Improvements in and connected with Torpedoes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 19th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 29th Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Torpedoes.
We, ARTHUR RIGG of 42 Old Broad Street in the City of London, Engineer and
JAMES GARVIE Junior of 172 Fenchurch Street in the City of London Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to torpedoes which have rotation imparted to a propelling
arrangement by which they are caused to travel through the water and our inven-
tion consists in causing the whole, or a part, of, the body of the torpedo to be
rotated around its longer axis at such a rate that when it is discharged its proper
progress through the water is insured the body or the part which is rotated being
provided with a propeller which rotates with it and so propels the torpedo through
the water. The blades of the propeller may be made adjustable by being connected
with a governor, their pitch may be varied in accordance with the variation of the
speed of the torpedo. The body, or the portion of the body which rotates, or any
desired portion of the body, if it all rotates, may be encased in a shell or part
which is stationary so as to lessen friction in the water. A convenient mode of
construction is to make the body part to rotate entirely and to secure to it a screw
propeller and to pass longitudinally through it a tube into the hinder end of which
the stud or spindle (driven by the engine iu the torpedo boat or other source of
power) is inserted it being engaged with the tube by a key so that on rotating the
stud or spindle the torpedo is rotated with it. At the outer or forward end of the
torpedo there may be a stud or spindle (and bearings therefor) to which the casing
or hood which is not to rotate may be secured. There may be vanes or fins on the
casing or part of the casing which is not to rotate so as to prevent or retard any
tendency of that part to rotate.
The discharge of the torpedo can be effected in any desired way. It may for
instance be effected by means of gunpowder or by means of water admitted into the
tube in which the torpedo is rotating before discharge.
Dated this 17th day of December 1891.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Torpedoes.
We ARTHUR RIGG of 42 Old Broad Street in the City of London Engineer and
JAMES GARVIE Junior of 172 Fenchurch Street in the City of London 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:-
Our invention relates to torpedoes which have rotation imparted through or by a
propelling arrangement by which they are caused to travel through the water and
our invention consists in causing the whole or a part of the body or casing of the
torpedo to be rotated around its longer axis at such a rate that when it is discharged
its proper progress through the water is insured the body or the part which is
rotated being provided with a propeller which rotates with it and so propels or
assists in propelling the torpedo through the water.
The body or casing or a portion of the body or casing which rotates may be

page_text: encased in a hood. or guard which is stationary so as to lessen friction in the
water.
A convenient mode of construction is shewn partly in section in Figure 1. Here
the whole torpedo rotates carrying with it a screw propeller a by which its progress
is maintained through the water so long as the momentum imparted to it on its
discharge lasts.
A torpedo of this class is intended to be discharged by placing the plug A
projecting from its hinder end into a torpedo tube rotated by any convenient source
of power, the plug and tube being shaped so that they do not rotate one within or
over the other. This torpedo tube contains a charge of gunpowder or other
explosive to be fired for the purpose of discharging the torpedo, when it has
received its full rotatory velocity and is ready to be discharged. Thus the torpedo
receives an initial velocity and may enter the water if so arranged at or about the
intended speed of its propulsion through the water.
The necessary power for giving rotation can be derived from a steam turbine or
from a hydraulic compressed air, electric, or other suitable motor.
Another mode by which the torpedo can conveniently be discharged and rotated
is shewn by Figure 2. Here a rocket or rockets is or are placed within it. The
said rocket or rockets can either be pushed up a tail tube c provided for the purpose
and so arranged that cach rocket can be connected with the next by means of a
time fuse or else the rocket tube can be filled from the rear or front end and it is
obvious that the discharging orifices from the rocket or rockets must be designed so
as to produce and maintain a rotation in the torpedo. This may conveniently be
done by providing orifices set obliquely to the axis of the rocket so that the gases
generated on the ignition of the rocket or rockets cause the torpedo to rotate on its
longer axis owing to the rocket or rockets being keyed or engaged in any convenient
way with the part of the torpedo in which they are placed, the rotation of the
propeller with the body propelling the torpedo whilst the discharge of the rocket or
rockets assists to propel the torpedo. Thus either the rocket or rockets alone or in
conjunction with the screw propeller attached to the torpedo will provide the means
for driving the torpedo through the water causing it to rotate at the same time.
The propeller blades a attached to the torpedo and rotating with it can be placed
if so desired under the control of a governor inside the torpedo as shewn by Figure 1
so that their pitch may be varied in accordance with variation of the speed of the
torpedo.
The governor shewn in Figure 1 consists of two balls d d which are kept in their
inward position, by a spring d' forcing outward the rod d² in a slot in which the
short arms of the levers of the balls d engage. The axes of the propeller blades
can turn in their bearings on either side of the rod d and are provided with studs
which enter a groove in the rod d so that as the said rod moves in one direction
by the opening out of the balls under centrifugal action and in the other direction
by the action of the spring the blades are partially turned and their pitch altered
accordingly, and the pitch will be increased as the speed lessens it being desirable
to have the said pitch least when the speed is greatest.
Another mode of carrying out the invention is shewn by Figure 3. Here com-
pressed air is used for driving an engine and it in turn drives the propeller. Another
propeller is attached to the torpedo shell and as the latter rotates in consequence
of the engine's movement both propellers serve to move it through the water.
A portion e of the torpedo constitutes a reservoir for compressed air for working
an engine situated in the chamber f. for driving the shaft g projecting from the rear
of the torpedo and carrying the propeller a. On the body or casing of the torpedo
is the propeller a as before its blades being set so as to drive when rotated in the
opposite direction to the blades a². Thus the re-action caused by driving one
propeller causes the other to rotate and it is the action of both at the same time
that causes the torpedo to be propelled and rotated at the same time.
At the front end of Figure 3 we have shewn an arrangement of hood, shield or
guard I which is free to run or remain still without being directly influenced by the

page_text: torpedo. This hood, shield or guard is mounted on ball or other bearings so that it
can readily turn round and there may be vanes or fins on it so as to prevent or
retard any tendancy of it to rotate.
Inside the front end is placed the usual charge of gun cotton which thus rotates
with the body of the torpedo.
Various safety contrivances are used in all torpedoes with suitable arrangements
for maintaining them at any desired depth known technically as the hydrostatu
balance, these arrangements are familiar to those who understand torpedoes and
need not be described here as they are well known.
The hood shield or guard I shewn in Figure 3 may be extended backwards if
desired so as to encase the whole torpedo or any desired portion thereof and the
said hood shield or guard or its extension may be used with methods of propulsion
other than that shewn in Figure 3.
We wish it to be understood that we do not restrict ourselves to the exact & only
details of construction hereinbefore described nor to the use of all the details or any
particular detail as we make may use of any convenient construction that may be
suitable for carrying out the main or essential features of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:
1. In combination with a torpedo any suitable means for rotating its body part or
casing around its longer axis for propelling it through the water or insuring its
proper progress therethrough substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In combination with a torpedo constructed to have its body part or casing
rotated on its longer axis a hood, shield or guard which is not compelled to rotate
therewith substantially as herein before described.
3. In combination with a torpedo a governor acting to regulate the pitch of the
propeller blades substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
Dated this 19th day of September 1892.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.