Nets to Ships and for Working the same.
Year: 1885

page_text: Nets to Ships and for Working the same.
I, WILLIAM MUNTON BULLIVANT of 72 Mark Lane in the City of London Wire
rope Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING TORPEDO NETS TO SHIPS AND FOR
WORKING THE SAME to be as follows:-
"
My Invention has for its object to provide means whereby torpedo nets may be
readily attached to and be brought to any required position with respect to the
ship with which they are used.
According to my Invention the booms or spars which project from the side of the
vessel to carry the ridge ropes upon which the nets are supported are hinged or
connected to the vessel in such manner that they can be turned up to lie
vertically against the sides of the vessel. The joint may also if desired be, of
such a nature that the booms or spars can be turned to lie horizontally along the
side of the vessel. The ridge ropes are not attached directly to the booms or spars
but to runners or slides capable of sliding longitudinally along or on guides formed
on or carried by the booms or spars the said runners or slides being provided with
ropes or attachments by which they can be moved in one direction or the other
along the booms or spars or the guides thereon. The booms or spars are continued
outwards beyond the place where the torpedo nets are supported when in use by
the first ridge-ropes and to these projecting parts second ridge ropes are attached
so that they are situated some little distance outwardly of the first ridge ropes.
These second ridge ropes will intercept attacking boats before they reach the nets.
The nets are preferably attached to the first ridge ropes by means of split rings or
hooks carried by eyes running upon the ridge ropes which split rings or hooks can
be engaged with the upper row of grommets of the net and the parts of the nets
at the sides where they meet are preferably secured by shackles passed through
the adjacent side grommets and secured by a screw or otherwise. These latter
modes of fastening replace or supplement the ordinary lashings.
L
With a torpedo net attachment constructed and arranged according to my
Invention the booms or spars carrying the ridge ropes and nets can be readily
brought up to lie vertically against the sides of the vessel and the runners or slides
will automatically lower or can be lowered along the booms or the guides thereon

page_text: to cause the nets to lie in proper lowered position against the side of the ship and
when the booms or spars are in this position their upper ends can be used as
awning stanchions. The nets can readily be put in position for use by lowering the
booms or spars the ridge line on which the nets are supported being previously
raised by running the runners or slides up along the booms or the guides thereon
or if this be not previously done, the booms being lowered until their outer ends
are below their inner ends, the nets will automatically take up their proper position
by the runners or slides moving outwardly along the booms or the guides thereon.
The booms or spars may be made of any suitable material but a good material for
the purpose is steel tubing.
Nets to Ships and for Working the same.
I WILLIAM MUNTON BULLIVANT of 72 Mark Lane in the City of London Wire
Rope Manufacturer, 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 has for its object to provide means whereby Torpedo nets may be
readily attached to and be brought to any required position with respect to the ship
with which they are used.
According to my Invention the booms or spars which project from the sides of
the vessel to carry the ridge ropes (or their equivalents such as rods or the like)
upon which the nets are supported or carried are hinged or connected to the vessel
in such manner that they can be turned in any desired direction such for example
as upwards and downwards or sideways or both upwards and downwards and
sideways to be caused to lie vertically against the sides of the vessel or to lie
horizontally along the sides of the vessel. The ridge ropes are not attached directly
to the booms or spars but to runners or sliders capable of running or sliding
longitudinally on guides formed in or on or carried by the booms or spars the said
runners or sliders being provided with ropes or attachments by which they can be
moved in one direction or the other along the guides on or in the booms or spars.
The booms or spars are continued outwards beyond the place where the Torpedo
nets are supported when in use by the first ridge ropes, and to these projecting

page_text: parts second ridge ropes (or their equivalents) are attached so that they are situated
some little distance outwardly of the first ridge ropes. These second ridge ropes
will intercept attacking boats before they reach the nets. The nets are preferably
attached to the first ridge ropes by means of clip hooks or hooks carried by eyes
running upon the ridge ropes which clip hooks are attached to the upper row of
grommets of the net and the parts of the nets at the sides where they meet are
preferably secured by shackles passed through the adjacent side grommets and
secured by a screw or otherwise. These latter modes of fastening replace or
supplement the ordinary lashings.
With a Torpedo net attachment constructed and arranged according to my
Invention the booms or spars carrying the ridge ropes and nets can be readily
brought up to lie vertically against the sides of the vessels and the runners or
sliders will automatically lower or can be lowered along the guides on the booms
or spars to cause the nets to lie in proper position against or near to the sides of
the ship and when the booms or spars are in this position their upper ends can be
used as awning stanchions. The nets can readily be attached to the ridge ropes
and be put in position for use (without any necessity for leaving the vessel) by
hauling the runners or sliders up along the guides on the booms or spars to any
convenient height to bring the ridge ropes within reach from the deck of the
vessel. The nets are then attached and the booms or spars are lowered, and the
nets are then in proper position for protecting the vessel. If the nets be already
attached to the ridge ropes, the booms can be simply lowered until their outer ends
are below their inner ends and the nets then will automatically take up their
proper position by the runners or sliders moving outwardly along the guides on
the booms or spars. The booms or spars may be made of any suitable material
but a good material for the purpose is steel tubing. The arrangement of runners
and guides is such that the spars or booms can be supported by stays attached to
the booms or spars between the innermost and outermost positions of the nets.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
several figures on the annexed sheet of Drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings represent in front elevation
side elevation and plan respectively an arrangement for attaching torpedo nets to
the sides of a ship and for working the same according to my Invention and
Figures 4 and 5 represent on an enlarged scale in elevation and section through
the boom or spar runner and its adjuncts which carry the "ridge ropes" to which
the torpedo nets are connected and Figure 6 is a plan of the joint by which the
boom or spar is connected to the side of the vessel.
The booms or spars A are hinged at A¹ to pins B fitted to turn in socket pieces
secured to the sides of the vessel by preference about level with or a little above
the water line and at suitable distances apart along the whole or any portion of the
sides and ends of the vessel. These booms are provided with slots or grooves or
projections D in or on which works the runner or slider E to which the ridge
rope F is attached another ridge rope F¹ may be arranged some little distance in
advance of the ridge rope F for the purpose of intercepting attacking boats before
they reach the torpedo nets attached to the inner ridge ropes F. The eyes at F
are for the attachment of these extra ridge ropes. The nets (G) may be attached
to the ridge ropes (F) by hooks lashings or in any other suitable way but I prefer
to connect them thereto by means of clip hooks such for example as are shewn
at H in Figure 7 carried by eyes running on the ridge ropes the said hooks
engaging the upper grommets of the net-G2 is a rope by means of which the
runner or slider is run out, and G³ is a rope by which the runner or slider is
hauled in. G is a stay to support the boom and Go is a rope for supporting the
end of the boom and for hauling it into a vertical position. Go is a rope for
hauling the boom sideways.

page_text: 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
1st For attaching torpedo nets to ships and for bringing the said nets into
position for use and moving them out of such position the combination of spars or
booms jointed or centred so that they can be turned up and down or be turned
sideways or both, the said spars or booms having on or in them guides upon which
runners or sliders can be run or slidden to move forward or backward the ridge
ropes and the nets carried by them without interfering with the staying of the
booms or spars all substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
2nd In apparatus for working torpedo nets the double joint for attaching the
booms or spars to the sides of the vessel the said joint being constructed and being
capable of working substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3rd The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the means
for attaching torpedo nets to ships and for working the said nets substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.