Improvements in Torpedo-launching Apparatus.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 27th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 26th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Torpedo-launching Apparatus.
I, EMIL KASELOWSKY, Engineer of 18, Chaussee Strasse, Berlin, N. Germany,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to. be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved method of launching torpedoes from the side
of a ship whilst the same is in motion. The apparatus of the kind constructed for
experimenting purposes have, up to the present, not proved themselves capable of
meeting the demands of the science of modern naval warfare, in that they do not
combine that absolute certainty of operation, safety of aim and easy manipulation
with the necessary economy of space.
The present inventor is acquainted with the main points of all apparatus of the
kind constructed up till now. One of the best apparatus consists in running a
protecting beam out on the pressure side of the torpedo in launching the same and,
at the same moment, when the back ond of the torpedo leaves the side of the boat
two traps are opened in the protecting beam one at the front and the other at the
back end of the torpedo-whereby the water pressure can act on the same-other-
wise if the back end trap were not opened, the force of the water acting on the front
end of the torpedo as it advances beyond the protecting beam, would deviate the
course of the same and precision in launching would be practicably impossible.
This method of running out the protection beam at the same time as the torpedo is
launched, has the great disadvantage of racking the machinery to such an extent,
that the best apparatus soon get partially ruined and an absolute safe and certain
operation of the same is questionable. In my invention I have eliminated this
disadvantage and have constructed an apparatus, which combines reliable working
with only a normal wear and tear of the machinery. Instead of running out the
protecting beam with the torpedo I run it out previously thus avoiding racking the
machinery to an abnormal extent.
.
The torpedo is first dropped into the launching tube from above, before the
protecting beam is run out. On that side of the torpedo which lies next the protecting
beam is fixed a guide pin, which on the torpedo being lowered, passes into a groove.
in the protecting beam.
This groove runs nearly out to the front end of the protecting beam, and on the
beam being run out, the groove passes along the guide pin. When the beam is right
out, the torpedo is still lying in the launching tube with its guide pin in the groove
of the beam. It must be mentioned, that the pin is T-shaped and the groove also,
so that the torpedo is guided along and held on to the beam by its guide pin. The
protecting beam has holes along its entire length so that a slight water pressure acts
on the torpedo during the whole operation which takes place in the following
manner:
The protecting beam is first run out after the torpedo has been placed in the
launching tube, with its guide pin in the groove of the beam. The torpedo is then
launched and the guide pin slides along its groove holding the torpedo on to the
beam and resisting the reduced water pressure caused by the holes in the same. As
soon however, as the end of the torpedo has left the side of the ship the pin runs out
at the end of the groove and the torpedo is left wholly free. In the moment when
let loose, the regular pressure of the water coming through the holes in the protecting
beam acts at the same time along the whole length of the torpedo and thus the same
is not deviated from its course. The protecting beam will now be run in when the

page_text: operation can be repeated. The boam may be run in and out of course by any
suitable mechanism.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1889
EMIL KASELOWSKY.
By Rayner & Cassell,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Torpedo-launching Apparatus.
I, EMIL KASELOWSKY, Engineer of 18, Chaussee Strasse, Berlin, in the German
Empire, 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 :-
My invention relates to an improved method of launching torpedoes from the
side of a ship whilst the same is in motion. The apparatus of the kind constructed
for experimenting purposes, have up to the present, not proved themselves capable of
meeting the demands of the science of modern naval warfare, in that they do not
combine that absolute certainty of operation, safety of aim and easy manipulation
with the necessary economy of space.
The present inventor is acquainted with the main points of all apparatus of the
kind constructed up till now. One of the best apparatus consists in running a
protecting beam out on the pressure side of the torpedo in launching the same and at
the same moment, when the back end of the torpedo leaves the side of the boat two
traps are opened in the protecting beam one at the front and the other at the back
end of the torpedo, whereby the water pressure can act on the same, otherwise if the
back end trap were not opened, the force of the water acting on the front end of the
torpedo as it advances beyond the protecting beam, would deviate the course of
the same and precision in launching would be practicably impossible.
This method of running out the protection heam at the same time as the torpedo is
launched has the great disadvantage of racking the machinery to such an extent, that
the best apparatus soon get partially ruined and an absolute safe and certain operation
of the same is questionable.
In my invention I have eliminated this disadvantage and have constructed an
apparatus, which combines reliable working with only a normal wear and tear of the
machinery. Instead of running out the protecting beam with the torpedo I run it
out previously thus preventing racking the machinery to an abnormal extent.
In order to make my invention more clear, I refer to the accompanying drawing,
in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the several views.
Fig. 1 is a section through the ship, showing the torpedo being launched.
Fig. 2 is a plan of fig. 1 with the torpedo in the launching tube.
Fig. 3 is a section showing the launching tube open.
Fig. 4 shows the launching tube closed with the torpedo ready to be launched.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2:
a a is the launching tube which is divided in the middle and may be opened for
the reception of the torpedo, as shown in Fig. 3. bb are two automatically
adjustable blocks for the reception of the torpedo; these blocks take the position
shown in fig. 3, when the tube is opened so that the torpedo can be lowered on to
the same from above. When the torpedo has been lowered on to the blocks the
Lube may be closed again by means of the levers c c, chain transmission d d and
screw spindle e e. In order to insure the parallel movement of the two screw
spindles, they are connected by a horizontal shaft f and bevel wheels. The moveable
half of the launching tube slides with its supporting blocks g g on the guides h h.
The two halves are fastened together when closed by means of the levers i ³, which
turn two shafts having catches on their ends which catch over the top and bottom

page_text: flanges of the moveable part of the tube. The fixed half of the launching tube has
the chamber within which the protecting beam 7 lies, which is run out previous to
launching the torpedo. The projection m of this, beam, containing groove n extends
through the side of the launching tube and is flush with, and curved to the inside
circumference of the same. The groove n which is T-shaped (Fig. 3), extends nearly
the whole length of the beam.
The front end of the whole apparatus is closed against the water by the slide valve o
and trapp; the latter may be opened by hand by means of lever p³ and only serves
to prevent the front part of the tube outside the slide valve o and between the same
and the ship's side, from getting stopped or clogged up in any way. Since when the
tube is closed, this space is always filled with water, no water pressure acts on the
outside of the trap. This is effected by the lever p' and screw spindle and wheel p¹¹.
The slide valve o is operated by hand wheel o'.
The torpedoes for sub-marine broadside launching are provided with a T-shaped
projection q (Fig. 2) on their one side and lying nearly at the front end of the torpedo.
The T-shaped groove n in the protecting beam and in which the projection 9 runs,
begins some distance back from the front end of the beam and extends horizontally
along the same right to the back end. When now the launching tube is charged and
the torpedo in the position shown in Fig. 2, the projection on its side lies at the
beginning or front end of the groove. When the slide o is opened, and the protecting
beam runs out, the groove n slides over the projection 9, so that when the beam is run
out as far as necessary, the projection q will lie in the back end of the groove. In
the meantime the torpedo will be fixed in its position in the usual manner by the
screw shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The customary four guiding studs for
the torpedo are retained in this case and run in their respective grooves in the
launching tube.
The other arrangements for discharging the torpedo and beam such as air
cartridget and the blowing out apparatus are exactly the same as those in use up
till now for bow and stern launching tubes and form no part of this invention. The
discharging mechanism is so arranged that the torpedo may not be discharged before
the trap p and slide valve o have been opened.
Assuming that the launching tube is closed and filled with water from the previous
discharge the manipulation of the charging and firing arrangement would be as
follows:
The trap p will first be opened and the apparatus emptied in the usual manner by
pipe u u and air pressure. The fastenings of the tube will be loosened by levers i i¹
and the launching tube proper, opened by hand wheels cc into the position in Fig. 3.
The tube is then charged with a torpedo and closed again (Fig. 4) whereupon it is
refilled with water through pipe u. The cartridge t is charged with air, the slide
valve o opened and on the word "ready" the protecting beam runs out. The torpedo
may then be immediately discharged in the ordinary manner.
The torpedo will therefore be shot out or discharged along the protecting beam,
i.e. it will be held on to the same by the guiding lug 9 and thus protected along
its whole length against the sideward water pressure, with the exception of that water,
which flows through the holes w w in the beam, this pressure is however exerted
evenly along the whole length of the torpedo. At the same moment however as the
tail end of the torpedo emerges from the ship's side the guiding lug 9 runs out at
the end of groove n and the torpedo is let loose being taken clear of the beam by
the side pressure caused by the holes w w in the beam. This pressure as above
mentioned, being exerted evenly along the whole length of the torpedo the latter will
not be diverged from its line of fire.
The size of these holes can be modified as desirable so that the pressure exerted on
the torpedo be not too strong or uneven.
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 what I claim is :
1. In an apparatus for launching torpedoes: The combination with the launching

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c
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tube of a protecting and guiding beam adapted to be run out previous to discharging
the torpedo and to form a protection from the sideward water pressure and a guide
for the torpedo.
2. The combination with a launching tube, of a protecting beam having the
· horizontal guiding groove n of the form and in the manner specified, and having
holes w w said beam adapted to be run out at the side of the ship, previous to dis-
charging the torpedo and on the pressure side of it, torpedo being guided along the
protecting beam by a lug running in groove n, as described.
3. The combination with a launching tube longitudinally divided into two parts,
and adapted to be opened and closed for the reception of the torpedo, of a protecting
beam having a longitudinal groove n, that part of protecting beam containing groove,
. extending through the launching tube and curved to flush with the inside diameter
of the same, in the manner described.
Dated this 97th day of Janvan 1800
EMIL KASELOWSKY.
By Rayner & Cassell,
37, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.
EMIL KASELOWSKY.
By Rayner & Cassell,
37, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.