Torpedo-net Booms and Fittings.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 17th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 17th Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Torpedo-net Booms and Fittings.
We PATRICK ALBERT HAMILTON 6 Amelia Street, Landport, Portsmouth, Ship-
wright, and FRANCIS YOUNG 32 Ridge Street Landport Portsmouth, Clerk, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention is intended to replace the present type of torpedo booms fittings and
the cumbersome gear now carried on the sides of ironclad war ships for carrying
torpedo nettings for defence from outside torpedo attack. The invention consists of
a system of torpedo booms and fittings carried inside the ship, the booms sliding in
saddles and driven in and out as required by means of toothed ratchets fitted to booms,
and toothed wheels revolving on a fore and aft shaft. It is claimed for this invention
that the booms with nettings can be boomed out for partial or all round defence at
any time, in any sea or weather, and in a few minutes. The exposure of men is
reduced to a minimum. The whole of the gear is worked from and in the ship, takes
up comparatively little room, can be worked by steam, hydraulic or hand power and
is under the immediate control of commander.
The patent torpedo boon is 45 feet long, made of steel, is cylindrical in shape &
6 inches in diameter, inches thick, it is fitted on the underside with a toothed ratchet,
31 feet long running from inner end of boom and the booms when run out with
nettings for defence will be 30 feet outside and 15 feet inside of ship.
The main shaft runs fore and aft under the booms and is fitted with a toothed wheel
for every boom and propels the booms in and out as desired by revolving the main
shaft either way. The runners on upper parts of booms slides in the saddles fitted
to plates on under part of deck between the beams and carries the booms stiffens them
and guides them in and out square.
The booms are fitted with plates for eyelets for guys and up and down stays
and with a clip hook to take a hawser to lash nettings to, stops, and block for
brailing up.
D
1
1 1000
P. A. HAMILTON.
FRANCIS YOUNG.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Torpedo-net Booms and Fittings.
We, PATRICK ALBERT HAMILTON, 6, Amelia Street, Landport, Portsmouth, Ship-
wright, and FRANCIS YOUNG, 32, Ridge Street, Landport, Portsmouth, Clerk, 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 relates to a system of torpedo net booms and fittings carried inside
the ship in a manner to be readily boomed out or brought in, in any sea or weather and
intended to replace the present type of torpedo net booms, fittings and cumbersome
gear usually carried on the sides of ironclad war ships for carrying torpedo nettings
for defence from outside torpedo attack.
By the arrangement hereinafter described the exposure of men is reduced to a
minimum, the whole of the gear is worked from within the ship, takes up comparatively
little room, can be worked by steam, hydraulic or hand power and is under the
immediate control of the commander.
In the accompanying drawings to which reference is made to illustrate the following
description
Figure 1 is a side view of a boom with its fittings.

page_text: Figure 2 is a section of Figure 1 on the line A. B.
Figure 3 is a hand with eyelets for up and down guys and fore and aft stays.
Figure 4 is a sectional view of a plate, riveted or bolted to the deck and deck
beams, carrying the saddles.
Figure 5 is a view partly in section of three booms operated by one shaft fittel
with three cog wheels or pinions.
In all the figures the same part is indicated by like letters of reference.
A is the boom made preferably of steel plate cylindrical in shape, tapered at the
outer end and fitted with a runner B, a toothed rack C, steel band D, having three
eyelets a b c to take the up and down guys and fore and aft stays to support the
netting in the manner now usually adopted for ships carrying outside torpedo net
fittings, but we also provide as a preferable means of supporting the nets, a hook E,
having a spring clip d at the extremity of each boom. In these hooks a hawser to
carry the torpedo nets depending therefrom may he readily admitted, the extremities
of which are made fast to the outer boom-.
The runner B which extends along the greater part of the boom A at its upper side
is inade of angle steel of a form shown in cross section in Fignre 2, the lower part
being curved to bed upon the cylindrical upper surface of the boom A to which it is
secured by bolts or rivets. The upper or T shaped part of the runner B is fitted so
as to slide in a longitudinal saddle F, which may extend to a sufficient length to
steady the boom A in its extreme or in any intermediate position of its range of
outward or inward movement, or may consist of several short lengths placed at
convenient distances apart to fulfil the same purpose.
The saddle F is made in two parts as shown in Figure 4 so that it may be applied
to the runner B, while the boou A is in position within the ship, the two parts together
forming a groove for the upper part of the runner B to slide in. These parts of the
saddle Fare bolted or riveted to a plate G which is bolted or riveted to the deck H
and beams J.
The boom A is fitted at its underside with a longitudinal rack C, to engage with a
cogged wheel or pinion K, several of which may be carried on one and the same
shaft L so as to operate simultaneously several booms placed at convenient intervals
apart, three such being shown in Figure 5. Thus if the ship is to be provided with
booms fore and aft and at each side they may all be operated simultaneously by two
longitudinal shafts and cross shafts, the whole system being connected by bevel gearing
so as to be set in motion from one source of power to run out or retire torpedo net
booms all round the ship simultaneously, or the shafts may be operated independently
of each other so as to run out or retire the booms at either side or either end of the
ship, as occasion may require.
In order to secure a water tight fitting at the openings in the ship through which
the booms A protrude, we provide water tight sliding doors made in two parts capable
of being brought together or separated by means of racks fitted thereon and operated
by right and left handed worms upon a shaft. Each half of the door has a semicircular
opening provided with india rubber packing to close around the boom when the doors
are closed in contact therewith.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
A system of torpedo net booms operated by mechanism controlled within a ship in
a manner to run out or retire the booms carrying the torpedo nettings therewith at the
sides or ends of a ship as required substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of December 1890.
AYRTON & THUMAN,
Patent Agents.