Improvements in Submarine Boats.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1886
Complete Left, 17th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 18th Nov., 1887
Improvements in Submarine Boats.
We ARTHUR BRIN of 59 Brompton Crescent in the County of Middlesex Engineer
and Chemist and LEON QUENTIN BRIN of 7 Rue Gavarni Paris in the Republic of
France Engineer and Chemist and LEONARD CHAPMAN of 35 Gloucester Road Kew
in the County of Surrey Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to
be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to provide a submarine boat capable of a high rate
of speed and prolonged submersion without inconvenience to the occupants and free
from external projections whereby liability to get fouled with other objects is reduced
to a minimum.
To effect this we provide the boat with reservoirs capable of withstanding very high
pressures and we fill these reservoirs with oxygen gas preferably extracted from the
atmospheric air by Brins process, compressed to say 80 atmospheres.
We employ the oxygen stored on board the boat in the above manner to effect the
combustion of hydrocarbon or other fuel either in the cylinders of an engine working
with with hydro carbon vapour on the principle of a gas engine or in generating
steam.
In the latter case we may cause the products of combustion to mix with the steam
and to pass with it through the engines to the condenser from which they are removed
by the air pump and expelled overboard.
The combustion of the fuel and the amalgamation of the products of combustion
with the steam may be effected by forcing at a pressure superior to that of the steam
in the generator, a continuous supply of hydro carbon and a continuous supply of
oxygen into separate coils of pipe exposed to the heat of the steam by being placed
inside the boiler-These coils terminate in nozzles from one of which the hydro carbon
issues in the form of vapour and mixes with a supply of heated oxygen issuing from
the other nozzle.
The heat of the flame may be absorbed by the feed water either by injecting the
latter in a finely divided state into the flame or by exposing it to the radiant heat of
the flame in allowing it to trickle over surfaces surrounding the flamo.
-

page_text: Or a continuous supply of hydrocarbon and a continuous supply of oxygen may be
forced at a pressure superior to that of the steam in the boiler through separate pipes
into a closed furnace. The pipes may be arranged along the bottom of the furnace
so as to beat the oxygen and vapourize the hydrocarbon before issuing from the
nozzles.
The products of combustion pass from the furnace into perforated tubes placed in
the lowest part of the generator from which tubes they pass into the surrounding
water.
The ignition of the mixed gases in the preceding cases may be effected by
electricity.
Or we may admit pure oxygen at a low pressure to a closed ash pit under an
ordinary coal fire and withdraw the products of combustion from the smoke box by
any suitable means and expel them overboard after utilizing them for heating the
feed water.
In order to obtain the highest speed out of the power developed by the engines
the boat should. be so ballasted as to have but a small margin of buoyancy.
To effect this the weight of the contents of the boat should be capable of adjust-
ment by admitting water to receptacles which should be at or near the lowest part of
the boat which water can be expelled by admitting steam into these receptacles or by
pumping the water out.
The boat can be caused to sink slowly or quickly without moving her engines by
admitting as much water to the receptacles as will cause her and her contents to
weigh more than the water she displaces and she could be brought to the surface by
forcing this water out.
It would however be safer to ballast the boat so as to leave her a certain amount of
buoyancy and to employ jets of water expelled vertically upwards in order to force
her down.
Supposing the boat to be under weigh she could be steered in either a vertical or
horizontal plane by means of a similar jet or jets of water issuing from one or both
of her extremities or by means of the usual vertical and horizontal rudders.
In order to keep the boat on an even keel when for instance an occupant of the boat
alters his position we provide an automatic self trimming device of the following
description.
As near as possible to the bottom of the boat we provide a bed or slide upon which
a weight can be moved in a fore and aft direction and parallel with the bed we provide
a screw which can by means of friction wheels be rotated by the propeller shaft in the
same or opposite direction-The weight is attached to a nut on the screw and is
caused to move towards the bow or stern according to the direction in which the screw
is made to revolve.
The normal position of the friction wheels is such that the propeller shaft imparts
no motion through them to the screw which moves the weight but should the boat
incline by the head or by the stern the friction wheels are thrown into gear so as to
move the weight in the direction necessary to reestablish the original centre of
gravity.
To control this mechanism we provide two vertical tubes placed some distance apart
in the direction of the boats length and we connect them together by means of another
tube. These tubes contain liquid and upon the surface of the liquid in the vertical
tubes flow contact makers.
Into each of these vertical tubes are two insulated wires or conductors forming
part of the circuit connecting a battery with an electro-magnet whose function it is
to throw the friction wheels into gear either by its own force or by moving the
admission valve of a small steam cylinder.
Should the boat leave the horizontal position one of the floating contact makers
touches the hanging wires or conductors and one of the electro magnets causes the
friction wheels to be thrown into gear and to move the weight in the required
direction.
In a large boat it would be preferable to employ a small special engine for turning

page_text: the weight screw and such engine may be driven in either direction or stopped by
electricity as above described.
A pendulum might be employed instead of a level for making contact and controlling
similar mechanism.
In order to keep the boat when under weigh at any fixed distance below the surface
of the water we provide a bent U tube containing mercury one column of which is
exposed to the pressure of the water surrounding the boat. In the other column are
two insulated wires or conductors which can be adjusted vertically according to the
depth below the surface at which the boat is intended to travel and a contact maker
When she
floats upon the surface of the mercury which rises as the boat descends.
has reached the depth for which the wires are set contact is made and an electro-
magnet sets in motion certain mechanism by means of which the horizontal rudder or
jet or jets of water is or are pointed more directly aft so as to allow the buoyancy of
the boat to prevent her further descent.
The horizontal rudder (or the nozzle from which issues the jot of water) is kept by
means of springs pointing downwards at such an angle that the stern of the boat is
raised and the boat owing to her inclined position is propelled downwards by her own
engine power until she reaches a depth at which the pressure of the surrounding
water is sufficient to cause the mercury to rise in the tube and make contact. The
force of the spring is then by intermediate gear overcome by the power of the engine
and the angle of the rudder or jet is lessened and the boat not steered any further
downwards.
Dated this 16th day of December 1886.
J. HENRY JOHNSON,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C.,
Agent for A. Brin, L. Q. Brin, and L. Chapman.

page_text: Improvements in Submarine Boats.
We ARTHUR BRIN of 59 Brompton Crescent in the County of Middlesex Engineer
and Chemist and LEON QUENTIN BRIN of 7 Rue Gavarni Paris in the Republic of
France Engineer and Chemist and LEONARD CHAPMAN of 35 Gloucester Road Kew
in the County of Surrey Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
The object of this invention is to provide a submarine boat capable of a high rate of
speed and prolonged submersion without inconvenience to the occupants and so free
from external projections that liability to get fouled with other objects is reduced to a
minimum.
To effect this we provide the boat with reservoirs capable of withstanding very high
pressures and we fill these reservoirs with oxygen gas preferably extracted from the
atmospheric air by Brins process and compressed to say 80 atmospheres.
We employ the oxygen stored on board the boat in the above manner to effect the
combustion of hydrocarbon or other fuel either in the Cylinders of an engine
working with hydrocarbon vapour on the principle of a gas engine or in generating
steam in a boiler.
The
The hydrocarbon liquid is fed into the furnace through the fire door by means of an
injector together with oxygen supplied to the injector from the storage compartment
the oxygen inducing a current of the hydrocarbon the said hydrocarbon being caused
to enter the furnace in a fine state of division whereby rapid combustion ensues.
products of combustion consisting of invisible carbonic acid gas and steam, enters the
smoke box from which they are exhausted and caused to impinge upon a surface
maintained cool by the surrounding water whereby the steam is condensed. A portion
of the water of condensation may be utilized to supply loss of water from leakage the
remainder together with the carbonic vapour being pumped or discharged overboard
thus a constant supply of distilled water is provided to make up for loss from loaky
glands or the like.
Or we may admit pure oxygen at a low pressure to a closed ash pit under an
ordinary coal fire and withdraw the products of combustion from the smoke box by
any suitable means and expel them overboard after utilizing them for heating the feed
water.
In order to obtain the highest speed out of the power developed by the engines the
boat should be so ballasted as to have but a small margin of buoyancy.
To effect this the weight of the contents of the boat should be capable of adjustment
by admitting water to receptacles which should be at or near the lowest part of the

page_text: boat which water can be expelled by admitting steam into these receptacles or oy
pumping the water out.
The boat can be caused to sink slowly or quickly without moving the engines by
admitting as much water to the receptacles as will cause her and her contents to
weigh more than the water she displaces and she could be brought to the surface by
forcing this water out.
It would however be safer to ballast the boat so as to leave her a certain amount of
buoyancy and to employ jets of water expelled vertically upwards in order to force
her down.
In order to keep the boat at any fixed distance below the surface of the water we
provide a U shaped or similar tube containing mercury one column of which is
In the other column is a
exposed to the pressure of the water surrounding the boat.
conductor which can be adjusted vertically according to the depth below the surface
at which the boat is intended to travel. The mercury rises as the boat descends and
when the boat has reached the depth for which the conductor is set contact is made
and an electro magnet or a battery sets in motion certain mechanism hereinafter
described by means of which a horizontal rudder or horizontal rudders or jet or jets
of water is or are pointed more directly or actuated in such manner as to allow the
buoyancy of the boat to prevent her further descent.
The horizontal rudder or rudders or the nozzle or nozzles from which issues the jet
or jets of water is or are kept by means of a spring or springs pointing downwards at
such an angle that the stern of the boat is raised and the boat owing to her inclined
position is propelled downwards by her own engine power until she reaches a depth at
which the pressure of the surrounding water is sufficient to cause the mercury to rise
in the tube and make contact. The force of the spring or springs is then by inter-
mediato gear overcome by the power of the steering engine and the angle of the jet
or jets or horizontal rudder or rudders is or are lessened and the boat prevented from
descending further.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a boat constructed according to this
Invention Figures 2. 3 and 4 being cross sections of the vessel on the lines A. B.
C. D and E respectively of Figure 1 looking forward Figure 4 being drawn to a
larger scale Figure 5 is a diagram of an arrangement according to this Invention
for automatically maintaining the vessel at any required distance below the surface of
the water.
The boat represented in the accompanying drawings has a blunt bow G and is of
cylindrical cross section except for a short distance abaft the central portion of its
length where the cross section is elliptical as shewn in Figure 4. The diameter of the
after portion of the hull gradually diminishes towards the propeller ; as shewn.
The vessel is divided by four vertical bulkheads into five principal compartments 1,
2, 3, 4 and 5, the free spaces O of the compartments 2, 3 and 5 which are gas-tight
and connected with each other contain oxygen compressed to say 80 atmospheres. It
must be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the exact external forin or
external arrangement of vessel illustrated in the accompanying drawings nor do we
limit ourselves to the exact arrangement of subdivision herein disclosed:
Compartment. 4 contains the propelling engines L (which in this case are surface
condensing engines of the triple expansion type) the conning tower X sinking pump M
steering gear and the auxiliary engines and appliances necessary to the working of the
vessel and to the discharge of the torpedoes with which it is provided.
Compartment 3 in. this instance contains a return-tube steam boiler K surrounded
by a bad conductor of heat R, the fuel for which boiler petroleum or other hydro-
carbon which is fed into the furnace through the fire door 13 by an injector O⑈
together with oxygen which is supplied to the injector from the storage compartments
by the pipe o feeding it around a regulating cone operated by the wheel o². This
oxygen induces a current of petroleum (which is regulated by the wheel v) from the
oil tanks V through the feed pipe o' into the injector o' whence the Petroleum mingled

page_text: with the Oxygen is delivered into the furnace in a finely divided state-the ignition of
the mixed gas and spray may be effected by any suitable means, when rapid
combustion producing intense heat will ensue.
The intensity of such combustion may be readily regulated to any required degree
by adjustment of the injector cones by the wheels of and v which control the supply to
the injector of Petroleum and compressed Oxygen respectively. The products of such
combustion will be invisible Carbonic Acid gas and steam. These are exhausted from
the smoke box by the air pump P which draws them through the pipe k² into the
tube K which tube is secured to the outside of the Boat's skin and forms a surface
condenser being kept cool by contact with the surrounding water which is rapidly
changed owing to the travel of the vessel. In the said condensing tube K2 the steam
is condensed and the resulting hot water together with the Carbonic Acid vapor
passes along the pipe p and is then (save such small portion of the water which may
be utilized to supply loss of water from leakage) pumped overboard by the before
mentioned air pump P which may also act as air pump to the Engine Condenser l.
The invisible Carbonic Acid vapour when pumped overboard is rapidly absorbed by
the surrounding water without risk of observation this being a matter which would be
of vital importance in the conduct of naval operations.
The propelling engines L are placed in the after end of compartment. 4 and the
propeller shaft J carrying at its outer end a screw propeller ; of any desired pattern
revolves in a tube J2 which lies in the centre line of the hull and passes through the
compartment 5 having at its inner end a bearing for the propeller shaft fitted with
stuffing box and gland as shown, to prevent entrance of water into the compartment 4.
The thrust block is carried by short columns which are bolted to the bulkhead 4*.
At the outer end of said tube J2 is a thrust ring and propeller shaft bearing of the
usual type.
The boat may be caused to sink or to rise as required slowly or quickly by admitting
or expelling as much water to or from receptacles as will cause her and her contents
to weigh more or less respectively than the water displaced by the vessel thus the
buoyancy of the vessel may be regulated or destroyed-But the vessel A is preferably
so ballasted with water in tanks or by suitably distributed weight in any other
convenient form that she possesses always a small amount of buoyancy such buoyancy
being sufficient to bring the vessel to the surface of the water, this upward tendency
being counteracted when required by the appliances hereinafter described. The
provision of this small amount of buoyancy is a valuable safeguard against accident
which might otherwise result from total or temporary disablement of the vessel whilst
below the surface of the water.
In order to cause the vessel to sink when required we provide a powerful centrifugal
pump M (Figures 1 and 4) drawing water in at m through the sluice valve m² and
forcing it out through the non return valves m³ m² in powerful jets through the
orifices M M³ these orifices being placed well down the sides of the vessel as shown.
Shields or deflectors m³ are provided opposite the orifices M' M³ to direct the issuing
jets of water vertically upwards so that a downward reaction sufficient to overcome
the vessels small buoyancy is obtained and the boat is forced down.
A turret or conning tower (Figure 1) is also placed in compartment 4. It
consists of an iron cylinder X which is provided with a strong glass dome ³ and
slides vertically in the watertight packing ring ³ being raised or lowered by the ram
or piston actuated by the pressure of water steam or oxygen working in the
cylinder and carrying also a small platform on which the navigating officer
stands That the officer may have unobstructed view, when the vessel is navigated
at or near the surface it may be necessary owing to the height of waves on the surface
that the turret should be elevated to its extreme height above the hull in which position
it is now shewn in (Figure 1) but for navigation below the surface it is intended that the
turret should be drawn in as far as it can go leaving only the glass dome ³ above the
ring ³.
Within the vessel extending through compartments 1 and 2 are the torpedo tubes N'

page_text: three in number each tube carrying a torpedo N of the Whitehead or similar type.-
An impulse tube n extends from the rear end of each torpedo tube to the bulkhead 3ª
which separates Compartment 3 from Compartment 4-Each impulse tube n contains
a piston Ns and behind each of these pistons a charge of compressed oxygen from the
storage chambers O may be admitted by the pipes n' in order that by the expansion
of the gas the said pistons may be caused to expel the torpedo with great force-The
pistons may be returned to their normal positions by admitting a charge of oxygen at
the forward end of the tubos n-n³ is a switch valve designed to direct the jet of oxygen
into the impulse tube which it is desired to use, a valve n¹ being fitted on a pipe from
the oxygen reservoirs to the switch valve n³ to control the supply of the gas to the
impulse tubes in such manner that a momentary jet of oxygen may be admitted behind
the piston at the instant at which it is desired to eject the torpedo.
A shield n (Figure 1) is operated by the hand wheel n through the gearing n and
shafts no so as to cover the outboard ends of all the torpedo tubes when the torpedoes
are not required-The shafts nº pass through tubes rivetted to the bulkheads of the
compartiments through which they pass and at the outboard end there is provided a
water-tight joint n° When the discharge of a torpedo is required the shield may be
put into position to uncover the corresponding tube.
We will now describe the steering arrangements according to this Invention which
control the vertical and horizontal deviation of the boat from her course. Two rudders
S. T. are provided-each having two blades so formed as shewn in Figure 1 to direct
ropes, wreckage, obstructions and the like clear of the propeller blades. The rudder S
turns in a vertical bearings and controls the deviation of the vessel from a vertical
plane, an arm on its vertical shaft being connected to and operated by the rod s
which is led into the interior of compartment 4 through a stuffing box similar to that
shewn at to a conveniently placed hand or steam steering gear.
One blade of the other two bladed rudder is shewn at T This rudder is of exactly
similar form to the rudder S but is arranged on a horizontal shaft in order to regulate
the deviation of the vessel from a horizontal plane. The arm on the shaft of this
horizontal rudder is connected by the rod t to the piston rod 13 of a steam steering
engine being the steam cylinder and to the cataract cylinder of that engine.
#C
The Steersman may operate the Steam steering gear by the lever which is
arranged to be pulled downwards to cause the vessel to descend and pushed upwards
to cause the vessel to ascend. A helical spring is compressed between the bracket y
and the collar and keeps the rudder T normally at a small angle as shewn in Figure 1
in order that the vessel may automatically be caused to descend at a constant angle
whenever the connection rod t is released by the steam steering gear. In order to
regulate automatically according to this Invention the distance below the surface of
the water at which the boat shall travel we provide the apparatus illustrated
diagrammatically by Figure 5. A bent tube U of glass is fixed within the vessel and in
a vertical fore and aft plane (as shewn in Figure 1) in order to minimise the possible
disturbing influence of the motion of the vessel. One leg us of this tube is in
communication at its upper end with the water which surrounds the vessel when
submerged; in order to prevent the exhaustion of water from this leg by induced
outflow due to the rapid passage of the vessel through the surrounding water its upper
end is put into a small box or tank u to which the external water obtains ingress by
the small holes u' formed in the skin H of the vessel. The lower portion of each leg
and the bend of the tube contains mercury as shown at u which liquid is used in
preference to others its weight permitting the use of a shorter column than would be possible
with other liquid. As the boat descends the pressure of the external water above the
boat and in leg u³ depresses the column of mercury in that leg, correspondingly
increasing the height of the mercury column in the leg u² until the weight of mercury
in the latter column suffices to balance the pressure of the water above the mercury in us.
Hence, it being evident that for given depths of immersion of the Vessel there will
be certain known positions for the head of the column of mercury in the leg u² of the
tube V a needle or rod Y formed of a metal which is a good conductor of electricity

page_text: may be adjusted in the leg u² by means of the slider Y3 which is traversed vertically
and fixed in position on a suitably graduated pillar W so that the point of the needle
may make contact with the mercury at the position corresponding with any required
depth of immersion of the boat and thus close an electrical circuit Qq u W. Yq' Q.
Through this circuit a current may pass from the battery Q through the coil q²
drawing down the core (against the pull of its spring and
actuating a lever attached thereto and in connection through the rod
with the valve of the steering engine T². The steering engine T' then
overcomes the thrust of the rudder spring x and alters the angle of the rudder
so as to prevent further descent of the vessel The electrical circuit, is completed from
the coil through the wire 9 fused into the glass tube U to give electrical connection
with that portion of the mercury column which lies in the lower portion of its legs
thence up the needle Y and along the graduated pillar W to the battery return wire q
fixed to the upper end thereof. Should the boat rise above the predetermined limit.
the depth of water above the vessel and consequent pressure will be lessened and the
mercury column in the leg will rise permitting the mercury in u to fall thus
breaking the circuit whereupon the current will cease to flow in the coil and the
core and valve lever t will be returned by the spring to their normal positions
(illustrated in Figure 5) leaving the rudder spring x (Fig. 1) free to turn the rudder
again to a desconding angle, the boat resuming a downward course until it arrives at
the predetermined limit of immersion when the apparatus just described will again
check further descent. The gear illustrated in Figure 5 and the rudder spring
Fig. 1. are so arranged that the steerman's hand lever t' may always actuate the valve
of the steering engine T2 to overcome or assist them as may be required should it
become necessary to control or partially control by hand the deviation from the
horizontal plane. The electrical apparatus hereinbefore described with reference to
Figure 5 may be employed for controlling the operation of a jet or jets of water which
are utilized for the same purpose as is the rudder T herein before described.
To prevent the inconvenience to occupants of the boat which would result from
vitiation of the air in the confined space means are provided for absorbing the carbonic
acid gas given off in the breath.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :—
1st. In submarine boats the employment of a storage of oxygen under pressure
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
2nd. In submarine boats the use in the furnaces of steamboilers of a liquid
hydrocarbon fuel burnt in the presence of uncombined or free oxygen under pressure
as herein before described.
3rd. In submarine boats disposing of the steam and carbonic acid gas resulting from
the combustion of a liquid hydrocarbon in free oxygen by condensing the steam and
using a portion of the water of condensation to supply the boiler the remaining
portion being discharged together with the carbonic acid gas to outside the vessel
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
4th. In submarine boats the expulsion or withdrawal from the smoke box to outside
the vessel, of the products resulting from the combination of a solid fuel in the
presence of free oxygen admitted at a low pressure to a closed space below the fire
substantially as herein before described.
5th. In submarine boats the use of pumps or ejectors for expelling water upwards
for causing the boat to descend substantially as hereinbefore described.
6th. In submarine boats means for maintaining the boat at any required distance
beneath the surface of the water consisting of a column of mercury exposed at one
end to the pressure of the external water and making contact at the other end for
completing an electric circuit to cause the actuation of a rudder or rudders or of a jet
or jets of water substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
7th. In submarine boats of the kind hereinbefore described the arrangement of

page_text: torpedo tubes or chambers in combination with impulse tubes substantially as
herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
8th. In a submarine boat of the kind herein before described, a turret or conning
tower fitted to slide vertically in a water tight packing, and operated substantially in
the manner and for the purpose herein before described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
9th. The employment of Gas Engines in the cylinder or cylinders of which hydro-
carbon is exploded in combination with oxygen for the purpose of propelling
submarine boats substantially as hereinbefore described.
10th. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting a submarine boat
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
J. HENRY JOHNSON,
Agent.