Improvements in Submarine Torpedo Boats and other Vessels.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Dec., 1896-Accepted, 22nd Feb.. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Submarine Torpedo Boats and other Vessels.
1, ROBERT RUTLEY, of 1 Sutherland Road, Tunbridge Wells, in the
County of Kent, Tailor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide a submarine torpedo boat offering
facility for ready submersion to any required depth and ready raising again also
to afford convenient means for air supply and for observation even during
submersion, the boat being propelled and worked without emission of visible
smoke. For this purpose I provide the boat (which may be of an oval section the
shorter axis being horizontal) with two tubes oue before and the other aft of the
centre, these tubes pass through the bottom and through the curved closed top of
the vessel and are each in their lower part splayed fore and aft. In each tube I
provide a screw or turbine propeller on a vertical shaft, the purpose of these
propellers being to lower and raise the boat as required and to maintain it at any
desired elevation. The boat is also provided with usual screw or screws for
propulsion in the keel direction. The boat is in longitudinal section somewhat
cigar shaped but raised in the middle like the back of a turtle, this highest part
being used as a conning tower. In this part 1 provide a sighting funnel with
upper glass look-out and reflector mirror and with corresponding reflector mirror
below for observation.
Que or more air supply pipes are also provided by preference several such in an
annular space between an inner chamber and an outer funnel like tube communi-
cating with the interior of the vessel. A float valve or valves are provided for
selfactingly closing the air inlets when the vessel is being submerged, pipes being
also provided for escape of the water when the vessel is raised.
The sighting funnel and the last named funnel for air supply may be placed
against each other and are made to raise and lower independently or
together.
The power for propelling the vessel, for raising and lowering, for pumping air
into the engine room and for other purposes is from an oil engine or oil engines
placed in the lowest part of the vessel about midship and driving a dynamo or
dynamos supplying electricity to one or more electro-motors. This gives me the
advantage of manipulating the propelling gear and the raising and lowering gear
by switching the current as required; the steering gear may also be actuated by
this means.
Torpedo launching platforms are provided fore and aft.
The stability of the load is maintained during sinking and rising by means of
the upward tendency to float and the downward pull of the turbines and the water
passing through the tubes.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1896
JENSEN & SON,
77 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Submarine Torpedo Boats and other Vessels.
I, ROBERT RUTLEY of 1 Sutherland Road Tunbridge Wells, in the County
of Kent, Tailor, 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 my invention is to provide a submarine torpedo boat or other
subaqueous vessel offering facility for ready submersion to any required depth and
for being readily raised again also to afford convenient means for air supply and
for observation even during submersion the boat being capable of being propelled
and worked without emission of visible smoke or vapor.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings
Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of a submarine torpedo boat shewing
one form of my invention.
Figure 2 is a broken plan thereof.shewing the observation and air shafts in.
section on the line 2-2 Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a section through the water tubes on the line 4-4 Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a broken elevation in part section of the air supply shaft shewing
the valve arrangement to an enlarged scale.
Figure 6 is a sectional plan thereof.
Figure 7 is a central longitudinal section of a modified construction of submarine
torpedo boat.
Figure 8 is a cross section on the line 8-8, Figure 7.
Figure 9 is a plan of the water tubes as seen from below the boat shewn in
Figure 7.
The hull A of the boat may be of any desirable form but preferably oval in
cross section, as shewn in Figures 3 and 8, the shorter axis being horizontal,
and in longitudinal section somewhat cigar-shaped, but raised in the middle at A'
like the back of a turtle, this highest part being used as a conning tower see
Figure 7 or this raised portion may be so formed as to afford support for observa-
tion and air shafts as shewn in Fig. 1. The hull may also be provided with
vertical longitudinal fins CC2 at the top and bottom and fore and aft or aft only
as shown on the drawings the bottom fin C3 carrying the rudder post.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 6 in the hull A I provide two vertical water tubes B¹ B²
one forward and the other aft and, preferably, equidistant from the centre of
the boat. Or instead of two tubes there may be more than two if desired. These
water tubes pass through the boat from the curved closed top to the bottom
thereof and are each preferably divided and more or less splayed out fore and aft
as shewn in Figures 1 and 4.
The boat is so designed as normally to float and with such a draught only
as may be required to sufficiently submerge the stern propeller or propellers D.
In order to submerge the boat and maintain it submerged at any desired depth
I provide in each of the said water tubes B1 B2 and below the normal water
line, a propeller E.
The stability of the boat is maintained when submerged and during sinking and
rising by means of the upward tendency to float, the downward pull of the
propellers E and the water passing through the tubes B' B. The propellers may
also be revolved in the contrary direction and will then assist the boat to rise and
to keep afloat it slightly disabled.
The observation shaft F is capable of being raised or lowered by any suitable
means (not shown). The upper end of this shaft passes through a watertight
gland H' provided in the top of the housing H on the raised portion A of the

page_text: hull while the lower end slides in an outer shaft fixed to the said housing and
passing watertight into the interior of the boat through the said raised part A'.
The top of the shaft F is closed and is provided with a strong glass port F
looking forward and inside thereof with a reflecting mirror F. At the bottom of
the outer shaft F inside the boat is provided a corresponding receiving mirror F*
and a glass port F. The bottom of this tube F is closed so that in case the
observation shaft is damaged no water can enter the boat.
The mirrors in the observation shaft may be so arranged as to afford a view in.
all directions or the observation shaft may be caused to revolve or there may be
more than one observation shaft in which case the glass ports F will face different
points of the compass.
Glass ports A are also provided in the raised portion A' of the hull so as to
afford a look out in case the observation tube becomes damaged.
In the same housing H I provide a telescopic shaft G capable of being raised or
lowered by any suitable means (not shown) which carries one or more telescopic
air inlet and air exhaust pipes GG. The upper end of this shaft passes through
a watertight gland H' in the top of the housing H and the lower end slides in an
outer shaft G³ fixed inside the housing H.
This outer shaft G is closed at the bottom where it joins the raised part A'
of the bull so that in case of accident to the shaft G no water can enter the boat
through the breech.
With the same object the air tubes G G which pass watertight through the
closed end of the shaft G³ are provided inside the boat with stop cocks.
The top of the shaft G see Figures 5 and 6 is provided with a horizontal water-
tight diaphragm G and a cover G and the space thus formed is divided by a
vertical diaphragm G into two air compartments one of which serves for the
reception of the air inlet pipe or pipes and the other for the air exhaust pipe or
pipes. Holes G' are provided for the admission of fresh air and the escape of
foul-air from the exhaust pipes and boles G' for the escape of water.
Float valves are provided which automatically close the mouths of the air
pipes G G when the vessel is being submerged or when the air boxes at the top of
the shaft G become choked with water in rough weather.
Such float valves may consist for example of a valve G' suitably mounted on a
lever Go so as to close the mouth of the air pipe, which is bent downwards as
shewn at G The lever G is couveniently pivoted at G and has mounted on
the free end thereof a floating ball G2 by means of which it is raised on the
entrance of water into the compartment.
An exhaust fan K may be attached in any convenient position to the air exhaust
pipe and a blowing fan when required to the air inlet pipe.
The shafts F and G may be raised or lowered together or independently.
For bilge purposes or for emptying or filling the water tanks I provide a high
pressure pump L.
The power for propelling the boat, for submerging the same, for pumping air and
water and for other purposes is derived primarily from an oil engine or engines M
placed about amidships which drives a dynamo or dynamos N supplying electricity
direct to one or more electro motors or charging secondary batteries or both.
These secondary batteries are not shewn upon the drawings but it will readily be
understood that they may be stored in one or more convenient positions which
depend upon the general distribution of weights in the boat.
Previous to the submersion of the boat or when within view of the enemy the oil
engine is preferably stopped and in that case all subsequent operations are dependent
upon these secondary batteries.
Preferably I employ a separate electro-motor for each operation. For instance
an electro-motor D or electro-motors for driving direct or by suitable gearing the
stern propeller or propellers D; electro-motors E for driving direct or by suitable
gearing the water tube propellers E; an electro motor L' for driving by suitable
gearing the high pressure pump L. The exhausting fan K is driven direct by an

page_text: -electro motor as also the before mentioned blowing fan when used. The usual
necessary gear for handling and launching the torpedoes may conveniently be
worked by hand or by electro motors if desired.
The whole or some of these operations may be controlled from a central switch
board O.
A steering wheel P is shown upon the drawings but the tiller may also be
worked by an electro motor or electro motors also controlled from the switch board O.
The boat may be provided with torpedo launching tubes fore and aft or in the
stem only as shewn at.A2.
The boat is provided with oil. and water ballast tanks. The water tanks situated
near the torpedo launching tubes may be so arranged and subdivided as, upon being
filled with water, to compensate for the .loss of ballast consequent on a torpedo
being launched. All the water tanks with the exception of those reserved for
fresh water are furnished with sea water cocks allowing the tanks 'to be rapidly
filled when required.
Referring to Figures 7 to 9 the water tubes B B2 are not each divided but
simply enlarged towards the bottom and splayed out fore and aft as clearly shewn
in Figures 7 and 9. In this case the propellers E and their shafts I are carried
by brackets E3 E4.fixed within the water tubes the propeller shafts E carrying
bevel wheels E' into which gear bevel wheels E on the shafts of the electro-
motors E¹.
In place of the observation shaft :F the housing H is provided with glass
ports H thus affording a conning tower, immediately aft of which, and as a
substitute for the shaft G, is formed by the extension of the said housing H the
compartments shown in Figures 5 and 6 for the reception of the air inlet and
exhaust pipes G1 G2, the top plates of the raised portion A¹ of the hull corresponding
to the diaphragm G and the top cover plate of the housing H corresponding to the
-cover-plate G
In other respects the details of this boat are similar to those already described.
In every case a watertight manhole A is provided in the raised portion A¹ of
the hull for the purposes of ingress and egress and a roller or rollers A' to facilitate
the loading of torpedoes or stores.
In the top of the raised portion A' under the centre of the housing H a man-
hole A is provided for the purpose of adjusting the glands H¹ H2.
The raised portion A' and the housing H are shaped so as to offer as little.
resistance to the water as possible.
The machinery may be lowered into the boat before the raised portion A' is
secured to the.hul! A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I am
aware that propellers have already been used for the purpose of submerging and
maintaining submerged submarine boats and I therefore make no general claim for
the simple use of propellers for such a purpose but what I claim is :-
1. In a submarine boat the application and employment of tubes passing right
through the boat in a vertical direction provided with propellers for causing the
boat to be submerged or assisted in rising to the surface.
2. In a submarine boat the application and employment of tubes passing right
through the boat in a vertical direction such tubes being splayed out or divided
.fore and aft at the bottom substantially as described and shewn.
3. The constructions of submarine boats shewn on the drawings.
Dated this Twenty-second day of December 1896.
JENSEN & SON,
77 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.