IMPROVEMENTS IN TORPEDOES OR LOCOMOTIVE SUBAQUEOUS VESSELS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thorsten Nordenfelt of 53 Parliament Street in the City
of Westminster for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TORPEDOES OR
LOCOMOTIVE SUBAQUEOUS VESSELS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the aaid Thorsten Nordenfelt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th October 1883.
THORSTEN NORDENFELT of 53 Parliament Street in the City of Westminster,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TORPEDOES OR LOCOMOTIVE SUBAQUEOUS VESSELS
"
This Invention has for its object the construction of a locomotive torpedo,
controllable or otherwise, in such a manner as to be absolutely indestructible by
artillery, and to bring the centre of the explosive effect of the charge in the torpedo
some distance below the surface of the water.
It consists generally of a body and a fin.
The fin is such that it can with facility be disconnected from the body.
The object of this is that the torpedo may be more commodiously packed for
transport.
The important point in constructing the body is to have the centre of gravity as
far below the meta centre as possible, and to have the reserve buoyancy very small
in comparison to the displacement. If this proportion is for instance 10th the
body of the torpedo will then float with th of its volume above the surface of
the water as long as the fin is not attached to it.
The fin which is easily attached to the top of the body is constructed of wood
cork or other light material, and can be covered with iron or steel plate; from the
middle of its base the fin slopes to nothing, both vertically and horizontally so as
to present as little surface friction as possible.
The fin should be so constructed as to float when in the water, but its reserve
buoyancy should be considerably less than the reserve buoyancy of the body. Care
must be taken in constructing the fin that its centre of gravity is well below its
meta centre, so that it may float with its base down.

page_text: The fin being placed on the top of the body its extra weight will cause the body
to be entirely submerged, and the torpedo, ie, the body and fin combined, will float
with only a small portion of the fin, above the surface of the water, the displace-
ment of which portion will be equal to the sum of the reserve buoyancy of the
body and the fin.
If shots be fired against this torpedo, no injury can possibly be done to the body
as it is submerged some feet under the water, and should any of the shots strike
the fin penetrating it, or even knocking pieces off it, this would not cause the
torpedo to sink, but on the contrary would tend to raise it, because as the body is
in itself buoyant, and the fin being by these causes lightened the torpedo would
have less weight bearing it down.
This torpedo is consequently of such a construction as to be absolutely
indestructible by artillery.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thorsten Nordenfelt in the Patent Office on the 10th April 1884.
THORSTEN NORDENFELT of 53 Parliament Street in the City of Westminster
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TORPEDOES OR LOCOMOTIVE SUBAQUEOUS VESSELS
37
This invention has for its object the construction of a locomotive torpedo
controllable or otherwise in such a manner as to be practically indestructible by
artillery and to bring the centre of the explosive effect of the charge in the torpedo
some distance below the surface of the water.
It consists generally of a body and a fin.
The fin is such that it can with facility be disconnected from the body.
The object of this is that the torpedo may be more commodiously packed for
transport.
th
The important point in constructing the body is to have the centre of gravity
as far below the meta centre as possible and to have the reserve buoyancy very
small in comparison to the displacement. If this proportion is for instance the
body of the torpedo will then float with th of its volume above the surface of
the water as long as the fin is not attached to it.
站
The fin which is easily attached to the top of the body is constructed of wood
cork or other light material and can be covered with iron or steel plate; from the
middle of its base the fin slopes to nothing both vertically and horizontally so as
to present as little surface friction as possible.
The fin should be so constructed as to float when in the water but its reserve
buoyancy should be considerably less than the reserve buoyancy of the body.
Care must be taken in constructing the fin that its centre of gravity is well below
its meta centre so that it may float with its base down.
The fin being placed on the top of the body its extra weight will cause the
body to be entirely submerged and the torpedo, ie. the body and fin combined
will float with only a small portion of the fin above the surface of the water the
displacement of which portion will be equal to the sum of the reserve buoyancy
of the body and the fin.
If shots should be fired against the torpedo no injury can possibly be done to
the body as it is submerged some feet under the water and should any of the shots
strike the fin penetrating it, or even knocking pieces off it this would not cause
the torpedo to sink but on the contrary would tend to raise it because as the body
is in itself buoyant and the fin being by these causes lightened the torpedo would
have less weight bearing it down.
This torpedo is consequently of such a construction as to be practically
indestructible by artillery.)
Figure 1 is a side elevation.
Figure 2 is an end elevation and
Figure 3 is a plan of a fin torpedo or subaqueous vessel constructed according to
my invention.
a is the body, as to the internal arrangements nothing need be said but that
they may be similar to those of other locomotive torpedoes or subaqueous vessels.
The points to be regarded in the adjustment of the displacement the position of
the meta centre and of the position of the centre of gravity have been already
referred to.
b is the fin, it is best made of cork covered with thin sheet iron and loaded at
the lower part so that it may have some but very little reserve buoyancy, it may
be held on to the body by any convenient arrangement of lugs and bolts,

page_text: What I claim is a locomotive torpedo or subaqueous vessel having a body lighter
than water and loaded with a fin itself adapted to maintain an upright position
substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said Thorsten Nordenfelt have hereunto set my hand
and seal this third day of April in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty four.
THORSTEN NORDENFEET (LS.)