Year: 1888

page_text: I, ROBERT WHITEHEAD, Engineer, of Fiume, Hungary 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 apparatus adapted for firing locomotive or self propelling
torpedoes under water at any fixed depth, especially from the side of a vessel in motion,
or anchored in a current, at any angle to its course.
It is evident that an ordinary torpedo gun or launching apparatus will quite fail to
meet the requirements of under water broadside firing while the vessel is in motion on
account of the great lateral pressure to which the torpedo would be exposed on issuing
from the gun, a pressure which increases with the speed of the vessel and which no
torpedo could resist or withstand.
The fundamental principle of under water firing or launching from the side of a
a vessel in motion must therefore be to shield the torpedo from the lateral
pressure of the water until it is quite clear of the mouth of the launching tube or
apparatus.
A further important point is to prevent the torpedo being deflected by the lateral
pressure of the water when it is leaving the shield.
I construct an apparatus based on these principles in which the torpedo is forced out
from the ship together with and protected by a shield in which it is secured and when
the torpedo is quite clear of the ship, it is, in a special manner released from the
shield and simultaneously exposed to the lateral pressure of the water along its whole
length.

page_text: Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation and
Figure 2 a plan of the complete apparatus.
Figures 3 and 4 are sectional views of the same on the lines A A and B B of
Fig. 1.
Figures 5. 6 and 7 are longitudinal sectional elevations, sectional plan, and plan
respectively of the shield, and
Figures 8. 9 and 10 are sectional views of the same on the lines C. C and DD Fig. 5
and EE Fig. 6.
This shield or frame, in which the torpedo lies, consists of a box, considerably longer
than the torpedo, and open on its after side in the direction of the ship's motion for a
length somewhat greater than the length of the torpedo.
On its forward side, as far as it projects from the ship when pushed out, it is made in
the form of a grid, or grating, the spaces in which are closed by swing doors, or
shutters a a a, so pivoted as to be opened by the pressure of the water when the shield
is out to within a few inches of its full extent, and locking bolts b, bare withdrawn.
The shield may conveniently be worked out and in by a compressed air or other
engine c, the shaft of which carries a pinion d engaging in teeth cut in the top of the
shield.
Since the shield is moved outwards at a great speed, it will have considerable
momentum, to absorb which, and to deaden the shock at the end of the outward stroke,
the exhaust air from the engine c is employed to form an elastic-cushion, by being
introduced into a space between the forward end of the fixed rectangular casing, and a
projection e at the after end of the shield.
The torpedo is prevented from moving in any direction in the shield, until released
at the proper moment.
At its after end it is prevented from running backwards by a hollow strut f, pressed
against it, which also serves to lead the exhaust air from the engine of the torpedo
itself into the space mentioned above as a cushion or buffer.
The torpedo is prevented from running forward by a stopper 7, the motion of which
is connected with the bolts for causing the doors or shutters a, a, a of the shield to be
opened.
It is prevented from moving sidewise by a T-fin on its forward side in the direction
of the ship's motion; the said T-fin sliding in a slotted bar h, this bar, the stopper g,
and the locking bolts b, b, being, so connected together, and impelled by a strong
spring in such a manner as always to tend to fly to the open position.
They are however locked in the closed position by spring catches j,j, situated near
the after end of the shield, and forced open, when the shield is nearly out to its full
extent, by a projecting toe k, in connection with the catches, coming under the pinion d
on the shaft of the driving engine c.
For keeping the water out of the casing when the torpedo is being loaded into its
shield, a sluice door is provided in the fixed casing, and as close to the side of the
ship as possible, so that, at the time of loading, the shield is entirely within this
sluice door.
The torpedo is introduced by opening a hinged cover m at the after end of the casing,
and is pushed forward until arrested by the stopper g (the T-fin on its side sliding
along the slotted bar h) the sirut is brought up against its after end, and locked in
position.
When the shield begins its outward stroke, the propelling engine of the torpedo is
set in motion by a trip hook n, fixed on the casing, which pulls back the starting lever
of the torpedo engine.
Any water which may have accumulated in the cushion or buffer space, during the
time between the opening of the sluice door and the firing of the torpedo, is forced
out through the spaces o, o, o into the interior of the shield by the exhaust air from the
main engine c and torpedo engine, and surrounds the propelling screws of the torpedo,
so as to prevent excessive racing, and so as to leave only air in the cushion or buffer
space.

page_text: when the shield is nearly out to its full extent, several motions are simultaneously
performed, the catches jj holding the three locking bolts b, g, hare withdrawn, and
the spring i pulls the stopper g away from the torpedo, draws back the slotted bar h
from its connection with the T-pin on the side of the torpedo, and unlocks the doors
5 or shutters a a a on the forward side of the shield.
Thus the torpedo is instantaneously set free in still water, and without bias of any
sort, and, its propelling engine being already in motion, it will continue to move
forward, without being deflected, in the line at which the gun is sot.
Immediately afterwards the air cushioning above mentioned takes place,. the
O driving engine of the shield is automatically reversed, and the shield is drawn at once
within the ship.
The manner in which the torpedo is set free from the shield constitutes an important
point in this invention, since it is forced fairly out sidewise by the lateral pressure of
the water admitted by the opening of the doors or shutters a a a on the shield, and
is not set froe, by overrunning the shield as such a manner would obviously cause it
to be deflected as soon as an appreciable portion of its forward surface stood clear of
the shield.
For regulating the speed at which the shield is driven, and for preventing violent or
irregular motion, an automatic governor is employed, consisting of a piston moving
in a dashpot so long that the motion is regular, but taking the dashpot with it if the
motion should become excessive or jerky.
The piston is connected with the shield by any suitable device for reducing its
stroke, and its motion forms an exact counterpart of that of the shield, but on a
smaller scalo.
The dashpot is connected with a throttle valve g in such a manner as to shut off the
air passing to the engine when the dashpot is moved in either direction.
For slowing down, and finally stopping, the shield at the completion of its inward
stroke, the dashpot has attached to it a pair of springs r, r, ending in an adjustable
stops, when the piston of the dashpot is nearly at the end of its inward stroke
(ie. when the shield is nearly drawn in to its full extent) it presses forcibly on this
stop, and, by compressing the springs r, brings the dashpot with it, and so cuts off
the air passing to the engine c.
"'
The whole apparatus may be trained so as
purpose a segmental rail and training engine are provided near the after end of.
give the required direction, for which
the casing, and a ball and socket joint w is made for fixing the casing to the ship's
ide.
In some cases, where there is not sufficient room for introducing the torpedo from
he after end of the apparatus, as shown, 1 construct an apparatus similar to the one
escribed except that the torpedo is introduced sidewise, the apparatus being furnished
ith a hinged door, rather longer than the torpedo, on its after side in the direction of
he ship's motion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
on and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
aim is :-
First. In a torpedo launching tube, or apparatus for broadside under water firing
om a ship in motion, the specially arranged shield Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10; ..
iding in a casing of rectangular or other suitable form, Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 worked
t and in from the vessel by engine c, substantially as shown and described, for the
rpose of carrying the torpedo clear of the ships side fully protected from the lateral
essure of the water.
Second. In a torpedo launching tube or apparatus for broadside under water firing
m a ship in motion, the special arrangement, in a protecting shield, of doors or
atters a, a, a, locking bolts b, b, stopper g, and slotted bar h, all adapted to be
ultaneously set free when the shield is nearly out to its full extent from the ship's

page_text: side, so as to admit the lateral pressure of the water caused by the ship's motion
equally over the whole forward surface of the thus released torpedo, pressing it fairly
sidewise out of the shield, without deflecting it from its course.
Third. In a torpedo launching tube or apparatus for broadside under water firing
from a ship in motion, the combination of all the different parts, substantially as shown
and described, and for the purposes set forth.