terminating in alternately-projecting studs 80. At right-angles are disposed a second pair of contacts comprising longitudinal bars 84, 85, the former insulated by the block 87. The switch, which is shown in two positions at right-angles in Figs. 19 and 20, comprises rollers 88, 90 connected by metal springs 92, 93, with guide rollers 89, 91 working over the contacts 86, 82. These springs are united by a block 94, with top and bottom contacts 95, 96. The second pair of rollers 97, 100, which work in contact with the bar 84, are united by a spring 101 connected to a metal frame 103 guided by the springs 102, terminating in idler rollers 97, 98. The metal frame 103, which is carried by the rod of the float thus contacts either with the contact 96 or 95, and thus establishing electrical communication between the bar 84 and either the contact 86 or 82, the appropriate solenoid is energized to operate either the inlet or the oultlet valve. To obviate the necessity of passing the somewhat heavy solenoid current through the switch, auxiliary electromagnets are employed which also serve the purpose of holding the valves 16, 21 open for a constant period of time for each opening. The control device comprises auxiliary electromagnets 109, 110, Fig. 21, for the solenoids 107, 108, and an additional pair of electromagnets 111 which are connected up with the auxiliary battery 105 and the contacts 81, 82, 84, 76, 77 as shown. When the electromagnets 109 are energized owing to the armature 117 of the electromagnet 111 tipping the lever 118 against the contact 120, the upward movement of the armature 112 causes a funnel 115 which depends from the arm 113 to dip in the mercury bath 116 and close the main circuits in which the solenoids 107, 108 are situated. When the current through the electromagnet 109 is interrupted and the fall of the armature 112 causes the funnel 115 to emerge from the mercury bath, the current through the main circuit is continued for a predetermined interval whilst the mercury runs out through the funnel.