Improved Marine Torch.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 6th Jan., 1900
Improved Marine Torch.
A communication from JAMES ANGUS WATSON, Civil Engineer, of 1404, Howard
Avenue, in the City of Washington, District of Columbia, in the United
States of America.
1. ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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:-
This invention consists in a marine torch adapted to ignite spontaneously and
produce a brilliant light when thrown into the water and to re-ignite quickly in
case it becomes submerged or extinguished by any other cause. The invention
comprises a shell having a chamber for carbide of calcium or other gas producing
substance or illuminating gas, a suitable burner or burners, and a pilot light or
igniting device of novel construction. The invention will be described in detail
in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shell in its completed condition, hermeti-
cally sealed and adapted to be stored for an indefinite period, parts of the closures
being broken away.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the shell with the end diaphragm or cover removed
to expose the burners.
Fig. 3 is a central sectional view taken on the lino 3-3 of Fig. 2, and
Fig. 4 is a view of a modified form.
Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a shell of suitable size and shape for
the purpose for which the torch is intended. Shells which are intended to be
fired from a gun in naval warfare, or in connection with life-saving operations,
are preferably cylindrical, such as that illustrated. Shells for other purposes
which are to be thrown into the water by hand may be of other forms, such as
rectangular or spherical if desired. The shell is preferably constructed with a
carbide compartment 2, an air compartment 3, of sufficient size to give ample
buoyancy to the shell, and a drainage compartment below the carbide compart-
ment, and adapted to receive the spent carbide. The carbide is to be confined
in its compartment in some suitable manner which will permit water to enter and
refuse to be discharged. As shown, it is contained in a basket 5 of wire netting
which is retained in place by flanges 6 and 7.
Several small inlets 8 are provided in the wall of the air chamber 3 to permit
water to enter upon the carbide when the shell is thrown into a body of water.
To prevent the carbide from deteriorating, when stored, by exposure to the
atmosphere, the openings S are temporarily sealed by a suitable closure which
can be quickly removed when it is desired to use the shell. As shown in Fig. 1,
the openings are scaled by a band 9, which can be stripped off quickly. Instead
of the band, separate pieces might be soldered or otherwise fastened over tho
holes.

page_text: At the upper end of the air chamber 3 is a diaphragm or top-plate 10 in which
are series of burners 11 suitable for burning acetylene or other gas. These
burners may be of any suitable form and in any desired number and arrange-
ment. Adjacent to one of the burners is a pilot light which consists of a
receptacle 12, containing a substance which will readily ignite in the presence of
water. The substance which is preferred and which accomplishes the purpose
perfectly, is phosphide of calcium in the form of lumps. It has been found that
this substance, while not suitable in itself to produce a light which is valuable
for illuminating purposes, is admirably adapted to iguite illuminating gas, and
that it will re-ignite the gas many times, and for a suitable period of time, as
is required when a shell is repeatedly submerged at sea in rough weather.
shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the phosphide of calcium is contained in a vessel 12, which
is fastened in a recess or depression 13 in the top 10 of the shell, the top of the
vessel 12 being about on a level with said diaphragm 10.
As
To
The vessel 12 when in use is provided with an opening 14, through which
water can enter and gas escape. To prevent the escape of the lumps of phosphide,
a suitable net work or grating 18 may be placed across the opening 14.
prevent the phosphide from deteriorating prior to the use of the shell, the open-
ing 14 is hermetically sealed in such manner that it can be quickly opened.” As
shown, it is sealed by a metal disk 16 securely soldered to the top of the vessel 12
and provided with a strap or handle 17 by means of which it can be torn off. The
vessel 12 is securely held in the recess 13 by clamps 18 or other suitable means.
The opening 14 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is at one side of the phosphide
vessel and close to a burner 11º, which is preferably somewhat lower than the
burners 11. The relative arrangement of the phosphide vessel to the burners
may be varied considerably, the only essential feature being that the opening
through which the gas issues from the phosphide vessel must be adjacent to the
burners and near enough to ignite the gas issuing there-from.
Preferably a flange 19 is arranged about the burners, which flange may be an
extension of the shell 1. This flange serves to preserve the burners when the
shell is fired from a gun, the usual method of firing being to place a firing-
block 20, against the flange. The strain of firing is thus transmitted to the sides
of the shell. Openings 21 are provided at the base of the flange so that water
may drain out. Another office of the flange is to hold some water temporarily,
as the shell rises after being submerged, to ensure sufficient water getting into
the phosphide vessel.
The entire shell is hermetically sealed until it is to be used. The water open-
ings may be sealed as above described, and the openings 21, and the top of
the shell may be scaled by a suitable cover 22, the flange 23 of which may be
rendered air-tight by a band 24 soldered to the shell and adapted to be torn off
when the shell is to be used.
In Fig. is shown a phosphide vessel 25 surrounding and attached to a
burner 26 which is screwed into the top 10 of the shell 1. The phosphide vessel
in this case has an inner cover 27 having an opening 28 surrounding the burnor.
The inner cover is preferably dished to direct a sufficient amount of water into
the vessel. The phosphide is prevented from falling out by suitable net work 29.
The phosphide vessel is also provided with a temporary outer cover 30, which is
air-tight and which can be removed when the shell is to be used.
It will be evident that the shell may be floated by other means, such as a sur
rounding belt of cork or other light material. It will also be evident that in
some cases the shell may be charged with compressed or liquified gas instead of
carbide of calcium, and an arrangement made for opening or puncturing the gas
chamber to permit the gas to pass to the burners just before launching the shell
in the wator.
The details of construction of the marine torch above described may be varied
considerably within the scope of this invention. The essential features are the
shell charged with carbide of calcium and provided with one or more gas burners

page_text: and openings through which water may pass to the carbide, in combination with
the pilot light comprising a receptacle charged with phosphide of calcium or
equivalent material adapted to ignite the gas issuing from the burner spontane-
ously when water is admitted to said receptacle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:--
1. The combination with a shell having a gas chamber, of a burner communi-
cating with the gas chamber, and a pilot light for the burner comprising a vessel
charged with phosphide of calcium or equivalent material, the said vessel having
an outlet close to the burner and being adapted to receive a charge of water,
for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination with a shell having a compartment charged with carbide
of calcium, of a gas burner in communication with said compartment, and a
pilot light for said burner comprising a relatively small vessel charged with phos-
phide of calcium or equivalent material, said vessel having an opening adjacent
to the burner, and means for admitting water to the carbide and phosphide
receptacles when the shell is submerged, for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination with a shell. having a compartment charged with carbid.
of calcium and. having openings to admit water to the said carbide compart-
ment when the shell is partially submerged, of a gas burner communicating with
the carbide compartment, and a pilot light for said burner comprising a vessel
charged with phosphide of calcium or equivalent material, said vessel having
an opening adjacent to the burner, and means for temporarily sealing the curbido
compartment and the phosphide vessel from communication with the atmosphere,
for the purpose set forth.
4. The combination with a shell having a chamber charged with carbide of
calcium or equivalent material adapted to produce illuminating gas in the pre-
sence of water, and having a second chamber for air or gas to render the shell
buoyant, of a burner communicating with said carbide chamber, and a pilot light
comprising a vessel charged with phosphide of calcium or equivalent material,
said vessel having an opening through which the gas evolved may escape and
said opening being adjacent to said burner, for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 6th day of November 1899.
BOULT, WADE, & KILBURN,
Agents for the Applicant.